bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrical measurement method of static friction force on rough surface
Authors: Yang Jingyun , Zhao Hang , Ta Wurui
Published: May 2024

Friction plays a key role in the assessment of the safety and stability of mechanical systems (such as superconducting magnet quench explosion, aerospace vehicle bearing wear, etc.). Due to the closeness of the interfaces in engineering structures and the randomness of the contact surfaces, existing methods for measuring static friction force are unable to measure it at the contact interfaces of engineering structures under service conditions. In this paper, a new method for measuring the static friction force at the interface based on electrical signals is proposed. This method enables the measurement of the static friction force at interfaces of complex engineering structures under service conditions solely through electrical signals. The results indicate that the contact resistance gradually decreases with the increase in tangential load during the static friction stage until a monotonic behavior of macroscopic sliding occurs. The evolution of contact resistance is linked to the evolution of the real contact area, and this monotonic behavior can be explained as the deformation form of contact points. The accuracy of the proposed electrical measurement method is verified by comparison with experimental results (with an error of less than 9%). The indirect measurement method of friction force proposed in this paper can effectively measure the static friction force at the interfaces of engineering structures under service conditions, and it is expected to be applied to the detection of friction performance at engineering structure interfaces in extreme service environments.
Application of artificial neural synapses in soft robots
Authors: Ding Xuanting
Published: May 2024

Artificial neural network is considered to be one of the effective ways to enable soft robots to achieve high-performance control due to their significant advantages, such as massively parallel processing and distributed storage of information, adaptivity, and fault tolerance. Artificial neural networks are composed of microelectronic components connected together, of which the most basic units are artificial neural synaptic units, such as atomic switches, memristors, and synaptic transistors. This paper first introduces the research status of soft robots and artificial neural synapses, predicts the demand of soft robots for artificial neural synapses, summarizes the difficulties and problems that may be encountered in the application of artificial neural synapses to soft robots, and finally points out the importance and feasibility of artificial neural synapses in the research and development of soft robots.
Determination of the effective critical breakdown field for Si, wide, and extreme bandgap semiconductor superjunction devices
Authors: Torky Mohamed , Chow T. Paul
Published: May 2024

Designing high voltage superjunction (SJ) power devices with wide bandgap and extreme bandgap semiconductors, when compared to silicon, can enhance the trade-off between RON,sp and BV significantly, due to their >10× higher avalanche breakdown electric field. Nevertheless, because of the difference in the breakdown field profile and ionization path length, the effective breakdown field for these semiconductor SJ devices has not been determined theoretically. Consequently, we estimate and compare the effective critical breakdown electric field for SJ device structures in Si, 4H–SiC, 2H–GaN, β-Ga2O3, diamond, and AlN using Technology Computer Aided Design TCAD simulation. We also establish its dependence on the SJ devices’ structural parameters, such as the pillar thickness. Furthermore, we also quantitatively compare the on-state performance of these SJ devices, including their thermal capabilities, using a paramount figure-of-merit to underscore the potential improvement possible.
Cow age, resilience and productivity of cow–calf systems
Authors: Sessim Amir Gil , Oliveira Tamara Esteves de , Pereira Gabriel Ribas , López González Fredy Andrey , Maidana Fabiana Moro , Zago Daniele , McManus Concepta Margaret , Barcellos Júlio Otávio Jardim
Published: May 2024

Context The energy availability for cow–calf systems is related to climate disturbances, and energy use is influenced by the age of the cows. Both factors determine the productivity and resilience of herds after climate disruption. Aims Identify the time needed for the herds composed of cows of a varying age to achieve resilience after energy restriction in the pre- and postpartum. Methods The resilience of systems was compared by deterministic dynamic simulation and herds were considered initially stable but different in (1) energy availability for all herd in the first year of production, namely at 50% (low, L), 75% (medium, M) of 100% (high, H) of the requirements according to the NRC (2000, 2016), with these energy levels being restricted to 60 days before and 60 days after the birth, and (2) the maximum age of the cull cow (lifetime, LT), namely 4 (LT4L, LT4M, LT4H), 6 (LT6L, LT6M, LT6H) of 11 (LT11L, LT11M, LT11H) years. From the second year, availability returned to meet the energy requirements of all animals. The availability of energy for the herd was simulated in natural and cultivated pasture. The productivity was determined as the relation between the kilograms of animals sold and the area used for production over a productive cycle. The system model was considered resilient when 95% of the standard productivity was reached (prior to energy restriction). Key results The time required to return to stability was 2 years in the LT6 and LT11, whereas LT4 required 3 years. Furthermore, LT6 had a higher productivity than did the other herds. The older the culled cow was, the greater was the change in the composition of the product commercialised. Conclusions Cows with an intermediate culling age allowed a sustainable intensification of the system, because they showed better productivity than did older cull cows. Furthermore, after climate disturbance, they presented more resilience than did younger cull cows. The level of energy restriction did not directly influence the time to resilience within each evaluated discard-age group. Implications Herds that culled females before reaching adult age are less resilient after disturbances, such as changes in climate or changes of any nature that interfere with reproductive rates.
A conserved molecular logic for neurogenesis to gliogenesis switch in the cerebral cortex
Authors: Liang Xiaoyi G. , Hoang Kendy , Meyerink Brandon L. , Kc Pratiksha , Paraiso Kitt , Wang Li , Jones Ian R. , Zhang Yue , Katzman Sol , Finn Thomas S. , Tsyporin Jeremiah , Qu Fangyuan , Chen Zhaoxu , Visel Axel , Kriegstein Arnold , Shen Yin , Pilaz Louis-Jan , Chen Bin
Published: May 2024

