bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Pre-Season Risk Factors for Low Back Injury in High-School Baseball Pitchers: A Prospective Study
Authors: Nakase Kurumi , Shitara Hitoshi , Tajika Tsuyoshi , Kuboi Takuro , Ichinose Tsuyoshi , Sasaki Tsuyoshi , Hamano Noritaka , Endo Fumitaka , Kamiyama Masataka , Miyamoto Ryosuke , Yamamoto Atsushi , Kobayashi Tsutomu , Takagishi Kenji , Chikuda Hirotaka
Published: February 2021

A pitching motion requires whole-body coordination; therefore, poor control of the lower extremities, pelvis and trunk may cause shoulder and elbow injuries. However, few studies have described the relationship between the shoulder joint function and low back injury in high-school baseball pitchers. In this study, 97 high-school baseball pitchers who underwent pre-season medical checkups were enrolled and their shoulder range of motion and strength were measured. The participants completed a self-recorded questionnaire regarding the presence of low back pain and were divided into injured and non-injured groups. The statistical analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for low back injury. Low back injury was observed in 13 participants (13.4%). In the injured group, horizontal adduction on the dominant shoulder was significantly less frequent than in the non-injured group. A logistic regression analysis showed that horizontal adduction on the dominant side was a significant independent risk factor for low back injury during the season. It is important to recognize that restriction of the shoulder function not only causes shoulder and elbow injuries but can also risk low back injury.
Shifting Palliative Care Paradigm in Primary Care From Better Death to Better End-of-Life : A Swiss Pilot Study
Authors: Sommer Johanna , Chung Christopher , Haller Dagmar M. , Pautex Sophie
Published: February 2021

Background: Patients suffering from advanced cancer often loose contact with their primary care physician (PCP) during oncologic treatment and palliative care is introduced very late.The aim of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and procedures for a randomized trial of an intervention to teach PCPs a palliative care approach and communication skills to improve advanced cancer patients’ quality of life. Methods: Observational pilot study in 5 steps. 1) Recruitment of PCPs. 2) Intervention: training on palliative care competencies and communication skills addressing end-of-life issues.3) Recruitment of advanced cancer patients by PCPs. 4) Patients follow-up by PCPs, and assessment of their quality of life by a research assistant 5) Feedback from PCPs using a semi-structured focus group and three individual interviews with qualitative deductive theme analysis.Results: 8 PCPs were trained. PCPs failed to recruit patients for fear of imposing additional loads on their patients. PCPs changed their approach of advanced cancer patients. They became more conscious of their role and responsibility during oncologic treatments and felt empowered to take a more active role picking up patient’s cues and addressing advance directives. They developed interprofessional collaborations for advance care planning. Overall, they discovered the role to help patients to make decisions for a better end-of-life.Conclusions: PCPs failed to recruit advanced cancer patients, but reported a change in paradigm about palliative care. They moved from a focus on helping patients to die better, to a new role helping patients to define the conditions for a better end-of-life.Trial registration : The ethics committee of the canton of Geneva approved the study (2018-00077 Pilot Study) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki
In Vitro and in Vivo Tenocyte-protective Effectiveness of Dehydroepiandrosterone Against High Glucose-induced Oxidative Stress
Authors: Mukohara Shintaro , Mifune Yutaka , Inui Atsuyuki , Nishimoto Hanako , Kurosawa Takashi , Yamaura Kohei , Yoshikawa Tomoya , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: February 2021

BackgroundDehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an adrenal steroid, has a protective role against diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo protective effects of DHEA against high glucose-induced oxidative stress in tenocytes and tendons. Methods In an in vitro study, tenocytes from normal Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in low-glucose (LG) or high-glucose (HG) medium with or without DHEA. The experimental groups were: control group (LG without DHEA), LG with DHEA, HG without DHEA, and HG with DHEA. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX) 1 and 4, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined. In the in vivo study, diabetic rats were divided into a control group and a DHEA-injected group (DHEA group). NOX1 and NOX4 protein expression and mRNA expression of NOX1, NOX4, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2, and type I and III collagens in the Achilles tendon were determined. Results In rat tenocytes, DHEA decreased the expression of NOX1 and IL-6, ROS accumulation, and apoptotic cells. In the diabetic rat Achilles tendon, NOX1 protein expression and mRNA expression of NOX1, IL-6, MMP-2, TIMP-2, and type III collagen were significantly lower, while type I collagen expression was significantly lower in the DHEA group.Conclusions DHEA showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, DHEA improved tendon matrix synthesis and turnover which are affected by hyperglycemic conditions. DHEA could be a preventive drug for the diabetic tendinopathy.
Development of A Method for the Detection of Antagonism in the Microbial Community and A Toolbox for Identical Sequence-Level Analysis
Authors: Shin Sunguk , Kim Jihyun F.
Published: February 2021

