bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes in hospitalised patients with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock and reported penicillin allergy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Beddow David , Patel Love , Smith Claire S , Kirven Justin , Schmidt Christine , Ruppman Daniel , Kethireddy Rajesh , Wankum Michael , Dawud Barite , St. Hill Catherine A
Published: February 2022

Objective

To determine outcomes in hospitalised patients with sepsis and reported penicillin allergy (PcnA).

Design

Observational retrospective cohort study using data from electronic health records.

Setting

A large single health system with 11 hospitals of small, medium and large sizes including a 630-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.

Participants

Patients (n=5238) ≥18 years of age, hospitalised with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2018, received antibacterial agents, and had documented PcnA status. Patients <18 years of age at admission were excluded.

Outcome measures

Primary outcomes evaluated were inpatient mortality and 30-day mortality posthospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay, 30-day readmissions, duration of antibiotic use, rate of Clostridium difficile infection and total cost of care.

Results

There was no difference in outcomes including inpatient or 30-day mortality, hospital length of stay, in-hospital antibiotic duration, C. difficile infection, total cost of care and 30-day readmission rate between patients labelled with a PcnA vs patients who did not report PcnA (non-PcnA).

Conclusion

In this retrospective single health system study, there was no difference in key outcomes including inpatient or 30-day mortality in patients admitted with sepsis and reported PcnA compared with patients who reported no PcnA.
Analysis of eGFR index category and annual eGFR slope association with adverse clinical outcomes using real-world Japanese data: a retrospective database study
Authors: Zhang Ling , Hauske Sibylle , Ono Yasuhisa , Kyaw Moe H , Steubl Dominik , Naito Yusuke , Kanasaki Keizo
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Real-world clinical outcome data of patients with an above-normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and increasing eGFR over time (eGFR slope) are scarce. Although eGFR is commonly recorded, eGFR slopes are rarely used for adverse outcome risk categorisation in clinical practice. We investigated the association of above-normal/below-normal eGFR ranges and increasing/declining eGFR slopes with clinical outcomes in Japan.

Design

Observational cohort study.

Setting

Primary and acute care hospitals; 423 centres.

Participants

57 452 patients aged ≥16 years with ≥3 eGFR values (latest available January 2013–December 2016) from the Japanese Medical Data Vision database were stratified into six index eGFR and six eGFR slope groups (slopes calculated using a linear mixed model).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Time-to-event analyses of cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality (ACM), all-cause hospitalisation (ACH) and cardiovascular and major kidney events. eGFR and slope groups were analysed by Cox proportional hazard models with multivariable adjustment, using normal eGFR/little-to-no slope groups as reference.

Results

Higher risk of clinical outcomes was observed with declining eGFR slope groups versus the reference group; the HR (95% CI) for slope ≤−5 mL/min/1.73 m2/year: cardiovascular events 1.8 (1.4 to 2.2), ACH 1.8 (1.5 to 2.1), and ACM 2.8 (1.9 to 4.2) and was non-significant for kidney events 1.5 (0.9 to 2.5). A similar, but non-significant, pattern was observed with increasing slope groups (slope >3 mL/min/1.73 m2/year HR (95% CI): cardiovascular events 1.2 (0.9 to 1.5), ACH 1.1 (0.9 to 1.4) and ACM 1.5 (0.9 to 2.3)).

Above-normal and below-normal eGFR groups were associated with poorer outcomes versus the reference group, but kidney events were associated with below-normal eGFR only.

Conclusion

Poorer clinical outcomes were observed not only for below-normal eGFR and declining eGFR slope groups but also for certain above-normal eGFR and increasing slope groups. eGFR and eGFR slope may, therefore, be useful for identifying patients at high risk of adverse clinical outcomes.
Metabolic syndrome, associated factors and optimal waist circumference cut points: findings from a cross-sectional community-based study in the elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea
Authors: Achila Oliver Okoth , Araya Mathewos , Berhe Arsema Brhane , Haile Niat Habteab , Tsige Luwam Kahsai , Shifare Bethelihem Yemane , Bitew Tesfaalem Abel , Berhe Israel Eyob , Abraham Isayas Afewerki , Yohaness Eyob Garoy
Published: February 2022

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), associated factors, and optimal waist circumference (WC) cut points in a subset of the elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea.

Design

A community-based cross-sectional study conducted between January and June 2018.

Setting

Asmara, Eritrea.

Participants

Demographic, clinical biochemistry and anthropometric information were collected from a total of 319 elderly participants of African lineage (54.5% men vs 45.5% women).

Main outcome measures

Lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), anthropometric data, clinical profiles and demographic characteristic of patients were described. MetSyn was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation harmonised criteria.

