bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of Alzheimer's Disease using cortical diffusion tensor imaging
Authors: Torso Mario , Bozzali Marco , Zamboni Giovanna , Jenkinson Mark , Chance Steven A. ,   for the Alzheimers Disease Neuroimage Initiative
Published: November 2020

The aim of this research was to test a novel in‐vivo brain MRI analysis method that could be used in clinical cohorts to investigate cortical architecture changes in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Three cohorts of patients with probable AD and healthy volunteers were used to assess the results of the method. The first group was used as the “Discovery” cohort, the second as the “Test” cohort and the last “ATN” (Amyloid, Tau, Neurodegeneration) cohort was used to test the method in an ADNI 3 cohort, comparing to amyloid and Tau PET. The method can detect altered quality of cortical grey matter in AD patients, providing an additional tool to assess AD, distinguishing between these and healthy controls with an accuracy range between good and excellent. These new measurements could be used within the “ATN” framework as an index of cortical microstructure quality and a marker of Neurodegeneration. Further development may aid diagnosis, patient selection, and quantification of the “Neurodegeneration” component in response to therapies in clinical trials.
Evaluation of a statewide initiative to reduce expulsion of young children
Authors: Conners Edge Nicola A. , Kyzer Angela , Abney Ashelyn , Freshwater Audrey , Sutton Melissa , Whitman Kimberly
Published: November 2020

This program evaluation study describes 3 years of implementation of Arkansas's BehaviorHelp (BH) system, a statewide expulsion prevention support system for early care and education (ECE). BH coordinates three tiers of supports to ECE professionals, including phone support, on‐site technical assistance (TA), and infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC). We examine differences in characteristics of those served across BH service tiers, describe short‐term case outcomes, and explore factors associated with expulsions. BH accepted referrals for 1,195 children in 488 ECE programs. The majority of referrals involved male children over the age of three, and most cases were assigned to the TA tier (68.5%). Cases assigned to receive IECMHC (28.4%) were more likely to involve children in foster care, receiving developmental therapies, and with higher rates of exposure to potentially traumatic events. The expulsion rate among referred children was 2.9%, and reported teacher engagement with the support process was high. Teachers receiving IECMHC services reported significant improvements in children's symptoms of emotional and behavioral problems. Exploratory analyses revealed that risk factors for expulsion included being a male, in foster care, in a lower quality ECE environment, and having a teacher with less training in social–emotional development.
Effects of dexamethasone and gamma globulin combined with prednisone on the therapeutic effect and immune function of Henoch‐Schonlein purpura nephritis in children
Authors: Chen Lei , Wang Xinning , Yin Liang , Ma Kun , Liu Xiangyang
Published: November 2020

Background

Henoch‐Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is a serious complication of Henoch‐Schonlein purpura (HSP), which is usually treated with immunosuppressant and glucocorticoid. This study was designed to explore the effect of dexamethasone and gamma globulin combined with prednisone in the treatment of pediatric HSPN.

Methods

According to the treatment plan, 60 children treated with dexamethasone and gamma globulin were included in the control group, and the rest 55 children treated with dexamethasone and gamma globulin combined with prednisone were selected as the research group. The clinical manifestations, therapeutic effect, immune function, serum inflammatory factors, blood coagulation function, urine routine, renal function, and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.

Results

The clinical manifestations of children in the research group were significantly better than those in the control group after treatment (P < .05). The total effective rate in the research group (94.55%) was markedly higher than that in the control group (76.67%) (P < .05). CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, IL‐10, PT, and APTT increased while CD4+/CD8+, IgA, IL‐8, TNF‐α, FIB, urine protein, urine red blood cell, Scr, and BUN decreased in both groups after treatment, and the changes of all the above indexes in the research group were significant than those in the control group (P < .05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the research group was remarkably superior to that in the control group (P < .05).

Conclusion

Dexamethasone and gamma globulin combined with prednisone can improve the immune function of children with HSPN and promote the recovery of renal function.
Effects of pancreatectomy on nutritional state, pancreatic function, and quality of life over 5 years of follow up
Authors: Shin Yong Chan , Han Youngmin , Kim Eunjung , Kwon Wooil , Kim Hongbeom , Jang Jin‐Young
Published: November 2020

Background

To analyze serial changes in nutritional status, pancreatic function, and quality of life (QoL) over 5 years of follow‐up after pancreatectomy.

Methods

Patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between 2007 and 2013 were included. Data on relative body weight (RBW); triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT); body mass index (BMI); serum protein, albumin, transferrin, fasting blood glucose, postprandial 2‐h glucose, and stool elastase levels; and QoL questionnaire scores were collected serially for 5 years.

Results

Two hundred and seventeen patients were enrolled, but 79 patients completed the 5‐year follow‐up. RBW, BMI, and TSFT continued to decrease postoperatively but increased after 6 months. Transferrin, albumin, and protein levels recovered to the preoperative level after 3 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that a BMI >25 kg/m2, DP, and adjuvant therapy had a significant impact on endocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Although steatorrhea and diarrhea were mainly resolved by 12 months, the stool elastase level decreased after PD and was not restored. The mean scores for all QoL questionnaires improved above the preoperative value at 12 months.

