bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation research for taking tobacco control policies to scale in India: a realist evaluation study protocol
Authors: Hebbar Pragati Bhaskar , Dsouza Vivek , Bhojani Upendra , van Schayck Onno CP , Babu Giridhara R , Nagelhout Gera
Published: May 2021

Introduction

There are ongoing policies and programs to reduce tobacco use and minimise the associated health burden in India. However, there are several challenges in practice leading to different outcomes across Indian states. Inadequate understanding of how national tobacco control policies achieve their results under varied circumstances obstruct the implementation and scaling up of effective strategies. This study is a realist evaluation using largely qualitative methods to understand the implementation process of India’s tobacco control policies. It will do so by evaluating India’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP). The study aims to examine how, why, for whom and under which circumstances COTPA and NTCP are implemented in India.

Methods and analysis

A realist synthesis on implementation of tobacco control policies in low-income and middle-income countries is conducted. This is followed by qualitative data collection and analysis in three Indian states selected based on data from two rounds of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. The study comprises of three steps (1): development of initial programme theories, (2) testing and refinement of initial programme theories and (3) testing and validation of refined programme theories. We will interview policy-makers, programme managers and implementers to identify facilitators and barriers of implementation. The purpose is to identify context-specific evidence-based strategies to gain insights into the implementation process of COTPA and NTCP. Further we aim to contribute to tobacco control research by establishing communities of practice to engage with cross-cutting issues.

Ethics and dissemination

The Institutional Ethics Committee, at the Institute of Public Health (Bengaluru), has approved the protocol. Written informed consent forms will be obtained from all the participants. Dissemination has been planned for researchers, policy-makers and implementers as well as the public through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentation, webinars and social media updates.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020191541.
Healthcare inequalities in emergency visits and hospitalisation at the end of life: a study of 395 019 public hospital records
Authors: Chung Roger Yat-Nork , Lai Derek Chun Kiu , Hui Alvin Yik-Kiu , Chau Patsy Yuen-Kwan , Wong Eliza Lai-Yi , Yeoh Eng-Kiong , Woo Jean
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To investigate whether there were any socioeconomic disparities in utilisation of hospital care services during end of life in Hong Kong.

Methods

Secondary data analyses were conducted using frequency of the accident and emergency (A&E) department visits and hospital admissions during the last year of life in all public hospitals from 2004 to 2014 in Hong Kong. A total of 1 237 044 A&E records from 357 853 patients, and 1 878 982 admission records from 375 506 patients were identified for analyses. In total, 395 019 unique deceased patients were identified from both datasets.

Results

Regression analyses showed that comprehensive social security assistance (CSSA) recipients used A&E services 1.29 times more than the non-recipients. Being either a CSSA recipient or an elderly home resident was more likely to be admitted to hospitals and stayed longer. Elderly home residents tended to stay longer than those from the community in the earlier months during the last year of life regardless of CSSA status; however, non-elderly home residents surpassed the residents in the duration of stay at hospitals towards the later months of the last year of life. There were also significant differences in hospital utilisation across various districts of residence.

Conclusions

People of lower socioeconomic position tend to have higher emergency visits and hospitalisation during their last year of life in Hong Kong, implying the presence of health inequality during end of life. However, due to Hong Kong’s largely pro-rich primary care system, the predominantly public A&E and inpatient services may inadvertently act as a mitigator of such health inequalities.
Health literacy, information provision and satisfaction in advanced cancer consultations: two observational studies using level of education as a proxy
Authors: van Vliet Liesbeth M , Noordman Janneke , Mijnlieff Marit , Roodbeen Ruud , Boland Gudule , van Dulmen Sandra
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Patients with low health literacy (LHL) might feel less informed and satisfied with provided information than patients with high health literacy (HHL). In the setting of advanced cancer, we explored whether LHL patients, compared with HHL patients are: (1) often less informed, and (2) less satisfied with clinicians’ communication (a) in general and (b) following information provision specifically.

Methods

Data from two observational studies using recorded consultations were combined. Clinicians’ provided information and patients’ health literacy level—defined by educational levels—and satisfaction were measured. Χ2tests and regression (moderation) analyses assessed the relation between health literacy and information provision, and between information provision and satisfaction, meanwhile exploring moderating influences of health literacy.

Results

Of 61 included patients, 25 (41%) had LHL. LHL and HHL patients were equally seldom informed about the disease’s incurability (36% vs 42%, p=0.66). LHL patients were more often informed about the option of not pursuing anticancer therapy than HHL patients (28% vs 8%, p=0.04). LHL patients were more satisfied with clinicians’ communication than HHL patients (M=9.3 vs M=8.5, p=0.03), especially when the option of no anticancer treatment was discussed (p=0.04). Discussing the disease’s incurability did not influence satisfaction levels (p=0.58) for LHL and HHL patients.

