bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Association Between Sociodemographic, Clinical Factors, Hand-grip Strength, and Erectile Dysfunction Among Men With Metabolic Syndrome Attending a Primary Care Clinic
Authors: Kadir Nik Aminah Nik Abdul , Abdul-Razak Suraya , Daher Aqil M. , Mat-Nasir Nafiza
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a serious health problem and an independent predictor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The prevalence increases with age, but little is known about the relationship between physical fitness and ED especially among men with high risk of CVD. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of ED among men with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and its association with hand-grip strength in which is a measurement of physical fitness and muscle strength. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Malaysian men aged ≥ 40 years who had their follow-up between 1st June 2021 and 30th October 2021 at an institutional primary care clinic in Gombak district, Selangor, Malaysia. The participants were recruited via computer generated simple random sampling. Data on sociodemographic, comorbidities, anthropometry, clinical examinations including hand-grip strength (HGS) and blood chemical profiles were collected. While a validated English and Malay versions of the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) were used to assess presence of ED. Multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted to determine the association between sociodemographic, comorbidities, blood chemical profiles, and HGS with ED.Results: There were 334 participants recruited in the study. The mean age was 58.8 (±8.84) years old, with majority were Malays (95.2%, n= 318) and married (98.8 %, n=330). The overall prevalence of self-reported ED was 79% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75-0.84). Multivariable analysis showed that ED was associated with elderly aged ≥ 60 years (odds ratio [OR] 3.27, 95% CI: 1.60-6.69), HGS (OR 15.34, 95% CI: 5.64-41.81) and abnormal total cholesterol (OR 0.36, 95% CI: 0.16-0.78). Conclusion: ED was highly prevalent among Malaysian men aged ≥ 40 years with MetS. Being older than 60 years of age and low HGS are associated with higher risk of ED. Robust screening of ED among men with Mets and intervention to improve muscle strength and physical fitness may be warranted.
Clinical Value of Early-pregnancy Glycated Hemoglobin, Fasting Plasma Glucose, and Body Mass Index in Screening Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Lou Yanqin , Xiang Li , Gao Xuemei , Jiang Huijun
Published: February 2022

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of early-pregnancy glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body mass index (BMI) in screening gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods: 216 pregnant women with GDM who underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-28 weeks were selected as the study (GDM) group, and 278 cases were randomly selected as the control group. FPG and glycated hemoglobin in early pregnancy were detected, and body mass index in early pregnancy was measured. The correlation between FPG, glycated hemoglobin and BMI in early pregnancy and the incidence of GDM was analyzed by binary Logistic regression, and the value of each index in predicting GDM alone or in combination was evaluated.Results: FPG, glycated hemoglobin and BMI in early pregnancy in GDM group were higher than those in control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that FPG, glycated hemoglobin and BMI were risk factors for GDM in early pregnancy [OR values were 3.374 (P<0.05), 4.644 (P < 0.05), and 1.077 (P<0.05), respectively]. The area under the ROC curve of FBG, glycated hemoglobin and BMI in early pregnancy for predicting the occurrence of GDM were 0.647, 0.661 and 0.608, respectively, while the area under the ROC curve of the combination of FBG, HBA1C and BMI for predicting GDM was 0.736, which showed higher diagnostic efficacy than that of the single indicator.Conclusions: FPG, glycated hemoglobin and BMI in early pregnancy were risk factors for the occurrence of GDM, and their combination has certain clinical value of prediction.
Admission Shock Index Predicts Short-Term, All-Cause In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Aortic Dissection and Intramural Hematoma
Authors: He Lingbin , Chen Yequn , Tang Junshuang , Wu Shiwan , Xu Qiongxia , She Jiaxuan , Zhang Xin , Tan Xuerui
Published: February 2022

BackgroundAcute aortic syndrome, mainly involving aortic dissection (AD) and intramural hematoma (IMH), is a life-threatening emergency with high mortality. Shock index (SI) well predicts poor outcomes of severely ill patients, but the ability of SI to prognose acute AD and IMH patients is not well known. This study aimed to investigate the association of admission SI with the 30-day, all-cause in-hospital mortality in acute AD and IMH patients.MethodsThis is a retrospective and single-center cohort study. According to Stanford classification, firstly, we showed the baseline characteristics in acute AD and IMH patients. Univariate and multivariate methods were used to evaluate the association between SI and the in-hospital mortality of acute AD and IMH. Then, patients were divided into two groups by their SIs (SI<0.7 vs SI≥0.7) based on previous studies and survival analysis was made by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.ResultsThis study involved 1250 consecutively recruited Chinese patients diagnosed with acute AD or IMH (Stanford A: 553 (44.2%); Stanford B: 697 (55.8%)). The 30-day, all-cause in-hospital mortality of Stanford A AD and IMH patients was 23.1% (128/553) but was 4.7% (33/697) for Stanford B AD and IMH patients. The SI significantly increased the risk of 30-day, all-cause in-hospital mortality in AD and IMH patients (Stanford A: HR 3.941, 95%CI 2.350-6.612, p<0.001; Stanford B: HR 42.213, 95%CI 8.172-218.052, p<0.001). After multivariate adjustments, the significances remained (Stanford A: HR 1.902, 95%CI 1.050-3.444, p=0.034; Stanford B: HR 21.581, 95%CI 3.818-121.969, p=0.001). The cumulative survival was significantly lower in the SI≥0.7 group than that in the SI<0.7 group (Stanford A: 61.3% vs 73.6%, p=0.0007; Stanford B: 80.5% vs 95.0%, p<0.0001). In the subgroup analysis, for those patients without surgery or TEVAR, the in-hospital mortality in the SI≥0.7 group was significantly higher than that in the SI<0.7 group (Stanford A: 52.5% vs 32.1%, p=0.003; Stanford B: 19.6% vs 4.0%, p<0.001).ConclusionIncreased admission SI can serve as a good predictor of the 30-day, all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients with acute AD and IMH, especially for the patients without surgery or TEVAR.
Modeling the Impact of Sea Level Rise on Maximum Water Elevation During Storm Surge Events; A Closer Look at Coastal Embayments
Authors: Kouhi Soroush , Hashemi M Reza , Spaulding Malcolm , Hara Tetsu
Published: February 2022

