bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Distribution of Hospitalisations for Cardiovascular Diseases in the Central Region of ​​Asturias, Spain
Authors: Martínez-Pérez Isabel , González-Iglesias Verónica , Suárez Valentín Rodríguez , Fernández-Somoano Ana
Published: June 2021

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide; it is estimated that they cause 17 million deaths annually. In 2019, there were more than 29,000 deaths, and in 2018, ischemic heart diseases cause more than 118,000 hospitalisations in Spain. There is an unevenly distribution throughout the different autonomous communities, being Asturias the community with the highest rate for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and angina pectoris (AP) of the country. Cardiovascular diseases are related to environmental, socioeconomic and previous medical conditions which result in geographical differences in the incidence of hospital admissions and mortality. To know the distribution of hospital admissions in the central area of Asturias and the existence of spatial patterns or clusters is the goal of this study.MethodsUrgent hospital admissions for AMI and angina AP in the hospitals of the central area of Asturias were registered, geocoded and grouped by census tracts. Standardised admission ratio, smoothed relative risk and posterior risk probability, together with analysis of spatial clusters between relative risks throughout the study area were calculated and mapped.ResultsGeographical differences were found in the distribution of hospital admissions for AMI and AP in the study area. The cluster analysis indicated aggregates of census tracts with high relative risk values in the northwest region of the study area.ConclusionThe geographical analysis shows the existence of patterns and spatial aggregations in the incidence of AMI and AP, for men and women, in the central area of Asturias.
Racial and Weight Discrimination Associations with Pain Intensity and Pain Interference in An Ethnically Diverse Sample of Adults with Obesity: A Baseline Analysis of the Clustered Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial the Goals for Eating and Moving (GEM) Study
Authors: Merriwether Ericka , Wittleder Sandra , Cho Gawon , Bogan Eushavia , Thomas Rachel , Bostwick Naja , Wang Binhuan , Ravenell Joseph , Jay Melanie
Published: June 2021

Background: Everyday experiences with racial (RD) and weight discrimination (WD) are risk factors for chronic pain in ethnically diverse adults with obesity. However, the individual or combined effects of RD or WD on pain in adults with obesity is not well understood. There are gender differences and sexual dimorphisms in nociception and pain, but the effect of gender on relationships between RD and WD in ethnically diverse adults with obesity has not been examined. The goals of this study were to: 1) examine whether weight and racial discrimination are associated with pain intensity and interference, and 2) explore gender as a moderator of the effects of WD and RD on pain.Methods: This is a baseline data analysis from a randomized controlled weight-management trial. Eligible participants were English or Spanish-speaking (ages 18-69 years) and had either a body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m2 or ≥ 25 kg/m2 with weight-related comorbidity. WD and RD were measured using the Experiences of Discrimination questionnaire (EOD). Pain outcome (pain interference and intensity) were measured using the PROMIS 29 adult profile V2.1. Linear regression models were performed to determine the associations between WD, RD, and gender, with pain outcomes.Results. On average participants reported mild pain interference (T-score: 52.65±10.29) and moderate pain intensity (4.23±3.15, scale: 0-10). There was a significant interaction effect of RD and gender on pain interference. RD was more strongly associated with pain interference in women (b = .47, SE = .08, p < 001), compared to men (b = .14, SE = .07, p = .06). There were no significant interaction effects between RD and gender on pain intensity, or between WD and gender on pain interference or intensity. Conclusions: Pain is highly prevalent in adults with obesity, and is impacted by experiences of racial and weight discrimination. Further, discrimination against adults with obesity and chronic pain could exacerbate existing racial disparities in pain and weight management. Asking ethnically diverse adults with obesity about their pain and their experiences of racial and weight discrimination could help clinicians make culturally informed decisions that address barriers to pain relief and weight loss.Trial Registration: NCT03006328
Discrepancy Between the Demand and Supply of Intensive Care Unit Beds in South Korea from 2011 to 2019: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Authors: Cho Noo Ree , Jung Wol Seon , Park Hee Yeon , Kang Jin Mo , Ko Dai Sik , Choi Sang Tae
Published: June 2021

