bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melatonin action in Plasmodium infection: Searching for molecules that modulate the asexual cycle as a strategy to impair the parasite cycle
Authors: Pereira Pedro H. S. , Garcia Celia R. S.
Published: October 2020

Half of the world's population lives in countries at risk of malaria infection, which results in approximately 450,000 deaths annually. Malaria parasites infect erythrocytes in a coordinated manner, with cycle durations in multiples of 24 hours, which reflects a behavior consistent with the host's circadian cycle. Interference in cycle coordination can help the immune system to naturally fight infection. Consequently, there is a search for new drugs that interfere with the cycle duration for combined treatment with conventional antimalarials. Melatonin appears to be a key host hormone responsible for regulating circadian behavior in the parasite cycle. In addition to host factors, there are still unknown factors intrinsic to the parasite that control the cycle duration. In this review, we present a series of reports of indole compounds and melatonin derivatives with antimalarial activity that were tested on several species of Plasmodium to evaluate the cytotoxicity to parasites and human cells, in addition to the ability to interfere with the development of the erythrocytic cycle. Most of the reported compounds had an IC50 value in the low micromolar range, without any toxicity to human cells. Triptosil, an indole derivative of melatonin, was able to inhibit the effect of melatonin in vitro without causing changes to the parasitemia. The wide variety of tested compounds indicates that it is possible to develop a compound capable of safely eliminating parasites from the host and interfering with the life cycle, which is promising for the development of new combined therapies against malaria.
The interaction of neonatal abstinence syndrome and opioid use disorder treatment availability for women insured by medicaid
Authors: Reising Virginia A. , Horne Ashley , Bennett Amanda C.
Published: October 2020

Objective

This paper will discuss the process of mapping opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment resources for pregnant women and discuss the intersection between treatment resources and rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Design

A resource manual was developed through a systematic process with stakeholders across Illinois. Resources were mapped by county and overlaid with county rates of NAS, using hospital discharge data.

Results

Across Illinois, 89 treatment resources were identified for pregnant women insured by Medicaid. Resources were concentrated in 36% of Illinois’ counties. Counties with limited treatment resources generally had high rates of NAS. Sixty‐six percent of NAS cases among rural Illinois residents had no OUD treatment resources in their county. Rural counties had less access to medication‐assisted treatment (MAT), the standard of care for treatment of OUD, compared with other counties across the state.

Conclusions

Efforts to increase OUD treatment options for pregnant women insured by Medicaid should concentrate on geographic areas with limited access and high need.
Stearic acid attenuates profibrotic signalling in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Kim Hak‐Su , Yoo Hyun Ju , Lee Kwang Min , Song Ha Eun , Kim Su Jung , Lee Jae Ok , Hwang Jung Jin , Song Jin Woo
Published: October 2020

Background and objective

Lipid metabolism dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of IPF; however, the roles of most lipid metabolites in lung fibrosis remain unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to identify changes in lipid metabolites in the lung tissues of IPF patients and determine their roles in pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods

Free fatty acids in the lung tissues of IPF patients and controls were quantified using a metabolomic approach. The roles of free fatty acids in fibroblasts or epithelial cells treated with TGF‐β1 were evaluated using fibrotic markers. The antifibrotic role of stearic acid was also assessed in a bleomycin‐induced lung fibrosis mouse model. Protein levels in cell lysates or tissues were measured by western blotting.

Results

The levels of stearic acid were lower in IPF lung tissues than in control lung tissues. Stearic acid significantly reduced TGF‐β1‐induced α‐SMA and collagen type 1 expression in MRC‐5 cells. Furthermore, stearic acid decreased the levels of p‐Smad2/3 and ROS in MRC‐5 cells treated with TGF‐β1 and disrupted TGF‐β1‐induced EMT in Beas‐2B cells. Stearic acid reduced the levels of bleomycin‐induced hydroxyproline in a mouse model.

Conclusion

Changes in the free fatty acid profile, including low levels of stearic acid, were observed in IPF patients. Stearic acid may exert antifibrotic activity by regulating profibrotic signalling.
Effect of an Azimuthal Mean Flow on the Structure and Stability of Thermoacoustic Modes in an Annular Combustor Model With Electroacoustic Feedback
Authors: Humbert Sylvain C. , Moeck Jonas P. , Orchini Alessandro , Paschereit Christian Oliver
Published: October 2020