Storm-surge models are commonly used to assess the impacts of hurricanes and coastal storms in coastal areas. Including the impact of the projected future sea level rise (SLR) in these models is a necessary step for a realistic flood risk assessment. Commonly, SLR is superimposed linearly on the estimated water elevation. This approach, while efficient, may lead to inaccuracies. Further, developing a new model with updated data that include the impacts of SLR (i.e., nonlinear approach) is time consuming. We compare the linear and nonlinear approaches to include the effect of SLR to predict Maximum Water/Flood Elevations (MWE) as a result of storm surge and SLR. After a simplified theoretical analysis, a number of idealized cases based on the typical coastal bodies of water are modeled to assess the impact of SLR on MWE using the linear superposition and nonlinear approaches. Additionally, two case studies are carried out: Narragansett Bay, RI and Long Island Sound, CT (USA). Results show that for the idealized cases with variable depth, in general, the linear superposition of SLR to MWE is conservative (i.e., predicts a larger flood elevation) relative to the nonlinear approach. However, if a constant depth is considered, results are not consistent (i.e. linear superposition can overestimate or underestimate MWE, and the results depended on the geometry). The simulated MWE from the Narragansett Bay simulation confirms the outcome of idealized cases showing that linear assumption is conservative up to 10\% relative to the nonlinear approach. For this study, Hurricane Sandy and a Synthetic Storm from {the US Army Corps of Engineers} North Atlantic Comprehensive Coastal Study (NACCS) dataset are simulated. Long Island Sound model results are also consistent with the idealized case. In general, based on the results of the idealized and real studies, a discrepancy of up to 10% between the linear and nonlinear approaches is expected in estimation of MWE which can be under- or over-estimation of flood elevation.
Economic Burden of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Iran
Authors: Rajabi Marziyeh , Rezaee Mehdi , Omranikhoo Habib , Khosravi Abdolrasool , Keshmiri Saeed , Ghaedi Hossien
Published: February 2022

Background: The outbreak of COVID -19 has had destructive influences on social and economic systems as well as many aspects of human life. In this study, we aimed to estimate the economic effects of COVID-19 at the individual and societal levels during a fiscal year.Methods: This is an economic evaluation study conducted as cross-sectional. Data of the COVID-19 patients referred to the hospitals affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences between March 2020 and 2021 were collected through the hospital information system (HIS). Cost of illness analysis was used to estimate the economic burden of COVID-19 for the province and Iran. The study methodology was based upon the human capital approach and bottom-up technic. Results: The COVID -19 pandemic has resulted in 9711 confirmed hospital cases and 767 deaths in Bushehr province during the study period. The direct medical costs were estimated to be 439,774,265,491 Rials ($ 27,893,839) in total with mean cost of 45,286,198 Rials ($ 2872) per patient. Hospitalization, drugs and ICU costs were the highest with 36.44, 30.80 and 26.88% of total direct costs respectively. Indirect costs, including income loss due to hospitalization, recovery period at home and premature death were 20,884,492,800 ($ 1,324,654), 62,058,707,200 ($ 3,936,237) and 854,181,793,653 ($ 54,178,726) Rials. Finally economic burden for the province and country was estimated to be 1,376,899,259,144 Rials ($ 87,333,455) and 83,957,271,899,024 Rials ($ 5,325,210,700).Conclusion: The results showed that the economic burden of this disease particularly premature deaths costs is remarkably high. In addition, direct costs could go beyond the health system capacity. Therefore, in order to increase the resiliency of the health system and the stability in services delivery, preventive-oriented strategies have to be more seriously considered by policymakers.
Familial Affective Responsiveness Mediates the Relations Between Parental Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Adolescent Psychological Maladjustment
Authors: Chen Chang , Brugnera Agostino , Hewitt Paul L. , Caelian Carmen F. , Flett Gordon L.
Published: February 2022