Results

The median age (IQR) of study participants was 67 (IQR: 63–72 years)—men 68 (IQR: 64–74) years versus women 65 (IQR: 62–70) years, p=0.002. The prevalence of MetSyn was 90 (28.4%). Abnormal values in MetSyn components were as follows: systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg or use of hypertension medication 133 (41.7%); overweight/obesity, 55 (25.1%); abdominal obesity 129 (40.4); low-density lipoproptein cholesterol (LDL-C) >130 mg/dL, 139 (43.6%); total cholesterol >200 mg/dL, 152 (47.6%); non-high-density lipoproptein cholesterol (HDL-C)>130 mg/dL, 220 (69.0%) and FPG (≥100–125 mg/dL), 35 (12.7%) and FPG>125.17 (6.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that sex (females) (adjusted OR (aOR) 4.69, 95% CI 2.47 to 8.92); non-HDL-C (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.14); LDL-C >130 mg/dL (aOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.09 to 6.37) and body mass index (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32) were independently associated with the presence of MetSyn. Optimal cut points for WC in men yielded a value of 85.50 cm, a sensitivity of 76.0%, a specificity of 61.0% and an area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) value of 74.0, 95% CI (65.7 to 82.4). For women, the WC at a cut point value of 80.50 cm yielded the highest Youden index (0.41) with a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 39%, and an AUROC of 73.4, 95% CI (64.8 to 82.5).

Conclusions

The MetSyn is highly prevalent in a subset of apparently healthy elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea. The findings support opportunistic and/or programmatic screening for CVD risk in the elderly during outpatient visits.
Association of social isolation, loneliness and genetic risk with incidence of dementia: UK Biobank Cohort Study
Authors: Elovainio Marko , Lahti Jari , Pirinen Matti , Pulkki-Råback Laura , Malmberg Anni , Lipsanen Jari , Virtanen Marianna , Kivimäki Mika , Hakulinen Christian
Published: February 2022

Background

Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with increased risk of dementia, but it is not known whether this risk is modified or confounded by genetic risk of dementia.

Methods

We used the prospective UK Biobank study with 155 070 participants (mean age 64.1 years), including self-reported social isolation and loneliness. Genetic risk was indicated using the polygenic risk score for Alzheimer’s disease and the incident dementia ascertained using electronic health records.

Results

Overall, 8.6% of participants reported that they were socially isolated and 5.5% were lonely. During a mean follow-up of 8.8 years (1.36 million person years), 1444 (0.9% of the total sample) were diagnosed with dementia. Social isolation, but not loneliness, was associated with increased risk of dementia (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.90). There were no interaction effects between genetic risk and social isolation or between genetic risk and loneliness predicting incident dementia. Of the participants who were socially isolated and had high genetic risk, 4.4% (95% CI 3.4% to 5.5%) were estimated to developed dementia compared with 2.9% (95% CI 2.6% to 3.2%) of those who were not socially isolated but had high genetic risk. Comparable differences were also in those with intermediate and low genetic risk levels.

Conclusions

Socially isolated individuals are at increased risk of dementia at all levels of genetic risk.
Understanding facilitators and barriers to follow-up after abnormal cervical cancer screening examination among women living in remote areas of Romania: a qualitative study protocol
Authors: Nyanchoka Linda , Damian Andreea , Nygård Mari
Published: February 2022

Introduction

In 2020 in Europe, Romania had the second highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer, after Montenegro. To address cervical cancer in the country, the Romanian government established a national cervical cancer screening programme in 2012. The programme provides free testing as well as free treatment in the event of cervical precancer diagnosis for women 25–64 years old with health insurance who are referred from a programme-registered general practitioner. Participation in screening, retesting and follow-up for detected precancerous lesions is suboptimal, thus reducing the overall effectiveness of the programme.

Aim

The overall aim of the study is to examine facilitators and barriers to cervical cancer screening follow-up after an abnormal cervical cancer screening examination among underserved women living in remote areas of Romania. We have the following specific research questions: (1) what are the knowledge, perspectives and experiences of women living in remote areas of Romania with cervical cancer screening and (2) what are the knowledge, perspectives and experiences of women living in remote areas of Romania with follow-up information and services after abnormal cervical cancer screening results.

Method

We will conduct an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis will be based on the thematic analysis outlined by Braun and Clarke. We will use QSR International’s NVivo V.12 as the qualitative data analysis software for both data management and analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Study findings will inform recommendations for the Romania national policy for the cervical cancer screening programme, with a particular focus on underserved women living in remote areas with limited access to healthcare services. They will also be disseminated to relevant conferences and meetings. Ethics approval was obtained from Romania (Ref. 199/1501.2021 application no. 661/15.01.2021) and Norway (Ref. 12929853).
Association of primary and community care services with emergency visits and hospital admissions at the end of life in people with cancer: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Leniz Javiera , Henson Lesley A , Potter Jean , Gao Wei , Newsom-Davis Tom , Ul-Haq Zia , Lucas Amanda , Higginson Irene J , Sleeman Katherine E
Published: February 2022

Objective

To examine the association between primary and community care use and measures of acute hospital use in people with cancer at the end of life.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

We used Discover, a linked administrative and clinical data set from general practices, community and hospital records in North West London (UK).