Conclusions

LHL patients were not less informed, yet more satisfied than HHL patients. Both groups were equally seldom informed about the disease’s incurability. No anticancer therapy was mostly discussed with LHL patients who were more satisfied following this information. Clinicians should be encouraged to inform all patients about the disease status and (non)treatment options, while not overlooking empathic support.
Dichotomous and stable gamma delta T-cell number and function in healthy individuals
Authors: Ou Lingling , Wang Huaishan , Liu Qin , Zhang Jie , Lu Hezhe , Luo Liangping , Shi Changzheng , Lin Shaoqiang , Dong Liyun , Guo Yeye , Huang Lili , Zhu Jinjin , Yin Xiangfan , Huang Alexander C , Karakousis Giorgos , Schuchter Lynn , Amaravadi Ravi , Zheng Cathy , Fan Yi , Guo Wei , Xu Xiaowei
Published: May 2021

Background

Gamma-delta (γδ) T lymphocytes are primed to potently respond to pathogens and transformed cells by recognizing a broad range of antigens. However, adoptive immunotherapy with γδT cells has exhibited mixed treatment responses. Better understanding of γδT cell biology and stratifying healthy donors for allogeneic adoptive therapy is clinically needed to fully realize the therapeutic potential of γδT cells.

Methods

We examine 98 blood samples from healthy donors and measure their expansion capacity after zoledronate stimulation, and test the migration and cytotoxic effector function of expanded γδT cells in 2D culture, 3D tumor spheroid and patient-derived melanoma organoid assays.

Results

We find that γδT cell expansion capacity is independent of expansion methods, gender, age and HLA type. Basal γδT cell levels in Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) correlate well with their expansion, migration and cytotoxic effector capacity in vitro. Circulating γδT cells with lower expression of PD-1, CTLA-4, Eomes, T-bet and CD69, or higher IFN-γ production expand better. γδT cells with central memory and effector memory phenotypes are significantly more abundant in good expanders. A cut-off level of 0.82% γδT cells in PBMC stratifies good versus poor γδT cell expansion with a sensitivity of 97.78%, specificity of 90.48% and area under the curve of 0.968 in a healthy individual. Donors with higher Vδ2 Index Score in PBMC have greater anti-tumor functions including migratory function and cytotoxicity.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the interindividual γδT cell functions correlate with their circulating levels in healthy donors. Examination of circulating γδT cell level may be used to select healthy donors to participate in γδT-based immunotherapies.
Neurodevelopmental phenotypes associated with pathogenic variants in SLC6A1
Authors: Kahen Ashley , Kavus Haluk , Geltzeiler Alexa , Kentros Catherine , Taylor Cora , Brooks Elizabeth , Green Snyder LeeAnne , Chung Wendy
Published: May 2021

Background

SLC6A1 encodes GAT-1, a major gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter in the brain. GAT-1 maintains neurotransmitter homeostasis by removing excess GABA from the synaptic cleft. Pathogenic variants in SLC6A1 disrupt the reuptake of GABA and are associated with a neurobehavioural phenotype.

Methods

Medical history interviews, seizure surveys, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition and other behavioural surveys were completed by primary care givers of 28 participants in Simons Searchlight. All participants underwent clinical whole exome sequencing or gene panel sequencing. Additional cases from the medical literature with comparable data were included.

Results

We identified 28 individuals with largely de novo pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants including missense (15/21 or 71%) and truncating variants (6/21 or 29%). Missense variants were largely clustered around the sixth and seventh transmembrane domains, which functions as a GABA binding pocket. The phenotype of individuals with pathogenic variants in SLC6A1 includes hypotonia, intellectual disability/developmental delay, language disorder/speech delay, autism spectrum disorder, sleep issues and seizures.

Conclusion

Pathogenic variants in SLC6A1 are associated with a clinical phenotype of developmental delay, behaviour problems and seizures. Understanding of the genotype–phenotype correlation within SLC6A1 may provide opportunities to develop new treatments for GABA-related conditions.
Efficacy of intercostal cryoneurolysis as an analgesic adjunct for chest wall pain after surgery or trauma: systematic review
Authors: Cha Peter I , Min Jung Gi , Patil Advait , Choi Jeff , Kothary Nishita N , Forrester Joseph D
Published: May 2021

Background

There is a critical need for non-narcotic analgesic adjuncts in the treatment of thoracic pain. We evaluated the efficacy of intercostal cryoneurolysis as an analgesic adjunct for chest wall pain, specifically addressing the applicability of intercostal cryoneurolysis for pain control after chest wall trauma.

Methods

A systematic review was performed through searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. We included studies involving patients of all ages that evaluated the efficacy of intercostal cryoneurolysis as a pain adjunct for chest wall pathology. Quantitative and qualitative synthesis was performed.

