bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemo4MetPanc: A phase II study with combination chemotherapy (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel), chemokine (C-X-C) motif receptor 4 inhibitor (motixafortide), and immune checkpoint blockade (cemiplimab) in metastatic treatment naïve pancreas adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Authors: Pellicciotta Ilenia , Alouani Emily Linda , Raufi Alexander , Pan Samuel M , Hu Jianhua , Manji Gulam Abbas
Published: January 2021

TPS454

Background: Pancreas adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer projected to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by 2030 for which improved treatment options are desperately needed. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) for PDAC has failed as monotherapy in early phase clinical trials likely due to a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The CXCR4/CXCL12 axis is a key immune evasion mechanism thought to deter CD8+ T-cells (CTLs) from infiltrating the tumor. We performed a large seven arm survival and biopsy/necropsy study in KPC mice (KrasLSL.G12D/+;p53R172H/+;Pdx1Cretg/+) where we demonstrate that addition of gemcitabine to CXCR4 inhibition in combination with ICB, enhanced tumor stabilization and neoplastic cell death, and improved survival by 50 percent. Multiplex immunofluorescence indicated an increased CTL to regulatory T-cell ratio and clustering of CTLs around neoplastic cells. Presented here is a trial-in progress that will evaluate combination of a CXCR4 inhibitor, ICB, and chemotherapy in treatment naïve patients with PDAC. Methods: This is a multicenter, single arm, open-label phase 2 study of combination motixafortide 1.25mg/kg SC monotherapy for 5 days during priming followed by twice weekly, cemiplimab 350mg IV once every 21 days, gemcitabine 1000mg/m2 IV with nab-paclitaxel 125mg/m2 IV on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days. Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic PDAC who have not received prior therapy will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is overall response rate by 16 weeks. A response rate greater than 45% by 16 weeks is considered promising, whereas a response rate of less than 23% is considered not promising. We will use a Simon optimal 2-stage design, where we will enroll 10 patients in the first stage. If 3 or more patients meet the endpoint in the first stage, the study will be expanded to a total of 40 patients. If a total of 14 or more patients achieve CR or PR by 16 weeks, the agent will be considered promising and worthy of further study. Secondary endpoints include safety, mPFS, disease control rate (DCR), and mOS. Correlative aims include analyses of pre- and on-treatment biopsies with quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence, RNA-sequencing, and generation of patient derived organoids for association with clinical benefit and to determine mechanisms of action/resistance. An interim analysis will be performed at the conclusion of the stage I portion of the study. Clinical trial information: NCT04543071.
Haematopoietic ageing through the lens of single-cell technologies
Authors: Strzelecka Paulina M. , Damm Frederik
Published: January 2021

Human lifespan is now longer than ever and, as a result, modern society is getting older. Despite that, the detailed mechanisms behind the ageing process and its impact on various tissues and organs remain obscure. In general, changes in DNA, RNA and protein structure throughout life impair their function. Haematopoietic ageing refers to the age-related changes affecting a haematopoietic system. Aged blood cells display different functional aberrations depending on their cell type, which might lead to the development of haematologic disorders, including leukaemias, anaemia or declining immunity. In contrast to traditional bulk assays, which are not suitable to dissect cell-to-cell variation, single-cell-level analysis provides unprecedented insight into the dynamics of age-associated changes in blood. In this Review, we summarise recent studies that dissect haematopoietic ageing at the single-cell level. We discuss what cellular changes occur during haematopoietic ageing at the genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and metabolomic level, and provide an overview of the benefits of investigating those changes with single-cell precision. We conclude by considering the potential clinical applications of single-cell techniques in geriatric haematology, focusing on the impact on haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the elderly and infection studies, including recent COVID-19 research.
Plasma Conversion of Toluene, Naphthalene, and Phenol as Model Tar Compounds in Simulated Synthetic Gas
Authors: Xu Ruiyang , Zhang Hao , Zhu Fengsen , Ruya Petric Marc , Yan Jianhua , Li Xiaodong
Published: January 2021

A rotating gliding arc (RGA) reactor was investigated for conversion of multiple model tar compounds including toluene, naphthalene, and phenol in simulated synthetic gas, with special focus on the effects of steam concentration (0–20%) and preheating temperature (300–700 °C). The maximum conversions of toluene, naphthalene, and phenol were 89.3%, 84.6% and 95.5%, respectively, at a steam concentration of 12% and a preheating temperature of 500 °C. The tar conversion reaction facilitated the formation of fuel gas H2 and CO and reduced the CH4 and CO2 content, thus increasing the heating value of the simulated synthetic gas, by a maximum of 5.1% at a steam concentration of 20%. The results indicated that the RGA plasma is promising for achieving efficient conversion of tar of complex composition in high temperature simulated synthetic gas and upgrading gaseous products.
Extreme deprivation and social protection in the EU
Authors: Papanastasiou Stefanos
Published: January 2021

