bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishing Smartphone User Behavior Model Based on Energy Consumption Data
Authors: Ding Ming , Wang Tianyu , Wang Xudong
Published: July 2021

In smartphone data analysis, both energy consumption modeling and user behavior mining have been explored extensively, but the relationship between energy consumption and user behavior has been rarely studied. Such a relationship is explored over large-scale users in this article. Based on energy consumption data, where each users’ feature vector is represented by energy breakdown on hardware components of different apps, User Behavior Models (UBM) are established to capture user behavior patterns (i.e., app preference, usage time). The challenge lies in the high diversity of user behaviors (i.e., massive apps and usage ways), which leads to high dimension and dispersion of data. To overcome the challenge, three mechanisms are designed. First, to reduce the dimension, apps are ranked with the top ones identified as typical apps to represent all. Second, the dispersion is reduced by scaling each users’ feature vector with typical apps to unit ℓ
1
norm. The scaled vector becomes Usage Pattern, while the ℓ
1
norm of vector before scaling is treated as Usage Intensity. Third, the usage pattern is analyzed with a two-layer clustering approach to further reduce data dispersion. In the upper layer, each typical app is studied across its users with respect to hardware components to identify Typical Hardware Usage Patterns (THUP). In the lower layer, users are studied with respect to these THUPs to identify Typical App Usage Patterns (TAUP). The analytical results of these two layers are consolidated into Usage Pattern Models (UPM), and UBMs are finally established by a union of UPMs and Usage Intensity Distributions (UID). By carrying out experiments on energy consumption data from 18,308 distinct users over 10 days, 33 UBMs are extracted from training data. With the test data, it is proven that these UBMs cover 94% user behaviors and achieve up to 20% improvement in accuracy of energy representation, as compared with the baseline method, PCA. Besides, potential applications and implications of these UBMs are illustrated for smartphone manufacturers, app developers, network providers, and so on.
Dynamic Reliability Management in Neuromorphic Computing
Authors: Song Shihao , Hanamshet Jui , Balaji Adarsha , Das Anup , Krichmar Jeffrey L. , Dutt Nikil D. , Kandasamy Nagarajan , Catthoor Francky
Published: July 2021

Neuromorphic computing systems execute machine learning tasks designed with spiking neural networks. These systems are embracing non-volatile memory to implement high-density and low-energy synaptic storage. Elevated voltages and currents needed to operate non-volatile memories cause aging of CMOS-based transistors in each neuron and synapse circuit in the hardware, drifting the transistor’s parameters from their nominal values. If these circuits are used continuously for too long, the parameter drifts cannot be reversed, resulting in permanent degradation of circuit performance over time, eventually leading to hardware faults. Aggressive device scaling increases power density and temperature, which further accelerates the aging, challenging the reliable operation of neuromorphic systems. Existing reliability-oriented techniques periodically de-stress all neuron and synapse circuits in the hardware at fixed intervals, assuming worst-case operating conditions, without actually tracking their aging at run-time. To de-stress these circuits, normal operation must be interrupted, which introduces latency in spike generation and propagation, impacting the inter-spike interval and hence, performance (e.g., accuracy). We observe that in contrast to long-term aging, which permanently damages the hardware, short-term aging in scaled CMOS transistors is mostly due to bias temperature instability. The latter is heavily workload-dependent and, more importantly, partially reversible. We propose a new architectural technique to mitigate the aging-related reliability problems in neuromorphic systems by designing an intelligent run-time manager (NCRTM), which dynamically de-stresses neuron and synapse circuits in response to the short-term aging in their CMOS transistors during the execution of machine learning workloads, with the objective of meeting a reliability target. NCRTM de-stresses these circuits only when it is absolutely necessary to do so, otherwise reducing the performance impact by scheduling de-stress operations off the critical path. We evaluate NCRTM with state-of-the-art machine learning workloads on a neuromorphic hardware. Our results demonstrate that NCRTM significantly improves the reliability of neuromorphic hardware, with marginal impact on performance.
How Do Developers Blog?
Authors: Pagano Dennis , Maalej Walid
Published: July 2021

A decade ago, the rise of GitHub and StackOverflow as social version control and knowledge sharing environments was about to start. Social media like Twitter were mocked by some software engineering researchers and practitioners as "tools for kids not professionals". At that time, we published one of the first papers [12] on social media in software engineering at MSR 2011, the Mining Software Repositories Conference.
TC4JPF
Authors: Zhou Yang , Artho Cyrille
Published: July 2021

Java Path nder (JPF) is a very versatile program analysis tool, but understanding the error traces it generates is challenging. Visualizing traces can facilitate their understanding. Earlier attempts to visualize traces have resulted in specialized tools that do not interoperate with other frameworks. We present TC4JPF, which builds on Eclipse Trace Compass and enables Trace Compass to visualize JPF traces. With TC4JPF, we leverage the scalability and capabilities of Trace Compass and provide the rst solution that visualizes JPF traces in a general-purpose trace visualization tool.
Divergent receptor utilization is necessary for phrenic long-term facilitation over the course of motor neuron loss following CTB-SAP intrapleural injections
Authors: Borkowski Lauren F. , Smith Catherine L. , Keilholz Amy N. , Nichols Nicole L.
Published: July 2021

