bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient-specific instrumentation combined with a new tool for gap balancing is useful in total knee replacement: a 3-year follow-up of a retrospective study
Authors: Deng Ting , Liu Tangyou , Lei Qing , Cai Lihong , Chen Song
Published: May 2021

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the gap-balancing technique with patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) and a new balancing device in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can improve knee function to a greater extent than can the measured resection technique.

Materials and methods

Data from 150 patients who underwent TKA from August 2014 to June 2016 were studied retrospectively. The gap-balancing technique assisted by PSI and the new balancing device was used in 80 patients (82 knees), and the measured resection technique was used in 70 patients (70 knees). The surgical, imaging, and knee function data were compared.

Results

The gap-balancing technique assisted by PSI and the new balancing device was found to be feasible in all operated knees and reliable. In total, 150 patients (152 knees) of ages ranging from 52 to 78 years (mean 67 years) underwent TKA during the study period. The follow-up period ranged from 35 to 52 months (mean 45 months). Only one patient, who was included in the gap-balancing group, underwent a revision surgery at 2 years postoperatively due to infection. There were no differences in the incidence of anterior knee pain between the two groups. The mean flexion angle, KSS scores, and VAS scores did not significantly differ between the measured resection group and gap-balancing group at 12 weeks or 36 weeks postoperatively. The average joint line displacement was 1.3 ± 1.1 mm (range 0–3) proximally in the GB (gap-balancing) group and 1.2 ± 1.4 mm in the MR (measured-resection) group. No outliers >5 mm in either group were recorded. The mean leg axis deviation from the neutral mechanical axis was 1.8°±1.5° varus (range 0°–3°varus) versus the neutral mechanical axis in the GB group and 1.4°±1.2°(range 0°–3°)in the MR group. No outliers with >3° deviation in either group were recorded.

Conclusions

The gap-balancing technique performed with the new balancing device and PSI can yield accurate femoral component alignment as well as outcomes similar to those of measured resection at 3 years. The new balancing device can be taken into consideration by surgeons who prefer performing the gap-balancing technique with PSI.
Neonatal screening and genotype-phenotype correlation of hyperphenylalaninemia in the Chinese population
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Yanyun , Ma Dingyuan , Zhang Zhilei , Li Yahong , Yang Peiying , Sun Yun , Jiang Tao
Published: May 2021

Background

Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) is the most common amino acid metabolic disease involving phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH, OMIM*612,349) deficiency or coenzyme tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiency. Patients with severe HPA often have a difficult life. Early diagnosis of HPA before the development of symptoms is possible via neonatal screening, facilitating appropriate treatment and reducing mortality and disability rates. This study revealed the prevalence, mutational and phenotypic spectrum, and prognosis of HPA by neonatal screening from January 2001 to September 2020 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.

Methods

Through a retrospective analysis of the information available in the neonatal screening database, the clinical presentations, laboratory data, molecular characteristics and treatment follow-up data of HPA patients detected by neonatal screening were evaluated.

Results

We diagnosed 181 patients with HPA from 1 to 957 newborns, giving an incidence of 1:6873. Among these patients, 177 were identified as PAH deficient and four patients were BH4 deficient. The average current age of the patients was 6.38 years old. The most common mutations of PAH were c.728 C > A/ p.Arg243Gln (13.83 %), c.158G > A/ p.Arg53His (9.57 %), c.611 A > G/ p.Tyr204Cys (7.44 %), and c.721 C > T/ p.Arg241Cys (6.38 %).

Conclusions

This study revealed the prevalence, phenotype-genotype, and prognosis of HPA in China and contributes to the updating of PAHD data for China and worldwide. Our study not only expanded the spectrum of phenotypes and genotype but also provided a valuable tool for improved genetic counseling and management of future cases.
Molecular characterization of Glaesserella parasuis strains isolated from North America, Europe and Asia by serotyping PCR and LS-PCR
Authors: Macedo Nubia , Gottschalk Marcelo , Strutzberg-Minder Katrin , Van Chao Nguyen , Zhang Lijun , Zou Geng , Zhou Rui , Marostica Thaire , Clavijo Maria Jose , Tucker Alexander , Aragon Virginia
Published: May 2021