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability is key to critical patient care. Considering the rapidly aging population in South Korea, it is important to establish whether the current ICU bed availability meets its demand. Methods: We evaluated the 9-year trend in ICU bed rates and bed-days in South Korea between 2011 and 2019 in a population-based cross-sectional analysis, using data from the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and Statistics database. We described changes in ICU bed rates in adult (≥ 20 years) and older adult (≥ 65 years) populations. ICU bed-days were categorized similarly and were used to predict future ICU bed demands. Results: The ICU bed rate was higher in 2011 than 2019 (23.3 and 20.2 per 100,000 adults; 161.2 and 107.5 per 100,000 older adults, respectively). Conversely, the number of ICU bed-days was lower in 2011 than 2019 (100.5 and 137.8 per 1,000 adults; 59.0 and 86.1 per 1,000 older adults, respectively). In 2019, the regional differences in the ICU bed rate and ICU bed-days nearly doubled and tripled, respectively. The occupancy rate of ICU beds in South Korea is expected to rise to 97.7% in 2030. Conclusions: Our study revealed a significant discrepancy between the demand and supply of ICU beds in South Korea, necessitating significant action.
“Surgery of Congenital Breast Asymmetry – Which Objective Parameter Influences the Subjective Satisfaction With Long-term Results?”
Authors: Noisser Vivien , Eigenberger Andreas , Weiherer Maximilian , Seitz Stephan , Prantl Lukas , Brébant Vanessa
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Congenital breast asymmetry is a serious gynaecological malformation for affected patients. The phenotyping hits young women in puberty and is associated with a socio-aesthetic handicap, depression and psychosexual problems. Therefore, the time of therapy is usually early in view of the patient's entire life so that a sustainable solution is important. Although, postoperative outcome has been evaluated in several studies before, this study firstly analyses which objective parameters have the most influence on subjective satisfaction with long-term results.Methods: 34 patients with a diagnosed congenital breast asymmetry that underwent either lipofilling or implant therapy in the years of 2008 - 2019 were examined. On average, our collective was seven years postoperatively. Data was mainly gathered by manual measurements, patient-reported outcome measures (Breast Q™) and breast volumetry based on 3D scans (Vectra® H2, Canfield Scientific).Results: Among all analysed parameters, only the areola diameter correlated significantly negative with the subjective outcome satisfaction of the patient. Regarding the subjective assessment of the postoperative satisfaction with similarity of the breasts, again the mean of areola diameter, the difference of areola diameter between right and left breast and the difference of volume assessed with 3D scans correlated significantly negative.Conclusion: The areola diameter was shown to be a significant influencing factor for patient-subjective long-term satisfaction in breast asymmetry patients. Besides, 3D volumetry was shown to be a good tool for objectifying patient subjective assessments. Our findings could lead to further improvement of surgical planning and will be built upon in further studies.
Use of Optimal Control in Studying the Dynamical Behaviors of Fractional Financial Awareness Model
Authors: Mahdy A , lotfy khaled , El-Bary A.
Published: June 2021

Around there, we new examination has been done on past investigations of perhaps the main numerical models that portray the worldwide monetary development and that is depicted as a non-straight fragmentary monetary model of mindfulness, where the investigations address the means following: One: The schematic of the model is proposed. Two: The sickness-free balance point (DFE) and the soundness of the harmony point are talked about. Three: The strength of the model is satisfying by drawing the Lyapunov examples. Fourth: The presence of consistently stable arrangements is examined. Five: The Caputo is portrayed as the fragmentary subsidiary. Six: Fragmentary ideal control for NFFMA is examined, by explaining the partial ideal control through drawing when control. Seven: We are utilizing the calculation, summed up Adams–Bashforth–Moulton technique (GABMP) to tackle the is utilized to take the goal of an NFFMA. At last, we show that GABMP is profoundly indistinguishable. The mathematical strategy utilized in this composition to address this model has not been used by any creator before that. Additionally, this model with partial subordinates characterized in this manner has not been concentrated before that. The strategies used are not difficult to impact, regardless of whether logical or mathematical, and give great results.MSC: 41A28, 65D05, 65H10, 65L20, 65P30, 65P40, 65Z05.
Forming Evolution of Titanium Grade2 Sheets
Authors: Tekin Merve , Ertan Rukiye , Özgül Hande Güler
Published: June 2021