Results

Twenty-three studies including 570 patients undergoing cryoneurolysis met eligibility criteria for quantitative analysis. Five subgroups of patients treated with intercostal cryoneurolysis were identified: pectus excavatum (nine studies); thoracotomy (eight studies); post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (three studies); malignant chest wall pain (two studies); and traumatic rib fractures (one study). There is overall low-quality evidence supporting intercostal cryoneurolysis as an analgesic adjunct for chest wall pain. A majority of studies demonstrated decreased inpatient narcotic use with intercostal cryoneurolysis compared with conventional pain modalities. Intercostal cryoneurolysis may also lead to decreased hospital length of stay. The procedure did not definitively increase operative time, and risk of complications was low.

Conclusions

Given the favorable risk-to-benefit profile, both percutaneous and thoracoscopic intercostal cryoneurolysis may serve as a worthwhile analgesic adjunct in trauma patients with rib fractures who have failed conventional medical management. However, further prospective studies are needed to improve quality of evidence.

Level of evidence

Level IV systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Can plant functional traits explain shifts in community composition in a changing Arctic?
Authors: Betway-May Katlyn R. , Hollister Robert D. , May Jeremy L. , Harris Jacob A. , Gould William A. , Oberbauer Steven F.
Published: May 2021

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe. Graminoid, deciduous shrub, and evergreen shrub cover has increased in some regions, but not others. To better understand why plant responses vary across regions, we compared change in plant cover over time with nine functional traits of 12 dominant species in three regions of northern Alaska (Utqiaġvik, Atqasuk, and Toolik Lake). Cover was measured three times from 2008 to 2018. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) found that one species — Carex aquatilis — showed significant change in cover over time, increasing by 12.7% at Atqasuk. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested a relationship between shifts in species cover and traits, but Pearson and Spearman rank correlations did not find a significant trend for any trait when analyzed individually. Investigation of community-weighted means (CWMs) for each trait revealed no significant changes over time for any trait in any region. By comparison, estimated ecosystem values for several traits important to ecosystem functioning showed consistent increases over time in two regions (Utqiaġvik and Atqasuk). Our results indicate that vascular plant community composition and function have remained consistent over time; however, documented increases in total plant cover have important implications for ecosystem functioning.
Evolution of urban forms observed from space
Authors: Chen Haohui , Kryvasheyeu Yury , Xu Weipan , Huang Yaofu , Deng Jiayi , Ren Siru , Li Xun , Rahwan Iyad , Cebrian Manuel
Published: May 2021

Multiple driving forces shape cities. These forces include the costs of transporting goods and people, the types of predominant local industries, and the policies that govern urban planning. Here, we examine how agglomeration and dispersion change with increasing population and population density. We study the patterns in the evolution of urban forms and analyze the differences between developed and developing countries. We analyze agglomeration across 233 European and 258 Chinese cities using nighttime luminosity data. We find a universal inverted U-shape curve for the agglomeration metric (Lasym index). Cities attain their maximum agglomeration level at an intermediate density, above which dispersion increases. Our findings may guide strategic urban planning for the timely adoption of appropriate development policies.
The common origin of the family mass hierarchy and CP violation from flavor-dependent vacuum for quarks and leptons
Authors: Zhang Ying
Published: May 2021

We rewrite the Yukawa interactions of the Standard Model in terms of flavor-dependent vacuum structure to address the family mass hierarchy and CP violation in both the quark sector and lepton sector. It is realized that Yukawa terms only include the same number of degrees of freedom as phenomenological observables with no requirement of extra particle or any new symmetry. The quark and lepton mass hierarchy arises as a natural result of the close-to-flat vacuum in flavor space. The CP violations in CKM mixing and PMNS mixing are explained as general quantum phases between weak gauge eigenstates and Yukawa interaction states. The mechanism is proven by reproduction of all current quark/lepton mass data and the CKM/PMNS mixing parameters.
Lecture Information Service Based on Multiple Features Fusion
Authors: Yang Zhongguo , Zhang Mingzhu , Zhang Zhongmei , Li Han , Liu Chen , Ali Sikandar
Published: May 2021

Information service is always a hot topic especially when the Web is accessible anywhere. In university, lecture information is very important for students and teachers who want to take part in academic meetings. Therefore, lecture news extraction is an important and imperative task. Many open information extraction methods have been proposed, but due to the high heterogeneity of websites, this task is still a challenge. In this paper, we propose a method based on fusing multiple features to locate lecture news on the university website. These features include the linked relationship between parent webpage and child webpages, the visual similarity, and the semantics of webpages. Additionally, this paper provides an information service based on a main content extraction algorithm for extracting the lecture information. Stable and invariant features enable the proposed method to adapt to various kinds of campus websites. The experiments conducted on 50 websites show the effectiveness and efficiency of the provided service.
SELF-SIMILAR TOUCHING NETWORKS — PART I
Authors: BAO HONGWEI , XI LIFENG , ZHAO BING
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we introduce touching networks including skeleton networks of Sierpinski gasket, Sierpinski tetrahedron, Sierpinski hexagon and Lindstr öm Snowflake. For touching networks, we establish the self-similar theory of limit metric space.
WICK-TYPE STOCHASTIC FRACTIONAL SOLITONS SUPPORTED BY QUADRATIC-CUBIC NONLINEARITY
Authors: DAI CHAO-QING , WU GANGZHOU , LI HUI-JUN , WANG YUE-YUE
Published: May 2021

