bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adapting Connect for Health Pediatric Weight Management Program for Telehealth in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Simione Meg , Aschbrenner Kelly , Farrar-Muir Haley , Luo Man , Granadeno Jazmin , Caballero-Gonzalez Ariadne , Price Sarah , Torres Carlos , Boudreau Alexy Arauz , Fiechtner Lauren , Hambidge Simon , Sease Kerry , Taveras Elsie
Published: January 2023

Background: To address the evolving needs and context changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted Connect for Health, an evidence-based, primary care, pediatric weight management intervention for telehealth. The objective of this study is to describe the systematic process we undertook to make adaptations and the results of stakeholder engagement to inform the adaptations to meet the needs of children and families at risk of poor access to care.
Methods: Guided by adaptation frameworks, we identified the changing healthcare context during implementation due to the pandemic and adapted the program for telehealth. We surveyed parents of children with a BMI ³ 85th percentile and pediatric clinicians and examined their experiences using telehealth for pediatric weight management and needs and preferences. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the preferences of parents with limited English proficiency regarding key aspects of pediatric weight management.
Results: We surveyed 200 parents and 43% had a primary language of Spanish. Parents wanted care to be a combination of in-person and virtual visits (80%). We found that parents with limited English proficiency had a higher odds ratio of affirming in-person visits are better than virtual visits for ensuring their child’s health concern can be taken care of (OR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.36, 6.21), feeling comfortable when discussing personal information (OR: 3.91; 95% CI: 1.82, 8.43), talking about healthy behaviors and setting goals (OR: 3.09; 95% CI: 1.39, 6.90), and talking about mental health and overall well-being (OR: 4.02; 95% CI: 1.83, 8.87) than parents without limited English proficiency. We surveyed 75 clinicians and 60% felt telehealth was a useful tool to provide care for pediatric weight management. Clinicians felt virtual visits did not pose barriers to all aspects of care. We then adapted the core forms of Connect for Health to be used for telehealth and in-person to meet the needs of families at risk for poor access to care.
Conclusions: By engaging stakeholders and adapting the program for telehealth, we optimized the program’s use and future sustainability. We have provided a real-world example of how clinical innovations can evolve and how to systematically plan adaptations.
Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04042493), Registered on August 2, 2019
RETRACTED: Design of Small Wind Turbine Emulator Based on dSPACE 1104
Authors: Boutabba Tarek , IEEE Said Drid , mechnan farouk , Chrifi-Alaoui Larbi
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Intra-Procedural Systemic Hypotension and Bradycardia During Complex Inferior Vena Cava Filter Retrieval: Vasovagal Reaction or Inflow Obstruction
Authors: Garg Tushar , Altun Izzet , Majdalany Bill S. , Nezami Nariman
Published: January 2023

Background: Prolonged dwell time of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter has shown to increase the need for the use of complex IVC filter retrieval techniques. Here we report complex retrieval of IVC filter with prolonged dwelling time which was temporarily associated with severe bradycardia and hypotension.
Case Presentation: 59 years old male patient with past medical history of morbid obesity, atrial fibrillation status post ablation, obstructive sleep apnea and end-stage renal disease presented for IVC filter retrieval. When IVC filter was covered by sheaths and IVC was temporarily collapsed/occluded, the patient developed severe bradycardia and hypotension without compensatory tachycardia. Contrast injection through the common femoral vein sheath showed complete occlusion of IVC while IVC filter was covered by both sheaths likely due to embedment of the IVC filter in the wall by extensive fibrinous tissues. IVF filter was successfully retrieved, and the blood pressure and heart rate were improved immediately afterward. A large non occlusive IVC thrombus was identified on the final venogram, which was aspirated using mechanical thrombectomy device.
Conclusion: Complex retrieval of IVC filter with prolonged dwelled time can result in acute severe bradycardia and hypotension due to vasovagal reaction and/or acute collapse/occlusion of IVC in setting of IVC filter adhesion/embedment in the wall by extensive fibrinous tissues.
A novel approach for surface defectdetection of lithium battery based on improved K-Nearest Neighbor and Euclidean clustering segmentation
Authors: Liu Xinhua , Wu Lequn , Guo Xiaoqiang , Andriukaitis Darius , Krolczyk Grzegorz , Li Zhixiong
Published: January 2023

Surface defects of lithium batteries seriously affect the product quality and may lead to safety risks. In order to accurately identify the surface defects of lithium battery, a novel defect detection approach is proposed based on improved K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Euclidean clustering segmentation. Firstly, an improved Voxel density strategy for KNN is proposed to speed up the effect for point filtering. Then, the improved clustering segmentation strategy is applied to distinguish point clouds with defect features. The outline fitting algorithm based on least square method is applied to determine geometric features of each surface defects. Furthermore, experimental results show that the proposed surface defect detection method reaches 99.2% accuracy and 35.3ms average time consumption for data processing. Finally, an industrial application example of lithium battery production is demonstrated, which meets the requirements of industrial application.
A validated prognostic nomogram for patients with H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma
Authors: Peng Youheng , Ren Yanming , huang Bowen , Tang Jun , Jv Yan , Mao Qing , Liu Yanhui , Lei Yinjie , Zhang Yuekang
Published: January 2023