Conclusions

Patients undergoing pancreatectomy can return to their daily lives after 12 months. However, those with risk factors associated with pancreatic function and QoL need more careful follow‐up and supportive management.
Real‐world application of the Xpert® HBV viral load assay on serum and dried blood spots
Authors: Jackson Kathy , Tekoaua Rosemary , Li Xin , Locarnini Stephen
Published: November 2020

As we strive towards the WHO goal of elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, implementation of reliable, accurate diagnostic assays is crucial to identify those at risk of disease progression and those at risk of transmission. Ironically those at greatest risk of chronic hepatitis B are often in resource‐poor regions with limited access to testing, collection, storage, and/or transportation of peripheral blood. The Xpert® HBV Viral Load assay provides an easy to use, convenient means of measuring load on GeneXpert platforms. In this study, the Xpert assay is evaluated against four commercially available high‐throughput assays for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) loads. In addition application of dried blood spots (DBS) for estimation of viral load is assessed on real‐world samples collected from a remote Pacific Island, Kiribati. A total of 107 serum/plasma samples were tested in the Xpert HBV load assay and compared with the Abbott m2000, Alinity m, and Roche Cobas CAP/CTM and 6800. Fifty‐three DBS were tested in the Xpert assay and compared with matching serum samples. Overall 82% serum/plasma samples demonstrated good correlation between the Xpert and Roche and Abbott assays, to within 0.5 log10 IU/ml. The greatest discrepancies were seen at the limits of quantification of all assays. About 85.4% DBS gave estimable viral loads to within 1 log10 IU/ml of the serum load. The Xpert HBV viral load assay is recommended for all settings but particularly useful for resource‐poor settings. Utility of DBS with the Xpert assay provides a simple means for testing in remote settings.
Proactive Interference in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Daneshvar Somayeh , Taghavi Mohammad Reza , Jobson Laura
Published: November 2020

Deficits in working memory (WM) have a role in maintaining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including intrusions, which are a hallmark of PTSD symptomatology. As intrusions are distressing and uncontrollable, it is important to investigate whether PTSD is associated with altered control of proactive interference in WM. Moreover, it is important to consider both verbal and visual WM, as previous research has demonstrated a visual versus verbal dissociation in PTSD. Although previous studies have explored proactive interference in visual and verbal stimuli using a recent probe task, the stimuli used thus far have been non–trauma‐related. Therefore, we aimed to investigate proactive interference in PTSD using trauma‐related verbal and visual stimuli. Road traffic accident (RTA) survivors with (n = 60) and without PTSD (n = 30) completed a recent probe task to assess proactive interference of visual and verbal trauma‐related material. Participants with PTSD displayed significantly more proactive interference than trauma‐exposed controls for visual, ηp2 = .40, and verbal material, ηp2 = .10, indicating that proactive interference is significantly impaired in PTSD. This demonstrates that further research is warranted and highlights the possibility of considering proactive interference of trauma‐related stimuli in therapeutic approaches.
Combining Mechanical Fortification and Ultralow Flammability in Epoxy Networks
Authors: Saraf Chinmay , Stubbs Elizabeth , Hu Weiguo , Emrick Todd , Lesser Alan J.
Published: November 2020

Multifunctional organophosphorus additives present opportunities to engineer epoxy networks with both enhanced mechanical properties and ultralow flammability. This paper describes a systematic investigation of the effect of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) on the mechanical and heat release properties of both conventional and inherently low flammability epoxy resins. The findings demonstrate that integration of DMMP into epoxy networks produces materials with outstanding flame retardance and increased stiffness. Thermogravimetric analysis of DMMP‐containing networks show that DMMP promotes considerable char formation, with char residue reaching very high levels, up to 55%, for DMMP‐containing deoxybenzoin networks. Microscale combustion calorimetry of all the DMMP‐containing networks exhibit 50% lower heat release capacity and total heat release rate values relative to formulations without DMMP. Moreover, vertical burn tests demonstrate that DMMP‐containing formulations burn slowly and self‐extinguish. Morphological analysis of the charred DMMP‐containing formulations shows a porous structure and mechanical characterization reveals 50% higher elastic modulus, and comparable yield stress, for networks containing DMMP relative to those without DMMP. Overall, this organophosphorus additive represents an opportunity to combine materials chemistry with mechanical enhancement mechanisms to achieve low heat release properties without the need for halogenated flame‐retardant additives.
Fibrin‐based biomaterial systems to enhance anterior cruciate ligament healing
Authors: Scull Grant , Fisher Matthew B. , Brown Ashley C.
Published: November 2020

