bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcification and abscess formation around the catheter tip of a central venous access port: a case report
Authors: Takami Tomoya , Fukuda Keisuke , Yasuda Koji , Kasyu Nozomi , Yoshitake Hiroyuki , Hatano Kotaro , Kataoka Naoki , Yamaguchi Tomoyuki , Tomita Masafumi , Shono Yoshiharu , Makimoto Shinichiro
Published: January 2020

Background

Thrombosis of the internal jugular vein occasionally occurs in association with long-term placement of a central venous catheter; however, such complications rarely involve calcification within the blood vessels. We report a case of calcification and abscess formation around a central venous catheter tip.

Case presentation

Our patient was an 84-year-old Asian woman who developed a fever that had started approximately 5 months after the placement of a central venous catheter. At the time of presentation, blood tests showed a marked inflammatory response, and chest computed tomography showed a high absorption area and air density around the catheter tip. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with abnormal intravascular calcification and a deep neck abscess associated with long-term central venous catheter placement. The initial plan was to administer antibiotics and remove the central venous catheter. However, central venous catheter removal was deemed difficult due to the calcification and therefore required an incision. Because of the patient’s advanced age and dementia, her family requested antibiotic treatment only. Following antibiotic treatment, the patient’s inflammatory response normalized, and her fever resolved. The treatment was discontinued, and the patient’s condition gradually stabilized.

Conclusions

Catheter-related complications of central venous catheter placement include vascular occlusion, extravasation of the infusion, and infection. However, abnormal calcification in the blood vessels is extremely rare, and there has been only one case report of a neonate with central venous catheter-related vascular calcification in Japan. The etiology of intravascular calcification is considered to be related to the infusion content and the infusion rate of high caloric infusions and blood products. The incidence of complications associated with long-term central venous catheter placement is expected to increase with the increasing aging of the population and advances in chemotherapy. The report of the clinical course of this rare case adds to the body of knowledge in this area.
6β-Hydroxytestosterone, a metabolite of testosterone generated by CYP1B1, contributes to vascular changes in angiotensin II-induced hypertension in male mice
Authors: Pingili Ajeeth K. , Jennings Brett L. , Mukherjee Kamalika , Akroush Wadah , Gonzalez Frank J. , Malik Kafait U.
Published: January 2020

Background

Previously, we showed that 6β-hydroxytestosterone (6β-OHT), a cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1)-derived metabolite of testosterone, contributes to angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension in male mice. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that 6β-OHT contributes to increased vascular reactivity, endothelial dysfunction, vascular hypertrophy, and reactive oxygen species production associated with Ang II-induced hypertension.

Methods

Eight- to 10-week-old intact or castrated C57BL/6 J (Cyp1b1+/+ and Cyp1b1−/−) mice were anesthetized for implantation of a micro-osmotic pump which delivered Ang II (700 ng/kg/day) or saline for 14 days. Mice were injected with 6β-OHT (15 μg/g b.w every third day), flutamide (8 mg/kg every day), or its vehicle. Blood pressure was measured via tail-cuff. Vascular reactivity, endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vasodilation, media to lumen ratio, fibrosis by collagen deposition, and reactive oxygen species production by dihydroethidium staining were determined in the isolated thoracic aorta.

Results

The response of thoracic aorta to phenylephrine and endothelin-1 was increased in Ang II-infused Cyp1b1+/+ mice compared to intact Cyp1b1−/− or castrated Cyp1b1+/+ and Cyp1b1−/− mice; these effects of Ang II were restored by treatment with 6β-OHT. Ang II infusion caused endothelial dysfunction, as indicated by decreased relaxation of the aorta to acetylcholine in Cyp1b1+/+ but not Cyp1b1−/− or castrated Cyp1b1+/+ and Cyp1b1−/− mice. 6β-OHT did not alter Ang II-induced endothelial dysfunction in Cyp1b1+/+ mice but restored it in Cyp1b1−/− or castrated Cyp1b1+/+ and Cyp1b1−/− mice. Ang II infusion increased media to lumen ratio and caused fibrosis and reactive oxygen species production in the aorta of Cyp1b1+/+ mice. These effects were minimized in the aorta of Cyp1b1−/− or castrated Cyp1b1+/+ and Cyp1b1−/− mice and restored by treatment with 6β-OHT. Treatment with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide reduced blood pressure and vascular hypertrophy in castrated Ang II-infused mice injected with 6β-OHT.

