bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The piety of optimization: The rhetoric of health awareness in ParticipACTION and Fitbit
Authors: Gaudet Loren
Published: February 2021

This article uses the tools of rhetorical study to investigate how health awareness, as both a concept and a set of beliefs that reinforce ideals of health, permeates everyday life and affects ways of being. I explore how health awareness is communicated through both public health and commercial marketing campaigns, and argue that as the sources of information change, so too do the ideas of health that we are asked to be aware of. Through an analysis of the websites of ParticipACTION, a publicly funded health and fitness campaign, and Fitbit, a corporation that produces wearable technologies, I show that these organizations provide their audiences with instructions for self-conduct in the pursuit of health through the piety that time is a resource to be managed. Through this piety, ParticipACTION and Fitbit’s websites each reify an altar of health where health is represented as a socially and physically fitter (optimized) self, always just out of reach and attainable in the future. I conclude with a call for critical descriptions of health awareness to move beyond the explanatory power of neoliberalization of health, and turn to the work of Rachel Sanders, Annmarie Mol, and Donna Haraway as possible avenues for resisting optimization.
Explanations and excuses in French sociology
Authors: Brandmayr Federico
Published: February 2021

The terrorist attacks that struck France in 2015 had reverberations throughout the country’s intellectual fields. Among the most significant was a widespread polemic that turned around whether sociological explanations of the attacks amounted to excuses and justifications for terrorists. When prominent politicians and pundits made allegations of this nature, sociologists reacted in three main ways: most denied the allegations, others reappropriated the derogatory label of excuse, while others still accepted criticism and called for a reformation of sociology. These epistemological stances can be properly understood only by studying the long history of debates around ‘sociological excuses’ in France and by analysing French sociology as a field of forces and struggles.
Effect of multi-scale polypropylene fiber hybridization on mechanical properties and microstructure of concrete at elevated temperatures
Authors: Liang Ninghui , You Xiufei , Cao Guojun , Liu Xinrong , Zhong Zuliang
Published: February 2021

This paper presents results of an experimental study on the compressive and splitting tensile strength of plain concretes and concretes incorporated with macro, micro and hybrid polypropylene (PP) fibers at elevated temperatures (20 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C). Nine series of concrete mixtures with different contents PP fibers were prepared and the optimum mixing proportion of different sizes of PP fibers was discussed. The results indicated that the multi-scale polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete (dropped with three different sizes of PP fibers into concrete) had the best positive hybrid effect on resisting to high temperature, when the total PP fiber content was 6 kg/m3 and the macro PP fiber substitution was 80%. Meanwhile, the addition of macro PP fibers significantly enhanced the toughness of concrete. Compared with the value of plain concrete, the compressive and splitting tensile strength of the optimal multi-scale polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete at 800 °C increased 14% and 36% respectively.
Physician perceptions of documentation methods in electronic health records
Authors: Exeni McAmis Nicole E , Dunn Andrew S , Feinn Richard S , Bernard Aaron W , Trost Margaret J
Published: February 2021

This study sought to determine physician, specialty and practice factors influencing choice of method for electronic health record (EHR) documentation: direct typing (DT), electronic transcription (ET), human transcription (HT), and scribes. A survey assessing physician documentation practices was developed and distributed online. The primary outcome was the proportion of physicians using each method. Secondary outcomes were provider-rated accuracy, efficiency, and ease of navigation on a 1-5 Likert scale. Means were compared using linear mixed models with Bonferroni adjustment. The 818 respondents were mostly outpatient (46%) adult (79%) physicians, practiced for a mean 15.8 years, and used DT for EHR documentation (72%). Emergency physicians were more likely to use scribes ( p < 0.0001). DT was rated less efficient than all other methods ( p < 0.0001). ET was rated less accurate than DT ( p < 0.001) and HT ( p < 0.001). HT was rated less easy to navigate than DT ( p = 0.002) and scribe ( p < 0.001), and ET less than scribe ( p = 0.002). Two hundred and forty-three respondents provided free-text comments that further described opinions. DT was the most commonly used EHR method but rated least efficient. Scribes were rated easy to navigate and efficient but infrequently used outside of emergency settings. Further innovation is needed to design systems responsive to all physician EHR needs.
Teaching university students co-creation and living lab methodologies through experiential learning activities and preparing them for RRI
Authors: Konstantinidis Evdokimos I , Petsani Despoina , Bamidis Panagiotis D
Published: February 2021

