bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women’s perspectives on the acceptability and feasibility of an HPV screen-and- treat approach to cervical cancer prevention in Iquitos, Peru: a qualitative study
Authors: Morse Rachel , Brown Joanna , Noble Helen E. , López Jennifer Ríos , Kohler-Smith Anna , Soto Sandra , Hidalgo Daniel Lenin Cuadro , Díaz Karina Gonzales , Escudero Magaly Figueredo , Aguila Gladys Giannina Vasquez , Carrillo Lita , Palacios Victor A. , Ortiz Carlos Santos , Delgado Hermann Federico Silva , Gravitt Patti E. , Paz-Soldan Valerie A.
Published: May 2022

Background: The objective of this study was to explore women’s experiences of a screen-and-treat approach with ablative therapy (referred to by the Spanish acronym TVT-TA) as a method of treatment following a positive HPV test in Iquitos, Peru. Methods: A total of 111 in-depth interviews were conducted with 47 HPV positive women who attended the TVT-TA procedure at a primary-level healthcare facility. Interviews were conducted immediately before, immediately after, and six-weeks after TVT-TA. Results: Most interviewed women reported experiencing moderate pain during ablative therapy and minimal pain immediately after and six weeks after ablative therapy. Women also stated that the pain was less intense than they had expected. The most common physical aftereffects of treatment were bleeding and vaginal odor. Women experienced oscillating emotions with fear upon receiving a positive HPV result, calming after hearing about ablative therapy treatment, worry about pain from the treatment itself, relaxation with counseling about the procedure, and relief following treatment. Conclusions: Nearly all participants emphasized that any pain experienced during TVT-TA was worth it, recommended that TVT-TA be expanded and available to more women, and stated that TVT-TA was faster and easier than expected. This study found that TVT-TA is a feasible and acceptable means of treating HPV according to the women receiving the treatment.
Bone wax reduces blood loss in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis
Authors: Shi Sifeng , Lu Wenhai , Zha Guochun , Lin Qiang
Published: May 2022

Background: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) offer less trauma, faster recovery in the treatment of osteoarthritis of knee. Bone oozing in UKA may result in hematoma and complications after operation.Methods: Visible blood loss and total blood loss were evaluated. Hb level of the patient postoperation was recorded. Circumference of knee was measured after operation.Visual analog scale (VAS) score were used and severe pain rate was caculated. Other complication such as wound healing, hemoarthrosis, infection, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and transfusion were recorded.Results: Bone wax group had less total blood loss(215.55.3±50.6 ml in group A, 236.74±48.5ml in group B; P = 0.023) The mean circumference of knee increased 2.73cm(range 1.5-4.1cm) in group B and 1.65cm (range 1.2-3.4cm)in group A at 3 days postoperation and the difference was significant(p<0.001). The rate of severe pain occured was significantly lower in group A than in group B (8.6%vs 22.4% p=0.040). Patients in bone wax group were more satisfied with UKA (89.7% in groupA, 74.1% in group B p=0.030). There was no infection occurred and blood transfusion was not performed in any patient. 2 patients in group A and 7 patients in group B underwent knee cavity aspiration due to hemoarthrosis.There was 1patient experienced delayed wound healingin both groups and 1 DVT in group B.Conclusion: Use of bone wax can reduce blood loss in UKA, and it do not increase the rate complications at short-term follow-up. More degradable bone waxes with good biocompatibility should be further investigated.
Smoke-weather interaction feeds extreme wildfires in Mediterranean and monsoon climate regimes
Authors: Ding Aijun , Huang Xin , Ding Ke , Liu Jingyi , Wang Zilin , Tang Rong , Xue Lian , Wang Haikun , Zhang Qiang , Tan Zhe-Min , Fu Congbin , Davis Steven , Andreae Meinrat
Published: May 2022

Extreme wildfires increasingly threaten human lives, infrastructure, air quality, and ecosystem services. Meteorology plays a vital role in wildfire activities, and thus the relationship between wildfire intensity and climate change has been widely studied. However, it remains unclear how fire-weather interactions affect short-term fire variability (e.g., 1–2 weeks), which in turn undermines our ability to mitigate fire disasters despite substantial progress in weather forecasting. Here we show the primacy of synoptic-scale feedbacks in driving extreme fires in both Mediterranean and monsoon climate regimes in United States West Coast and Southeastern Asia. In our modeling, radiative ef-fects of smoke aerosols tend to modify wind speed, air dryness, and rainfall, and hence substantially amplify severe air pollution by enhancing fire emissions and weakening smoke dispersion. Such fire-weather interactions form a positive feedback loop that may contribute to large increases in air-pollution mortality during extreme wildfires. Our study underscores the urgency of fundamental understanding of fire-weather interaction and points to a key opportunity for reducing extreme wildfires in populated coastal regions.
Good Practices and Recommendations for Using and Benchmarking Computational Metabolomics Metabolite Annotation Tools
Authors: de Jonge Niek F. , Mildau Kevin , Meijer David , Louwen Joris R. , Bueschl Christoph , Huber Florian , Hooft Justin J.J. van der
Published: May 2022