Parental perfectionism (e.g., perfectionistic concerns) has been strongly implicated in adolescent psychological maladjustment such as depression and anxiety. However, little is known about the links between parental perfectionistic self-presentation (i.e., the interpersonal expressions of perfectionism) and adolescent psychological outcomes. According to the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (Hewitt et al., 2017), people with elevated perfectionistic self-presentation engage in social behaviors characterized by a lack of emotional sensitivity or responsiveness, which then increases one’s risk of social disconnection and psychological maladjustment. This theory has seldom been tested in the context of parent-adolescent and family relationships. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the mediational role of familial affective responsiveness in the associations between parental perfectionistic self-presentation and adolescent psychological outcomes. Participants were 58 dyads of clinically depressed adolescents (Mage = 15.52; 74.5% female) and their primary caregivers (Mage = 46.08; 51 mothers). Path analysis indicated that the overall model fit the data well. Congruent with the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model, analyses showed that adolescent but not parent-reported family dysfunction in affective responsiveness mediated the relations between parental perfectionistic self-presentation and adolescent depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and alcohol-related problems, even after controlling for parental depression. Taken together, our findings provide new information for the role of parental perfectionistic self-presentation in adolescent psychological maladjustment and highlight parental perfectionistic self-presentation as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in adolescent depression.
Compare the Initial Result of One Screw or Two Screws Fixation for Proximal Crescentic Metatarsal Osteotomy with Distal Soft Tissue Reconstruction in Severe Hallux Valgus Treatment
Authors: Wang Linger , Yao Liwei , Dong Wenwei , Mao Haijiao
Published: February 2022

Background: Proximal crescentic metatarsal osteotomy and distal soft tissue reconstruction have been introduced to correct severe hallux valgus (HV). The intrinsically unstable proximal first crescentic osteotomy depends on enough force fixation for stability. It is necessary to judge the number of fixation’s screw for osteotomy.Methods: Fifty two feet from 50 adult patients with severe HV were included in this study. The treatment was proximal crescentic metatarsal osteotomy with a single screw and distal soft tissue reconstruction in Group 1. The fixation with two screws with distal soft tissue reconstruction in Group 2. Clinical and radiological follow-ups were assessed after 4 and 12 months of operation.Methods: In Group 1, hallux valgus angle (HVA) was decreased from 46.4 ±3.28 to 19.9 ±4.70 after 12 months of operation. HVA was decreased from 45.1 ±3.45 to19.1 ±4.70 for group 2. For intermetatarsal angle (IMA) in Group 1, it was changed from 18.5 ±1.98 to 9.25 ±1.11 after 12 months of operation. For group 2, it was decreased from 18.3 ±1.81 to 9.53 ±1.70. Meanwhile, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was improved from 63.1 to 83.9 after 12 months of operation for group1, and was improved from 64.3 to 82.8 for group2. Furthermore, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was reduced from 4.5±1.01 to 1.7± 0.43 for group 1, and it was reduced from 4.7±0.92 to 1.7±0.55 for group 2 after 12 months of operation.Conclusions: The first metatarsal dorsal elevation was occurred in 4 feet in Group1, and no metatarsal dorsal elevation was occurred in Group 2. There were no significant differences identified among Group1 and Group 2 in terms of VAS and AOFAS scores, and HVA and IMA measurements. However, there is less complication in two-screw fixation for crescentic osteotomy compared to a single screw fixation.
FC_ACCEL: Enabling Efficient, Low-Latency and Flexible Inference in DNN Fully Connected Layers, using Optimized Checkerboard Block matrix decomposition, fast scheduling, and a resource efficient 1D PE array with a custom HBM2 memory subsystem
Authors: Iliev Nick , Trivedi Amit R
Published: February 2022

This article presents a novel low latency CMOS hardware accelerator for fully connected (FC) layers in deep neural networks (DNNs). The accelerator, FC-Accel, is based on 128 8x8 or 16x16 processing elements (PEs) for matrix-vector multiplication, and 128 multiply-accumulate (MAC) units integrated with 16 High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) stack units for storing the pre-trained weights. A dedicated non-blocking crossbar switch is not used in our low-latency page-bus demultiplexer-based interconnect between the 16 HBMs and the 128 PE array. We show near-linear speedup, reduction in space complexity, and reduction in time complexity with respect to traditional parallel matrix-vector multiplication with a checkerboard block decomposition algorithm, using a novel matched HBM2 memory subsystem for weights and input feature storage; we perform 16-bit fixed-point computation on the key kernels for DNN FC layer computation : FC kernel with KxM tiles which can be scaled for different FC layer sizes. We have designed a flexible processing element, PE, which implements the scalable kernel, in an 1D array of PEs to conserve resources. PE reconfiguration can be done as required by the layer being processed (FC6,FC7,FC8 in AlexNet of VGG16 for example). Micro-architectural details for CMOS ASIC implementations are presented and simulated performance is compared to recent hardware accelerators for DNNs for AlexNet and VGG_16. When comparing simulated processing latency for the FC8 layer, FC-Accel is able to achieve 108 GOPS (non-pipelined, with a 100 MHz clock) and 1048 GOPS (pipelined, with a 662 MHz clock) which improves on a recent EIE accelerator quoted at 102 GOPS with a 800 MHz clock and using compression for the same FC8 layer. When compared to Tensaurus, a recent accelerator of Sparse-Dense Tensor computations, FC-Accel (clocked at 662 MHz) delivers a 2.5 increase in throughput over Tensaurus (clocked at 2 GHz) for VGG16 FC8. The Xilinx Versal-ACAP VC1902 FPGA has an FC8 inferencing latency of 158 usec at 1.33 GHz, which is much slower than FC-Accel’s FC8 latency of 8.5 usec. When compared with an NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier GPU running inference on VGG-16 FC8, FC-Accel reduces FC8 inferencing latency from the GPU’s average of 120 usec to 8.5 usec. Intel’s Arria-10 DLA FPGA achieves 26 usec for the VGG16 FC8 layer which is 3 times the latency of the proposed solution.
Evaluation of the prognostic value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters　in head and neck cancer patients treated with definitive intensity modulated radiotherapy
Authors: Kawamura Mitsue , Yoshimura Michio , Mizowaki Takashi
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To investigate the treatment outcome and prognostic factor of volumetric parameters measured by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in squamous cell carcinoma patients of oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx treated with definitive intensity modulated radiotherapy.
Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 63 patients who received definitive radiation therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) between April 2007 and March 2012 in our hospital. Clinical factor and 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters were evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.
Result

