bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Primaquine and Carboxyprimaquine Exposures in Children and Adults with Plasmodium vivax Malaria
Authors: Chu Cindy S. , Watson James A. , Phyo Aung Pyae , Win Htun Htun , Yotyingaphiram Widi , Thinraow Suradet , Soe Nay Lin , Aung Aye Aye , Wilaisrisak Pornpimon , Kraft Kanokpich , Imwong Mallika , Hanpithakpong Warunee , Blessborn Daniel , Tarning Joel , Proux Stéphane , Ling Clare , Nosten François H. , White Nicholas J.
Published: August 2021

Primaquine is the only widely available drug for radical cure of
Plasmodium vivax
malaria. There is uncertainty whether the pharmacokinetic properties of primaquine are altered significantly in childhood or not.
Formylglycine-Generating Enzyme-Like Proteins Constitute a Novel Family of Widespread Type VI Secretion System Immunity Proteins
Authors: Lopez Juvenal , Le Nguyen-Hung , Moon Ki Hwan , Salomon Dor , Bosis Eran , Feldman Mario F.
Published: August 2021

Despite the wealth of knowledge on the diversity of biochemical activities carried out by T6SS effectors, comparably little is known about the various strategies that bacteria employ to prevent susceptibility to T6SS-dependent bacterial killing. Our work establishes a novel family of T6SS immunity proteins with a characteristic FGE domain.
Renal graft malakoplakia masquerading post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
Authors: Patel Manas Ranjan , Thammishetti Venkatesh , Agarwal Surabhi , Lal Hira
Published: August 2021

A 45-year-old woman presented to us in March 2019 with complaints of fever and right lower quadrant abdominal pain for 1 month. She had undergone renal transplantation in 2017 for end-stage renal disease and developed four episodes of urinary tract infection in the next 16 months post transplantation, which were treated based on culture reports. She was subsequently kept on long-term prophylaxis with trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. Her present laboratory parameters showed a normal blood picture and elevated creatinine. Urine culture grewEscherichia coli. Non-contrast CT of the abdomen-pelvis revealed an endo-exophytic hyperdense mass in the graft kidney showing local infiltration and associated few regional lymph nodes. PET-CT revealed the soft-tissue mass and regional lymph nodes to be hypermetabolic, raising the possibility of lymphoma. However, biopsy showed features of malakoplakia. She was subsequently initiated on long-term antibiotic therapy and her immunosuppression decreased.
Extensive thrombosis after COVID-19 vaccine: cause or coincidence?
Authors: Graça Luís Lourenço , Amaral Maria João , Serôdio Marco , Costa Beatriz
Published: August 2021

A 62-year-old Caucasian female patient presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and fever 1 day after administration of COVID-19 vaccine. Bloodwork revealed anaemia and thrombocytosis. Abdominal CT angiography showed a mural thrombus at the emergence of the coeliac trunk, hepatic and splenic arteries, and extensive thrombosis of the superior and inferior mesenteric veins, splenic and portal veins, and the inferior vena cava, extending to the left common iliac vein. The spleen displayed extensive areas of infarction. Aetiological investigation included assessment of congenital coagulation disorders and acquired causes with no relevant findings. Administration of COVID-19 vaccine was considered a possible cause of the extensive multifocal thrombosis. After reviewing relevant literature, it was considered that other causes of this event should be further investigated. Thrombosis associated with COVID-19 vaccine is rare and an aetiological relationship should only be considered in the appropriate context and after investigation of other, more frequent, causes.
Development and validation of a parent-proxy health-related quality of life survey for Australian First Nations children
Authors: Butten Kaley , Jones Lee , Newcombe Peter A , Chang Anne B , Sheffield Jeanie K , O'Grady Kerry-Ann F , Johnson Newell W , Bell Anna Maria , Ross Greggory , Toombs Maree
Published: August 2021

Objective

Within Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) populations perceive health and well-being differently to non-Indigenous Australians. Existing health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) measurement tools do not account for these differences. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a culturally specific parent-proxy HR-QoL measurement tool for First Nations children.

Design

Scale development was informed by parents/carers of children with a chronic illness and an expert panel. The preliminary 39-item survey was reviewed (n=12) and tested (n=163) with parents/carers of First Nations children aged 0–12 years at baseline with comparative scales: the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, generic HR-QoL (Paediatric QoL Inventory 4.0, PedsQL4.0) and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, and repeated (n=46) 4 weeks later. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used for scale reduction. Reliability and validity were assessed by internal consistency, test–retest, and correlations with comparison scales.

Results

Items within our First Nations-Child Quality of Life (FirstNations-CQoL) were internally consistent with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of ≥0.7 (quality of life, 0.808; patient experience, 0.880; patient support, 0.768) and overall test–retest reliability was good (r=0.75; 95% CI 0.593 to 0.856). Convergent validity was observed with the PedsQL4.0with Pearson’s coefficients of r=0.681 (ages 2–4 years); r=0.651 (ages 5–12 years) and with the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (r=−0.513). Divergent validity against the Spence Anxiety Scale was not demonstrated.