Objective
H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma (H3 K27M-mt DMG) is a rare, highly invasive tumor with a poor prognosis. The prognostic factors of H3 K27M-mt DMG have not been fully identified, and there is no clinical prediction model for it. This study aimed to develop and validate a prognostic model for predicting the probability of survival in patients with H3 K27M-mt DMG.
Methods
Patients diagnosed with H3 K27M-mt DMG in the West China Hospital from January 2016 to August 2021 were included. Cox proportional hazard regression was used for survival assessment, with adjustment for known prognostic factors. The final model was established using the patient data of our center as the training cohort and data from other centers for external independent verification.
Results
One hundred and five patients were ultimately included in the training cohort, and 43 cases from another institution were used as the validation cohort. The factors influencing survival probability in the prediction model included age, preoperative KPS score, radiotherapy and Ki-67 expression level. The adjusted consistency indices of the Cox regression model in internal bootstrap validation at 6, 12, and 18 months were 0.776, 0.766, and 0.764, respectively. The calibration chart showed high consistency between the predicted and observed results. The discrimination in external verification was 0.785, and the calibration curve showed good calibration ability.
Conclusions
We identified the risk factors that affect the prognosis of H3 K27M-mt DMG patients and then established and validated a diagnostic model for predicting the survival probability of these patients.
Barriers to Care in Juvenile Localized and Systemic Scleroderma: An Exploratory Survey Study of Caregivers’ Perspectives
Authors: Stubbs Leigh Anna , Ferry Andrew , Guffey Danielle , Loccke Christina , Wade Erin Moriarty , Pour Pamela , Ardalan Kaveh , Chira Peter , Ganske Ingrid M. , Glaser Daniel , Higgins Gloria C , Luca Nadia , Moore Katharine F , Sivaraman Vidya , Stewart Katie , Vasquez-Canizares Natalia , Hunt Raegan D. , Maricevich Renata S. , Torok Kathryn S. , Li Suzanne C.
Published: January 2023

Background:Juvenile localized scleroderma (LS) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) are rare pediatric conditions often associated with severe morbidities. Delays in diagnosis are common, increasing the risk for permanent damage and worse outcomes. This study explored caregiver perspectives on barriers they encountered while navigating diagnosis and care for their child’s scleroderma.Methods:In this cross-sectional study,caregivers of juvenile LS or SSc patients were recruited from a virtual family scleroderma educational conference and a juvenile scleroderma online interest group. The survey queried respondents about their child’s condition and factors affecting diagnosis and treatment.Results:The response rate was 61% (73/120), with 38 parents of LS patients and 31 parents of SSc patients. Most patients were female (80%) and over half were non-Hispanic white (55%). Most families had at least one person with a college education or higher (87%), traveled<2 hours to see their doctor (83%), and had private insurance (75%). Almost half had an annual household income>$100,000 (46%). Families identified the following factors as barriers to care: lack of knowledge about scleroderma in the medical community, finding reliable information about pediatric scleroderma, long wait times for a rheumatology/specialist appointment, balance of school/work and child’s healthcare needs, medication side effects, and identifying effective medications. The barrier most identified as a major problem was the lack of knowledge about juvenile scleroderma in the medical community. Diagnosis and systemic treatment initiation occurred at greater than one year from initial presentation for approximately 28% and 36% of patients, respectively.Conclusion:Caregivers of children with LS or SSc reported numerous common barriers to the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of juvenile scleroderma. The major problem highlighted was the lack of knowledge of scleroderma within the general medical community. Given that most of the caregiver respondents to the survey had relatively high socioeconomic status, additional studies are needed to reach a broader audience, including caregivers with limited English proficiency, geographical limitations, and financial constraints, to determine if the identified problems are generalizable. Identifying key care barriers will help direct efforts to address needs, reduce disparities in care, and improve patient outcomes.
BMI, waist circumferences and urinary incontinence in older women compared with older men: findings from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies
Authors: Chen Xiyin , Jiang Shaoxiang , Yao Yao
Published: January 2023