1.1 BackgroundUntargeted metabolomics approaches obtain comprehensive profiles of complex samples. However, on average only 10% of the molecules can be annotated. This low annotation rate hampers biochemical interpretation and effective comparison of metabolomics studies. Furthermore, de novo structural characterization remains a complicated and time intensive process. Recently, the field of computational metabolomics has gained traction and novel methods have started to enable large-scale and reliable metabolite annotation. Molecular networking and machine learning based in-silico annotation tools have been shown to greatly assist metabolite characterization in diverse fields such as clinical metabolomics and natural product discovery.1.2 Aim of reviewWe highlight recent advances in computational metabolite annotation workflows with a special focus on their evaluation and comparison with other tools. Whilst the progress is substantial and promising, we also argue that inconsistencies in benchmarking different tools hamper users in selecting the most appropriate and promising method for their research. We summarize benchmarking strategies of the different tools and outline several recommendations for benchmarking and comparing novel tools.1.3 Key scientific concepts of reviewThis review focuses on recent advances in mass spectral library-based and machine learning-supported metabolite annotation workflows. We discuss large-scale library matching and analogue search, the current bloom of mass spectral similarity scores, and how molecular networking has changed the field. In addition, the potentials and challenges of machine learning-supported metabolite annotation workflows are highlighted. Overall, recent developments in computational metabolomics have started to fundamentally change metabolomic workflows, and we expect that as a community we will be able to overcome current method performance ambiguities and annotation bottlenecks.
The potential use of acylglycerols on the thermal inactivation of lactic acid bacteria for the manufacture of long-life fermented products
Authors: Huerta-González Luis , López-Valdez Fernando , Luna-Suárez Silvia
Published: May 2022

The effect of acylglycerols on the thermal inactivation of lactic acid bacteria was studied because of their importance as starter cultures in the production of fermented products. The starting point was the observation of an increase in thermal sensitivity when an emulsifier based on mono- and diacylglycerols was present in the culture medium. Analysis of the emulsifier showed that monoacylglycerols were the compounds responsible for this effect, with monopalmitin being the major contributor. Monostearin, on the other hand, showed a significantly lower potentiating effect. Interestingly, monoacylglycerols showed a greater bactericidal effect when used individually than when used in combination. On the other hand, the rate of thermal inactivation observed in reconstituted skim milk emulsions was lower than in peptonized water emulsions, showing that the presence of proteins and colloidal particles increased the resistance of bacteria to heat treatment. With respect to pH values, a reduction in pH from 6.6 to 5.5 promoted an increase in the rate of thermal death. However, at pH = 5.5, the enhancing bactericidal effect was only detectable at lower temperatures but not at higher temperatures. This finding is of interest, since it will allow the design of moderate thermal treatments, combining the use of temperature with the addition of acylglycerols, to prolong the shelf life of fermented products with lactic acid bacteria, and minimizing the destruction of desirable compounds that were obtained because of the fermentation process.
Universal Ligand-Assisted Supermolecular Strategy to Synthesize Single-Atom Catalysts for Solar-to-Ethanol Conversion
Authors: Zhang Longshuai , Wu Feiyao , Jiang Xunheng , Meng Fanqi , Liu Haiyan , Sun Qing , Yu Shimin , Wu Meifeng , He Shun , Lu Xin , Cui Yitao , Dai Weili , Ma Tianyi , Li Hui , Zou Jian-Ping , Luo Xubiao
Published: May 2022

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted significant attention; however, their catalytic properties are not satisfactory due to the sparse and inhomogeneity of the single-atom sites. Herein, we report a novel ligand-assisted supermolecular (LASM) strategy for the preparation of carbon nitride (CN)-supported SACs (M1-CNs) with controllable and high active metal loadings. The ligands in the metal chelates can immobilise the metal and control their type and content, while the formed hydrogen-bonded supermolecules can inhibit the fusion of the CN precursor. Therefore, M1-CN SACs (M: Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, Ag, and Cd) and multiple-metals SACs (Mα 1/Mβ 1-CNs: Fe/Cu and Cu/Zn/Ag) were successfully prepared. The as-synthesizd Cu1-CN have a record-high loading of 9.75 at.%. Notably, Cu1-CNs with high loadings achieved highly selective solar-driven photoreduction of CO2 to ethanol, a breakthrough result in the field of 100% C2+ product construction using SACs, which stands among the best solar-to-ethanol single-atom photocatalysts up to date. Combining experimental evidence including X-ray absorption analysis and theoretical calculations, revealed that the Cu1-CN with high loading promoted the C–C coupling of *CO intermediate products. This work provides a novel strategy for the controllable preparation of M1-CNs and for the design of SACs with high selectivity and efficiency for the photoreduction of CO2 to C2+ products.
Effect of Levetiracetam on Ocular Perfusion Measure with OCT-Angiography
Authors: Kaderli Ahmet , Kayılıoğlu Hülya , Kaderli Sema Tamer , Karalezli Aylin
Published: May 2022