By utilizing SILC data, the paper reveals extreme deprivation trends and patterns and assesses the role of different social protection types in this field across the EU-15. It shows that the extent of extreme deprivation is high in south European countries (and especially Greece), whereas Nordic countries exhibit very low levels. The empirical findings corroborate the significance of social protection in tackling extreme deprivation through both in-cash and particularly in-kind benefits.
Experiencia y Transformación de la Percepción del Mundo en Pierre Hadot
Authors: Maciel Josemar De Campos , Trevizan Marcio Bogaz
Published: January 2021

O texto apresenta a gênese e a importância do conceito de "Sentimento Oceânico" em Pierre Hadot. Além de ser um conhecido historiador das ideias, Hadot possui uma contribuição filosófica fecunda, que se desdobra entre a fenomenologia e a filosofia histórica, em uma visão prática da experiência e atividade humanas. O núcleo desta visão se inspira em uma concepção particular da relação entre homem e realidade, que ele elabora ao redor de uma progressão de experiências, refinando o conceito de "Sentimento Oceânico", que toma de empréstimo a outros autores. Neste texto apresentamos essa elaboração, em que Hadot entrelaça experiência e reflexão. Ainda, argumentamos que é daí que surge seu merecimento de um espaço especial na filosofia do século vinte: o espaço intersticial entre a história e a experiência, para o fazer intelectual e a reflexão filosófica. No primeiro momento do artigo, partimos de textos e entrevistas de Hadot para apresentar a gênese da noção de "Sentimento Oceânico" em sua obra. Em seguida, elaboramos grandes traços à densidade do conceito, que serve à reflexão filosófica e que, ademais, possui um grande potencial para o estudo da experiência humana.
An Evidence-based Protocol for the Management of Orthodontic Patients Undergoing MRI Scans
Authors: Shivam Rachael , Rogers Sheelagh , Drage Nicholas
Published: January 2021

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses strong magnetic fields, magnetic gradients and radio waves to produce images of the body. The demand for MRI is steadily increasing as it does not use ionizing radiation and has excellent soft tissue contrast. Certain materials used in components of fixed orthodontic appliances can cause unwanted effects and affect the diagnostic quality of MR images by producing artefacts. This article proposes an evidence-based protocol that aims to standardize the management of orthodontic patients undergoing MRI scans.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: As the use of MRI continues to increase, it is becoming more likely that orthodontists will encounter patients requiring MRI scans of the head and neck region during the course of their orthodontic treatment.
Female leader popularity and the vote, 1996–2016: a global exploratory analysis
Authors: Dassonneville Ruth , Quinlan Stephen , McAllister Ian
Published: January 2021

Female politicians are assumed to suffer from gender bias in the political arena but existing research finds little evidence of an electoral cost to being a female candidate. Existing studies, however, have focused mostly on candidates, not leaders for top political office. Also, most evidence on this topic comes from a small number of countries. Using data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems Integrated Module Dataset, covering 600 leaders in 46 states globally over 20 years, we show that even though female party leaders are, on average, more liked than male leaders, this advantage is limited to experienced politicians. Furthermore, we demonstrate that despite this popularity advantage, parties that have a female leader do not appear to benefit from their leadership electorally.
Fast phase extraction of a synthetic wavelength from a dual-wavelength interferogram through Hilbert transformation
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Liang Yu , Zou Yang , Shen Qibao , Xue Shuangshuang , Wang Yawei , Zhu Shining
Published: January 2021

Phase imaging is an important measurement method in optical metrology, and phase extraction is one of its essential components. A method using one-frame dual-wavelength interferometry (DWI) for fast phase extraction is proposed. Using this method, the Hilbert transform (HT) is applied twice to a wavelength-multiplexed interferogram to obtain two images. The HT is then applied twice to the sum of the squares of these two images. The synthetic wavelength phase can then be obtained. Compared with other common multiple-frame DWI methods, the proposed approach requires only one multiplexed interferogram and does not have to consider parameter changes in interferograms of different frames. Furthermore, the proposed method was determined to require the least calculation time, and the simulation and experimental results confirmed its high accuracy and efficiency. It suggests that the proposed method is suitable for real-time measurements.
Deep neural network for fringe pattern filtering and normalization
Authors: Reyes-Figueroa Alan , Flores Victor H. , Rivera Mariano
Published: January 2021

We propose a new framework for processing fringe patterns (FPs). Our novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach builds upon the hypothesis that the denoising and normalization of FPs can be learned by a deep neural network if enough pairs of corrupted and ideal FPs are provided. The main contributions of this paper are the following: (1) we propose the use of the U-net neural network architecture for FP normalization tasks; (2) we propose a modification for the distribution of weights in the U-net, called here the V-net model, which is more convenient for reconstruction tasks, and we conduct extensive experimental evidence in which the V-net produces high-quality results for FP filtering and normalization; (3) we also propose two modifications of the V-net scheme, namely, a residual version called ResV-net and a fast operating version of the V-net, to evaluate potential improvements when modifying our proposal. We evaluate the performance of our methods in various scenarios: FPs corrupted with different degrees of noise, and corrupted with different noise distributions. We compare our methodology versus other state-of-the-art methods. The experimental results (on both synthetic and real data) demonstrate the capabilities and potential of this new paradigm for processing interferograms.
Propagating-order scattering matrix of conically mounted and crossed gratings
Authors: Li Lifeng
Published: January 2021