Competition or antagonism is common in microbial interactions. Therefore, computationally identifying those relationships in the microbial community is in demand. Here, we defined exclusive correlation value (ECV) to better detect mutually exclusive relationships during microbiota analysis. We present METATEA (https://sourceforge.net/projects/metatea/) as a handy toolbox for the calculation of ECV and the analysis of community members with identical 16S rDNA sequences to define intraspecies groups. We analyzed community data related to inflammatory bowel disease to validate the utility of our ECV and METATEA. ECV identified strains antagonistic to disease-associated bacteria, thus providing their potential as probiotics in precision medicine. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed exclusive relationships with various bacteria, and its proportion was associated with microbial diversity and Crohn’s disease. Further, many putative pathobionts were detected using METATEA, some of which were reported to be isolated from other body sites and cause illness to the host.
Biliary Self-expandable Metallic Stent Combined with Iodine-125 Seeds in the Treatment of Malignant Biliary Obstruction (Bismuth type I or II)
Authors: Liu Kai-cai , Lv Wei-fu , Lu Dong , Zhang Xing-ming , Xiao Jing-kun , Zhou Chun-ze , Cheng De-lei , Zhang Zheng-feng , Xu Shao-bao , Gao Zong-gen , Shi Chang-sheng , Su Ming-xue
Published: February 2021

Background:Biliary self-expandable metallic stent(SEMS) combined with iodine-125(125I) seeds are increasingly used in patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO), The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SEMS combined with 125I seeds in the treatment of Bismuth type I or II MBO.Methods:The clinical data of 74 cases of MBO treated with percutaneous SEMS combined with 125I seeds (combination group) and 81 cases of MBO treated with SEMS implantation alone (control group) in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The surgical success rate of the two groups was 100%, and no surgery-related deaths occurred. The liver function of each group was significantly improved after 1 week and 1 month of follow-up. There was no significant difference in short-term efficacy or complications between the two groups (P> 0.05). The average biliary opening times of the combined group and control group were 9.01±4.38 months and 6.79±3.13 months, respectively (P <0.001). The average postoperative survival time was 12.08±5.38 months and 9.10±4.16 months, respectively (P <0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the type of biliary stent and liver metastasis were independent factors affecting survival.Conclusions: SEMS combined with 125I seeds is a safe, effective and feasible palliative treatment for patients with Bismuth type I or II MBO, as it can delay the recurrence of jaundice and prolong the survival time of patients.
Comparison of Cerebral Effects of Thiopental and Propofol Infusion in Traumatic Brain Injured Rats
Authors: Yıldız İsa , Kiliccioglu Yıldıray , Yoldas Hamit , Karagoz Ibrahim , Tekce Buket Kın , Cetinkaya Ayhan , Bilgi Murat , Demirhan Abdullah , Kükner Aysel
Published: February 2021

Objective: To compare the cerebral effects of propofol and thiopental infusions in rats with experimental head trauma.Methods: This experimental study included a total of 30 rats, and the animals were randomly divided into 3 groups; as control group (Group C), propofol group (Group P) and thiopental group (Group T). Blood samples were taken 4 hours following infusion. A craniotomy was performed, the brain was removed, and it was placed in 10% neutral formalin for histopathological examination. The materials were examined biochemically and histopathologically, and then compared between the groups.Results: The S100B value between the groups was significantly lower in the thiopental group compared to the control group (p = 0.018). Tau protein levels were significantly lower in the propofol group compared to the control group (p = 0.07).In histological examinations, the numbers of apoptotic cells in the propofol and thiopental groups were significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the propofol and thiopental groups in terms of apoptotic cell numbers (p = 0.3). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that thiopental and propofol infusions following a head trauma reduce apoptotic cell death and cause decreases in trauma markers.
Invasive and Multiple Lesions of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Case Report
Authors: Zhen Juanying , Zeng Minyan , Zheng Xiaodan , Qiu Hongyan , Wu Jun
Published: February 2021

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is rare, malignant, non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the central nervous system. Solitary lesions occurred in the majority of cases. Invasive and multiple lesions were rarely reported. As clinical presentations and neuroimage are variable, early diagnosis is challenging. Case presentation: The patient was a 61-year-old male with normal immunity who firstly experienced drowsiness and dizziness. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) revealed invasive and multiple lesions of cerebellar hemisphere, right pons, bilateral thalamus and right frontal lobe with slightly long T1 and T2 signal. Contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated enhanced signal shadows in the cerebellar hemisphere rather than other areas. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed lactate (Lac) peak increases and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) peak decreases moderately. Histopathological examination revealed infiltrative growth of abnormal lymphoid cells. The immunohistochemical analysis detected the result of CD10(-), Bcl-6(+), MUM-1(+), accessing the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (Non-GCB).Conclusions: PCNSL with invasive lesions distributed in supratentorial and infratentorial sites were rarely reported, resulting in the delayed diagnosis in this case. This case not only expands the clinical spectrum but also extends the distribution of PCNSL.
How to Screen and Prevent Metabolic Syndrome in Patients of PCOS Early: Implications From Metabolomics
Authors: Zhao Xiaoxuan , Feng Xiaoling , Zhao Xinjie , Jiang Yuepeng , Li Xianna , Niu Jingyun , Meng Xiaoyu , Wu Jing , Xu Guowang , Hou Lihui , Wang Ying
Published: February 2021