Glaesserella parasuis strains were characterized by serotyping PCR, vtaA virulence marker Leader Sequence (LS)-PCR, clinical significance, and geographic region. Overall, the serovars 4, 5/12, 7, 1, and 13 were the most commonly detected. Serovars of greatest clinical relevance were systemic isolates that had a higher probability of being serovar 5/12, 13, or 7. In comparison, pulmonary isolates had a higher likelihood of being serovars 2, 4, 7, or 14. Serovars 5/12 and 13 have previously been considered disease-associated, but this study agrees with other recent studies showing that serovar 7 is indeed associated with systemic G. parasuis disease. Serovar 4 strains illustrated how isolates can have varying degrees of virulence and be obtained from pulmonary, systemic, or nasal sites. Serovars 8, 9, 15, and 10 were predominantly obtained from nasal samples, which indicates a limited clinical significance of these serovars. Additionally, most internal G. parasuis isolates were classified as virulent by LS-PCR and were disease-associated isolates, including serovars 1, 2, 4, 5/12, 7, 13, and 14. Isolates from the nasal cavity, including serovars 6, 9, 10, 11, and 15, were classified as non-virulent by LS-PCR. In conclusion, the distribution of G. parasuis serovars remains constant, with few serovars representing most of the strains isolated from affected pigs. Moreover, it was confirmed that the LS-PCR can be used for G. parasuis virulence prediction of field strains worldwide.
Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Bauhinia racemosa Lam.: a comprehensive review
Authors: Prabhu S. , Vijayakumar S. , Ramasubbu Raju , Praseetha P. K. , Karthikeyan K. , Thiyagarajan G. , Sureshkumar J. , Prakash N.
Published: May 2021

Background

Bauhinia racemosais not familiarly known in Asian countries due to its limited existence and lack of medicinal information. It is commonly used as a medicine, ornamental plant, fence plant, and fodder for livestock since ancient times. It is also used as a landfill tree to avoid soil erosion of the forest.

Main body

In South India, people cultivate this plant in their premises in order to protect themselves from the effects of thunder. In this review, the various research prospects of this plant have been analyzed and are summarized. The aim of this review is to provide the traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacological activities ofB. racemosa, and to highlight the current pharmacological developments of this medicinal plant.

Conclusions

TheB.racemosahas immense therapeutic potential for treating diseases with both traditional and pharmacological applications. But many traditional uses ofB.racemosahave not been validated by current investigations in the aspects of pharmaceutical. Until now, research on phyto-constituents fromB.racemosahas not been done in an extensive way. Hence, the identified phytochemicals ofB.racemosashould also be subjected to pharmacological studies to illuminate the biological mechanisms of these unreported secondary metabolites for the prevention of diseases or microbial infections and other health disorders of human and animal races.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on provision of electroconvulsive therapy
Authors: Braithwaite Richard , Chaplin Robert , Sivasanker Vimal
Published: May 2021

Aims and method

COVID-19 has had a heavy impact on healthcare provision worldwide, including delivery of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A survey was completed in the UK and Republic of Ireland in April and July 2020 by 95 and 89 ECT clinics respectively.

Results

In April 2020, 53% of the clinics provided only emergency treatment and 24% had closed. Reasons included unavailability of anaesthetists, infection control measures and staff sickness. Restrictions persisted in July, with disruption to an estimated 437 individuals’ treatment and poor outcomes, including clinical deterioration and readmission.

Clinical implications

Risk stratification, longer clinic sessions, improvements in ventilation, regular virus testing, pragmatic staff rostering and availability of personal protective equipment will protect against service disruption in subsequent waves of the pandemic.
Clinical Implications of Pathogenic Germline Variants in Small Intestine Neuroendocrine Tumors (SI-NETs)
Authors: Perez Kimberly , Kulke Matthew H. , Chittenden Anu , Ukaegbu Chinedu , Astone Kristina , Alexander Holly , Brais Lauren , Zhang Jinming , Garcia John , Esplin Edward D. , Yang Shan , Da Silva Annacarolina , Nowak Jonathan A. , Yurgelun Matthew B. , Garber Judy , Syngal Sapna , Chan Jennifer
Published: May 2021

PURPOSE

An inherited basis for presumed sporadic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) has been suggested by evidence of familial clustering of NET and a higher incidence of second malignancies in patients and families with NET. To further investigate a potential heritable basis for sporadic neuroendocrine tumors, we performed multigene platform germline analysis to determine the frequency of hereditary susceptibility gene variants in a cohort of patients with sporadic small intestine NET (SI-NET).

METHODS

We performed a multigene platform germline analysis with Invitae's 83-gene, next-generation sequencing panel using DNA from 88 individuals with SI-NET from a clinically annotated database of patients with NET evaluated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) who are considered high risk for inherited variants. Additionally, we evaluated the prevalence of pathogenic variants in an unselected cohort of patients with SI-NET who underwent testing with Invitae.

RESULTS

Of the 88 patients in the DFCI cohort, a pathogenic germline variant was identified in eight (9%) patients. In an independent cohort of 120 patients with SI-NET, a pathogenic germline variant was identified in 13 (11%) patients. Pathogenic variants were identified in more than one patient in the following genes: ATM, RAD51C, MUTYH, and BLM. Somatic testing of tumors from the DFCI cohort was suboptimal because of insufficient coverage of all targeted exons, and therefore, analysis was limited.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate a 9%-11% incidence of pathogenic germline variants in genes associated with inherited susceptibility for malignancy not previously described in association with SI-NET. The association of these germline variants with neuroendocrine carcinogenesis and risk is uncertain but warrants further characterization.
Estimating the Elasticity to Real-Time Pricing: Evidence from the Spanish Electricity Market
Authors: Fabra Natalia , Rapson David , Reguant Mar , Wang Jingyuan
Published: May 2021