Background
Obesity and urinary incontinence (UI) among older people, particularly older men, are yet to be fully explored. Utilising multiple nationwide prospective longitudinal cohorts representative of the US, UK, and European samples, we examined the association of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with UI among both older women and men.
Methods
We derived the data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2010-2018), the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA, 2011-2019), and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004-2010) that surveyed UI. Participants were asked if they had experienced urine leakage within the past 12 months (HRS and ELSA) or within the past six months (SHARE). The measure of obesity was based on BMI and WC. We employed a random-effect logistic model to associate BMI and WC with UI, adjusting for covariates including age, race, education, residence area, marital status, number of children, smoking, drinking, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, stroke, functional ability, and cognitive impairment. We visualised the associations by using restricted cubic spline curves.
Findings
A total of 200,717 participants with 718,822 observations (207,805 in HRS; 98,158 in ELSA; 412,859 in SHARE) were included in the baseline analysis. The 12-months prevalence of UI among female and male participants were 15.6% and 6.6% in the HRS, 10.6% and 4.4% in the ELSA. The 6-months prevalence of UI were 2.8% and 1.4% in the SHARE’s female and male participants. Compared to those without UI, both female and male participants with UI demonstrated a higher BMI and WC. Among females, the fully adjusted models showed linear associations between BMI, WC, and UI (Ps<0.001) in three cohorts. However, we observed U-shaped associations of BMI, WC with UI among males. The lowest likelihood of having UI was found among male participants with a BMI between 24 and 35 kg/m2.
Interpretation
Findings from our study revealed that the associations of obesity indices with UI varied among older men compared to older women. As a result, weight loss interventions could be applied to older women rather than older men as a means of treating UI. Interventions aimed at preventing UI among older adults must take sex into account.
ADAR1 drives stemness of leukemia initiating cells in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia via attenuating immunogenic dsRNA sensing
Authors: Pham Jessica , Isquith Jane , Rivera Maria , Zhang Haoran , Zhou Qingchem , Sasik Roman , Mark Adam , Ma Wenxue , Holm Frida , Fisch Kathleen , Kuo Dennis , Jamieson Catriona , Jiang Qingfei
Published: January 2023

Leukemia initiating cells (LICs) are regarded as the origin of leukemia relapse and therapeutic resistance. Since T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) LICs share many of the same features as normal T-cell precursors, identifying direct stemness determinants is critical for developing targeted approaches to eliminate LICs while sparing normal thymopoiesis. Here, we show that activation of the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 is a crucial stemness factor that promotes LIC self-renewal by attenuating aberrant interferon signaling. Mechanistically, ADAR1 directs adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) hyper-editing of immunogenic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and retains unedited nuclear dsRNA to avoid detection by the innate immune sensor MDA5. Moreover, dynamic activation of ADAR1 orchestrates early T-cell progenitor lineage commitment from hematopoietic stem cells. However, the gene regulatory program diverges significantly between normal and malignant cellular backgrounds. ADAR1 suppresses interferon stimulated genes in T-cell progenitors while promotes self-renewal gene program in T-ALL LICs. Inhibition of MATR3, a T-ALL LIC specific ADAR1 target, impairs leukemia growth and induces apoptosis. These results suggest that modulation of ADAR1 downstream targets present safe and effective therapeutic strategies for T-ALL LICs.
The Implementation Playbook: study protocol for the development and feasibility evaluation of a digital tool for effective implementation of evidence-based innovations
Authors: Barwick Melanie , Brown Jacquie , Petricca Kadia , Stevens Bonnie , Powell Byron , Jaouich Alexia , Shakespeare Jill , Seto Emily
Published: January 2023

Background
Evidence-based innovations can improve health outcomes, but only if successfully implemented. Implementation can be complex, highly susceptible to failure, costly and resource intensive. Internationally, there is an urgent need to improve the implementation of effective innovations. Successful implementation is best guided by implementation science, but organizations lack implementation know-how and have difficulty applying it. Implementation support is typically shared in static, non-interactive, overly academic guides and is rarely evaluated. In-person implementation facilitation is often soft-funded, costly, and scarce. This study seeks to improve effective implementation by (1) developing a first-in-kind digital tool to guide pragmatic, empirically based and self-directed implementation planning in real-time; and (2) exploring the tool’s feasibility in six health organizations implementing different innovations.
Methods
Ideation emerged from a paper-based resource, The Implementation Game©, and a revision called The Implementation Roadmap©; both integrate core implementation components from evidence, models and frameworks to guide structured, explicit, and pragmatic planning. Prior funding also generated user personas and high-level product requirements. This study will design, develop, and evaluate the feasibility of a digital tool called The Implementation Playbook©. In Phase 1, user-centred design and usability testing will inform tool content, visual interface, and functions to produce a minimum viable product. Phase 2 will explore the Playbook’s feasibility in six purposefully selected health organizations sampled for maximum variation. Organizations will use the Playbook for up to 24 months to implement an innovation of their choosing. Mixed methods will gather: (i) field notes from implementation team check-in meetings; (ii) interviews with implementation teams about their experience using the tool; (iii) user free-form content entered into the tool as teams work through implementation planning; (iv) Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change questionnaire; (v) System Usability Scale; and (vi) tool metrics on how users progressed through activities and the time required to do so.
Discussion
Effective implementation of evidence-based innovations is essential for optimal health. We seek to develop a prototype digital tool and demonstrate its feasibility and usefulness across organizations implementing different innovations. This technology could fill a significant need globally, be highly scalable, and potentially valid for diverse organizations implementing various innovations.
A rare case of severe leptospirosis infection presenting as septic shock in a non-epidemic area: A case report and literature review
Authors: Dai Junjie , Yao Can , Ling Huaxiang , Li Binbin , Chen Rongchang , Shi Fei
Published: January 2023

Background

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the spirochete Leptospira interrogans. The clinical presentations of leptospirosis range from an influenza-like presentation of fever and myalgia, to severe forms. Leptospirosis can potentially lead to a misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis when clinical similarities exist.