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the macular and optic nerve head blood flow in pediatric epilepsy patients treated with levetiracetam for at least 12 months with optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA).Methods: 33 pediatric epilepsy patients and 30 sex and age-matched healthy volunteer children were included in the study. OCTA was used to evaluate the optic nerve head and macular perfusion chages. Mean ocular perfusion pressures (MOPP) were also calculated. Patients using multiple antiepileptic drugs or prior history of different drug use were exluded from the study.Results: Choriocapillaris flow area was significantly lower in the study group than the control group (p=0.006). However, foveal avascular zone, vessel densities of macula in superficial, deep capillary plexus and optic nerve head were not significantly different from healty eyes (p>0.05). There was also no significant difference between the two groups in means of MOPP (p=0.211). No obvious correlation is found between treatment duration and OCTA parameters or MOPP. None of the patients had diplopia, nystagmus, blurred vision, color vision deficiency or increased intraocular pressure.Conclusions: In children taking levetiracetam for at least 12 months, choroidal perfusion was reduced compared to controls, while retinal perfusion was not affected in this OCTA study.
[18F]FDG PET signal correlates with markers of neo-angiogenesis in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease who underwent lung biopsy: Implication for the use of PET/CT in diffuse lung diseases
Authors: Porter Joanna C , Ganeshan Balaji , Win Thida , Fraioli Francesco , Khan Saif , Rodriguez-Justo Manuel , Endozo Raymond , Shortman Robert I , Maher Toby M , Groves Ashley M
Published: May 2022

Purpose
The potential to use FDG PET/CT in diffuse lung diseases is becoming increasingly recognised. To understand the potential of the technique better, we investigated the correlation between [18F]FDG lung uptake with microvessel density (MVD) on lung biopsy of patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (fILD).
Methods
We recruited 18 patients with fILD who underwent [18F]FDG PET before lung biopsy. We derived target-to-background ratio (TBR) of maximum pulmonary uptake of FDG (SUVmax) divided by the lung background (SUVmin). Consecutive paraffin-embedded sections obtained from biopsy were immunostained for alveolar and interstitial macrophages (CD68), microvessel density (MVD; CD31 and CD105/ endoglin) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1). MVD was expressed as vessel area % per high-power field (Va%/hpf); Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS.
Results
18 patients were followed for an average of 41.36 months (range 5.69-132.46 months; median 30.07 months). In all patients, MVD assessed with either CD105 or CD31 quantification on biopsy predicted overall survival. Patients with low CD105-MVD (score of < 12 Va%/hpf) and/or low CD31-MVD (score of < 34 Va%/hpf) had a significantly better prognosis (no deaths during follow-up) than patients with higher scores of CD105-MVD (median survival < 35 months, p = 0.041, n = 13) or CD31-MVD (median survival < 30 months, p = 0.037, n = 13). However, only CD105-MVD showed a significantly positive correlation with [18F]FDG TBR (rs = 0.556, p < 0.05, n = 13). There was no correlation between [18F]FDG uptake and macrophage expression of GLUT-1.
Conclusion
Previous work has used FDG-PET as a biomarker in fILD. Here we highlight a correlation between angiogenesis and FDG TBR, both of which predict mortality in patients with fILD. These data set the scene to investigate the potential role of the vasculature and angiogenesis in fibrosis.
Celiac disease Associated with therapy for lymphoma: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Rajadurai Suvithan , Schiffman Fred Jay
Published: May 2022

BackgroundCeliac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy characterized by a reaction to gluten leading to autoantibodies that have deleterious effects on several organs. Most commonly, celiac disease affects the small bowel causing an inflammatory reaction that leads to villous atrophy and thus malabsorption. While post-chemotherapy side effects are varied and affect several organ systems, one of the more common effects seen in patients is diarrhea. However, in some cases diarrhea is not an isolated event but rather a manifestation of new onset celiac disease. We propose that while celiac disease is a relatively rare condition, there may be an association with chemotherapy.Case PresentationA 66-year-old woman with a history of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), immune idiopathic thrombocytopenia, and hypothyroidism, developed diarrhea and severe hypokalemia two years after completing a 6 cycle EPOCH-R chemotherapy regimen. EPOCH-R consisted of rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin. Evaluation of the patient showed villous blunting and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes in the small intestine as well as increased levels of anti-TTG antibodies, endomysial IgA antibodies, and gliadin IgG antibodies indicating a diagnosis of celiac disease. The patient had no family history of celiac disease or other enteropathies and outside of a brief case of Clostridium difficile colitis, had not experienced any side effects in the immediate post-chemotherapy period. The patient responded well to a gluten-free diet with resolution of her diarrheal symptoms.ConclusionsCeliac disease developing after completion of chemotherapy for DLBCL is a rare phenomenon with only a few examples found in the medical literature. Although diarrhea is a common side effect of chemotherapy for lymphoma, patients with delayed onset of diarrhea with failure to improve despite conventional management, should be evaluated for celiac disease.
Comparison of cisatracurium dosing based on three weight indices in patients with morbid obesity in laparoscopic bariatric surgery
Authors: Rokhtabnak Faranak , Safari Saeed , Motlagh) Soudabeh (Soodabeh) Djalali Motlagh (Jalali , Yavari Toktam , Pardis Elham
Published: May 2022