Thermoacoustic oscillations in axisymmetric annular combustors are generally coupled by degenerate azimuthal modes, which can be of standing or spinning nature. Symmetry breaking due to the presence of a mean azimuthal flow splits the degenerate thermoacoustic eigenvalues, resulting in pairs of counter-spinning modes with close but distinct frequencies and growth rates. In this study, experiments have been performed using an annular system where the thermoacoustic feedback due to the flames is mimicked by twelve identical electro-acoustic feedback loops. The mean azimuthal flow is generated by fans. We investigate the standing/spinning nature of the oscillations as a function of the azimuthal Mach number for two types of initial states and how the stability of the system is affected by the mean azimuthal flow. It is found that spinning, standing, or mixed modes can be encountered at very low Mach number, but increasing the mean velocity promotes one spinning direction. At sufficiently high Mach number, only spinning modes are observed in the limit cycle oscillations. In some cases, the initial conditions have a significant impact on the final state of the system. It is found that the presence of a mean azimuthal flow increases the acoustic damping. This has a beneficial effect on stability: it often reduces the amplitude of the self-sustained oscillations, and can even suppress them in some cases. However, we observe that the suppression of a mode due to the mean flow may destabilize another one. We discuss our findings in relation to an existing low-order model.
NASA's Role in Gas Turbine Technology Development: Accelerating Technical Progress Via Collaboration Between Academia, Industry, and Government Agencies
Authors: Suder Kenneth L.
Published: October 2020

Given the maturity of the gas turbine engine since its invention and considering the limited resources expected to be allocated for NASA aeronautics research and development, we ask the question are NASA technology investments still needed to enable future turbine engine-based propulsion systems? If so, what is NASA's unique role to justify NASA's investment? To address this topic, we first summarize NASA's role and contributions to turbine engine development, specific to both (1) NASA's role in conducting experiments to understand flow physics and provide relevant benchmark validation experiments for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code development, validation, and assessment and (2) the impact of technologies resulting from NASA collaborations with industry, academia, and other government agencies. Note that the scope of the discussion is limited to the NASA technology contributions with which the author was intimately associated and does not represent the entirety of the NASA contributions to turbine engine technology. The specific research, development, and demonstrations discussed herein were selected to both (1) provide a comprehensive review and reference list of the technology and its impact and (2) identify NASA's unique role and highlight how NASA's involvement resulted in additional benefit to the gas turbine engine community. Second, we will discuss current NASA collaborations that are in progress and provide a status of the results. Finally, we discuss the challenges anticipated for future turbine engine-based propulsion systems for civil aviation and identify potential opportunities for collaboration where NASA involvement would be beneficial.
Coherent Förster resonance energy transfer: A new paradigm for electrically driven quantum dot random lasers
Authors: Shen Tien-Lin , Hu Han-Wen , Lin Wei-Ju , Liao Yu-Ming , Chen Tzu-Pei , Liao Yu-Kuang , Lin Tai-Yuan , Chen Yang-Fang
Published: October 2020

A previously unexplored paradigm enables electrically driven quantum dot random lasers.
Molecular origin of negative component of Helmholtz capacitance at electrified Pt(111)/water interface
Authors: Le Jia-Bo , Fan Qi-Yuan , Li Jie-Qiong , Cheng Jun
Published: October 2020

Change in water chemisorption in response to electrode potential leads to negative capacitance in electric double layer.
Evolution and effects of the social-ecological system over a millennium in China’s Loess Plateau
Authors: Wu Xutong , Wei Yongping , Fu Bojie , Wang Shuai , Zhao Yan , Moran Emilio F.
Published: October 2020

The evolutionary phases of the social-ecological system in China’s Loess Plateau over a millennium are identified.
Extrinsic noise prevents the independent tuning of gene expression noise and protein mean abundance in bacteria
Authors: Deloupy A. , Sauveplane V. , Robert J. , Aymerich S. , Jules M. , Robert L.
Published: October 2020

Gene expression noise cannot be tuned independently of protein mean abundance for most bacterial genes.
Nuclear WRAP53 promotes neuronal survival and functional recovery after stroke
Authors: Sánchez-Morán Irene , Rodríguez Cristina , Lapresa Rebeca , Agulla Jesús , Sobrino Tomás , Castillo José , Bolaños Juan P. , Almeida Angeles
Published: October 2020

Ischemia-induced WRAP53 nuclear accumulation promotes DNA damage repair resulting in functional recovery after stroke.
Is Ceftazidime/Avibactam an Option for Serious Infections Due to Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase- and AmpC-Producing
Enterobacterales
?: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Isler Burcu , Ezure Yukiko , Romero Jose Luis García-Fogeda , Harris Patrick , Stewart Adam G. , Paterson David L.
Published: October 2020

Carbapenem-sparing regimens are needed for the treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)- and AmpC-producing members of the
Enterobacterales
. We sought to compare the clinical efficacy of ceftazidime/avibactam and carbapenems against ESBL- and AmpC-producing
Enterobacterales
species. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing ceftazidime/avibactam with carbapenems for the treatment of ESBL- and AmpC-producing
Enterobacterales
was conducted.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Paenibacillus
sp. Strain E222, a Bacterial Symbiont of an
Epichloë
Fungal Endophyte of Ryegrass
Authors: Bastías Daniel A. , Jauregui Ruy , Applegate Emma R. , Altermann Eric , Card Stuart D. , Johnson Linda J.
Published: October 2020