Case presentation

A 63-year-old man presented with fever, shock and thrombocytopenia followed by diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage. Peripheral blood Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing (mNGS) reported Leptospira interrogans. The patient was treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) plus doxycycline and improved dramatically after 7 days.

Conclusion

We conclude that leptospirosis can potentially lead to a misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis. Correctly evaluation of thrombocytopenia in acute febrile illnesses facilitates the differential diagnosis of leptospirosis. mNGS can accurately detect Leptospira DNA during the early stage of the infection
Genome-wide assessment and mapping of inbreeding depression identifies candidate genes associated with semen traits in Holstein bulls
Authors: Ghoreishifar Mohammad , Vahedi Seyed Milad , Ardestani Siavash Salek , Khansefid Majid , Pryce Jennie E.
Published: January 2023

Background
The reduction in phenotypic performance of a population due to mating between close relatives is called inbreeding depression. The genetic background of inbreeding depression for semen traits is poorly understood. Thus, the objectives were to estimate the effect of inbreeding and to identify genomic regions underlying inbreeding depression of semen traits including ejaculate volume (EV), sperm concentration (SC), and sperm motility (SM). The dataset comprised ~ 330K semen records from ~ 1.5K Holstein bulls genotyped with 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) BeadChip. Genomic inbreeding coefficients were estimated using runs of homozygosity (i.e., FROH > 1 Mb) and excess of SNP homozygosity (FSNP). The effect of inbreeding was estimated by regressing phenotypes of semen traits on inbreeding coefficients. Associated variants with inbreeding depression were also detected by regressing phenotypes on ROH state of the variants.
Results
Significant inbreeding depression was observed for SC and SM (p < 0.01). A 1% increase in FROH reduced SM and SC by 0.28% and 0.42% of the population mean, respectively. By splitting FROH into different lengths, we found significant reduction in SC and SM due to longer ROH, which is indicative of more recent inbreeding. A genome-wide association study revealed two signals positioned on BTA 8 associated with inbreeding depression of SC (p < 0.00001; FDR < 0.02). Three candidate genes of GALNTL6, HMGB2, and ADAM29, located in these regions, have established and conserved connections with reproduction and/or male fertility. Moreover, six genomic regions on BTA 3, 9, 21 and 28 were associated with SM (p < 0.0001; FDR < 0.08). These genomic regions contained genes including PRMT6, SCAPER, EDC3, and LIN28B with established connections to spermatogenesis or fertility.
Conclusions
Inbreeding depression adversely affects SC and SM, with evidence that longer ROH, or more recent inbreeding, being especially detrimental. There are genomic regions associated with semen traits that seems to be especially sensitive to homozygosity, and evidence to support some from other studies. Breeding companies may wish to consider avoiding homozygosity in these regions for potential artificial insemination sires.
Spatial Income Inequality
Authors: Schluter Christian , Trede Mark
Published: January 2023

Income inequality in Germany has increased dramatically. Measuring inequality locally at the level of cities annually since 1985, we find that behind this development is the rapidly worsening inequality in the largest cities, driven by increasing income polarisation. In the cross-section, local income inequality rises substantially in city size, and this city-size inequality penalty has increased steadily since1985, reaching an elasticity of .2 in 2010. Inequality decompositions reveal that overall income inequality is almost fully explained by the within-locations component, which in turn is driven by the largest cities. The worsening inequality in the largest cities is amplified by their greater population weight. Examining the local income distributions directly reveals that this is due to increasing income polarisation that is strongest in the largest places. Both upper and lower distributional tails become heavier over time, and are the heaviest in the largest cities. We establish these results using a large and spatially representative administrative data set, and address the top-coding problem in these data using a parametric distribution approach that outperforms standard imputations.
JEL Codes: D31 , D63 , J31 , R23
Effect of yeast extract on microbiologically influenced corrosion of X70 pipeline steel by SRB
Authors: Guan Fang , Pei Yingying , Duan Jizhou , Zhang Yimeng , Zhang Ruiyong , Zhai Xiaofan , Hou Baorong
Published: January 2023