Conclusions

The FirstNations-CQoL scale was accepted by the participants, reliable and demonstrated convergent validity with comparison measures. This tool requires further evaluation to determine responsiveness, its minimal important difference and clinical utility.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the city of Cape Town, South Africa: a retrospective, descriptive analysis of prehospital patient records
Authors: Stassen Willem , Wylie Craig , Djärv Therese , Wallis Lee A
Published: August 2021

Objectives

While prospective epidemiological data for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) exists in many high-income settings, there is a dearth of such data for the African continent. The aim of this study was to describe OHCA in the Cape Town metropole, South Africa.

Design

Observational study with a retrospective descriptive design.

Setting

Cape Town metropole, Western Cape province, South Africa.

Participants

All patients with OHCA for the period 1 January 2018–31 December 2018 were extracted from public and private emergency medical services (EMS) and described.

Outcome measures

Description of patients with OHCA in terms of demographics, treatment and short-term outcome.

Results

A total of 929 patients with OHCA received an EMS response in the Cape Town metropole, corresponding to an annual prevalence of 23.2 per 100 000 persons. Most patients were adult (n=885; 96.5%) and male (n=526; 56.6%) with a median (IQR) age of 63 (26) years. The majority of cardiac arrests occurred in private residences (n=740; 79.7%) and presented with asystole (n=322; 34.6%). EMS resuscitation was only attempted in 7.4% (n=69) of cases and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) occurred in 1.3% (n=13) of cases. Almost all patients (n=909; 97.8%) were declared dead on the scene.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this was the largest study investigating OHCA ever undertaken in Africa. We found that while the incidence of OHCA in Cape Town was similar to the literature, resuscitation is attempted in very few patients and ROSC-rates are negligible. This may be as a consequence of protracted response times, poor patient prognosis or an underdeveloped and under-resourced Chain of Survival in low- to middle-income countries, like South Africa. The development of contextual guidelines given resources and disease burden is essential.
Palliative care research promotion in policy and practice: a knowledge exchange process
Authors: Finucane Anne , Carduff Emma , Meade Richard , Doyle Sarah , Fenning Stephen , Cumming Stuart , Hekerem Diana , Rahman Fariel , Lugton Jean , Johnston Bridget , Murray Scott A
Published: August 2021

In palliative care, as in many areas of medicine, there is a considerable amount of research conducted that makes sound recommendations but does not result consistently in improved care. For instance, though palliative care has been shown to benefit all people with a life-threatening illness, its main reach continues to be for those with cancer. Drawing on relational models of research use, we set out to engage policy-makers, educators, clinicians, commissioners and service providers in a knowledge exchange process to identify implications of research for Scottish palliative care priorities. First, we mapped the existing palliative care research evidence in Scotland. We then organised evidence review meetings and a wider stakeholder event where research producers and users came together to coproduce implications of the evidence for policy, education and practice. We used questionnaires and key stakeholder feedback meetings to explore impacts of this process on research uptake and use immediately after the events and over time. In this paper, we reflect on this knowledge exchange process and the broader context in which it was set. We found that participation fostered relationships and led to a rich and enthusiastic exploration of research evidence from multiple perspectives. Potential impacts relating to earlier identification for palliative care, education and need-based commissioning ensued. We make suggestions to guide replication.
Not enough can be enough: feasibility of the IdyllaEGFRmutation test when reuse of stained tissue slides is the only option available
Authors: Ercolani Cristiana , Di Benedetto Anna , Bonomo Claudia , Visca Paolo , Palange Aldo , Assisi Daniela , Forcella Daniele , Terrenato Irene , Pescarmona Edoardo , Ciliberto Gennaro , Cecere Fabiana Letizia , Cappuzzo Federico , Buglioni Simonetta
Published: August 2021

Aims

The minimally invasive procedures used in the diagnostic workup of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often provide poor yields of pathological material suitable for molecular analyses. Not infrequently, the DNA yield from small biopsies/cytological samples is insufficient for the assessment of genomic biomarkers that inform personalised therapies. The IdyllaEGFRmutation test (IEMT) has been specifically designed to process formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections without requiring preliminary DNA extraction.

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of IEMT when used to analyse archival histopathology material. More specifically, our objective was to establish whether or not different staining procedures could affect assay performance.

Methods

Twenty NSCLC samples were selected accordingly toEGFRmutational status. To mimic archived stained material, sections were subjected to H&E staining, fluorescent in situ hybridisation analyses or immunodetection by immunohistochemistry before being processed for IEMT.

Results

Parallel assessment ofEGFRmutational status by IEMT on stained sections and next-generation sequencing on DNA yielded a concordant result in 50 out of 60 tests (83.3%). The discoloration of H&E of the archived sample was found to be the optimal procedure to highlight all the actionable alterations ofEGFR.

Conclusions

IEMT can provide remarkable diagnostic accuracy for the assessment ofEGFRmutational status also when the only source of pathological material available for molecular analyses is represented by H&E stained sections. Ad hoc supervision by a qualified molecular biologist is in any case recommended.
How did COVID-19 measures impact sexual behaviour and access to HIV/STI services in Panama? Results from a national cross-sectional online survey
Authors: Gabster Amanda , Erausquin Jennifer Toller , Michielsen Kristien , Mayaud Philippe , Pascale Juan Miguel , Pericas Carles , Marks Michael , Katz Jennifer , Talavero Gonzalo Cabezas , de Argote Marilu , Murillo Anet , Tucker Joseph D
Published: August 2021

Objective

To describe reported changes in sexual behaviours, including virtual sex (sexting and cybersex), and access to HIV/STI testing and care during COVID-19 measures in Panama.