With a median follow up of 61months (range 4-116 month), the 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 58.2%, and 63.0%, respectively. Recurrence was observed in 24 patients. Seventeen patients had locoregional recurrence and 9 patients developed distant metastasis. ROC analysis revealed the best threshold of pretreatment FDG-PET parameters was 14.8 of SUVmax, 5.4ml of metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and 38.5ml of total lesion glycolysis (TLG). On univariate analysis, MTV (>5.4ml), and TLG (>38.5ml) were predictive of poor OS (p<0.01, p<0.01) and poor DFS (p=0.01, p<0.01). On multivariate analysis, MTV displayed significantly worse effects on OS and DFS (p= 0.02, <0.01, respectively), while SUVmax was nonsignificant (p=0.70 for OS, p=0.70 for DFS).
Conclusion

This study showed that18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters are useful as prognostic factor of definitive intensity modulated radiotherapy of HNSCC. These prognostic factors may identify the population who have benefit from high intensity treatment, ex. dose escalation planning.
La restituzione di prestazioni secondo il nuovo art. 678 CO e il suo ruolo nel sistema delle operazioni con parti correlate
Authors: Humbel Claude
Published: February 2022

La restituzione di prestazioni secondo l’art. 678 CO mira a ovviare a deflussi indebiti dal patrimonio societario di società anonime. Questo importante tassello della corporate governance svizzera è stato modificato nel contesto della riforma del diritto delle società anonime con l’obiettivo di rendere l’azione di restituzione più incisiva. Il presente articolo analizza la nuova norma e la pone nel contesto più ampio delle operazioni con parti correlate. Queste operazioni sono soggette a norme sempre più stringenti a livello internazionale, ma sono regolamentate solo selettivamente in Svizzera.

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Die Rückerstattung von Leistungen nach Art. 678 OR soll einen ungerechtfertigten Abfluss von Gesellschaftsvermögen verhindern. Dieses wichtige Element der schweizerischen Corporate Governance wurde im Rahmen der Aktienrechtsrevision mit dem Ziel geändert, die Rückerstattungsklage effektiver zu gestalten. In diesem Artikel wird die neue Regelung analysiert und in den breiteren Kontext der Geschäfte mit nahestehenden Personen gestellt. Diese Geschäfte unterliegen auf internationaler Ebene immer strengeren Vorschriften, sind in der Schweiz aber nur lückenhaft geregelt.

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La restitution des prestations selon l'art. 678 CO vise à empêcher transferts injustifiés d'actifs sociaux. Cet élément important de la gouvernance d'entreprise suisse a été modifié dans le cadre de la révision du droit de la société anonyme dans le but de rendre l'action en restitution plus efficace. Le présent article analyse la nouvelle réglementation et la replace dans le contexte plus large opérations entre parties liées. Ces opérations sont soumises à des règles de plus en plus strictes au niveau international, mais ne sont réglementées que de manière lacunaire en Suisse.
PSYCHO-VEGETATIVE "CHAOS" AS AN IMBALANCE OF HOMEOSTATIC SYSTEMS IN STUDENTS: METHODS OF ITS EARLY DIAGNOSIS
Authors: Maksymyak Mariana V. , Soltysik Lesia M. , Ovchar Anna I. , Levchenko Valeriy A.
Published: February 2022