We report on the whole-genome sequence of
Paenibacillus
sp. strain E222, a bacterium isolated from a fresh culture of
Epichloë festucae
var.
lolii
, a mutualistic fungal endophyte of perennial ryegrass. The genome has a size of 7.8 Mb and a G+C content of 46% and encodes 6,796 putative protein-coding genes.
Complete Genome Sequence of Yellow Pigment-Producing
Sphingobium
sp. Strain HAL-16
Authors: Kwon Soon Jae , Lee Pyung Cheon
Published: October 2020

Sphingobium
sp. strain HAL-16, which was isolated from Antarctic soil samples, synthesizes a yellow pigment. The complete genome consists of a single circular chromosome (4,372,398 bp, with a G+C content of 62.7%) and a single circular plasmid (57,025 bp, with a G+C content of 59.4%). Five genes encoding carotenogenic enzymes were identified, suggesting that the yellow pigment is a hydroxy/keto-β-carotene.
Genome Sequence of a Persistent Campylobacter jejuni Strain, 2016-IZSVE-19-111250
Authors: Peruzzo Arianna , Salerno Barbara , Tiengo Alessia , Petrin Sara , Barco Lisa , Losasso Carmen , Orsini Massimiliano
Published: October 2020

In this report, we present the whole-genome sequence of a
Campylobacter jejuni
strain isolated recursively for the last 3 years from an Italian poultry farm.
Pre-impaired fasting glucose state is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction: Flow-mediated Dilation Japan (FMD-J) study
Authors: Yamaji Takayuki , Harada Takahiro , Hashimoto Yu , Takaeko Yuji , Kajikawa Masato , Kihara Yasuki , Hida Eisuke , Chayama Kazuaki , Goto Chikara , Han Yiming , Yusoff Farina Mohamad , Kishimoto Shinji , Maruhashi Tatsuya , Nakashima Ayumu , Higashi Yukihito
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is associated with endothelial dysfunction. However, there is little information on the relationships of fasting blood glucose (FBG), including high normal blood glucose and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) with endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between FBG level and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) using a large sample size.

Research design and methods

This study was a cross-sectional study. We measured FMD in 7265 subjects at 31 general hospitals. The subjects were divided into four groups based on FBG levels: <100, 100–109, 110–125, and ≥126 mg/dL or known diabetes. The subjects were also divided into six groups based on FBG levels: <90, 90–94, 95–99, 100–109, 110–125, and ≥126 mg/dL or known diabetes.

Results

FMD decreased in relation to increase in FBG level. There was a significant difference in FMD between the FBG of <100 mg/dL group and the other three groups (6.7±3.1% vs 5.9±2.8%, 5.7±3.1%, and 5.1±2.6%, respectively; p<0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds of having the lowest quartile of FMD were significantly higher in the FBG of 95–99, 100–104, 105–109, 110–125, and ≥126 mg/dL or known diabetes groups than in the FBG of the <90 mg/dL group.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that FBG of 100–109 mg/dL and FBG of 110–125 mg/dL are similarly associated with endothelial dysfunction and that a pre-IFG state (FBG of 95–99 mg/dL) is also a risk for endothelial dysfunction compared with FBG of <90 mg/dL.

Trial registration number

UMIN000012950, UMIN000012951, UMIN000012952, and UMIN000003409.
Long-term outcomes for children with disability and severe acute malnutrition in Malawi
Authors: Lelijveld Natasha , Groce Nora , Patel Seema , Nnensa Theresa , Chimwezi Emmanuel , Gladstone Melissa , Mallewa Macpherson , Wells Jonathan , Seal Andrew , Kerac Marko
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and disability are major global health issues. Although they can cause and influence each other, data on their co-existence are sparse. We aimed to describe the prevalence and patterns of disability among a cohort of children with SAM.

Methods

A longitudinal cohort study in Malawi followed SAM survivors up to 7 years postdischarge. Clinical and anthropometric profiles were compared with sibling and community controls. Disability at original admission was identified clinically; at 7-year follow-up a standardised screening tool called ‘the Washington Group Questionnaire’ was used.

Results

60/938 (6.4%) of admissions to SAM treatment had clinically obvious disability at admission. Post-treatment mortality was high, with only 11/60 (18%) surviving till 7-year follow-up. SAM children with a disability at admission had 6.99 (95% CI 3.49 to 14.02; p<0.001) greater risk of dying compared with children without disability. They were also older, less likely to be HIV positive or have oedema and more severely malnourished. Long-term survivors were more stunted, had less catch-up growth, smaller head circumference, weaker hand grip strength and poorer school achievement than non-disabled survivors.

The Washington Group Questionnaire confirmed disability in all who had been identified clinically, and identified many who had not been previously flagged.

Conclusion

Disability is common among children affected by SAM. Those with disability-associated SAM have greatly increased risk of dying even if they survive the initial episode of malnutrition. Survivors have poorer growth, physical strength and school achievement. To enable all children to survive and thrive post-SAM, it is vital to focus more on those with disabilities. SAM treatment programmes should consider using not just clinical assessment but structured assessments to better identify at-risk individuals as well as understand the population of children for which they are developing services.
Magnitude, temporal trends and inequality in global burden of tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Authors: Wang Zhaojun , Hu Liu , Li Jin , Wei Li , Zhang Junhang , Zhou Jun
Published: October 2020

Introduction

We aimed to assess the magnitude, temporal trends and socioeconomic disparity in the global burden of tracheal, bronchus and lung (TBL) from 1990 to 2017, using data extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases study (GBD 2017).

