bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Group B streptococcus sepsis in an infant presented with cellulitis of soft tissue of neck
Authors: Gulzar Muhammad Moazzam , Roman Andrea , Gul Rizwan , Ramesh Nagabathula
Published: August 2021

We report a case of cellulitis of the soft tissue of the neck with group B streptococcus (GBS) sepsis in a 4-week-old baby boy presented with a 1-day history of fever, irritability and feed refusal. While in the hospital, a left-sided submandibular swelling extending to preauricular area started emerging, which progressed dramatically. Ultrasound scan of the neck confirmed inflammation of the underlying soft tissue while revealing multiple enlarged lymph nodes without any abscess formation and overlying soft tissue oedema. Blood cultures were flagged positive at 9 hours for GBS. The infant was treated with intravenous antibiotics for 2 weeks. GBS is considered a common cause of early-onset sepsis in neonates. However, it can also lead to late-onset sepsis in infancy with variable presentations. In our case, GBS sepsis manifested with cellulitis of the soft tissue of the neck along with swelling of local lymph nodes.
Delayed diagnosis of a piriformis abscess due to hyposkillia and communication error
Authors: Miyagami Taiju , Takada Arisa , Shimizu Taro , Naito Toshio
Published: August 2021

A 69-year-old man with dementia presented to our hospital with fever and left back pain. He was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis based on microscopy and CT findings indicating bacteriuria and elevated fat density around the right kidney, respectively. Three days post admission, the diagnosis of a urinary tract infection was queried and the patient was re-examined. Marked tenderness was observed in the left buttock; contrast CT scan was subsequently performed and a left piriformis abscess was diagnosed. This diagnostic delay occurred due to a communication error—the referral letter to the radiologist stated ‘fever and back pain’—and the physician’s hyposkillia; hence, differential diagnoses were not considered. Physicians can reduce the frequency of related errors by conducting proper physical examinations and not relying on imaging findings alone. Furthermore, to ensure accurate diagnoses, the comments to the radiologist should be clear and detailed when requesting diagnostic imaging.
Recurrent pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy
Authors: Geissler Franziska , Hoesli Irene , Todesco Bernasconi Monya
Published: August 2021

Pituitary apoplexy is caused by haemorrhage or infarction of the pituitary gland. Presenting signs and symptoms often include severe headache, visual disturbance, ophthalmoplegia, altered consciousness and impaired pituitary function. The management of pituitary apoplexy has very rarely been described during pregnancy and there is no existing data for further pregnancies of affected women. We present a case of a woman with a recurrent pituitary apoplexy due to haemorrhages in a pituitary adenoma in her third and fourth pregnancies. In both pregnancies, the pituitary apoplexy was managed conservatively, but due to therapy-resistant headaches, a preterm delivery was implemented.
Hyperglycaemic crisis secondary to emphysematous pyelonephritis
Authors: Liston Katie , Manecksha Rustom P , Woods Conor P
Published: August 2021

A 49-year-old woman presented to the emergency department acutely unwell. Initial investigations revealed hyperglycaemia, ketosis and an acute kidney injury precipitated by urosepsis. She was found to have a new diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (type 2) with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of 156 mmol/mol. CT imaging of the abdomen and pelvis revealed unilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN), radiologically classified as stage 3 severity with gas extending beyond the renal collecting system.Escherichia coliwas grown on blood and urine cultures. This was sensitive to second-generation cephalosporin cefuroxime. The patient was managed with fluid resuscitation, intravenous antibiotics and renal system decompression with urinary catheter insertion. She was commenced on an intravenous insulin infusion for hyperglycaemic crisis. This case illustrates a rare presentation of hyperglycaemic crisis precipitated by EPN in a patient without a previously known diagnosis of diabetes, successfully treated with medical management alone. Close clinical and radiological follow-up was arranged to monitor the need for future nephrectomy.
Unusual cause of resistant hypertension in a 33-year-old woman with a palpable parathyroid nodule
Authors: Yap Max , Chandler Owain , Savas Stanley , Xu Dan
Published: August 2021

A 33-year-old woman presented for investigation for a secondary cause of her long-standing treatment-resistant hypertension. Physical examination revealed a palpable thyroid nodule with subsequent ultrasound and CT scan indicating the nodule was of parathyroid origin. A palpable parathyroid nodule is known to be highly suspicious for a parathyroid carcinoma, and it remains a differential until proven otherwise. Histopathology following surgical excision confirmed a parathyroid adenoma, and during subsequent follow-up visits with her general practitioner, her antihypertensive was successfully weaned. We report a case of a large palpable parathyroid adenoma being the secondary cause of treatment-resistant hypertension.
Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
Authors: Han Yang , Chung Roger Yat-Nork
Published: August 2021

Objectives

We aimed to examine the associations of both individual-level and county-level social capital with individual health in China during a period of rapid economic growth.