The current study investigates underlying receptor-dependent mechanisms contributing to phrenic long-term facilitation (pLTF) following CTB-SAP-induced respiratory motor neuron death at 7 days and 28 day. We found that A2A receptors are required for enhanced pLTF in 7-day CTB-SAP rats, whereas 5-HT receptors are required for moderate pLTF in 28-day CTB-SAP rats. Targeting these time-dependent mechanisms have implications for breathing maintenance over the course of many neuromuscular diseases.
Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity as Predictors of Prediabetes: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Rahmani Jamal , Parastouei Karim , Taghdir Maryam , Santos Heitor O. , Hosseini Balam Farinaz , Saberi Isfeedvajani Mohsen
Published: July 2021

Background. The overall dietary quality, as well as the dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC), deserves central attention in the management of borderline high glucose levels since nonpharmacological strategies are imperative in this regard. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between prediabetes with dietary quality and DTAC. Methods. A case-control study was conducted on 49 patients with prediabetes and 98 controls. Demographics, anthropometric measures, and fasting blood glucose levels of all participants were obtained. Participants completed a validated 80-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DTAC scores were generated using FFQ data, and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) was used as a diet quality index. The lowest tertile of HEI-2015 and DTAC was considered as the reference category, and logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between prediabetes with HEI-215 and DTAC. Results. Mean age and body mass index of participants were 47.42 ± 15.98 years and 27.90 ± 4.96 kg/m2. Patients with prediabetes had lower DTAC scores when compared to controls (11.86 ± 5.77 and 17.81 ± 12.08,

P

 = 0.01). There was a significant inverse association between the highest tertile of the DTAC score when compared with the lowest tertile in crude (OR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03–0.43), age-adjusted (OR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.03–0.48), and fully adjusted (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02–0.53) models. In contrast, there was no difference between HEI-2015 in patients with prediabetes when compared to controls (74.41 ± 8.91 and 74.41 ± 9.35, respectively;

P

 = 0.85). Correspondingly, no difference was observed between the highest tertile of the HEI-2015 score when compared with the lowest tertile in crude (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.53–2.86), age-adjusted (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.48–2.82), and fully adjusted (OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 0.56–4.16) models. Conclusion. This study demonstrates a clear association between prediabetes with less DTAC, but not with HEI-2015.
Identification of Potential lncRNAs and miRNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Yang Fei , Zhang Jie , Li Baokun , Zhao Zhijun , Liu Yan , Zhao Zhen , Jing Shanghua , Wang Guiying
Published: July 2021

Background. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for most of the proportion of thyroid cancer (TC). The objective of this study was to identify diagnostic, differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), contributing to understanding the epigenetics mechanism of PTC. Methods. The data of lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, followed by functional analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs. Optimal diagnostic lncRNA and miRNA biomarkers were identified via random forest. The regulatory network between optimal diagnostic lncRNA and mRNAs and optimal diagnostic miRNA and mRNAs was identified, followed by the construction of ceRNA network of lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA. Expression validation and diagnostic analysis of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were performed. Overexpression of ADD3-AS1 was performed in PTC-UC3 cell lines, and cell proliferation and invasion assay were used for investigating the role of ADD3-AS1 in PTC. Results. A total of 107 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 81 differentially expressed miRNAs, and 515 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified. 11 lncRNAs and 6 miRNAs were regarded as the optimal diagnostic biomarkers for PTC. The epigenetic modifications via the above diagnostic lncRNAs and miRNAs were identified, including MIR181A2HG-FOXP2-hsa-miR-146b-3p, BLACAT1/ST7-AS1-RPS6KA5-hsa-miR-34a-5p, LBX2-AS1/MIR100HG-CDHR3-hsa-miR-34a-5p, ADD3-AS1-PTPRE-hsa-miR-9-5p, ADD3-AS1-TGFBR1-hsa-miR-214-3p, LINC00506-MMRN1-hsa-miR-4709-3p, and LOC339059-STK32A-hsa-miR-199b-5p. In the functional analysis, MMRN1 and TGFBR1 were involved in cell adhesion and endothelial cell migration, respectively. Overexpression of ADD3-AS1 inhibited cell growth and invasion in PTC cell lines. Conclusion. The identified lncRNAs/miRNAs/mRNA were differentially expressed between normal and cancerous tissues. In addition, identified altered lncRNAs and miRNAs may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for PTC. Additionally, epigenetic modifications via the above lncRNAs and miRNAs may be involved in tumorigenesis of PTC.
lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 Promotes Metastasis in Non‐Small‐Cell Lung Cancer by Stabilizing LEF1, In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Li Binru , Zhu Libo , Li Linlin , Ma Rui
Published: July 2021