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are a common and potentially career‐ending injury, particularly for athletes and soldiers. Partial and complete ruptures of this ligament cause instability in the knee, and the ACL does not have the capacity for healing due, in part, to its position within the highly thrombolytic synovial fluid environment of the knee joint. Traditional methods of ACL reconstruction, such as graft replacement, restore stability but do not prevent the development of post‐traumatic osteoarthritis. To enhance therapeutic treatment options, novel fibrin‐based technologies and repair techniques have been recently explored and show promise for improved patient outcomes. Through modification of existing surgical methods, such as the use of fibrin glues incorporating growth factors and cells and the implementation of scaffolds containing platelet‐rich plasma, platelet‐rich fibrin and other blood derivatives, surgeons are attempting to overcome the shortcomings of traditional treatments. This mini‐review will detail current efforts using fibrin‐based treatments and discuss opportunities to further enhance ACL healing.
Optimizing clinical research procedures in public health emergencies
Authors: Madariaga Ainhoa , Kasherman Lawrence , Karakasis Katherine , Degendorfer Pamela , Heesters Ann M. , Xu Wei , Husain Shahid , Oza Amit M.
Published: November 2020

Public Health Emergencies of International Concern, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, have a devastating impact on an individual and societal level, and there is an urgent need to learn, understand and bridge the therapeutic gap at a time of extreme stress on the patient, health care systems and staff. Well‐designed, controlled clinical trials play a crucial role in the discovery of novel diagnostic and management strategies; however, these catastrophic circumstances pose unique challenges in initiating research studies at institutional, national, and international levels, highlighting the importance of a coordinated, collaborative approach. This review discusses key elements necessary to consider for developing clinical trials within a Public Health Emergency setting.
Application of Genetic Stock Identification and Parentage-Based Tagging in a Mixed-Stock Recreational Chinook Salmon Fishery
Authors: Jensen Alexander J. , Schreck Carl B. , Hess Jon E. , Bohn Sandra , O’Malley Kathleen G. , Peterson James T.
Published: November 2020

Genetic methods can guide and improve the management of recreational mixed-stock fisheries by informing stock-specific estimates of harvest. We applied genetic stock identification and parentage-based tagging to a recreational Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha fishery in the Columbia River to illustrate the value of genetic analysis in management. We sampled landed catch in 2017 and 2018, assigned the fish to genetic reporting groups, explored temporal trends in harvest composition within and between seasons, and assessed the accuracy and precision of genetic methods against estimates from conventional tagging methodology. The genetic stock identification and parentage-based tagging produced concordant stock assignments, and the harvest composition estimates were validated with independent data. High assignment rates, relative to expended sampling effort, and precise harvest composition estimates with adequate sample sizes demonstrate that both genetic methods can be complementary, effective tools in advancing harvest assessment and recreational fisheries management. The success of genetic stock identification and parentage-based tagging supports the expanded application of genetics to similar fisheries, potentially alongside existing or emerging assessment methods, and guides future improvements in data collection and analysis.
Atlantic Salmon Upstream Migration Delay in a Large Hydropower Reservoir
Authors: Babin Amanda B. , Peake Stephan , Linnansaari Tommi , Curry R. Allen , Ndong Mouhamed , Haralampides Katy , Jones Ross
Published: November 2020

Spawning success of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar is challenged when migratory routes to natal streams are obstructed by hydropower generation stations and reservoirs that lack directional cues, potentially causing migratory delay. This study used 74 acoustic-tagged adult Atlantic Salmon during their spawning migrations to quantify migratory success, rates, and delay through the Mactaquac Reservoir in the Saint John River, New Brunswick, during three migration seasons in 2014–2016. Tag loss or mortality was considerable, reducing the effective sample size to 34 successfully tracked adults. Of these, 41% experienced fallback over the dam, 12% were unsuccessful in exiting the reservoir, and 47% were successful in exiting the reservoir on the way to the spawning grounds. Migration rates were significantly slower in the reservoir (median ± SE = 9.3 ± 1.9 km/d) than upriver (39.0 ± 4.1 km/d), and the tagged Atlantic Salmon spent 31–53% of their time reversing direction and thus travelled longer distances (73 ± 58 km) than the minimum 37-km midline route through the reservoir. Traveling the distance of the reservoir at the upriver migration rate could have shortened their journey by a median of 3.8 d. Sensor tags indicated that individual Atlantic Salmon experienced temperatures of 10–20°C (median ± SE = 16.0 ± 0.03°C) and migrated at depths of 5–35 m (23.4 ± 0.1 m) within the reservoir. Given that some of the energy needed for reproductive development and activities was likely appropriated by migratory delay and that a moderate proportion (47%) of adults emigrated from the reservoir, volitional passage may not be a successful management strategy in the studied reservoir. However, a substantially reduced sample size negates conclusive remarks about which management strategy would maximize survival and spawning success, and further study is needed.
Nutrition Risk Assessed by STRONGkids Predicts Longer Hospital Stay in a Pediatric Cohort: A Survival Analysis
Authors: Santos Carolina Araújo dos , Rosa Carla de Oliveira Barbosa , Franceschini Sylvia do Carmo Castro , Firmino Heloísa Helena , Ribeiro Andréia Queiroz
Published: November 2020

Background

We evaluated the impact of Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids) classification in time to discharge and verify whether the nutrition risk assessed by this method is an independent predictor of hospital length of stay (LOS) in pediatric inpatients.