During development, neural stem cells in the cerebral cortex, also known as radial glial cells (RGCs), generate excitatory neurons, followed by production of cortical macroglia and inhibitory neurons that migrate to the olfactory bulb (OB). Understanding the mechanisms for this lineage switch is fundamental for unraveling how proper numbers of diverse neuronal and glial cell types are controlled. We and others recently showed that Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling promotes the cortical RGC lineage switch to generate cortical oligodendrocytes and OB interneurons. During this process, cortical RGCs generate intermediate progenitor cells that express critical gliogenesis genes
Ascl1
,
Egfr,
and
Olig2
. The increased
Ascl1
expression and appearance of Egfr
+
and Olig2
+
cortical progenitors are concurrent with the switch from excitatory neurogenesis to gliogenesis and OB interneuron neurogenesis in the cortex. While Shh signaling promotes
Olig2
expression in the developing spinal cord, the exact mechanism for this transcriptional regulation is not known. Furthermore, the transcriptional regulation of
Olig2
and
Egfr
has not been explored. Here, we show that in cortical progenitor cells, multiple regulatory programs, including Pax6 and Gli3, prevent precocious expression of
Olig2
, a gene essential for production of cortical oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. We identify multiple enhancers that control
Olig2
expression in cortical progenitors and show that the mechanisms for regulating
Olig2
expression are conserved between the mouse and human. Our study reveals evolutionarily conserved regulatory logic controlling the lineage switch of cortical neural stem cells.
Sensitivity analysis of parameters affecting the seismic performance of RC columns strengthened by fabric-reinforced cementitious mortar
Authors: Dang Cong-Thuat , Pham My , Dinh N H
Published: May 2024

In recent years, fabric-reinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) has emerged as a popular choice for strengthening reinforced concrete and masonry structures due to several advantages over conventional fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Particularly, the enhancement of Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns using FRCM composites has garnered significant attention. While experimental investigations are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of FRCM, physical experiments are often resource-intensive and time-consuming. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the impact of various design parameters on the performance of RC columns strengthened with FRCM under low-amplitude cyclic loads simulating earthquakes through Finite Element (FE) analysis. The FE model, incorporating columns and FRCM strengthening materials, was developed using the DIANA 10.5 program. To assess the reliability of the model, analytical results were compared with experimental findings from a previous study, focusing on lateral strength, hysteresis behavior, and failure modes. The validation outcomes demonstrated a reasonable correlation between the test and numerical results. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the influence of input parameters, such as concrete compressive strength, fabric reinforcement quantity, longitudinal reinforcement ratio of the columns, and pre-axial loading levels, on the seismic performance of RC columns reinforced with FRCM. The findings of the sensitivity analysis were discussed in detail.
Predicting TCR sequences for unseen antigen epitopes using structural and sequence features
Authors: Ji Hongchen , Wang Xiang-Xu , Zhang Qiong , Zhang Chengkai , Zhang Hong-Mei
Published: May 2024

T-cell receptor (TCR) recognition of antigens is fundamental to the adaptive immune response. With the expansion of experimental techniques, a substantial database of matched TCR–antigen pairs has emerged, presenting opportunities for computational prediction models. However, accurately forecasting the binding affinities of unseen antigen–TCR pairs remains a major challenge. Here, we present convolutional-self-attention TCR (CATCR), a novel framework tailored to enhance the prediction of epitope and TCR interactions. Our approach utilizes convolutional neural networks to extract peptide features from residue contact matrices, as generated by OpenFold, and a transformer to encode segment-based coded sequences. We introduce CATCR-D, a discriminator that can assess binding by analyzing the structural and sequence features of epitopes and CDR3-β regions. Additionally, the framework comprises CATCR-G, a generative module designed for CDR3-β sequences, which applies the pretrained encoder to deduce epitope characteristics and a transformer decoder for predicting matching CDR3-β sequences. CATCR-D achieved an AUROC of 0.89 on previously unseen epitope–TCR pairs and outperformed four benchmark models by a margin of 17.4%. CATCR-G has demonstrated high precision, recall and F1 scores, surpassing 95% in bidirectional encoder representations from transformers score assessments. Our results indicate that CATCR is an effective tool for predicting unseen epitope–TCR interactions. Incorporating structural insights enhances our understanding of the general rules governing TCR–epitope recognition significantly. The ability to predict TCRs for novel epitopes using structural and sequence information is promising, and broadening the repository of experimental TCR–epitope data could further improve the precision of epitope–TCR binding predictions.
Effects of early exercise training following severe burn injury: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Schieffelers David R , Ru Tianfeng , Dai Haonan , Ye Ziqing , van Breda Eric , Van Daele Ulrike , Xie Weiguo , Wu Jun
Published: May 2024

Background

Despite being a stable component of burn rehabilitation at later stages of recovery, exercise training is not commonly provided during the acute phase of burns. A lack of evidence surrounding its efficacy and safety in severely burned adults has hampered its implementation in acute burn care. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of early exercise training to modulate parameters of postburn muscle wasting and quality of life.