Titanium and its alloys take attention, especially in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical applications because of their strength, corrosion resistance biocompatibility. Titanium components, in general, are produced by sheet metal forming. However, the springback effect is a critical problem in the forming process due to the difficult formability of titanium sheets. In the present study, the hot forming process was applied to sheets to investigate the effect of deformation temperature on microstructure, mechanical properties, and springback behavior of commercially pure grade 2 (CP2) titanium sheets. The springback angles were measured at the CAD model after the sheets were scanned by the 3D scanner. The tensile test, hardness measurements, and microstructural analysis were examined by using specimens that were cut from the side-wall and bottom of the deformed sheet as U-profile. The results reveal that the microstructure is substantially changed, and springback is reduced with increasing temperature, and thus, optimum results were obtained compared to the data obtained at room temperature.
Preoperative Binocular Vision Characteristics in the Age-related Cataract Population
Authors: Tan Qing-Qing , Lewis James , Lan Chang-Jun , Liao Xuan , Tang Xiao-Li , Wang Jingyun , Scheiman Mitchell
Published: June 2021

Background: This study is the first part of the “Binocular Vision Anomalies after Cataract Surgery” study that aimed to investigate the impact of cataract surgery on binocular vision status in adults with age-related cataract. This study aimed to investigate the preoperative binocular vision status of participants with age-related cataract. Methods: Patients who elected to undergo bilateral cataract surgery (≥50 years of age) were recruited. Clinical measures of binocular vision including stereopsis, ocular alignment, fusional vergence, vergence facility, convergence amplitude and a symptom survey related to binocular vision anomalies were administered. A detailed classification protocol was established to identify the presence of binocular vision anomalies. The frequency of specific binocular vision anomalies and normative data of binocular vision measures were reported. Results: A total of 73 subjects were evaluated. No strabismus was detected in the cohort. Non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies were detected in 24 subjects (32.9%), of whom 18 (24.7%) had convergence insufficiency, 3 (4.1%) had basic exophoria, 2 (2.7%) had convergence excess, and 1 (1.4%) had fusional vergence dysfunction. Decreased vergence facility and convergence amplitude were more common compared to the pre-presbyopes (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Binocular vision problems, especially convergence insufficiency, are common in the adults with age-related cataract. The study results demonstrate that the lack of normative binocular vision data for the presbyopic population is a significant gap in the literature and suggest the need for a study of normative data for this population.Trial RegistrationThe study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03592615, USA).
The Role of Biopsy in Diagnosing Infection After Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Cheng , Jiang Nan , Margaryan Donara , Perka Carsten , Trampuz Andrej
Published: June 2021