Conclusions

6β-OHT is required for the action of Ang II to increase vascular reactivity and cause endothelial dysfunction, hypertrophy, and increase in oxygen radical production. The effect of 6β-OHT in mediating Ang II-induced hypertension and associated hypertrophy is dependent on the androgen receptor. Therefore, CYP1B1 could serve as a novel target for the development of therapeutics to treat vascular changes in hypertensive males.
The ERG1a potassium channel increases basal intracellular calcium concentration and calpain activity in skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Whitmore Clayton , Pratt Evan P.S. , Anderson Luke , Bradley Kevin , Latour Sawyer M. , Hashmi Mariam N. , Urazaev Albert K. , Weilbaecher Rod , Davie Judith K. , Wang Wen-Horng , Hockerman Gregory H. , Pond Amber L.
Published: January 2020

Background

Skeletal muscle atrophy is the net loss of muscle mass that results from an imbalance in protein synthesis and protein degradation. It occurs in response to several stimuli including disease, injury, starvation, and normal aging. Currently, there is no truly effective pharmacological therapy for atrophy; therefore, exploration of the mechanisms contributing to atrophy is essential because it will eventually lead to discovery of an effective therapeutic target. The ether-a-go-go related gene (ERG1A) K+ channel has been shown to contribute to atrophy by upregulating ubiquitin proteasome proteolysis in cachectic and unweighted mice and has also been implicated in calcium modulation in cancer cells.

Methods

We transduced C2C12 myotubes with either a human ERG1A encoded adenovirus or an appropriate control virus. We used fura-2 calcium indicator to measure intracellular calcium concentration and Calpain-Glo assay kits (ProMega) to measure calpain activity. Quantitative PCR was used to monitor gene expression and immunoblot evaluated protein abundances in cell lysates. Data were analyzed using either a Student’s t test or two-way ANOVAs and SAS software as indicated.

Results

Expression of human ERG1A in C2C12 myotubes increased basal intracellular calcium concentration 51.7% (p < 0.0001; n = 177). Further, it increased the combined activity of the calcium-activated cysteine proteases, calpain 1 and 2, by 31.9% (p < 0.08; n = 24); these are known to contribute to degradation of myofilaments. The increased calcium levels are likely a contributor to the increased calpain activity; however, the change in calpain activity may also be attributable to increased calpain protein abundance and/or a decrease in levels of the native calpain inhibitor, calpastatin. To explore the enhanced calpain activity further, we evaluated expression of calpain and calpastatin genes and observed no significant differences. There was no change in calpain 1 protein abundance; however, calpain 2 protein abundance decreased 40.7% (p < 0.05; n = 6). These changes do not contribute to an increase in calpain activity; however, we detected a 31.7% decrease (p < 0.05; n = 6) in calpastatin which could contribute to enhanced calpain activity.

Conclusions

Human ERG1A expression increases both intracellular calcium concentration and combined calpain 1 and 2 activity. The increased calpain activity is likely a result of the increased calcium levels and decreased calpastatin abundance.
Uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mohamed Shukri F. , Uthman Olalekan A. , Caleyachetty Rishi , Chumo Ivy , Mutua Martin K. , Asiki Gershim , Gill Paramjit
Published: January 2020

Background

Uncontrolled hypertension is the most important risk factor and leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. It is predicted that the number of people with hypertension will increase, and a large proportion of this increase will occur in developing countries. The highest prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension is reported in sub-Saharan Africa, and treatment for hypertension is unacceptably low. Hypertension commonly co-exists with comorbidities and this is associated with poorer health outcomes for patients. This review aims to estimate the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods and analysis

All published and unpublished studies on the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa will be included. MEDLINE via OVID, Embase, and Web of Science will be searched to identify all relevant articles published from January 2000 to June 2019. Experts in the field will be contacted for unpublished literature, and Open SIGLE will be reviewed for relevant information. No language restriction will be imposed. Two reviewers will select, screen, extract data, and assess the risk of bias while a third reviewer will arbitrate the disagreements. A meta-analysis will be performed on variables that are similar across the included studies. Proportions will be stabilized before estimates are pooled using a random effects model. The presence of publication bias will be assessed using Egger’s test and visual inspection of the funnel plots. This systematic and meta-analysis review protocol will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA-P protocol guidelines. Results will be stratified by country, comorbidity, and geographic region.

Discussion

This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to quantify the magnitude of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with certain comorbid conditions in sub-Saharan Africa to guide policies and interventions. This review is registered in PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews CRD42019108218.
Maternal and birth cohort studies in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Al-Rifai Rami H. , Ali Nasloon , Barigye Esther T. , Al Haddad Amal H. I. , Al-Maskari Fatima , Loney Tom , Ahmed Luai A.
Published: January 2020

Background

We systematically reviewed and chronicled exposures and outcomes measured in the maternal and birth cohort studies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and quantitatively summarized the weighted effect estimates between maternal obesity and (1) cesarean section (CS) and (2) fetal macrosomia.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE-PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases up to 30 June 2019. We considered all maternal and birth cohort studies conducted in the six GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE)). We categorized cohort studies on the basis of the exposure(s) (anthropometric, environmental, medical, maternal/reproductive, perinatal, or socioeconomic) and outcome(s) (maternal or birth) being measured. Adjusted weighted effect estimates, in the form of relative risks, between maternal obesity and CS and fetal macrosomia were generated using a random-effects model.