Methods

Adults <65 years of age with burns ≥40% total burn surface area (TBSA) were randomly allocated to either receive early exercise (n = 29) in addition to standard care or standard care alone (n = 29). Early exercise involved resistance and aerobic training, which commenced as early as possible and lasted for a duration of 6 to 12 weeks, in line with burn center length of stay. Ultrasound-derived quadriceps muscle layer thickness (QMLT) and rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RF-CSA), lower limb muscle force, Eurocol Quality of Life-5 Dimensions and Burn Specific Health Scale Brief (BSHS-B) were assessed 6 and 12 weeks after baseline. Mixed models were fitted to compare between-group changes over time.

Results

A total of 58 adults [42 (95% confidence interval 40–45) years old; 40–94% TBSA range, 86% previously mechanically ventilated] participated in this study. Exercise commenced 7 days [IQR (interquartile range) 5–9] after burn center admission with an attendance rate of 93%. Allocation to the exercise group had a protective effect on the loss of muscle size from baseline to 6 weeks of follow-up (QMLT: β-coefficient: 0.05 cm, p = 0.010; RF-CSA: β-coefficient: 0.05 cm2, p = 0.045), and resulted in an improved recovery from 6 to 12 weeks (QMLT: β-coefficient: 0.04 cm, p = 0.01; RF-CSA: β-coefficient: 0.06 cm2, p < 0.001). Muscle force increased significantly more in the exercise group than in the control group (β-coefficient: 3.102 N, p < 0.001) between 6 and 12 weeks. Besides a marginally significant effect for the BSHS-B domains ‘affect’ and ‘interpersonal relationships’ between 6 and 12 weeks, no benefits were observed in the other assessed quality-of-life measures. No serious adverse events were reported in the exercise group.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the use of early exercise training as a feasible and efficacious therapeutic strategy to manage burn-related changes in muscle size and strength in adults with acute severe burn injury.
Can blubber steroid hormone measurements reveal reproductive state in narwhals?
Authors: Hudson Justine M , Simonee James , Watt Cortney A
Published: May 2024

Hormone measurements from blubber samples have been used to assess reproduction in cetaceans and are a widely applicable technique, as blubber samples are often collected from necropsied individuals and biopsies are readily collected from live, free-swimming cetaceans. Many studies have assessed reproduction in cetaceans based on blubber hormone concentrations but few have validated their findings with individuals of known reproductive state. The objectives of this study were to use a unique dataset of paired female narwhal (Monodon monoceros) reproductive tracts and blubber samples to: (1) determine narwhal reproductive state based on ovarian analysis; (2) evaluate progesterone, estradiol, testosterone and corticosterone concentrations in paired blubber samples to validate the use of blubber hormone measurements as a technique to assess reproductive state in narwhals; and (3) determine narwhal reproductive rates using reproductive tract and hormone analyses. Female narwhals with complete reproductive tracts or known ages (n = 13) were categorized as: pregnant (fetus or placenta present; n = 5), active (at least one corpus luteum present; n = 2), resting (at least one corpus albicans present; n = 3) or immature (absence of corpora lutea and albicantia or age <8; n = 3), and eight individuals were classified as unknown due to incomplete reproductive tracts. Estradiol, testosterone, and corticosterone concentrations were not useful for assessing reproductive state; however, progesterone concentrations were higher in pregnant narwhals (432.66 ± 182.13 ng/g) than active (1.57 ± 0.42 ng/g), resting (1.52 ± 0.87 ng/g) and immature (1.44 ± 0.71 ng/g) individuals, validating the use of blubber progesterone concentrations in determining pregnancy in narwhals. Using a progesterone threshold for pregnancy, determined in this study, we were able to classify three individuals with incomplete reproductive tracts as pregnant and identify a potential impending pregnancy loss. The results from this study suggest that blubber progesterone concentrations are useful for assessing pregnancy and can help inform reproductive rates of narwhal populations.
Age-Specific Association Between Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability and Hearing Loss: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Guo Xinyue , Sun Renjian , Cui Xiaorui , Liu Yahang , Yang Yating , Lin Ruilang , Yang Hui , Wu Jingyi , Xu Jiaqin , Peng Yuwei , Zheng Xueying , Qin Guoyou , Chen Jiaohua
Published: May 2024

Background and Objectives

Hearing loss is common and undertreated, and the impact of blood pressure variability (BPV) on the development of hearing loss remains unclear. We aimed to examine the age-specific association between visit-to-visit BPV and hearing loss.