When a random environment with the Gaussian white noise function is considered, the Wick-type stochastic fractional quadratic-cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation is used to govern the propagation of optical pulse in polarization-preserving fibers. Using a new strategy, namely combining the variable-coefficient fractional Riccati equation method with the fractional derivative, Mittag–Leffler function and Hermite transformation, some special fractional solutions with the Brownian motion function including fractional bright and dark solitons, and fractional combined soliton solutions are given. Under the influence of the stochastic effect from the stochastic Brownian motion function portrayed by using the Lorentz chaotic system, some wave packets randomly appear during the propagation, and thus make fractional bright soliton travel wriggled in the both periodic dispersion system and the exponential dispersion decreasing system. However, the stochastic Brownian motion function has a more significant impact on the propagation of fractional bright soliton in the periodic dispersion system than that in the exponential dispersion decreasing system.
Least squares estimator for stochastic differential equations driven by small fractional Lévy noises from discrete observations
Authors: Yu Qian , Shen Guangjun , Xu Wentao
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we consider the problem of parameter estimation for stochastic differential equations with small fractional Lévy noises, based on discrete observations. Under certain regularity conditions on drift function, the consistency of least squares estimation has been established as a small dispersion coefficient [Formula: see text] and the number of discrete points [Formula: see text] simultaneously. We also obtain the asymptotic behavior of the estimator.
Selecting Capabilities to Mitigate Supply Chain Resilience Barriers for an Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Company: An AHP-Fuzzy Topsis Approach
Authors: Agarwal Nishtha , Seth Nitin , Agarwal Ashish
Published: May 2021

The aim of study is to prioritize resilient capabilities required for an Industry 4.0 manufacturing business. These capabilities are prioritized considering the barriers faced by their supply chains in becoming resilient. After the review of literature and discussion with experts from the case company and other supply chain professionals, the barriers and resilient capabilities were shortlisted. The study utilized a hybrid of AHP-fuzzy TOPSIS technique to provide weights to the criteria variables (here barriers) and rank the alternatives (here resilient capabilities). Five criteria of barriers were identified for the purpose of the study, namely, strategic barriers, technological barriers, cultural barriers, individual barriers, and organizational barriers. Twenty-three subcriteria were identified for these barriers. Six capabilities were decided upon to be prioritized out of which planning capabilities were obtained to be the most important followed by collaborative, agile, supply chain design modification capability, interoperability, and supply flexibility. The study attempts to fill the gap identified in the literature regarding the lack of studies on supply chain resilience barriers. It therefore provides a realistic framework to prioritize the resilience capabilities required for mitigating such barriers.
Decision Support System Based on Fuzzy Logic for Assessment of Expected Corporate Income Performance
Authors: Yosef Arthur , Shnaider Eli , Palas Rimona , Baranes Amos
Published: May 2021

This study presents a decision-support method to estimate the next year performance of corporate Operating Income Margin (OIM). It is based on a unique combination of cross-section model and the rules-based evaluation mechanism. The estimate is done in terms of broad categories, and not precise numerical values.

The model is constructed as follows: its dependent variable (OIM) is one year ahead vs. the corresponding explanatory variables. This structure of the model allows us to view explanatory variables as reflecting financial potential of corporations. The evaluation component consists of a set of rules designed to identify the companies whose “potential” clearly points to an opportunity to invest. For the method presented here to succeed, it is necessary to utilize a highly reliable modeling method, even if it is “Fuzzy”. We apply Soft Regression (SR), which is a Soft Computing modeling tool based on Fuzzy Logic, and utilize all available proxy variables by creating intervals of values. Advantages of utilizing SR, and the intervals’-based modeling are extensively discussed. Modeling results for five consecutive years are consistent and stable, thus indicating high degree of reliability. Testing indicates very high success rate for the stock market related domain, the lowest being 87.9%.
Message from the Chairs
Authors: Knottenbelt William , Wolter Katinka
Published: May 2021

This volume presents the proceedings of the 2nd Symposium of Cryptocurrency Analysis (SOCCA 2020), originally scheduled to be held in Milan, Italy, on November 6, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated, in common with many other conferences, that SOCCA will be held entirely virtual.
Nonlinear Control for Bioprocesses with Model Uncertainties and External Disturbances
Authors: Fernández Cecilia , Pantano Nadia , Rodriguez Leandro , Scaglia Gustavo
Published: May 2021