We estimate consumer response to the first large-scale real-time electricity pricing (RTP) program. In 2015, RTP became the default tariff for residential customers in Spain, exposing them to prices that vary hourly based on day-ahead wholesale prices. Using expected national wind production as an instrument for price, we estimate household-level demand elasticities for RTP households and non-RTP (placebo) households. Estimates show no difference in behavior across RTP and non-RTP households. Reasons for nonresponse may include low potential gains or high nonmonetary costs of information acquisition and behavioral change. We discuss implications for optimal dynamic electricity pricing.
Information, Confidence, and the Gender Gap in Bargaining
Authors: Biasi Barbara , Sarsons Heather
Published: May 2021

We test whether the observed difference in the propensity to negotiate between men and women can be explained by gender differences in information about other people's negotiating experiences and outcomes and by confidence in one's abilities and in talking to strangers. Using survey data from Wisconsin public school teachers, we show that up to 54 and 17 percent of the gender gap in the likelihood of negotiating pay can be explained by differences in information and confidence between men and women.
Can Positive Feedback Encourage Female and Minority Undergraduates into Economics?
Authors: Bedard Kelly , Dodd Jacqueline , Lundberg Shelly
Published: May 2021

In a field experiment designed to encourage undergraduate women and underrepresented minority students to study economics, we send personalized letters to students completing introductory economics classes inviting them to an informational meeting. A random sample of high-achieving students receives letters that also praise their performance and encourage them to persist in economics. Receiving this "nudge" increases the probability of informational meeting attendance and increases the number of women entering the economics and accounting major and of men entering the economics major. There is a substantial increase in the number of treated Hispanic students, particularly women, who choose economics and accounting.
Does Mentoring Increase the Collaboration Networks of Female Economists? An Evaluation of the CeMENT Randomized Trial
Authors: Ginther Donna K. , Na Rina
Published: May 2021

Previous research has shown that women in the treatment group of the CeMENT randomized controlled trial increased their publications and the likelihood that they were tenured in top-50 economics departments. This paper examines one potential mechanism, namely that CeMENT expanded the collaboration networks of the participants. Our analysis finds that women who received the mentoring treatment had 3 additional pre-tenure coauthors, 1.6 more pre-tenure publications, and 43 additional citations to those publications. After controlling for additional coauthors, the CeMENT program increased publications and top-tier publications. These results suggest that the information conveyed at the workshop facilitated participants' career success.
Test-Based Accountability and the Effectiveness of School Finance Reforms
Authors: Buerger Christian , Lee Seung Hyeong , Singleton John D.
Published: May 2021

A recent literature provides new evidence that school resources are important for student outcomes. This paper examines whether school accountability systems that incentivize performance (such as No Child Left Behind) raise the efficiency with which additional resources get spent. We leverage the timing of school finance reforms to compare funding impacts on student test scores between states that had accountability in place at the time of the reform and states that did not. The results show that finance-reform-induced increases in student performance are driven by those states where the reform was accompanied by the presence of test-based accountability.
Behavior and the Transmission of COVID-19
Authors: Atkeson Andrew G. , Kopecky Karen , Zha Tao
Published: May 2021

A simple model of COVID-19 that incorporates feedback from disease prevalence to disease transmission through an endogenous response of human behavior does a remarkable job fitting the main features of the data on the growth rates of daily deaths observed across a large number of countries and states in the United States in 2020. This finding, however, suggests a new empirical puzzle: very large wedges that shift disease transmission rates holding disease prevalence fixed are required both across regions and within a region over time for the model to match the data on deaths from COVID-19 as an equilibrium outcome exactly.
Carbon-Trading Pilot Programs in China and Local Air Quality
Authors: Almond Douglas , Zhang Shuang
Published: May 2021

China emits twice as much CO_2 as the United States. Launched in seven regions in 2013-2014, China's pilot carbon-trading programs cover roughly 7 percent of China's CO_2 emissions. These market-based policies offer the best existing evidence as to whether the national carbon-trading program starting in 2021 will curb emissions. Here, we analyze changes in air quality using visibility measures from weather stations. We find the pilot programs improved local air quality, and this was likely a co-benefit of reduced carbon emissions. However, these improvements were modest, and there is some evidence of pollution leakage to the nonpilot regions.
Industrial Energy Regulation: The Role of Business Conglomerates in China
Authors: Chen Qiaoyi , Chen Zhao , Liu Zhikuo , Suárez Serrato Juan Carlos , Xu Daniel Yi
Published: May 2021

This paper characterizes the importance of ownership networks of firms that are subject to a prominent energy regulation in China: the Top 1000 Enterprises Energy-Saving Program. We use data on the activities of regulated and unregulated firms that are part of the same conglomerate to study the overall importance of conglomerates as well as their geographic concentration. Accounting for business networks of regulated firms significantly increases the fraction of output that is affected by the regulation. We also document that most related firms of Top 1000 firms are located in the same province.
On the Inequity of Predicting A While Hoping for B
Authors: Mullainathan Sendhil , Obermeyer Ziad
Published: May 2021