Results

Of 3502 citations, 81 published cohort studies were included. One cohort study was in Bahrain, eight in Kuwait, seven in Qatar, six in Oman, 52 in Saudi Arabia, and seven in the UAE. Majority of the exposures studied were maternal/reproductive (65.2%) or medical (39.5%). Birth and maternal outcomes were reported in 82.7% and in 74.1% of the cohort studies, respectively. In Saudi Arabia, babies born to obese women were at a higher risk of macrosomia (adjusted relative risk (aRR), 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10–1.20;I2 = 50%) or cesarean section (aRR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.15–1.26;I2 = 62.0%). Several cohort studies were only descriptive without reporting the magnitude of the effect estimate between the assessed exposures and outcomes.

Conclusions

Cohort studies in the GCC have predominantly focused on reproductive and medical exposures. Obese pregnant women are at an increased risk of undergoing CS delivery or macrosomic births. Longer-term studies that explore a wider range of environmental and biological exposures and outcomes relevant to the GCC region are needed.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42017068910
Inertial hybrid algorithm for variational inequality problems in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Tian Ming , Jiang Bing-Nan
Published: January 2020

For a variational inequality problem, the inertial projection and contraction method have been studied. It has a weak convergence result. In this paper, we propose a strong convergence iterative method for finding a solution of a variational inequality problem with a monotone mapping by projection and contraction method and inertial hybrid algorithm. Our result can be used to solve other related problems in Hilbert spaces.
Numerical techniques for stochastic foot and mouth disease epidemic model with the impact of vaccination
Authors: Abodayeh Kamaleldin , Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Raza Ali , Rafiq Muhammad , Bibi Mairaj , Nazeer Amna
Published: January 2020

The spread of an epidemic diseases is stochastic in nature. It is more realistic to include this stochasticity when modelling the dynamics of a communicable disease. In this paper, a stochastic model for foot and mouth disease dynamics in animals is constructed from its corresponding deterministic model. Like the deterministic model, the dynamics of the stochastic model is also governed by a threshold parameter ${A}^{*}$A∗, called FMD generation number. If we are able to make ${A}^{*} < 1$A∗<1, then the disease will completely die out from the animal population. If ${A}^{*} > 1$A∗>1, the disease will become endemic in animals. A competitive structure preserving numerical analysis of the stochastic model in comparison with its deterministic part is presented. The proposed numerical analysis is also compared with already existing numerical techniques which may not be reliable in certain situations. Numerical experiments are performed and their results are plotted to show the strength of the proposed technique.
Implementation of human factors engineering approach to improve environmental cleaning and disinfection in a medical center
Authors: Hung I-Chen , Chang Hao-Yuan , Cheng Aristine , Chen Mei-Wen , Chen An-Chi , Ting Ling , Lai Yeur-Hur , Wang Jann-Tay , Chen Yee-Chun , Sheng Wang-Huei
Published: January 2020

Background

Inadequate hospital cleaning may contribute to cross-transmission of pathogens. It is important to implement effective cleaning for the safe hospital environment. We conducted a three-phase study using human factors engineering (HFE) approach to enhance environmental cleanliness.

Methods

This study was conducted using a prospective interventional trial, and 28 (33.3%) of 84 wards in a medical center were sampled. The three-phases included pre-intervention analysis (Phase 1), implementing interventions by HFE principles (Phase 2), and programmatic analysis (Phase 3). The evaluations of terminal cleaning and disinfection were performed using the fluorescent marker, the adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, and the aerobic colony count method simultaneously in all phases. Effective terminal cleaning and disinfection was qualified with the aggregate outcome of the same 10 high-touch surfaces per room. A score for each high-touch surface was recorded, with 0 denoting a fail and 10 denoting a pass by the benchmark of the evaluation method, and the total terminal cleaning and disinfection score (TCD score) was a score out of 100.

Results

In each phase, 840 high-touch surfaces were collected from 84 rooms after terminal cleaning and disinfection. After the interventions, the TCD score by the three evaluation methods all showed significant improved. The carriage incidence of multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) decreased significantly from 4.1 per 1000 patient-days to 3.6 per 1000 patient-days (P = .03).

Conclusion

The HFE approach can improve the thoroughness and the effectiveness of terminal cleaning and disinfection, and resulted in a reduction of patient carriage of MDRO at hospitals. Larger studies are necessary to establish whether such efforts of cleanliness can reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infection.
Preliminary evaluation of the VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator
Authors: Ryan Denise S. , Sia Rose K. , Eaddy Jennifer B. , Logan Lorie A. , Familoni Jide O. , Beydoun Hind , Rodgers Samantha B. , Rivers Bruce A.
Published: January 2020

Background

This study evaluated the VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator’s ability to assess the functional visual performance in warfighters conducting civilian and military tasks.

Methods

Thirty service members, aged 25–35 years old with a best corrected distance visual acuity (VA) better than or equal to 20/20 or logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) 0.00, were randomized to locate and identify road signs and mock improvised explosive devices (IEDs) under either daytime conditions or with infrared imagery, with (cc) and without (sc) wearing their habitual correction. Participants also underwent binocular uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) visual assessment, refraction, contrast sensitivity testing and wavefront aberrometry.