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play nonnegligible roles in the metastasis of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study is aimed at investigating the biological role of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 in NSCLC metastasis and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The expression profiles of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 in different NSCLC cell lines were examined. Then, the biological function of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 in NSCLC metastasis was explored by loss‐of‐function assays in vitro and in vivo. Further, the protective effect of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 on lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1) was examined using RNA pull‐down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Additionally, the role of LEF1 in NSCLC metastasis was investigated. Results indicated that lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 expression was significantly increased in NSCLC cell lines. Functional analysis revealed that knockdown of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 impaired invasion and migration in vitro. Additionally, the ability of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 to promote NSCLC metastasis was also confirmed in vivo. Mechanistically, through direct interaction, lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 maintained LEF1 stability by blocking NARF‐mediated ubiquitination. Furthermore, LEF1 knockdown impaired invasion and migration of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data highlight the ability of lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 to promote NSCLC metastasis by stabilizing LEF1 and suggest that lncRNA OXCT1‐AS1 represents a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC.
All-Trans Retinoic Acid Enhances Chemosensitivity to 5-FU by Targeting miR-378c/E2F7 Axis in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Li Ji , Xiang Qing , Wang Mei , Zhang Hongchang , Liang Rong
Published: July 2021

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC), a life-threatening malignancy, has been found to present resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cause a poor prognosis for patients. Previous studies have proved that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) could inhibit the development of CRC cells. In addition, miR-378c was discovered to exert a vital role in various cancers. In this study, we utilized MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), transwell assay, and flow cytometry to confirm that ATRA was able to enhance the inhibitory effects of 5-FU on HCT116 cells effectively by promoting cell apoptosis. Then, ENCORI database (http://starbase.sysu.edu.cn/) was employed to predict that miR-378c was downregulated dramatically in CRC and E2F7 was the direct target of miR-378c. QRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) was conducted to verify that the expression level of miR-378c was decreased while E2F7 expression was upregulated in CRC tissues compared with para-carcinoma tissues. Additionally, treatment of 5-FU combined with ATRA could increase miR-378c expression, whereas it decreased the expression of E2F7. Dual-Luciferase Reporter assay results revealed that miR-378c could regulate the load of E2F7 by binding to its 3′UTR directly. Furthermore, miR-378c inhibitor or vector with E2F7 partially counteracted the effects of 5-FU combined with ATRA on viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of HCT116 cells. In conclusion, our study aims to confirm that ATRA enhances chemosensitivity to 5-FU of patients with CRC and expound the potential molecular mechanisms.
Generative Adversarial Network-Based Edge-Preserving Superresolution Reconstruction of Infrared Images
Authors: Zhao Yuqing , Fu Guangyuan , Wang Hongqiao , Zhang Shaolei , Yue Min
Published: July 2021

The convolutional neural network has achieved good results in the superresolution reconstruction of single-frame images. However, due to the shortcomings of infrared images such as lack of details, poor contrast, and blurred edges, superresolution reconstruction of infrared images that preserves the edge structure and better visual quality is still challenging. Aiming at the problems of low resolution and unclear edges of infrared images, this work proposes a two-stage generative adversarial network model to reconstruct realistic superresolution images from four times downsampled infrared images. In the first stage of the generative adversarial network, it focuses on recovering the overall contour information of the image to obtain clear image edges; the second stage of the generative adversarial network focuses on recovering the detailed feature information of the image and has a stronger ability to express details. The infrared image superresolution reconstruction method proposed in this work has highly realistic visual effects and good objective quality evaluation results.
Cyclic Performance of Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls with Beam‐Only‐Connected Infill Plates
Authors: Ghodratian-Kashan Seyyed M. , Maleki Shervin
Published: July 2021

Lately, Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls (CSPSWs) have gained significance and reputation for being effective lateral force‐resisting systems. Corrugated plates are characterized by greater out‐of‐plane stiffness and buckling stability than flat plates, ensuring their enhanced hysteretic behavior. In ordinary Steel Plate Shear Walls (SPSWs), infill plates are fixed to beams and columns. But, detaching the infill plate from columns and connecting it to the beams only is assumed here as a method for reducing column demands. The current study explores the cyclic performance of CSPSWs with beam‐only‐connected infill plates. The design of a one‐story single‐bay specimen was done and its finite element model was developed. Parametric studies have targeted CSPSWs with different geometric variables, including orientation, thickness, and aspect ratio of the infill plate. Noteworthy responses were ultimate strength, initial stiffness, energy dissipation capacity, and force‐deformation relationship. The obtained results indicated that selecting the right geometrical parameters could yield a desirable cyclic performance. Finally, an analytical method was proposed for calculating the ultimate shear strength of beam‐only‐connected CSPSWs.
Spontaneous Ureterocolic Fistula between Nonfunctioning Kidney Transplant Ureter and Colon in Setting of Diverticulitis
Authors: Krischak Madison K. , Ord Jeffrey R. , Connor Ashton A. , Barbas Andrew S.
Published: July 2021

Ureterocolic fistula is a rare condition that most commonly occurs in the setting of diverticular disease. The development of a ureterocolic fistula following kidney transplantation is even rarer, with no prior cases in the literature to our knowledge. We describe the case of a patient with three prior failed kidney transplants who developed a fistula between the sigmoid colon and nonfunctioning renal transplant ureter in the setting of diverticulitis.
Association between PCSK9 Levels and Markers of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Endothelial Dysfunction in a Population of Nondialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Authors: Dounousi Evangelia , Tellis Constantinos , Pavlakou Paraskevi , Duni Anila , Liakopoulos Vasillios , Mark Patrick B. , Papagianni Aikaterini , Tselepis Alexandros D.
Published: July 2021