Algorithms trained to predict mismeasured proxy variables can reproduce and scale up racial bias. This mechanism of algorithmic bias is distinct from others in the literature and harder to detect. We show this using examples from health care, but the forces we consider apply to a range of other important social sectors.
Measuring Racial Discrimination in Algorithms
Authors: Arnold David , Dobbie Will , Hull Peter
Published: May 2021

Algorithmic decision-making can lead to discrimination against legally protected groups, but measuring such discrimination is often hampered by a fundamental selection challenge. We develop new quasi-experimental tools to overcome this challenge and measure algorithmic discrimination in pretrial bail decisions. We show that the selection challenge reduces to the challenge of measuring four moments, which can be estimated by extrapolating quasi-experimental variation across as-good-as-randomly assigned decision-makers. Estimates from New York City show that both a sophisticated machine learning algorithm and a simpler regression model discriminate against Black defendants even though defendant race and ethnicity are not included in the training data.
Financial mechanism for the formation of the economy of sustainable industrial growth
Authors: Poletaeva Vladislava
Published: May 2021

"The monograph is devoted to the development of a financial mechanism for the transformation of the national economic system from a relatively low growth rate and their significant instability of the export-raw materials model to a model of sustainable industrial growth.
In the first chapter, the rationale is made for the feasibility (to solve the problem of forming an economy of sustainable industrial growth) of developing cooperation between the banking sector and the state in the field of financing the manufacturing industry based on the implementation of the interests of all key stakeholders of such projects, the interests of the state, the banking sector and manufacturing enterprises are identified, and the completeness of their implementation within the existing mechanisms of bank-state investment in the economy is assessed.
The second chapter describes the algorithm of transactions for lending to industrial enterprises as part of the financial mechanism for forming an economy of sustainable industrial growth, and also develops methods for implementing the interests of the bank, the authorized state institution (creditors) and the manufacturing industry (borrower) when providing the latter with financing and in a situation of problem debt. In the third chapter, the author formulates a method for determining the "locomotive" industries, investment in which will stimulate the growth of the national economic system to the greatest extent
Single-use negative pressure wound therapy reduces costs in closed surgical incisions: UK and US economic evaluation
Authors: Nherera Leo M , Saunders Chris , Verma Sanjay , Trueman Paul , Fatoye Francis
Published: May 2021

Objective:

Single-use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) following closed surgical incisions has a demonstrable effect in reducing surgical site complications (SSC). However, there is little health economic evidence to support its widespread use. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of sNPWT compared with standard care in reducing SSCs following closed surgical incisions.

Method:

A decision analytic model was developed to explore the total costs and health outcomes associated with the use of the interventions in patients following vascular, colorectal, cardiothoracic, orthopaedic, C-section and breast surgery from the UK National Health Service (NHS) and US payer perspective over a 12-week time horizon. We modelled complications avoided (surgical site infection (SSI) and dehiscence) using data from a recently published meta-analysis. Cost data were sourced from published literature, NHS reference costs and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We conducted subgroup analysis of patients with diabetes, an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score ≥3 and body mass index (BMI) ≥30kg/m2. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted.

Results:

sNPWT resulted in better clinical outcomes and overall savings of £105 per patient from the UK perspective and $637 per patient from the US perspective. There were more savings when higher-risk patients with diabetes, or a BMI ≥30kg/m2 or an ASA≥3 were considered. We conducted both one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and the results suggested that this conclusion is robust.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that the use of sNPWT following closed surgical incisions saves cost when compared with standard care because of reduced incidence of SSC. Patients at higher risk should be targeted first as they benefit more from sNPWT. This analysis is underpinned by strong and robust clinical evidence from both randomised and observational studies.
Deep Edwards Trend of South Texas
Authors: Beebe B. W.
Published: May 2021

One of the most significant developments in recent years in South Texas has been the exploration for and exploitation of gas and oil in the deep Edwards Limestone of Comanchean age. Although the possibility of production from the deep Edwards was suggested by a blowout in 1941 northeast of the San Marcos arch in the shallow Edwards fields in the Darst Creek-Luling area, and by development of Edwards production along the Jourdanton-Pleasanton trend, it was not until 1953 that production was established in the San Miguel pool, McMullen County. The discovery of the huge Fashing Edwards gas and oil pool in October 1956 accelerated exploration for and development of deep Edwards production. At the end of 1964, 47 deep and intermediate-depth Edwards pools had been discovered in a belt more than 200 mi long, extending from central Lavaca County south- westward to western Webb County on the Rio Grande. Most of the production is gas or gas condensate ; several pools produce oil, but generally have high gas/oil ratios.