Methods

We conducted an online cross-sectional survey from 8 August to 12 September 2020 among adults (≥18 years) residing in Panama. Participants were recruited through social media. Questions included demographics, access to HIV/STI testing and HIV care, and sexual behaviours 3 months before COVID-19 social distancing measures and during social distancing measures (COVID-19 measures). Logistic regression was used to identify associations between variables and behavioural changes.

Results

We recruited 960 participants; 526 (54.8%) identified as cis-women, 366 (38.1%) cis-men and 68 (7.1%) non-binary or another gender. The median age was 28 years (IQR: 23–37 years), and 531 of 957 (55.5%) were of mixed ethnicity (mixed Indigenous/European/Afro-descendant ancestry). Before COVID-19 measures, virtual sex was reported by 38.5% (181 of 470) of cis-women, 58.4% (184 of 315) cis-men and 45.0% (27 of 60) non-binary participants. During COVID-19 measures, virtual sex increased among 17.2% of cis-women, 24.7% cis-men and 8.9% non-binary participants. During COVID-19 measures, 230 of 800 (28.8%) participants reported decreased casual sex compared with pre-COVID-19 measures. Compared with pre-COVID-19 measures, decreased casual sex was reported more frequently during COVID-19 measures by cis-men compared with cis-women (39.2% vs 22.9%, urban/rural adjusted OR (AOR)=2.17, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.01), and by Afro-descendant compared with participants of mixed ethnicity (40.0% vs 29.8%, AOR=1.78, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.94). Compared with no change in virtual sex (16.8%), increased virtual sex (38.5%, AOR=1.78, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.88) and decreased virtual sex (86.7%, AOR=16.53, 95% CI 7.74 to 35.27) were associated with decreased casual sex encounters. During COVID-19 measures, HIV/STI testing could not be obtained by 58.0% (58 of 100) of the participants who needed a test, and interrupted HIV care was reported by 53.3% (8 of 15) of participants living with HIV.

Conclusions

COVID-19 measures in Panama were associated with a decrease in casual sex among cis-men and Afro-descendant people, while access to HIV/STI testing and care was seriously disrupted.
Perceived effectiveness of four different cigarette health warning label themes among a sample of urban smokers and non-smokers in China
Authors: Nian Qinghua , Hardesty Jeffrey J , Cohen Joanna E , Xie Xiangqiang , Kennedy Ryan David
Published: August 2021

Objective

This study, conducted in China, evaluated the effectiveness of four different themes of health warning labels (HWLs) that used both text and pictures: (1) self-harm from using cigarettes, (2) harming family or children with secondhand smoke, (3) reinforcing compliance with existing smoke-free policies and (4) anticigarette gift giving practices.

Methods

A cross-sectional randomised experimental survey was conducted among 3247 adult (aged 18+ years) participants in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in 2017, using quotas for age group, gender and smoking status. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four HWL themes. Each participant viewed eight HWLs and rated how effective these themed-labels were in terms of credibility, raising awareness of health harms of smoking on family and children, improving compliance with public smoking bans, stopping the practice of gifting cigarettes, thinking about quitting and preventing smoking using a 10-point scale, with 10 being most effective. Analysis of variance and independent t-tests were used to analyse these data.

Findings

All four HWL themes performed well for each outcome with average ratings >6.5. Harming family or children with secondhand smoke was the theme that received the highest ratings for each outcome, with credibility (8.0, 95% CI 7.86 to 8.09) and prevention of smoking (8.8, 95% CI 8.63 to 8.91) outcomes being significantly higher (p<0.05). Overall, analysis of ratings by gender, income and education did not impact outcomes.