Research Design and Methods

This nationally representative cohort study included 3,939 adults over 50 years from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States. Variabilities of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were assessed by standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation, and variability independent of the mean (VIM), using SBP and DBP from 3 visits. Hearing loss was assessed by self-rated questions. Cox proportional risk models were used to evaluate age-specific associations (50–64, 65–79, and ≥80 years) between BPV and hearing loss. The generalized additive Cox models were further used to visualize the combined effect of age and BPV.

Results

During the follow-up up to 7.0 years, 700 participants developed hearing loss. Among people aged under 65 years, we observed a 36% increased risk of hearing loss with per-SD increment in VIM of SBP (hazard ratio [HR] per SD 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.63) and a slightly significant association between VIM of DBP (HR per SD 1.21, 95% CI 1.01–1.45) and hearing loss. We did not observe significant associations among groups aged over 65 years (p > .05). The generalized additive Cox models also showed younger participants had stronger associations between BPV and hearing loss.

Discussion and Implications

Higher visit-to-visit variabilities of SBP were associated with an increased risk of hearing loss in middle-aged adults (50–65 years). Intervention in early BPV may help decrease hearing loss in adults aged over 50 years.
More Problems More Money? Does China Lend More to African Countries with Higher Credit Risk Levels?
Authors: Landry David
Published: May 2024

China has provided hundreds of billions of dollars in loans to developing countries. Researchers and pundits have focused on China’s motivations for allocating development finance, particularly in Africa, due to debt sustainability concerns. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the ways in which creditworthiness impacts the Chinese government’s development finance allocation decisions. In doing so, it examines the impact of African countries’ creditworthiness levels on Chinese development finance commitments. It also explores the impact of African country creditworthiness on Chinese loan cancellations and forgiveness. This paper finds that a disproportionate share of Chinese government loan commitments to African countries are made to governments with high credit risk levels. It also finds that, as African countries’ creditworthiness decreases, their likelihood of having Chinese loan commitments canceled increases. This underscores the importance of greater transparency from—and coordination with—China in its approach to debt sustainability and its attitude toward risk on the African continent, as well as the importance of building African debt management and capacity to ensure responsible borrowing. Finally, the paper finds negative, though weak, relationship between creditworthiness and Chinese loan forgiveness. In other words, as opposed to what the debt trap diplomacy hypothesis would suggest, Chinese loans to risky countries are more likely to be forgiven.
From silence to vigilance: overcoming barriers in public reporting of bid-rigging and cartel violations
Authors: Arai Koki
Published: May 2024

There are several ways to collect information on violations of antitrust laws, including ex officio detection, reports from the general public, and the use of leniency systems. There have been many discussions on improvements in the use of leniency systems and refining the ex officio detection method by improving the use of data by methods of analysis. However, improvements in public reporting have not often been considered. In this study, we confirm that 68.8 per cent of the general public provides information on bid-rigging and 49.6 per cent of the general public provides information on cartels, and that the reason for not providing information is the unlikelihood of success, which means a sense of powerlessness against powerful companies, followed by a feeling of lack of responsibility. Therefore, addressing that perception is the key to increasing information from the general public.
The Fat Controller: an unexpected role of SELENOI in IgM responses
Authors: Bemark Mats
Published: May 2024

SELENOI-produced lipids play roles in peripheral B cell differentiation
Criteria for Deployment of the United States National Guard to Domestic Sudden-Onset Natural Disasters: A Scoping Review
Authors: Dickason R Myles , Davis Terri , Taubman Cara B , Tin Derrick , Hata Ryan , Weinstein Eric S
Published: May 2024

Introduction

This study is a scoping review to identify literature pertinent to the question: “What are the criteria for deployment of the United States National Guard (USNG) to domestic sudden-onset natural disasters (SODs)?” As this question relies on factors across many disciplines—legal, medical, technical, cultural—and as there is no foundational body of academic literature or unified governmental or USNG policy addressing this question, a scoping review was designed to identify the body of literature on which further research and policy decisions surrounding this question may be based.

Materials and Methods

On January 23, 2023 a modified PRISMA-ScR search was performed using an online search engine of the following databases: Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed, Web of Science, and WorldCat. The inclusion criteria included the involvement of the USNG response to U.S. domestic SOD. Non-SOD results were excluded. Results from all years and of any type of literature were considered and were limited to the English language. First, titles and abstracts were screened by 2 independent reviewers. Then, a full-text review was performed by 2 independent reviewers. Finally, data were extracted from included texts by 2 independent reviewers. A third reviewer resolved any discrepancies at each stage. This study did not require approval of an institutional review board.