The aim of the work was to study the psycho-vegetative state of students using standardized questionnaires.
Materials and methods of research. The study involved students of 18–20 y/o, I–II course of the medical university. According to the results of screening of 448 students, we used a standardized questionnaire by OM Vein. There were 82 people with signs of autonomic dysfunction, which comprised the main study group. To assess the state of autonomic balance, we used cardiointervalography; to verify the hyperventilation syndrome, we used the Nijmegen questionnaire; to assess the psycho-emotional state and anxiety, we used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Results of the research. Among 82 students with signs of autonomic dysfunction, the average score by the Vein scale was 36.12 ± 4.26 points (p ˂ 0.001) vs. 15 points denoting the norm. Subjective symptoms identified by the Vein scale closely correlated with the results of the Nijmegen questionnaire. A positive indicator of the latter – 36.24 ± 1.26 points – was observed in 71.95 % of people, which indicated the presence of hyperventilation syndrome in this group of students. The rest of the students in the main group had a negative result (less than 23 points), although according to the Vein scale, they had signs of autonomic dysfunction, which could indicate a certain premorbid condition. According to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, among the 82 people surveyed, students with signs of personal anxiety scored the most points, which were accompanied by emotional "explosions" (56.1 %), neurotic conflicts (35.37 %), feelings of insecurity (46.34 %) and anxiety (37.8 %), etc. We found an association between signs of anxiety and hyperventilation syndrome (r = 0.76). According to the results of the assessment, against the background of anxiety and neurotic symptoms and manifestations of hyperventilation syndrome, the results of the survey revealed signs of somatoform autonomic dysfunction in a significant proportion of students (71.95 %) of the main group, including complaints of respiratory, circulatory and gastrointestinal nature. The lack of isolated psychological markers specific to each psychosomatic disorder should also be noted. Thus, the identified signs of autonomic imbalance by the Vein questionnaire were significantly correlated with the manifestations of hyperventilation syndrome, increased anxiety, somatoform abnormalities, which is the evidence of statistical significance and informativeness of the results of the surveys.
Conclusions. Screening surveys among students using standardized questionnaires, analysis of heart rate variability allows identifying a risk group with manifestations of psycho-vegetative dysfunction, maladaptation syndrome and recommending the use of certain health measures to improve quality of life, professional activity.
Emergency treatment in gynecology using different methods of surgery
Authors: Pikul Iuliia , Lubkovska Oleksandra
Published: February 2022

The aim. Improving surgical treatment of urgent genital pathology based on comparing the effectiveness of different methods of surgery.

Materials and methods. 170 women were selected and divided into three groups. Group 1 included women with acute pelvic inflammatory disease (aPID); to 2nd group – 60 women with intra-abdominal bleeding (IAB); to 3rd group - 50 women with impaired blood supply to tumors of the internal genitalia (uterus and ovaries) (IBSTIG). Each group was divided into two equivalent subgroups depending on the method of treatment: laparoscopic or laparotomy.

During the study, all examined patients had a medical history, gynecological examination, ultrasound examination, surgical treatment by laparoscopy or laparotomy.

Results. The average duration of laparoscopic operations in patients in subgroup 1.1 was 50.4±7.2 minutes and 80.3±10.1 minutes in subgroup 1.2 – with laparotomy method. Intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in subgroup 1.1 compared with subgroup 1.2 (210.7±31.4 ml and 375.9±44.5 ml) (p <0.01). In the postoperative period in subgroup 1.1, which included women with emergencies due to aPID and in which operations were performed laparoscopically, the maximum temperature rise after surgery was 37.6±0.04 °C, which was significantly lower than in subgroup 1.2, which included women with emergencies due to aPID and in which operations were performed by laparotomy, this figure was 38.0±0.08 °C (p <0.001). The mean duration of the postoperative period in patients of subgroup 1.1 was significantly shorter compared to subgroup 1.2 (7.2±0.6 and 10.2±1.0 days) (p <0.05).

The average duration of operations in subgroup 2.1 was significantly shorter than in subgroup 2.1 (39.8±2.1 and 59.1±2.5 minutes, respectively) (p <0.001). Intraoperative blood loss was on average significantly lower in subgroup 2.1 (189.1±19.8 and 388.5±37.2 ml, respectively) (p <0.05).

In subgroup 3.1, which included women with IBSTIG and underwent surgical treatment by laparoscopy, the average duration of operations was significantly shorter than in subgroup 3.2, where such women with such pathology received surgical treatment by laparotomy (62.1±4.9 and 89.6±7.8 minutes, respectively) (p <0.01). Blood loss was significantly lower in subgroup 3.1 in contrast to subgroup 3.2 (101.7±10.1 ml and 283.3±12.9 ml, respectively) (p <0.001).

Conclusions. The use of laparoscopy for the treatment of urgent genital pathology could increase the effectiveness of surgical treatment. In addition, this method reduces the duration of surgery and surgical blood loss. As a result, it makes it possible to improve the postoperative period.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, online-learning on the state of visual system and psychological state of students
Authors: Kushch Yuliia
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study: to identify and analyze changes in the lifestyle and psychological sphere of students who are undergoing online training in quarantine isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods: 160 students were examined for the myopic refraction using the Duochrome Test, as well as shifts in the quality of vision as a result of online learning. All participants were also interviewed to ascertain living conditions and psychological status during domestic learning related to COVID-19 isolation.

Result: it was found that 42.5 % participants have myopia, most of them students of 1 and 4 courses (26.5 % and 30.9 %, respectively). 85.6 % respondents noted deterioration in health after long-term visual work with personal computer and/or smartphone. The leading symptoms associated with work on digital displays were: decreased visual acuity and binocular vision disorders (81.9 %), headache (75.6 %), back muscle pain (71.9 %), eyes redness (55.6 %), dry and itchy eyes (45 % of respondents). It has been established what 75.6 % respondents indicated deterioration in their psychological condition as a result of quarantine restrictions: 68.1 % – stress, 48.8 % – emotional instability (irritability), 51.9 % – sleep disorders (insomnia), 16.3 % – depression. It is determined that daily average working time in the conditions of domestic online learning was 6.4±2.6 hours (compared to 4.1±1.7 hours in the pre-quarantine period).