During the last decade, the living lab and co-creation concepts have started being blended with the Responsible Research and Innovation approach, aiming to evaluate potential societal anticipations toward fostering an inclusive RRI behavior. Teaching co-creation concept and living lab methodologies to university students has started been considered as valuable for future researchers along with the demand of companies and public sectors which turn toward user-center techniques for inspiration to develop innovative and services. To this end, the scientific publications presenting work on teaching co-creation and living lab methodologies are not so many while there are no published research studies on experiential learning activities for teaching co-creation and living lab approaches to university students. This study presents a course based on living labs and co-creation methodologies through experiential learning activities, consisted of four different lectures and an open event. The study involves stakeholders from the academia, the citizens, and the public sector. The results show that lectures with the participation of end-users were the most enjoyable. Furthermore, students thought that they learned the most when they first met the end-users. This lecture was perceived as a successful way to gain methodical knowledge for user-centered design and software development.
Minimization of total trim loss occurring in pipe cutting in shipbuilding with genetic algorithm
Authors: Türk Abdullah , Saral Dursun , Özkök Murat , Köse Ercan
Published: February 2021

Outfitting is a critical stage in the shipbuilding process. Within the outfitting, the construction of pipe systems is a phase that has a significant effect on time and cost. While cutting the pipes required for the pipe systems in shipyards, the cutting process is usually performed randomly. This can result in large amounts of trim losses. In this paper, we present an approach to minimize these losses. With the proposed method it is aimed to base the pipe cutting process on a specific systematic. To solve this problem, Genetic Algorithms (GA), which gives successful results in solving many problems in the literature, have been used. Different types of genetic operators have been used to investigate the search space of the problem well. The results obtained have proven the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Integrated approach for ball mill load forecasting based on improved EWT, refined composite multi-scale dispersion entropy and fireworks algorithm optimized SVM
Authors: Cai Jiacheng , Yang Lirong , Zeng Changxi , Chen Yongkang
Published: February 2021

Shell vibration signals generated during grinding have useful information related to ball mill load, while usually contaminated by noises. It is a challenge to recognize load parameters with these signals. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed based on the improved empirical wavelet transform (EWT), refined composite multi-scale dispersion entropy (RCMDE) and fireworks algorithm (FWA) optimized SVM. Firstly, vibration signals are denoised by improved EWT, which uses cubic spline interpolation to calculate envelope spectrum for segmentation. Then, RCMDEs of the denoised signals are calculated as feature vectors. The vectors’ dimensionalities are reduced by principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, a mill load prediction model is established based on the FWA optimized SVM. The reduced feature vectors are fed to the model, thus material-to-ball ratio and filling rate being outputs. Grinding experiments show that the extracted features by RCMDE can effectively distinguish three load states. Meanwhile, experiments also show that FWA reduces the forecasting errors of material-to-balls ratio and filling rate by 1.9% and 2.9% compared with genetic algorithm (GA), as well as by 1.92% and 4.21% compared with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. It demonstrates that the proposed approach for ball mill load forecasting has high accuracy and stability.
Light-field imaging for distinguishing fake pedestrians using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Zhao Yufeng , Zhao Meng , Shi Fan , Jia Chen , Chen Shengyong
Published: February 2021

Pedestrian detection plays an important role in automatic driving system and intelligent robots, and has made great progress in recent years. Identifying the pedestrians from confused planar objects is a challenging problem in the field of pedestrian recognition. In this article, we focus on the 2D fake pedestrian identification based on light-field (LF) imaging and convolutional neural network (CNN). First, we expand the previous dataset to 1500 samples, which is a mid-size dataset for LF images in all public LF datasets. Second, a joint CNN classification framework is proposed, which uses both RGB image and depth image (extracted from the LF image) as input. This framework can fully mine 2D feature information and depth feature information from corresponding images. The experimental results show that the proposed method is efficient to identify the fake pedestrian in a 2D plane and achieves a recognition accuracy of 97.0%. This work is expected to be used in recognition of 2D fake pedestrian and may help researchers solve other computer vision problems.
Clinical trials in a COVID-19 pandemic: Shared infrastructure for continuous learning in a rapidly changing landscape
Authors: Hedlin Haley , Garcia Ariadna , Weng Yingjie , He Ziyuan , Sundaram Vandana , Bunning Bryan , Balasubramanian Vidhya , Cunanan Kristen , Kapphahn Kristopher , Gummidipundi Santosh , Purington Natasha , Boulos Mary , Desai Manisha
Published: February 2021

Background:

Clinical trials, conducted efficiently and with the utmost integrity, are a key component in identifying effective vaccines, therapies, and other interventions urgently needed to solve the COVID-19 crisis. Yet launching and implementing trials with the rigor necessary to produce convincing results is a complicated and time-consuming process. Balancing rigor and efficiency involves relying on designs that employ flexible features to respond to a fast-changing landscape, measuring valid endpoints that result in translational actions and disseminating findings in a timely manner. We describe the challenges involved in creating infrastructure with potential utility for shared learning.

Methods:

We have established a shared infrastructure that borrows strength across multiple trials. The infrastructure includes an endpoint registry to aid in selecting appropriate endpoints, a registry to facilitate establishing a Data & Safety Monitoring Board, common data collection instruments, a COVID-19 dedicated design and analysis team, and a pragmatic platform protocol, among other elements.