Results

Out of the 886 results identified by the original search, after the complete review process, 34 sources were relevant to the research question. Fifteen criteria for the deployment of the USNG to SODs were identified. Overwhelmed local responders, utility failure, the need for the provision of security, and the need for logistical coordination were the most commonly identified criteria. Hurricanes were the most common SOD addressed in the included literature, and most results were event reports.

Conclusions

This modified PRISMA-ScR identified a foundation on which elected officials, USNG leadership, and the larger disaster response community may develop policies and disaster response plans to optimize available resources through the activation of the USNG when responding to SODs.
Suzaku observation of an iron K-shell line in the spiral galaxy NGC 6946
Authors: Yamauchi Shigeo , Inaba Azusa , Anraku Yumiko
Published: May 2024

An emission line at ∼6.7 keV is attributable to an He-like iron K-shell transition, which indicates existence of a thin thermal plasma with a temperature of several keV. Using Suzaku archival data, we searched for the iron K-line from the spiral galaxy NGC 6946, and found it at 6.68 ± 0.07 keV at the 3.1σ level in the central $r\le {2.^{\prime }5}$ region. The iron line luminosity from the central region was estimated to be (2.3 ± 1.2) × 1037 erg s−1 at a distance of 5.5 Mpc. The origin of the iron emission line is discussed.
Cerebrovascular disease in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: a transcranial Doppler and magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Ricarte Irapuá Ferreira , Dutra Lívia Almeida , Rodrigues Daniela Laranja Gomes , Barsottini Orlando Graziani Povoas , de Souza Alexandre Wagner , Carrete Henrique , Massaud Ana Paula Scalzaretto , Andrade Danieli , Mangueira Cristóvão Luís Pitangueira , Sampaio Silva Gisele
Published: May 2024

Objective

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and brain MRI may be useful in evaluating patients with APS, helping to stratify the risk of cerebrovascular ischaemic events in this population. This study aimed to assess the frequency of brain MRI abnormalities in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome, secondary antiphospholipid syndrome and SLE and correlate to TCD findings.

Methods

The study, conducted over four years at two autoimmune disease referral centres, included 22 primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients, 24 secondary antiphospholipid syndrome patients, 27 SLE patients without APS and 21 healthy controls. All participants underwent TCD to assess cerebral haemodynamics, detect microembolic signals and evaluate right-to-left shunts, followed by brain MRI and magnetic resonance angiography. MRI scans were reviewed for acute microembolism, localized cortical infarctions, border infarctions, lacunar infarctions, ischaemic lesions, white matter hyperintensity, micro and macro haemorrhages and arterial stenosis ≥50% of the cervical carotid artery, by two neuroradiologists blinded to the clinical data.

Results

Brain MRI findings were similar between the groups, except for lacunar infarction, more frequent in patients with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (P = 0.022). Patients with intracranial stenosis detected by TCD had a higher frequency of territorial infarction (40% vs 7.5%, P = 0.02), lacunar (40% vs 11.3%, P = 0.075) and border zone infarcts (20% vs 1.9%, P = 0.034).

Conclusions

Patients with intracranial stenosis presented a higher frequency of territorial, lacunar and border zone infarcts, suggesting that evaluating the intracranial vasculature should not be neglected in patients with APS and stroke.
A descriptive study of sleep patterns and knowledge among department of juvenile services staff
Authors: Woodward Krista P , Bistline Lily , Vermette Erin , Carlucci Marianna , Crowley Stephanie J , Jackson Dylan B , Wolfson Amy R
Published: May 2024

Study Objectives

Little is known about sleep health among staff in the US juvenile justice system. Poor sleep health is associated with negative mental and physical health, which may impact daily interactions and treatment of detained youth. The current study explored sleep–wake patterns and sleep health knowledge of Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) staff in Maryland (MD).

Methods

DJS Staff (N = 218) were invited to complete a survey that queried staff on their own sleep–wake patterns, job role and schedule, and knowledge of youth sleep needs. Descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses of variance (MANCOVA) were conducted to summarize workers’ sleep–wake patterns and examine differences by staff position and schedule.

Results

Fifty-one percent of staff served as RAs who directly supervise the youth. Just over half (55%) worked in detention and 45% in treatment facilities. Staff reported sleeping 7.24 hours (SD = 4.10) on workdays and 8.59 hours (SD = 2.69) on non-workdays. RA staff working night/rotating versus day shifts reported the most sleep irregularity with larger weekend oversleep times. A little more than half of the staff (53.9%) were knowledgeable regarding youth sleep health with differences by position type.