Methods

We extracted data from the GBD 2017 study. A series of comparative and descriptive analyses of the disease burden between females and males and countries with different socioeconomic development statuses (Social Demographic Index, SDI). We also analysed the temporal trends of age-standardised disability-adjusted life year rates (ASDR) of TBL cancer at the global and super-regional level by means of joinpoint regression. Finally, we also calculated Concentration Index to explore trends of between-country inequality in cancer burden from 1990 to 2017.

Results

During the past 27 years, the global incidence of TBL cancer cases and death cases has increased by 100% and 82.3% respectively, but the increase number was mainly influenced by population growth and ageing. After adjustment, from 1990 to 2017, the ASDR of TBL has increased by 3% and the age-standardised death rate has decreased by 7%. The global TBL cancer burden fell by 15.3%. The joinpoint analysis revealed that the overall trend of age-standardised TBL cancer burden for both females and males significantly changed twice between 1990 and 2017, and it varied across countries with different SDI values and was also different between females and males. Age-standardised TBL cancer burden was more concentrated in higher socioeconomic development countries, but the development of healthy inequality showed a downward trend in males while showing an upward trend in females.

Conclusion

The magnitude and temporal trends of TBL cancer burden varied across countries and sex. This study highlighted the importance of crafting health policy to adapt to local conditions to manage the global burden of TBL cancers.
Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in nine sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Haider Najmul , Osman Abdinasir Yusuf , Gadzekpo Audrey , Akipede George O , Asogun Danny , Ansumana Rashid , Lessells Richard John , Khan Palwasha , Hamid Muzamil Mahdi Abdel , Yeboah-Manu Dorothy , Mboera Leonard , Shayo Elizabeth Henry , Mmbaga Blandina T , Urassa Mark , Musoke David , Kapata Nathan , Ferrand Rashida Abbas , Kapata Pascalina-Chanda , Stigler Florian , Czypionka Thomas , Zumla Alimuddin , Kock Richard , McCoy David
Published: October 2020

Lockdown measures have been introduced worldwide to contain the transmission of COVID-19. However, the term ‘lockdown’ is not well-defined. Indeed, WHO’s reference to ‘so-called lockdown measures’ indicates the absence of a clear and universally accepted definition of the term ‘lockdown’. We propose a definition of ‘lockdown’ based on a two-by-two matrix that categorises different communicable disease measures based on whether they are compulsory or voluntary; and whether they are targeted at identifiable individuals or facilities, or whether they are applied indiscriminately to a general population or area. Using this definition, we describe the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. While there were some commonalities in the implementation of lockdown across these countries, a more notable finding was the variation in the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures. We also found that the number of reported cases is heavily dependent on the number of tests carried out, and that testing rates ranged from 2031 to 63 928 per million population up until 7 September 2020. The reported number of COVID-19 deaths per million population also varies (0.4 to 250 up until 7 September 2020), but is generally low when compared with countries in Europe and North America. While lockdown measures may have helped inhibit community transmission, the pattern and nature of the epidemic remains unclear. However, there are signs of lockdown harming health by affecting the functioning of the health system and causing social and economic disruption.
Stringent containment measures without complete city lockdown to achieve low incidence and mortality across two waves of COVID-19 in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Martin C S , Ng Rita W Y , Chong Ka Chun , Lai Christopher K C , Huang Junjie , Chen Zigui , Boon Siaw S , Chan Paul K S
Published: October 2020

Introduction

An international city, Hong Kong, in proximity to the first epicentre of COVID- 19, experienced two epidemic waves with different importation pressure. We compared the epidemiological features of patients with COVID-19 in the context of containment policies between the first and second waves.

Methods

We retrieved information on the first 1038 cases detected in Hong Kong (23 January to 25 April 2020) to analyse the epidemiological characteristics including age/gender-specific incidence, clustering, reproduction number (Rt) and containment delay; in relation to the containment measures implemented. Factors associated with containment delay were evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis with age, gender, epidemic wave and infection source as covariates. A time series of 5-day moving average was plotted to examine the changes across the two epidemic waves.

Results

The incidence and mortality (135.5 and 0.5 per 1 000 000 population) was among the lowest in the world. Aggressive escalation of border control correlated with reductions inRtfrom 1.35 to 0.57 and 0.92 to 0.18, and aversions of 450 and 1650 local infections during the first and second waves, respectively. Implementing COVID-19 tests for overseas returners correlated with an upsurge of asymptomatic case detection, and shortened containment delay in the second wave. Medium-sized cluster events in the first wave were family gatherings, whereas those in the second wave were leisure activities among youngsters. Containment delay was associated with older age (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02, p=0.040), male gender (AOR=1.41, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.96, p=0.039) and local cases (AOR=11.18, 95% CI 7.43 to 16.83, p<0.001), and with significant improvement in the second wave compared with the first wave (average: 6.8 vs 3.7 days). A higher incidence rate was observed for males, raising possibility of gender predilection in susceptibility of developing symptoms.