Conclusion

All four HWL themes tested could be effective in China; the theme of secondhand smoke harming family or children may be a particularly credible/effective theme.
Erratum to: Measurement of jet production cross sections in deep-inelastic ep scattering at HERA
Authors: Andreev V. , Baghdasaryan A. , Begzsuren K. , Belousov A. , Bolz A. , Boudry V. , Brandt G. , Brisson V. , Britzger D. , Buniatyan A. , Bylinkin A. , Bystritskaya L. , Campbell A. J. , Avila K. B. Cantun , Cerny K. , Chekelian V. , Contreras J. G. , Cvach J. , Dainton J. B. , Daum K. , Diaconu C. , Dobre M. , Dodonov V. , Eckerlin G. , Egli S. , Elsen E. , Favart L. , Fedotov A. , Feltesse J. , Ferencei J. , Fleischer M. , Fomenko A. , Gabathuler E. , Gayler J. , Ghazaryan S. , Goerlich L. , Gogitidze N. , Gouzevitch M. , Grab C. , Grebenyuk A. , Greenshaw T. , Grindhammer G. , Haidt D. , Henderson R. C. W. , Hladkỳ J. , Hoffmann D. , Horisberger R. , Hreus T. , Huber F. , Jacquet M. , Janssen X. , Jung H. , Kapichine M. , Katzy J. , Kiesling C. , Klein M. , Kleinwort C. , Kogler R. , Kostka P. , Kretzschmar J. , Krücker D. , Krüger K. , Landon M. P. J. , Lange W. , Laycock P. , Lebedev A. , Levonian S. , Lipka K. , List B. , List J. , Lobodzinski B. , Malinovski E. , Martyn H.-U. , Maxfield S. J. , Mehta A. , Meyer A. B. , Meyer H. , Meyer J. , Mikocki S. , Morozov A. , Müller K. , Naumann Th. , Newman P. R. , Niebuhr C. , Nowak G. , Olsson J. E. , Ozerov D. , Pascaud C. , Patel G. D. , Perez E. , Petrukhin A. , Picuric I. , Pirumov H. , Pitzl D. , Plačakytė R. , Polifka R. , Radescu V. , Raicevic N. , Ravdandorj T. , Reimer P. , Rizvi E. , Robmann P. , Roosen R. , Rostovtsev A. , Rotaru M. , Šálek D. , Sankey D. P. C. , Sauter M. , Sauvan E. , Schmitt S. , Schoeffel L. , Schöning A. , Sefkow F. , Shushkevich S. , Soloviev Y. , Sopicki P. , South D. , Spaskov V. , Specka A. , Steder M. , Stella B. , Straumann U. , Sykora T. , Thompson P. D. , Traynor D. , Truöl P. , Tsakov I. , Tseepeldorj B. , Valkárová A. , Vallée C. , Mechelen P. Van , Vazdik Y. , Wegener D. , Wünsch E. , Žáček J. , Zhang Z. , Žlebčík R. , Zohrabyan H. , Zomer F.
Published: August 2021

The measurement of the jet cross sections by the H1 collaboration had been compared to various predictions including the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD calculations which are corrected in this erratum for an implementation error in one of the components of the NNLO calculations. The jet data and the other predictions remain unchanged. Eight figures, one table and conclusions are adapted accordingly, exhibiting even better agreement between the corrected NNLO predictions and the jet data.
ANALYSIS OF POROSITY, PERMEABILITY, AND ANISOTROPY OF SANDSTONE IN FREEZE–THAW ENVIRONMENTS USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND FRACTAL THEORY
Authors: TAN HAO , SONG YONGJUN , GUO XIXI
Published: August 2021

An in-depth understanding of the deterioration characteristics of porous rock materials in freeze–thaw (F–T) environments is very important for rock mass engineering in cold regions. However, quantitative descriptions of key rock indicators such as porosity, permeability, and anisotropy are lacking. In this paper, computed tomography (CT) was used to study saturated intact sandstone, saturated fractured sandstone, and ice-filled fractured sandstone under various F–T cycles and stress states. Meso-structural parameters were obtained by reconstructing the three-dimensional fracture networks from CT images. Then, based on fractal geometry theory, the fractal dimension ([Formula: see text], tortuosity fractal dimension ([Formula: see text], and anisotropic two-dimensional fractal dimension ([Formula: see text] of the sandstone samples were analyzed quantitatively. The [Formula: see text] gradually increased during the F–T process, while [Formula: see text] gradually decreased. Compared with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] was found to describe changes in the absolute permeability of rocks under F–T cycling more accurately. Anisotropy in sandstone was enhanced by F–T cycling. After uniaxial compression, the [Formula: see text] value was the greatest in ice-filled fractured sandstone. In addition, the tree-like fracture structure produced by F–T cycling expanded the range of self-similarity, which enhanced the fractal characteristics of sandstone. However, due to the large frost heave pressure of ice-filled sandstone, fracture expansion accelerated in the later period of F–T cycling, which destroyed the self-similarity. These results assist in understanding the F–T characteristics of porous rock materials. The method described provides a new way to better evaluate and predict F–T-related engineering disasters.
NUMERICAL APPROACHES TO TIME FRACTIONAL BOUSSINESQ–BURGERS EQUATIONS
Authors: LU JUNFENG , SUN YI
Published: August 2021

In this paper, two numerical approaches including the homotopy perturbation transform method (HPTM) and the method based on the fractional complex transform and homotopy perturbation method (named as FCT-HPM) are presented for finding the approximated solutions of the time fractional Boussinesq–Burgers equations with He’s fractional derivative. The FCT-HPM and HPTM solutions are provided without any linearization or complicated computation. Numerical comparisons are shown to illustrate the efficiency of these two methods.
AVERAGE FERMAT DISTANCES ON VICSEK NETWORKS
Authors: JIA QI , LEI LEI , XI LIFENG
Published: August 2021

The Fermat point of a triangle is a point that the total distance from the three vertices of the triangle to the point is the minimum possible. Considering the Fermat problem within a network, we study the average Fermat distance of three random nodes on the Vicsek networks by using the method of finite pattern.
APPLICATIONS OF GUDERMANNIAN NEURAL NETWORK FOR SOLVING THE SITR FRACTAL SYSTEM
Authors: SABIR ZULQURNAIN , UMAR MUHAMMAD , RAJA MUHAMMAD ASIF ZAHOOR , BALEANU DUMITRU
Published: August 2021