Participants

People registered in general practices, with a diagnosis of cancer who died between 2016 and 2019.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

≥3 hospital admissions during the last 90 days, ≥1 admissions in the last 30 days and ≥1 emergency department (ED) visit in the last 2 weeks of life.

Results

Of 3581 people, 490 (13.7%) had ≥3 admissions in last 90 days, 1640 (45.8%) had ≥1 admission in the last 30 days, 1042 (28.6%) had ≥1 ED visits in the last 2 weeks; 1069 (29.9%) had more than one of these indicators. Contacts with community nurses in the last 3 months (≥13 vs <4) were associated with fewer admissions in the last 30 days (risk ratio (RR) 0.88, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.98) and ED visits in the last 2 weeks of life (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.92). Contacts with general practitioners in the last 3 months (≥11 vs <4) was associated with higher risk of ≥3 admissions in the last 90 days (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.99) and ED visits in the last 2 weeks of life (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.47).

Conclusions

Expanding community nursing could reduce acute hospital use at the end of life and improve quality of care.
Theoretical explanations for socioeconomic inequalities in multimorbidity: a scoping review
Authors: Fleitas Alfonzo Ludmila , King Tania , You Emily , Contreras-Suarez Diana , Zulkelfi Syafiqah , Singh Ankur
Published: February 2022

Objective

To document socioepidemiological theories used to explain the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and multimorbidity.

Design

Scoping review.

Methods

A search strategy was developed and then applied to multiple electronic databases including Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, Web of Science, Scielo, Applied Social Sciences, ERIC, Humanities Index and Sociological Abstracts. After the selection of studies, data were extracted using a data charting plan. The last search was performed on the 28 September 2021. Extracted data included: study design, country, population subgroups, measures of socioeconomic inequality, assessment of multimorbidity and conclusion on the association between socioeconomic variables and multimorbidity. Included studies were further assessed on their use of theory, type of theories used and context of application. Finally, we conducted a meta-narrative synthesis to summarise the results.

Results

A total of 64 studies were included in the review. Of these, 33 papers included theories as explanations for the association between socioeconomic position and multimorbidity. Within this group, 16 explicitly stated those theories and five tested at least one theory. Behavioural theories (health behaviours) were the most frequently used, followed by materialist (access to health resources) and psychosocial (stress pathways) theories. Most studies used theories as post hoc explanations for their findings or for study rationale. Supportive evidence was found for the role of material, behavioural and life course theories in explaining the relationship between social inequalities and multimorbidity.

Conclusion

Given the widely reported social inequalities in multimorbidity and its increasing public health burden, there is a critical gap in evidence on pathways from socioeconomic disadvantage to multimorbidity. Generating evidence of these pathways will guide the development of intervention and public policies to prevent multimorbidity among people living in social disadvantage. Material, behavioural and life course pathways can be targeted to reduce the negative effect of low socioeconomic position on multimorbidity.
Area-based inequalities and distribution of healthcare resources for managing diabetes in South Korea: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis
Authors: Ha Rangkyoung , Jung-Choi Kyunghee
Published: February 2022

Objectives

We aimed to identify area-based socioeconomic inequalities in diabetes management and to examine whether the distribution of healthcare resources could explain area-based inequalities in diabetes management.

Design

Cross-sectional multilevel analysis from national survey data.

Setting and participants

Data were derived from the 2018 Korean Community Health Survey. Study subjects included 23 760 participants aged 30 years or older with diabetes diagnosed by a doctor.

Main outcome measures

The dependent variables were self-reported good glycaemic control, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing, recognition of the term HbA1c, and diabetic complications testing. Area Deprivation Index was used as an area-based measure of socioeconomic position. Factors related to regional healthcare resources—the coefficient of variation (CV) value of clinics and the number of physicians per 1000—were considered as potential mediating variables in explaining the association between diabetes management and area deprivation. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was used.

Results

Compared with the least deprived quintile, the likelihoods of not taking HbA1c tests, not recognising the term HbA1c, and not taking diabetic complication tests in the most deprived quintile were approximately 1.5 times (95% CI 1.25 to 1.80), 2.6 times (95% CI 1.97 to 3.45) and two times (95% CI 1.67 to 2.48) higher, respectively. In the most deprived quintile, CV value of clinics was the highest and the number of doctors was the lowest. Regional healthcare resource factors explained inequalities in managing diabetes by 14%–18%, especially in the most deprived quintile.