Conclusion: revealed deterioration in the quality of vision, general well-being and the psychological sphere of students who are undergoing online quarantine training due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Features of the clinical course of acute otitis media in patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism
Authors: Pochuiеva Tatiana , Filatova Anna , Filatova Iryna
Published: February 2022

The aim of the research: study of the features of the clinical course of acute otitis media (AOM) in patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

Materials and methods. We examined 140 patients with AOM aged 19 to 72 years, of which 75 patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism constituted the main group and 65 patients were included in the comparison group. Taking into account the peculiarities of the pathogenesis of AOM and disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, patients were randomized into 4 groups: 1 – patients with AOM (36), 2 – patients with AOM on the background of sinusitis (29), 3 – patients with AOM on the background of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM type II) (37), 4 – AOM patients with impaired glucose metabolism (38). The patients underwent a general clinical examination, determination of glycosylated hemoglobin, leukocyte indices of intoxication, audiometry, computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bones (if indicated).

Results. The proportion of patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism in 2020 was 32.6 %, of which DM type II was diagnosed in 49.3 % earlier. It was shown that a feature of the clinical course of AOM against the background of impaired carbohydrate metabolism is the discrepancy between the duration of the disease history, complaints and objective data to the state of the cellular structure of the mastoid process according to CT data and impaired auditory function mainly by the type of sound perception, which indicates the formation of latent mastoiditis. Clinically significant complaints and objective data for the differential diagnosis of latent mastoiditis in these patients were determined. The absence of statistical significance of differences in indicators in patients with DM type II and against the background of transient hyperglycemia was revealed, and the concept of the latter was characterized. A direct correlation between blood glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin levels was established in patients with DM type II and AOM.

Conclusions. DM type II creates a favorable background for the formation of the clinical course of AOM complicated by latent mastoiditis.

From the general contingent of patients with AOM, patients should be distinguished not only with DM type II, but also with transient hyperglycemia for its timely diagnosis. Significant symptoms: pain and a feeling of “heaviness” in the behind-the-ear region in the absence of reactive phenomena, a feeling of “pulsation” in the ear, dizziness, a cloudy eardrum with a protrusion or perforation in the posterior or posterior-upper section, an asymmetric increase in sound perception thresholds above 25 dB. Such patients should be observed with “early” CT scan of the temporal bones.
Characterization of sweet and bitter cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes through multivariate analysis
Authors: Carréra Amanda Gabriela Paiva , Aguiar Rodrigo Oliveira , Cunha Roberto Lisboa , Oliveira Igor Vinícius de , Bernardino Priscilla Diniz Lima da Silva , Silva Claudete Rosa da , Carvalho Fábio Israel Martins , Neto Cândido Ferreira de Oliveira , Santos Marcos Antônio Souza dos , Oliveira Job Teixeira de , Silva Priscilla Andrade , Cunha Elisa Ferreira Moura
Published: February 2022

Cassava has importance as a source of human and animal food. With the objectives to select promising sweet and bitter cassava varieties for breeding programs, 27 genotypes were characterized in terms of their quantitative and qualitative properties. Roots were harvested from three plants per genotype, washed, peeled, sanitized. Regarding the yield, the storage root number (SRN), and the fresh storage root weight (FSRW), were determined, as well as the root fresh matter content (RFMC), and root dry matter content (RDMC), both expressed as a percentage. Among the cassava genotypes, the protein content ranged from 0.1-0.7%; lipids 0.3-2.1%; moisture 58.0-65.2%; 0.1-1.0% ash; fibers 0.9-1.9%; acidity 1,1-2,7%; pH 6.3-6.8; TSS between 0.8-1.2 ºBrix; glucose 0.1-0.8% and sucrose 0.5-1.0%, except for the fructose and starch contents, which did not vary significantly. The principal component analysis showed that the factors explain 84.2% of the total variability and through cluster analysis, evidencing cluster III for the highest starch yield and cluster I for the highest average of lipids and proteins
Assessment of agromorphological diversity of chickling-vetch (Lathyrus cicera L.) landraces in the traditional agroecosystems of Morocco
Authors: Fatehi Salama El , Hmimsa Younes , Ater Mohammed
Published: February 2022

Legumes are an essential component of human and animal food, particularly in the Mediterranean area. While some legumes are widely cultivated and consumed, others are neglected and underused. This is the case of an ancient Mediterranean legume, chickling-vetch (Lathyrus cicera L.), currently considered as a marginal crop. In Morocco, this crop persists in some traditional mountain agroecosystems in the Tadla-Azilal region. This study allowed to specify the cultivated area and the socio-economic characteristics. The estimation of local ecotypes diversity was carried out using agromorphological descriptors on a collection gathering 13 accessions. The used descriptors include germination, phenology, morphology, and production. The analysis of variability revealed the existence of a structured diversity based on ecotypes differentiation with significant geographical and altitudinal influences. The absence of dormancy, precocity, and a short vegetative lifecycle unveil an interesting adaptive potential to aridity. Regarding productivity, the obtained estimates are comparable or above those mentioned in the literature for other provenances. Our results therefore show that local ecotypes contain important genetic resources for conservation and development. This is particularly relevant considering the current context of climate change, where the search for alternative crops, adapted to fit the predicted harsh conditions, is a priority for global food security
Growth, yield and oil content of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) as influenced by sulphur levels under infertile soil
Authors: Bunphan Darika , Wanna Ruchuon , Pinta Wanwipa , Malambane Goitseone
Published: February 2022