Results

The mean age was 28.47 years. The manifest spherical equivalent was − 3.16 ± 1.75 diopters (D), the UDVA in both eyes (OU) was logMAR 0.83 ± 0.47, and the CDVA OU was − 0.11 ± 0.06. For VIPER, the mean difference in the detection distance (DD) for road signs ccDD vs. scDD was 76.7 ± 52.8 m (P < 0.001). The average difference in identification distance (ID) ccID vs. scID was 13.9 ± 6.3 m (P < 0.001). The mean accuracies were 83.5 and 27.9% for cc and sc, respectively (P < 0.001). The regression analysis indicated that a 1.6 m change in the distance accounts for a 1% change in the accuracy (P = 0.002). Without correction, a 4.1 m change accounts for a 1% change in the accuracy (P < 0.001). The average IED ccDD was 29.9 ± 8.2 m, and that for scDD was 13.2 ± 13.6 m (P < 0.001). The average IED ccID was 32.2 ± 6.2 m and that for the scID was 7.4 ± 10.3 m (P < 0.001). The mean IED identification accuracy was 46.7 and 11.4% for cc and sc, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The preliminary results reflect VIPER’s ability to assess functional visual performance when detecting and identifying signs and IEDs. Furthermore, VIPER is able to detect performance changes with and without correction.
The effects of short-term combined exercise training on telomere length in obese women: a prospective, interventional study
Authors: Brandao Camila Fernanda Cunha , Nonino Carla Barbosa , de Carvalho Flavia Giolo , Nicoletti Carolina Ferreira , Noronha Natalia Yumi , San Martin Rocio , de Freitas Ellen Cristini , Junqueira-Franco Marcia Varella Morandi , Marchini Julio Sergio
Published: January 2020

Background

Telomere length is inversely associated with the senescence and aging process. Parallelly, obesity can promote telomere shortening. Evidence suggests that physical activity may promote telomere elongation.

Objective

This study’s objective is to evaluate the effects of combined exercise training on telomere length in obese women.

Design and Methods

Twenty pre-menopausal women (BMI 30–40 kg/m2, 20–40 years) submitted to combined training (strength and aerobic exercises), but only 13 finished the protocol. Each exercise session lasted 55 min/day, three times a week, throughout 8 weeks. Anthropometric data, body composition, physical performance (Vo2max), and 8-h fasting blood samples were taken before and after 8 weeks of training. Leukocyte DNA was extracted for telomere length by RT-qPCR reaction, using the 2−ΔΔCt methodology.

Results

After the training intervention, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in telomere length (respectively before and after, 1.03 ± 0.04 to 1.07 ± 0.04 T/S ratio), fat-free mass (46 ± 7 to 48 ± 5 kg), Vo2max (35 ± 3 to 38 ± 3 ml/kg/min), and waist circumference (96 ± 8 to 90 ± 6 cm). In addition, an inverse correlation between waist circumference and telomere length was found, before (r = − 0.536, p = 0.017) and after (r = − 0.655, p = 0.015) exercise training.

Conclusion

Combined exercise promoted leukocyte telomere elongation in obese women. Besides, the data suggested that greater waist circumference may predict shorter telomere length.

Clinical Trial Registration

ClinicalTrails.gov, NCT03119350. Retrospectively registered on 18 April 2017
Intergenerational differences of CSR activities in family-run businesses in eastern Thailand
Authors: Laysiriroj Sapanna , Wehrmeyer Walter
Published: January 2020

This paper looks at differences and similarities in CSR between generations of family-run businesses in Thailand, especially their motivation, behaviour, targets, activities, and expectations towards CSR. It will be argued that family-run businesses in Thailand practise CSR informally, driven by a mentality of “giving back to society” and mostly influenced by religion and culture. Family-run businesses generally approach CSR differently from larger corporations. This paper also discusses differences of priorities between 1st and 2nd generation owners, with 1st generation FRBs tend to focus on survival and growth, while the 2nd generation on profit. Despite struggling to survive, 1st generation family-run businesses are typically engaged in CSR activities which influences the 2nd generation to follow suit.
Effect of the protein elicitor AMEP412 from Bacillus subtilis artificially fed to adults of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Liu Quan , Zhang Binbin , Shen Yongrui , Yin Kuide
Published: January 2020

In a previous study, we identified a protein elicitor AMEP412 fromBacillus subtilis, which could trigger plant defense response and induce systemic acquired resistance. In the present study, the toxicity of AMEP412 against the whiteflyBemisia tabaci(Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was reported. The purified protein samples at different concentrations (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg/ml) caused 17–96% mortality 2 days post-artificial adult feeding, where the median lethal concentration (LC50) was calculated by 15.57 μg/ml. The stability test showed that AMEP412 had a good stability against thermo and natural degradation. The fluorescence localization assay revealed that AMEP412 could be taken into the whitefly adult body and localized in the gut. Based on the feature of this protein, AMEP412 was probably digested by gut proteases and led to the release of hydrophobic fragments in the insect gut. It was deduced that these hydrophobic peptides could insert themselves into the cell membrane and form lytic pores, leading to content leakage and cell lysis, followed by insect death. This study sheds a light on the toxic effect of AMEP412, which not only enriched the function of the protein elicitor but also provided a new choice for the biocontrol of whiteflies.
Late weaning is associated with increased microbial diversity and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance in the fecal microbiota of piglets
Authors: Massacci Francesca Romana , Berri Mustapha , Lemonnier Gaetan , Guettier Elodie , Blanc Fany , Jardet Deborah , Rossignol Marie Noelle , Mercat Marie-José , Doré Joël , Lepage Patricia , Rogel-Gaillard Claire , Estellé Jordi
Published: January 2020