Results:

The authors have relied on the shared infrastructure for six clinical trials for which they serve as the Data Coordinating Center and have a design and analysis team comprising 15 members who are dedicated to COVID-19. The authors established a pragmatic platform to simultaneously investigate multiple treatments for the outpatient with adaptive features to add or drop treatment arms.

Conclusion:

The shared infrastructure provides appealing opportunities to evaluate disease in a more robust manner with fewer resources and is especially valued during a pandemic where efficiency in time and resources is crucial. The most important element of the shared infrastructure is the pragmatic platform. While it may be the most challenging of the elements to establish, it may provide the greatest benefit to both patients and researchers.
Deforming justice: Representing punishment in The Human Centipede III: Final Sequence
Authors: Kohm Steven , Walby Kevin
Published: February 2021

We analyze the 2015 horror film Human Centipede III: Final Sequence (HC3), written and directed by Dutch filmmaker Tom Six. Engaging with literature on torture porn and body horror, we argue that this film reflects and refracts ideas about crime and punishment including a critical view on mass incarceration in America while critiquing a culture of institutional violence in Western society. By critiquing the institutional violence of the prison in a satirical and visceral manner, we argue Tom Six evades dominant tropes (liberalism, reform, rehabilitation, and escape) prevalent in other prison films and avoids the cinematic tendency to naturalize and reproduce the legitimacy of the prison. We also contend that the film operates at a meta-level to address criticism about the dangers of graphic violence in horror films. HC3 thus offers insight on the disingenuous nature of censorship in a society that condones mass suffering behind bars, systemic racism, and institutionalized punishment of the body for millions.
Hospital admissions in inflammatory rheumatic diseases during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic: incidence and role of disease-modifying agents
Authors: Fernandez-Gutierrez Benjamin , Leon Leticia , Madrid Alfredo , Rodriguez-Rodriguez Luis , Freites Dalifer , Font Judit , Mucientes Arkaitz , Culebras Esther , Colome Jose Ignacio , Jover Juan Angel , Abasolo Lydia
Published: February 2021

Aims:

In this pandemic, it is essential for rheumatologists and patients to know the relationship between COVID-19 and inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs). We wanted to assess the role of targeted synthetic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (ts/bDMARDs) and other variables in the development of moderate-severe COVID-19 disease in IRD.

Methods:

An observational longitudinal study was conducted during the epidemic peak in Madrid (1 March to 15 April 2020). All patients attended at the rheumatology outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Madrid with a medical diagnosis of IRD were included. Main outcome: hospital admission related to COVID-19. Independent variable: ts/bDMARDs. Covariates: sociodemographic, comorbidities, type of IRD diagnosis, glucocorticoids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Incidence rate (IR) of hospital admission related to COVID-19 was expressed per 1000 patient-months. Cox multiple regression analysis was run to examine the influence of ts/bDMARDs and other covariates on IR of hospital admission related to COVID-19.

Results:

A total of 3951 IRD patients were included (5896 patient-months). Methotrexate was the csDMARD most used. Eight hundred and two patients were on ts/bDMARDs, mainly anti-TNF agents, and Rtx. Hospital admissions related to COVID-19 occurred in 54 patients (1.36%) with an IR of 9.15 (95% confidence interval: 7–11.9). In the multivariate analysis, older, male, comorbidities, and specific systemic autoimmune conditions (Sjögren, polychondritis, Raynaud, and mixed connective tissue disease) had more risk of hospital admissions. Exposition to ts/bDMARDs did not achieve statistical significance. Use of glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, and csDMARDs dropped from the final model.

Conclusion:

This study provides additional evidence in IRD patients regarding susceptibility to moderate–severe infection related to COVID-19.
Annealing temperature dependency of structural, optical and electrical characteristics of manganese-doped nickel oxide nanosheet array films for humidity sensing applications
Authors: Parimon N , Mamat MH , Banu IB Shameem , Vasimalai N , Ahmad MK , Suriani AB , Mohamed A , Rusop M
Published: February 2021

Manganese-doped nickel oxide nanosheet array films are successfully prepared on a nickel oxide seed-coated glass substrate by an immersion method. Various annealing temperatures between 300°C and 500°C are applied to the manganese-doped nickel oxide nanosheet array films to study their effect on the properties of nickel oxide, including humidity sensing performance. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometry, a two-probe current–voltage ( I- V) measurement system and a humidity measurement system are used to characterise the heat-treated manganese-doped nickel oxide samples. The effect of annealing temperature can be clearly observed for the different surface morphologies and diffraction patterns. The samples exhibit average crystallite size increases of 0.63–10.13 nm with increasing annealing temperature. The dislocation density, interplanar spacing, lattice parameter, unit cell volume and stress/strain are also determined from the XRD data. The average transmittances in the visible region for all samples show low percentages with the highest transparency of 50.7% recorded for manganese-doped nickel oxide annealed at 500°C. The optical band gap shows a decreasing trend with increasing annealing temperature. The I- V measurement results reveal that manganese-doped nickel oxide displays improved conductivity values with increasing annealing temperature. The sensitivity of the humidity sensors shows an ascending curve with increasing temperature. The optimal device performance is obtained with annealing at 500°C, with the highest sensitivity of 270 and the fastest response and recovery times. In contrast, the sample for annealing at 300°C shows poor sensing performance.
Morphological Changes of the Hip Commonly Associated With Femoroacetabular Impingement Are Not Correlated With Rotational Range of Hip Motion in Elite Soccer Athletes
Authors: Bento André Orlandi , Falótico Guilherme , Enseki Keelan , Cunha Ronaldo Alves , Ejnisman Benno , Arliani Gustavo , Cohen Moisés
Published: February 2021