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) plays an important role in lipid metabolism while available literature regarding its involvement in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and in the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and inflammation is constantly increasing. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience disproportionately increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to dyslipidemia, accelerated atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other risk factors. In the present cross‐sectional study, we investigated the possible association of serum PCSK9 levels with markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial damage in patients with CKD. Patients and Methods. Ninety‐two patients with CKD stages II‐ΙV (eGFR CKD‐EPI 47.3 ± 25.7 ml/min/1.73 m2, mean age 66 years, 51 men) were included in the study. Plasma PCSK9 levels were correlated with comorbidities (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and history of cardiovascular disease), renal function indices (eGFR, proteinuria–UPR/24 h), lipid parameters (LDL‐cholesterol, HDL‐cholesterol, triglycerides, Lp(a), APO‐A1, and APO‐B), and soluble biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial damage (hs‐CRP, fibrinogen, 8‐epiPGF2a, ox‐LDL, IL‐6, TNF‐α, sICAM‐1, and sVCAM‐1). Results. The mean plasma value of PCSK9 was 278.1 ng/ml. PCSK9 levels showed direct correlation with serum triglycerides (p = 0.03), Lp(a) (p = 0.01), and sICAM‐1 levels (p = 0.03). There was no significant correlation between PCSK9 levels and indices of the renal function, other lipid profile parameters, inflammatory markers, or comorbidities. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant effect of Lp(a) on PCSK9 levels, and for each unit of higher Lp(a), an increase by 3.082 is expected (95% CI: 0.935‐5.228, p = 0.006). At the same time, patients receiving statins are expected to have on average 63.8 ng/ml higher PCSK9 values compared to patients not receiving statins (95% CI: 14.6‐113.5, p = 0.012). Conclusion. Plasma levels of PCSK9 in nondialysis CKD patients are correlated with endothelial dysfunction and lipid metabolism parameters. Statin intake increases PCSK9 levels significantly in this patient population. PCSK9 levels are not correlated with the severity of kidney disease. Major prospective studies are necessary to investigate the role of PCSK9 in the atherosclerotic cardiovascular outcome in CKD.
Pilot-Scale Study of Real Domestic Textile Wastewater Treatment Using Cassia fistula Seed-Derived Coagulant
Authors: Dao Minh-Trung , Nguyen Vo-Chau-Ngan , Tran Thanh-Nha , Nguyen Xuan-Du , Vo Duc-Thuong , Nguyen Van-Kieu , Hoang Le-Thuy-Thuy-Trang
Published: July 2021

Plant-derived coagulants have exhibited a good potential in wastewater treatment due to their “green” characteristics, high coagulating-flocculating activity, cost-effectiveness, and biodegradability. Nevertheless, research studies have focused mainly on bench-scale experiments; pilot-scale and full-scale simulations are still limited. Herein, we firstly report a pilot-scale study of real domestic textile wastewater treatment using Cassia fistula coagulant. The material characterizations using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed that the natural gum extracted from C. fistula seed possessed a rough and irregular surface containing a high molecular weight galactomannan. The bench-scale investigation was initially conducted to determine the optimal pollutant concentration, initial pH, and coagulant dosage in the coagulation-flocculation process. The pilot-scale study revealed that C. fistula coagulant is an effective material for real textile wastewater treatment, showing percentage removal of 93.83% at a volume of 30 L and a coagulant dosage of 1.17 mg·L−1. Coagulation-flocculation using C. fistula seed gum could be an efficient primary wastewater treatment prior to membrane or biological methods to meet Vietnamese environmental standards. The main mechanisms of textile wastewater treatment involve adsorption/bridging interactions via hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction between negatively charged carboxylate groups of the coagulant and positively charged pollutants.
Predicting the Population Growth and Structure of China Based on Grey Fractional-Order Models
Authors: Guo Xiaojun , Zhang Rui , Xie Naiming , Jin Jingliang
Published: July 2021

Scientific prediction and accurate grasp of the future trend of population change are conducive to the formulation of different population policies at different stages, so as to alleviate the adverse effects of the aging population on society and provide scientific theoretical reference for controlling the population size and making policy. Considering that the population system is affected by many complex factors and the structural relationship among these factors is complex, it can be regarded as a typical dynamic grey system. In this paper, the fractional-order GM (1, 1) model and the fractional-order Verhulst model are established, respectively, based on the statistical data of China's population indices from 2015 to 2019 to forecast the population size and the change trend of population structure of China from 2015 to 2050 in the short-term and medium- to long-term. The forecast results show that China’s population will grow in an inverse S shape from 2015 to 2050, when the total population will reach 1.43 billion. Moreover, during this period, the birth rate and natural growth rate of population will decrease year by year, and the proportion of aging population and the dependency ratio of population will increase year by year. Besides, the problem of aging population is going to become increasingly serious. The application of grey system method to population prediction can mine the complex information contained in the population number series. Meanwhile, the fractional-order accumulation can weaken the randomness of the original data series and reduce the influence of external disturbance factors, so it is a simple and effective population prediction method.
[Retracted] Social Governance Structure Construction and Resource Allocation Methods under the Management Mode of the Internet of Things
Authors: Xu Zonggang
Published: July 2021