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex reproductive endocrine disorder，with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, of which metabolic syndrome (MS) is an indispensable springboard to communicate PCOS and various comlications. Our aim was to study the potential metabolic characteristics of PCOS-MS, and identify sensitive biomarkers so as to provide targets for clinical screening, diagnosis and treatment.Methods: 44 PCOS patients with MS, 34 PCOS patients without MS and 32 healthy controls were studied. Plasma samples of subjects were tested by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system combined with LTQ-orbi-trap mass spectrometry. The changes of metabolic characteristics from PCOS to PCOS-MS were systematically analyzed. Correlations between differential metabolites and clinical characteristics of PCOS-MS were assessed. Differential metabolites with high correlation were further evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to identify their sensitivity as screening indicators.Results: There were significant difference in general characteristics, reproductive hormone and metabolic parameters in PCOS-MS group when compared with PCOS group and healthy controls. We found 30 differential metabolites which were involved in 23 pathways when compared with PCOS group. The metabolic network further reflects the metabolic environment, including the interaction between metabolic pathways, modules, enzymes, reactions and metabolites.In the correlation analysis, 17 pairs of correlation coefficient between differential metabolites and clincal parameters were greater than 0.4, involving 11 metabolites that has the potential to be a marker for clinical diagnosis. They were assessed by ROC whose area under curve (AUC) were all greater than 0.7, with a good sensitivity. Furthermore, combinational metabolic biomarkers, such as glutamic acid+leucine+phenylalanine and carnitine C 4: 0+carnitine C18:1+carnitine C5:0 are expected to be sensitive combinational biomarkers in clinical practice.Conclusion: Our study provides a new insight to understand the pathogenesis mechanism, and the discriminating metabolites may help screen high-risk of MS in patients with PCOS and provide sensitive biomarkers for clinical diagnosis.
Activation of the SA-Associated Plant Defense Pathway Alters the Composition of Soil Bacterial Communities
Authors: Zhang Jing , Klinkhamer Peter G.L. , Vrieling Klaas , Bezemer T. Martijn
Published: February 2021

Background and aimsMany plant species grow better in sterilized than in live soil. Foliar application of SA mitigates this negative effect of live soil on the growth of the plant Jacobaea vulgaris. To examine what causes the positive effect of SA application on plant growth in live soils, we analyzed the effects of SA application on the composition of active rhizosphere bacteria in the live soil. Methods We studied this over four consecutive plant cycles (generations), using mRNA sequencing of the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of J. vulgaris. ResultsOur study shows that the composition of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of J. vulgaris greatly differed among generations. Application of SA resulted in both increases and decreases in a number of active bacterial genera in the rhizosphere soil, but the genera that were affected by the treatment differed among generations. In the first generation, there were no genera that were significantly affected by the SA treatment, indicating that induction of the SA defense pathway in plants does not lead to immediate changes in the soil microbial community. 89 species out of the total 270 (32.4%) were present in all generations in all soils of SA-treated and control plants suggesting that these make up the “core” microbiome. On average in each generation, 72.9% of all genera were present in both soils. Application of SA to plants significantly up-regulated genera of Caballeronia, unclassified Cytophagaceae, Crinalium and Candidatus Thermofonsia Clade 2, and down-regulated genera of Thermomicrobiales, unclassified Rhodobacterales, Paracoccus and Flavihumibacter. While the functions of many of these bacteria are poorly understood, bacteria of the genus Caballeronia play an important role in fixing nitrogen and promoting plant growth, and hence this suggests that activation of the SA signaling pathway in J. vulgaris plants may select for bacterial genera that are beneficial to the plant. ConclusionsOverall, our study shows that aboveground activation of defenses in the plant affects soil microbial communities and, as soil microbes can greatly influence plant performance, this implies that induction of plant defenses can lead to complex above-belowground feedbacks. Further studies should examine how activation of the SA signaling pathway in the plant changes the functional genes of the rhizosphere soil bacterial community.
Effects of a gradual increase in temperature on the antioxidant defense system and plasma metabolic parameters in Antarctic fish Notothenia rossii
Authors: Guillen Angela Carolina , Borges Marcelo Eduardo , Herrerias Tatiana , Kandalski Priscila Krebsbach , Souza Maria Rosa Dmengeon Pedreiro de , Donatti Lucélia
Published: February 2021