Background
Different dosing regimens of cisatracurium have been recommended for patients with morbid obesity. The aim of this study was to compare the onset of action, the sufficiency of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) during infusion, and recovery of the three different dosing scalar of cisatracurium.
Methods
In this clinical trial, 57 patients were randomly divided into three groups to receive a bolus of cisatracurium 0.2 mg/kg, followed by an infusion of 2 µg/kg, to maintain a train-of-four (TOF) count ≤ 2, based on either total body weight (TBW, group TBW), fat-free mass (FFM, group FFM), or ideal body weight (IBW, group IBW).
Results
The time to reach a TOF of zero in the TBW group was comparable with the group FFM but was shorter compared to the group IBW (P = 0.15). The rescue dose during maintenance of anesthesia was not required in group TBW, whereas in group IBW more frequently required compared to group FFM (P = 0.027). The recovery time to TOF count 4, TOF ratio of 50%, 75%, and 100% was longer in the TBW group, though they were comparable between the groups FFM and IBW (P = < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, 0.002, respectively). The mean surgical condition score was comparable in the groups TBW and FFM, both higher than the group IBW (P < 0.001and P = 0.02, respectively).
Conclusion
Cisatracurium loading and infusion dosing based on FFM provides an onset of action and surgical field condition comparable to the TBW-based dosing with a shorter recovery time. However, IBW-based dosing of cisatracurium is insufficient for laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
Isolation, characterization, and genome investigation of vB_SenS_TUMS_E4, a polyvalent bacteriophage against Salmonella enteritidis
Authors: Torkashvand Narges , Kamyab Haniyeh , Shahverdi Ahmad Reza , Khoshayand Mohammad Reza , Sepehrizadeh Zargham
Published: May 2022

Background
Salmonellosis is a critical and common infectious malady between people and animals caused by Salmonella bacteria. With the advent of antibiotic resistance, it is essential for new methods to be replaced to prevent and treat infections. Bacteriophages are promising choices.
Methods
In this study, phage vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 against Salmonella enteritidis isolate has been separated from poultry wastewater. Determination of phage characteristics, including plaque formation, imaging with transmission electron microscopy, growth curve, structural proteins profile, host range, and pH and temperature parameters. Also, the Phage genome was extracted, sequenced, and annotated, and by utilizing Average Nucleotide Identity and phylogeny was compared with reference Salmonella phages.
Results
The burst size was large, nearly 287 plaque-forming units per cell (PFU/cell) and elevated stability to many temperatures and pH values. Phage vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 was effective on various clinical and environmental strains of Salmonella but did not affect bacteria of other genera. The morphological analysis indicated that phage vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 belongs to the Siphoviridae family. The genome of vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 is a linear dsDNA molecule of 43,018 bp with a G + C content of 49.7%. It includes 60 protein-coding genes, yet it contains no tRNA genes. Among the 60 detected putative protein-coding genes, just 43 gene products were contained in database searches. No genes associated with antibiotic resistance, virulence factor, and lysogenic were realized in the vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 genome.
Conclusion
The findings indicate that the high lytic potency vB_SenS_TUMS_E4 polyvalent phage is an antibacterial agent for controlling Salmonella in food production, prevention, and Salmonella treatment.
PINO-MBD: Physics-informed Neural Operator for Solving Coupled ODEs in Multi-body Dynamics
Authors: Ding Wenhao , He Qing , Tong Hanghang , Wang Ping
Published: May 2022

In multi-body dynamics, the motion of a complicated physical object is described as a coupled ordinary differential equation system with multiple unknown solutions. Engineers need to constantly adjust the object to meet requirements at the design stage, where a highly efficient solver is needed. The rise of machine learning-based partial differential equation solvers can meet this need. These solvers can be classified into two categories: approximating the solution function (Physics-informed neural network) and learning the solution operator (Neural operator). The recently proposed physics-informed neural operator (PINO) gains advantages from both categories by embedding physics equations into the loss function of a neural operator. Following this state-of-art concept, we propose the physics-informed neural operator for coupled ODEs in multi-body dynamics (PINO-MBD), which learns the mapping between parameter spaces and solution spaces. Once PINO-MBD is trained, only one forward pass of the network is required to obtain the solutions for a new instance with different parameters. To handle the difficulty that coupled ODEs contain multiple solutions (instead of only one in normal PDE problems), two new physics embedding methods are also proposed. The experimental results on classic vehicle-track coupled dynamics problem show state-of-art performance not only on solutions but also the first and second derivatives of solutions.
Numerical simulation of the elastic-ideal plastic material behavior of short fiber-reinforced composites including its spatial distribution with an experimental validation
Authors: Rauter Natalie
Published: May 2022

For the numerical simulation of components made of short fiber-reinforced composites the correct prediction of the deformation including the elastic and plastic behavior and its spatial distribution is essential. When using purely deterministic modeling approaches the information of the probabilistic microstructure is not included in the simulation process. One possible approach for the integration of stochastic information is the use of random fields. In this study numerical simulations of tensile test specimens are conducted utilizing a finite deformation elastic-ideal plastic material model. A selection of the material parameters covering the elastic and plastic domain are represented by cross-correlated second-order Gaussian random fields to incorporate the probabilistic nature of the material parameters. To validate the modeling approach tensile tests until failure are carried out experimentally, that confirm the assumption of spatially distributed material behavior in both the elastic and plastic domain. Since the correlation lengths of the random fields cannot be determined by pure analytic treatments, additionally numerical simulations are performed for different values of the correlation length. The numerical simulations endorse the influence of the correlation length on the overall behavior. For a correlation length of 5mm a good conformity with the experimental results is obtained. Therefore, it is concluded, that the presented modeling approach is suitable to predict the elastic and plastic deformation of a set of tensile test specimens made of short fiber-reinforced composite sufficiently.
Tekstil Fabrikalarında Öz Tüketim Modeli Güneş Enerjisi Santralinde Enerji Kalitesi Analizi
Authors: DİNÇER Furkan , KARADAĞ Fatih
Published: May 2022