Aiming at the problems in the social governance structure level under the management mode of the Internet of Things, this paper designs a network agent based on the idea of service grid construction that has the functions of service resource configuration discovery, load balancing, and protocol conversion. Using it as a service governance infrastructure reduces the coupling between business services and service governance, and the network agent will intercept the service call traffic within the platform to achieve cross‐protocol and cross‐frame service communication. Through the proposed global query decomposition strategy and algorithm, a global query mapping is realized, which solves the problem of global query decomposition based on the global data model. We designed the unified management mechanism of two commonly used IoT databases based on XML. This process involves the realization of heterogeneous Internet of Things database resource configuration, data mode conversion, and global query mapping. Among them, in the process of data schema conversion, the conflict of the data in the schema mapping is resolved, the XML Schema is generated, the schema mapping metadata is established, and the XML document of the data is generated. We build a framework for optimal allocation of cloud computing resources based on load forecasting and propose an adaptive elastic control system for resource allocation based on resource status monitoring and demand forecasting. In view of the low resource utilization problem caused by the resource management mode of single virtual machine serving single user adopted by Internet of Things service providers, this paper constructs a new public cloud architecture with a five‐layer structure. On the basis of this architecture, an adaptive configuration mode of virtualized resources based on a single virtual machine serving multiple users is proposed. This mode can automatically search for optimal virtualization resources for application resource requests made by different users and run different applications on the same virtual machine without affecting the quality of service, so that IoT providers can guarantee services. At the same time, it improves the utilization efficiency of IoT resources and reduces energy consumption.
The Role of Applied Behavior Analysis to Improve Knowledge on Oral Hygiene Practices among Cooperative Autistic Children: A Cross-Sectional Study from Jazan, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Fageeh Hytham N. , Mansour Manawar A. , Thubab Hatim Y. , Jarab Mohammed B. , Juraybi Ahmed Y. , Zakri Hassan H. , Bahri Abdullah M.
Published: July 2021

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve knowledge regarding oral hygiene practices among cooperative autistic children. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 15 children between the age group of 6–12 years and their parents who were randomly chosen from a special care autistic school in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A mobile application was custom designed and programmed with videos on oral hygiene. A close-ended questionnaire comprising 14 questions for the cooperative autistic children and 21 questions for their parents was designed to assess their knowledge in relation to oral health and hygiene. After four weeks, a questionnaire-based knowledge assessment was conducted. The mean knowledge score was then calculated for children and their parents and compared using paired sample t-test. Results. Poor knowledge regarding oral hygiene practices was revealed among the study participants. The estimated mean score among the children was 4.73 before the intervention, which significantly increased to 9.0. The estimated mean score for the parents was 9.3 before intervention and 14.6 after four weeks’ period (P<0.0001). Conclusion. The application of ABA using avatars and delivered through videos can significantly improve knowledge regarding oral health hygiene among cooperative autistic children.
Assessment of the Use of Humidified Nasal Cannulas for Oxygen Therapy in Patients with Epistaxis
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Chen Tengfang , Lv Zhenggang , Wu Dezhong
Published: July 2021