This study is related to explore the Gudermannian neural network (GNN) for solving a nonlinear SITR COVID-19 fractal system by using the optimization efficiencies of a genetic algorithm (GA), a global search technique and sequential quadratic programming (SQP) and a quick local search scheme, i.e. GNN-GA-SQP. The nonlinear SITR COVID-19 fractal system is dependent on four collections: “susceptible”, “infected”, “treatment” and “recovered”. For the optimization procedures through the GNN-GA-SQP, a merit function is constructed using the nonlinear SITR COVID-19 fractal system and its corresponding initial conditions. The description of each collection of the nonlinear SITR COVID-19 fractal system is provided along with comprehensive detail. The comparison of the achieved numerical result performances of each collection of the nonlinear SITR COVID-19 fractal system is performed with the Adams results to verify the exactness of the designed computational GNN-GA-SQP. The statistical processes based on different operators are presented for 30 independent trials using 5 neurons to authenticate the consistency of the designed computational GNN-GA-SQP. Moreover, the graphs of absolute error (AE), performance indices, and convergence measures along with the boxplots and histograms are also plotted to check the stability, exactness and reliability of the designed computational GNN-GA-SQP.
Team Dynamics and Entrepreneurial Team Success: The Mediating Role of Decision Quality
Authors: Omri Ahlem , Boujelbene Younes
Published: August 2021

Little research on Entrepreneurial Teams (ET) has sought to understand how team processes may influence organizational outcomes. In this paper, we unite upper echelon theory to provide a deeper understanding of which entrepreneurial team dynamics, directly, or indirectly through decision quality, result in entrepreneurial team success. In order to do so, we build upon data collected from 225 entrepreneurial teams from Sfax region. Based on structural equation modeling, the findings demonstrate that shared leadership among entrepreneurial teams indirectly and positively affect ET success, and that decision quality mediates the relationship between ET communication and ET success. Our research contributes to the upper-echelons theory and ET literature by drawing attention to the team dynamics and social interaction between team members, and their implications for entrepreneurial team success.
Microstructural Size Dependency in Nonlinear Lateral Stability of Random Reinforced Microshells via Meshfree-Based Applied Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Sun Jie-Hua , Zhou Zhi-Dong , Sahmani Saeid , Safaei Babak
Published: August 2021

The prime objective of this research work is to develop an efficient small scale-dependent computational framework incorporating microstructural tensors of dilatation gradient, rotation gradient, and deviatoric stretch gradient to analyze nonlinear lateral stability of cylindrical microshells. The numerical strategy is established based upon a mixed formation of the third-order shear deformable shell model and modified strain gradient continuum mechanics. The graphene nanoplatelet reinforcements are assumed to be randomly dispersed in a checkerboard scheme within the resin matrix. Accordingly, to extract the effective material properties, the Monte Carlo simulation together with a probabilistic technique are employed. The numerical solution for the microstructural-dependent nonlinear problem is carried out via the moving Kriging meshfree method having the capability to accommodate accurately the essential boundary conditions using proper moving Kriging shape function. It is represented that the role of the stiffening characters related to the effect of microstructural dilatation gradient, rotation gradient, and deviatoric stretch reduces continuously by going to deeper territory of the load-deflection stability path. Moreover, it is indicated that among various microstructural gradient tensors, the stiffening character of the rotation gradient is higher than deviatoric stretch gradient, and the stiffening character of the latter is more considerable than the dilatation gradient tensor.
Dynamic Performance of Vehicle–Guideway Bridge Systems for Low–Medium-Speed Maglev Trains Under Earthquakes
Authors: Huang Fenghua , Cheng Bin , Teng Nianguan
Published: August 2021

This paper developed a numerical model for predicting the seismic responses of vehicle–guideway bridge systems for low–medium-speed (LMS) maglev trains. Each vehicle was characterized as a multi-rigid-body with 50 degree of freedoms (DOFs), and the guideway bridge was modeled by the finite element method. The actively controlled electromagnetic forces were considered in simulating the vehicle–guideway interaction relationship. Subsequently, the equations of motion for the vehicle–guideway coupled system under earthquake were, respectively, established in relative and absolute coordinate systems to quantify the effect of structural pseudo-static components, so that the seismic effect can be taken into account. Case study was then conducted to thoroughly discuss the seismic responses of the vehicle–guideway coupled system in both time and frequency domains. Furthermore, parametric study was carried out to determine the effect of key parameters (i.e. vehicle speed, stiffness of guideway) on the system’s responses. The results show that the conventional seismic analysis method relative motion method (RMM) (ignoring the structural pseudo-static component) will considerably underestimate the seismic responses of the coupled system, especially of the vehicle. It is suggested that the formulation be established in the absolute coordinate system (i.e. using direct solution method, DSM) for more actual prediction. The frequency responses indicate that the vibrations of vehicle–guideway coupled system under earthquake relate significantly to the natural frequencies of vehicle and bridge, while the same is not true for the vehicle-induced excitation.
Pairs of domains where all intermediate domains satisfy S-ACCP
Authors: Visweswaran S.
Published: August 2021