In this paper, a new alternative for profiles tracking control considering additive uncertainties is proposed. Based on a previously presented work about a nonlinear and multivariable controller design for a fed-batch bioethanol production, parametric uncertainty and process disturbance are taken into account to find a more reliable control strategy for a successful industrial implementation. To decrease the uncertainties effect, an approach based on the error estimation using Newton’s backward interpolation is included in the design equations. The proposed modification assures the error convergence to zero (demonstration is shown) despite the uncertainties, which is one of the main contributions of this work. A comparison between the new, the original proposal, and another methodology is exposed.
Metal Flux from Dissolution of Iron Oxide Grain Coatings in Sandstones
Authors: Parnell J. , Wang X. , Raab A. , Feldmann J. , Brolly C. , Michie R. , Armstrong J.
Published: May 2021

Iron oxide grain coatings in red sandstones contain trace metals that are released upon dissolution of the coatings. Analyses by ICP-MS following acid leaching of the grain coatings show that the dissolved metals can constitute an ore-forming fluid, as hypothesized in models for sandstone-hosted ore deposits. Median compositions of 37 samples, mostly of Triassic to Devonian age, from across Britain and Ireland are 6.3 ppm copper, 2.4 ppm cobalt, 10.1 ppm vanadium, and 0.3 ppm uranium. These contents at the basin scale are adequate to form the observed range of ore deposits in red beds. The migration of hydrocarbons or brines can cause the dissolution of grain coatings and contributes to controlling the distribution of ore deposits. Future measurements should test red beds derived from uplifted, mineralized plate margins, in which sandstones may be preloaded with ore metals.
The Performance of Equations That Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate against Measured Urinary Creatinine Clearance in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Al-Dorzi Hasan M. , Alsadhan Abdulmajeed A. , Almozaini Ayman S. , M Alamri Ali , Tamim Hani , Sadat Musharraf , Al-Swaidan Lolowa , Elhassan Elwaleed , Arabi Yaseen M.
Published: May 2021

The performance of glomerular filtration rate- (GFR-) estimating equations was studied against creatinine clearance measured by 24-hour urine collection (CrCl24h-urine) in critically ill patients. Methods. In this substudy of the PermiT trial (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ISRCTN68144998), patients from King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh who had CrCl24h-urine were included. We estimated GFR using Cockroft–Gault (CG), modification of diet in renal disease study (MDRD), chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI), and Jelliffe equations. For the CG equation, we entered the actual weight in one calculation (CGactual-wt), and if BMI ≥30 kg/m2, we entered the ideal body weight (CGideal-wt) and the adjusted body weight (CGadjusted-wt) in two calculations. We calculated the MDRD equation based on 4 (MDRD-4) and 6 variables (MDRD-6). The performance of these equations was assessed by different ways including Spearman correlation, bias (difference between estimated GFR and CrCl24h-urine), precision (standard deviation of bias), and Bland–Altman plot analysis. Results. The cohort consisted of 237 patients (age 45 ± 20 years, males 75%, mechanically ventilated 99% with serum creatinine 101 ± 94 µmol/L and CrCl24h-urine 108 ± 69 ml/min/1.73 m2). The correlations between the different equations and CrCl24h-urine were modest (r: 0.62 to 0.79;

p
<
0.0001

). Bias was statistically significant for CGactual-wt (21 ml/min), CGadjusted-wt (12 ml/min), and MDRD-6 (-10 ml/min) equations. Precision ranged from 46 to 54 ml/min. The sensitivity of equations to correctly classify CrCl24h-urine 30–59.9 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 17.2% for CGactual-wt, 30.0% for CGideal-wt, 31.0% for CGadjusted-wt, 31.0% for MDRD-4, 39.1% for MDRD-6, 13.8% for CKD-EPI, and 34.5% for Jelliffe equation. Conclusions. Commonly used GFR-estimating equations had limited ability to properly estimate CrCl24h-urine and to correctly classify GFR into clinically relevant ranges that usually determine dosing of medications.
Towards a Statistical Model Checking Method for Safety-Critical Cyber-Physical System Verification
Authors: Xie Jian , Tan Wenan , Fang Bingwu , Huang Zhiqiu
Published: May 2021

Safety-Critical Cyber-Physical System (SCCPS) refers to the system that if the system fails or its key functions fail, it will cause casualties, property damage, environmental damage, and other catastrophic consequences. Therefore, it is vital to verify the safety of safety critical systems. In the community, the SCCPS safety verification mainly relies on the statistical model checking methodology, but for SCCPS with extremely high safety requirements, the statistical model checking method is difficult/infeasible to sample the extremely small probability event since the probability of the system violating the safety is very low (rare property). In response to this problem, we propose a new method of statistical model checking for high-safety SCCPS. Firstly, with the CTMC-approximated SCCPS path probability space model, it leverages the maximum likelihood estimation method to learn the parameters of CTMC. Then, the embedded DTMC can be derived from CTMC, and a cross-entropy optimization model based on DTMC can be constructed. Finally, we propose an algorithm of iteratively learning the optimal importance sampling distribution on the discrete path space and an algorithm to check the statistical model of verifying the rare attribute. Eventually, experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can effectively verify the rare attributes of SCCPS. Under the same sample size, comparing with the heuristic importance sampling methods, the estimated value of this method can be better distributed around the mean value, and the related standard deviation and relative error are reduced by more than an order of magnitude.
Effect of Age and Breed on Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of Beni-Guil and Ouled-Djellal Sheep Breeds
Authors: Belhaj Kamal , Mansouri Farid , Tikent Aziz , Taaifi Yassin , Boukharta Mohamed , Serghini Hana Caid , Elamrani Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Two hundred eight sheep, belonging to two main breeds of eastern Morocco, “Beni-Guil” and “Ouled-Djellal,” were investigated for carcass traits and meat quality. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of breed and age at slaughter on carcass traits and meat quality. The animals were slaughtered at three age classes: milk teeth, animals with two adult teeth, and adult animals. Dressing percentage, carcass measurements, compactness indices, carcass shrinkage parameter, conformation scores, fatness state, fat consistency, fat and meat colour, and pH were measured 24 hours postmortem. The results showed that the dressing percentage, carcass measurements, and compactness indices increased with slaughter age (