Background:

Morphological changes characteristic of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) are common in soccer players. However, the clinical relevance of such anatomical variations is still not well-defined.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that high alpha angle values and/or acetabular retroversion index (ARI) are correlated with rotational range of motion (ROM) of the hip and that there are clinical-radiological diferences between the dominant lower limb (DLL) and nondominant lower limb (NDLL) in professional soccer players.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

A total of 59 male professional soccer players (average age 25.5 years, range 18-38 years) were evaluated in the preseason. As main outcome measures, we evaluated the alpha angle and the ARI and hip IR and ER ROM with radiographic analysis.

Results:

The measurements taken on DLL and NDLL were compared and a significant difference was found between the sides in the ER ( P = 0.027), where the DLL measures were 1.54° (95% CI, 0.18-2.89) greater than the NDLL. There were no significant differences between the sides in the measures of IR ( P > 0.99), total ROM ( P = 0.07), alpha angle ( P = 0.250), and ARI ( P = 0.079). The correlations between the rotation measurements and the alpha angle in each limb were evaluated and the coefficient values showed no correlation; so also between the ARI and rotation measures.

Conclusion:

Morphological changes of the femur or acetabulum are not correlated with hip IR and ER ROM in male professional soccer players. ER on the dominant side was greater than on the nondominant side. There was no significant difference in the other measurements between sides.

Clinical Relevance:

In clinical practice, it is common to attribute loss of hip rotational movement to the presence of FAI. This study shows that anatomical FAI may not have a very strong influence on available hip rotational movement in professional soccer athletes.
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Behavior Among Asian Americans: A Thematic Analysis
Authors: Dai Chia-Liang , Sharma Manoj , Haider Taj , Sunchu Hema
Published: February 2021

Consuming 5 or more cups of fruits and vegetables (F & V) per day or 400 g/day for adults is advocated by most health authorities and has short-term and long-term health benefits. There have been numerous studies examining dietary behaviors among different US populations; however, the literature on F & V consumption behavior among Asian Americans (AAs) is sparse. AAs constitute a diverse group and as their population continues to grow in the US; there is a greater need to examine the health practices of AAs and their constituent subgroups. The study aimed to conduct a thematic analysis based on a scoping review of the peer-reviewed published literature over the past 15 years targeting F & V consumption among AAs. The thematic analysis was organized around the prevalence, consequences, determinants, and interventions ( n = 33). AAs consuming recommended servings of F & V ranged from 0.5% to 20%. Correlations between the consumption of F & V and Body Mass Index (BMI) and other chronic diseases were reported as negative and significant associations were noted between F & V intake and self-reported health. There was only 1 intervention that was conducted with this behavior in only 1 small subgroup of this target population. There is an urgent need to study F & V consumption behavior among different AA subgroups as well as to design culturally appropriate theory-based efficacious F & V promotion interventions for them.
Is Knowledge Contagious? Diffusion of Violence-Risk-Reporting Practices Across Clinicians’ Professional Networks
Authors: Charette Yanick , Goossens Ilvy , Seto Michael C. , Nicholls Tonia L. , Crocker Anne G.
Published: February 2021

The knowledge–practice gap remains a challenge in many fields. Health research has shown that professional networks influence various aspects of patient care, including diffusion of innovative practices. In the current study, we examined the potential utility of professional networks to spread the use of violence-risk-assessment tools in forensic psychiatric settings. A total of 6,664 reports, written by 708 clinicians, were used to examine the effect of clinicians’ use of risk-assessment tools on subsequent reports by other clinicians with whom they share patients. Results show that professional networks serve as an important channel for the spread of assessment practices. Simulation of a continuing education program showed that targeting more influential clinicians in the network could be 3 times more efficient at disseminating best practices than randomly training clinicians. Decision-makers may consider using professional networks to identify and train influential clinicians to maximize diffusion of the use of risk-assessment instruments.
Alkaline-phosphatase triggered self-assemblies enhances the anti-inflammatory property of methylprednisolone in spinal cord injury
Authors: Yu Haotao , Zhang Ping , Zhou Wei , Zhong Zhihong , Qu Dongbin
Published: February 2021