Design and setting

A serial cross-sectional study in China.

Participants and methods

The participants were 42 829 Chinese adults (aged ≥18 years) from the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 Chinese General Social Survey. The outcomes were self-rated physical and mental health in all time points. We assessed social capital by the individual-level and county-level indicators, including frequency of socialising, civic participation and trust. We conducted multilevel binary logistic regression models to examine the associations of individual-level and county-level social capital with self-rated physical and mental health.

Results

At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.33 to 1.66; 2012—OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.54; 2013—OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.42; 2015—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.47; 2012—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.42; 2013—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.33; 2015—OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.55) was significantly associated with good physical health in all years. At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.42; 2012—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.34; 2013—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.45; 2015—OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.34 to 1.61; 2012—OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.56; 2013—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.49; 2015—OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.57) was also significantly associated with good mental health in all years. No evidence showed that the associations of individual-level frequency of socialising and trust with physical and mental health changed over time. There were no consistent associations of individual-level civic participation or any county-level social capital indicators with physical or mental health.

Conclusion

The positive associations of individual-level social capital in terms of socialising and trust with physical and mental health were robust during a period of rapid economic growth. Improving individual-level socialising and trust for health promotion could be a long-term strategy even within a rapidly developing society.
Estimating spatiotemporal patterns of deaths by COVID-19 outbreak on a global scale
Authors: Valente Fernanda , Laurini Marcio Poletti
Published: August 2021

Objective

Our main objective is to estimate the trend of deaths by COVID-19 on a global scale, considering the six continents.

Study design

The study design was a retrospective observational study conducted using the secondary data provided by the Our World in Data project on a public domain.

Setting

This study was conducted based on worldwide deaths by COVID-19 recorded for the Our World in Data project from 29 February 2020 to 17 February 2021.

Methods

Estimating the trend in COVID-19 deaths is not a trivial task due to the problems associated with the COVID-19 data, such as the spatial and temporal heterogeneity, observed seasonality and the delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis, indicating a relevant measurement error problem and changing the series’ dependency structure. To bypass the aforementioned problems, we propose a method to estimate the components of trend, seasonality and cycle in COVID-19 data, controlling for the presence of measurement error and considering the spatial heterogeneity. We used the proposed model to estimate the trend component of deaths by COVID-19 on a global scale.

Results

The model was able to capture the patterns in the occurrence of deaths related to COVID-19, overcoming the problems observed in COVID-19 data. We found compelling evidence that spatiotemporal models are more accurate than univariate models to estimate the patterns of the occurrence of deaths. Based on the measures of dispersion of the models’ prediction in relation to observed deaths, it is possible to note that the models with spatial component are significantly superior to the univariate model.

Conclusion

The findings suggested that the spatial dynamics have an important role in the COVID-19 epidemic process since the results provided evidence that spatiotemporal models are more accurate to estimate the general patterns of the occurrence of deaths related to COVID-19.
Cross-sectional study of correlates and prevalence of functional and high-risk multimorbidity in an academic HIV practice in New York City
Authors: Siegler Eugenia , Moxley Jerad , Mauer Elizabeth , Glesby Marshall
Published: August 2021

Objectives

People with HIV have high levels of multimorbidity, but studies often focus on high-risk comorbidities such as hypertension or coronary artery disease. We examined both high-risk and functional comorbidities in an ethnically diverse clinic population to compare the prevalence of comorbidities and different patterns of multimorbidity.

Design

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Setting

University-based primary care HIV clinic with two locations in New York City.

Participants

Patients who had been seen by a physician at least once between 1 June 2016 and 31 May 2017.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Data regarding demographics, diagnoses and lab values were downloaded in a one-time data import from the electronic medical record. Comorbidities were classified as high-risk (with major impact on mortality) or functional (with major impact on function), and multimorbidity was determined for both classes in the total sample of 2751. Factors associated with high-risk and functional multimorbidity were determined first through bivariate analysis and then through multivariable median regression in 2013 patients with complete data.

Results

Median age was 52 years (IQR 43–59). Cisgendered women comprised 24.6% of the sample, and 31.7% were African-American. Both functional and high-risk comorbidities were common and risk increased with age. Among those 75 and older, median number of both functional and high-risk comorbidities was 3 (IQR 2–4). High-risk comorbidities were associated with age (p<0.001), more years with an HIV diagnosis (p<0.001) and being an African-American (p<0.001). Associated with a higher number of functional comorbidities were age (p<0.001), being a cisgender female (p<0.001), being Hispanic (p=0.01) and more years with an HIV diagnosis (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Comorbidities with functional impact increase with age in parallel to those with a more direct impact on mortality and should be assessed and monitored, especially as the population with HIV ages.
Mixed-methods assessment of health and mental health characteristics and barriers to healthcare for Ebola survivors in Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Lawry Lynn Lieberman , Stroupe Kannappan Nancy , Canteli Covadonga , Clemmer William
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Health and mental health characteristics of all respondents, barriers to accessing health and mental health services and the characteristics and those most at risk for mental health disorders.