Methods

A cohort study was conducted in a Brazilian hospital from February 2014 to July 2018. The outcome in the survivor analysis was hospital discharge. Kaplan‐Meier curves were used to estimate the cumulative survival time according to STRONGkids categories. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were fitted, and the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), with respective 95% CI, was used to measure the strength of association. The discriminatory ability of STRONGkids was verified by a receiver operating characteristic curve

Results

A total 641 patients were included in the study: 54.9% males, median age of 2.8 years. The frequencies of low, moderate, and high nutrition risk were 15.6%, 63.7%, and 20.7%, respectively. The mean LOS was 5.9 days. Survival curves differed significantly according to nutrition‐risk categories. Patients classified as high risk had a 52% less chance of hospital discharge when compared with low‐risk patients (aHR: 0.48; 95% CI, 0.35–0.65). STRONGkids score ≥ 3 showed the best discriminatory power to identify LOS. From this score, there was a significant increase in the days of hospitalization.

Conclusion

The nutrition risk assessed by STRONGkids independently predicts LOS in pediatric patients. For this outcome, patients with 3 points (moderate risk) should be treated with the same priority as those with high risk.
Computational investigation of heat transfer in a flow subjected to magnetohydrodynamic of Maxwell nanofluid over a stretched flat sheet with thermal radiation
Authors: Mukhtar Tayyaba , Jamshed Wasim , Aziz Asim , Al‐Kouz Wael
Published: November 2020

The main objective of this paper is to numerically investigate the results of a mathematical model for unsteady magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) boundary layer flow over a porous stretching surface. The analysis of non‐Newtonian Maxwell nanofluid is presented involving the influence of porous media, thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, and joule heating through the Keller box method. Partial slip and convective conditions are also enacted near the boundary. After using the similarity technique on the governing system of nonlinear partial differential equations, the Keller box method is then implemented to find out the numerical solution for copper–water Cu–H2O and molybdenum disulfide MoS2–H2O nanofluids. The impact of various governing flow parameters is interpreted numerically and illustrated graphically on the interaction of particles. Additionally, numerical results are further utilized to calculate the skin friction coefficient and heat transfer rate at the boundary. Finally, in a limiting case, the acquired numerical results are compared with existing results. The remarkable finding of the present study is that Cu–H2O based nanofluid is detected as a superior thermal conductor instead of MoS2–H2O based nanofluid.
Impact of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor on Pakistan stock market and firm performance
Authors: Noor Amna , Fatima Kaneez , Ali Hamza
Published: November 2020

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is game changer series of projects for Pakistan initiated by China under its main project of One Belt One Road (OBOR). It is the largest investment ever made in Pakistan by a single foreign country. This study contributes in literature by examining the impact of CPEC on stock returns using event study approach. Sample period under investigation is since 2013 (inception of CPEC) to 2019. To further analyze whether this effect differs across sectors, we estimate the cumulative abnormal returns over sectors. Moreover, this paper attempts to explore whether the impact of CPEC is penetrated even to firm level or not. For this purpose, the median equality test is used to examine the impact of CPEC on financial and operational performance of non‐ financial firms listed in Karachi Stock Exchange. It is found that the impact of CPEC on stock market is positive but insignificant which shows that exceptionally good performance of stock market may not be attributed to CPEC. The effect of CPEC is mixed at sectoral level too. Nevertheless, significant positive effect is observed at financial and operational performance of firms.
End‐group cross‐linked membranes based on highly sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) with vinyl functionalized graphene oxide as a cross‐linker and a filler for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application
Authors: Kim Junghwan , Kim Kihyun , Han Jusung , Lee Hyunhee , Kim Hyejin , Kim Sungjun , Sung Yung‐Eun , Lee Jong‐Chan
Published: November 2020

High‐performance end‐group cross‐linked sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) membranes are developed using thiolate‐terminated SPAES with very high degree of sulfonation (DS) such as 90 mol% (SK‐SPAES90) and vinyl functionalized graphene oxide (VGO) as a cross‐linker and a filler through the thiol‐Michael addition reaction. Since free‐standing membranes for fuel cell application could not be prepared using the water soluble and highly proton conductive SPAES with high DS of 90 mol%, cross‐linked SPAES90 membranes are intentionally prepared. The cross‐linked membranes are found to have good physicochemical properties with excellent proton conductivity that can be applied for the proton exchange membrane. In particular, the cross‐linked SPAES90 membrane prepared using 1.0 wt% of VGO exhibits better dimensional stability than a SPAES70 membrane from the linear SPAES with DS of 70 mol% and the proton conductivities of this membrane are larger than those of Nafion 211 at 80 °C under different relative humidity conditions (40%‐95%).
Preparation of Bi‐Doped ZnO Thin Film over Optical Fiber and Their Application as Detection of Ethylenediamine in an Aqueous Medium Based on the Evanescent Field Technique
Authors: Singh Shailendra Kr. , Samanta Uttam Kr. , Dhar Anirban , Pal Mrinmay , Paul Mukul Chandra
Published: November 2020