Conclusion

Prompt and stringent all-round containment strategies represent successful measures in pandemic control. These findings could inform formulation and implementation of pandemic mitigation strategies.
Meta-analysis of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies as diagnostic markers of Behçet’s disease with gastrointestinal involvement
Authors: Cheng Linlin , Li Liubing , Liu Chenxi , Yan Songxin , Li Yongzhe
Published: October 2020

Objective

Due to common exposure to yeast in the alcoholic and baking industry, positive rate of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) is reportedly high in patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) who have gastrointestinal symptoms (gastrointestinal BD (GIBD)). We performed a meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic value of ASCA in differentiating patients with BD from those with other chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

Methods

The meta-analysis is presented with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist. Relevant studies that investigated ASCA levels in patients with BD were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library on 12 July 2019; the search was rerun on 12 February 2020. Stata/SE V.12.0 and Meta-DiSc V.1.4 were used to perform the meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis, disaggregated by isotypes of ASCA.

Results

Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed a strong association between ASCA and GIBD, especially ASCA-IgG (OR=5.50 (95% CI 2.58 to 11.55), p=0.000) and ASCA-IgG+IgA (OR=5.36 (95% CI 1.40 to 20.45), p=0.014). The positivity rate of ASCA in GIBD was significantly higher than that in ulcerative colitis (UC): IgA (OR=2.13 (95% CI 1.30 to 3.50), p=0.003); IgG+IgA (OR=2.19 (95% CI 1.03 to 4.66), p=0.042); IgG/IgA ((=2.03 (95% CI 1.30 to 3.17), p=0.002). However, the frequency of ASCA-IgG was significantly higher in patients with Crohn's disease than GIBD (OR=0.48 (95% CI 0.28 to 0.83), p=0.009). There was no significant difference in ASCA positivity between BD without gastrointestinal involvement and healthy controls and between GIBD and intestinal tuberculosis (iTB) (p>0.05).

Conclusion

ASCA may play a role in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal involvement. Negative result of IgG favours the diagnosis of GIBD/BD when differentiated from Crohn’s disease. ASCA-IgA showed moderate diagnostic performance in distinguishing GIBD and UC and the diagnostic performance was better in combination with IgG. However, ASCA may not be a useful serologic marker distinguishing GIBD and iTB.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020115245.
SIZE study: study protocol of a multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of an interarcuair decompression versus extended decompression in patients with intermittent neurogenic claudication caused by lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Arjun Sharma Jamie , Gadjradj Pravesh S. , Peul Wilco C. , van Tulder Maurits W. , Moojen Wouter A. , Harhangi Biswadjiet S.
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Intermittent neurogenic claudication (INC) is often caused by lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Laminectomy is considered a frequently used surgical technique for LSS. Previous studies have shown that laminectomy can potentially cause lumbar instability. Less invasive techniques, preserving midline structures including the bilateral small size interarcuair decompression, are currently applied. Due to lack of evidence and consensus, surgeons have to rely on their training and own experiences to choose the best surgical techniques for their patients. Hence, an observer and patient blinded multicentre, randomised controlled trial was designed to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bilateral interarcuair decompression versus laminectomy for LSS.

Methods and analysis

174 patients above 40 years with at least 12 weeks of INC will be recruited. Patients are eligible for inclusion if they have a clinical indication for surgery for INC with an MRI showing signs of LSS. Patients will be randomised to laminectomy or bilateral interarcuair decompression. The primary outcome is functional status measured with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire at 12 months. Secondary outcomes consist of pain intensity, self-perceived recovery, functional status measured with the Oswestry Disability Index and a physical examination. Outcome measurement moments will be scheduled at 3 and 6 weeks, and at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months after surgery. Physical examination will be performed at 6 weeks, and 12, 24 and 48 months. An economic evaluation will be performed and questionnaires will be used to collect cost data.

Ethics and dissemination

The Medical Ethical Committee of the Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam approved this study (NL.65826.078.18). The results will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03480893).