Conclusions

Findings show that DJS staff are meeting recommended sleep duration guidelines but are still experiencing sleep schedule and time in bed irregularity. Knowledge variability of youth sleep health across staff may necessitate focused educational programming. Overall, this study may inform future development and prioritization of sleep and circadian health interventions and educational campaigns for staff who work with detained juveniles. This paper is part of the Sleep and Circadian Health in the Justice System Collection.
Ameliorative impacts of astaxanthin against atrazine-induced renal toxicity through the modulation of ionic homeostasis and Nrf2 signaling pathways in mice
Authors: Soliman Mohamed Mohamed , Alotaibi Khalid S , Albattal Shatha B , Althobaiti Saed , Al-Harthi Helal F , Mehmood Arshad
Published: May 2024

Astaxanthin (ASX), a red pigment belonging to carotenoids, has antioxidant activity and anti-oxidative stress effect. Atrazine (ATZ), a frequently used herbicide, whose degradation products are the cause for nephrosis and other oxidative stress associated diseases. This study was aimed to reveal the potential protective mechanism of astaxanthin against atrazine-induced nephrosis. Atrazine was orally given (250 mg/kg bw) to the mice along with astaxanthin (100 mg/kg bw) for 28 days. Serum biochemical indicators, oxidative stress biomarkers, ATPase activities, ion concentration, histomorphology, and various renal genes expression linked with apoptosis, Nrf2 signaling pathway, and aquaporins (AQPs) were assessed. It was found that serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and MDA levels were significantly increased after the treatment of atrazine, whereas serum renal oxidative stress indicators like CAT, GSH, T-AOC, SOD decreased. Renal histopathology showed that atrazine significantly damaged renal tissues. The activities of Ca 2+-Mg 2+-ATPase were increased whereas Na +-K +-ATPase decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, results confirmed that the expression of AQPs, Nrf2, and apoptosis genes were also altered after atrazine administration. Interestingly, astaxanthin supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) improved atrazine-induced nephrotoxicity via decreasing SCr, BUN, oxidative stress, ionic homeostasis and reversing the changes in AQPs, Nrf2, and apoptosis gene expression. These findings collectively suggested that astaxanthin has strong potential ameliorative impact against atrazine induced nephrotoxicity.
Incidence of Intraoperative Cardiothoracic Intervention During Open Surgery Following Acute Posterior Sternoclavicular Joint Injury: A Case Series and Review of the Literature
Authors: Galina Jesse M. , Miller Sawyer D. , Whelan Timothy J. , Pavlesen Sonja , Ferrick Michael R.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries are rare but potentially lethal injuries—signs of mediastinal compression range from nonspecific to neurovascular compromise. Currently, orthopaedic experts recommend a cardiothoracic surgeon be placed on standby during open surgery for potential intraoperative complications. However, few studies have reported on how often cardiothoracic intervention is required.

Methods:

First, we identified patients in our institution by CPT codes 23530, 23525, and 23532 from January 1, 2002 to May 1, 2023. Demographic variables and intraoperative cardiothoracic intervention rates were collected. Second, we systematically reviewed the literature to identify articles on acute posterior sternoclavicular injury using PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases (through August 20, 2023). Exclusion criteria included conservative treatment, successful closed reduction, chronic injury (>6 wk) cadaver studies, reviews, and nonavailable text.

Results:

Thirteen local patients underwent open surgery for an acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injury, 11 males and 2 females with an average age of 18.2 years old (range: 15 to 32.4). The most common mechanism of injury was sports (n=9; 69.2%). Four (30.8%) patients had physical or radiographic evidence of mediastinal compression. No patients required intraoperative cardiothoracic intervention in our institution. The literature search yielded 132 articles and 512 open surgeries for acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries. Four patients required intraoperative cardiothoracic intervention, all of whom presented with polytrauma and/or clinical or radiographic signs of neurovascular compromise, giving a combined overall rate of 0.76%.

Conclusions:

Expert opinion commonly recommends cardiothoracic backup during open surgery for acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries. On the basis of our local data and systematic literature review, we found an overall cardiothoracic intervention rate of 0.76%. In the presence of polytrauma and/or findings of neurovascular compromise, we suggest having cardiothoracic surgery on close standby during the procedure. However, a patient with an isolated acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injury and no clinical or radiographic findings of neurovascular compromise does not appear to require a cardiothoracic surgeon on standby. Ultimately, the decision to involve cardiothoracic backup during open surgery for an acute posterior sternoclavicular injury should be made on a case-by-case basis after a thorough physical and radiographic evaluation of the patient.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Simulation-Based Cardiopulmonary Examination Skills Checklist: Assessment of Inter-rater Reliability
Authors: Pata Rachel , O'Sullivan Sara , Peterson Danielle , Superchi Laura , Feinn Richard
Published: May 2024

Purpose:

Experiential learning using high-fidelity simulation is a valuable tool for teaching Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students the cardiopulmonary examination. There are currently no standardized assessment tools to evaluate student performance and provide feedback on these skills. The cardiovascular and pulmonary section of the American Physical Therapy Association recently published recommended competency levels for entry-level physical therapists including examination skills. The primary aim of this study was to create and assess inter-rater reliability of a cardiopulmonary examination skills checklist that aligns with these recommendations and can be used in the simulation environment.

Methods:

A skills checklist with 6 sections was developed to assess student performance on the cardiopulmonary examination within a high-fidelity simulation experience. Training videos on the cardiopulmonary examination and checklist use were created and given to 3 graders. Seventy-three DPT students performed the cardiopulmonary examination within simulation while being recorded. Three graders then assessed the same 25 randomly selected videos using the checklist. Inter-rater reliability, item % agreement and student performance were analyzed.