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a complex process involving interactions between microorganisms, materials and surrounding environment. Yeast extract (YE) is a routinely added nutritional ingredient in many kinds of microbial culture media. However, the effect of YE on MIC was not clear. In this work, the corrosion behaviors of X70 pipeline steel in the sulfate reducing bacterial (SRB) Desulfovibrio bizertensis SY-1 inoculated media with or without YE were studied. The results showed that the weight loss of coupons in sterile media increased twofold after removing YE from culture media (P = 0.04). While in the SRB culture medium, removing YE decreased the planktonic bacteria number, but significantly promoted the attachment of bacteria on steel surfaces. Besides, the corrosion rate of steel in SRB media without YE was four times higher than with YE (P = 0.003). MIC was not determined by the planktonic SRB cells but the attached biofilm. The results identified effect of YE on D. bizertensis SY-1 growth and confirmed the inhibition role of YE in MIC induced by SRB.
Serological diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis in Kenya and Tanzania
Authors: Laboso Judy , Kihurani David , Kimeli Peter , Shah Dhaval
Published: January 2023

Canine ehrlichiosis is an important tick-borne disease caused by bacteria in the genus Ehrlichia with species such as E. canis, E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis resulting in a serious illness in dogs. This study determined the occurrence of canine ehrlichiosis and its associated factors in Kenya and Tanzania. This was a retrospective study that evaluated laboratory records of 400 samples from Kenya and Tanzania submitted to Pathologists Lancet Kenya for the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx™ Plus test between the years 2016 to 2021. Records of all samples submitted to the Pathologists Lancet Kenya veterinary laboratory for the test, were retrieved, examined, and compiled. Descriptive statistics, univariable and multivariable logistic regression were considered during analysis. The overall proportion of samples that tested positive for canine ehrlichiosis was 23% (92/400). Samples from Kenya accounted for 61% (245/400) of samples and the percent positive was 31% (29/245). The samples from Tanzania accounted for 39% (155/400) and the percent positive was 69% (63/155). In the final model, the odds of a sample testing positive was 1.7 times for those submitted in July to December compared with those submitted in January to June. Blood samples of dogs from Tanzania had 5.31 times the odds to test positive on SNAP test when compared with those from Kenya. This study reports high percent positive in samples originating from Tanzania and those received during the second half of the year.
The correlation of nuclear density using the Lens Opacity Classification System III with Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging for predicting phacoemulsification parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mirzaei Mohammad , Bahramani Erfan , Jafarizadeh Ali , Alinezhad Farbod , Vahed Nafiseh , Fereshteh Farhadi
Published: January 2023

Introduction: In this study, we systematically reviewed the literature to determine whether or not there was a correlation between lens density as measured by the Pentacam Scheimpflug System and grading score as determined by the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS) III in patients with age-related nuclear cataract.
Methods: From 1990 to 2022, a systematic search was conducted in Medline (Ovid, PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and The Cochrane Library. Meta-analysis was performed for all observational studies that met the inclusion criteria. To assess the quality of cross-sectional and prospective studies, the JBI Checklist was used. To calculate the effect size for nuclear color (NC) and nuclear opalescence (NO), we used R programming software. In addition, we used Influence analysis to identify outliers and created forest plots with and without the detected outliers.
Results: Among eight studies included in this systematic review, 965 patients with 1102 eyes were assessed with a mean age of 66.23 old years. The nuclear color and density were assessed in 4 and 6 studies, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) of the effect size was 0.72 with a 95% confidence interval (0.68, 0.76) for nuclear color, and the OR of the effect size was 0.94 with a 95% confidence interval (0.94, 0.95) for nuclear density both statistically significant.
Conclusion: The Pentacam technique allowed for quantitative cataract grading and may aid in phacodynamics prediction during cataract surgery. The method is useful for detecting cataracts in patients and has broad potential in the field of health examination.
North Carolina Coastal Plain ditch types support distinct hydrophytic communities
Authors: Clifford Chelsea Connair , Heffernan James Brendan
Published: January 2023

The drainage ditches of the North Carolina Coastal Plain retain some ecological structural characteristics of the wetlands they often replace. We surveyed 32 agricultural, freeway, and forested ditch reaches across this region for hydrologic indicators, soil organic matter, and plants. All showed at least some hydrologic indicators and had soil organic matter, especially swampy forests. Twenty-nine of 32 had hydrophytic herbaceous plant assemblages according to US Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation standards. These herbaceous assemblages differed significantly across site types, and responded to both landscape level factors, like nearby development coverage, and local level factors, like apparent mowing. The US National Hydrography Dataset and the National Wetlands Inventory did not include most sample sites, and mischaracterized most they did include as natural waterbodies. Despite limited information about extent of these ditches, high variability and apparent management impact suggest that human potential to design wetland structure of these manmade aquatic ecosystems throughout the North Carolina Coastal Plain, and beyond, could be large.
Ontology Extension with NLP-based Concept Extraction for Domain Experts in Catalytic Sciences
Authors: Behr Alexander S. , Völkenrath Marc , Kockmann Norbert
Published: January 2023