Methylprednisolone sodium phosphate (MP) is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid which is used in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), however the overdose of MP has toxic effects Therefore it is prerequisite to develop novel approaches to overcome the side effects of MP and enhance its efficacy. In the present work, we have developed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) trigger self-assembly system of oligopeptides to physically entrap and locally deliver MP. The synthesis of Nap-Phe-Phe-Tyr(H2PO3)-OH (1P) was achieved using solid phase peptide synthesis and was characterized using mass spectroscopy. The 1P is a hydrogelator, which in presence of ALP self-assembles to form the hydrogel. During the self-assembly of 1P, MP was physically entrapped without losing the physical strength of hydrogel as revealed in the rheology study. The consistency of this hydrogel and the structure was characterized using circular dichroism. The MP was released from the hydrogel in a sustain manner and 80% of the drug release was observed at 120 h. The MP + 1P were non-toxic to the cells at lower concentration however toxicity increases with the increase in concentration of MP. Further, the in-vivo administration of MP + 1P significantly reduces the pro-inflammatory cytokines and the histological analysis revealed improvement in the SCI. In conclusion, it could be stated that the synthesis of 1P for the delivery of MP provides the novel opportunity in for the treatment of SCI.
Growth Trajectories of HIV Exposed and HIV Unexposed Infants. A Prospective Study in Gweru, Zimbabwe
Authors: Mabaya Lucy , Matarira Hilda Tendisa , Tanyanyiwa Donald Moshen , Musarurwa Cuthbert , Mukwembi Johannes
Published: February 2021

Background:

With the increasing HIV seroprevalence among women of childbearing age in sub-Saharan Africa, limited data on growth outcomes of HIV exposed infants under current policies of universal maternal antiretroviral therapy exist.

Methods:

The longitudinal growth patterns of 114 HIV exposed and unexposed infants were assessed and compared. The prevalence and factors associated with malnutrition were established. Infants under prevention of mother to child transmission care were recruited at 6 weeks post-delivery as were their HIV unexposed counterparts. Weight and length measurements were recorded at birth, 6 and 16 weeks postpartum.

Results:

HIV vertical transmission rate was 8.8%. HIV exposed infants had significantly lower mean birth weights compared to HIV unexposed infants (2.9 ± 0.3; 3.2 ± 0.5; P < .001) respectively. Mean weight/length-for-age z-scores for HIV exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants were significantly below those of the HIV unexposed infants during follow up. By 6 weeks of age, 28.5% of HEU infants were malnourished while no malnutrition was evident in HIV unexposed infants. A gestational age <37 weeks (OR: 3.83; 95% CI: 1.03-14.30; P = .045) and HIV exposure (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 0.17-15.73; P = .017) substantially increased the risk of stunting.

Conclusion:

Growth deficits were witnessed in HIV exposed infants compared to HIV unexposed infants. There is need for early nutritional monitoring and support among HIV exposed infants.
A new numerical method for the tensile property analysis of discontinuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics
Authors: Zhang Dawei , Qu Peng , Jia Yuxi
Published: February 2021

For predicting the mechanical properties of discontinuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (DCFRTP), it is essential to consider the microstructure, including the fiber orientation and the properties of the constituting materials. In the present study, a heterogeneous particle model, considering the microscopic factors, is constructed on the basis of the peridynamic (PD) theory to investigate the tensile properties of DCFRTP. Two kinds of randomly oriented DCFRTP, with different constituents and volume fractions of carbon fiber, are used for the verification of this numerical model. A comparison between the PD simulations and the experimental results shows a good agreement. The effect of the model size on the prediction is discussed.
Investigation of Pancreatic Sonography Findings in Patients With Beta-Thalassemia Major
Authors: Behzadmehr Razieh , Shahramian Iraj , Ostad Rahimi Pouya , Sheikh Mahboobeh , Keikha Soosan , Salarzaei Morteza , Parooie Fateme
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Some structural abnormalities have been reported on sonography of pancreas in patients with beta-thalassemia which can indicate that the patient is developing diabetes. In this study, the aim was to investigate the findings of pancreatic sonography in patients, with beta-thalassemia major.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included information extracted from the medical record and entered into an information form. A cohort of 190 people were split into case and control groups, retrospectively. The required data were extracted from patient’s documents. Data were analyzed with SPSS software, version 22; with the chi-square statistical tests. A P value of < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

This study consisted of 33 males and 61 females in the case group and 32 males and 64 females in the control group. The most common echogenicity observed during pancreatic sonography, in the control group, was an isoechoic feature (72.3%), followed by hyper and hypoechogenicity (18.1% and 9.6%, respectively). The prevalence of an isoechoic texture in the patient case group was 58.3%, while hyper and hypoechogenicity were seen in 26% and 2.1%, respectively ( P = .070). There was a poor negative correlation between diabetes and pancreatic echogenicity ( P = .002 and r = −.226). Also, there was a poor positive correlation between fasting serum glucose levels and pancreatic echogenicity ( P = .034, n = 96 and r = .217).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates, in this patient group, that there was a poor relationship between pancreatic head size with serum ferritin levels and pancreatic echogenicity with diabetes. These results may suggest using sonography to diagnose early stages of diabetes in patients with thalassemia.
Low 5-year health care burden after umbilical cord blood transplantation
Authors: Garcia Jesus Garcia , Grillo Sonya , Cao Qing , Brunstein Claudio G. , Arora Mukta , MacMillan Margaret L. , Wagner John E. , Weisdorf Daniel J. , Holtan Shernan G.
Published: February 2021

Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) experience a substantial health care burden, with potentially differing patterns of long-term health care requirements using peripheral blood stem cells, bone marrow, and umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts. We analyzed data from 1077 consecutive adult allogeneic HCT recipients who underwent transplant at the University of Minnesota between 2000 and 2016. To estimate health care burden over time, we compared the number of visits, laboratory studies, medications, and relative value units billed. Health care elements were analyzed both individually and together (ie, total health care elements used per patient days into a density composite score). UCB had the lowest density health care burden composite score from the time of transplant through year 5 (median score 64.0 vs 70.5 for peripheral blood stem cells and 88.0 for bone marrow; P < .01). In multivariate analysis of health care burden between years 1 and 5, recipients of either bone marrow (odds ratio [OR] 0.49 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-0.84]) or peripheral blood stem cells (OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.36-0.67]) were half as likely to experience low health care burden compared with UCB. Adult recipients of UCB have a lower long-term health care burden compared with other graft sources, possibly reflecting a better quality of life.
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease is always bilateral: reports of unilateral cases failed to use choroidal investigations showing subclinical involvement of the fellow eye
Authors: Papasavvas Ioannis , Herbort Carl P.
Published: February 2021

Background/purpose

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a primary stromal choroiditis and a bilateral granulomatous panuveitis which, if not treated early and properly, could have a deleterious evolution. The purpose of our case report is to demonstrate that “so called” unilateral VKH disease should be investigated further with an Indocyanine Green Angiography (ICGA), in order to detect subclinical choroidal involvement of the other eye.

Case report

We present a case of 42-year old woman who came to see us for second opinion. She had consulted elsewhere for a left uveitis and had been treated with a periocular corticosteroid injection. At presentation she mentioned persistent headaches. Visual acuity on the Snellen scale was 1.0 OD and 0.5 OS. Slit-lamp examination showed granulomatous (rare mutton-fat KPs) signs in her left eye. Laser flare photometry showed a subclinical flare of 17.8 ph/ms OD and a flare of 66.4 ph/ms OS (normal values 3–6 ph/ms). Fundus examination showed left discoloration due to choroidal infiltration with a normal fundus aspect OD. ICGA showed a diffuse choroiditis also in the apparently normal right eye. Lumbar puncture confirmed the diagnosis of VKH and appropriate treatment was introduced.

Conclusion

VKH disease results from a generalized autoimmune process against melanocyte associated antigens starting in the choroidal stroma. It can be asymmetrical but is always bilateral, as long as investigations such as ICGA, able to detect subclinical choroiditis, are performed.
Quantification and evolution of mitochondrial genome rearrangement in Amphibians
Authors: Zhang Jifeng , Miao Guopen , Hu Shunjie , Sun Qi , Ding Hengwu , Ji Zhicheng , Guo Pen , Yan Shoubao , Wang Chengrun , Kan Xianzhao , Nie Liuwang
Published: February 2021

Background

Rearrangement is an important topic in the research of amphibian mitochondrial genomes ("mitogenomes" hereafter), whose causes and mechanisms remain enigmatic. Globally examining mitogenome rearrangements and uncovering their characteristics can contribute to a better understanding of mitogenome evolution.

Results

Here we systematically investigated mitogenome arrangements of 232 amphibians including four newly sequenced Dicroglossidae mitogenomes. The results showed that our new sequenced mitogenomes all possessed atrnMtandem duplication, which was not exclusive to Dicroglossidae. By merging the same arrangements, the mitogenomes of ~ 80% species belonged to the four major patterns, the major two of which were typical vertebrate arrangement and typical neobatrachian arrangement. Using qMGR for calculating rearrangement frequency (RF) (%), we found that the control region (CR) (RF = 45.04) andtrnL2(RF = 38.79) were the two most frequently rearranged components. Forty-seven point eight percentage of amphibians possessed rearranged mitogenomes including all neobatrachians and their distribution was significantly clustered in the phylogenetic trees (p < 0.001). In addition, we argued that the typical neobatrachian arrangement may have appeared in the Late Jurassic according to possible occurrence time estimation.