A systematic and formal study of the global and elemental properties of the propagating-order scattering matrix of conically mounted and crossed gratings is presented. The most general formulation of the scattering matrix is established. Expressions of the global properties (reciprocity and unitarity) of the scattering matrix (

S

matrix) in the general form previously not available in the literature are presented in the main text, and their full mathematical derivations are given in two appendices. The distinctive contribution of this work is an exposition of the elemental properties of the

S

matrix. The elemental

S

tensor and the elemental

S

matrix, the latter being the linear-space representation of the former, for a pair of an incident plane wave and a diffracted order are defined and studied. The key results of the exposition are two sum rules of diffraction efficiencies and a dot-product-free, vectorial reciprocity theorem.
Genome-wide identification of Aedes albopictus long noncoding RNAs and their association with dengue and Zika virus infection
Authors: Azlan Azali , Obeidat Sattam M. , Theva Das Kumitaa , Yunus Muhammad Amir , Azzam Ghows
Published: January 2021

The Asian tiger mosquito,Aedes albopictus(Ae.albopictus), is an important vector that transmits arboviruses such as dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to regulate various biological processes. Knowledge onAe.albopictuslncRNAs and their functional role in virus-host interactions are still limited. Here, we identified and characterized the lncRNAs in the genome of an arbovirus vector,Ae.albopictus, and evaluated their potential involvement in DENV and ZIKV infection. We used 148 public datasets, and identified a total of 10, 867 novel lncRNA transcripts, of which 5,809, 4,139, and 919 were intergenic, intronic and antisense respectively. TheAe.albopictuslncRNAs shared many characteristics with other species such as short length, low GC content, and low sequence conservation. RNA-sequencing ofAe.albopictuscells infected with DENV and ZIKV showed that the expression of lncRNAs was altered upon virus infection. Target prediction analysis revealed thatAe.albopictuslncRNAs may regulate the expression of genes involved in immunity and other metabolic and cellular processes. To verify the role of lncRNAs in virus infection, we generated mutations in lncRNA loci using CRISPR-Cas9, and discovered that two lncRNA loci mutations, namely XLOC_029733 (novel lncRNA transcript id: lncRNA_27639.2) and LOC115270134 (known lncRNA transcript id: XR_003899061.1) resulted in enhancement of DENV and ZIKV replication. The results presented here provide an important foundation for future studies of lncRNAs and their relationship with virus infection inAe.albopictus.
Burden of depression and anxiety among leprosy affected and associated factors—A cross sectional study from India
Authors: Govindasamy Karthikeyan , Jacob Immanuel , Solomon Raju Moturu , Darlong Joydeepa
Published: January 2021

Background

Leprosy is a Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) known to cause stigma and discrimination in low-and middle-income countries. It often results in visible impairments, thus pre-disposing to poor mental health. Aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among people affected by Leprosy and to determine the associated factors.

Methodology/Principal findings

A multi-centric, cross-sectional study was carried out in four leprosy endemic states of India—Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in randomly selected blocks (a sub-unit of district), from one district in each state. From selected blocks those registered for leprosy treatment at public health or referral centres, people above the age of 18 years were interviewed with PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires for Depression and Anxiety, respectively. Disease profile like leprosy classification, deformity grade, number and site of the patches and socio-economic status were collected along with individual data.

Of the total 220 respondents, prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was, 33% (73) and 19% (42), respectively. Presence of disability (47%) and Female gender (46%) were significantly associated with depression. Presence of disability (32%), Lower income group (27%) and low education (22%) were significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety. As the severity of disability increased, risk of developing depression and anxiety increased.

Conclusion

The study indicates that more than 30% of people affected by leprosy have mental health problems, which emphasizes the importance of mental health care services in leprosy. Women, those who had lower level of education, those belonging to lower socio-economic status and those with any level of disability due to leprosy are at risk of developing depression and/or anxiety. The study concludes more attention to be paid to the categories identified to be at risk.
Phenoxyalkylimidazoles with an oxadiazole moiety are subject to efflux in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Thayer Mai B. , Parish Tanya
Published: January 2021

The phenoxyalkylimidazoles (PAI) are an attractive chemical series with potent anti-tubercular activity targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis respiration. Our aim was to determine if the PAI compounds are subject to efflux. Two analogs containing an oxadiazole had improved potency in the presence of the efflux inhibitors reserpine and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazine, whereas the potency of analogs with a diazole was not affected.
Contribution of viral infection to risk for cancer in systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Johnson Deborah K. , Reynolds Kaylia M. , Poole Brian D. , Montierth Matthew D. , Todd Vera M. , Barnado April , Davis Mary F.
Published: January 2021