Antarctica is considered a thermally stable ecosystem; however, climate studies point to increases in air and surface water temperatures in this region. These thermal changes may affect the biological processes of animals inhabiting such regions because they are stress factors and may promote metabolic changes, rendering the animals more vulnerable to oxidative damage. Plasma parameters are also good indicators of stress and allow analysis of the metabolic status of fish under temperature increases. The present study assessed the effect of acclimation temperature on the levels of plasma, osmoregulatory and oxidative metabolism parameters and antioxidant defenses in kidney, gill, liver and brain tissues of Notothenia rossii subjected to gradual temperature changes of 0.5°C/day until reaching temperatures of 2, 4, 6 and 8°C. Under the effect of the 0.5°C/day acclimation rate, gill tissue showed increased glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity, and kidney tissue showed increased H⁺-ATPase at 9 days of the experiment (2°C). In the liver, consistent increases in the MDA concentration as an indicator of lipid peroxidation (9 (2°C),13 (4°C),17 (6°C) and 21 (6°C) days) were noted, as well as an increase in GSH at 9 days (2°C). In plasma, gradual decreases in the concentrations of total proteins and globulins were observed. These responses indicate the presence of thermal plasticity and an attempt at regulation to mitigate thermal stress. The changes showed that a gradual increase in temperature may cause opposite responses to the thermal shock model in N. rossii.
YAP1 protein expression has variant prognostic significance in SCLC stratified by histological subtypes
Authors: Wang Xin , Guo Yiying , Liu Li , Wei Jiacong , Zhang Jinyao , Xie Tongji , Dong Jiyan , Li Junling , Xing Puyuan , Yang Lin
Published: February 2021

Background

Recently, expression of YAP1, a nuclear effector of an inactivated HIPPO pathway, has been identified as one of four molecular subtypes of SCLC defined by the predominant transcriptional regulatory mechanism. However, the clinicopathological relevance and prognostic significance of YAP1 expression in SCLC stratified by histological subtypes has not been systematically reported to date.
Methods

Tumor sections and corresponding formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of 297 SCLC patients were retrieved from the pathological specimen repository and were subsequently reviewed by pathologists. Forty-six C-SCLCs (15.5%) and 251 P-SCLCs (84.5%) were identified respectively. YAP1 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and assessed semi-quantitatively on tumor tissue array (TMA). Propensity score was used to match C-SCLCs and P-SCLCs in a ratio of 1 to 2 to balance age, gender, tumor stage and treatment methods. Finally, 46 C-SCLCs and 92 P-SCLCs were included for prognostic analysis.
Results

The positive rate of YAP1 expression was significantly higher in C-SCLCs than P-SCLCs before matching (52.2% vs 29.1%, P = 0.004). After matching by propensity score, the prescribed clinical parameters were well balanced between P-SCLCs and C-SCLCs. Expression of YAP1 was associated worse overall survival (OS) (5- year OS%, 39.0% vs. 74.9%, P = 0.013) and was an independent risk factor for OS (HR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.01–8.51; P = 0.048) exclusively in C-SCLC. Univariate survival analysis in subgroups of different clinical variables also confirmed the prognostic impact of YAP1 was most significant in C-SCLC. But for P-SCLCs, expression of YAP1 showed no prognostic impact.
Conclusions

Expression of YAP1 in small cell components of C-SCLC was significantly higher than that in P-SCLC. Besides, it served as an unfavorable predictor for OS in C-SCLC but not in P-SCLC, which suggested different entities of small cell components with variant YAP1 expression and potential different targetable oncogenic pathway between C-SCLC and P-SCLC.
Research on Acceleration Data Recovery System Based on the Process of High-Speed Projectile Entering Water Impact
Authors: Shuai Zhang , zhiyu shao
Published: February 2021

In the high-speed water-entry shock experiment, we need to store and recover the acceleration

data generated during the water-entry shock process. In response to this need, we designed a two-dimensional acceleration measurement combined device system. The system uses the IEPE sensor as the sensitive element, and designs an efficient constant current source circuit and a low-power signal conditioning circuit. Use high-precision A/D (ADS1256) converter to achieve analog-to-digital conversion, The data communication between the main control unit and ADC is realized through the serial peripheral interface SPI, and high-speed data transmission is completed. The main control unit stores the collected digital signals in the corresponding memory card through a new polling storage technology. The experimental results show that the system adopts the disconnection trigger method to effectively avoid the false trigger phenomenon during testing. The polling storage technology of real-time cache solves the problem of partial data loss caused by power outage in a specific water impact environment. By comparing the waveform energy difference with the data obtained by dynamic simulation and verifying by mathematical analysis, it can be known that there is no frame error or frame loss in the transmission data. The data recovery device can meet the conditions for high-speed acceleration data recovery, and can provide reliable basic data support for water impact related research.
Evidence on the Stability of Nanoparticles of Comirnarty® in Syringes
Authors: Selmin Francesca , Musazzi Umberto M , Franzè Silvia , Minghetti Paola
Published: February 2021