Conclusions

The results in this study suggest that socioeconomic inequalities in diabetes management may be explained by regional healthcare resource disparities. Policy interventions for a more even distribution of healthcare resources would likely reduce the magnitude of regional socioeconomic inequalities in diabetes management.
Communication tools used in cancer communication with children: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Yamaji Noyuri , Suzuki Daichi , Suto Maiko , Sasayama Kiriko , Ota Erika
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Despite the potential benefits of effective communication, telling children about cancer, unpredictable and life-threatening conditions is challenging. This study aimed to summarise the communication tools used in cancer communication among children with cancer, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a scoping review following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews checklist. We will search PubMed (including MEDLINE), Embase, CENTRAL, PsycINFO and CINAHL. We will include the qualitative and quantitative studies that reported the communication tools that tell a child diagnosed with cancer about the cancer-related information. We will summarise the communication tools and the impacts of the tools.

Ethics and dissemination

Formal ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected in this study. The findings of this study will be disseminated through the presentation at the conference and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Barriers to healthcare and self-reported adverse outcomes for autistic adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Doherty Mary , Neilson Stuart , O'Sullivan Jane , Carravallah Laura , Johnson Mona , Cullen Walter , Shaw Sebastian C K
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Autistic people experience poor physical and mental health along with reduced life expectancy compared with non-autistic people. Our aim was to identify self-reported barriers to primary care access by autistic adults compared with non-autistic adults and to link these barriers to self-reported adverse health consequences.

Design

Following consultation with the autistic community at an autistic conference, Autscape, we developed a self-report survey, which we administered online through social media platforms.

Setting

A 52-item, international, online survey.

Participants

507 autistic adults and 157 non-autistic adults.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Self-reported barriers to accessing healthcare and associated adverse health outcomes.

Results

Eighty per cent of autistic adults and 37% of non-autistic respondents reported difficulty visiting a general practitioner (GP). The highest-rated barriers by autistic adults were deciding if symptoms warrant a GP visit (72%), difficulty making appointments by telephone (62%), not feeling understood (56%), difficulty communicating with their doctor (53%) and the waiting room environment (51%). Autistic adults reported a preference for online or text-based appointment booking, facility to email in advance the reason for consultation, the first or last clinic appointment and a quiet place to wait. Self-reported adverse health outcomes experienced by autistic adults were associated with barriers to accessing healthcare. Adverse outcomes included untreated physical and mental health conditions, not attending specialist referral or screening programmes, requiring more extensive treatment or surgery due to late presentations and untreated potentially life-threatening conditions. There were no significant differences in difficulty attending, barriers experienced or adverse outcomes between formally diagnosed and self-identified autistic respondents.

Conclusions

Reduction of healthcare inequalities for autistic people requires that healthcare providers understand autistic perspectives, communication needs and sensory sensitivities. Adjustments for autism-specific needs are as necessary as ramps for wheelchair users.
Effectiveness of progesterone supplementation in women presenting low progesterone levels on the day of frozen embryo transfer: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Le Thi Minh Chau , Duong Khue Tu , Nguyen Quoc Anh , Ong Phuc Thinh , Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung , Thai Thi Cam Thu , Le Quang Thanh , Roque Matheus , Alviggi Carlo
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Progesterone is an essential hormone involved in the process of implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Evidence from recent studies has supported the importance of serum progesterone level around the time of embryo transfer in hormonal replacement therapy frozen embryo transfer cycles and recommended the need for individualised luteal support. Low progesterone around the time of embryo transfer is found to be associated with decreased rate of pregnancy after frozen embryo transfer. This single-centre, longitudinal, randomised, interventional controlled study aims to compare the rate of ongoing pregnancy between two groups of women with progesterone level below 10 ng/mL on the day of frozen embryo transfer: the study group using 800 mg vaginal micronised progesterone supplemented with 50 mg intramuscular progesterone per day and the control group using only 800 mg vaginal micronised progesterone.

Methods and analysis

We enrol patients who are undergoing frozen embryo transfers with blastocyst-stage or cleavage-stage embryos and who satisfy the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After signing the informed consent, participants are randomised into two groups: the study group using vaginal micronised progesterone supplemented with progesterone intramuscular 50 mg per day and the control group using only vaginal micronised progesterone. Randomisation will be performed using R software at a 1:1 allocation ratio. Sequentially numbered, opaque sealed envelopes are used for allocation. The primary outcome is the rate of ongoing pregnancy. To demonstrate a difference of 10% with regard to rate of ongoing pregnancy, at least 370 participants per arm are required (type I error α=0.05, power=0.8). Assuming a dropout rate of 10%, a total of 824 patients (412 per group) will be invited.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tu Du Hospital on 17 May 2021 (reference number: 1251/QĐ-BVTD). All participants provide informed consent before being enrolled in the study. The results of our study will be submitted to reproductive medicine conferences and journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04897269.
Health system impact of COVID-19 on urban slum population of Bangladesh: a mixed-method rapid assessment study
Authors: Mahmood Shehrin Shaila , Hasan Md. Zahid , Hasan A M Rumayan , Rabbani Md. Golam , Begum Farzana , Yousuf Tariq Bin , Hanifi Syed Manzoor Ahmed , Reidpath Daniel D , Rasheed Sabrina
Published: February 2022

Objective

We aimed to rapidly assess the health system impact of COVID-19 in the urban slums of Bangladesh.