Background

In pig production systems, weaning is a crucial period characterized by nutritional, environmental, and social stresses. Piglets transition from a milk-based diet to a solid, more complex plant-based diet, and their gut physiology must adapt accordingly. It is well established that piglets weaned later display improved health, better wean-to-finish growth performance, and lower mortality rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of weaning age on fecal microbiota diversity and composition in piglets. Forty-eight Large White piglets were divided into 4 groups of 12 animals that were weaned at different ages: 14 days (early weaning), 21 days (a common weaning age in intensive pig farming), 28 days (idem), and 42 days (late weaning). Microbiota composition was assessed in each group by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene using fecal samples taken on the day of weaning, 7 days later, and at 60 days of age.

Results

In each group, there were significant differences in fecal microbiota composition before and after weaning (p < 0.05), confirming that weaning can drastically change the gut microbiota. Microbiota diversity was positively correlated with weaning age: microbial alpha diversity and richness were higher in piglets weaned at 42 days of age both on the day of weaning and 7 days later. The abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was also higher in piglets weaned at 42 days of age.

Conclusions

Overall, these results show that late weaning increased gut microbiota diversity and the abundance of F. prausnitzii, a microorganism with positive effects in humans. Piglets might thus derive a competitive advantage from later weaning because they have more time to accumulate a higher diversity of potentially beneficial microbes prior to the stressful and risky weaning period.
Association of Prediabetes With CKD Progression and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes: An Analysis of the CRIC Study
Authors: Neves João Sérgio , Correa Simon , Baeta Baptista Rute , Bigotte Vieira Miguel , Waikar Sushrut S , Mc Causland Finnian R
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Despite our understanding of diabetes as an established risk factor for progressive kidney disease and cardiac complications, the prognostic significance of prediabetes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains largely unknown.

Methods

Participants of the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) were categorized as having normoglycemia, prediabetes, or diabetes according to fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and treatment with antidiabetic drugs at baseline. Unadjusted and adjusted proportional hazards models were fit to estimate the association of prediabetes and diabetes (versus normoglycemia) with: (1) composite renal outcome (end-stage renal disease, 50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate to ≤ 15 mL/min/1.73 m2, or doubling of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio to ≥ 0.22 g/g creatinine); (2) composite cardiovascular (CV) outcome (congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction or stroke); and (3) all-cause mortality.

Results

Of the 3701 individuals analyzed, 945 were normoglycemic, 847 had prediabetes and 1909 had diabetes. The median follow-up was 7.5 years. Prediabetes was not associated with the composite renal outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96–1.32; P = 0.14), but was associated with proteinuria progression (aHR 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03–1.47; P = 0.02). Prediabetes was associated with a higher risk of the composite CV outcome (aHR 1.38; 95% CI, 1.05–1.82; P = 0.02) and a trend towards all-cause mortality (aHR 1.28; 95% CI, 0.99–1.66; P = 0.07). Participants with diabetes had an increased risk of the composite renal outcome, the composite CV outcome, and all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

In individuals with CKD, prediabetes was not associated with composite renal outcome, but was associated with an increased risk of proteinuria progression and adverse CV outcomes.
Semi-automated construction of patient individualised clinical target volumes for radiotherapy treatment of glioblastoma utilising diffusion tensor decomposition maps
Authors: Rahmat Roushanak , Brochu Frederic , Li Chao , Sinha Rohitashwa , Price Stephen John , Jena Raj
Published: January 2020

Objectives:

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly infiltrative primary brain tumour with an aggressive clinical course. Diffusion tensor imaging (DT-MRI or DTI) is a recently developed technique capable of visualising subclinical tumour spread into adjacent brain tissue. Tensor decomposition through p and q maps can be used for planning of treatment. Our objective was to develop a tool to automate the segmentation of DTI decomposed p and q maps in GBM patients in order to inform construction of radiotherapy target volumes.

Methods:

Chan-Vese level set model is applied to segment the p map using the q map as its initial starting point. The reason of choosing this model is because of the robustness of this model on either conventional MRI or only DTI. The method was applied on a data set consisting of 50 patients having their gross tumour volume delineated on their q map and Chan-Vese level set model uses these superimposed masks to incorporate the infiltrative edges.

Results:

The expansion of tumour boundary from q map to p map is clearly visible in all cases and the Dice coefficient (DC) showed a mean similarity of 74% across all 50 patients between the manually segmented ground truth p map and the level set automatic segmentation.