Introduction: In China, nasal cannula oxygen therapy is typically humidified. However, it is difficult to decide whether to suspend nasal cannula oxygen inhalation after the nosebleed has temporarily stopped. Therefore, we conducted a preliminary investigation on whether the use of humidified nasal cannulas in our hospital increases the incidence of epistaxis. Methods: We conducted a survey of 176,058 inpatients in our hospital and other city branches of our hospital over the past 3 years and obtained information concerning their use of humidified nasal cannulas for oxygen inhalation, nonhumidified nasal cannulas, anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and oxygen inhalation flow rates. This information was compared with the data collected at consultation for epistaxis during these 3 years. Results: No significant difference was found between inpatients with humidified nasal cannulas and those without nasal cannula oxygen therapy in the incidence of consultations due to epistaxis (χ2 = 1.007, p > 0.05). The same trend was observed among hospitalized patients using anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs (χ2 = 2.082, p > 0.05). Among the patients with an inhaled oxygen flow rate ≥5 L/min, the incidence of ear-nose-throat (ENT) consultations due to epistaxis was 0. No statistically significant difference was found between inpatients with a humidified oxygen inhalation flow rate <5 L/min and those without nasal cannula oxygen therapy in the incidence of ENT consultations due to epistaxis (χ2 = 0.838, p > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of ENT consultations due to epistaxis between the low-flow nonhumidified nasal cannula and nonnasal cannula oxygen inhalation groups (χ2 = 18.428, p < 0.001). The same trend was observed between the 2 groups of low-flow humidified and low-flow nonhumidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation (χ2 = 26.194, p < 0.001). Discussion/Conclusion: Neither high-flow humidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation nor low-flow humidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation will increase the incidence of recurrent or serious epistaxis complications; the same trend was observed for patients who use anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs. Humidification during low-flow nasal cannula oxygen inhalation can prevent severe and repeated epistaxis to a certain extent.
Association of Dyskalemias with Ischemic Stroke in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Transitioning to Dialysis
Authors: Dashputre Ankur A. , Sumida Keiichi , Thomas Fridtjof , Gatwood Justin , Akbilgic Oguz , Potukuchi Praveen K. , Obi Yoshitsugu , Molnar Miklos Z. , Streja Elani , Kalantar Zadeh Kamyar , Kovesdy Csaba P.
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Hypo- and hyperkalemia are associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke. However, this association has not been examined in an advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. Methods: From among 102,477 US veterans transitioning to dialysis between 2007 and 2015, 21,357 patients with 2 pre-dialysis outpatient estimated glomerular filtration rates <30 mL/min/1.73 m2 90–365 days apart and at least 1 potassium (K) each in the baseline and follow-up period were identified. We separately examined the association of both baseline time-averaged K (chronic exposure) and time-updated K (acute exposure) treated as categorized (hypokalemia [K <3.5 mEq/L] and hyperkalemia [K >5.5 mEq/L] vs. referent [3.5–5.5 mEq/L]) and continuous exposure with time to the first ischemic stroke event prior to dialysis initiation using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models. Results: A total of 2,638 (12.4%) ischemic stroke events (crude event rate 41.9 per 1,000 patient years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 40.4–43.6) over a median (Q1–Q3) follow-up time of 2.56 (1.59–3.89) years were observed. The baseline time-averaged K category of hypokalemia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 95% CI: 1.35, 1.01–1.81) was marginally associated with a significantly higher risk of ischemic stroke. However, time-updated hyperkalemia was associated with a significantly lower risk of ischemic stroke (aHR, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.68–0.98). The exposure-outcome relationship remained consistent when using continuous K levels for both the exposures. Discussion/Conclusion: In patients with advanced CKD, hypokalemia (chronic exposure) was associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke, whereas hyperkalemia (acute exposure) was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke. Further studies in this population are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Association between Net Ultrafiltration Rate and Renal Recovery among Critically Ill Adults with Acute Kidney Injury Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Murugan Raghavan , Kerti Samantha J. , Chang Chung-Chou H. , Gallagher Martin , Neto Ary Serpa , Clermont Gilles , Ronco Claudio , Palevsky Paul M. , Kellum John A. , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Higher net ultrafiltration (UFNET) rates are associated with mortality among critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Objective: The aim of the study was to discover whether UFNET rates are associated with renal recovery and independence from renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods: Retrospective cohort study using data from the Randomized Evaluation of Normal versus Augmented Level of Renal Replacement Therapy trial that enrolled 1,433 critically ill patients with AKI and treated with CRRT between December 2005 and November 2008 across 35 intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand. We examined the association between UFNET rate and time to independence from RRT by day 90 using competing risk regression after accounting for mortality. The UFNET rate was defined as the volume of fluid removed per hour adjusted for patient body weight. Results and Conclusions: Median age was 67.3 (interquartile range [IQR], 57–76.3) years, 64.4% were male, median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-III score was 100 (IQR, 84–118), and 634 (44.2%) died by day 90. Kidney recovery occurred in 755 patients (52.7%). Using tertiles of UFNET rates, 3 groups were defined: high, >1.75; middle, 1.01–1.75; and low, <1.01 mL/kg/h. Proportion of patients alive and independent of RRT among the groups were 47.8 versus 57.2 versus 53.0%; p = 0.01. Using competing risk regression, higher UFNET rate tertile compared with middle (cause-specific hazard ratio [csHR], 0.79, 95% CI, 0.66–0.95; subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR], 0.80, 95% CI, 0.67–0.97) and lower (csHR, 0.69, 95% CI, 0.56–0.85; sHR, 0.78, 95% CI 0.64–0.95) tertiles were associated with a longer time to independence from RRT. Every 1.0 mL/kg/h increase in rate was associated with a lower probability of kidney recovery (csHR, 0.81, 95% CI, 0.74–0.89; and sHR, 0.87, 95% CI, 0.80–0.95). Using the joint model, longitudinal increases in UFNET rates were also associated with a lower renal recovery (β = −0.29, p < 0.001). UFNET rates >1.75 mL/kg/h compared with rates 1.01–1.75 and <1.01 mL/kg/h were associated with a longer duration of dependence on RRT. Randomized clinical trials are required to confirm this UFNET rate-outcome relationship.
Bilateral Optic Disc Swelling with Preserved Visual Function Associated with Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors: Mochiji Mihoko , Yamane Yukari , Ishida Akiko , Honda Manabu , Murakawa Yohko , Tanito Masaki
Published: July 2021