Conclusion

It was the first global census of amphibian mitogenome arrangements from the perspective of quantity statistics, which helped us to systematically understand the type, distribution, frequency and phylogenetic characteristics of these rearrangements.
Transcriptome analysis and molecular mechanism of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) drought tolerance under repeated drought using single-molecule long-read sequencing
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Lei , Wang Ling , Tan Meilian , Ogutu Collins O. , Yin Ziyan , Zhou Jian , Wang Jiaomei , Wang Lijun , Yan Xingchu
Published: February 2021

Background

Oil flax (linseed, Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important oil crops., However, the increases in drought resulting from climate change have dramatically reduces linseed yield and quality, but very little is known about how linseed coordinates the expression of drought resistance gene in response to different level of drought stress (DS) on the genome-wide level.

Results

To explore the linseed transcriptional response of DS and repeated drought (RD) stress, we determined the drought tolerance of different linseed varieties. Then we performed full-length transcriptome sequencing of drought-resistant variety (Z141) and drought-sensitive variety (NY-17) under DS and RD stress at the seedling stage using single-molecule real-time sequencing and RNA-sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO) and reduce and visualize GO (REVIGO) enrichment analysis showed that upregulated genes of Z141 were enriched in more functional pathways related to plant drought tolerance than those of NY-17 were under DS. In addition, 4436 linseed transcription factors were identified, and 1190 were responsive to stress treatments. Moreover, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that the proline biosynthesis pathway interacts with stress response genes through RAD50 (DNA repair protein 50) interacting protein 1 (RIN-1). Finally, proline biosynthesis and DNA repair structural gene expression patterns were verified by RT- PCR.

Conclusions

The drought tolerance of Z141 may be related to its upregulation of drought tolerance genes under DS. Proline may play an important role in linseed drought tolerance by maintaining cell osmotic and protecting DNA from ROS damage. In summary, this study provides a new perspective to understand the drought adaptability of linseed.
Radiomics based on multiparametric MRI for extrathyroidal extension feature prediction in papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Wei Ran , Wang Hao , Wang Lanyun , Hu Wenjuan , Sun Xilin , Dai Zedong , Zhu Jie , Li Hong , Ge Yaqiong , Song Bin
Published: February 2021

Background

To determine the predictive capability of MRI-based radiomics for extrathyroidal extension detection in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) pre-surgically.

Methods

The present retrospective trial assessed individuals with thyroid nodules examined by multiparametric MRI and subsequently administered thyroid surgery. Diagnosis and extrathyroidal extension (ETE) feature of PTC were based on pathological assessment. The thyroid tumors underwent manual segmentation, for radiomic feature extraction. Participants were randomized to the training and testing cohorts, at a ratio of 7:3. The mRMR (maximum correlation minimum redundancy) algorithm and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were utilized for radiomics feature selection. Then, a radiomics predictive model was generated via a linear combination of the features. The model’s performance in distinguishing the ETE feature of PTC was assessed by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

Totally 132 patients were assessed in this study, including 92 and 40 in the training and test cohorts, respectively). Next, the 16 top-performing features, including 4, 7 and 5 from diffusion weighted (DWI), T2-weighted (T2 WI), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1WI) images, respectively, were finally retained to construct the radiomics signature. There were 8 RLM, 5 CM, 2 shape, and 1 SZM features. The radiomics prediction model achieved AUCs of 0.96 and 0.87 in the training and testing sets, respectively.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that MRI radiomics approach had the potential to stratify patients based on ETE in PTCs preoperatively.
Cardiovascular disease prevalence in type 2 diabetes – an analysis of a large German statutory health insurance database
Authors: Gabler Maximilian , Geier Silke , Mayerhoff Lukas , Rathmann Wolfgang
Published: February 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in Germany.

Methods

A claims database with an age- and sex-stratified sample of nearly 4 million individuals insured within the German statutory health system was used. All patients aged ≥18 years with T2D documented between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015 and complete retrospective documentation of ≥5 years (continuous enrollment in the German statutory health system) before 2015 were selected based on a validated algorithm. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) events were identified based on ICD-10 and OPS codes according to a previous clinical study (EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial).

Results

The prevalence of T2D in Germany in 2015 was 9.9% (n = 324,708). Using a narrow definition of CVD, the 6-year observation period prevalence of CVD was estimated as 46.7% [95% CI: 46.52%;46.86%]. Applying a wider CVD definition, the proportion of T2D patients who showed a history of CVD was 57.1% [95% CI: 56.9%;57.24%]. The prevalence of CVD in patients with T2D ranged from 36.3 to 57.1%, depending on the observation period and definition of CVD.

Conclusions

The results underline the need for a population-based registration of cardiovascular complications in T2D.
Qualitative exploration of sexual life among breast cancer survivors at reproductive age
Authors: Maleki Maryam , Mardani Abbas , Ghafourifard Mansour , Vaismoradi Mojtaba
Published: February 2021

Background

Our understanding of the experiences of women at reproductive age regarding sexual life and issues they may face after starting the treatment of breast cancer is limited. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to explore sexual life and its related issues among breast cancer survivors at reproductive age in Iran.