Results:

The overall interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the checklist was calculated to be 0.858, demonstrating strong agreement between graders. The ICC for individualized checklist sections ranged from 0.659 to 0.960, demonstrating good to near perfect agreement. The average percent correct achieved by students was 80.48 (6.91%), R = 65% to 93.33%. There were >80% agreement for 55/60 items and >90% agreement for 44/60 items.

Conclusion:

The checklist provided an effective tool to assess student performance on the cardiopulmonary examination and demonstrated consistent scoring between graders.
Improving Maternal Health Care Quality and Outcomes: Evaluation of a Pregnancy Medical Home
Authors: Schilling Lisa M. , Fraumeni Brittney R. , Nacht Amy S. , Abraham Alison G. , Bauguess Hannah D. , Matesi Gregory , Fringuello Melanie E. , Rashidyan Leah , Billups Sarah J.
Published: May 2024

Current maternal care recommendations in the United States focus on monitoring fetal development, management of pregnancy complications, and screening for behavioral health concerns. Often missing from these recommendations is support for patients experiencing socioeconomic or behavioral health challenges during pregnancy. A Pregnancy Medical Home (PMH) is a multidisciplinary maternal health care team with nurse navigators serving as patient advocates to improve the quality of care a patient receives and health outcomes for both mother and infant. Using bivariate comparisons between PMH patients and reference groups, as well as interviews with project team members and PMH graduates, this evaluation assessed the impact of a PMH at an academic medical university on patient care and birth outcomes. This PMH increased depression screenings during pregnancy and increased referrals to behavioral health care. This evaluation did not find improvements in maternal or infant birth outcomes. Interviews found notable successes and areas for program enhancement.
38-year-old woman with septic arthritis and retroperitoneal abscess after intraarticular corticosteroid injection: A case report
Authors: Archer Holden , Zapata Nuñez Esteban , Valdez Mauricio , Everett Brandon , Wells Joel E.
Published: May 2024

Rationale:

Septic arthritis (SA) is an uncommon condition in which a pathogen invades a joint. SA presents clinically with monoarticular joint pain, swelling, and fever. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are common diagnostic modalities for SA in conjunction with lab work such as white blood cell count. SA is typically treated by joint drainage and antibiotics and is associated with poor outcomes.

Patient concerns:

A 38-year-old woman with 3 prior arthroscopies over a seven-year period presented with an unresolved eight-year history of sharp intermittent pain in the groin and lateral hip. She was referred for nonsurgical treatment of her pain and received 2 corticosteroid hip injections. Subsequently following the injection, the patient developed fever, chills, and a mottled rash over her hip.

Diagnoses:

Magnetic resonance imaging and inflammatory markers were obtained. Osteomyelitis with septic arthritis of the right hip with extension into the retroperitoneum was confirmed.

Interventions:

The patient underwent resection arthroplasty with open retroperitoneal decompression of the iliopsoas abscess. Cultures isolated Staphylococcus aureus. Subsequent staged articulating hip spacer followed by reimplantation with total hip arthroplasty were performed.

Outcomes:

The patient had significant improvement as measured by patient reported outcomes scores.

Lessons:

This case report describes a unique case of hip septic arthritis, with retroperitoneal abscess post-intra articular injection, that resulted in subsequent open retroperitoneal incision and debridement followed by two-stage resection arthroplasty with articulating spacer and total hip arthroplasty.
Diethylene glycol poisoning from transcutaneous absorption: Case report
Authors: Wendimagegn Zeru Seyoum , Habtu Selam , Worku Atsede Birhanu , Shirshawa Tsebelu Worku , Getachew Zenebe Daniel
Published: May 2024

Introduction:

Diethylene glycol (DEG) has been implicated in several cases of poisoning over the years. The most common mechanism of poisoning is accidental or deliberate ingestion of anti-freezer; however, poisoning from transcutaneous absorption is extremely rare. Treatment is not well defined but fomepizole or ethanol can be an effective antidote specially if started early. Furthermore, early hemodialysis will reduce the burden of toxic metabolites.

Case report:

Here, we report a rare case of diethylene glycol poisoning from transcutaneous absorption. Our patient presented complaining of gastrointestinal and renal symptoms. Initial laboratory results showed values consistent with acute kidney injury and metabolic acidosis. Therefore, hemodialysis was started right away. On the 7th day of admission, the patient started showing features suggestive of impending respiratory failure which prompted a transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) for mechanical ventilation. After ICU admission, the patient’s family reported previously concealed history of the patient applying brake fluid, a substance containing diethylene glycol, as traditional remedy for rash. Unfortunately, at that time, the antidote for diethylene glycol poisoning was not available in our country, Ethiopia. Hence, supportive treatment alone was given. Regrettably, the patient died on the 12th day of ICU admission.