Setting

Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Participants

The sample contained 223 Ebola survivors, 102 sexual partners and 74 comparison respondents living in the same areas of the survivors. Survivors were eligible if aged >18 years with confirmed Ebola-free status. The comparison group was neither a survivor nor a partner of a survivor and did not have any household members who contracted Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Health and mental health characteristics, barriers to care and the association of association of mental health disorders with study population characteristics.

Results

Funding was a barrier to accessing needed health services among all groups. Nearly one-third (28.4%, 95% CI 18.0% to 38.7%) of comparison households avoided getting injections for their children. Although most pregnant women were attending antenatal care, less than 40% of respondents stated EVD precautions were discussed at those visits. Trouble sleeping and anger were the strongest predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety and suicide attempts with 3-fold to 16-fold increases in the odds of these disorders. There was a 71% decrease in the odds of MDD if current substance abuse (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.67; p<0.01) was reported.

Conclusions

Specialised mental health services were limited. Fear of contracting EVD influenced vaccine compliance. Anger and sleep disorders significantly increased the odds of mental health disorders across all groups. Respondents may be using substance abuse as self-medication for MDD. Ebola outbreak areas would benefit from improved screening of mental health disorders and associated conditions like anger and sleep difficulties and improved mental health services that include substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Deaths in critical care and hospice—prevalence, trends, influences: a national decedent cohort study
Authors: Mayes Jonathan , McLachlan Stela , Carduff Emma , McPeake Joanne , Boyd Kirsty J , Pattison Natalie , Lone Nazir
Published: August 2021

Objectives

End-of-life and bereavement care support services differ in critical care and inpatient hospice settings. There are limited population-level data comparing deaths in these two locations. We aimed to compare the characteristics of people who die in critical care units and in hospices, identify factors associated with place of death and report 12-year trends in Scotland.

Methods

We undertook a cohort study of decedents aged ≥16 years in Scotland (2005–2017). Location of death was identified from linkage to the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group database and National Records of Scotland Death Records. We developed a multinomial logistic regression model to identify factors independently associated with location of death.

Results

There were 710 829 deaths in Scotland, of which 36 316 (5.1%) occurred in critical care units and 42 988 (6.1%) in hospices. As a proportion of acute hospital deaths, critical care deaths increased from 8.0% to 11.2%. Approximately one in eight deaths in those aged under 40 years occurred in critical care. Factors independently associated with hospice death included living in less deprived areas, cancer as the cause of death and presence of comorbidities. In contrast, liver disease and accidents as the cause of death and absence of comorbidities were associated with death in critical care.

Conclusions

Similar proportions of deaths in Scotland occur in critical care units and hospices. Given the younger age profile and unexpected nature of deaths occurring in critical care units, there is a need for a specific focus on end-of-life and bereavement support services in critical care units.
Risk stratification for colorectal cancer in individuals with subtypes of serrated polyps
Authors: Li Dan , Doherty Amanda R , Raju Menaka , Liu Liyan , Lei Nan Ye , Amsden Laura B , Lee Jeffrey K , Levin Theodore R , Corley Douglas A , Herrinton Lisa J
Published: August 2021

Objective

The longitudinal risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with subtypes of serrated polyps (SPs) remains incompletely understood.

Design

This community-based, case–control study included 317 178 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who underwent their first colonoscopy during 2006–2016. Nested within this population, we identified 695 cases of CRC and 3475 CRC-free controls (matched 5:1 to cases for age, sex and year of colonoscopy). Two expert pathologists reviewed the tissue slides of all SPs identified on the first colonoscopy and reclassified them to sessile serrated lesions (SSLs), hyperplastic polyps (HPs) and traditional serrated adenomas. SPs with borderline characteristics of SSLs but insufficient to make a definitive diagnosis were categorised as unspecified SPs. The association with development of CRC was assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Compared with individuals with no polyp, the adjusted ORs (aORs) for SSL alone or with synchronous adenoma were 2.9 (95% CI: 1.8 to 4.8) and 4.4 (95% CI: 2.7 to 7.2), respectively. The aORs for SSL with dysplasia, large proximal SSL,and small proximal SSL were 10.3 (95% CI: 2.1 to 50.3), 12.8 (95% CI: 3.5 to 46.9) and 1.9 (95% CI: 0.8 to 4.7), respectively. Proximal unspecified SP also conferred an increased risk (aOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 2.2 to 15.2). Women with SSL were associated with higher risk (aOR: 4.4; 95% CI: 2.3 to 8.2) than men (aOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 0.8 to 3.8).