Edwards Limestone production is found in both a reef and back-reef facies of coquina-like fossiliferous limestone and dolomotized limestone. Porosity and permeability are markedly varied. Part of the accumulation in the northeastern part of the productive area is controlled structurally by closures against up-to-the-coast faults along the Charlotte-Sample and deep Edwards fault trends. Southward and southwestward, along the Stuart City reef trend, accumulation is controlled primarily by reefs. Three fields appear to produce from traps resulting from local deep-seated salt domes.

Gas is marketed readily where found near a pipeline, but several smaller accumulations still are unconnected. Some of the gas contains enough hydrogen sulfide to warrant sulfur extraction.

Possibilities for additional deep Edwards and pre-Edwards Cretaceous and Jurassic discoveries appear to be good, but exploration and development will be slow because of depth and the expense of finding production and drilling and completing wells.
El impacto de la educación superior en la clase social: una aproximación desde el origen social
Authors: Marqués-Perales Idelfonso , Fachelli Sandra
Published: May 2021

Nuestra investigación aborda el papel que cumple la educación en la movilidad social. Para ello empleamos un análisis clásico de mediación y de descomposición. Partiendo del análisis del triángulo de movilidad social Origen – Educación – Destino (OED), se descompone el efecto total de la relación origen-destino a través de la suma del efecto directo (OD) e indirecto (O-E-D). Planteamos la hipótesis general que el efecto de la educación superior es más importante en los países en vías de desarrollo dado que la expansión educativa es menor. Con el fin de corroborar los hallazgos planteamos tres modelos de análisis y tres técnicas que nos guiarán en el proceso de investigación: análisis de tablas de contingencia, regresión logística y análisis de descomposición KHB. Los hallazgos obtenidos nos permiten afirmar que la educación superior es un mecanismo fundamental de empuje que juega un rol muy destacado en todos los países, pero principalmente en los países en vías de desarrollo.
Depth-independent internal fingerprint based on optical coherence tomography
Authors: Zhong Zhaowei , Zhang Jialing , Li Zhifang , Lin Yongping , Wu Shulian
Published: May 2021

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used for imaging
three-dimensional fingerprint to overcome the effects of different
skin states and fake fingerprint. However, the OCT-based fingerprint
features depend on the depth of fingertip skin which is still
challenging for biometric recognition and encryption. In this work, we
presented a new approach of maximum intensity projection (MIP) image
of the epidermal-dermal junction (DEJ) to extract the internal
fingerprint that is independent of the depth of fingertip skin. To
begin with, the surface and DEJ were segmented based on the deep
learning algorithm. Then the internal fingerprint was extracted by the
MIP image of DEJ which has a more accurate structural similarity by
quantitative analysis. The experimental results showed that internal
fingerprint acquired by MIP of DEJ can be applied for scar-simulation
fingertip and encryption since it is not sensitive to the states of
surface skin and independent of the depth.
Vortex soliton oscillation in a mode-locked laser based on broadband long-period fiber grating
Authors: Teng Linping , Lu Jiafeng , He Yang , Wang Longtao , Zeng Xianglong
Published: May 2021

Optical vortex beams (OVBs) have attracted much attention in diverse applications and spatiotemporal mode locking for optical soliton formation. In this Letter, a compact mode-locked (ML) vortex fiber laser is demonstrated based on a broadband long-period fiber grating near the dispersion turnaround point, where the group velocities between the core modes of

L
P

01

and

L
P

11

in a two-mode fiber are matched. The OVB pulses with first-order orbital angular momentum are oscillated through broadband mode conversion inside the cavity. The time-stretch dispersive Fourier transform method is also employed for the observation of vortex soliton buildup dynamics. The study of vortex soliton oscillation motivates the development towards controlling vortex modes in the ML fiber lasers.
Swarm: A federated cloud framework for large-scale variant analysis
Authors: Bahmani Amir , Ferriter Kyle , Krishnan Vandhana , Alavi Arash , Alavi Amir , Tsao Philip S. , Snyder Michael P. , Pan Cuiping
Published: May 2021

Genomic data analysis across multiple cloud platforms is an ongoing challenge, especially when large amounts of data are involved. Here, we present Swarm, a framework for federated computation that promotes minimal data motion and facilitates crosstalk between genomic datasets stored on various cloud platforms. We demonstrate its utility via common inquiries of genomic variants across BigQuery in the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Athena in the Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apache Presto and MySQL. Compared to single-cloud platforms, the Swarm framework significantly reduced computational costs, run-time delays and risks of security breach and privacy violation.
The impact of mass drug administration expansion to low onchocerciasis prevalence settings in case of connected villages
Authors: de Vos Anneke S. , Stolk Wilma A. , Coffeng Luc E. , de Vlas Sake J.
Published: May 2021

Background

The existence of locations with low but stable onchocerciasis prevalence is not well understood. An often suggested yet poorly investigated explanation is that the infection spills over from neighbouring locations with higher infection densities.