Synthesis of pure ZnO and bismuth‐doped ZnO (xBi/Zn) (x = 6 wt%) thin‐film based optical fiber sensor and their material/optical characterization such as Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis is reported. As‐prepared material such as xBi/Zn is deposited over the optical fiber, and optimum clad thickness in the range of 2–5 μm is achieved through MATLAB simulation to enhance the feasible evanescent field interaction with gas analyte molecules. The modal field analysis of the sensing probe before and after the deposition of xBi/Zn is also studied using COMSOL Multiphysics Modeling software and find strong light propagation into the LP04 mode. The sensing probes are tested in different chemicals and ethylenediamine (EDA) is found to be the most suitable candidate in the concentration range of 100–800 ppm. The response time of the ZnO and xBi/Zn‐doped thin‐film‐based optical sensor is found to be 20 and 15 s, whereas the corresponding sensitivity (%) is 1.078 and 3.483, respectively. The repeatability test of the sensor is also carried out which reveals good response stability.
The effect of curcumin supplementation on recovery followingexercise‐inducedmuscle damage and delayed‐onset muscle soreness: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Fang Wang , Nasir Yasaman
Published: November 2020

Background

curcumin consumption may have a protective effect against exercise‐induced muscle damage (EIMD) through stabilization of the cell membrane via inhibition of free radical formation. Evidence supporting a protective role of curcumin after physical activity induced muscle injury in humans, however, it is inconsistent.

Methods

Medline, Scopus, and Google scholar were systematically searched up to May 2020. The Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias was used for assessing the quality of studies. Random effects model, weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for estimating the overall effect. Between‐study heterogeneity was assessed using the chi‐squared and I2statistic.

Results

The results revealed a significant effect of curcumin supplementation on reducing creatine kinase (CK) (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −48.54 IU.L−1; 95% CI: −80.667, −16.420;p= .003) and muscle soreness index decrease (WMD = −0.476; 95% CI: −0.750, −0.202;p= .001). Moreover, a subgroup analysis resulted in a significant decrease in CK concentrations and muscle soreness index, according to follow‐ups after exercise, dose of curcumin, duration of studies, exercise type, train status and study design.

Conclusions

The current evidence revealed a efficacy of curcumin in reducing CK serum levels and muscle soreness index among adults. Therefore, curcumin may be known as a priority EIMD recovery agent in interventions.
Hot tub lung machine
Authors: Corbitt Matthew , Deller David
Published: November 2020

Hot tub lung (HTL) is a pulmonary disease where a hypersensitivity pneumonitis is caused by exposure and inhalation of aerosolized non‐tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) traditionally from hot water steam. HTL can affect both immunocompromised and healthy individuals, and diagnosis is dependent on high clinical suspicion in conjunction with high‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and microbiological evidence. We present, to our knowledge, the only case of HTL occurring from an indoor swimming pool affecting five members of a family, in which one member was not a resident of the household.
Impact of COVID‐19 on polio vaccination in Pakistan: a concise overview
Authors: Din Misbahud , Ali Hammad , Khan Mudassir , Waris Abdul , Ullah Sana , Kashif Muhammad , Rahman Sidra , Ali Muhammad
Published: November 2020

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has disrupted immunization programs around the globe, potentially increasing life‐threatening vaccine‐preventable diseases. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries, which are still struggling to eradicate wild poliovirus. All vaccination campaigns in Pakistan were suspended in April due to the COVID‐19 outbreak, leading 40 million children to miss out on polio vaccination. Like the climate crisis, the COVID‐19 pandemic could be regarded as a child‐rights crisis because it could have life‐threatening impact over children, who need immunization, now and in the long‐term. Delays in polio vaccination programs might not have immediate impact but, in the long‐term, the increase in polio cases in Pakistan could result in the global export of infections. Therefore, healthcare authorities must intensify their efforts to track and vaccinate unvaccinated children in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Polio vaccination campaigns need to resume immediately, so we suggest applying social distancing measures along with standard operating procedure to flatten the transmission curve of COVID‐19. Furthermore, the concurrent emergence of cVDPV2 means that tOPV should temporarily be used for primary immunization. In the current review, we have discussed delays in polio vaccination, surveillance of polio viruses, reported cases in Pakistan along with recommendations to overcome interrupted immunization.
Coadministration of endothelial and smooth muscle cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells as a therapy for critical limb ischemia
Authors: Park Jin Ju , Kwon Yang Woo , Kim Jeong Won , Park Gyu Tae , Yoon Jung Won , Kim Ye Seul , Kim Da Sol , Kwon Sang Mo , Bae Sun Sik , Ko Kinarm , Kim Chang-Seok , Kim Jae Ho
Published: November 2020