A 68-year-old Japanese man was introduced to our hospital for optic disc swelling (ODS) in his both eyes (OU). Other than floaters in his right eye, he did not report any symptoms including blurred vision, visual field defect, and ocular pain. Light reflex was prompt and complete OU, and critical flicker frequency was within the normal range OU. By fluorescein angiography, hyperfluorescence was detected on optic discs OU; however, no fluorescein leakage or filling defect was observed. By Goldmann perimetry, enlargement of the Mariotte blind spot was revealed OU, while no central scotoma or remarkable visual field defects were detected. By neuroimaging and lumbar puncture, papilledema due to intracranial pressure elevation was denied. Based on the reassessment of fundus findings, narrowing and segmental whitening/sheathing of peripapillary vessels predominantly to arterioles were realized, and systemic arteritis was suspected. Based on the subject age, elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positron emission tomography findings in the aorta, and MRI findings in temporal arteries, underlying giant cell arteritis (GCA) was diagnosed. After the start of systemic and local steroid therapies, ODS improved OU. Although rare, bilateral ODS with no visual disturbance can occur in patients with GCA. This case emphasizes the importance of careful assessment of ocular findings to reach the correct diagnosis of even a rare cause of ODS.
Polygener Risikoscore hilft bei der Diagnose der Spondylitis akylosans
Authors: Mihai Carina
Published: July 2021

Objective: We sought to test the hypothesis that Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs) have strong capacity to discriminate cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) from healthy controls and individuals in the community with chronic back pain. Methods: PRSs were developed and validated in individuals of European and East Asian ethnicity, using data from genome-wide association studies in 15 585 AS cases and 20 452 controls. The discriminatory values of PRSs in these populations were compared with other widely used diagnostic tests, including C-reactive protein (CRP), HLA-B27 and sacroiliac MRI. Results: In people of European descent, PRS had high discriminatory capacity with area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operator characteristic analysis of 0.924. This was significantly better than for HLA-B27 testing alone (AUC = 0.869), MRI (AUC = 0.885) or C-reactive protein (AUC = 0.700). PRS developed and validated in individuals of East Asian descent performed similarly (AUC = 0.948). Assuming a prior probability of AS of 10% such as in patients with chronic back pain under 45 years of age, compared with HLA-B27 testing alone, PRS provides higher positive values for 35% of patients and negative predictive values for 67.5% of patients. For PRS, in people of European descent, the maximum positive predictive value was 78.2% and negative predictive value was 100%, whereas for HLA-B27, these values were 51.9% and 97.9%, respectively. Conclusions: PRS have higher discriminatory capacity for AS than CRP, sacroiliac MRI or HLA-B27 status alone. For optimal performance, PRS should be developed for use in the specific ethnic groups to which they are to be applied.
Nierenbeteiligung bei Spondylarthritiden: Spezifisch oder unabhängig?
Authors: von Vietinghoff Sibylle
Published: July 2021

Introduction: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) can be associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA). The course of SpA-associated IgAN remains largely unknown due to the absence of large cohorts. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with biopsy-proven IgAN and definite SpA. Kidney biopsies were centrally examined and scored according to the IgAN Oxford Classification. Thirty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with a male:female ratio of 9:1 and median age of 27 and 37 years at SpA and IgAN diagnosis, respectively. HLA-B27 was positive in 90% of cases, and most patients (60%) presented with ankylosing spondylitis. The mean baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 84 ± 26 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio was 0.19 g/mmol. Results: Renal biopsy revealed frequent presence of crescents (33%) and interstitial inflammation (18%). Despite almost constant use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, combined with steroids in 13 of 32 patients, renal outcome was particularly poor. After a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 4 patients (12.5%) reached end-stage renal disease and 41% of patients experienced a >50% decrease of eGFR. The mean annual eGFR decline rate was –4.3 ± 6.7 ml/min per 1.73 m2. The risk of reaching class IV or V chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage during follow-up was associated with the presence of hypertension, level of proteinuria, and baseline S- and T-scores of the Oxford. Conclusion: SpA-associated IgAN is associated with a poor renal outcome, despite frequent use of steroids. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α blockade did not appear to influence the rate of eGFR decline in this setting.
Als Hypersensitivitätspneumonitis maskiertes Antisynthetase-Syndrom
Authors: Tzilas Vasilios , Sfikakis Petros P. , Bouros Demosthenes
Published: July 2021

Das Spektrum der interstitiellen Lungenerkrankungen (ILD) umfasst eine große und heterogene Gruppe von Krankheiten mit teils unbekannten und teils bekannten Ursachen. Die richtige Diagnosestellung ist von essenzieller Wichtigkeit, aber zugleich mit vielen Schwierigkeiten verbunden. Ein klassischer Problemfall ist die Abgrenzung zwischen idiopathischer pulmonaler Fibrose und fibrosierender Hypersensitivitätspneumonitis (HP). Eine ebenso große, jedoch unterschätzte Herausforderung ist die Diagnose von ILD im Kontext von Bindegewebserkrankungen (CTD-ILD), insbesondere wenn die ILD die erste Manifestation darstellt oder weitere, extrapulmonale Manifestationen subklinisch sind. Das Antisynthetase-Syndrom (ASyS) ist ein typisches Beispiel für eine solche Erkrankung, bei der es sein kann, dass die pulmonale Beteiligung das dominierende Merkmal ist und keine weiteren Anzeichen für eine CTD vorliegen. Beim ASyS kann die pulmonale Beteiligung die Erstmanifestation darstellen, oder die Muskelbeteiligung kann subklinisch sein, mit Muskelenzymwerten im Normbereich. Auch ein negativer Test auf antinukleäre Antikörper ist im Fall des ASyS kein Beweis für Autoantikörper-Negativität. Die radiologischen und pathologischen Befunde sind beim ASyS wenig spezifisch und überschneiden sich mit denen anderer ILD. In der bronchoalveolären Lavage schließlich kann eine ausgeprägte Lymphozytose vorliegen (>30–40%). Dies kann in Kombination mit einer anamnestisch bekannten Exposition gegenüber einem auslösenden Antigen zur Fehldiagnose einer HP führen, mit entsprechend negativen Auswirkungen auf das Outcome des Patienten. Wir berichten hier über die Fälle von drei Patientinnen im Alter von 61, 65 und 70 Jahren und einem Patienten im Alter von 43 Jahren mit einem als HP maskierten ASyS und analysieren die zugrunde liegenden Ursachen der Fehldiagnose mit dem Ziel, das Bewusstsein für die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen Pneumologen und Rheumatologen zu schärfen.
Early Increased Physical Activity, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Survival After Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation
Authors: Atwater Brett D. , Li Zhen , Pritchard Jessica , Greiner Melissa A. , Nabutovsky Yelena , Hammill Bradley G.
Published: July 2021