Design

Setting and participants

A cross-sectional survey among 476 households was conducted during October–December 2020 in five selected urban slums of Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Gazipur City Corporation. In-depth interviews with purposively selected 22 slum dwellers and key informant interviews with 16 local healthcare providers and four policymakers and technical experts were also conducted.

Outcome measures

Percentage of people suffering from general illness, percentage of people suffering from chronic illness, percentage of people seeking healthcare, percentage of people seeking maternal care, health system challenges resulting from COVID-19.

Results

About 12% of members suffered from general illness and 25% reported chronic illness. Over 80% sought healthcare and the majority sought care from informal healthcare providers. 39% of the recently delivered women sought healthcare in 3 months preceding the survey. An overall reduction in healthcare use was reported during the lockdown period compared with prepandemic time. Mismanagement and inefficient use of resources were reported as challenges of health financing during the pandemic. Health information sharing was inadequate at the urban slums, resulting from the lack of community and stakeholder engagement (51% received COVID-19-related information, 49% of respondents knew about the national hotline number for COVID-19 treatment). Shortage of human resources for health was reported to be acute during the pandemic, resulting from the shortage of specialist doctors and uneven distribution of health workforce. COVID-19 test was inadequate due to the lack of adequate test facilities and stigma associated with COVID-19. Lack of strong leadership and stakeholder engagement was seen as the barriers to effective pandemic management.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study are expected to support the government in tailoring interventions and allocating resources more efficiently and timely during a pandemic.
Navigating our way through a hospital ransomware attack: ethical considerations in delivering acute orthopaedic care
Authors: Hoffman Thomas William , Baker Joseph Frederick
Published: February 2022

Ransomware attacks on healthcare systems are becoming more prevalent globally. In May 2021, Waikato District Health Board in New Zealand was devastated by a major attack that crippled its information technology system. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faced a number of challenges to the way they delivered care including, patient assessment and investigations, the deferral of elective surgery, and communication and patient confidentiality. These issues are explored through the lens of the four key principles of medical ethics in the hope that they will provide some guidance to future departments who may experience such attacks.
The values and rules of capacity assessments
Authors: Hass Binesh
Published: February 2022

This article advances two views on the role of evaluative judgment in clinical assessments of decision-making capacity. The first is that it is rationally impossible for such assessments to exclude judgments of the values a patient uses to motivate their decision-making. Predictably, and second, attempting to exclude such judgments sometimes yields outcomes that contain intractable dilemmas that harm patients. These arguments count against the prevailing model of assessment in common law countries—the four abilities model—which is often incorrectly advertised as being value-neutral in respect of patient decision-making both by its proponents and in statute. A straightforward evaluative model of capacity assessment which wears its values on its sleeves and is biased against what are called ‘serious prudential mistakes’ avoids these rational and practical problems.
Persisting brain inflammation: a neurological whodunnit
Authors: Cauchi Marija , Reading Paul , Robertson Neil P , Jolles Stephen , Davenport Richard
Published: February 2022

A woman in her 30s presented with vertigo, nausea and vomiting followed by diplopia and cerebellar signs. This was on the background of a complex previous medical history of autoimmune diseases and recurrent infections. The differential diagnoses of multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, sarcoidosis and multiple vasculitides are considered. We discuss a rare condition that can present to adult neurologists with neurological involvement. This case was presented at the Association of British Neurologists Virtual Meeting 2021 as a Clinicopathological Conference.
Effect of the driving system on Hardin-type resonant columns
Authors: Karray Mourad , Abdellaziz Mustapha , Lashin Ibrahim
Published: February 2022

Resonant column (RC) devices have been widely used for estimating the shear modulus and damping ratio over a broad range of shear strain amplitudes. Although RCs significantly improve the assessment of soil dynamic properties, some challenges mainly associated with the calibration process still exist. This paper discusses the effect of the driving system rigidity on the measurements performed on a Hardin-type RC. It is shown that the use of a rigid connection between the soil specimen and the driving mass could significantly influence the obtained results. The findings of this study indicate that the apparatus resonant frequency of the Hardin-type RC device should be lower than the resonant frequencies likely to be measured during testing of the specimens.
Interaction between chloride and both macro- and micronutrients in annual canarygrass
Authors: Earl May William , MacGregor Michael
Published: February 2022