Background Early diagnosis of periprosthetic hip and knee infection still represents a major challenge, as no single test can achieve ideal results. Currently, multiple preoperative indicators were performed to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) to confirm or exclude infection in the early stage. However, the diagnostic value of biopsy-related tests in diagnosing periprosthetic hip and knee infection remains unclear.Methods Publications in PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science databases were searched systematically until October 2020. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for screening biopsy-related studies of the diagnosis of periprosthetic hip and knee infection. All relevant tests were analyzed using Meta-Disc. For comparison between biopsy-related and conventional diagnostic methods in the diagnosis of PJI, the sensitivity and specificity of selected studies were calculated in the subgroup and compared using the z-test. Quality assessment of the selected literature was performed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.Results Three biopsy-related tests were identified in 14 articles and further analyzed in the present meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87–0.93), 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95–0.98) for the combined method (microbial culture plus histology), 0.76 (95% CI: 0.71–0.80) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91–0.95) for microbiological tests, and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.45–0.77), 0.97 (95% CI: 0.92–0.99) for histology. The pooled diagnostic odds ratios for diagnosing PJI using the combined method, microbiological test, and histology were 229.61 (95% CI: 94.90–555.56), 40.44 (95% CI: 23.74–68.89), and 54.47 (95% CI: 11.66–254.43), respectively. The combined method had the highest value for the area under the curve (0.9805), followed by histology (0.9425) and microbiological tests (0.9292). In the subgroup, statistical differences were identified in sensitivity and specificity for PJI diagnosis between the synovial fluid culture and biopsy culture group (P＜0.001), as well as in the biopsy-related combined method and serum C-reactive protein (CRP; P＜0.001).ConclusionsBiopsy culture does not appear to be advantageous compared to synovial fluid culture in the preoperative diagnosis of periprosthetic hip and knee infection. In contrast, combined biopsy microbial culture with histology analysis shows great potential in improving the preoperative diagnosis of PJI. The standard procedure of biopsy needs to be further explored. Further research is required to verify our results.
MF2ResU-Net: A Multi-Feature Fusion Deep Learning Architecture for Retinal Blood Vessel Segmentation
Authors: Cui ZhenChao , Song ShuJie , Chen LiPing , Chen XiangYang , Qi Jing
Published: June 2021

Segmentation of blood vessels becomes an essential step in computer aided diagnosis system for the diseases in several departments of ophthalmology, neurosurgery, oncology, cardiology, and laryngology. Aiming at the problem of insufficient segmentation of small blood vessels by existing methods, a novel method based on multi-module fusion residual neural network model (MF2ResU-Net) was proposed. In the proposed networks, to obtain refined features of vessels, three cascade connected U-Net networks were employed as main networks. To deal with the problem of over-fitting, residual paths were used in main networks. In the blocks of U-Net in MF2ResU-Net, in order to remove the semantic difference in low-level and high-level, shortcut connections were used to combine the encoder layers and decoder layers in the blocks. Furthermore, atrous spatial pyramid pooling was embedded between the encoder and decoder to achieve multi-scale feature of blood vessels. During the training of the networks, to deal with the imbalance between background and foreground, a novel joint loss function was proposed based on the dice and cost- sensitive, which could greatly reduce the impact of unbalance in classes of samples. In experiment section, two retinal datasets, DRIVE and CHASE DB1, were used to test our method, and experiments showed that MF2ResU-Net was superior to existing methods on the criteria of sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), accuracy (Acc), and area under curve (AUC), the values of which are 0.8013 and 0.8102, 0.9842 and 0.9809, 0.9700 and 0.9776, and 0.9797 and 0.9837 respectively for DRIVE and CHASE DB1. The results of experiments demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the model in the segmentation of complex curvature and small blood vessels.
Co-Production of Hydrogen and Ethyl Acetate in E. Coli
Authors: Bohnenkamp Anna C. , Wijffels Rene H. , Kengen Servé W. M. , Weusthuis Ruud A.
Published: June 2021