Moving towards a real mass vaccination in the context of COVID-19, healthcare professionals are required to face some criticisms limiting the storage and transport of Comirnaty® as diluted dose in 1mL-syringe. Here, the physical stability of lipid nanoparticles in “real-world” conditions was evaluated, comparing the effects of different syringe materials, temperature and mechanical stress on number and particle size distribution. the positive results of such proof-of-concept can support the preparation and transport of doses to hospitals or vaccination settings.
Effects of Co-Culture of Graphene Oxide Scaffolds with Different Concentrations and Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Stem Cells
Authors: Liu Aifeng , Chen Jixin , Gong Shuwei , Wei Qiang , Yuan Ye
Published: February 2021

The main role of the scaffold materials is to enable cells to survive in the scaffold binding as while as to further promote their proliferation and differentiation ability. For mesenchymal stem cell, the scaffold could provide an environment for them to maintain their phenotype, and synthesize all necessary molecules and proteins. Generally, scaffold materials for stem cell need to possess basic characteristics such as high porosity, large surface area, surface rigidity and biodegradability. Thus, the two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) with oxygen-containing functional groups may be suitable scaffold materials for mesenchymal stem cell culture.MethodsIn this study, the effect of GO on the value-added differentiation activity of mesenchymal stem cell was systematically investigated. ResultsIt was found that low concentration of GO and sufficient concentration of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells are suitable for the second Co-culture. Furthermore, the addition of hyaluronic acid will make this culture more evenly distributed. ConclusionsThe adsorption of GO on umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can also make the two closely linked, which avoids the impact of animal joint activities on cells.
Microbial colonisation, the missing link: from airborne dispersal to integration within the soil community.
Authors: Malard Lucie , Pearce David A
Published: February 2021

BackgroundGlobal dispersal of microorganisms primarily occurs through airborne transport. Airborne microorganisms can travel thousands of kilometres and be deposited in the most remote places on Earth, from the Arctic to Antarctica, with the potential of invasion and colonisation. The first stage of microbial colonisation is deposition into a new ecosystem. However, how and under what circumstances such deposited microorganisms might successfully colonise a new environment is yet to be determined. Using the Arctic snowpack as a model system, we investigated the colonisation potential of snow derived bacteria deposited onto Arctic soils during and after snowmelt using laboratory-based microcosm experiments set-up to mimic realistic environmental conditions. We tested different melting rate scenarios to evaluate the influence of increased precipitation (via the increase of bacterial inputs and ecosystem disturbance) as well as the influence of soil pH (as the key driver of soil diversity) on bacterial communities and on the colonisation potential.Results We observed several candidate colonisations in all experiments; however, the number of potentially successful colonisation was higher in acidoneutral soils, at the average snowmelt rate measured in the Arctic. While the higher melt rate increased the total number of potentially invading bacteria, it did not promote colonisation. Instead, persistence decreased with time and most potential colonists were not identified by the end of the experiments. On the other hand, soil pH appeared as a determinant factor impacting invasion and subsequent colonisation. In acidic and alkaline soils, bacterial persistence with time was lower than in acidoneutral soils, as was the number of potentially successful colonisations. ConclusionsThis is the first study to investigate bacterial colonisation using the snowpack as a model system, and to demonstrate the low rate of potentially successful colonisations of soil by invading bacteria. It suggests that local soil properties might have a greater influence on the colonisation outcome than increased precipitation or ecosystem disturbance.
Evaluation of subcutaneous drainage system versus tissue re-approximation alone using Pfannenstiel incision in obese females undergoing caesarean section.
Authors: Ibrahim Safaa A. , Abdalla Mena M. , Elshafei Rofida M.
Published: February 2021

Obesity is a growing problem and a major health problem. In 1919, Dr. Kelly described obesity by saying that "to be a storehouse for useless adipose tissue and to carry this handicap around, openly displayed wherever one goes, is one of most distressing of life's minor ailments." It has complex negative effects on the functions and procedures of various organs, and includes problems relating to wound healing .
First Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Related Deceased in Ethiopia on Post-mortem Examination and the Context Confronted in Limited Forensic Pathology Centre: case report.
Authors: Adem Ibrahim Jibril , Shiferaw Alemayehu , Untoro Evi , Nuzzolese Emilio
Published: February 2021

A 55-year-old male was found dead in the church of Kefa Zone, Southern Nation and Nationality People Region, the local area of Ethiopia about 500 km away from the only available national forensic centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He had no medical history of comorbidity or medicine prescribed previously as well as no contact history with COVID-19 cases. Also, no travel history to Addis Ababa, which has an epicenter of COVID- 19 high burden cases, and no living individuals reported cases of COVID-19 patients in local residence of the deceased. The National COVID-19 emergency operating team already decided to do postmortem surveillance and collect nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 on all the dead bodies submitted to the mortuary for postmortem examination. For this case and other cases on that day postmortem nasopharyngeal swabs collected and sent for RT-PCR COVID19. Test confirmed COVID-19 positive for this deceased one day after the body handed over to family and transported back to residence of the deceased. The external post-mortem examination revealed an emaciated middle-age adult male with rigor mortis on lower extremity and non- blanching livor mortis on the back of the body. There was no evidence of recent injury. On internal examination pleural adhesions were present on anterior and posterior aspect of left lung. The left lung extensively necrotized, collapsed and weighs about 280grams. Right lung was dark red in color, consolidated, weighs 450 grams, patchy petechial hemorrhages on the pleural surface. No viscera preserved for microbiology, virology, histopathology, or immunohistochemistry tests as these facilities are not available in our set up. With the pandemic impact of SARS-COV-2, a range of issues unfolds, also during autopsies, as we report the first Ethiopian case of fatal SARS-COV-2 pneumonia confirmed on post-mortem examination.
Assessment of the Effect of Organic Matter on the Retention of Lead in Perturbed Soils.
Authors: Sánchez-Andica Rubén Albeiro , Chamorro-Rengifo Andrés Felipe , Melo Martha Isabel Páez
Published: February 2021