Conclusion

Increased risk of CRC was observed in individuals with SSLs, particularly large proximal ones or with dysplasia, supporting close endoscopic surveillance. Proximal unspecified SPs were also associated with increased risk of CRC and should be managed as SSLs.
Relationship between cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and intracranial arteritis during pregnancy and post partum
Authors: Li Xiurong , Dong Jianan , Sun Yaping , Li Qing , Shi Li
Published: August 2021

Our study was conducted to explore the relationship between cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and intracranial arteritis during the time of pregnancy as well as puerperium. The current retrospective case study involved a total of 153 patients with pregnancy-related CVST. CVST was diagnosed mainly based on clinical manifestations and imaging results. Detailed information on demographics, risk factors (excluding intracranial arteritis), and pregnancy outcomes was systematically recorded. The average age of patients diagnosed with CVST was 28.67±3.54 years old. Among these patients, there were 62 cases of puerperal CVST and 91 cases of pregnancy-related CVST. The clinical manifestations of patients with CVST included headache in 55 cases (35.95%), symptomatic seizures in 26 cases (16.99%), symptomatic limb weakness in 22 cases (14.38%), symptomatic nausea/vomiting in 18 cases (11.76%), symptomatic disturbance of consciousness in 15 cases (9.80%), symptomatic blurred vision in 10 cases (6.54%), and symptomatic fever in 7 cases (4.58%). A proportion of patients reported higher abnormal cerebrospinal fluid pressure (98.28%), white cell count (79.31%), total cholesterol (71.55%) and low-density lipoprotein (62.93%) (p<0.01). The proportion of intracranial arteritis lesions and CVST lesions was high, including 51 cases (43.97%) on the left side and 31 cases (26.72%) on the right side. Bilateral CVST lesions occurred in 13 cases (11.20%) of unilateral intracranial arteritis lesions, and bilateral intracranial arteritis lesions occurred in 16 cases (13.79%) of unilateral CVST lesions. In summary, CVST indicates a potential positive link to intracranial arteritis at the time of pregnancy and puerperium.
From drought to deluge: spatiotemporal variation in migration routing, survival, travel time and floodplain use of an endangered migratory fish
Authors: Hance Dalton J. , Perry Russell W. , Pope Adam C. , Ammann Arnold J. , Hassrick Jason L. , Hansen Gabriel
Published: August 2021

We developed a novel statistical model to relate the daily survival and migration dynamics of an endangered anadromous fish to river flow and water temperature during both extreme drought and severe flooding in an intensively managed river system. Our Bayesian temporally stratified multistate mark–recapture model integrates over unobserved travel times and route transitions to efficiently estimate covariate relationships and includes an adjustment for telemetry tag battery failure. We applied the model to acoustic-tagged juvenile Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and found that survival decreased with decreasing river flows and increased water temperatures. We found that fish were likely to enter a large floodplain during flood conditions and that survival in the floodplain was comparable to the mainstem Sacramento River. Our study demonstrates the response of an endangered anadromous fish population to extreme spatial and temporal variability in habitat accessibility and quality. The general model framework we introduce here can be applied to telemetry of migratory fish through systems with multiple routes to efficiently estimate spatiotemporal variation in survival, travel time, and routing.
Particle physics processes in cosmology through an effective Minkowski space formulation and the limitations of the method
Authors: Erdem Recai , Gültekin Kemal
Published: August 2021

We introduce a method where particle physics processes in cosmology may be calculated by the usual perturbative flat space quantum field theory through an effective Minkowski space description at small time intervals provided that the running of the effective particle masses are sufficiently slow. We discuss the necessary conditions for the applicability of this method and illustrate the method through a simple example. This method has the advantage of avoiding the effects of gravitational particle creation in the calculation of rates and cross sections i.e. giving directly the rates and the cross sections due to the scatterings or the decay processes.
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation-Based Prediction Error Decoding and Channel Optimization
Authors: Shi Yuxi , Ganesh Gowrishankar , Ando Hideyuki , Koike Yasuharu , Yoshida Eiichi , Yoshimura Natsue
Published: August 2021

A significant problem in brain–computer interface (BCI) research is decoding — obtaining required information from very weak noisy electroencephalograph signals and extracting considerable information from limited data. Traditional intention decoding methods, which obtain information from induced or spontaneous brain activity, have shortcomings in terms of performance, computational expense and usage burden. Here, a new methodology called prediction error decoding was used for motor imagery (MI) detection and compared with direct intention decoding. Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) was used to induce subliminal sensory feedback between the forehead and mastoids without any burden. Prediction errors were generated between the GVS-induced sensory feedback and the MI direction. The corresponding prediction error decoding of the front/back MI task was validated. A test decoding accuracy of 77.83–78.86% (median) was achieved during GVS for every 100[Formula: see text]ms interval. A nonzero weight parameter-based channel screening (WPS) method was proposed to select channels individually and commonly during GVS. When the WPS common-selected mode was compared with the WPS individual-selected mode and a classical channel selection method based on correlation coefficients (CCS), a satisfactory decoding performance of the selected channels was observed. The results indicated the positive impact of measuring common specific channels of the BCI.
Exponential passive filter design for switched neural networks with time-delay and reaction-diffusion terms
Authors: Tai Weipeng , Xu Dong , Guo Tong , Zhou Jianping
Published: August 2021