Methods

A qualitative research was conducted. Participants were 21 breast cancer survivors who were under 51 years of age that were chosen using purposeful sampling. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out for data collection and the content analysis method was used for data analysis.

Results

The data analysis led to the development of main theme of ‘unfulfilled sexual life’. Also, four subthemes were: ‘undesirable sexual function’, ‘context-based beliefs’, ‘unmet information and supportive needs’, and ‘emotional crisis’.

Conclusions

Our research findings inform healthcare providers about the experiences of breast cancer survivors and related changes in their sexual and marriage life at reproductive age. Nurses and other healthcare providers in the multidisciplinary team should proactively identify health-related problems and design appropriate caring strategies to mitigate sexual and marriage issues among breast cancer survivors. Also, the establishment of sexual health counseling units for breast cancer survivors can help this vulnerable group of women with the improvement of their long-term sexual satisfaction.
A comparative analysis of the outcome of malaria case surveillance strategies in Sri Lanka in the prevention of re‐establishment phase
Authors: Gunasekera W. M. Kumudunayana T. de A. W. , Premaratne Risintha , Fernando Deepika , Munaz Muzrif , Piyasena M. G. Y. , Perera Devika , Wickremasinghe Rajitha , Ranaweera K. D. N. Prasad , Mendis Kamini
Published: February 2021

Background

Sri Lanka sustained its malaria-free status by implementing, among other interventions, three core case detection strategies namely Passive Case Detection (PCD), Reactive Case Detection (RACD) and Proactive Case Detection (PACD). The outcomes of these strategies were analysed in terms of their effectiveness in detecting malaria infections for the period from 2017 to 2019.

Methods

Comparisons were made between the surveillance methods and between years, based on data obtained from the national malaria database and individual case reports of malaria patients. The number of blood smears examined microscopically was used as the measure of the volume of tests conducted. The yield from each case detection method was calculated as the proportion of blood smears which were positive for malaria. Within RACD and PACD, the yield of sub categories of travel cohorts and spatial cohorts was ascertained for 2019.

Results

A total of 158 malaria cases were reported in 2017–2019. During this period between 666,325 and 725,149 blood smears were examined annually. PCD detected 95.6 %, with a yield of 16.1 cases per 100,000 blood smears examined. RACD and PACD produced a yield of 11.2 and 0.3, respectively. The yield of screening the sub category of travel cohorts was very high for RACD and PACD being 806.5 and 44.9 malaria cases per 100,000 smears, respectively. Despite over half of the blood smears examined being obtained by screening spatial cohorts within RACD and PACD, the yield of both was zero over all three years.

Conclusions

The PCD arm of case surveillance is the most effective and, therefore, has to continue and be further strengthened as the mainstay of malaria surveillance. Focus on travel cohorts within RACD and PACD should be even greater. Screening of spatial cohorts, on a routine basis and solely because people are resident in previously malarious areas, may be wasteful, except in situations where the risk of local transmission is very high, or is imminent. These findings may apply more broadly to most countries in the post-elimination phase.
Effects of reverse deployment of cone-shaped vena cava filter on improvements in hemodynamic performance in vena cava
Authors: Chen Ying , Xu Zaipin , Deng Xiaoyan , Yang Shibo , Tan Wenchang , Fan Yubo , Han Yong , Xing Yubin
Published: February 2021

Background

Cone-shaped vena cava filters (VCFs) are widely used to treat venous thromboembolism. However, in the long term, the problem of occlusion persists even after the filter is deployed. A previous study hypothesized that the reverse deployment of a cone-shaped VCFs may prevent filter blockage.

Methods

To explore this hypothesis, a comparative study of the traditional and reverse deployments of VCFs was conducted using a computational fluid dynamics approach. The distribution of wall shear stress (WSS) and shear stress-related parameters were calculated to evaluate the differences in hemodynamic effects between both conditions. In the animal experiment, we reversely deployed a filter in the vena cava of a goat and analyzed the blood clot distribution in the filter.

Results

The numerical simulation showed that the reverse deployment of a VCF resulted in a slightly higher shear rate on the thrombus, and no reductions in the oscillating shear index (OSI) and relative residence time (RRT) on the vessel wall. Comparing the traditional method with the reversely deployed cases, the shear rate values is 16.49 and 16.48 1/s, respectively; the minimal OSI values are 0.01 and 0.04, respectively; in the vicinity of the VCF, the RRT values are both approximately 5 1/Pa; and the WSS is approximately 0.3 Pa for both cases. Therefore, the reverse deployment of cone-shaped filters is not advantageous when compared with the traditional method in terms of local hemodynamics. However, it is effective in capturing thrombi in the short term, as demonstrated via animal experiments. The reversely deployed cone-shaped filter captured the thrombi at its center in the experiments.

Conclusions

Thus, the reverse deployment of cone-shaped filters is not advantageous when compared with the traditional method in terms of local hemodynamics. Therefore, we would not suggest the reverse deployment of the cone-shaped filter in the vena cava to prevent a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.