Ontologies store semantic knowledge in a machine-readable way and represent domain knowledge in controlled vocabulary. In this work, a workflow is set up to derive classes from a text dataset using natural language processing (NLP) methods. Furthermore, ontologies and thesauri are browsed for those classes and corresponding existing textual definitions are extracted. A base ontology is selected to be extended with knowledge from catalysis science, while word similarity is used to introduce new classes to the ontology based on the class candidates. Relations are introduced to automatically reference them to already existing classes in the selected ontology. The workflow is conducted for a text dataset related to catalysis research on methanation of CO2 and seven semantic artifacts assisting ontology extension by domain experts. Undefined concepts and unstructured relations can be more easily introduced automatically into existing ontologies. Domain experts can then revise the resulting extended ontology by choosing the best fitting definition of a class and specifying suggested relations between concepts of catalyst research. A structured extension of ontologies supported by NLP methods is made possible to facilitate a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data management workflow.
Elevated Interleukin (IL)-6 as a Predictor of Disease Severity among Covid-19 Patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Nikkhoo Bahram , Mohammadi Matin , Hasani Sabah , Sigari Naseh , Borhani Aryan , Ramezani Chia , Charajoo Arian , Badri Shaho , Rostami Farzin , Etemadi Mashala , Rahmani Khaled
Published: January 2023

Background
accompanied to the spreading of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the world, identifying factors related to the severity of the disease is one of the interests of physician and medical researchers. We hypothesized that interleukin 6 serum level is associated with severe outcome.
Methods
In this longitudinal prospective cohort study we enrolled 208 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the Tohid Hospital (Sanandaj, Iran). Patients were classified into two groups based on IL-6 value in the first day of admission, elevated (n = 107) or not elevated/normal (n = 101), and followed until the occurrence of final outcome (death or discharge from the hospital). Data were analyzed using univariate methods, Chi-squared and independent two sample T test. The relationship between the independent variables and our interesting outcomes were investigated by multiple linear and logistic regression modeling.
Results
A total of 208 patients, 51% female and mean age 53.6 ± 16.3 years, including 107 elevated and 101 non-elevated IL-6 patients, were followed. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in demographic and clinical characteristics. Although not significant, logistic regression results showed that the chance of death occurrence among patients with elevated IL-6 are 3.91 times higher. According to the multiple linear regression modeling, elevated IL-6 significantly increased the duration of hospital stay (P = 0.008). Frequency of ICU admission (P = 0.04) and mean of ICU stay (P = 0.8) are also higher in elevated IL-6 group.
Conclusion
This study revealed that elevated IL-6 is significantly related to prolongation of hospital stay in Covid-19 patients. Although not significant, the occurrence of death among patients who had increased IL-6 in the time of admission was higher than patients with normal or lower serum levels of IL-6.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of plasma radius expansion model in EDM: a comprehensive study
Authors: Papazoglou Emmanouil Lazaros , Karmiris-Obratański Panagiotis , Karkalos Nikolaos , Thangara Muthuramalingam , Markopoulos Angelos P.
Published: January 2023

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is an established non-conventional process, which is particularly efficient for the processing of hard-to-cut materials, in order to obtain high dimensional accuracy and surface integrity. However, in order to determine the appropriate parameters for machining novel materials, it is necessary to investigate the EDM process in depth, both by experiments and numerical models, taking into consideration the fundamental physical phenomena occurring during this process and be able to predict the surface morphology and microstructural alterations under various conditions. One of the challenging issues of EDM simulation models that still remain open is the representation of the evolution of plasma channel radius, for which various approaches have been proposed such as a linear, power law or a more complex piecewise relation, in respect to time. Thus, in this work, the effect of different relations for the plasma channel radius evolution on energy absorption coefficient, Plasma Flushing Efficiency (PFE) and crater morphology is compared under various conditions with a numerical model, which is also compared to experimental data. The results indicate that the energy absorption coefficient is dependent on the plasma column radius function, as slower growth of plasma channel leads to lower absorption coefficient and more efficient material removal, whereas a lower variation and different trends under different conditions were observed regarding PFE values, in respect to the power law exponent. Finally, the crater dimensions were shown to be consistently more narrow and deeper with higher exponents, thus based on actual observations of indicative craters, it was revealed that the appropriate values for the exponent of the power law plasma radius function are below 0.25.
The Prevalence of Behavioural Symptoms and Psychiatric Disorders in Hadza Children
Authors: Ougrin Dennis , Woodhouse Emma , Tucker Gavin , Ronaldson Amy , Bakolis Ioannis
Published: January 2023

73.9% of all psychiatric disorders start before the age of 18. Studying the prevalence of childhood psychiatric disorders across radically different economic systems and social structures could indicate universal factors leading to their development. We compared the prevalence of behavioural symptoms and psychiatric disorders in Hadza children (n=113), a mixed-subsistence foraging group, to a nationally representative sample from England (n=18,029) using a cross-sectional study design. Emotional problems, conduct problems and hyperactivity were lower in the Hadza children. Prosocial behaviour and peer problems were higher in Hadza children. 3.6% of Hadza children met the criteria for a psychiatric disorder compared to 11.8% in English children. All psychiatric disorders in Hadza children were co-morbid with autism spectrum disorder. No child from the Hadza group met the criteria for an emotional, behaviour or eating disorder. Further work should study the factors which lead to lower rates of psychiatric disorders in Hadza children.
Artificial Benchmark for Community Detection with Outliers (ABCD+o)
Authors: Kaminski Bogumil , Pralat Pawel , Theberge Francois
Published: January 2023