Four types of soils were prepared with humified matter, bentonite, kaolin and inert matter, in order to control the organic matter (OM) content in the evaluation of retention of lead (II) by adsorption in disturbed soils with the possibility of being contaminated. The results indicated that retention capacity of Pb+2 increases as organic matter increases, however, this retention is not proportional to the organic matter increment. An increase of 10 units in the concentration of the background solution results in a decrease in the retention capacity of 50%. The outcomes also indicated that lead (II) adsorption is successfully explained by the Langmuir model and the adsorption kinetics fitted well to the Ho pseudo second order model. The thermodynamic values of the Gibbs free energy indicated that it was a spontaneous process and the energy of the process suggests a retention mechanism by ion exchange. A soil with high content of organic matter does not guarantee high retention of lead, even more so when the adsorption mechanism is given by ion exchange.
Duality Theorem for a Minimax Vector Optimization Problem
Authors: Goodall Jacob Atticus Armstrong
Published: February 2021

A duality theorem is stated and proved for a minimax vector optimization problem where the vectors are elements of the set of products of compact Polish spaces. A special case of this theorem is derived to show that two metrics on the space of probability distributions on countable products of Polish spaces are identical. The appendix includes a proof that, under the appropriate conditions, the function studied in the optimisation problem is indeed a metric. The optimisation problem is comparable to multi-commodity optimal transport where there is dependence between commodities. This paper builds on the work of R.S. MacKay who introduced the metrics in the context of complexity science in [4] and [5]. The metrics have the advantage of measuring distance uniformly over the whole network while other metrics on probability distributions fail to do so (e.g total variation, Kullback–Leibler divergence, see [5]). This opens up the potential of mathematical optimisation in the setting of complexity science.
Optimised Features for Speaker Identification using Daubechies Wavelet based Variance Spectral Flux
Authors: Prabha Chander , Kaur Sukhvinder , Gupta Meenu , Al-Turjman Fadi
Published: February 2021

An important application of speech processing is speaker recognition, which automatically recognizes the person speaking in an audio recording, basis of which is speaker-specific information included in its speech features. It involves speaker verification and speaker identification. This paper presents an efficient method based on discrete wavelet transform and optimized variance spectral flux to enhance the enactment of speaker identification system. An effective feature extraction technique uses Daubechies 40 (db40) wavelet to compress and de-noised the speech signal by its decomposition into approximations and details coefficients at level 1. The approximation coefficients contain 99.9% of speech information as compared to detailed coefficients. So, the optimized variance spectral flux is applied on wavelet approximation coefficients which efficiently extract the frequency contents of the speech signal and gives unique features. The distance between extracted features has been obtained by applying traditional Bayesian information criteria. Experimental results were computed on recording data of 33 speakers (23 female and 10 males) for text independent identification of speaker. Evaluation of effectiveness of the proposed system is done by applying detection error trade-off curves, receiver operating characteristic, and area under curve. It shows 94.38% of speaker identification results when compared with traditional method using Mel frequency spectral coefficients which is 90.70%.
Biological and Trophic Consequences of Genetic Introgression Between Endemic and Invasive Barbus Fishes
Authors: Santis Vanessa De , Quadroni Silvia , Britton Robert J. , Carosi Antonella , Roberts Catherine Gutmann , Lorenzoni Massimo , Crosa Giuseppe , Zaccara Serena
Published: February 2021

Genetic introgression with native species is recognized as a detrimental impact resulting from biological invasions involving taxonomically similar invaders. Whilst the underlying genetic mechanisms are increasingly understood, the ecological consequences of introgression are relatively less studied, despite their utility for increasing knowledge on how invasion impacts can manifest. Here, the ecological consequences of genetic introgression from an invasive congener were tested using the endemic barbel populations of central Italy, where the invader was the European barbel Barbus barbus. Four populations of native Barbus species (B. plebejus and B. tyberinus) were studied: two purebred and two completely introgressed with alien B. barbus. Across the four populations, differences in their biological traits (growth, body condition and population demographic structure) and trophic ecology (gut content analysis and stable isotope analysis) were tested. While all populations had similar body condition and were dominated by fish up to 2 years of age, the introgressed fish had substantially greater lengths at the same age, with maximum lengths 410–460 mm in hybrids versus 340–360 mm in native purebred barbel. The population characterized by the highest number of introgressed B. barbus alleles (81%) had the largest trophic niche and a substantially lower trophic position than the other populations through their exploitation of a wider range of resources (e.g. small fishes and plants). These results attest that the genetic introgression of an invasive congener with native species can results in substantial ecological consequences, including potential cascading effects.
Polarity switching from p- to n-type in a single thermoelectric donor-acceptor copolymer by p-type doping
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Yizhuo , Li Qing , Li Zhanchao , Xu Liqing , Li Kuncai , Wang Hong
Published: February 2021