Methodology

We adapted the stochastic individual based model ONCHOSIM to enable the simulation of multiple villages, with separate blackfly (intermediate host) and human populations, which are connected through the regular movement of the villagers and/or the flies. With this model we explore the impact of the type, direction and degree of connectedness, and of the impact of localized or full-area mass drug administration (MDA) over a range of connected village settings.

Principal findings

In settings with annual fly biting rates (ABR) below the threshold needed for stable local transmission, persistence of onchocerciasis prevalence can well be explained by regular human traffic and/or fly movement from locations with higher ABR. Elimination of onchocerciasis will then theoretically be reached by only implementing MDA in the higher prevalence area, although lingering infection in the low prevalence location can trigger resurgence of transmission in the total region when MDA is stopped too soon. Expanding MDA implementation to the lower ABR location can therefore shorten the duration of MDA needed. For example, when prevalence spill-over is due to human traffic, and both locations have about equal populations, then the MDA duration can be shortened by up to three years. If the lower ABR location has twice as many inhabitants, the reduction can even be up to six years, but if spill-over is due to fly movement, the expected reduction is less than a year.

Conclusions/Significance

Although MDA implementation might not always be necessary in locations with stable low onchocerciasis prevalence, in many circumstances it is recommended to accelerate achieving elimination in the wider area.
Circulating adiponectin mediates the association between omentin gene polymorphism and cardiometabolic health in Asian Indians
Authors: Vimaleswaran Karani Santhanakrishnan , Bodhini Dhanasekaran , Jiang Juanjie , Ramya Kandaswamy , Mohan Deepa , Shanthi Rani Coimbatore Subramanian , Lakshmipriya Nagarajan , Sudha Vasudevan , Pradeepa Rajendra , Anjana Ranjit Mohan , Mohan Viswanathan , Radha Venkatesan
Published: May 2021

Background

Plasma omentin levels have been shown to be associated with circulating adiponectin concentrations and cardiometabolic disease-related outcomes. In this study, we aim to examine the association of omentin gene polymorphism with serum adiponectin levels and cardiometabolic health status using a genetic approach, and investigate whether these associations are modified by lifestyle factors.

Methods

The study included 945 normal glucose tolerant and 941 unrelated individuals with type 2 diabetes randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), in southern India. Study participants were classified into cardiometabolically healthy and unhealthy, where cardiometabolically healthy were those without hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Fasting serum adiponectin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The omentin A326T (rs2274907) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing.

Results

The ‘A’ allele of the omentin SNP was significantly associated with lower adiponectin concentrations after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and cardiometabolic health status (p = 1.90 x 10−47). There was also a significant association between circulating adiponectin concentrations and cardiometabolic health status after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, WC and Omentin SNP (p = 7.47x10-10). However, after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, WC and adiponectin levels, the association of ‘A’ allele with cardiometabolic health status disappeared (p = 0.79) suggesting that adiponectin serves as a mediator of the association between omentin SNP and cardiometabolic health status. There were no significant interactions between the SNP and dietary factors on adiponectin levels and cardiometabolic health status (p>0.25, for all comparisons).

Conclusions

Our findings show that adiponectin might function as a mechanistic link between omentin SNP and increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases independent of common and central obesity in Asian Indians. Before strategies to promote adiponectin modulation could be implemented, further studies are required to confirm the molecular mechanisms involved in this triangular relationship between omentin gene, adiponectin and cardiometabolic diseases.
In exogenous attention, time is the clue: Brain and heart interactions to survive threatening stimuli
Authors: Ruiz-Padial Elisabeth , Mercado Francisco
Published: May 2021

The capture of exogenous attention by negative stimuli has been interpreted as adaptive for survival in a diverse and changing environment. In the present paper, we investigate the neural responses towards two discrete negative emotions with different biological meanings, disgust and fear, and its potential relationships with heart rate variability (HRV) as an index of emotional regulation. With that aim, 30 participants performed a digit categorization task while fear, disgust and neutral distractor pictures were presented. Resting HRV at baseline, behavioral responses, and event-related potentials were recorded. Whereas P1 amplitudes were highest to fear distractors, the disgust stimulation led to augmented P2 amplitudes compared to the rest of distractors. Interestingly, increased N2 amplitudes were also found to disgust distractors, but only in high HRV participants. Neural source estimation data point to the involvement of the insula in this exogenous attentional response to disgust. Additionally, disgust distractors provoked longer reaction times than fear and neutral distractors in the high HRV group. Present findings are interpreted in evolutionary terms suggesting that exogenous attention is captured by negative stimuli following a different time course for fear and disgust. Possible HRV influences on neural mechanisms underlying exogenous attention are discussed considering the potential important role of this variable in emotional regulation processes.
Into the fire: Investigating the introduction of cremation to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark: A comparative study between different regions applying strontium isotope analyses and archaeological methods
Authors: Reiter Samantha S. , Møller Niels Algreen , Nielsen Bjarne Henning , Bech Jens-Henrik , Olsen Anne-Louise Haack , Jørkov Marie Louise Schjellerup , Kaul Flemming , Mannering Ulla , Frei Karin M.
Published: May 2021