Gelişen teknoloji ve sanayileşme ile birlikte elektrik enerjisi tüketimi her yıl artış göstermektedir. Artan talebe karşı üretilen elektrik enerjisinin de yeni ve yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları arasından olması önem arz etmektedir. Fabrikalar kendi elektrik enerjisini kendi üretme yoluna giderken aynı zamanda bu durumlar enerji kalitesini de olumsuz olarak etkileyebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada bir tekstil fabrikasının öz tüketim modeli ile kurmuş olduğu güneş enerjisi santralinde enerji kalitesi ile ilgili yaşadığı sorunlar detaylı olarak analiz edilmiş ve ölçümler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ölçüm metodu ve ölçümün nasıl gerçekleştirildiği konuları ile ilgili detaylı bilgiler de paylaşılmıştır. Enerji kalitesindeki sorun güneş enerjisi santralinin üretim performansını da olumsuz olarak etkilemekte ve düşük üretim yapmasına neden olmaktadır. Üretim performansın iyileştirilmesi, enerji kalitesinin düzeltilmesine bağlı olduğu için enerji kalitesinin iyileştirilmesi konusunda da çözüm önerileri sunulmuştur.
Hydrodynamic and microbiological characterisation of free ground water in the city of Bafoussam, (West Cameroon)
Authors: Nguedia Djatsa Kevin , Ndongo Barthelémy , Ntankouo Njila Roger , Kagou Dongmo Armand
Published: May 2022

The work presented here aims to carry out a physical characterisation of soils to understand their hydrodynamic behaviour and estimate the susceptibility of each group of soils to microbiological pollution. The field work associated with the laboratory work consisted of monitoring the hydrodynamic behaviour of previously identified and selected well waters, measuring the permeabilities of the soil samples and analysing the bacteriological parameters of the sampled well waters. At the end of this work, the piezometric data show a dominant SE-NW and ENE-OSW flow direction. The water levels vary significantly between the wet and dry seasons. The granulometric analysis of the soils reveals CU>3 showing a spread out granulometry with very low permeabilities of the order of 1.58×10−7 m/s and moderately high permeabilities of the order of 1.86×10−5 m/s. The microbiological data show pollution of human origin with a high bacterial load in the rainy season represented by a maximum of 240 CFU of Escherichia coli exceeding the WHO standards for drinking water. The majority of the polluted samples come from soils developed on granites and basalts, which are the most susceptible to pollution, making the groundwater vulnerable.
Adsorption of Congo red by fibrous xonotlite prepared from waste silicon residue
Authors: Han Mingyu , Shen Xiaoyi , Shao Hongmei , Wang Xinyue , Liu Yan , Zhai Yuchun
Published: May 2022

Fibrous xonotlite was synthesized under the conditions of Na2SiO3 concentration of 0.05 mol·L−1, molar ratio of Si/Ca of 1:1, temperature of 220 °C and time of 9 h. It is worth pointing out that the Na2SiO3 solution as raw material was obtained from silicon residue through several procedures. The fibrous xonotlite exhibits excellent adsorption capacity for Congo red. 50 mL solution of Congo red with the concentrations of 100, 150 and 200 mg·L−1 can be almost completely adsorbed by 30 mg of fibrous xonotlite within 10 min, and the adsorption ratios are 94.05%, 95.50% and 94.14%. The Langmuir model describes the adsorption well, indicating the adsorption is monolayer. The adsorption kinetics follows the pseudo-second-order model. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity of fibrous xonotlite for Congo red is 574.71 mg·g−1 at room temperature. Fibrous xonotlite is a potential efficient adsorbent for Congo red owing to its rapid adsorption, high adsorption capacity and regeneration capacity.
Effective fluorine removal using mixed matrix membrane based on polysulfone: adsorption performance and diffusion behavior
Authors: Zhang Xinbo , Sui Guoyi , Wang Zhe , Ngo Huu Hao , Guo Wenshan , Wen Haitao , Zhang Dan , Wang Xiao , Zhang Jianqing
Published: May 2022

Fluorine is one of the essential trace elements for human life activities, but excessive intake of fluoride poses a great risk to people's health. In this paper, a series of mixed matrix membrane (MMM)-based polysulfone for removing fluoride were prepared by phase inversion, and their properties, adsorption capacity, adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics of fluoride ions, and mechanism were all investigated. The results confirmed that the MMM contained a large number of hydroxyl and aluminum functional groups due to resin being added. The MMM exhibited the best fluorine ion adsorption capacity of 2.502 mg/g at a pH of 6 with the initial concentration of 6 mg/L. As well, adsorption kinetics of fluorine ion on MMM followed the pseudo-second-order model, while the adsorption behavior of fluorine ion on MMM was well simulated by the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption capacity of MMM remained stable after six cycles and the regeneration efficiency was still above 80%, resulting in a long-term stability adequate for fluorine ion removal. Complexation and ion exchange played a key role in the fluorine ion adsorption of MMM. These results indicated the MMM as novel type of absorbent had an excellent capacity for removing fluoride.
Removal of estrogen pollutants using biochar-pellet-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron
Authors: Deng Peiyuan , Wang Guangzhou , Li Changkan , Dou Shentang , Yuan Wei
Published: May 2022