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of sulphur (S) on growth, agricultural traits, seed yield and oil content in white, brown and black seed color of sesame grown under infertile soil. The experiment was conducted in RCBD arranged in factorial 3 × 4 with 3 reps under pot condition both dry and wet season; factor A was 3 cultivars of sesame and factor B was 4 levels of sulfur (S). The results showed that various cultivars of sesame responded differently to S levels. Some agronomic traits were not affected by S levels i.e. plant height, SCMR and 1000 seeds weight especially in wet season but these traits differed in various cultivars of sesame. Combined analysis of the two seasons was also done and the results showed that S levels did not affect to most traits except number of capsules, whereas interaction between cultivar and S level were found on number of branches, total dry weight and oil content, cv. KKU2 and KKU3 (black and brown seed). cv. KKU3 with application of S at 20 kg ha-1 showed highest total dry weight, whereas cv. KKU3 with application rate of S at 0 kg ha-1 showed highest oil content followed by cv. MK60 with 80 kg ha-1. Interestingly the black and brown seeded cultivars had a positive response to S levels as compared to the white seeded cultivar. From the result, we can conclude that the dry season is the optimal season for sesame production in low fertile soils and that black and brown seed color responds positive to S level than white. However, we strongly suggest that field study should be undertaken to correlate our results in natural growing conditions
Chemo-enzymatic Approach to Carbohydrate Recognition
Authors: Takayama Shuichi , Wong Chi-Huey
Published: February 2022

Carbohydrates are widespread in biological systems and are often associated with many specific recognition and signaling processes that lead to important biological functions and diseases. Considerable efforts have been directed toward understanding and mimicking such recognition processes, and developing effective agents to control these events. The pace of discovery research in glycobiology and development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics, however, has been relatively slow compared to that of other classes of biomolecules due to the lack of appropriate strategies and methods available for carbohydrate­ related research. This review summarizes some of the most recent developments in the field of carbohydrate research, with particular emphasis on the work from our laboratories regarding the use of chemo-enzymatic strategies to study carbohydrate recognition. Highlights include the the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of complex carbohydrates and glycoproteins, the rational and combinatorial synthesis of carbohydrate mimetics as inhibitors of selectins and viral RNA, and design and synthesis of mechanism-based inhibitors of glycoprocessing enzymes.
Marine Natural Products Influencing Larval Settlement and Metamorphosi of Benthic Invertebrates
Authors: Fusetani Nobuhiro
Published: February 2022

Most benthic invertebrates produce planktonic larvae, which swim or float for a while and embark on search for location to settle and metamorphose. Many factors influence this process, among which chemical cues derived from conspecific adults or prey organisms are believed to be important; larvae start to settle in response to chemical cues. Although various compounds have been reported to induce larval settlement and
metamorphosis for many species, those which real chemical cues have been known are quite few. On the other hands, settlement of larvae of other species endangers the survivorship of benthic organisms which in turn possess chemical defense against larval settlement. An array of marine natural products have been obtained as inhibitors of settlement of the barnacle Balanus amphtirite which is one of most popular fouling organisms. Since the Fusetani Biofouling Project started in October 1991, we have been trying to discover from marine organisms compounds which induce larval settlement and metamorphosis of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi, which resulted in the isolation of more than 40 active metabolites including simple benzenoids, alkaloids, amino acid derivatives, and polyacetylenes. These compounds were found to mimic a real cue, lumichrome. We have also attempted to isolate antibarnacle metabolites from sessile marine organisms, mainly sponges and nudibranchs. More than 60 active substances including terpenoids, steroids, amino acid derivatives, alkaloids, and polyacetylenes have been obtained. Sesqui- and diterpenoids containing isocyano and related functionalities showed potent activity, but their toxicity was low, thus suggesting their promising properties for nontoxic antifoulants.
lridals and Cycloiridals, Products of An Unusual Squalene Metabolism in Sword Lilies (lridaceae)
Authors: Marner F.-J.
Published: February 2022

In search for the precursors of the irones, terpenoid C14-ketones, which are responsible for the violet like scent of the orris oil, a new family of hitherto unknown triterpenoids, the iridals, was found. The monocyclic parent compound iridal is derived from cyclization of epoxysqualene to a bicyclic intermediate and subsequent opening of ring A between C3 and C4, accompanied by a methyl and hydride shift. Up to today more than twenty different compounds of this family have been isolated, which are derived from iridal by desaturations, oxidations and cyclizations. The introduction of an additional double bond by a dehydrogenase into the terpenoid side chain leads to iridals with conjugated triene moiety. Addition of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to the terminal double bond of the iridal side chain initiates the formation of a second cyclohexane ring. This way the cycloiridals are formed, which represent the precursors of the irones and dihydroirones. The odoriferous ketones are released after oxidative degradation of the bicyclic C31-triterpenoids. Even more remarkable is the formation of the spiroiridals, which can be seen as products of an intramolecular Prins reaction. The compounds are not only present as free triterpenols but also esterified with fatty acids. There is experimental evidence that the iridals serve the plants as membrane constituents and protect the tissue against oxidative damage and other noxious influences. The iridal esters may be used by the plant as a pool of these valuable compounds, which are released by enzymatic hydrolysis, whenever needed.
The Application of Enzymes in the Synthesis of Amino Acids, Peptides and Carbohydrates
Authors: Turner Nicholas J.
Published: February 2022