Changes in funerary practices are key to the understanding of social transformations of past societies. Over the course of the Nordic Bronze Age, funerary practices changed from inhumation to cremation. The aim of this study is to shed light on this fundamental change through a cross-examination of archaeometric provenance data and archaeological discussions of the context and layouts of early cremation graves. To this end, we conducted 19 new provenance analyses of strontium isotopes from Early Nordic Bronze age contexts in Thisted County and Zealand and Late Bronze Age contexts from Thisted County and Vesthimmerland (Denmark). These data are subsequently compared with data from other extant relevant studies, including those from Late Bronze Age Fraugde on the Danish island of Fyn. Overall, the variations within our provenience data suggest that the integration and establishment of cremation may not have had a one-to-one relationship with in-migration to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark. Moreover, there seems to be no single blanket scenario which dictated the uptake of cremation as a practice within this part of Southern Scandinavia. By addressinghabitusin relation to the deposition of cremations as juxtaposed with these provenance data¸we hypothesize several potential pathways for the uptake of cremation as a new cultural practice within the Danish Nordic Bronze Age and suggest that this may have been a highly individual process, whose tempo may have been dictated by the specificities of the region(s) concerned.
Cardiovascular benefits of a home-based exercise program in patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: de Araujo Junior Jonas Alves , Antonelli Rossi Daniele Andreza , Carneiro Valadão Taina Fabri , Milan-Mattos Juliana Cristina , Catai Aparecida Maria , Sato Tatiana de Oliveira , Hueb Joao Carlos , Zanati Bazan Silmeia Garcia , Hokama Paula Oliveira Montandon , Hokama Newton Key , Roscani Meliza Goi
Published: May 2021

Background

Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The benefits of exercise in patients with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, are well established. For patients with sickle cell disease, medical recommendation was to avoid physical exercise for fear of triggering painful crises or increasing the impairment of the cardiopulmonary function. Only recently, studies have shown safety in exercise programs for this population. Despite that, there is no report that assess the effects of physical exercise on cardiac parameters in patients with sickle cell disease.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of regular physical exercise (a home-based program) on cardiovascular function in patients with sickle cell disease.

Design

A quasi-randomized prospective controlled trial.

Setting

During the years 2015 and 2016, we started recruiting among adult patients treated at a Brazilian Center for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease to participate in a study involving a home exercise program. The experimental (exercise) and control groups were submitted to clinical evaluation and cardiovascular tests before and after the intervention. Analysis of variance was applied to compare groups, considering time and group factors.

Participants

Twenty-seven adult outpatients with a sickle cell disease diagnosis.

Interventions

Exercise group (N = 14): a regular home-based aerobic exercise program, three to five times per week not exceeding give times per week, for eight weeks; no prescription for the control group (N = 13).

Main outcome measures

Echocardiographic and treadmill test parameters.

Results

The exercise group showed significant improvement in cardiovascular tests, demonstrated by increased distance traveled on a treadmill (p<0.01), increased ejection fraction (p < 0.01) and improvement of diastolic function assessed by mitral tissue Doppler E’ wave on echocardiography (p = 0.04). None of the patients presented a sickle cell crisis or worsening of symptoms during the exercise program.

Conclusion

The selected home-based exercise program is safe, feasible, and promotes a favorable impact on functional capacity and cardiovascular function in sickle cell disease patients.
EMDS-5: Environmental Microorganism image dataset Fifth Version for multiple image analysis tasks
Authors: Li Zihan , Li Chen , Yao Yudong , Zhang Jinghua , Rahaman Md Mamunur , Xu Hao , Kulwa Frank , Lu Bolin , Zhu Xuemin , Jiang Tao
Published: May 2021