The transport mechanism of organic materials is still far away from being well understood and controlled although conducting polymers have been discovered since 1977. It is rare to see conducting polyers possessing high bipolar (p- and n-type) electrical conductivities within a single bulk doped organic polymer without the assistant of gate voltage. Here, we report a novel approach to provide high performance n-type materials by p-type doping. More importantly, the bipolar electrical conductivities of the donor-acceptor conducting polymer are high, resulting high bipolar power factors among the solution-processable ambipolar D-A copolymers. A fully organic p-n junction is created in a planar film, exhibiting a high rectification ratio of 2 x 102 at +5 V with a high current density of 3 A/cm2. Structural and spectroscopic tests have been performed to provide a fundamental understanding of the polarity switching mechanism. The results open the opportunity of making p- and n-type modules with a single conducting polymer for future modern organic electronics.
High Canopy Cover of Invasive Acer Negundo L. Affects Ground Vegetation Diversity
Authors: Veselkin Denis Vasilyevich , Dubrovin Denis Igorevich , Pustovalova Liliya Alexandrovna
Published: February 2021

We assessed the link between canopy cover degree and ground vegetation diversity under alien the ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo) and other (native or alien) tree species. We investigated urban and suburban forests in the large city of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Forests were evaluated on two spatial scales. Through an inter-habitat comparison completed over three years, we recorded canopy cover and plant diversity among 13 sample plots of 20 × 20 m where A . negundo dominated and 13 plots where other tree species dominated. In an intra-habitat comparison, we recorded canopy cover and ground vegetation diversity among 800 sample plots measuring 1 m2 in the extended urbanised forest, which featured abundant alien (308 plots) and native trees (492 plots). We observed decreased diversity among vascular ground plant species by 40% (inter-habitat) and 20% (intra-habitat) in areas dominated by the A. negundo compared to areas dominated by native tree and shrub species. An abundance of A . negundo was accompanied by increased canopy cover. We found a negative relationship between canopy cover and the number of understory herbaceous species. Thus, the interception of light and the restriction of its amount for other species is a main factor supporting the negative influence of A . negundo on native plant communities.
Individual versus Team-Based responses to Script Concordance Test in Teaching Clinical Reasoning
Authors: Abouzeid Enjy , Sallam Moataz
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Although clinical competence is multi-dimensional and should be acquired by each medical student, but most students learn clinical reasoning skills informally in clinical rotations. Accordingly, A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted aiming to evaluate the merging of Script Concordance Test (SCT) and Team Based Learning (TBL) as a teaching/learning approach in clinical setting for medical students. Methodology: The study ran in three phases. Phase 1 (preparatory phase) involved students’ preparation and preparation of SCT. Phase 2 (implementation phase) included application of individual and team SCT (iSCT and tSCT respectively). Phase 3 (evaluation phase) compared score results and obtained students’ feedback.Results: Significant differences existed when comparing individual students’ response or students’ teams’ responses with experts scores. However, the use of the SCT/TBL approach had improved the clinical reasoning skills of the students in some vignettes and helped the lower achievers through the tSCT. The students found the approach appropriate for teaching or formatively assessing clinical reasoning. It helped them to discuss, correct their mistakes and improve their problem solving and reasoning skills. Conclusion: team-based learning improved students’ responses, especially the lower achievers, to script concordance test. SCT/TBL approach can be used to teach clinical reasoning for undergraduate students.
Influence of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on Financial Reporting Quality: An Overview of EU Firms Cross-Listed in the USA
Authors: Bajra Ujkan , Asllanaj Rrustem
Published: February 2021

This paper investigate whether compliance with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) Sect. 302 (financial reporting) and 404 (internal controls) enhances financial reporting quality (FRQ). This study focuses on EU publicly traded companies that are cross-listed in the US markets. Using a novel approach with respect to operationalization of the SOX, the empirical research integrated into this paper advances the understanding of financial reporting quality for both practitioners and policymakers. The study argues that financial reporting quality increased after SOX entered into force but, notably, we find that FRQ improves with compliance with SOX302 but not with SOX404. Examination of the latter relationship at the subsection level also reveals that compliance with certain SOX requirements is not satisfactory. We find that three out of six subsections of SOX302 are directly associated with financial reporting, while subsections (1), (5) and (6) of SOX302 are not related with FRQ, indicating that the management team, albeit not entirely, provides a reliable financial reporting systems. We also find that compliance with some SOX404’s subsections has been relatively low (i.e. subsections (1) and (3) of SOX404)), suggesting that corporations have not established and are not maintaining suitable internal control systems over financial reporting.
Does reduced cough capacity in minor thoracic injury is associated with atelectasis development?
Authors: Hegg Sandrine , Batomen Brice , Thériault Esther , Boucher Valérie , Émond Marcel
Published: February 2021