The rings considered in this paper are commutative with identity. If [Formula: see text] is a subring of a ring [Formula: see text], then we assume that [Formula: see text] contains the identity element of [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be a multiplicatively closed subset (m.c. subset) of a ring [Formula: see text]. An increasing sequence of ideals [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is said to be [Formula: see text]-stationary if there exist [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. This paper is motivated by the research work [A. Hamed and H. Kim, On integral domains in which every ascending chain on principal ideals is [Formula: see text]-stationary, Bull. Korean Math. Soc. 57(5) (2020) 1215–1229]. Let [Formula: see text] be a m.c. subset of an integral domain [Formula: see text]. We say that [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text]-ACCP if every increasing sequence of principal ideals of [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-stationary. Let [Formula: see text] be a subring of an integral domain [Formula: see text] and let [Formula: see text] be a m.c. subset of [Formula: see text]. We say that [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text]-ACCP pair if [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text]-ACCP for every subring [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]. The aim of this paper is to provide some pairs of domains [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text]-ACCP pair, where [Formula: see text] is a m.c. subset of [Formula: see text].
A Real-Time Approach for Automatic Food Quality Assessment Based on Shape Analysis
Authors: Donati Luca , Iotti Eleonora , Prati Andrea
Published: August 2021

Products sorting is a task of paramount importance for many countries’ agricultural industry. An accurate quality check assures that good products are not wasted, and rotten, broken and bent food are properly discarded, which is extremely important for food production chains. Such products sorting and quality controls are often performed with consolidated instruments, since simple systems are easier to maintain, validate, and they speed up the processing in terms of production line speed and products per second. Moreover, industries often lack advanced formation, required for more sophisticated solutions. As a result, the sorting task for many food products is mainly done by color information only. Sorting machines typically detect the color response of products to specific LEDs with various light wavelengths. Unfortunately, a color check is often not enough to detect some very common defects. The shape of a product, instead, reveals many important defects and is highly reliable in detecting external objects mixed with food. Also, shape can be used to take detailed measurements of a product, such as its area, length, width, anisotropy, etc. This paper proposes a complete treatment of the problem of sorting food by its shape. It treats real-world problems such as accuracy, execution time, latency and it provides an overview of a full system used on state-of-the-art measurement machines.
Distributed Approaches to Supply Chain Simulation
Authors: Mustafee Navonil , Katsaliaki Korina , Taylor Simon J. E.
Published: August 2021

The field ofSupply Chain Management (SCM) is experiencing rapid strides in the use of Industry 4.0 technologies and the conceptualization of new supply chain configurations for online retail, sustainable and green supply chains, and the Circular Economy. Thus, there is an increasing impetus to use simulation techniques such as discrete-event simulation, agent-based simulation, and hybrid simulation in the context of SCM. In conventional supply chain simulation, the underlying constituents of the system like manufacturing, distribution, retail, and logistics processes are often modelled and executed as a single model. Unlike this conventional approach, adistributed supply chain simulation (DSCS)enables the coordinated execution of simulation models using specialist software. To understand the current state-of-the-art of DSCS, this paper presents a methodological review and categorization of literature in DSCS using a framework-based approach. Through a study of over 130 articles, we report on the motivation for using DSCS, the modelling techniques, the underlying distributed computing technologies and middleware, its advantages and a future agenda, and also limitations and trade-offs that may be associated with this approach. The increasing adoption of technologies like Internet-of-Things and Cloud Computing will ensure the availability of both data and models for distributed decision-making, which is likely to enable data-driven DSCS of the future. This review aims to inform organizational stakeholders, simulation researchers and practitioners, distributed systems developers and software vendors, as to the current state-of-the art of DSCS, and which will inform the development of future DSCS using new applied computing approaches.
Chronic high-fat feeding and prolonged fasting in liver-specific ANGPTL4 knockout mice
Authors: Spitler Kathryn M. , Shetty Shwetha K. , Cushing Emily M. , Sylvers-Davie Kelli L. , Davies Brandon S. J.
Published: August 2021

1) Angiopoietin-like 4 deficiency in hepatocytes ( Angptl4LivKO) does not improve triglyceride phenotypes during high-fat feeding. 2) Angptl4LivKO mice have improved glucose tolerance after chronic high-fat diet. 3) Angptl4LivKO mice have decreased fasting plasma triglyceride levels after an 18-h fast, but not after a 6-h fast.
Proximal tubule cyclophilin D mediates kidney fibrogenesis in obstructive nephropathy
Authors: Jang Hee-Seong , Noh Mi Ra , Ha Ligyeom , Kim Jinu , Padanilam Babu J.
Published: August 2021

It has been established that renal proximal tubule (PT) injury is a primary cause of the development of chronic kidney disease, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be defined. Here, we show that cyclophilin D, a mitochondrial matrix protein, in the PT causes kidney fibrogenesis in obstructive nephropathy. Our data suggest that targeting PT cyclophilin D could be beneficial to prevent fibrosis progression.
Renal mass reduction increases the response to exogenous insulin independent of acid-base status or plasma insulin levels in rats
Authors: Mannon Elinor C. , Sartain Christina L. , Wilkes Trevin C. , Sun Jingping , Polichnowski Aaron J. , O’Connor Paul M.
Published: August 2021

Impairments in insulin sensitivity can occur in patients with chronic kidney disease, and previous work has suggested that metabolic acidosis may be the underlying cause. Our study investigated the effect of acid or alkali loading on insulin sensitivity in a rodent model of chronic kidney disease. We found that renal mass reduction increases the blood glucose response to insulin and that this is not acutely reversed by the development of acidosis.
Application Evaluation of High-Flow Humidified Oxygen in Patients with Respiratory Failure after General Anesthesia Extubation for Multiple Injuries
Authors: Ci Ruijuan , Qin Yanjun , Ci Caizhe , Zhang Chunhua , Dong Shimin , Li Mei
Published: August 2021