IRB approval status

MEC-2018-093.
Effect of joint transition visits on quality of life in adolescents with inflammatory bowel diseases: a protocol for a prospective, randomised, multicentre, controlled trial (TRANS-IBD)
Authors: Erős Adrienn , Dohos Dóra , Veres Gábor , Tárnok András , Vincze Áron , Tészás Alexandra , Zádori Noémi , Gede Noémi , Hegyi Péter , Sarlós Patrícia
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are among the most common chronic illnesses diagnosed in childhood. Transition from paediatric to adult care is a crucial phase. The implementation of joint visits during the transition period in IBD is widely recommended, however, strong evidence supporting their benefit is still missing. In this trial, we aim to prove the superiority of joint visits compared with usual care in improving transition outcomes of adolescents with IBD.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised controlled two-arm multicentre trial. A minimum of 160 adolescents with IBD aged between 16.75 and 17 years will be recruited from Hungarian tertiary IBD centres. After randomisation, eligible subjects in the intervention arm attend a total of four joint visits with adult and paediatric gastroenterologist between the ages of 17 and 18. In the control arm, adolescents meet only the paediatric gastroenterologist, but there is a balanced consultation between the two gastroenterologist regarding the patient’s treatment plan. Patients in both groups receive the same training and education, the only determinative difference between the two arms is the presence of the adult gastroenterologist at the joint visits. Data will be collected at inclusion, at transfer and 12 months post-transfer. Primary outcome is the change in health-related quality of life measured with the IMPACT-III questionnaire at 1 year after transfer. Secondary outcomes include the number of patients not lost to follow-up, healthcare utilisation, disease activity, medication adherence, self-efficacy, transition readiness and patient’s satisfaction. To compare the results of the two patient groups, two-sample T-test and Mann-Whitney test will be applied.

Ethics and dissemination

The Scientific and Research Ethics Committee of the Hungarian Medical Research Council approved this study (50457-2/2019/EKU). Findings will be disseminated at conferences and in medical journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04290156.
Sex difference in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Abate Biruk Beletew , Kassie Ayelign Mengesha , Kassaw Mesfin Wudu , Aragie Teshome Gebremeskel , Masresha Setamlak Adane
Published: October 2020

Objective

To assess the sex difference in the prevalence of COVID-19 confirmed cases.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting

PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched for related information. The authors developed a data extraction form on an Excel sheet and the following data from eligible studies were extracted: author, country, sample size, number of female patients and number of male patients. Using STATA V.14 for analysis, the authors pooled the overall prevalence of men and/or women using a random-effect meta-analysis model. The authors examined the heterogeneity in effect size using Q statistics and I2statistics. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Publication bias was also checked.

Participants

Studies on COVID-19 confirmed cases were included.

Intervention

Sex (male/female) of COVID-19 confirmed cases was considered.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was prevalence of COVID-19 among men and women.

Results

A total of 57 studies with 221 195 participants were used in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among men was found to be 55.00 (51.43–56.58, I2=99.5%, p<0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed the findings were not dependent on a single study. Moreover, a funnel plot showed symmetrical distribution. Egger’s regression test p value was not significant, which indicates absence of publication bias in both outcomes.

Conclusions

The prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19 was found to be higher in men than in women. The high prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption contributed to the high prevalence of COVID-19 among men. Additional studies on the discrepancies in severity and mortality rate due to COVID-19 among men and women and the associated factors are recommended.
Activities outside of the care setting for people with dementia: a systematic review
Authors: D'Cunha Nathan Martin , Isbel Stephen , McKune Andrew J , Kellett Jane , Naumovski Nenad
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To summarise the evidence from interventions investigating the effects of out of care setting activities on people with dementia living in residential aged care.

Design

A systematic review.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library) was performed to identify intervention trials published from journal inception to January 2020. Controlled trials, or quasi-experimental trials, which measured pre-intervention, post-intervention or during-intervention outcomes, where the participants were required to leave the care setting to participate in an intervention, were eligible for inclusion. Quality appraisal of the studies was performed following the Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias or Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tools.

Results

Of the 4155 articles screened, 11 articles met the inclusion criteria from 9 different studies. The number of participants in the studies ranged from 6 to 70 people living with dementia and lasted for 3 weeks up to 5 months. The interventions were aquatic exercise, wheelchair cycling, art gallery discussion groups, an intergenerational mentorship programme, horse riding, walking and outdoor gardening. Overall, the studies indicated preliminary evidence of psychological (n=7), physical (n=4) and physiological (n=1) benefits, and all interventions were feasible to conduct away from the aged care facilities. However, the low number of participants in the included studies (n=177), the absence of a control group in all but three studies, and potential for selection bias, limits the generalisability of the findings.

Conclusions

Activities outside of the residential aged care setting have the potential to be effective at providing a range of benefits for people living with dementia. Higher quality studies are required to encourage care providers to implement these type of activities in dementia care settings.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020166518.
Novel bradycardia pacing strategies
Authors: Heckman Luuk , Vijayaraman Pugazhendhi , Luermans Justin , Stipdonk Antonius M W , Salden Floor , Maass Alexander H , Prinzen Frits W , Vernooy Kevin
Published: October 2020