Conclusion:

This case represents the unique clinical aspects of DEG poisoning. It also underscores the importance of suspecting DEG poisoning in acute renal failure patients with poor response to hemodialysis. Furthermore, taking detailed history will provide the initial clue to consider DEG poisoning. Lastly, further study should be done to identify factors that determine the occurrence of DEG poisoning from cutaneous brake fluid exposure.
Prediction of 6-Mo Poststroke Spasticity in Patients With Acute First-Ever Stroke by Machine Learning
Authors: Chen Lilin , Cheng Shimei , Liang Shouyi , Song Yonghao , Chen Jinshuo , Lei Tingting , Liang Zhenhong , Zheng Haiqing
Published: May 2024

Objective

Poststroke spasticity reduces arm function and leads to low levels of independence. This study suggested applying machine learning from routinely available data to support the clinical management of poststroke spasticity.

Design

One hundred seventy-two patients with acute first-ever stroke were included in this prospective cohort study. Twenty clinical information and rehabilitation assessments were obtained to train various machine learning algorithms for predicting 6-mo poststroke spasticity defined by a modified Ashworth scale score ≥1. Factors significantly relevant were also defined.

Results

The study results indicated that multivariate adaptive regression spline (area under the curve value: 0.916; 95% confidence interval: 0.906–0.923), adaptive boosting (area under the curve: 0.962; 95% confidence interval: 0.952–0.973), random forest (area under the curve: 0.975; 95% confidence interval: 0.968–0.981), support vector machine (area under the curve: 0.980; 95% confidence interval: 0.970–0.989), and outperformed the traditional logistic model (area under the curve: 0.897; 95% confidence interval: 0.884–0.910) (P < 0.05). Among all of the algorithms, the random forest and support vector machine models outperformed the others (P < 0.05). Fugl-Meyer Assessment score, days in hospital, age, stroke location, and paretic side were the most important features.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that machine learning algorithms can help augment clinical decision-making processes for the assessment of poststroke spasticity occurrence, which may enhance the efficacy of management for patients with poststroke spasticity in the future.
Spatial Resolution Fidelity Comparison Between Energy Integrating and Deep Silicon Photon Counting CT
Authors: Salyapongse Aria M. , Kanne Jeffrey P. , Nagpal Prashant , Laucis Nicholas C. , Markhardt B. Keegan , Yin Zhye , Slavic Scott , Lubner Meghan G. , Szczykutowicz Timothy P.
Published: May 2024

Purpose:

We investigated spatial resolution loss away from isocenter for a prototype deep silicon photon-counting detector (PCD) CT scanner and compare with a clinical energy-integrating detector (EID) CT scanner.

Materials and Methods:

We performed three scans on a wire phantom at four positions (isocenter, 6.7, 11.8, and 17.1 cm off isocenter). The acquisition modes were 120 kV EID CT, 120 kV high-definition (HD) EID CT, and 120 kV PCD CT. HD mode used double the projection view angles per rotation as the “regular” EID scan mode. The diameter of the wire was calculated by taking the full width of half max (FWHM) of a profile drawn over the radial and azimuthal directions of the wire. Change in wire diameter appearance was assessed by calculating the ratio of the radial and azimuthal diameter relative to isocenter. t tests were used to make pairwise comparisons of the wire diameter ratio with each acquisition and mean ratios’ difference from unity.

Results:

Deep silicon PCD CT had statistically smaller (P<0.05) changes in diameter ratio for both radial and azimuthal directions compared with both regular and HD EID modes and was not statistically different from unity (P<0.05). Maximum increases in FWMH relative to isocenter were 36%, 12%, and 1% for regular EID, HD EID, and deep silicon PCD, respectively.

Conclusion:

Deep silicon PCD CT exhibits less change in spatial resolution in both the radial and azimuthal directions compared with EID CT.
Study on curve optimization and structural safety effect of south roof of solar greenhouse in China
Authors: Shi Wenbin , Wang Li , Zhang Yichao , Na Guangning , Li Shaoming , Han Lin , Wang Feng , Zhang Lei
Published: May 2024

To maximize the use of solar energy and increase the building area of solar greenhouses in China, a light radiation model for solar greenhouses is established. This model integrates previous research results with the solar motion principle, meteorological data and the optical properties of materials. The results indicate that optimizing the structural curve of the south roof of the greenhouse improves both internal land utilization and solar capture. After optimization, the internal land utilization rate of the solar greenhouse increased by 42 m
2
, with a respective 15.2 and 0.78% increase in lighting on the southern roof and ground. The light interception by the back wall of the greenhouse was reduced by 0.67%, while the total light interception increased by 2.22%. The research results identify the optimal shoulder height (0.7 m) and overall height (2 m) for the second-generation solar greenhouse in Liaoshen. The optimal curve functions
Y
1
and
Y
2
for the south roofs of greenhouses are calculated according to the actual construction requirements. This article verifies the structural safety of the solar greenhouse after renovation and shows that optimizing the shoulder height increases the structural stability and safety of the greenhouse.