Background: Ethyl acetate and hydrogen are industrially relevant compounds that preferably are produced via sustainable, non-petrochemical production processes. Both compounds are volatile and can be produced by Escherichia coli before. However, relatively low yields for hydrogen are obtained and a mix of by-products render the sole production of hydrogen by micro-organisms unfeasible. High yields for ethyl acetate have been achieved but accumulation of formate remained an undesired but inevitable obstacle. Coupling ethyl acetate production to the conversion of formate into H2 may offer an interesting solution to both drawbacks. Ethyl acetate production requires equimolar amounts of ethanol and acetyl-CoA, which enables a redox neutral fermentation, without the need for production of by-products, other than hydrogen and CO2. Results: We engineered Escherichia coli, towards improved conversion of formate into hydrogen and CO2 by inactivating the formate hydrogen lyase repressor (hycA), both uptake hydrogenases (hyaAB, hybBC) and/or overexpressing the hydrogen formate lyase activator (fhlA). Initially 10 strains were evaluated in anaerobic serum bottles with respect to growth, after which four strains were further analyzed. Anaerobic co-production of hydrogen and ethyl acetate via heterologous ethanol acyltransferase (Eat1) was achieved in 1.5-L pH controlled bioreactors. Conclusions: We showed that the engineered strains co-produced ethyl acetate and hydrogen to yields exceeding 70 % of the pathway maximum for ethyl acetate and hydrogen, and propose in-situ product removal via gas stripping as efficient technique to isolate the products of interest.
Extracellular Vesicles of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Can be Taken up by Microglial Cells and Partially Prevent The Stimulation Induced by β-Amyloid
Authors: Kaniowska Dorota , Wenk Kerstin , Rademacher Phil , Weiß Ronald , Fabian Claire , Schulz Isabell , Guthardt Max , Lange Franziska , Greiser Sebastian , Schmidt Matthias , Braumann Ulf-Dietrich , Emmrich Frank , Köhl Ulrike , Jaimes Yarúa
Published: June 2021

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have great capacity for immune regulation. MSCs provide protective paracrine effects, which are partially exerted by extracellular vesicles (EVs). It has been reported that MSCs-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) contain soluble factors, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and even microRNAs, which confer them similar anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects to MSCs. Moreover, MSCs modulate microglia activation through a dual mechanism of action that relies both on cell contact and secreted factors. Microglia cells are the central nervous system immune cells and the main mediators of the inflammation leading to neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we investigated whether MSC-EVs affect the activation of microglia cells by β-amyloid aggregates. We show that the presence of MSC-EVs can prevent the upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nitric oxide (NO). Both are up-regulated in neurodegenerative diseases representing chronic inflammation, as in Alzheimer’s disease. We demonstrate that MSC-EVs are internalized by the microglia cells. Further, our study supports the use of MSC-EVs as a promising therapeutic tool to treat neuroinflammatory diseases.
QoS-aware Resource Allocation for Live Streaming in Edge-Clouds Aided HetNets Using Stochastic Network Calculus
Authors: Mirzaei Abbas
Published: June 2021

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a key feature of next generation mobile networks aimed at providing a variety of services for different applications by performing related processing tasks closer to the user equipment. Edge clouds can be installed as an interface between the cellular networks and the core to provide the required services based on the known concept of the MEC networks. Nonetheless, the problem of green networking will be of great importance in such networks. This paper presents an energy-efficient stochastic network calculus (SNC) framework to control MEC data flows. In accordance with the entrance processes of different QoS-class data flows, closed-form problems were formulated to determine the correlation between resource utilization and the violation probability of each data flow. Also, in the access layer, this paper proposes a dynamic user association and resource allocation approach which maximizes the overall energy efficiency of cache-enabled cellular networks in addition to provide the superior fairness level for UEs. In this energy-cooperative approach, the power can be shared among the cells using a grid network. This model also performs routing in the multi-hop backhaul to efficiently use the existing infrastructure of small cell networks for simultaneous dual-hop transmissions. The simulation results exhibit that the proposed approach can effectively increase the user throughput and the total power efficiency while guaranteeing the acceptable fairness level for uniform and hotspot UE distribution models. It also proved that the energy utilization index and the system data rate can be significantly improved.
Gut Microbiome Diversity and Specific Composition During Immunotherapy in Japanese Responders with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Shoji Fumihiro , Yamaguchi Masafumi , Okamoto Masaki , Takamori Shinkichi , Kozuma Yuka , Toyokawa Gouji , Yamazaki Koji , Okamoto Tatsuro , Takenoyama Mitsuhiro , Shimokawa Mototsugu , Takeo Sadanori , Maehara Yoshihiko
Published: June 2021