p
<
0.001

). Furthermore, the effect of breed was higher for Ouled-Djellal breed of carcass characteristics (

p
<
0.01

). However, no significant effect was observed for carcass shrinkage parameter. The longissimus lumborum muscle was used to determine the meat colour, which ranged from 23.89 to 21.96, while the ultimate pH ranged from 5.70 to 5.82. These results were influenced by age at slaughter (

p
<
0.05

) but not influenced by breed. Breed and age at slaughter had a significant influence on carcass traits (

p
<
0.001

). The present study provided a new insight into the effect of breed and age at slaughter on carcass and meat traits of both “Beni-Guil-PGI” and Ouled-Djellal sheep breeds.
Offset Detection of Grate Trolley’s Side Plate Based on YOLOv4
Authors: Wang Yueming , Li Zhenru , Fang Liangrui , Li Qi
Published: May 2021

Side plate offset is one of the grate system faults. If it is not dealt with in time, some accidents will occur and economic losses will be made. Aiming at the problems like time‐consuming, labour‐wasting, and low intelligent by the side plate offset detection method manually, an autoside plate offset detection method is proposed, based on You Only Look Once version 4 (YOLOv4). Two cameras were fixed to collect the image information of the grate trolley’s side plate. With reference to the grate trolley’s operation, the offset judgment rules were set. YOLOv4 object detection algorithm was used to detect the side plate and trolley’s chassis frame in video frame images. A baseline was set according to the position information of the trolley’s chassis frame output by detection, and then, the position intervals between side plates and the baseline could be determined by calculation. According to the judgment rules, the scheme in this paper could detect the offset fault of the trolley’s side plate timely, and an alarm would be made automatically when faults are detected. Our video images of the trolley’s side plate were collected and sorted in Baogang Group sintering plant for testing. In this experiment, no error judgment was made, and the average detection and judgment time was 0.024 s. In this paper, rather than manually, the real‐time automatic detection was realized to detect the offset fault of the trolley’s side plate so as to provide a new solution for offset detection of the grate trolley’s side plate.
Local Efficacy of Corticosteroids as an Adjuvant for Periarticular Cocktail Injection in Simultaneous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial
Authors: Peng Huiming , Wang Wei , Lin Jin , Weng Xisheng , Qian Wenwei , Wang Wenda
Published: May 2021

Multimodal cocktail periarticular injections comprising corticosteroids are the most suggested therapy for postoperative discomfort and swelling following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Nevertheless, previous findings cannot be applied to instances of unilateral total knee arthroplasty on bilateral knees. This randomized, prospective, double-blind, controlled clinical study examines the efficacy as well as safety of periarticular multimodal cocktail injection along or sans corticosteroids in certain situations. The 60 patients (120 knees) that experienced concurrent bilateral total knee arthroplasty were provided periarticular injections along additional betamethasone (7 mg) in the randomized knee, as well as the other knee, where corticosteroid was not administered. Key results were “pain scores at rest as well as in action” on a visual analogue scale of 11 pt. Other results included motion range, swelling of the thigh, Hospital for Special Surgery score (HSS score), and adverse effects were measured between the two sides. No statistically promising variations were found in the visual analogue scale ranking, motion range, girth of the thigh, and HSS score, as well as complications between the two sides. The impact on treatment outcomes was maintained between the knees on postoperative day 3 or at 3 months of follow-up. Multimodal periarticular injection without corticosteroid will alleviate postoperative swelling and pain. More studies are needed for the use of betamethasone as a corticosteroid in periarticular multimodal cocktail injections. This Chinese Clinical Trial Registry is registered with ChiCTR-OPC-17013503, dated 2017-11-23, available from http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspxproj=23146.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder Insights in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting
Authors: Koenig Zachary A. , Callaham Sarah , Waltz Brittany , Bosley Julie , Mogallapu Raja , Ang-Rabanes Michael
Published: May 2021