Context: Minor thoracic injury causes non-negligible pain that could reduce the cough capacity and can cause infectious problems and atelectasis. Objectives: To describe the association between atelectasis and cough capacity, and to assess the concordance of cough capacity perceptions between health professionals and the patient. Design:The data were collected from 2006 to 2012 in 4 Canadian emergency departments (ED). Participants: Patients with a chief complaint of minor thoracic injury, ≥ 16 years old, discharged home from the ED after an evaluation by the attending physician, were included. They have three visits, at the ED, 7-day and 14-day follow-up. The initial ED visit included medical evaluation, data collection and mandatory chest and rib radiography. Main outcome measures: The presence of atelectasis was noted at the initial ED and subsequent visits.Participants cough capacity was noted by a physician, a nurse and the patients himself at subsequentvisits and classified as good, diminished, weak /absent.Results: Among the 1474 patients, 8.89% (95% CI: 7.55 - 10.47), 7.33% (95% CI: 6.04 – 8.89) and 4.63% (95% CI: 3.51 – 6.09) had atelectasis at the initial visit, 7-day and 14-day follow-up visit respectively. Except for patients with weak or absent cough capacity at the 7-day visit, which had a 2.89 (95%CI: 2.05 – 4.05) folds atelectasis proportion relative to those with a good cough capacity, they were no associations between cough capacity and atelectasis. The weighted kappa coefficient suggests a moderate to substantial agreement between the cough capacity measured by patients and nurses (0.52 to 0.65).Conclusion: There was not strong evidence of an association between atelectasis and cough capacity and the best agreement between cough capacity perception was between nurses and patients.
A Validation on COVID19 Community Spreading: Probabilistic Approach  
Authors: DATTA JAYDIP
Published: February 2021

The objective of this study ( 1,2 ) is to validate the viral load alternatively in terms of density function(3). The re-combination of specific mutants leading to spreading of infection denser. The denser is the viral load ( 1,2) the infectivity will be more probable or susceptible . This viral density ultimately tends to community spreading of that specific mutants and proportional to mortality rate ( 6) .Finally the probability density( 3,5 ) is validated to quantify – a chaotic spreading of Covid19 Virus ( 9 ) leads to community spreading ( 10 ).The community spreading ( 11 ) by different new spike mutants like D614G( 12 ), Del69-70 ( 13,14, ) are also considered as specific cases of probabilities . The G-type variant depends on age and S-type variant depends on different regions within a community ( 12 ,13 ,14 ).
An introduction to kinks in $\varphi^4$-theory
Authors: Lizunova Mariya , van Wezel Jasper
Published: February 2021

As a low-energy effective model emerging in disparate fields
throughout all of physics, the ubiquitous \varphi^4φ4-theory
is one of the central models of modern theoretical physics. Its
topological defects, or kinks, describe stable, particle-like
excitations that play a central role in processes ranging from cosmology
to particle physics and condensed matter theory. In these lecture notes,
we introduce the description of kinks in \varphi^4φ4-theory
and the various physical processes that govern their dynamics. The notes
are aimed at advanced undergraduate students, and emphasis is placed on
stimulating qualitative insight into the rich phenomenology encountered
in kink dynamics. The appendices contain more detailed derivations, and
allow enquiring students to also obtain a quantitative understanding.
Topics covered include the topological classification of stable
solutions, kink collisions, the formation of bions, resonant scattering
of kinks, and kink-impurity interactions.
Demand for environmental quality: averting behaviors impacts and valuation in Southern Ghana
Authors: Okyere Charles Yaw
Published: February 2021

Using a cluster randomized evaluation in Southern Ghana, this paper estimates the impacts of water quality testing and information on averting behaviors, demand and expenditures on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Households are randomly assigned into either child treatment or adult treatment or comparison group. The study also elicits households' valuation of water quality testing and information using a stated preference approach. The study finds that averting behaviors and expenses on WASH increased more in the treatment households than the comparison households. The results also show that the experiment does not lead to demand for WASH information and infrastructure, except for water treatment in the adult treatment group. Contingent valuation estimates of households' willingness to pay (WTP) for water quality testing and information are lower than the cost, and are consistent with previous studies which show low valuation of water quality technology in Ghana. The WTP in the treatment groups are lower than the comparison group. The study also finds differential impacts on some of the outcome measures based on the random assignment into the treatment groups. The results have research and policy implications on the demand for preventive health goods and environmental quality in developing countries.