The Artificial Benchmark for Community Detection graph (ABCD) is a random graph model with community structure and powerlaw distribution for both degrees and community sizes. The model generates graphs with similar properties as the well-known LFR one, and its main parameter ξ can be tuned to mimic its counterpart in the LFR model, the mixing parameter μ.
In this paper, we extend the ABCD model to include potential outliers. We perform some exploratory experiments on both the new ABCD+o model as well as a real-world network to show that outliers posses some desired, distinguishable properties.
A metagenomics and amplicon sequencing combined approach reveals the best primers to study marine aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs
Authors: Gazulla Carlota R. , Cabello Ana María , Sánchez Pablo , Gasol Josep M. , Sánchez Olga , Ferrera Isabel
Published: January 2023

Studies based on protein-coding genes are essential to describe the diversity within bacterial functional groups. In the case of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria, the pufM gene has been established as the genetic marker for this particular functional group, although available primers are known to have amplification biases. We review here the existing primers for the pufM gene amplification, design new ones, and evaluate their phylogenetic coverage. We then use samples from different marine environments to evaluate the performance of different primer combinations. By comparing the taxonomic composition of communities retrieved with PCR-free metagenomics and with the different amplicon approaches, we show that the commonly used primers are biased towards the Gammaproteobacteria phylum and some Alphaproteobacteria clades. The metagenomic approach as well as other combinations of the existing and newly designed primers show that these groups are in fact a minority and a great proportion of pufM sequences are affiliated to uncultured representatives, especially in the open ocean. Altogether, the framework developed here becomes a better alternative for future studies based on the pufM gene, and additionally serves as a reference for primer evaluation of other functional genes.
Foveal Serous Retinal Detachment with Inferior Staphyloma: Long-Term Treatment Response to Anti-VEGF and Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Jun Jae Won , Jeon Soyoung , Park Goeun , Kang Hyun Goo , Lee Christopher Seungkyu , Kim Min , Kim Sung Soo , Byeon Suk Ho , Lee Junwon
Published: January 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the treatment response and long-term prognosis of foveal serous retinal detachment (SRD) associated with inferior staphyloma to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Methods
Nineteen treatment-naïve patients who underwent > 24 months follow-up were included. We analyzed the inter-visit changes in the foveal subretinal fluid (SRF) height after anti-VEGF treatment or PDT compared to no treatment and long-term prognosis of best-corrected visual acuity.
Results
At the last visit of patients who received the treatment, complete resolution was more significantly achieved in the CNV (choroidal neovascularization) group than in the CNV-free group (P = 0.028). In the CNV-free patients, visual acuity improved when complete resolution was achieved; otherwise, it generally decreased and after adjusting for confounding factors, analyses showed no statistically significant differences in inter-visit changes of foveal SRF height between the anti-VEGF treatment and no treatment cases (Absolute value, Rate, Subgroup categorized as ± 20% of change; P = 0.733, P = 0.916, P = 0.277; respectively). All three patients who underwent PDT did not show complete resolution or maintained improvement of the SRF.
Conclusion
Treatment with anti-VEGF and PDT do not seem to be effective for foveal SRD of CNV-free inferior staphyloma.
Traditional In-situ Rainwater Conservation Method for Sustaining Threatened Plant Species: A Case Study from the Indian Thar Desert
Authors: Kumar Suresh , Singh J. P. , Machiwal Deepesh , Kulloli R. N. , Barik S. K.
Published: January 2023

This study assessed natural diversity of rare, endemic and threatened arid plant, i.e., Glossonema varians, in the Indian Thar desert and that needs in-situ conservation. Furthermore, efficacy of a traditional method of rainwater conservation is investigated in sustaining its regeneration and conservation. Two biotypes of G. variancs on rocky crevices having crisped margin leaves with light yellow flowers and sand deposition having leaf margin entire and dark yellow flowers are found. Ecologically, it is a sub-dominant species with relative importance value raging from 8.71 to 49. Box-whisker plots revealed that rainwater conservation improved plant growth and population of G. varians. Results of t-test further evidenced the influence of rainwater conservation in regenerating and flourishing plants of G. varians. Rainfall and plant population showed a moderately positive linear relationship (R2 = 0.30, p<0.10) and 27-mm threshold rainfall over 6 days is essential for conserving G. varians.
URBaM: A Novel Surrogate Modelling Method to Determine Design Scaling Rules for Product Families
Authors: Telleria Xuban , Esnaola Jon Ander , Ugarte Done , Ezkurra Mikel , Ulacia Ibai , Colomo Leire
Published: January 2023