Body dysmorphic disorder is a chronic disorder involving imagined or partial appearance defects that lead to significant impairment in everyday life. It is quite prevalent but remains a clinically underdiagnosed psychiatric condition especially in the inpatient psychiatric setting. Onset of body dysmorphic disorder typically begins in adolescence with subclinical symptoms. Over time, symptoms progress to patients meeting the full Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria. Severe cases of the body dysmorphic disorder are often camouflaged by concurrent diseases like major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Further, compounding the complexity of body dysmorphic disorder is a treatment of patients who present with coinciding suicidal ideations. Here, we present a unique case of a 40-year-old female admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit for treatment of ongoing depression and suicidal symptoms. Early on in her inpatient course, she had symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The constellation of symptoms prompted evaluation for body dysmorphic disorder and subsequent targeted treatment. This case report highlights the complexities associated with diagnosing body dysmorphic disorder, the importance of considering it a branch point for other psychiatric conditions, and the treatment for patients who present with coinciding suicidal behavior.
Mitochondrial Complex I Deficiency among Egyptian Pediatric Patients with Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Abdou Doaa M. , Mohamed AbdelAal , Abdulhay Mohamed , El Khateeb Sara
Published: May 2021

Background and objectives. Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) is one of the most common glomerular diseases among children. Up to 20% of patients are steroid resistant (SRNS) representing a challenging subset at high risk of developing end-stage renal disease. Renal manifestations of mitochondrial diseases (MIDs) include nephrotic syndrome, renal insufficiency, nephrolithiasis, Bartter-like syndrome, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and nephrocalcinosis. The objective of the current study is to measure the activity of mitochondrial complex I in renal biopsies obtained from pediatric patients diagnosed with SRNS compared to steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) patients in order to elucidate its role in pathogenesis and the prognosis for further genetic work. Subjects and Method. Renal biopsies of 120 patients diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome based on clinical and laboratory findings, divided into two groups, SRNS (60 patients) and SSNS (60 patients). Pathological study and spectrophotometric measurement of mitochondrial complex I in renal biopsy and muscle homogenates were performed for both groups. Results. Positive consanguinity was a remarkable finding in 44 patients among the SRNS group (73%), compared with 33 patients among the SSNS group (55%). Complex I activity was significantly lower in the SRNS group (0.2657 ± 0.1831 nmol/ml/min), than in the SSNS group (0.4773 ± 0.1290 nmol/ml/min) (

p
<
0.001

). There was a significant positive correlation between complex I activity and the heaviness of proteinuria among the SRNS group (r 0.344,

p
<
0.001

). There were statistically significant differences in serum C3 and C4 levels between both groups (

p
<
0.001

, 0.053, respectively). Conclusion. Mitochondrial complex I deficiency in patients who have a nephrotic syndrome complaint may play a role in their responsiveness to steroid therapy and the development of SRNS and even the prognosis of their illness.
Feature Selection and Classification of Clinical Datasets Using Bioinspired Algorithms and Super Learner
Authors: Murugesan S. , Bhuvaneswaran R. S. , Khanna Nehemiah H. , Keerthana Sankari S. , Nancy Jane Y.
Published: May 2021

A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system that employs a super learner to diagnose the presence or absence of a disease has been developed. Each clinical dataset is preprocessed and split into training set (60%) and testing set (40%). A wrapper approach that uses three bioinspired algorithms, namely, cat swarm optimization (CSO), krill herd (KH) ,and bacterial foraging optimization (BFO) with the classification accuracy of support vector machine (SVM) as the fitness function has been used for feature selection. The selected features of each bioinspired algorithm are stored in three separate databases. The features selected by each bioinspired algorithm are used to train three back propagation neural networks (BPNN) independently using the conjugate gradient algorithm (CGA). Classifier testing is performed by using the testing set on each trained classifier, and the diagnostic results obtained are used to evaluate the performance of each classifier. The classification results obtained for each instance of the testing set of the three classifiers and the class label associated with each instance of the testing set will be the candidate instances for training and testing the super learner. The training set comprises of 80% of the instances, and the testing set comprises of 20% of the instances. Experimentation has been carried out using seven clinical datasets from the University of California Irvine (UCI) machine learning repository. The super learner has achieved a classification accuracy of 96.83% for Wisconsin diagnostic breast cancer dataset (WDBC), 86.36% for Statlog heart disease dataset (SHD), 94.74% for hepatocellular carcinoma dataset (HCC), 90.48% for hepatitis dataset (HD), 81.82% for vertebral column dataset (VCD), 84% for Cleveland heart disease dataset (CHD), and 70% for Indian liver patient dataset (ILP).
Nomograms for Predicting Prognosis of Primary Mediastinal Seminoma: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Huang Weijia , Luo Jingwen , Zhou Xianghong , Zhao Yunuo , Zhang Tao , Ma Xuelei
Published: May 2021