This paper investigates the problem of exponential passive filter design for switched neural networks with time-delay and reaction-diffusion terms. With the aid of a suitable Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional and some inequalities, a linear matrix inequality-based design method is developed that not only makes the filtering error system exponentially stable but also forces it to be passive from external interference to output error. Then, the filter design is extended to the complex-valued case via separating the system into real-valued and complex-valued parts. Finally, a numerical example is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the filter design methods for the real-valued and complex-valued cases, respectively.
Abundant exact solutions to the strain wave equation in micro-structured solids
Authors: Ali Karmina K. , Yilmazer R. , Bulut H. , Aktürk Tolga , Osman M. S.
Published: August 2021

In this study, the strain wave equation in micro-structured solids which take an important place in solid physics is presented for consideration. The generalized exponential rational function method is used for this purpose which is one of the most powerful methods of constructing abundantly distinct, exact solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations. In micro-structured solids, wave propagation is based on the structure of the strain wave equation. As a consequence, we successfully received many different exact solutions, including non-topological solutions, periodic singular solutions, topological solutions, singular solutions, like periodic lump solutions. Furthermore, in order to better understand their physical interpretation, 2D, 3D, and counter plots are graphed for each of the solutions acquired.
Enhancement of Vascular Patterns in Palm Images Using Various Image Enhancement Techniques for Person Identification
Authors: Rajalakshmi M. , Annapurani K.
Published: August 2021

Image classification is a complicated process of classifying an image based on its visual representation. This paper portrays the need for adapting and applying a suitable image enhancement and denoising technique in order to arrive at a successful classification of data captured remotely. Biometric properties that are widely explored today are very important for authentication purposes. Noise may be the result of incorrect vein detection in the accepted image, thus explaining the need for a better development technique. This work provides subjective and objective analysis of the performance of various image enhancement filters in the spatial domain. After performing these pre-processing steps, the vein map and the corresponding vein graph can be easily obtained with minimal extraction steps, in which the appropriate Graph Matching method can be used to evaluate hand vein graphs thus performing the person authentication. The analysis result shows that the image enhancement filter performs better as an image enhancement filter compared to all other filters. Image quality measures (IQMs) are also tabulated for the evaluation of image quality.
Performance of SiC and Al2O3 Loose Abrasives in the Electrochemical Discharge Machining Process
Authors: Vani Vemula Vijaya , Kumar Chak Sanjay
Published: August 2021

Electrochemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) has combined characteristics of ECM and EDM which is effectively been used for machining electrically nonconductive, hard, and brittle materials like glass, quartz, and ceramics. However, the industrial application of this process is limited due to difficulty in machining micro holes with higher machined depth. To improve the machining performance of the ECDM process, loose abrasive particles have been mixed in an electrolyte while machining blind holes on soda–lime glass. This study is mainly focused on investigating the effect of process parameters (voltage and electrolyte concentration) on the responses (volume of material removed, machined depth and overcut) using CCRD. The significance of process parameters on the responses has been evaluated using ANOVA. A second-order regression equation has been developed for predicting the relation between input process parameters and quality characteristics (i.e. volume of material removed, diameter overcut, and machined depth). It is observed that the addition of Al2O3 abrasives has improved the volume of material removed and machined depth. On the other hand, the addition of SiC abrasives into the electrolyte has reduced the diametric overcut due to their specific characteristic.
Pyrrole-based photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy — a Thomas Dougherty award paper
Authors: Vargas-Zúñiga Gabriela I. , Kim Hyeong Seok , Li Mingle , Sessler Jonathan L. , Kim Jong Seung
Published: August 2021

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a therapeutic modality that uses light to treat malignant or benign diseases. A photosensitizer, light, and oxygen are the three main components needed to generate a cytotoxic effect. Pyrrole-based photosensitizers have been widely used for PDT. Many of the photosensitizers within this class are macrocyclic. This is particularly true for systems that have received regulatory approval or been the subject of clinical trials. However, in recent years, a number of boron dipyrromethanes (BODIPY) have been studied as photosensitizers. Herein, we review examples of some of the most relevant pyrrole-based photosensitizers.
Synthesis of pyrrolyl-BODIPY dyes through regioselective SN Ar reactions and application as a fluorescent sensor for fluoride anion
Authors: Miao Wei , Li Zhongxin , Yu Changjiang , Hao Erhong , Jiao Lijuan
Published: August 2021