Enzymatic transformations have recently assumed great importance in the synthesis of enantiomerically pure amino acids and carbohydrates, particularly as the requirement for efficient methods in catalytic asymmetric synthesis increases. A large number of enzymes, that catalyse a wide range of different synthetic transformations, have been identified and are J currently being applied in many laboratories including our own. This Chapter will focus on recent work from the Edinburgh group and will address the application of those enzymes that catalyse the (i) hydrolysis of esters (ii) the ring-opening of oxazolones in. organic solvents (iii) the hydrolysis and synthesis of glycosides (iv) the asymmetric synthesis of carbon-carbon bonds. Emphasis will be placed on the development of protocols for carrying out these biocatalytic transformations on a medium to large scale. The use of .enzymes in the preparation of amino acid and carbohydrate derivatives will be illustrated by the syntheses of biologically active pharmaceutical intermediates and selected target molecules such as morphine-6-glucuronide,
L-tert-leucine, pseudopeptides, and novel glycosidase inhibitors. Finally, a brief section on the use of enzymes in solid -phase synthesis will be included in which it will be shown that enzymes can be used not only to carry out selective transformations on a solid support, but also to act as highly selective reagents for the cleavage of the products by the design of appropriate enzyme­cleavable linker systems.
Palladium(O)-Catalyzed Cyclization of 2,7-0ctadienyl Acetates and Analogst
Authors: Doi T. , Yamamoto K.
Published: February 2022

The palladium(O)-catalyzed cyclization of 2,7-octadienyl acetates and analogs proceeds in acetic acid solvent and generally consists of an intramolecular insertion of an alkene counterpart into a 7t-allylpalladium(ll) unit
to give a 2-vinylcyclopentylmethylpalladium as the key intermediate. The process is referred to as a 'pallada-ene' reaction after Oppolzer. Depending on the structure of the substrate, the key intermediate undergoes -hydride elimination, carbonylation and/or further intramolecular Heck reaction. In the last two cases, the stereochemical outcome of the primary cyclization to form a five-membered ring is found to be predominantly trans in terms of an intraannular diastereoselection.

When 2,7,8-nonatrienyl and 1,6,7-octatrienyl acetates are subjected to the palladium(O)­ catalyzed cyclization-carbonylation, a novel intramolecular reaction of the 7t-allylpalladium intermediates with the allene counterpart gives rise to two modes of primary cyclization again to form five-membered carbocycles, which are controlled by the length of a carbon tether (either two or three) between them. The reactions offer effective means for constructing condensed carbocycles by further tandem reactions. Salient features of the stereochemical outcome of these reactions are discussed.

Finally, the palladium(O)-catalyzed cyclization of 2,7-octadienyl carbonates containing an allylsilane moiety is described. This reaction relies on the nucleophilic nature of the allylsilane to proceed with a novel 6-endo mode of cyclization.

†In sincere memory of the late Professor Wolfgang Oppolzer of Geneva University (Deceased on March 15, 1996).
Preface
Authors: Hostettmann Kurt
Published: February 2022

The field of natural products is inevitably closely associated with organic chemistry: living organisms provide an extremely wide diversity of organic molecules. This is the first issue on "Natural Product Chemistry" in the journal "Current Organic Chemistry" and it is designed to focus on compounds in Nature which exhibit interesting biological activities. The aim is to provide an update on results in different fields of research and also to present recent advances in methodology and in the introduction of new areas of investigation. Six different chapters have been included in this issue, covering bioactive organic compounds from several different sources: from plants, fungi, marine algae and, to a lesser extent, microorganisms. Arnold Vlietinck and Dirk Vanden Berghe review the latest results concerning antiviral compounds from plants, while Lars Bohlin gives a summary of new plant-derived antiinflammatory molecules, with emphasis on platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonistic activity. In an attempt to cover an area of great potential interest which is only sparingly reported in the scientific literature, the subject of nematicidal compounds from higher fungi has been tackled by Heidrun Anke and Olov Sterner, specialists in the study of mushrooms. Marine algae are a category of organisms from the sea which are the source of many intriguing organic molecules and possible new lead compounds. Corrado Tringali has provided an insight into some of the diverse stn.Jctures which have been discovered and the associated biological activities. An important phenomenon when considering the bioactivities of natural products is the influence of light. Until recently, very few people have taken into account the fact that the presence or absence of light can have dramatic consequences on the magnitude of the activities: in certain cases, a natural product may be completely inactive in the dark. Neil Towers has devoted a large amount of research effort to this particular field and in chapter 4, he gives a lucid account of the results observed. Finally, Olivier Potterat reviews antioxidants and free radical scavengers of natural origin. Free radicals are implicated in many different physiological processes, such as aging, cancer, coronary heart disease and inflammation-related complications. For this reason, the discovery of agents which inhibit oxidative damage can lead to the development of products with important repercussions on human health. Many resources are currently being expended in this aspect of disease prevention.

The contributors are all authorities in their particular fields and it is hoped that the readers will have the opportunity of keeping abreast of the most recent developments in the areas selected. Future dedicated issues of "Current Organic Chemistry" will treat other natural product subject matter in a similar fashion.