The adverse effects of ventricular dyssynchrony induced by right ventricular (RV) pacing has led to alternative pacing strategies, such as biventricular, His bundle (HBP), LV septal (LVSP) and left bundle branch pacing (LBBP). Given the overlap, LVSP and LBBP are also collectively referred to as left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP). Although among these alternative pacing sites HBP is theoretically the ideal strategy as it maintains a physiological ventricular activation, its application requires more skills and is associated with the most complications. LBBAP, where the ventricular pacing lead is advanced through the interventricular septum to its left side, creates ventricular activation that is only slightly more dyssynchronous. Preliminary studies have shown that LBBAP is feasible, safe and encounters less limitations than HBP. Further studies are needed to differentiate between LVSP and LBBP with regard to acute functional and long-term clinical outcome.
Size class segregation of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in a shallow High Arctic embayment
Authors: Kessel S.T. , Crawford R.E. , Hussey N.E. , Ivanova S.V. , Holden J.P. , Fisk A.T.
Published: October 2020

Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida (Lepechin, 1774)) vertically segregate by size class in deep waters, but such dynamics had not been explored in shallow waters. Spatial distribution of Arctic cod was investigated in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada (74°41N, 94°52W) from 20 July to 5 August 2012, using a combination of hydroacoustic survey and direct capture. Hydroacoustic surveys identified two high concentrations of Arctic cod, with larger individuals detected on the west side, and smaller individuals on the east. Catch data confirmed size segregation, with fish sampled on the west side of the bay significantly larger (mean = 174 mm total length (TL); 35.9 g weight (WT)) than those on the east (mean = 110 mm TL; 9.2 g WT). Fish density on the west was estimated at 3.52 fish·m−2, extrapolated to the full 0.52 km2 of the surveyed shoal to ∼1 830 400 fish and 65 711 kg (assuming a 35.9 g mean WT). Smaller fish on the east side were more abundant (9.32 fish·m−2; total abundance ∼11 836 400 fish or 108 894 kg; mean WT = 9.2 g). Horizontal habitat-partitioning was observed between Arctic cod size classes over a small geographic area (∼8 km2), most probably due to partitioned resources and to mitigate predation risk.
Effects of radial growth rate on outerwood properties of coastal Douglas-fir in healthy stands versus stands impacted by Swiss needle cast
Authors: Lachenbruch B. , Johnson R.G.
Published: October 2020

A common belief in forestry is that rapid growth in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) results in decreased outerwood quality. In Oregon, the opposite pattern has been reported for stands affected by Swiss needle cast, whereby a native fungus causes premature needle drop and an increase in latewood proportion (LW%), wood density, stiffness (MOE), and strength (MOR). Using a combination of new and existing data, we compared the properties of ∼25-year-old outerwood from 18 healthy and 14 diseased stands using direct tests (6–8 beams from 7–12 trees per stand, 2614 beams total) and indirect SilviScanII tests (1 sample for each of the 366 trees). As seen before, diseased stands showed a decrease in wood quality with growth rate: ring count was strongly and positively correlated with density, MOE, and MOR (r2 = 0.74, 0.65, and 0.63), and LW% was positively correlated with ring count, density, MOE, and MOR (r2 = 0.50, 0.62, 0.30, and 0.44). In contrast, healthy stands showed no significant effect of ring count on density, MOE, or MOR. LW% was weakly and significantly correlated with MOE (r2 = 0.25) but not with ring count, density, or MOR. Among healthy stands, growth acceleration had no adverse effects on outerwood properties.
RGE-induced $$\mu $$-$$\tau $$ symmetry breaking: an analysis of the latest T2K results
Authors: Huang Guo-yuan , Nath Newton
Published: October 2020

The T2K collaboration has recently reported their results, which gives the best-fit values of the atmospheric mixing angle $$\sin ^2 \theta _{23} = 0.53$$

sin
2

θ
23

=
0.53

and the Dirac CP-violating phase $$\delta = -1.89$$

δ
=
-
1.89

for normal neutrino mass ordering. We give a possible theoretical origin of such values based on the $$\mu $$
μ
-$$\tau $$
τ
reflection symmetry. It has been found that the breaking of such symmetry using one-loop renormalization-group equations (RGEs) in the framework of minimal supersymmetric standard model can fit well with the latest T2K results and the recent global fits. To make a quantitative analysis, we have included for the first time the complete dataset of oscillation, beta decay, neutrinoless double-beta decay and cosmological observations in comparing the theory to experiments. We also further examine the importance of such breaking patterns for neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments.
Holographic complexity in general quadratic curvature theory of gravity
Authors: Ghodsi Ahmad , Qolibikloo Saeed , Karimi Saman
Published: October 2020

In the context of CA conjecture for holographic complexity, we study the action growth rate at late time approximation for general quadratic curvature theory of gravity. We show how the Lloyd’s bound saturates for charged and neutral black hole solutions. We observe that a second singular point may modify the action growth rate to a value other than the Lloyd’s bound. Moreover, we find the universal terms that appear in the divergent part of complexity from computing the bulk and joint terms on a regulated WDW patch.
Dirac equation based on the vector representation of the Lorentz group
Authors: Marsch Eckart , Narita Yasuhito
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we derive an expanded Dirac equation for a massive fermion doublet, which has in addition to the particle/antiparticle and spin-up/spin-down degrees of freedom explicity an isospin-type degree of freedom. We begin with revisiting the four-vector Lorentz group generators, define the corresponding gamma matrices and then write a Dirac equation for the fermion doublet with eight spinor components. The appropriate Lagrangian density is established, and the related chiral and SU(2) symmetry is discussed in detail, as well as applications to an electroweak-style gauge theory. In “Appendix,” we present some of the relevant matrices.
CNN-SSPSO: A Hybrid and Optimized CNN Approach for Peripheral Blood Cell Image Recognition and Classification
Authors: Kumar Rajiv , Joshi Shivani , Dwivedi Avinash
Published: October 2020