Nanoscale zero-valent iron-supported biochar pellets (nZVI)-(BP) were synthesized via liquid-phase reduction and applied to estrogen removal, including estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). The performance of nZVI-BP, with respect to its characterization, removal kinetics, and isotherms, was investigated. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium was reached within 10 min of exposure. The adsorption capacity of estrogen decreased with increasing solute pH and nZVI-BP dosage. The adsorptivity increased with increasing initial estrogen concentration. The estrogen behavior followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption data of different initial estrogen concentrations fitted to Freundlich adsorption isotherms. In addition, a preliminary discussion of the adsorption mechanism of nZVI-BP for estrogens was provided.
Mechanisms and Approaches for Salt Tolerance in Turmeric: A Breeding Perspective
Authors:   Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India, Bandi Arpitha Shankar , Kaushik Prashant ,   Kikugawa Research Station, Yokohama Ueki, 2265, Kamo, Kikugawa City, Shizuoka 439-0031, 6 Japan,   Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana, Universitat Politècnica deValència, Valencia, Spain
Published: May 2022

India is home to several medicinal herbs including turmeric. Turmeric is one of the major produces of India, primarily due to its unique and valuable medicinal and therapeutic properties. However, the growth and yield of turmeric are greatly affected by salt stress in certain parts of the country, especially those near water bodies where significant yield losses have been reported. To mitigate these losses caused by salt stress, certain plant breeding methods, transgenic approaches, and candidate genes along with ion compartmentation have been implemented so that the growth, yields, development of the crops, rhizome size, essential oil content, total polyphenols, and curcumin content are maintained by protecting the crop from wilting and death. Several strategies, along with a proper understanding of the system biology of turmeric, are being studied carefully to identify the stress-tolerant pathways to enhance the adaptability of plants to salt stress or escape the associated effects in severe cases. These strategies will make the turmeric plants more valuable as well as beneficial to humans.
Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair With Ovation Alto Stent Graft: Protocol for the ALTAIR (ALTo endogrAft Italian Registry) Study
Authors: de Donato Gianmarco , Pasqui Edoardo , Sirignano Pasqualino , Talarico Francesco , Palasciano Giancarlo , Taurino Maurizio ,   ALTAIR collaborators
Published: May 2022

Background

Since 2010, the Ovation Abdominal Stent Graft System has offered an innovative sealing option for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by including a sealing ring filled with polymer 13 mm from the renal arteries. In August 2020, the redesigned Ovation Alto, with a sealing ring 6 mm closer to the top of the fabric, received CE Mark approval.

Objective

This registry study aims to evaluate intraoperative, perioperative, and postoperative results in patients treated by the Alto stent graft (Endologix Inc.) for elective AAA repair in a multicentric consecutive experience.

Methods

All consecutive eligible patients submitted to endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) by Alto Endovascular AAA implantation will be included in this analysis. Patients will be submitted to EVAR procedures based on their own preferences, anatomical features, and operators experience. An estimated number of 300 patients submitted to EVAR with Alto stent graft should be enrolled. It is estimated that the inclusion period will be 24 months. The follow-up period is set to be 5 years. Full data sets and cross-sectional images of contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan performed before EVAR, at the first postoperative month, at 24 or 36 months, and at 5-year follow-up interval will be reported in the central database for a centralized core laboratory review of morphological changes. The primary endpoint of the study is to evaluate the technical and clinical success of EVAR with the Alto stent graft in short- (90-day), mid- (1-year), and long-term (5-year) follow-up periods. The following secondary endpoints will be also addressed: operative time; intraoperative radiation exposure; contrast medium usage; AAA sac shrinkage at 12-month and 5-year follow-up; any potential role of patients’ baseline characteristics, valuated on preoperative computed tomography angiographic study, and of device configuration (number of component) in the primary endpoint.

Results

The study is currently in the recruitment phase and the final patient is expected to be treated by the end of 2023 and then followed up for 5 years. A total of 300 patients will be recruited. Analyses will focus on primary and secondary endpoints. Updated results will be shared at 1- and 3-5-year follow-ups.

Conclusions

The results from this registry study could validate the safety and effectiveness of the new design of the Ovation Alto Stent Graft. The technical modifications to the endograft could allow for accommodation of a more comprehensive range of anatomies on-label.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05234892; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05234892

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/36995
Effects of the Population-Based “10,000 Steps Duesseldorf” Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Adults: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Matos Fialho Paula M , Günther Liane , Schmitz Elena , Trümmler Jannis , Willemsen Sorina , Vomhof Markus , Icks Andrea , Lang Alexander , Kuss Oliver , Weyers Simone , Pischke Claudia R
Published: May 2022

Background

The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA), which translates to approximately 7000 to 10,000 steps per day for adults. In Germany, less than half of the population in this age range meets this recommendation, highlighting the need for population-based intervention approaches for promoting daily PA.