Critical limb ischemia is a condition in which tissue necrosis occurs due to arterial occlusion, resulting in limb amputation in severe cases. Both endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are needed for the regeneration of peripheral arteries in ischemic tissues. However, it is difficult to isolate and cultivate primary EC and SMC from patients for therapeutic angiogenesis. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are regarded as useful stem cells due to their pluripotent differentiation potential. In this study, we explored the therapeutic efficacy of human iPSC-derived EC and iPSC-derived SMC in peripheral artery disease model. After the induction of mesodermal differentiation of iPSC, CD34+ progenitor cells were isolated by magnetic-activated cell sorting. Cultivation of the CD34+ progenitor cells in endothelial culture medium induced the expression of endothelial markers and phenotypes. Moreover, the CD34+ cells could be differentiated into SMC by cultivation in SMC culture medium. In a murine hindlimb ischemia model, cotransplantation of EC with SMC improved blood perfusion and increased the limb salvage rate in ischemic limbs compared to transplantation of either EC or SMC alone. Moreover, cotransplantation of EC and SMC stimulated angiogenesis and led to the formation of capillaries and arteries/arterioles in vivo. Conditioned medium derived from SMC stimulated the migration, proliferation, and tubulation of EC in vitro, and these effects were recapitulated by exosomes isolated from the SMC-conditioned medium. Together, these results suggest that iPSC-derived SMC enhance the therapeutic efficacy of iPSC-derived EC in peripheral artery disease via an exosome-mediated paracrine mechanism.
Propensity score weighting for covariate adjustment in randomized clinical trials
Authors: Zeng Shuxi , Li Fan , Wang Rui , Li Fan
Published: November 2020

Chance imbalance in baseline characteristics is common in randomized clinical trials. Regression adjustment such as the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is often used to account for imbalance and increase precision of the treatment effect estimate. An objective alternative is through inverse probability weighting (IPW) of the propensity scores. Although IPW and ANCOVA are asymptotically equivalent, the former may demonstrate inferior performance in finite samples. In this article, we point out that IPW is a special case of the general class of balancing weights, and advocate to use overlap weighting (OW) for covariate adjustment. The OW method has a unique advantage of completely removing chance imbalance when the propensity score is estimated by logistic regression. We show that the OW estimator attains the same semiparametric variance lower bound as the most efficient ANCOVA estimator and the IPW estimator for a continuous outcome, and derive closed‐form variance estimators for OW when estimating additive and ratio estimands. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate OW consistently outperforms IPW in finite samples and improves the efficiency over ANCOVA and augmented IPW when the degree of treatment effect heterogeneity is moderate or when the outcome model is incorrectly specified. We apply the proposed OW estimator to the Best Apnea Interventions for Research (BestAIR) randomized trial to evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure on patient health outcomes. All the discussed propensity score weighting methods are implemented in the R package PSweight.
Enamine‐Based Cross‐Linkable Hole‐Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Vaitukaitytė Deimantė , Al-Ashouri Amran , Daškevičienė Marytė , Kamarauskas Egidijus , Nekrasovas Jonas , Jankauskas Vygintas , Magomedov Artiom , Albrecht Steve , Getautis Vytautas
Published: November 2020

The development of the simple synthesis schemes of organic semiconductors can have an important contribution to the advancement of related technologies. In particular, one of the fields where the high price of the hole‐transporting materials may become an obstacle toward successful commercialization is perovskite solar cells. Herein, enamine‐based materials that are capable of undergoing cross‐linking due to the presence of two vinyl groups are synthesized. It is shown that new compounds can be thermally polymerized, making the films resistant to organic solvents. This can allow the use of a wet‐coating process for the deposition of the perovskite absorber film, without the need for orthogonal solvents. Cross‐linked films are used in perovskite solar cells, and, upon optimization of the film thickness, the highest power conversion efficiency of 18.1% is demonstrated.
Atlantic Salmon Movement Patterns and Habitat Use during Colonization of Novel Habitat
Authors: Frechette Danielle M. , Dionne Mélanie , Dodson Julian J. , Bergeron Normand E.
Published: November 2020

Allowing reproductive individuals to colonize novel habitat or recolonize previously occupied habitat is increasingly being considered as a tool for recovery of depleted populations of anadromous salmon. Successful application of these techniques requires thorough understanding of how adults use the riverscape during colonization to ensure that programs achieve desired outcomes. We examined the movements and habitat use of adult Atlantic SalmonSalmo salarduring colonization of novel habitat in an eastern Canadian river using a novel combination of acoustic telemetry, remote sensing, ground surveys, and continuous records of river temperature and discharge. Females moved less than males, regardless of river temperature or discharge, whereas males engaged in more extensive movements except at elevated temperature and discharge. Probability of movement was lower during the summer, coincident with individuals holding in pools during high‐heat/low‐discharge events. River temperature, discharge, and day of year were influential in predicting whether salmon held in pools, and size was the most important physical characteristic identifying “suitable” holding pools. Observed movement patterns may reflect different evolutionary strategies employed by each sex to maximize reproductive fitness. Because spawning behavior is highly conserved within salmonids, these findings may (1) provide a generalized picture of how Atlantic Salmon use space during colonization of unoccupied habitat and (2) be used to optimize future reintroduction and assisted migration programs.
Canadian Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD)5: Guidelines for management of vascular cognitive impairment
Authors: Smith Eric E. , Barber Philip , Field Thalia S. , Ganesh Aravind , Hachinski Vladimir , Hogan David B. , Lanctôt Krista L. , Lindsay M. Patrice , Sharma Mukul , Swartz Richard H. , Ismail Zahinoor , Gauthier Serge , Black Sandra E.
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Vascular disease is a common cause of dementia, and often coexists with other brain pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease to cause mixed dementia. Many of the risk factors for vascular disease are treatable. Our objective was to review evidence for diagnosis and treatment of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) to issue recommendations to clinicians.