Patients with autoimmune disorders (AD) have altered cancer risks compared to the general population. Systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis lead to a heightened risk for hematological malignancies and decreased risk for breast, ovarian, and prostate malignancies. Often patients with autoimmune disease have dysregulated antiviral immune responses, including against oncogenic viruses. To uncover the relationship between viral incidence and cancer risk in the context of autoimmune disease, we extracted electronic health records (EHR) from Vanderbilt University. ICD-9/10 codes and laboratory values were collected for hematological, lung, anal-vaginal, thyroid, hepatobiliary, bladder, prostate, and breast cancers; and viruses including Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Human papilloma virus (HPV), and Hepatitis A/B/C (Hep). Only viral infections that led to a physician visit or laboratory test were entered into the EMR; therefore, only clinically relevant cases were noted and considered positive in this study. The relationship between virus infection and cancer in an SLE cohort (SLE-cases n = 2,313, and SLE-controls n = 5,702) and an MS cohort (MS-case n = 7,277, MS-control n = 7,277) was examined by multilinear logistic regression. Viral infection was strongly associated with increased risk for cancer overall. SLE and MS patients were more susceptible to all viral infections. MS patients trended toward increased risk for cancers overall, while decreased risk for hormone-based cancers in SLE patients non-significantly reduced their risk for overall cancer. Both SLE and MS patients had increased clinically relevant EBV infection, which was associated with risk for hematological cancers. Preventing viral infections by vaccination may be especially helpful in controlling risk for cancer in SLE and MS patients.
Experimental study on corrosion resistance of coiled tubing welds in high temperature and pressure environment
Authors: Liu Shaohu , Yuanliang Liu , Hong Zhong , Jiayan Zou , Dong Yang
Published: January 2021

Coiled tubing (CT) has been widely used for oil and gas exploitation, however corrosion of CT under high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) environment was often reported, also corrosion induced failures of CT welds were often observed to occur during service. Corrosion related behaviors of CT welds are not clear. Therefore, a study of the corrosion resistance of CT welds under HPHT environment is carried out. In order to efficiently evaluate the corrosion resistance of welds, some test samples were obtained by linear cutting out of a CT110 in service on the site. The water samples from gas field were used as the test reagent to simulate the actual corrosive medium. Based on the results of weight loss test under HPHT corrosive environment and tensile test under room conditions, the corrosion sensitivities of the welding seam and base material under various temperatures and partial pressures of CO2 as well as the mechanical properties of the corroded CT were compared and evaluated quantitatively, the corrosion morphologies and material products of the test samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The test results showed that the corrosion rates of the welding seam in a HPHT caldron were 1.7, 2.0 and 1.2 times of the base metal’s when the total pressure is 4MPa, and the temperature is 30°C, 60°C and 90°C, respectively. The corrosion rates of the welding seam is 2.0, 2.1 and 2.0 times of the base metal’s when the partial pressure of CO2 is 0.1MPa, 0.2MPa and 0.3MPa, respectively. The yield strength of the weld seam after corrosion test was found to be reduced by 4.8% (the yield strength of the base metal was reduced by 4.0%) and its tensile strength was reduced by 8.2% (the base metal was reduced by 7.1%). This indicates that CT weld seam is more susceptible to corrosion than CT base material under service condition.
Estrogen is required for maintaining the quality of cardiac stem cells
Authors: Hasan Al Shaimaa , Luo Lan , Baba Satoko , Li Tao-Sheng
Published: January 2021

Compared to the age-matched men, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is lower in premenopausal but higher in postmenopausal women, suggesting the cardio-protective role of estrogen in females. Although cardiac stem cells (CSCs) express estrogen receptors, yet the effects of estrogen on CSCs remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential role of estrogen in maintaining the quality of CSCs byin vivoandin vitroexperiments. For thein vivostudy, estrogen deficiency was induced by ovariectomy in 6-weeks-old C57BL/6 female mice, and then randomly given 17β-estradiol (E2) replacements at a low dose (0.01 mg/60 days) and high dose (0.18 mg/60 days), or vehicle treatment. All mice were killed 2 months after treatments, and heart tissues were collected forex vivoexpansion of CSCs. Compared to age-matched healthy controls, estrogen deficiency slightly decreased the yield of CSCs with significantly lower telomerase activity and more DNA damage. Interestingly, E2replacements at low and high doses significantly increased the yield of CSCs and reversed the quality impairment of CSCs following estrogen deficiency. For thein vitrostudy, twice-passaged CSCs from the hearts of adult healthy female mice were cultured with the supplement of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μM E2in the medium for 3 days. We found that E2supplement increased c-kit expression, increased proliferative activity, improved telomerase activity, and reduced DNA damage of CSCs in a dose-dependent manner. Our data suggested the potential role of estrogen in maintaining the quality of CSCs, providing new insight into the cardio-protective effects of estrogen.
Determining factors for the prevalence of depressive symptoms among postpartum mothers in lowland region in southern Nepal
Authors: Singh Devendra Raj , Sunuwar Dev Ram , Adhikari Shraddha , Singh Sunita , Karki Kshitij
Published: January 2021

Background

Postpartum depression is the most common mental health problem among women of childbearing age in resource-poor countries. Poor maternal mental health is linked with both acute and chronic negative effects on the growth and development of the child. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among postpartum mothers in the lowland region in southern Nepal.