Objective

The complex community-based PA intervention “10,000 Steps Ghent,” which was originally developed in Belgium and was shown to be effective for PA promotion, has been adapted for implementation and evaluation in 2 German cities. The original Belgian study is currently being replicated, and we aim to examine the effectiveness of the adapted intervention among adults living in intervention city districts in Duesseldorf when compared with those living in control city districts in Wuppertal, over the course of 1 year.

Methods

A controlled intervention trial examining the effects of an intervention addressing multiple levels (eg, individual level: website; organizational level: PA promotion in companies; community level: media campaigns and environmental changes) is being conducted. PA and various secondary outcomes will be assessed in 2 random samples of adults aged 25 to 75 years (n=399 in each city) at baseline and after 1 year.

Results

Funding for this study was obtained in March 2020. Recruitment for this study and baseline data collection were conducted from May 2021 to March 2022 (as of March 2022, 626 participants were enrolled in the study). The intervention will be implemented in Duesseldorf for 1 year from April 2022 onward, and follow-up assessments will be conducted, starting in May 2023 (until September 2023). Data analysis will be performed in fall 2023, and the results will be published in spring 2024.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first research project (currently underway in Germany) that is aimed at replicating the effects of a complex intervention for PA promotion that was previously shown to be effective in another European country.

Trial Registration

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00024873; https://tinyurl.com/4c9e8azh

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/39175
Investigating COVID-19 vaccine communication and misinformation on TikTok: a cross sectional study (Preprint)
Authors: van Kampen Katherine , Laski Jeremi , Herman Gabrielle , Chan Teresa
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable information, especially, around vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern and a great threat to broader public health. The prevalence of social media within our daily lives emphasizes the importance of accurately analyzing how health information is being disseminated to the public. TikTok is of particular interest as it is an emerging social media platform that young adults may be increasingly using to access health information.

OBJECTIVE

To examine and describe the content within the top 100 TikToks trending with the hashtag #covidvaccine.

METHODS

The top 250 most viewed TikToks with the hashtag of #covidvaccine were batch downloaded on 01/07/2021 with their respective metadata. Each TikTok was subsequently viewed and encoded by two independent reviewers. Coding continued until 100 TikToks could be included based on language and content. Descriptive features were recorded including health care professional (HCP) status of creator, verification of health care provider status, genre and myths addressed. Primary inclusion criteria were any TikToks in English with discussion of a covid vaccine.

RESULTS

Of the 102 videos included, the median number of plays was 1700000, with median shares of 9224 and followers 62200. Upon analysis, 14.7% of TikToks included HCPs (n=15) of which 80.0% (n=12) could be verified via social media or a google search. 100% of HCP TikToks supported vaccine use, and overall 81% of all TikToks (created by either a layperson or HCP) supported vaccine use.

CONCLUSIONS

As the pandemic continues, vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to lifting restrictions and discovering reasons for this hesitancy is important to public health measures. This study summarizes the discourse around the vaccine use on TikTok. Importantly it opens up a frank discussion about the necessity to incorporate new social media platforms into medical education so we might ensure our trainees are ready to engage with patients where they receive information.

CLINICALTRIAL

N/A (not a clinical trial)
Author's Responses to Peer Reviews of “The Influence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants on National Case-Fatality Rates: Correlation and Validation Study” (Preprint)
Authors: Barletta William A
Published: May 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

This is the authors responses to peer review reports related to ms#32935.
Authors' Responses to Peer Reviews of “Supporting Technologies for COVID-19 Prevention: Systemized Review” (Preprint)
Authors: Zhao Zhuo , Li Rui , Ma Yangmyung , Islam Iman , Rajper Abdul M Azam , Song WenZhan , Ren Hongliang , Tse Zion Tsz Ho
Published: May 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

This is the authors’ responses to peer review reports related to MS 30344.
Mixed Reality Prototype of Multimodal Screening for Early Detection of Cognitive Impairments in Elderly:
Protocol Development and Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Christova Monica , Strohmaier Robert , Bianca Fuchs-Neuhold Bianca , Guggenberger Bernhard , Loder-Fink Brigitte , Draxler Theresa , Palli Christoph , Simi Helmut , Schadenbauer Sandra , Nischelwitzer Alexander , Sprung Gerhard , Pilz René , Darkow Robert , Staubmann Wolfgang
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Early diagnosis of cognitive impairments is an important step in the adequate management of dementia. The project “Smart Cognition & Behavior Screening powered by Augmented Reality” (SCOBES AR) aims to develop a multimodal screening tool (MST) for early detection of cognitive impairments using augmented and virtual reality. In the first project phase validated assessments were selected, combined in MST and tested in 174 healthy elderly adults. In the present project phase, the developed MST will be partly enhanced by mixed reality (MR), a combination of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). This MR-enhanced prototype of screening tool (MR-MST) will be tested and compared to the previously developed MST. In addition, the usability of this enhanced prototype will be examined.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a protocol for implementation and usability of MR-enhanced multidisciplinary screening tool for early detection of cognitive impairments in the elderly.