Objective. To explore the effect of high-flow humidified oxygen therapy (HFNC) on patients with respiratory failure after general anesthesia extubation for multiple injuries. Methods. 214 patients with multiple injuries in our hospital who underwent general anesthesia and suffered respiratory failure after weaning extubation and received sequential treatment were included. And, they were divided into control group (HFNC group) and observation group (NIMV group) according to the random number table method. Patients in the control group (125 cases) used high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) after general anesthesia extubation, while patients in the observation group (89 cases) used NIMV. The respiratory rate, heart rate, finger pulse oxygen, oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), and re-tracheal intubation rate in the two groups were compared at 2, 8, and 24 hours after sequential treatment, and the mortality rate and hospital stay of ICU time were whole-course observation. And, the effect of conventional oxygen inhalation or HFNC on oxygenation and prognosis was analyzed. Then, SPSS21.0 software was applied for statistical analysis. To analyze the effect of conventional oxygen inhalation or HFNC on the improvement of oxygenation and prognosis, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve can be used to evaluate the feasibility and treatment effect of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNC) for patients with respiratory failure after general anesthesia extubation for multiple injuries. Results. Compared with the NIMV group, the respiratory frequency and heart rate of the HFNC group were significantly improved after 2 h, 8 h, and 24 h. At the same time, the finger pulse oxygen and oxygenation index increased significantly and returned to normal levels. HFNC can significantly reduce the reintubation rate, ICU hospital stay, and mortality rate. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9102, with 95% CI (0.8256, 0.9949) and

P
<
0.0001

. Conclusion. For patients with multiple injuries undergoing general anesthesia and respiratory failure after weaning and extubation, the application of HFNC can moderate patients’ heart rate and respiratory rate faster, increase oxygenation index and finger pulse oxygen, and reduce the reintubation rate, mortality rate, and ICU stay. At the same time, it can effectively improve the respiratory failure of patients after extubation and reduce the occurrence of complications.
The Optimal Time to Merge Two First-Line Insurers with Proportional Reinsurance Policies
Authors: Li Yanan , Li Chuanzheng
Published: August 2021

We examine the optimal time to merge two first-line insurers with proportional reinsurance policies. The problem is considered in a diffusion approximation model. The objective is to maximize the survival probability of the two insurers. First, the verification theorem is verified. Then, we divide the problem into two cases. In case 1, never merging is optimal and the two insurers follow the optimal reinsurance policies that maximize their survival probability. In case 2, the two insurers follow the same reinsurance policies as those in case 1 until the sum of their surplus processes reaches a boundary. Then, they merge and apply the merged company’s optimal reinsurance strategy.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Stem Cell Therapy in Ovariectomized Osteoporotic Rats Based on Micro-CT and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xiong Zhencheng , Yi Ping , Lin Jialiang , Qiu Shengfeng , Shu Li , Zhang Chi
Published: August 2021

Objective. Osteoporosis is an abnormal bone metabolism disease characterized by microstructural degeneration of bone tissue and reduction in bone mass, resulting in increased brittleness of bone tissue and susceptibility to fracture. Due to the tissue regenerative potential of stem cell transplantation, it is now used in the treatment of various disease models such as osteoporosis. The purpose of this work is to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of stem cell therapy in ovariectomized (OVX) osteoporotic rats. Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang Databases were used to search for articles that met the inclusion criteria. Two researchers independently screened the articles that met the inclusion criteria. RevMan 5.3 and STATA 16.0 were used for data analysis. This meta-analysis was registered at INPLASY with reference number ID: INPLASY202150017. Results. Thirteen eligible studies were selected, including 405 rats. The sources of stem cells are divided into four main categories: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells (AM-MSCs), and human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs). Compared with the OVX group, both stem cell transplantation groups had higher bone mineral density (BMD) (BMSCs:

SMD
=
2.01

, 95% CI: [1.38, 2.63],

P
<
0.001

,

I

2

=
76.6
%

; ADSCs:

SMD
=
2.24

, 95% CI: [0.79, 3.69],

P
=
0.003

,

I

2

=
86.7
%

) and bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) (hUCB-MSCs:

SMD
=
1.71

, 95% CI: [0.97, 2.44],

P
<
0.001

,

I

2

=
0
%

; ADSCs:

SMD
=
2.16

, 95% CI: [0.27, 4.04],

P
=
0.025

,

I

2

=
82.6
%

). In the BMSC treatment groups, the trabecular numbers (Tb.N) (

SMD
=
4.28

, 95% CI: [0.91, 7.64],

P
=
0.013

,

I

2

=
94.9
%

) were significantly higher, whereas the results for trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) (