Methods

A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from 1stJuly to 25thAugust 2019 among 415 randomly selected postpartum mothers attending the child immunization clinic at Narayani hospital. The postpartum depressive symptoms were measured using the validated Nepalese version of the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The data were entered into EpiData software 3.1v and transferred into Stata version 14.1 (StataCorp LP, College Station, Texas) for statistical analyses. To identify the correlates, backward stepwise binary logistic regression models were performed separately for the dichotomized outcomes: the presence of postpartum depressive symptoms. The statistical significance was considered at p-value <0.05 with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Among the total 415 study participants, 33.7% (95% CI: 29.2–38.5%) of postpartum mothers had depressive symptoms. Study participant’s whose family monthly income <150 USD compared to ≥150 USD (aOR = 13.76, 95% CI: 6.54–28.95), the husband had migrated for employment compared to not migrated (aOR = 8.19, 95% CI:4.11–15.87), nearest health facility located at more than 60 minutes of walking distance (aOR = 4.52, 95% CI: 2.26–9.03), delivered their last child by cesarean section compared to normal (vaginal) delivery (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.12–3.59) and received less than four recommended antenatal care (ANC) visits (aOR = 2.28, 95% CI:1.25–4.15) had higher odds of depressive symptoms. Participants who had planned pregnancy (aOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25–0.77) were associated with 56% lower odds of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

One-third of the mothers suffered from postpartum depressive symptoms. The participant’s husband migrated for employment, family income, distance to reach a health facility, delivery by cesarean section, not receiving recommended ANC visits, and plan of pregnancy were independent predictors for postpartum depressive symptoms. The study results warranted the urgency for clinical diagnosis of PPD and implementation of preventive package in study settings. Mental health education to pregnant women during ANC visits and proper counseling during the antepartum and postpartum period can also play a positive role in preventing postpartum depression.
Integrating gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes care into primary health care: Lessons from prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in South Africa - A mixed methods study
Authors: Mutabazi Jean Claude , Enok Bonong Pascal Roland , Trottier Helen , Ware Lisa Jayne , Norris Shane A. , Murphy Katherine , Levitt Naomi , Zarowsky Christina
Published: January 2021

Background

Implementation of the programmes for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) into antenatal care over the last three decades could inform implementation of interventions for other health challenges such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study assessed PMTCT outcomes, and how GDM screening, care, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) prevention were integrated into PMTCT in Western Cape (WC), South Africa.

Methods

A convergent mixed methods and triangulation design were used. Content and thematic analysis of PMTCT-related policy documents and of 30 semi-structured interviews with HIV/PMTCT experts, health care workers and women under PMTC diagnosed with GDM complement quantitative longitudinal analysis of PMTCT implementation indicators across the WC for 2012–2017.

Results

Provincial PMTCT and Post Natal Care (PNC) documents emphasized the importance of PMTCT, but GDM screening and T2DM prevention were not covered. Data on women with both HIV and GDM were not available and GDM screening was not integrated into PMTCT. Women who attended HIV counselling and testing annually increased at 17.8% (95% CI: 12.9% - 22.0%), while women who delivered under PMTCT increased at 3.1% (95% CI: 0.6% - 5.9%) annually in the WC. All 30 respondents favour integrating GDM screening and T2DM prevention initiatives into PMTCT.

Conclusion

PMTCT programmes have not yet integrated GDM care. However, Western Cape PMTCT integration experience suggests that antenatal GDM screening and post-partum initiatives for preventing or delaying T2DM can be successfully integrated into PMTCT and primary care.
Shear models and parametric analysis of the PVC geomembrane-cushion interface in a high rock-fill dam
Authors: Liu Yun-Feng , Gu Ke , Shu Yi-Ming , Zhang Xian-Lei , Liu Xin-Xin , Mao Wen-long
Published: January 2021