METHODS

In this cross-over design study protocol 100 healthy participants (aged 60-75 years) will be screened for cognitive declines using: i) specially developed MST (assessment of cognitive functions, olfactory sensitivity, nutritional preferences, gait parameters, reaction times, activities of daily living, and ii) MR-enhanced MST in which the assessments of cognitive functions, reaction time, activities of daily living and gait are performed using tailor made software and AR- and VR hardware. The results of the MR-enhanced MST will be compared with those without MR. The usability of the developed MR-enhanced MST will be tested on 10 investigators and 10 test participants using observed summative evaluation and the co-discovery method and on 2 usability experts using the co-discovery and the cognitive walkthrough method.

RESULTS

This study was funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, grant number 866873 and received Ethic Vote from the Ethic committee of the Medical University of Graz. The MR-MST prototype and the study protocol for the present study were developed. As of May 09, 2022, 15 participants have been screened. To date, no results are available for this study protocol.

CONCLUSIONS

The development of the MR-MST prototype enables identifying best practise procedure for evaluating cognitive declines in the elderly using multimodal and AR/VR-enhanced screenings.
Conversational Agents and Avatars for Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Lifestyle-Related Behaviors: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Lyzwinski Lynnette Nathalie , Elgendi Mohamed , Menon Carlo
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

In recent years, there has been a rise in the use of conversational agents for lifestyle medicine, in particular for weight-related behaviors and cardiometabolic risk factors. Little is known about the effectiveness and acceptability of and engagement with conversational and virtual agents as well as the applicability of these agents for metabolic syndrome risk factors such as an unhealthy dietary intake, physical inactivity, diabetes, and hypertension.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to get a greater understanding of the virtual agents that have been developed for cardiometabolic risk factors and to review their effectiveness.

METHODS

A systematic review of PubMed and MEDLINE was conducted to review conversational agents for cardiometabolic risk factors, including chatbots and embodied avatars.

RESULTS

A total of 50 studies were identified. Overall, chatbots and avatars appear to have the potential to improve weight-related behaviors such as dietary intake and physical activity. There were limited studies on hypertension and diabetes. Patients seemed interested in using chatbots and avatars for modifying cardiometabolic risk factors, and adherence was acceptable across the studies, except for studies of virtual agents for diabetes. However, there is a need for randomized controlled trials to confirm this finding. As there were only a few clinical trials, more research is needed to confirm whether conversational coaches may assist with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Conversational coaches may regulate cardiometabolic risk factors; however, quality trials are needed to expand the evidence base. A future chatbot could be tailored to metabolic syndrome specifically, targeting all the areas covered in the literature, which would be novel.
Assessing the Impact of an Online Intervention (Nuts & Bolts) on Distress for People with Newly Diagnosed Testicular Cancer using a Mixed Methods Approach (Preprint)
Authors: Conduit Ciara , Guo Christina , Smith Allan B , Rincones Orlando , Baenziger Olivia , Thomas Benjamin , Goad Jeremy , Lenaghan Dan , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Wong Lih-Ming , Corcoran Niall M , Ross Margaret , Gibbs Peter , O'Haire Sophie , Anton Angelyn , Liow Elizabeth , Lewin Jeremy , Tran Ben
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Distress is common immediately following a diagnosis with testicular cancer, however there is an unmet need to develop instruments to address this important issue.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated an online intervention, Nuts & Bolts, designed to provide support and alleviate distress associated with the diagnosis of testicular cancer in individuals with a new diagnosis.

METHODS

In this trial using a mixed methods design designed to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and impact of Nuts & Bolts, we randomly assigned 39 participants with recently diagnosed testicular cancer in a 1:1 ratio to access Nuts & Bolts at the time of consent (“early”), or alternatively, one week later (day 8; “delayed”). The primary endpoint was change in distress, measured by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (DT; score range 0-10), between consent/day 8. Secondary endpoints of distress, anxiety and depression were assessed at defined intervals across a four-week follow-up period; semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Moderate- or high-levels of distress evaluated using DT were reported in 58% of participants at the time of consent. “Early intervention” with Nuts & Bolts did not significantly decrease mean DT score by day eight compared to “delayed intervention” (early: 4.56 to 2.74 versus delayed: 4.47 to 2.74, p=.85), however reduced DT scores were observed by day 8 (early: p<.001; delayed: p=.012) regardless of the timing of the intervention. A significant reduction in DT scores was observed four-weeks following the intervention in the early (p<.001) and delayed intervention group (p=.010). Thematic analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews revealed four key themes, including pertinently, the helpfulness of the intervention across the journey. Nuts & Bolts was considered useful, relevant and ‘easy to use’ by most participants, however early access was key to maximising benefit and ameliorating the ‘whirlwind’ of diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Distress is common following diagnosis with testicular cancer; however, reduces over time. Earlier introduction to Nuts & Bolts did not impact change in distress across one-week measured by DT, but utility was widely supported by participants. Nuts & Bolts was considered useful, acceptable, and relevant by individuals diagnosed with testicular cancer. It may have a greater impact on distress if utilised as soon as testicular cancer is suspected.

CLINICALTRIAL

ACTRN12620000902998