Annual canarygrass (Phalaris canariensis L.) has a larger response to chloride (Cl−) fertilizer than other cereal crops. This unexpected response prompted further research for unexpected interactions between Cl− and other nutrients in annual canaryseed. The objective of this study was to compare the interaction of macronutrients and micronutrients with Cl− on the development and grain yield of annual canarygrass. Thirteen fertilizer combinations were applied to determine the effect of macro- and micronutrients on annual canarygrass. A field study was conducted at six locations across Saskatchewan over a 4 yr period using a randomize complete block design. Grain yield had a strong chloride response at 7 of the 21 site years with a 70% increase in grain yield over the 7 site-years. A sideband application or surface application of Cl− were both effective. At the responsive sites without the addition of Cl−, the addition of other nutrients is not effective while at the non-responsive sites, responses to the nutrients can be achieved without the addition of Cl−. Chloride impacted canarygrass during reproductive development. Nitrogen is the major nutrient Cl− interacted with in this study. Canarygrass is not more responsive to phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, zinc, copper, manganese, and boron than other cereals. In conclusion, at Cl−-responsive sites the application of nutrients are ineffective in the absence of Cl− fertilizer. In addition, the sensitivity of annual canarygrass to Cl− indicates that it could be used to investigate the role of Cl− in cereal crop development and grain yield.
AAC Reid oat
Authors: Yan Weikai , Fregeau-Reid Judith , deHaan Brad , Thomas Steve , Hayes Matt , Martin Richard , Cummiskey Allan , Pageau Denis , Morasse Isabelle , Orozovic Savka , Mitchell-Fetch Jennifer , Menzies Jim , Xue Allen , Mountain Nathan
Published: February 2022

AAC Reid is a white-hulled, covered spring oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar developed by the Ottawa Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It is highly resistant to crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) and demonstrated superior levels of grain yield, test weight, kernel weight, lodging resistance, β-glucan, and groat content in the crown rust-prone regions (Areas 2 and 3) of Ontario from 2016 to 2021.
Effective strategies for targeted attacks to the network of Cosa Nostra affiliates
Authors: Musciotto Federico , Miccichè Salvatore
Published: February 2022

Network dismantling has recently gained interest in the fields of intelligence agencies, anti-corruption analysts and criminal investigators due to its efficiency in disrupting the activity of malicious agents. Here, we apply this approach to detect effective strategies for targeted attacks to Cosa Nostra by analysing the collaboration network of affiliates that participate to the same crimes. We preliminarily detect statistically significant homophily patterns induced by being member of the same mafia syndicate. We also find that links between members belonging to different mafia syndicates play a crucial role in connecting the network into a unique component, confirming the relevance of weak ties. Inspired by this result we investigate the resilience properties of the network under random and targeted attacks with a percolation based toy model. Random removal of nodes results to be quite inefficient in dismantling the network. Conversely, targeted attacks where nodes are removed according to ranked network centralities are significantly more effective. A strategy based on a removal of nodes that takes into account how much a member collaborates with different mafia syndicates has an efficiency similar to the one where nodes are removed according to their degree. The advantage of such a strategy is that it does not require a complete knowledge of the underlying network to be operationally effective.
Dust-acoustic solitary and periodic waves in magnetized self-gravito-electrostatic opposite polarity dusty plasmas
Authors: El-Taibany W. F. , EL-Labany S. K. , El-Helbawy A. S. , Atteya A.
Published: February 2022

Dust-acoustic (DA) solitary and periodic waves investigations were performed in a magnetized self-gravitating dusty plasma consisting of negatively and positively charged dust grains in the presence of inertialess ions and electrons. The Korteweg–de Vries–Burger (KdVB) equation has been derived. The numerical investigations revealed the compressive or rarefactive DA solitons depending on the plasma parameters. The nonlinear homoclinic and periodic trajectories from the KdVB equation were obtained for the phase portrait profiles when employing the phase plane theory of dynamical systems. The periodic wave solution depends also on the system parameters. The present results are considered to be beneficial in understanding the nonlinear structures in experimental devices and different astrophysical environments such as the Earth’s mesosphere, cometary tails, and Jupiter’s magnetosphere.
Kinks and realistic impurity models in φ4-theory
Authors: Lizunova Mariya A. , Kager Jasper , de Lange Stan , van Wezel Jasper
Published: February 2022

The [Formula: see text]-theory is ubiquitous as a low-energy effective description of processes in all fields of physics, ranging from cosmology and particle physics to biophysics and condensed matter theory. The topological defects, or kinks, in this theory describe stable, particle-like excitations. In practice, these excitations will necessarily encounter impurities or imperfections in the background potential as they propagate. Here, we describe the interaction between kinks and various types of realistic impurity models. We find that realistic impurities behave qualitatively like the well-studied, idealized delta function impurities, but that significant quantitative differences appear in both the characteristics of localized impurity modes, and in the collision dynamics. We also identify a particular regime of kink-impurity interactions, in which kinks lose all of their kinetic energy upon colliding with an impurity.
Global Phase Diagrams of Three Point Vortices
Authors: Luo Qian , Chen Yufei , Liu Qihuai
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of three-vortex systems and give a global phase diagram analysis with different types of parameters on the plane. By using the invariants to construct canonical transformations, the Hamiltonian of the three-vortex system is reduced to a desired two-dimensional Hamiltonian. Then, we analyze its phase diagrams by considering all possible situations. In each case, the stabilities of the equilibrium points and singular points are established by using numerical methods, and we obtain the distribution of trajectories in the phase space.
Bifurcation Analysis of a Diffusive Virus Infection and Immune Response Model with Two Delays
Authors: Du Yanfei , Wei Junjie
Published: February 2022