Objectives. Primary mediastinal seminoma (PMS) was an uncommon carcinoma, and the appropriate treatment remained controversial due to the low incidence. We aimed to investigate the demographics and tumor biological characteristics to determine the potential effective treatment and predict the prognosis. Methods. Patients diagnosed with PMS were selected between 1975 and 2016 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard model were conducted to determine the prognostic factors, and nomograms were employed to visually predict the prognosis. Concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were conducted to validate the prediction model. Results. A total of 476 patients were included with a median age of 31 years (range, 2–76 years), and a median size of the tumor was 11.6 cm (range, 0.2–24.0 cm). The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 70.4% and 68.4%, respectively. Age, the extent of the primary site, metastatic status, and surgery performance were independent prognostic factors. Not received surgery was considered a poor prognostic factor for OS (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.13–3.03;

P
=
0.013

). The C-index was 0.733 (95% CI, 0.685–0.781) and 0.819 (95% CI, 0.737–0.901) for internal and external validation for predicting OS, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.743 (95% CI, 0.681–0.804) for predicting OS (sensitivity, 0.532; specificity, 0.887) in the training cohort. Conclusions. The nomogram could efficiently predict the survival of patients with PMS. Surgery was the potential effective treatment, and chemotherapy was strongly recommended for patients over 40 years.
A Flexible and Robust Approach to Analyze Survival Systems in the Presence of Extreme Observations
Authors: Sadiq Maryam , Mehmood Tahir
Published: May 2021

Survival systems are difficult to analyze in the presence of extreme observations and multicollinearity. Finding appropriate models that provide a robust description of such survival systems and that address the smooth hazards in the context of covariates can be challenging given the sheer number of possibilities. Survival time algorithms that evaluate the efficiency of models in the presence of extreme observations over different datasets provide an effective tool to identify robust systems. However, the existing algorithms addressing the analysis of survival systems are limited in long-term evaluations. Therefore, an algorithm that can analyze survival time response on high-dimensional complex survival systems having extreme observations is developed which explores large margins dynamically. This algorithm is developed as a conjugate of flexible parametric models and partial least squares to estimate smooth, flexible, and robust functions to extrapolate the survival model in long-term evaluations in the presence of extreme observations. The algorithm is tested and validated using four distributions based on a simulated dataset generated from the Weibull distribution and compared with partial least squares-Cox regression. The comparison shows its flexibility and efficiency in handling different survival systems in the presence of extreme values. The algorithm is also used to analyze four real datasets of breast cancer survival time, each containing seven gene signatures. The coefficients of significant genes for each dataset are estimated. The flexibility in handling various distributions as parametric survival models supports the application of the algorithm to a large variety of different survival problems and represents a robust statistical framework for survival analysis in the presence of extreme observations.
Pediatric Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Palate
Authors: Lindeboom Jerome A. , Ho Jean-Pierre T. F. , Donner Naomi , Schreuder Willem H.
Published: May 2021

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary gland tumor but is extremely rare in pediatric patients. The parotid gland is the most affected salivary gland, and the minor salivary glands are rarely affected. Here, we report a case of a 12-year-old boy with a pleomorphic adenoma of the palate.
Suppression of Adenosine Deaminase and Xanthine Oxidase Activities by Mineralocorticoid and Glucocorticoid Receptor Blockades Restores Renal Antioxidative Barrier in Oral Contraceptive-Treated Dam
Authors: Badmus Olufunto O. , Areola Emmanuel D. , Benjamin Eleojo , Obekpa Matthew A. , Adegoke Tolulope E. , Elijah Oluwatobi E. , Imam Aminu , Olajide Olayemi J. , Olatunji Lawrence A.
Published: May 2021

Objective. We tested the hypothesis that postpartum combined oral contraceptive (COC) treatment would induce oxidative stress via the adenosine deaminase-xanthine oxidase pathway in the kidney. We also sought to determine whether mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) or glucocorticoid receptor (GR ) blockade would suppress the activities of ADA and xanthine oxidase caused by postpartum COC treatment in the kidney. Methods. Twenty-four Wistar dams were randomly assigned to 4 groups ([Formula: see text]). Dams received vehicle (po), COC (1.0  μg ethinylestradiol and 5.0  μg levonorgestrel; po), COC with GR blockade (mifepristone; 80.0 mg/kg; po), and COC with MR blockade (spironolactone; 0.25 mg/kg; po) daily between 3rd and 11th week postpartum. Results. Data showed that postpartum COC caused increased plasma creatinine and urea, increased renal triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein ratio, free fatty acid accumulation, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, uric acid, and activities of renal XO and ADA. On the other hand, postpartum COC resulted in decreased plasma albumin, renal glutathione, and Na+-K+-ATPase activity with no effect on lactate production. However, MR or GR blockade ameliorated the alterations induced by postpartum COC treatment. The present results demonstrate that MR or GR blockade ameliorates postpartum COC-induced increased activities of ADA and xanthine oxidase and restores glutathione-dependent antioxidative defense. Conclusion. These findings implicate the involvements of GR and MR in renal dysfunctions caused by COC in dams via disrupted glutathione antioxidative barrier.