Methods

A subcommittee of the Canadian Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD) reviewed areas of emerging evidence. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assign the quality of the evidence and strength of the recommendations.

Results

Using standardized diagnostic criteria, managing hypertension to conventional blood pressure targets, and reducing risk for stroke are strongly recommended. Intensive blood pressure lowering in middle‐aged adults with vascular risk factors, using acetylsalicylic acid in persons with VCI and covert brain infarctions but not if only white matter lesions are present, and using cholinesterase inhibitors are weakly recommended.

Conclusions

The CCCDTD has provided evidence‐based recommendations for diagnosis and management of VCI for use nationally in Canada, that may also be of use worldwide.
CCCDTD5 recommendations on early and timely assessment of neurocognitive disorders using cognitive, behavioral, and functional scales
Authors: Tang‐Wai David F. , Smith Eric E. , Bruneau Marie‐Andrée , Burhan Amer M. , Chatterjee Atri , Chertkow Howard , Choudhury Samira , Dorri Ehsan , Ducharme Simon , Fischer Corinne E. , Ghodasara Sheena , Herrmann Nathan , Hsiung Ging‐Yuek Robin , Kumar Sanjeev , Laforce Robert , Lee Linda , Massoud Fadi , Shulman Kenneth I. , Stiffel Michael , Gauthier Serge , Ismail Zahinoor
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Earlier diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders and neurodegenerative disease is needed to implement preventative interventions, minimize harm, and reduce risk of exploitation in the context of undetected disease. Along the spectrum from subjective cognitive decline (SCD) to dementia, evidence continues to emerge with respect to detection, staging, and monitoring. Updates to previous guidelines are required for clinical practice.

Methods

A subcommittee of the 5th Canadian Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD) reviewed emerging evidence to address the following: (1) Is there a role for screening at‐risk patients without clinical concerns? In what context is assessment for dementia appropriate? (2) What tools can be used to evaluate patients in whom cognitive decline is suspected? (3) What important information can be gained from an informant, using which measures? (4) What instruments can be used to get more in‐depth information to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia? (5) What is the approach to those with cognitive concerns but without objective changes (ie, SCD)? (6) How do we track response to treatment and change over time? The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system was used to rate quality of the evidence and strength of the recommendations.

Results

We recommend instruments to assess and monitor cognition, behavior, and function across the cognitive spectrum, including reports from patient and informant. We recommend against screening asymptomatic older adults but recommend investigation for self‐ or informant reports of changes in cognition, emergence of behavioral or psychiatric symptoms, or decline in function or self‐care. Standardized assessments should be used for cognitive and behavioral change that have sufficient validity for use in clinical practice.

Discussion

The CCCDTD5 provides evidence‐based recommendations for detection, assessment, and monitoring of neurocognitive disorders. Although these guidelines were developed for use in Canada, they may also be useful in other jurisdictions.
CCCDTD5: Reducing the risk of later‐life dementia. Evidence informing the Fifth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD‐5)
Authors: Rockwood Kenneth , Andrew Melissa K. , Aubertin‐Leheudre Mylène , Belleville Sylvie , Bherer Louis , Bowles Susan K. , Kehler D Scott , Lim Andrew , Middleton Laura , Phillips Natalie , Wallace Lindsay M.K.
Published: November 2020

The Fifth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD‐5) was a year‐long process to synthesize the best available evidence on several topics. Our group undertook evaluation of risk reduction, in eight domains: nutrition; physical activity; hearing; sleep; cognitive training and stimulation; social engagement and education; frailty; and medications. Here we describe the rationale for the undertaking and summarize the background evidence—this is also tabulated in the Appendix. We further comment specifically on the relationship between age and dementia, and offer some suggestions for how reducing the risk of dementia in the seventh decade and beyond might be considered if we are to improve prospects for prevention in the near term. We draw to attention that a well‐specified model of success in dementia prevention need not equate to the elimination of cognitive impairment in late life.
Scholarly data mining: A systematic review of its applications
Authors: Dridi Amna , Gaber Mohamed Medhat , Azad R. Muhammad Atif , Bhogal Jagdev
Published: November 2020