Two pyrrolyl-BODIPY dyes with 3,5-di-[Formula: see text]-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl group were synthesized through stepwise S[Formula: see text]Ar reactions of 3,5-dibromoBODIPYs, which were used as a fluorescent sensor for basic anions. The intermediate pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 2a–2b were regioselectively synthesized through an efficient S[Formula: see text]Ar reaction between 3,5-dibromoBODIPY 1a and pyrroles. The target pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 3a–3b with a 3,5-di-[Formula: see text]-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl group at 3-position and a pyrrole substituent at 5-position were obtained through a second S[Formula: see text]Ar reaction between pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 2a–2b and high steric hindrance 2,6-dibutylphenol in 90% and 88% yields, respectively. In contrast, the reaction between pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 2a–2b and phenol gave pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 3c–3d with phenoxy substituent at 3-position. These pyrrolyl-BODIPYs 3a–2d show strong, sharp absorptions (551–604 nm) and emissions (564–634 nm) with high fluorescence quantum yields up to 0.86 in dichloromethane. Importantly, the 3,5-di-[Formula: see text]-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl group of pyrrolyl-BODIPY 3a showed a turn-off fluorescent response toward fluoride anion.
Mathematical Calculation of the COVID-19 Disease in Pakistan by Emergency Response Modeling Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision Process
Authors: Rahman Khaista
Published: August 2021

The objective of this paper is to investigate three new methods to regulate and analyze the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 started in the city of Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 and spread to the whole world in a short time. This infection caused millions of infected cases globally and still poses a disturbing situation for the people. Recently, some mathematical models have been constructed for better understanding of the coronavirus infection. Mostly, these models are based on classical integer-order derivative using real numbers which cannot capture the fading memory. So, at the current position, it is a challenge for the world to control the spreading of COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to utilize fuzzy logic to control the transmission and spreading of COVID-19. Here, we develop three new methods such as the generalized interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Einstein weighted geometric (GIVIFEWG) operator, the generalized interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Einstein ordered weighted geometric (GIVIFEOWG) operator, and the generalized interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Einstein hybrid geometric (GIVIFEHG) operator. Intuitionistic fuzzy information for interval-valued is the moral and decent method to precise the fuzzy information for judgment or decision and Einstein operations are the best approximations, and the generalized aggregation operators are a generalization of most aggregation operators so, in these notes, we can spread the Einstein operations to aggregate the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy information based on the generalized aggregation operators. At the end of the paper, an illustration of the emergency situation of COVID-19 is given for demonstrating the effectiveness of the suggested approach, showing the feasibility and reliability of the new methods.
Soft Topological Group from Classical View Point and Soft Borel Measure
Authors: Goldar Sujay , Ray Subhasis
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we introduce the notion of the soft topological group as a general topological group of soft elements and study their properties. Some interesting results and relation between soft topological group and ordinary topological group of soft elements are studied. Also, soft Borel set and soft Borel measure have been depicted and the relationship between the soft Borel measure and the corresponding Borel measure has been drawn.
Supramolecular Chemistry of Folic Acid — Experimental and Computational Investigation
Authors: Butreddy Pravalika , Laws Selina , Pansalawatte Premitha , Laws Eric , Rathnayake Hemali
Published: August 2021

Supramolecular chemistry of folic acid is studied and revealed by exploring its assembly and disassembly process in a liquid–liquid interface. Experimental and computational studies are conducted to understand the interfacial interactions of folic acid in a oil-in-water interface by investigating the role of folic acid’s critical aggregation concentration (CAC), molecular arrangement, and intermolecular interactions at the molecular level. The folic acid’s CAC, determined from the concentration-dependent UV–vis absorption spectra in water/methanol solvent system, is found to be 2.72[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M. The sigmoidal behavior of folic acid’s maximum absorbances with respect to different folic acid concentrations reveals the nature of the self-assembly dynamics and aggregative assemblies’ formation by three signature phases, in which CAC lies in the second phase — the growth phase. The computational studies reveal the intermolecular interactions and molecular orientation of folic acid molecules. They interact each other via H2-bonding between carboxylic acid groups in two glutamate units and two amine groups in pteridine units and [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] interactions between pteridine units and phenyl units, orienting two units in a parallel stacked arrangement. Correlating the computed intermolecular interactions and structural orientation of folic acid with its solid-state crystal packing structure has provided strong evidence supporting its supramolecular chemistry and assembly dynamics to make nanoassemblies in a liquid–liquid interface.
Density Functional Theory Study of Influence of Oxide Thickness and Surface Alloying on Cl Migration within α-Al2O3
Authors: Liu Min , Jin Ying , Chen Bao , Leygraf Christofer , Wang Liping , Pan Jinshan
Published: August 2021