Conclusion:

Automated segmentation of the tumour infiltration boundary using DTI and tensor decomposition is possible using Chan-Vese level set methods to expand q map to p map. We have provided initial validation of this technique against manual contours performed by experienced clinicians.

Advances in knowledge:

This novel automated technique to generate p maps has the potential to individualise radiation treatment volumes and act as a decision support tool for the treating oncologist.
Multimodal indirect imaging signs of pulmonary embolism
Authors: Torres Pedro Paulo Teixeira e Silva , Mançano Alexandre Dias , Zanetti Gláucia , Hochhegger Bruno , Aurione Ana Caroline Vieira , Rabahi Marcelo Fouad , Marchiori Edson
Published: January 2020

The clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is often difficult, as symptoms range from syncope and chest pain to shock and sudden death. Adding complexity to this picture, some patients with non-diagnosed pulmonary embolism may undergo unenhanced imaging examinations for a number of reasons, including the prevention of contrast medium-related nephrotoxicity, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, as well as due to patients’ refusal or lack of venous access. In this context, radiologists’ awareness and recognition of indirect signs are cornerstones in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. This article describes the indirect signs of pulmonary embolism on chest X-ray, unenhanced CT, and MRI.
Active middle ear implantation: imaging in the pre-operative planning and post-operative assessment of the Vibrant SoundbridgeTM
Authors: Burd Christian , Pai Irumee , Connor Steve EJ
Published: January 2020

Active middle ear implants augment sound waves and directly stimulate the middle ear structures. The most frequently utilised active middle ear implant is the Vibrant Soundbridge TM (VSB).

CT plays a vital role in appropriate patient selection and surgical planning of active middle ear implant surgery. The VSB TM offers a number of options for implant placement. The ideal location is influenced by the patient’s middle ear and mastoid anatomy as well as the type and severity of the hearing loss. CT provides important information on the surgical access to the middle ear and helps determine the most appropriate implant site by assessing the adjacent middle ear anatomy and the continuity of the ossicular chain. Post-operative active middle ear implant imaging may be indicated in the setting of poor auditory outcomes and when revision surgery is being considered so as to assess for suboptimal implant placement or migration.

This pictorial review will describe the VSB TM middle ear device and explain the role of imaging in both the pre-operative and post-operative settings.
Benchmarking a commercial proton therapy solution: The Paul Scherrer Institut experience
Authors: Rosas Sara , Belosi Francesca M , Bizzocchi Nicola , Böhlen Till , Zepter Stefan , Morach Petra , Lomax Antony J , Weber Damien C , Hrbacek Jan
Published: January 2020

Objective:

For the past 20 years, Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) has treated more than 1500 patients with deep-seated tumors using PSI-Plan, an in-house developed treatment planning system (TPS) used for proton beam scanning proton therapy, in combination with its home-built gantries. The goal of the present work is to benchmark the performance of a new TPS/Gantry system for proton therapy centers which have established already a baseline standard of care.

Methods and materials:

A total of 31 cases (=52 plans) distributed around 7 anatomical sites and 12 indications were randomly selected and re-planned using Eclipse™. The resulting plans were compared with plans formerly optimized in PSI-Plan, in terms of target coverage, plan quality, organ-at-risk (OAR) sparing and number of delivered pencil beams.

Results:

Our results show an improvement on target coverage and homogeneity when using Eclipse™ while PSI-Plan showed superior plan conformity. As for OAR sparing, both TPS achieved the clinical constraints. The number of pencil beams required per plan was on average 3.4 times higher for PSI-Plan.

Conclusion:

Both systems showed a good capacity to produce satisfactory plans, with Eclipse™ being able to achieve better target coverage and plan homogeneity without compromising OARs.

Advances in knowledge:

A benchmark between a clinically tested and validated system with a commercial solution is of interest for emerging proton therapy, equipped with commercial systems and no previous experience with proton beam scanning.
Cardiac activity in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) as a biomarker for assessing sea water quality in Boka Kotorska Bay, South Adriatic Sea
Authors: NIKOLIC MARKO , KUZNETSOVA TATIANA , KHOLODKEVICH SERGEY , GVOZDENOVIC SLADJANA , MANDIC MILICA , JOKSIMOVIC DANIJELA , TEODOROVIC IVANA
Published: January 2020