The use of surrogate models to determine scaling rules for product families has been proven to be a powerful tool for dimensioning complex shape geometries by replacing costly to evaluate problems with almost instantly to solve mathematical functions. However, there is a broad range of surrogate models in the literature and each model can be configured in multiple ways. In addition, the optimal selection of a surrogate model and its configuration is highly conditioned by the case study nature. Consequently, nowadays it is mandatory to evaluate different surrogate models and configurations to choose the most appropriate model for each case study, which can be cumbersome and time consuming. Moreover, unrepresentative scaling rules derived from an inadequate evaluation process may lead to several design iterations increasing the product cost and development time. Therefore, in this paper a novel surrogate modelling technique to determine representative design scaling rules for product families - named Univariate Regression Based Multivariate (URBaM)- is presented. The proposed method was developed with two main objectives. Firstly, to avoid the cumbersome and time-consuming evaluation process of different surrogate model types and configurations required nowadays. Secondly, to reduce close to zero the design-analysis iterations when scaling a new family member. For this purpose, the URBaM model was developed with the capability to adapt to different non-linearity levels with a single configuration. In the present work, the structure of the proposed technique is first delineated. Then, the model is evaluated in six engineering case studies of different non-linearity levels (2 low, 2 medium and 2 high) and compared against 14 configurations of 8 most representative techniques in the literature. The obtained results demonstrate that the URBaM model is capable to accurately adapt to different nonlinearity levels with a single configuration with average values of MAPE, NRMSE, and RMAE of 10.5%, 0.22, and 0.66 respectively. In addition, in the performed comparison, the URBaM model presented the highest stability in the accuracy metrics from case to case. Consequently, the potential of the URBaM surrogate modelling technique to assist the design process of scalable mechanical product families is proven.
Quantifying Pulse Oximeter Accuracy During Hypoxemia and Severe Anemia Using an In Vitro Circulation System
Authors: Gylys Raymond , Feiner John , Pologe Jonas , Delianides Ted , Sutter Stephanie , Bickler Philip , Lipnick Michael
Published: January 2023

Purpose:
Anemia and hypoxemia are common clinical conditions that are difficult to study and may impact pulse oximeter performance. Utilizing a novel in vitro circulation system (IVCS), we studied performance of three pulse oximeters during hypoxemia and severe anemia.
Methods:
Three oximeters were selected to reflect a range of cost (Masimo Radical 7 with Masimo LNCS Adtx sensor, Acare AH-M1 and Contec CMS 50-DL). Human blood was diluted to generate four hematocrit (Hct) levels (40%, 30%, 20%, and 10%). Oxygen and nitrogen were bubbled through the blood to generate a range of oxygen saturations (O2Hb) and the blood was cycled through the IVCS. Pulse oximeter saturations (SpO2) were paired with simultaneously-measured O2Hb readings from a reference CO-oximeter. Data for each Hct level and each device were least-squares fit to a 2nd-order equation with quality of each curve fit evaluated using standard error of the estimate. Bias and average root mean square error were calculated after correcting for the calibration difference between human and IVCS calibration.
Results:
The benchtop oximeter (Masimo Radical) maintained good accuracy at all but the most extreme level of anemia. The handheld device (Acare AH-M1) was not as accurate as the Masimo, and inaccuracies increased at lower Hct levels. The ﬁngertip device (CMS 50-DL) was the least accurate of the three oximeters.
Conclusion:
Pulse oximeter performance is impacted by severe anemia in vitro. The use of in vitro calibration systems may play an important role in augmenting in vivo performance studies evaluating pulse oximeter performance in challenging conditions.
Combined impacts of sea level rise and invasive species on Cordylanthus maritimus (Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak) in Upper Newport Bay, California
Authors: Spear Hannah V. , Banuelas David , Arenas Alys , Swanson Amanda , Crook Elizabeth D.
Published: January 2023

Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak (Cordylanthus maritimus subsp. maritimus) is a hemiparasitic halophyte that is endemic to coastal salt marshes of southern California and is both state and federally endangered. By the year 2100, sea level is projected to rise by up to 3 meters, which will decrease the biodiversity of salt marshes and lead to changes in plant community assemblages, impacting the narrow ecological niche of C. maritimus. Here, we address how sea level rise will impact the habitable range of C. maritimus, and we examine how these impacts will be compounded by the presence of an invasive plant species, Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum). We used LiDAR data, plant distributions, and sea level rise projections for the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve to create species distribution models and map current and future ranges for both species. The areas of these ranges and the area of overlap between both species were calculated for 2020, 2050, and 2100 under varying sea level rise scenarios. Although overlap between the two species’ ranges currently exists, C. maritimus inhabits a smaller area at relatively lower elevations than L. ramosissimum. Across all 2050 and 2100 scenarios, we project L. ramosissimum will occupy at least 161% and 292% more habitable area than C. maritimus, respectively. More than 96% of the projected habitable area for C. maritimus may also be suitable for L. ramosissimum, increasing competition between the two species and highlighting a critical need to strategically control invasive L. ramosissimum in Upper Newport Bay.