During the last few decades, the widespread growth of scholarly networks and digital libraries has resulted in an explosion of publicly available scholarly data in various forms such as authors, papers, citations, conferences, and journals. This has created interest in the domain of big scholarly data analysis that analyses worldwide dissemination of scientific findings from different perspectives. Although the study of big scholarly data is relatively new, some studies have emerged on how to investigate scholarly data usage in different disciplines. These studies motivate investigating the scholarly data generated via academic technologies such as scholarly networks and digital libraries for building scalable approaches for retrieving, recommending, and analyzing the scholarly content. We have analyzed these studies following a systematic methodology, classifying them into different applications based on literature features and highlighting the machine learning techniques used for this purpose. We also discuss open challenges that remain unsolved to foster future research in the field of scholarly data mining.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Text Mining

Application Areas > Science and Technology
On the structural complexity of tetragonal tungsten bronze type niobium tungsten oxides
Authors: Wörle Michael , Krumeich Frank
Published: November 2020

In this comparative study, two samples with a slightly different oxygen : metal ratio have been characterized by various electron microscopy methods and by single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD). A reasonably good fit to the experimental powder XRD patterns could be achieved by Rietveld refinement for both samples Nb8W9O47 and Nb7W10O47.5 using the structural models of Nb6.7W10.3O47 and Nb8W9O47 both obtained from X‐ray crystal structure analysis. HRTEM investigations confirm that Nb8W9O47 crystallizes as a pure phase in the well‐known threefold superstructure of the tetragonal tungsten bronze type (TTB). In contrast, a more complex real structure was found for the sample Nb7W10O47.5 with small domains of Nb4W7O31 appearing besides large ones of Nb8W9O47 and in addition extended TTB‐based areas with short‐range order only. The diffuse scattering caused by this disorder is easily detected in the electron diffraction pattern but does not affect the Rietveld refinement of the powder XRD patterns. However, on the basis of powder diffraction experiments, it is clearly possible to distinguish between the above compounds and the hypothetical, but non‐existing compound “Nb18W16O93”, a composition recently postulated for battery materials.
Landau diagrams in AdS and S-matrices from conformal correlators
Authors: Komatsu Shota , Paulos Miguel F. , van Rees Balt C. , Zhao Xiang
Published: November 2020

Abstract

Quantum field theories in AdS generate conformal correlation functions on the boundary, and in the limit where AdS is nearly flat one should be able to extract an S-matrix from such correlators. We discuss a particularly simple position-space procedure to do so. It features a direct map from boundary positions to (on-shell) momenta and thereby relates cross ratios to Mandelstam invariants. This recipe succeeds in several examples, includes the momentum-conserving delta functions, and can be shown to imply the two proposals in [1] based on Mellin space and on the OPE data. Interestingly the procedure does not always work: the Landau singularities of a Feynman diagram are shown to be part of larger regions, to be called ‘bad regions’, where the flat-space limit of the Witten diagram diverges. To capture these divergences we introduce the notion of Landau diagrams in AdS. As in flat space, these describe on-shell particles propagating over large distances in a complexified space, with a form of momentum conservation holding at each bulk vertex. As an application we recover the anomalous threshold of the four-point triangle diagram at the boundary of a bad region.
On the Navier–Stokes equations on surfaces
Authors: Prüss Jan , Simonett Gieri , Wilke Mathias
Published: November 2020

We consider the motion of an incompressible viscous fluid that completely covers a smooth, compact and embedded hypersurface$$\Sigma $$Σwithout boundary and flows along$$\Sigma $$Σ. Local-in-time well-posedness is established in the framework of$$L_p$$Lp-$$L_q$$Lq-maximal regularity. We characterize the set of equilibria as the set of all Killing vector fields on$$\Sigma $$Σ, and we show that each equilibrium on$$\Sigma $$Σis stable. Moreover, it is shown that any solution starting close to an equilibrium exists globally and converges at an exponential rate to a (possibly different) equilibrium as time tends to infinity.
Investigation and identification of foreign turbidity particles in beverages via Raman micro-spectroscopy
Authors: Kahle Eva-Maria , Zarnkow Martin , Jacob Fritz
Published: November 2020

Cloudiness, opalescence or a milky appearance in beverages is usually undesirable and lead the consumers to assume that the product is of lower quality. Many different types of formation and entry can lead to cloudiness and these causes can be divided into two major categories: beverage-specific, where the ingredients cause an interaction, and external influences such as process errors or particles interacting with the medium. This study considers two main sources of external influences. Raman micro-spectroscopy (RMS) was used to detect, evaluate and validate filter aids, stabilisers and various microplastic (MP) particles. A suitable sample preparation was developed, membrane filters were tested, and a filtration method for isolating the individual particles was established and implemented. To identify particles with RMS and for better representation, a few particles were selected and the results were validated using cluster analysis and the similarity matrix. The different media influences were identified by analysing the particles both dry, in water and beer. The filtration residue after membrane filtration was also analysed. A two-dimensional image scan of the particles served to determine particle homogeneity. The spectra were then recorded with single-point scans. The polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) spectra in the different media showed similarities greater than 80%, usually greater than 95%. The cellulose spectra showed no differences between the different media, but consistently high average similarities of 94.5%. This investigation should show that foreign particles can be detected and evaluated by RMS with suitable sample preparation and recording.