Background:

Increased physical activity (PA) through cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves outcomes in patients with heart failure and coronary disease, but CR referral remains infrequent. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can provide daily PA measurements to patients that may motivate them to increase PA, but it remains unclear if increased ICD measured PA is associated with improved outcomes with and without CR.

Methods:

This is a retrospective observational study of 41 731 Medicare beneficiaries with ICD implantation between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016. We linked daily ICD PA measurements and Medicare claims data to determine if increased PA is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of death or heart failure hospitalization. To determine if CR participation altered the effect of PA on outcomes, we performed two additional analyses matching CR participants and nonparticipants using propensity scores. The first match included demographics, comorbidities, and baseline PA measurements. The second match also included the change in PA measured during CR or the same time frame after ICD implant among nonparticipants.

Results:

The mean age was 75 (SD, 10) years, 30 182 beneficiaries (72.3%) were male, and 1324 (3%) participated in CR. Increased ICD detected PA was associated with improved survival. CR participants had a mean PA change of +9.7 (SD, 57.8) min/d, whereas nonparticipants had a mean change of −1.0 (SD, 59.7) min/d (
P
<0.001). After matching for demographics, comorbidities and baseline PA, CR participants had significantly lower 1- to 3-year mortality (hazard ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.69–0.85],
P
=0.03). After additionally matching for the ICD measured change in PA during CR there were no differences in mortality with and without CR (hazard ratio, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.82–1.21],
P
=0.87). Every 10 minutes of increased daily PA was associated with a 1.1% reduction in all-cause mortality in both groups.

Conclusions:

Among Medicare beneficiaries with ICDs, small increases in PA were associated with significant reductions in all-cause mortality.
Notes sur Ḥasan Aġa, gouverneur d’Alger (1533–1544)
Authors: Vatin Nicolas
Published: July 2021

Ḥasan Aġa remplaça à Alger son maître Hayr ed-Dîn Barberousse de 1533 à 1544. Mais on ne dispose pas d’étude systématique récente à son sujet. Tel est l’objet de cet article. Fondé sur la comparaison de l’ensemble des sources publiées (archives ou chroniques arabes, ottomanes ou espagnoles), il en souligne les convergences ou les contradictions, rétablit quelques vérités et s’interroge sur la nature et l’action du personnage : serviteur fidèle du sultan ottoman et de Hayr ed-Dîn, mais diffèrent de ce dernier par sa personnalité et son mode de gouvernement il fut un local, le premier Ottoman algérois au pouvoir.
Description of a new genus and species, Portentus marschneri (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), from Penang National Park, Malaysia
Authors: TRÝZNA MILOŠ , BAŇAŘ PETR
Published: July 2021

A new genus and species, Portentus marschneri Trýzna & Baňař gen. nov. & sp. nov. (Anthribidae: Anthribinae: Phloeophilini), from Penang National Park, Malaysia is described. Male genitalia are studied and illustrated and colour photographs are provided. A key is provided to distinguish Portentus from similar Palaearctic and Oriental genera of the tribe Phloeophilini: Phloeophilus Schoenherr, 1833, Bothrus Wolfrum, 1956, and Morimotanthribus Senoh & Trýzna, 2006.
A new termitophilous genus and species of the tribe Amarygmini Gistel, 1848 from China (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Authors: JIANG RI-XIN , SONG HAI-TIAN , HE XUE-YOU , ENGEL MICHAEL S. , WANG SHUO
Published: July 2021

A new genus and species, Termitocnemis huangi gen. et sp. nov., of the tenebrionine tribe Amarygmini Gistel, 1848 is described from Fujian Province, southeastern China. All specimens were collected from a healthy nest of the termite genus Nasutitermes Dudley, 1890, implying that this species is truly termitophilous. Transitional habitus characters of the new species shed further light on the evolution of amarygmine beetles from free-living to termitophily. Given the discovery of this new genus a revised key is provided to the Oriental genera of termitophilous Amarygmini.