Insertion and migration of chlorine atoms (Cl) in α-Al2O3 were studied by density functional theory calculations focusing on the influence of oxide thickness and doping by Mg, Cu and Si. Work function, electronic band gap, and insertion energy were calculated to explore thermodynamics of Cl migration. Partial density of state (PDOS) calculations revealed the role of dopants in the electronic character of metal–O and Al–Cl bonds. Work function data showed the effect of Cl insertion into the oxide film on the corrosion resistance. Cl can locate at an O vacancy (

V

O

) with a large exothermic insertion energy, independent of oxide thickness, but can only locate at superficial Al vacancy (

V

A
l

) exothermically. The energy barrier for Cl migration via neighboring

V

O

increases with oxide thickness, and is 2 ∼2.5 eV for thicker oxides. Cl insertion causes a work function reduction exceeding 2 eV, implying a decreased corrosion resistance. The inhibition of Cl migration by Si-doping can be explained by a more intense hybridization peak of Si–O over Al–O in the PDOS profile, while the reduction of energy barrier by Mg–/Cu-doping probably is due to the deviation of metal-s state from the Fermi energy, thus facilitating Cl movement within the oxide.
Staff-student interactions in a physiology laboratory class: What do they involve and are they important?
Authors: Horrigan Louise A.
Published: August 2021

Although considerable staff resources are often allocated to the teaching of undergraduate laboratory classes, there is a paucity of discussion regarding the extent and substance of the staff-student interactions that occur within classes and also whether these interactions benefit student learning in any way. Performed across four undergraduate laboratory sessions, this exploratory study aimed to quantify the interactions in terms of frequency, duration, and initiation of interactions, as well as gathering staff and student perceptions of the impact of the interactions. Staff gathered descriptive data by completing an observation checklist after each interaction and also provided their own perceptions of the interaction focus and outcome. Student perceptions were collected using an online survey after each class. Staff perceived that the most frequent achievement of the interactions was to enable students to progress with work. However, students’ perceptions suggested that staff may underestimate the impact of staff-student interactions on conceptual learning. The most striking findings were the students’ perceptions of the impact of interactions on their affective domain. On average, 93% of students agreed that when staff take an interest in their work, it motivates them to work hard, and 78% agreed that interactions with staff made the classes more enjoyable. With evidence that positive affect such as enjoyment is positively associated with aspects of learning, this is a salient finding. The study underscores the value of staff availability within the laboratory class and provides impetus to reevaluate how we perceive these interactions and their impact on student learning.
How much water is in a mouthful, and how many mouthfuls should I drink? A laboratory exercise to help students understand developing a hydration plan
Authors: Brown Gregory A. , Shaw Brandon S. , Shaw Ina
Published: August 2021

Preventing impairments in athletic performance is an important concept for students that are preparing for careers that involve working with athletes. Gaining hands on, laboratory-based experience in measuring exercise induced dehydration can help students understand how to help athletes prevent dehydration induced impairment in performance. This article describes a laboratory exercise for junior and senior students in a sports nutrition class, in which the students measure changes in body mass (as a measure of dehydration) due to 40 min of moderate-intensity exercise and 40 min of vigorous-intensity exercise. The students also measure how much water is in a mouthful from a sports bottle and from a drinking fountain. The students then calculate how many mouthfuls are necessary to replace exercise induced fluid losses. This laboratory exercise has been well received by students and has improved performance on the test regarding hydration.
An assessment tool for evaluating the National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE and INBRE mentoring programs
Authors: Voss Nathaniel M. , Kirkpatrick Kimberly
Published: August 2021

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) mandates that its Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) and Institutional Development Award Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) institute formal mentoring programs to promote the core program objective of junior investigator development. Despite this NIGMS requirement, and the many career-related benefits associated with mentoring, few tools exist for purposes of rigorously evaluating COBRE and INBRE mentoring programs. The purpose of this project was to develop a mentoring assessment tool to aid in the evaluation of COBRE and INBRE mentoring programs. In study 1, a list of items comprising the tool was created via a multiphase item generation process based on input received from subject matter experts within the Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity Center. In study 2, feedback about this tool was solicited from 78 grant directors, mentees, and mentors representing 21 unique COBRE programs and 8 unique INBRE programs from across the United States. The results provide initial evidence that this tool possesses suitable psychometric properties, is a flexible instrument with many potential uses, and represents a valuable resource for helping evaluate COBRE and INBRE mentoring programs. Having a tool for evaluating mentoring can help promote the grant success and career development of junior investigators in COBRE and INBRE programs and help program directors develop more sustainable research centers.
Genetic background determines renal response to chronic lithium treatment in female mice
Authors: de Groot Theun , Doty Rosalinda , Damen Lars , Baumgarten Ruben , Bressers Steffi , Kraak Joline , Deen Peter M. T. , Korstanje Ron
Published: August 2021