This paper presents the results of the sea water quality assessments based on the heart rate monitoring (cardiac responses) of indigenous Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. Mussels were sampled from three different sites in the Boka Kotorska Bay varied on anthropogenic pressure. Heart rate recovery time (Trec)and coefficient of variation of heart rate (CVHR) were tested in compliance with the standardized test procedure using a short-term reduction of water salinity as stress treatment to study adaptive potential of tested mussels. Results indicate the highest values of both parameters in Port Bijela, Trec = 77.3 ± 7.2 min; CVHR = 10%, indicating that water quality on this site is worse compare to Stoliv and Dobrota. ANOVA performed on results of Trec showed that values on Port Bijela are statistically significant higher compare to Stoliv and Dobrota. The lowest values of Trec are obtained on Stoliv (47.3 ± 3.8 min) what implies good water quality on this location. ANOVA showed that although higher values of Trec were obtained in Dobrota (53.3 ± 4.8 min) compare to Stoliv, those differences are not statistically significant. The proposed express method could help the authorities to plan and carry out contemporary activities to maintain high ecological status of marine coastal areas and to minimize significant risk to animal’s and human health in the case of suddenly occurred emergency situations in the region or none permitted wastewater discharges.
Assessment of microplastics distribution and stratification in the shallow marine sediments of Samos island, Eastern Mediterranean sea, Greece
Authors: DE RUIJTER VERA N. , MILOU ANASTASIA , COSTA VALENTINA
Published: January 2020

Microplastics (MPs) are becoming ubiquitous in the marine environment and shallow marine sediments are one of the major sinks for MPs. In order to improve the knowledge about the environmental fate of MPs in the Aegean Sea shallow sediments, the occurrence and spatial distribution of MPs in Samos Island (Greece) was investigated for the first time, along a land-sea transect. The highest concentration of MPs was recorded at the Beach (37.2 ± 6.9 MPs/Kg DW), while the lowest concentration was recorded in the Intertidal zone (1.1 ± 0.9 MPs/Kg DW). In relation to the different shapes, Fragments and Pellets were more abundant on the Beach, while Fibers were more abundant in the Intertidal zone and barely any Sheets were found along the transect, suggesting a distribution probably governed not only by size but also morphology and perhaps chemical composition. A higher accumulation of particles was recorded in the first 10 cm of sediments, in comparison to the deepest 5 cm, indicating an increase of microplastics in the shallow marine sediments.
Plankton community of trafficked ports as a baseline reference for Non Indigenous Species arrivals. Case study of the Port of Bar (South Adriatic Sea)
Authors: MANDIĆ MILICA , PESTORIĆ BRANKA , MARKOVIĆ OLIVERA , DUROVIĆ MIRKO , DRAKULOVIĆ DRAGANA
Published: January 2020

Plankton (ichthyo, zoo and phyto) communities were studied in the temperate shallow waters of the Port of Bar, one of the main cargo ports on the south-eastern Adriatic coast. Sampling was undertaken in February, April, June and October 2015 at 12 stations using the BALMAS Port Baseline Survey protocol. The research was conducted to determine the presence of invasive and potentially toxic plankton species in the port.The most dominant species of ichthyoplankton were eggs and larvae of families Engraulidae, Bothidae and Sparidae with a dominance of Engraulis encrasicolus, Arnoglossus laterna and Diplodus annularis. In addition to ichthyoplankton, sampling of phyto and zooplankton was performed to estimate the abundance and diversity of species.The most numerous zooplankton species throughout investigated period were Penilia avirostris, Euterpina acutifrons, Oithona nana, Acartia clausi, Centropages kroyeri, Paracalanus parvus, Oncaeidae and larvae of Bivalvia. One very unusual occurrence was the spawning of parrotfish Sparisoma cretense (Linnaeus, 1758), a species with Atlantic origin and tropical affinities, whose presence throughout the Mediterranean has shown an increasing trend over the last decade. The most dominant species of phytoplankton were the diatoms Chaetoceros affinis and Chaetoceros spp., Asterionellopsis glacialis, Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Thalassionema nitzschioides, and dinoflagellates Gymnodinium spp. and Prorocentrum triestinum. The potentially toxic species from genus Pseudo- nitzschia reached an abundance of 104 cells L-1. Toxic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum cordatum and P. micans reached values of 103 cells L-1.Although there were no HAOP species found during the survey, presence of several potentially toxic and toxic phytoplankton species whose impact is not sufficiently known indicates the necessity of introduction of regular monitoring activities and definition of preventive protection measures.
Numerical and experimental studies of a multi-purpose floating TLP structure for combined wind and wave energy exploitation
Authors: MAZARAKOS THOMAS , KONISPOLIATIS DIMITRIOS , KATSAOUNIS GEORGIOS , POLYZOS STYLIANOS , MANOLAS DIMITRIOS , VOUTSINAS SPYROS , SOUKISSIAN TAKVOR , MAVRAKOS SPYRIDON A.
Published: January 2020

This paper summarizes the coupled hydro-aero-elastic analysis of a multi-purpose floating structure suitable for offshore wind and wave energy exploitation. The analysis incorporates properly the solutions of the diffraction and the pressure- and motion- dependent radiation problems around the floating structure and the aerodynamics of a 5 MW Wind Turbine (WT). Finite water depths are considered, the structure being floating under the action of regular surface waves. The platform encompasses three hydrodynamically interacting Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices consisting of concentric vertical cylinders, moored through tensioned tethers in a TLP concept. Details concerning the numerical and experimental modelling of the system are presented and the numerical results are compared against experimental data.
New horizons for the Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography & Fisheries
Authors: ARVANITIDIS CHRISTOS , GEROVASILEIOU VASILIS , KARACHLE PARASKEVI K. , ZENETOS ARGYRO
Published: January 2020

The Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography andFisheries was firstly launched in Athens, 35 years agosparked by the enthusiasm of the Greek aquatic scientists,massively supported by the voluntary contributionof the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)employees. Over the last three decades, the Symposiumestablished and flourished as the forum for a wide rangeof marine and freshwater disciplines in the country. It becamea tradition to a large audience since it has attractedresearchers, academicians, students, entrepreneurs andthe industry both from Greece and adjacent countries.The initial enthusiasm and support is growing with theinclusion of Universities and other educational/researchinstitutes in the organization scheme.The “12th Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanographyand Fisheries” 1 did not only deliver big changes in itsoperational mode but also opened new horizons to thescientific communities of Greece and adjacent areas. Ithas been a tipping point in this type of events in manyaspects.
Barriers and enablers to Caregivers Responsive feeding Behaviour (CRiB): A mixed method systematic review protocol
Authors: Slater Vicki , Rose Jennie , Olander Ellinor , Matvienko-Sikar Karen , Redsell Sarah
Published: January 2020

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity is a major public health issue. Responsive feeding has been identified as having a protective effect against child overweight and obesity, and is associated with healthy weight gain during infancy. Responsive feeding occurs when the caregiver recognises and responds in a timely and developmentally appropriate manner to infant hunger and satiety cues. Despite its benefits, responsive feeding is not ubiquitous. To better support caregivers to engage in responsive feeding behaviours, it is necessary to first systematically identify the barriers and enablers associated with this behaviour. This mixed-methods systematic review therefore aims to synthesise evidence on barriers and enablers to responsive feeding using the COM-B model of behavioural change.

Methods: 7 electronic databases will be searched (Maternal and Infant Care, CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE). Studies examining factors associated with parental responsive and non-responsive feeding of infants and children (<2 years) will be included. Papers collecting primary data, or analysing primary data through secondary analysis will be included. All titles, abstracts and full texts will be screened by two reviewers. Quantitative and qualitative data from all eligible papers will be independently extracted by at least two reviewers using pre-determined standardised data extraction forms. Two reviewers will independently assess the methodological quality of the studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). This review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA).

Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required for this review as no primary data will be collected, and no identifying personal information will be present. The review will be disseminated in a peer reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration: CRD42019144570 (06/08/2019)
German for athletes. Deutsch für Sportler
Authors: Akinshina Inna , Miroshnichenko Larisa
Published: January 2020

The manual contains materials for active learning educational and sports vocabulary tests for reading and referencing.
The main aim of training is accomplished through a comprehensive study of the German language by the single thematic focus of the oral, reading texts and exercises.
Meets the requirements of Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
For students of faculties of physical culture and sports higher education institutions. The materials can be used for both classroom and independent work of students.
Robust Optimization of a Broad Class of Heterogeneous Vehicle Routing Problems Under Demand Uncertainty
Authors: Subramanyam Anirudh , Repoussis Panagiotis P. , Gounaris Chrysanthos E.
Published: January 2020

This paper studies robust variants of an extended model of the classical heterogeneous vehicle routing problem (HVRP), where a mixed fleet of vehicles with different capacities, availabilities, fixed costs, and routing costs is used to serve customers with uncertain demand. This model includes, as special cases, all variants of the HVRP studied in the literature with fixed and unlimited fleet sizes, accessibility restrictions at customer locations, and multiple depots. Contrary to its deterministic counterpart, the goal of the robust HVRP is to determine a minimum cost set of routes and fleet composition that remains feasible for all demand realizations from a prespecified uncertainty set. To solve this problem, we develop robust versions of classical node and edge exchange neighborhoods that are commonly used in local search and establish that efficient evaluation of the local moves can be achieved for five popular classes of uncertainty sets. The proposed local search is then incorporated in a modular fashion within two metaheuristic algorithms to determine robust HVRP solutions. The quality of the metaheuristic solutions is quantified using an integer programming model that provides lower bounds on the optimal solution. An extensive computational study on literature benchmarks shows that the proposed methods allow us to obtain high-quality robust solutions for different uncertainty sets and with minor additional effort compared with deterministic solutions.
Research roundup
Authors: Winter George
Published: January 2020

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles likely to be of interest to nurses
Low Carbon Education: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Hudha Muhammad Nur , Hamidah Ida , Permanasari Anna , Abdullah Ade Gafar , Rachman Indriyani , Matsumoto Toru
Published: January 2020

The concept of low carbon education is one solution to provide knowledge to students related to low carbon behavior. The purpose of this paper is providing an extensive bibliometric literature review on 'low carbon education'. Articles found by Publishing or Perish (PoP) software with the Google Scholar database. There were 55 out of 97 articles found from Google Scholar data base ranging from 2014 to 2019 analyzed in this study. The chosen references were then managed using a referencing manager software namely Zotero. After managing the database, this study classified and visualized it using VOSviewer software. Overall, this review provides an appropriate reference point for further research on 'low carbon education'.