White blood cells (WBCs) play a main role in identifying the health condition and disease characteristics of a normal person. An automated classification system is capable of recognizing white blood cells that may help doctors to diagnose several diseases like malaria, anemia, leukemia, etc. Automated blood cell analysis allows fast and accurate outcomes and often involves broad data without performance negotiation. The state-of-the-art systems use a lot of different stages (feature extraction, segmentation, pre-processing, etc.) to provide the automated blood cell analysis using blood smear images which is a lengthy process. To overcome these problems, this paper presents an efficient peripheral blood cell image recognition and classification using a combination of the salp swarm algorithm and the cat swarm optimization (SSPSO) algorithm-based optimized convolutional neural networks (SSPSO-CNN) method. This paper uses the CNN approach to classify five peripheral blood cells such as eosinophil, basophil, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils without any human intervention. The other objective of this paper is to propose an improved version of salp swarm optimizer (SSO) using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to attain competitive classification performance over the database of the blood cell images. In this paper, the CNN uses VGG19 architecture for training purposes. The accuracy of the classification achieved with VGG19 models is 98%. The proposed model based on the CNN approach optimized by SSPSO achieves high classification accuracy and provides automatic peripheral blood cell classification. This method establishes the fine-tuning process to develop a classifier trained using 10 674 images obtained from medical practice. The proposed method augmented the performance in terms of high precision and [Formula: see text]1-score and obtained an overall classification accuracy of 99%.
Attractor inflationary solutions in braneworld scenario
Authors: Qummer Saba , Jawad Abdul , Younas M.
Published: October 2020

This paper is devoted to discuss the attractor solutions of inflationary Chaplygin gas models such as generalized Chaplygin gas, modified Chaplygin gas and generalized cosmic Chaplygin gas in the framework of Randall–Sundrum type II braneworld scenario. We investigate the inflationary parameters like scalar spectral index [Formula: see text], tensor to scalar ratio [Formula: see text], and the running of scalar index [Formula: see text] as a function of e-folding numbers [Formula: see text] in the presence of attractor: [Formula: see text]. We evaluate and reformulate these parameters under high energy condition. In this inflationary scenario, we develop [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] planes. We also found that these cosmological parameters and perturbation strongly agree with the recent Planck data 2018 for considered Chaplygin gas models instead of [Formula: see text] in case of generalized cosmic Chaplygin gas.
Identification of Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Bed Temperature Based on Hyper-Plane-Shaped Fuzzy C-Regression Model
Authors: Shi Jianzhong
Published: October 2020

Bed temperature in dense-phase zone is the key parameter of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler for stable combustion and economic operation. It is difficult to establish an accurate bed temperature model as the complexity of circulating fluidized bed combustion system. T-S fuzzy model was widely applied in the system identification for it can approximate complex nonlinear system with high accuracy. Fuzzy c-regression model (FCRM) clustering based on hyper-plane-shaped distance has the advantages in describing T-S fuzzy model, and Gaussian function was adapted in antecedent membership function of T-S fuzzy model. However, Gaussian fuzzy membership function was more suitable for clustering algorithm using point to point distance, such as fuzzy c-means (FCM). In this paper, a hyper-plane-shaped FCRM clustering algorithm for T-S fuzzy model identification algorithm is proposed. The antecedent membership function of proposed identification algorithm is defined by a hyper-plane-shaped membership function and an improved fuzzy partition method is applied. To illustrate the efficiency of the proposed identification algorithm, the algorithm is applied in four nonlinear systems which shows higher identification accuracy and simplified identification process. At last, the algorithm is used in a circulating fluidized bed boiler bed temperature identification process, and gets better identification result.
A Self-Adaptive Weighted Fuzzy c-Means for Mixed-Type Data
Authors: Ren Min , Wang Zhihao , Yang Guangfen
Published: October 2020

The influence of features on each cluster is not the same in a mixed-type dataset. Based on the rough set and shadow set theories, the fuzzy distribution centroid was defined to represent the clustering center of the discrete feature so that the fuzzy c-means algorithm (FCM) could be extended to cluster the data with both continuous and discrete features. Then, considering the different contributions of the features to each cluster, a new weighted objective function was constructed in accordance with the principles of fuzzy compactness and separation. Because the learning feature weight is the key step in feature-weighted FCM, this paper regarded the feature weight as a variable optimized in the clustering process and put forward a self-adaptive mixed-type weighted FCM. The experimental results showed that the algorithm could be effectively applied to a heterogeneous mixed-type dataset.