SMD
=
2.7

, 95% CI: [-0.34, 5.73],

P
=
0.081

,

I

2

=
95.4
%

) and trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp) (

SMD
=
−
3.08

, 95% CI: [-6.55, 0.38],

P
=
0.081

,

I

2

=
96.3
%

) were not statistically significant compared to those of the OVX group. The stem cell transplantation group had a low BMD, BV/TV, and Tb.N compared to the sham operation group. Conclusion. Stem cell therapy may increase bone strength, bone volume, and the number of trabeculae in OVX osteoporotic rats. The results of this meta-analysis showed the potential therapeutic effect of stem cell transplantation in OVX osteoporotic rats, bringing new therapeutic ideas and directions to the clinical treatment of osteoporosis. Due to the limited number and quality of studies related to some outcomes, more high-quality RCTs are still needed in the future to complement the existing findings.
Correlation of Neuroimaging Findings with Clinical Presentation and Laboratory Data in Patients with COVID‐19: A Single‐Center Study
Authors: Kavak Seyhmus , Yildirim Mehmet Serdar , Altındag Rojhat , Mertsoy Yilmaz , Alakus Mehmet Fuat , Guleken Mehmet Diyaddin , Kaya Safak
Published: August 2021

Background. This study was aimed at revealing neuroimaging findings in COVID‐19 patients and at discussing their relationship with epidemiological data and some laboratory parameters. Materials and Method. This study included 436 cases of COVID‐19 and 40 cases of non‐COVID‐19 acute/subacute thromboembolism who underwent at least one neuroimaging procedure due to neurological symptoms between April 2020 and December 2020. The group of COVID‐19‐positive acute/subacute thromboembolism cases was compared with both the group of normal brain imaging cases and the non‐COVID‐19 acute/subacute thromboembolism group in terms of demographic data and laboratory parameters. Results. When the acute/subacute thromboembolism group and neuroimaging findings were compared in terms of negative group, presence of comorbid disease, D‐dimer level, and lymphocyte count in COVID‐19 patients, a statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.047, 0.014, and <0.001, respectively). COVID‐19‐positive and COVID‐19‐negative acute/subacute thromboembolism cases that were compared in terms of gender, neuroimaging reason, C‐reactive protein, D‐dimer level and lymphocyte count, a statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.003, <0.001, 0.005, 0.02, and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion. Acute thromboembolic events are common in patients with COVID‐19 due to a potentially increased procoagulant process. Neurological evaluation and, if necessary, detailed neuroimaging should be performed, especially in cases with high D‐dimer levels.
An Overview of the Safety, Efficiency, and Signal Pathways of Stem Cell Therapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Yang Qian , Liu Yiping , Chen Guangyong , Zhang Wancong , Tang Shijie , Zhou Tianbiao
Published: August 2021

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a good source for autoimmune disease and hematological disease therapy. This review will summarize the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of MSC therapy for SLE. MSC therapy can reduce anti-dsDNA, antinuclear antigen (ANA), proteinuria, and serum creatinine in SLE patients. In animal models of SLE, MSC therapy also indicates that it could reduce anti-dsDNA, ANA, proteinuria, and serum creatinine and ameliorate renal pathology. There are no serious adverse events, treatment-related mortality, or tumor-related events in SLE patients after stem cell treatment. MSCs can inhibit inflammatory factors, such as MCP-1 and HMGB-1, and inhibit inflammation-related signaling pathways, such as the NF-κB, JAK/STAT, and Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways, to alleviate the lesions in SLE.
Computed Tomographic Image Processing and Reconstruction in the Diagnosis of Rare Osteochondroma
Authors: Zhao Ting , Zhao Hongyan
Published: August 2021

Objective. We applied computed tomography (CT) to explore the imaging manifestations of rare parts of osteochondroma. Based on the medical images, deblurring using a convolutional neural network (CNN), and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the images is performed in order to improve the image diagnosis. Methods. Twelve cases of osteochondroma in rare locations confirmed by surgical pathology or clinical long-term dynamic observation were retrospectively analyzed using medical imaging and image reconstruction. There are 7 males and 5 females, with an average age of 43 years. CT examinations were performed in all cases. Image deblurring via the GAN model is performed followed by the 3D reconstruction of the higher quality images is implemented. A retrospective study was performed on the imaging manifestations of the above cases; the imaging characteristics were summarized. Results. The imaging features are the following lesions, including 4 cases of the proximal radius, 4 cases of the scapula, 2 cases of the pelvis, and 2 cases of the proximal ribs. The cartilage caps, cortex, and sternum were typical structures of the bone surface of the studied cases. In the continuous imaging features, calcification was visible in some cases, and no significant enhancement was seen in enhanced scans; there was no obvious direction of lesion growth. The image processing techniques that we performed are useful in enhancing the quality of the medical diagnosis. Conclusions. Rare site osteochondroma has certain imaging features. In most cases, we can accurately diagnose rare site osteochondroma through these features via the image processing methods that are proposed in this paper.
Global Exponential Stability and Periodicity of Nonautonomous Impulsive Neural Networks with Time‐Varying Delays and Reaction‐Diffusion Terms
Authors: Hu Weiyi , Li Kelin
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we investigate the global exponential stability and periodicity of nonautonomous cellular neural networks with reaction‐diffusion, impulses, and time‐varying delays. By establishing a new differential inequality for nonautonomous systems, using the properties of M‐matrix and inequality techniques, some new sufficient conditions for the global exponential stability of the system are obtained. Moreover, sufficient conditions for the periodic solutions of the system are obtained by using the Poincare mapping and the fixed point theory. The validity and superiority of the main results are verified by numerical examples and simulations.