A reaction–diffusion system with two delays, which describes viral infection spreading in the lymphoid tissue, is investigated. The delays promote very complex dynamics of the model. We get the Hopf bifurcation curves and the stability region for the coexisting steady state on a two-parameter plane by finding the stability switching curves and the subsets of stable region. When two delays cross the boundary of the stable region, the system will undergo stability switches. It is shown that two types of bistability are possible: the coexistence of the stable virus-free steady state and the stable coexisting steady state; the coexistence of the stable virus-free steady state and a stable periodic solution. Numerical simulations suggest that delays can also induce tristability including a steady state and two stable periodic solutions.
A Note on the Nonlinear Stability of Equilibrium Points in the Planar Equilateral Restricted Mass-Unequal Four-Body Problem
Authors: Zepeda Ramírez José Alejandro , Alvarez-Ramírez Martha , García Antonio
Published: February 2022

This note follows up on the study in the paper [Zepeda Ramírez et al., 2021], where we investigate the nonlinear stability of equilibrium points for the planar restricted equilateral four-body problem for the specific values of masses [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of the primary, fixed on the horizontal axis. We give an improvement of the previous results.
Considerations in the Selection of Donor Nerves for Nerve Transfer for Reanimation of Elbow and Shoulder in Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injuries
Authors: ZHANG Dafang , VARADHARAJAN Vigneswaran , BHARDWAJ Praveen , VENKATRAMANI Hari , SABAPATHY S. Raja
Published: February 2022

The advent of nerve transfers has revolutionised the treatment of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries of the upper extremity. Nerve transfers offer faster reinnervation of a denervated muscle by taking advantage of a donor nerve, branch or fascicle close to the recipient muscle. A number of considerations in respect of donor selection for nerve transfers underlie their success. In this review article, we discuss the principles of donor selection for nerve transfers, the different options available and our considerations in choosing a suitable transfer in reanimating the elbow and the shoulder. We feel this will help nerve surgeons navigate the controversies in the selection of donor nerves and make appropriate treatment decisions for their patients.

Level of Evidence: V (Therapeutic)
Information Acquisition Under Resource Limitations in a Noisy Environment
Authors: Soloviev Matvey , Halpern Joseph Y.
Published: February 2022

We introduce a theoretical model of information acquisition under resource limitations in a noisy environment. An agent must guess the truth value of a given Boolean formula

\( \varphi \)

after performing a bounded number of noisy tests of the truth values of variables in the formula. We observe that, in general, the problem of finding an optimal testing strategy for

\( \varphi \)

is hard, but we suggest a useful heuristic. The techniques we use also give insight into two apparently unrelated but well-studied problems: (1)
rational inattention
, that is, when it is rational to ignore pertinent information (the optimal strategy may involve hardly ever testing variables that are clearly relevant to

\( \varphi \)

), and (2) what makes a formula hard to learn/remember.
A Novel Approach to Enhance the End-to-End Quality of Service for Avionic Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Shudrenko Yevhenii , Plöger Daniel , Kuladinithi Koojana , Timm-Giel Andreas
Published: February 2022

Going wireless is one of the key industrial trends, which assists the emergence of new manufacturing and maintenance processes by reducing the complexity and cost of physical equipment. However, the adoption of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in production environments is limited due to the strict Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of industrial applications. In particular, Wireless Avionics Intra-Communication (WAIC) systems operating in 4.3 GHz band are designed for intra-aircraft use cases with considerable restrictions on the transmission power of sensors, which results in multi-hop topologies, complicating a guaranteed QoS. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has developed the protocol stack
IPv6 over the Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) mode of IEEE 802.15.4
(6TiSCH) based on the IEEE 802.15.4 Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks, which combines the TSCH reliability with ubiquitous IPv6 connectivity and with the robust Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL). The Scheduling Function (SF) is a core IPv6 over the TSCH mode of IEEE 802.15.4 (6TiSCH) component, but the specification of the SF is an open research topic: numerous scientific articles investigated how QoS for a wide range of applications can be met by developing specialized SFs. However, no full-scale information exchange between the layers of the 6TiSCH stack was considered to optimize the SFs and to improve the network performance. In this work, we propose a novel solution named 6TiSCH-CLX to satisfy demanding QoS requirements using cross-layer communication. It is an extension of the 6TiSCH framework at the network and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, addressing latency and reliability challenges agnostic of the physical layer. 6TiSCH-CLX is evaluated both analytically and in simulations for several safety-critical avionic intra-communication use cases in WAIC. Preliminary results indicate considerable improvements to latency, while maintaining almost 100% Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) without retransmissions and they highlight the capability of the cross-layer approach compared to existing solutions.
Research on Piano Performance Optimization Based on Big Data and BP Neural Network Technology
Authors: Liu Xueying
Published: February 2022