Chronic lithium treatment for bipolar disease causes mainly side effects in the kidney. A subset of lithium users develops nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), a urinary concentrating disorder, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Age, lithium dose, and duration of treatment are important risk factors, whereas genetic background might also play an important role. To investigate the role of genetics, female mice of 29 different inbred strains were treated for 1 year with control or lithium chow and urine, blood, and kidneys were analyzed. Chronic lithium treatment increased urine production and/or reduced urine osmolality in 21 strains. Renal histology showed that lithium increased interstitial fibrosis and/or tubular atrophy in eight strains, whereas in none of the strains glomerular injury was induced. Interestingly, lithium did not elevate urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) in any strain, whereas eight strains even demonstrated a lowered ACR. The protective effect on ACR coincided with a similar decrease in urinary IgG levels, a marker of glomerular function, whereas the adverse effect of lithium on interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy coincided with a severe increase in urinary β2-microglobulin (β2M) levels, an indicator of proximal tubule damage. Genetic background plays an important role in the development of lithium-induced NDI and chronic renal pathology in female mice. The strong correlation of renal pathology with urinary β2M levels indicates that β2M is a promising biomarker for chronic renal damage induced by lithium.
Indoor Visible Light Applications for Communication, Positioning, and Security
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , Guo Lei , Wei Xuetao
Published: August 2021

With the rapid development of smart cities, white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely used in indoor lighting due to their characteristics of energy‐saving, long lifetimes, and low cost. At the same time, the high‐frequency modulated LEDs allow visible light to be used for indoor communications, positioning, and security. Visible light applications have many advantages, such as avoiding electromagnetic interference, high communication speed, great privacy, and high‐precise positioning. In this paper, we will survey the application prospects and research results of visible light from scenarios such as high‐speed communication, privacy security, and navigation localization and focus on analyzing and discussing the challenges and development trends encountered in visible light positioning.
SAR Target Recognition Using Improved Sparse Representation with Local Reconstruction
Authors: Ma Li
Published: August 2021

In order to handle the problem of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target recognition, an improved sparse representation-based classification (SRC) is proposed. According to the sparse coefficient vector resulting from the global dictionary, the largest coefficient in each class is taken as the reference. Then, the surrounding neighborhoods of the sample with the largest coefficient are selected to construct the optimal local dictionary in each training class. Afterwards, the samples in the local dictionary are used to reconstruct the test sample to be identified. Finally, the decision is made according to the comparison of the reconstruction errors from different classes. In the experiments, the proposed method is verified based on the moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) dataset. The results show that the proposed method has performance advantages over existing methods, which demonstrates its effectiveness and robustness.
Molecular Mechanism for PACAP 38-Induced Neurite Outgrowth in PC12 Cells
Authors: Shibato Junko , Takenoya Fumiko , Hirabayashi Takahiro , Kimura Ai , Yamashita Michio , Takasaki Ichiro , Rakwal Randeep , Shioda Seiji
Published: August 2021

The present research investigates the molecular mechanism of neurite outgrowth (protrusion elongation) under pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) 38 treatments using a rat adrenal-derived pheochromocytoma cell line—PC12. This study specifically looks into the regulation of PACAP38-induced collapsing response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) previously identified in a mouse brain ischemia model and which could be recovered by PACAP38 treatment. Previously, DNA microarray analysis revealed that PACAP 38-mediated neuroprotection involved not only CRMP2 but also pathways related to glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and other signaling components. Thus, to clarify whether CRMP2 acts directly on PACAP38 or through GSK-3β as part of the mechanism of PACAP38-induced neurite outgrowth, we observed neurite outgrowth in the presence of GSK-3β inhibitors and activators. PC12 cells were treated with PACAP38 being added to the cell culture medium at concentrations of 10−7 M, 10−8 M, and 10−9 M. Post PACAP38 treatment, immunostaining was used to confirm protrusion elongation of the PC12 cells, while RT-PCR, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in conjunction with Western blotting, and inhibition experiments were performed to confirm the expression of the PACAP gene, its receptors, and downstream signaling components. Our data show that neurite protrusion elongation by PACAP38 (10−7 M) in PC12 cells is mediated through the PAC1-R receptor as demonstrated by its suppression by a specific inhibitor PA-8. Inhibitor experiments suggested that PACAP38-triggered neurite protrusion follows a GSK-3β-regulated pathway, where the AKT and cAMP/ERK pathways are involved and where the inhibition of Rho/Roc could enhance neurite protrusion under PACAP38 stimulation. Although we could not yet confirm the exact role and position of CRMP2 in PACAP38-mediated PC12 cell elongation, it appears that its phosphorylation and dephosphorylation have a correlation with the neurite protrusion elongation through the interplay of CDK5, which needs to be investigated further.