As a type of flexible impermeable material, a PVC geomembrane must be cooperatively used with cushion materials. The contact interface between a PVC geomembrane and cushion easily loses stability. In this present paper, we analyzed the shear models and parameters of the interface to study the stability. Two different cushion materials were used: the common extrusion sidewall and non-fines concrete. To simulate real working conditions, flexible silicone cushions were added under the loading plates to simulate hydraulic pressure loading, and the loading effect of flexible silicone cushions was demonstrated by measuring the actual contact areas under different normal pressures between the geomembrane and cushion using the thin-film pressure sensor. According to elastomer shear stress, there are two main types of shear stress between the PVC geomembrane and the cushion: viscous shear stress and hysteresis shear stress. The viscous shear stress between the geomembrane and the cement grout was measured using a dry, smooth concrete sample, then the precise formula parameters of the viscous shear stress and viscous friction coefficient were obtained. The hysteresis shear stress between the geomembrane and the cushion was calculated by subtracting the viscous shear stress from the total shear stress. The formula parameters of the hysteresis shear stress and hysteresis friction coefficient were calculated. The three-dimensional box-counting dimensions of the cushion surface were calculated, and the formula parameters of the hysteresis friction were positively correlated with the three-dimensional box dimensions.
Prism adaptation treatment to address spatial neglect in an intensive rehabilitation program: A randomized pilot and feasibility trial
Authors: Vilimovsky Tomas , Chen Peii , Hoidekrova Kristyna , Petioky Jakub , Harsa Pavel
Published: January 2021

Spatial neglect (SN) is a common cognitive disorder after brain injury. Prism adaptation treatment (PAT) is one of the promising interventions for SN albeit inconsistent results from previous studies. We carried out a comparison intervention (PAT vs. Sham) and aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PAT on visuospatial symptoms of SN in an inpatient rehabilitation setting that offered a highly intensive comprehensive brain injury rehabilitation program. A total of 34 patients with moderate-to-severe SN secondary to stroke or traumatic brain injury were randomized to the PAT group and the Sham group (an active control group). Both groups received 10 sessions of treatment, over two weeks, in addition to the rehabilitation therapies provided by their rehabilitation care teams. Outcomes were measured using an ecological instrument (the Catherine Bergego Scale) and paper-and-pencil tests (the Bells Test, the Line Bisection Test and the Scene Copying Test). Patients were assessed at baseline, immediately after treatment, two weeks after treatment, and four weeks after treatment. 23 (67.6%) patients completed treatment and all the assessment sessions and were included in the final analyses using mixed linear modeling. While SN symptoms reduced in both groups, we found no difference between the two groups in the degree of improvement. In addition, the average SN recovery rates were 39.1% and 28.6% in the PAT and Sham groups, respectively, but this discrepancy did not reach statistical significance. Thus, the present study suggests that PAT may contribute little to SN care in the context of a highly intensive inpatient rehabilitation program. Further large-scale investigation is required to uncover the mechanisms underlying PAT and Sham in order to refine the treatment or create new interventions.
Perceived barriers to the uptake of health services among first-year university students in Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Musakwa Nozipho Orykah , Bor Jacob , Nattey Cornelius , Lönnermark Elisabet , Nyasulu Peter , Long Lawrence , Evans Denise
Published: January 2021

Background

Young people face many barriers to accessing appropriate health care services including screening for HIV and tuberculosis (TB). The study aimed to identify perceived barriers to the uptake of health services among young adults entering the tertiary education system in South Africa.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among first-year students aged 18–25 years, registered at one of three universities in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2017. Participants completed a self-administered paper-based questionnaire. We describe perceived barriers to accessing health services, stratified by gender and recent engagement in TB or HIV services, together with sources of information about HIV and TB.

Results

Seven hundred and ninety-two (792) students were included in the study of which 54.8% were female. Perceived barriers to accessing services included long waiting time (n = 342,43.2%), attitude of health workers (n = 263,33.2%), lack of sufficient information/poor health literacy (n = 148,18.7%), and inability to leave/stay away from studies (n = 137,17.3%). Among participants who tested for HIV in the past 6 months (n = 400, 50.5%), waiting time and attitude of health care workers were perceived as barriers to accessing services. Compared to males, females were more likely to view attitudes of health workers (40.3% vs. 25.0%; p = 0.001) and inability to leave/stay away from studies (20.5% vs.13.4%; p = 0.025) as potential barriers. While just over half of the students (50.5%; 400/792) in this study had accessed health services in the past 6 months, very few (15.0%) opted to use campus health services, and even less (5%) reported receiving information about HIV and TB from the university itself.

Conclusion

Despite perceived barriers to accessing HIV and TB services off campus, fewer than one in five students starting out at university opted to use campus health services. Campus health services could address many of the barriers unique to university students.
Hepatocellular carcinoma incidence at national and provincial levels in Iran from 2000 to 2016: A meta-regression analysis
Authors: Fattahi Nima , Rezaei Negar , Asadi-Lari Mohsen , Yousefi Moein , Madadi Zahra , Gohari Kimiya , Sheidaei Ali , Mohammadi Esmaeil , Rezaei Nazila , Parsaeian Mahboubeh , Kompani Farzad , Farzadfar Farshad
Published: January 2021

Background

The incidence of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer with high mortality, is undergoing global change due to evolving risk factor profiles. We aimed to describe the epidemiologic incidence of HCC in Iran by sex, age, and geographical distribution from 2000 to 2016.