At present, there are many chess styles in piano education, but there is a lack of comprehensive, scientific, and guiding teaching mode. It highlights many educational problems and cannot meet the development requirements of piano education at this stage. However, the piano scoring system can partially replace teachers’ guidance to piano players. This paper extracts the signal characteristics of playing music, establishes the piano performance scoring model using Big Data and BP neural network technology, and selects famous works to test the effect of the scoring system. The results show that the model can test whether the piano works fairly. It can effectively evaluate the player’s performance level and accurately score each piece of music. This not only provides a reference for the player to improve the music level but also provides a new idea for the research results and the application of new technology in music teaching. This paper puts forward reasonable solutions to the problems existing in piano education at the present stage, which is helpful to cultivate high-quality piano talents. Experiments show that the application of Big Data technology and BP neural network to optimize the piano performance scoring system is effective and can score piano music accurately. This paper studies the performance scoring system and gets the model after training, which can replace music teachers and alleviate the shortage of music teachers in the market.
Application Effect of Whole-Process Seamless Nursing Model Based on Smart Healthcare Mode in Perioperative Period of Patients Undergoing Hematoma Removal
Authors: Liu Chang , Liu Rui , Li Zhaohua , Tang Meiling , Wang Fenghua
Published: February 2022

Objective. To explore the application effect of a whole-process seamless nursing model based on the smart healthcare mode in the perioperative period of patients undergoing hematoma removal. Methods. In this retrospective study, 50 patients with hematoma removal admitted to our hospital from August 2018 to August 2019 were included as the control group (CG), while 50 patients with hematoma removal admitted to our hospital from September 2019 to September 2020 were included as the experimental group (EG). During the period of hematoma removal, CG received routine perioperative nursing, while EG received the whole-process seamless nursing model based on the smart healthcare mode. The perioperative indexes, hemodynamic indexes, and the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of nursing staff’s work omissions in different periods was analyzed. Results. Notable differences were observed in surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, hematoma clearance rates, length of ICU stay, hospitalization time, removal time of ventricular drainage tube, and cerebral edema volume at 1 week after surgery between EG and CG (P < 0.05). Compared with CG, EG achieved obviously better hemodynamic indexes (P < 0.001) and a lower incidence of bedsore, muscle atrophy, and eating/swallowing disorders (P < 0.05). During the implementation of smart healthcare, the incidence of nursing staff’s work omissions was remarkably reduced (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Under the smart healthcare, the incidence of nursing staff’s work omissions is lower, and the effect of the whole-process seamless nursing is better, which can optimize the perioperative indexes of patients, stabilize the postoperative hemodynamics, and reduce the incidence of complications. Therefore, the whole-process seamless nursing model based on the smart healthcare mode has promotion value in clinic.
Sine Frèchet Model: Modeling of COVID-19 Death Cases in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aldahlan Maha A.
Published: February 2022

In this research, we discuss a new lifespan model that extends the Frèchet (F) distribution by utilizing the sine-generated family of distributions, known as the sine Frèchet (SF) model. The sine Frèchet distribution, which contains two parameters, scale and shape, aims to give an SF model for data fitting. The sine Frèchet model is more adaptable than well-known models such as the Frèchet and inverse exponential models. The sine Frèchet distribution is used extensively in medicine, physics, and nanophysics. The SF model’s statistical properties were computed, including the quantile function, moments, moment generating function (MGF), and order statistics. To estimate the model parameters for the SF distribution, the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation technique is applied. As a result of the simulation, the performance of the estimations may be compared. We use it to examine a current dataset of interest: COVID-19 death cases observed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 14 April to 22 June 2020. In the future, the SF model could be useful for analyzing data on COVID-19 cases in a variety of nations for possible comparison studies. Finally, the numerical results are examined in order to assess the flexibility of the new model.
Network Art Image Classification and Print Propagation Extraction Based on Depth Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Hao , Sun Haimin , Yuan Tianyang
Published: February 2022

In recent years, with the development of computer technology and the Internet, image databases have increased day by day, and the classification of image data has become one of the important research issues for obtaining image information. This article aims to study the role of depth algorithms in network art image classification and print propagation extraction. This article proposes a series of methods of image classification, print dissemination, and deep learning algorithms and also conducts corresponding experiments on the role of deep algorithms in image classification. The experimental results show that the neural network model based on the deep algorithm can effectively identify and classify network images, and its recognition accuracy is more than 80%. The image recognition method based on depth algorithm greatly improves the efficiency of image recognition.