Environmental Microorganism Data Set Fifth Version (EMDS-5) is a microscopic image dataset including original Environmental Microorganism (EM) images and two sets of Ground Truth (GT) images. The GT image sets include a single-object GT image set and a multi-object GT image set. EMDS-5 has 21 types of EMs, each of which contains 20 original EM images, 20 single-object GT images and 20 multi-object GT images. EMDS-5 can realize to evaluate image preprocessing, image segmentation, feature extraction, image classification and image retrieval functions. In order to prove the effectiveness of EMDS-5, for each function, we select the most representative algorithms and price indicators for testing and evaluation. The image preprocessing functions contain two parts: image denoising and image edge detection. Image denoising uses nine kinds of filters to denoise 13 kinds of noises, respectively. In the aspect of edge detection, six edge detection operators are used to detect the edges of the images, and two evaluation indicators, peak-signal to noise ratio and mean structural similarity, are used for evaluation. Image segmentation includes single-object image segmentation and multi-object image segmentation. Six methods are used for single-object image segmentation, while k-means and U-net are used for multi-object segmentation. We extract nine features from the images in EMDS-5 and use the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for testing. In terms of image classification, we select the VGG16 feature to test SVM, k-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forests. We test two types of retrieval approaches: texture feature retrieval and deep learning feature retrieval. We select the last layer of features of VGG16 network and ResNet50 network as feature vectors. We use mean average precision as the evaluation index for retrieval. EMDS-5 is available at the URL:https://github.com/NEUZihan/EMDS-5.git.
Disentangling the clinical data chaos: User-centered interface system design for trauma centers
Authors: Park JaeYeon , Rhim Soyoung , Han Kyungsik , Ko JeongGil
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a year-long study of our project, aiming at (1) understanding the work practices of clinical staff in trauma intensive care units (TICUs) at a trauma center, with respect to their usage of clinical data interface systems, and (2) developing and evaluating an intuitive and user-centered clinical data interface system for their TICU environments. Based on a long-term field study in an urban trauma center that involved observation-, interview-, and survey-based studies to understand our target users and their working environment, we designed and implemented MediSenseView as a working prototype. MediSenseView is a clinical-data interface system, which was developed through the identification of three core challenges of existing interface system use in a trauma care unit—device separation, usage inefficiency, and system immobility—from the perspectives of three staff groups in our target environment (i.e., doctors, clinical nurses and research nurses), and through an iterative design study. The results from our pilot deployment of MediSenseView and a user study performed with 28 trauma center staff members highlight their work efficiency and satisfaction with MediSenseView compared to existing clinical data interface systems in the hospital.
Gender stigma awareness is associated with adolescent risky health behaviors
Authors: Kwaning Karen , Wong Mitchell , Dosanjh Kulwant , Biely Christopher , Dudovitz Rebecca
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Although racial stigma in school is associated with adolescent risky health behaviors, there are no studies investigating how gender stigma relates to adolescent risky health behaviors among low-income, minority youth. We sought to determine whether gender stigma awareness is associated with adolescent risky health behaviors (delinquency, fighting, and substance use) and whether this association is mediated by school disengagement (low perceived teacher support, low school engagement, cutting classes, and breaking school rules) among low-income, minority students.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional survey data, collected from 2017 to 2019, from 412 high school students. Multi-level logistic regressions tested whether gender stigma awareness was associated with delinquency, fighting, and substance use, controlling for covariates, baseline behaviors, and clustering within schools. Mediation analyses tested whether school disengagement (low school engagement, perceived teacher support, cutting class, and breaking school rules) mediated these associations. Secondary analyses explored whether associations differed for male versus female, high-performing versus low-performing, and Latinx versus non-Latinx students.

Results

In this predominantly Latinx (83%) sample, gender stigma awareness was associated with delinquency (AOR = 1.48, P< 0.001) and fighting (AOR = 1.15, P< 0.001). School engagement, perceived teacher support, breaking school rules, and cutting classes mediated 42.7% of the association between gender stigma awareness and delinquency and 65.42% of the association between gender stigma awareness and fighting. Gender stigma awareness was also associated with substance use for low-performing (AOR = 1.68, P = 0.003) and non-Latinx adolescents (AOR = 3.80, P = 0.03). School disengagement did not mediate the association between gender stigma awareness and substance use for non-Latinx students but mediated 50% of this association for low-performing students.

Conclusions

Gender stigma awareness is associated with adolescent risky health behaviors. A decreased sense of acceptance in the school community and increased school misbehavior may mediate these associations. School environments that value and accept all students may better support adolescent health.
Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19—A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation
Authors: Holzer Julia , Korlat Selma , Haider Christian , Mayerhofer Martin , Pelikan Elisabeth , Schober Barbara , Spiel Christiane , Toumazi Toumazis , Salmela-Aro Katariina , Käser Udo , Schultze-Krumbholz Anja , Wachs Sebastian , Dabas Mukul , Verma Suman , Iliev Dean , Andonovska-Trajkovska Daniela , Plichta Piotr , Pyżalski Jacek , Walter Natalia , Michałek-Kwiecień Justyna , Lewandowska-Walter Aleksandra , Wright Michelle F. , Lüftenegger Marko
Published: May 2021

The sudden switch to distance education to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered adolescents’ lives around the globe. The present research aims to identify psychological characteristics that relate to adolescents’ well-being in terms of positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and key characteristics of their learning behavior in a situation of unplanned, involuntary distance education. Following Self-Determination Theory, experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness were assumed to relate to active learning behavior (i.e., engagement and persistence), and negatively relate to passive learning behavior (i.e., procrastination), mediated via positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation. Data were collected via online questionnaires in altogether eight countries from Europe, Asia, and North America (N = 25,305) and comparable results across countries were expected. Experienced competence was consistently found to relate to positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and, in turn, active learning behavior in terms of engagement and persistence. The study results further highlight the role of perceived relatedness for positive emotion. The high proportions of explained variance speak in favor of taking these central results into account when designing distance education in times of COVID-19.