Methods

We used the Iran Cancer Registry to extract cancer incidence data and applied several statistical procedures to overcome the dataset’s incompleteness and misclassifications. Using Spatio-temporal and random intercept mixed effect models, we imputed missing values for cancer incidence by sex, age, province, and year. Besides, we addressed case duplicates and geographical misalignments in the data.

Results

Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased 1.17 times from 0.57 (95% UI: 0.37–0.78) per 100,000 population in 2000 to 0.67 (0.50–0.85) in 2016. It had a 21.8% total percentage change increase during this time, with a 1.28 annual percentage change in both sexes. Male to female ASIR ratio was 1.51 in 2000 and 1.57 in 2016. Overall, after the age of 50 years, HCC incidence increased dramatically with age and increased from 1.19 (0.98–1.40) in the 50–55 age group to 6.65 (5.45–7.78) in the >85 age group. The geographical distribution of this cancer was higher in the central, southern, and southwestern regions of Iran.

Conclusion

The HCC incidence rate increased from 2000 to 2016, with a more significant increase in subgroups such as men, individuals over 50 years of age, and the central, southern, and southwestern regions of the country. We recommend health planners and policymakers to adopt more preventive and screening strategies for high-risk populations and provinces in Iran.
Novel online Recommendation algorithm for Massive Open Online Courses (NoR-MOOCs)
Authors: Khalid Asra , Lundqvist Karsten , Yates Anne , Ghzanfar Mustansar Ali
Published: January 2021

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained in popularity over the last few years. The space of online learning resources has been increasing exponentially and has created a problem of information overload. To overcome this problem, recommender systems that can recommend learning resources to users according to their interests have been proposed. MOOCs contain a huge amount of data with the quantity of data increasing as new learners register. Traditional recommendation techniques suffer from scalability, sparsity and cold start problems resulting in poor quality recommendations. Furthermore, they cannot accommodate the incremental update of the model with the arrival of new data making them unsuitable for MOOCs dynamic environment. From this line of research, we propose a novel online recommender system, namely NoR-MOOCs, that is accurate, scales well with the data and moreover overcomes previously recorded problems with recommender systems. Through extensive experiments conducted over the COCO data-set, we have shown empirically that NoR-MOOCs significantly outperforms traditional KMeans and Collaborative Filtering algorithms in terms of predictive and classification accuracy metrics.
Intrinsic apoptosis and cytokine induction regulated in human tonsillar epithelial cells infected with enterovirus A71
Authors: Sun Menghuai , Yan Kunlong , Wang Chunyang , Xing Jiao , Duan Zhaojun , Jin Yu , Cardona Carol J. , Xing Zheng
Published: January 2021

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) has emerged as a clinically important neurotropic virus following poliovirus eradication. Recent studies have shown that human tonsillar epithelial cell lines (UT-SCC-60A and UT-SCC-60B) were susceptible to EV-A71, suggesting that human tonsillar crypt epithelium could be important in EV-A71 pathogenesis. However, the mechanism about how EV-A71 infects the upper oro-digestive tract remains largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the human tonsillar epithelial cells infected with EV-A71 underwent apoptotic, in which cytochrome c was released from the mitochondria to the cytosol and caspase-9 was activated, while caspase-2 and -8 were not cleaved or activated during the infection. A selective inhibitor of caspase-9, Z-LEHD-FMK, inhibited the cleavage of the executioner caspase-3 and -7, indicating that only mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway was activated in EV-A71-infected tonsillar epithelial cells. No evidence of pyroptosis or necroptosis was involved in the cell death. EV-A71 infection induced interferon, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IFN-β, IL-6, CCL5, and TNF-α in tonsillar epithelial cells, which may play a critical role in EV-A71-caused herpangina. Our data indicated that the induction of the cytokines was partially regulated by the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway. The findings unveiled the host response to EV-A71 and its regulation mechanism, and will further our understanding the significance about the tonsillar crypt epithelium as the initial and primary portal in viral pathogenesis for EV-A71 infection.
Development of a brain-computer interface for patients in the critical care setting
Authors: Eliseyev Andrey , Gonzales Ian Jerome , Le Anh , Doyle Kevin , Egbebike Jennifer , Velazquez Angela , Agarwal Sachin , Roh David , Park Soojin , Connolly E. Sander , Claassen Jan
Published: January 2021

Objective

Behaviorally unresponsive patients in intensive care units (ICU) are unable to consistently and effectively communicate their most fundamental physical needs. Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology has been established in the clinical context, but faces challenges in the critical care environment. Contrary to cue-based BCIs, which allow activation only during pre-determined periods of time, self-paced BCI systems empower patients to interact with others at any time. The study aims to develop a self-paced BCI for patients in the intensive care unit.

Methods

BCI experiments were conducted in 18 ICU patients and 5 healthy volunteers. The proposed self-paced BCI system analyzes EEG activity from patients while these are asked to control a beeping tone by performing a motor task (i.e., opening and closing a hand). Signal decoding is performed in real time and auditory feedback given via headphones. Performance of the BCI system was judged based on correlation between the optimal and the observed performance.

Results

All 5 healthy volunteers were able to successfully perform the BCI task, compared to chance alone (p<0.001). 5 of 14 (36%) conscious ICU patients were able to perform the BCI task. One of these 5 patients was quadriplegic and controlled the BCI system without any hand movements. None of the 4 unconscious patients were able to perform the BCI task.

Conclusions

More than one third of conscious ICU patients and all healthy volunteers were able to gain control over the self-paced BCI system. The initial 4 unconscious patients were not. Future studies will focus on studying the ability of behaviorally unresponsive patients with cognitive motor dissociation to control the self-paced BCI system.
A semi-centralized blockchain system with multi-chain for auditing communications of Wide Area Protection System
Authors: Wang Yong , Li June , Yan Yunsong , Chen Xiong , Yu Fajiang , Zhao Siyu , Yu Tongwei , Feng Ke
Published: January 2021

Wide Area Protection System (WAPS) undertakes the important task of maintaining system reliability and stability when the power system is subject to abnormal or predetermined unstable conditions. The existing WAPS adopts a centralized mechanism to record and audit communication messages, which faces the risk of excessive authority and tampering with communication records and audit logs, thus making it impossible to achieve true transparency and fairness. Due to the involvement of multiple parties and equipment maintained by different manufacturers in the communication of WAPS, there are difficulties in tracing the cause of the accident and determining the at-fault party following misoperations and miss trips. To address this issue, we propose a semi-centralized blockchain system with multi-chain for auditing communications of WAPS. We first propose a semi-centralized system architecture according to the system architecture and management requirements of WAPS. Then, we utilize the blockchain network as a self-recording channel to achieve tamper-proof and non-repudiation verification interaction. We also design a multi-chain structure and classification node mechanism to meet the communication auditing requirements of multiple WAPS. We have designed a new block structure that conforms to the communication protocol of WAPS. To reduce the storage burden caused by the ever-expanding blockchain ledger, we propose a deletable blockchain scheme while maintaining the integrity and security of blockchain. Analysis and experiments show that the proposed blockchain system can support the secure, transparent, tamper-proof and traceable communication recording and auditing of WAPS along with high performance.
Study on novel modified large mesoporous silica FDU-12/polymer matrix nanocomposites for adsorption of Pb(II)
Authors: Ghaforinejad Hamed , Mazaheri Hossein , Hassani Joshaghani Ali , Marjani Azam
Published: January 2021

In this study, porous methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6 nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile solution casting protocol. The physicochemical properties of the prepared materials were studied using various characterization techniques including Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. After characterization of the materials, the prepared nanocomposites were applied as novel adsorbents for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous media. In this regard, the effect of various parameters including solution pH, adsorbent amount, contact time, and initial concentration of Pb(II) on the adsorption process was investigated. To study the mechanism of adsorption, kinetic studies were conducted. The kinetic models of pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion were employed. The results revealed that the adsorption of Pb(II) onto methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6 adsorbents followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Also, different isotherms including Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich were applied to evaluate the equilibrium adsorption data. Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit with the equilibrium data of both adsorbents with maximum adsorption capacities of 99.0 and 94.3 mg g-1 for methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6, respectively, for the removal of Pb(II).
A novel antibody for the detection of alternatively spliced secreted KLOTHO isoform in human plasma
Authors: Jadhav Shreyas , Tripathi Sudipta , Chandrekar Anil , Waikar Sushrut S. , Hsiao Li-Li
Published: January 2021

αKlotho is primarily known to express as a transmembrane protein. Proteolytic cleavage results in shedding of the extracellular domain which enters systemic circulation. A truncated form of αKlotho resulting from alternative splicing of the αKLOTHO transcript exists and is believed to be secreted, thereby also entering systemic circulation. Existing ELISA methods fail to distinguish between the two circulating isoforms resulting in inconsistencies in assessing circulating αKlotho levels. We have exploited a unique 15aa peptide sequence present in the alternatively spliced secreted isoform to generate an antibody and show that it is able to specifically detect only the secreted Klotho isoform in human plasma. This finding will facilitate in distinguishing the levels of different circulating Klotho isoforms in health and disease and enhance their potential to serve as a biomarker for CKD and other conditions.
A new regression model for bounded response variable: An alternative to the beta and unit-Lindley regression models
Authors: Altun Emrah , El-Morshedy M. , Eliwa M. S.
Published: January 2021

A new distribution defined on (0,1) interval is introduced. Its probability density and cumulative distribution functions have simple forms. Thanks to its simple forms, the moments, incomplete moments and quantile function of the proposed distribution are derived and obtained in explicit forms. Four parameter estimation methods are used to estimate the unknown parameter of the distribution. Besides, simulation study is implemented to compare the efficiencies of these parameter estimation methods. More importantly, owing to the proposed distribution, we provide an alternative regression model for the bounded response variable. The proposed regression model is compared with the beta and unit-Lindley regression models based on two real data sets.