Cancer immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has revolutionized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy. Recently, the microbiome status before initiation of ICI therapy has been emphasized as a predictive biomarker in patients undergoing ICI therapy. However, the microbiome diversity and composition during ICI therapy is unknown. This multicenter, prospective observational study analyzed both saliva and feces from 28 patients with NSCLC. We performed 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, then analyzed associations of oral and gut microbiome diversity or composition with ICI response. Seventeen patients (responders) had a partial ICI response, and the remaining 11 patients (non-responders) had stable or progressive disease. At the genus level, the alpha diversity of the gut microbiome was significantly greater in ICI responders than in non-responders (Chao 1, p = 0.0174; PD whole tree, p = 0.0219; observed species, p = 0.0238; Shannon, p = 0.0362), while the beta diversity of the gut microbiome was significantly lower in ICI responders (principal coordinates analysis, p = 0.035). Compositional differences in the gut microbiome were observed between the two groups; in particular, Blautia was enriched in ICI responders, whereas RF32 unclassified was enriched in ICI non-responders. There were no significant differences between groups in the oral microbiome. This study revealed a strong association between gut microbiome diversity and ICI response in Japanese NSCLC patients. Moreover, specific gut microbiome compositions may influence the ICI response. These findings might be useful in identifying biomarkers to predict ICI response, as well as in developing biotic therapies to enhance the ICI response.
Plasma Levels of Receptor-interacting Protein Kinase 3 Is Associated With Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Acute DeBakey Type I Aortic Dissection.
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhong Guodong , Zhou Hao , Lv Xiaochai , Dong Yi , Wang Xiaoli , Dai Xiaofu , Xu Yanfang , Chen LiangWan
Published: June 2021

Background. Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in acute Debakey type I aortic dissection (ADIAD) is common but has unclear pathogeneses and limited treatments. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3), a mediator of necroptosis, is associated with human sepsis-induced and posttraumatic AKI, but its role in human postoperative AKI in ADIAD remains unclear. We assumed that RIP3 levels is associated with postoperative AKI in ADIAD.Methods. Plasma samples and the clinical data of continuous patients with ADIAD were collected prospectively. The patients were divided into three groups according to AKI stage postoperatively. The plasma RIP3 levels were compared among the groups, and the relationship between RIP3 and serum creatinine (sCr), inflammatory cytokines as well as clinical results were analyzed. Results. Eighty patients were enrolled. The postoperative and elevated RIP3 levels among the three groups were significantly different (P < 0.0001), both with a positive trend across the AKI stage (P for trend < 0.001), and they were also independent risk factors for postoperative AKI in ADIAD (OR=1.018 and 1.026, P < 0.05). The postoperative RIP3 levels were positively correlated with the aortic crossclamp time (R=0.253, P < 0.05); the peak values of sCr, procalcitonin, interleukin-6 and lactate postoperatively; the mechanical ventilation time; and the ICU stay time (R= 0.66, 0.369, 0.409, 0.397, 0.474 and 0.435, respectively; all P < 0.001). Plasma RIP3 level and sCr were comparable in diagnosing postoperative AKI in ADIAD (P = 0.898), and higher postoperative RIP3 level was associated with lower survival rate. Conclusion. The plasma RIP3 levels are associated with postoperative AKI, inflammatory response and clinical outcomes in ADIAD.
QTL Validation and Development of SNP-based High Throughput Molecular Markers Targeting a Genomic Region Conferring Narrow Root Cone Angle in Aerobic Rice Production Systems
Authors: Vinarao Ricky , Proud Christopher , Snell Peter , Fukai Shu , Mitchell Jaquie
Published: June 2021

BackgroundAerobic rice production (AP) is a potential solution to the imminent global water crisis as it consumes less water than traditional permanent water culture. Narrow root cone angle (RCA) and subsequent development of deeper rooting systems are considered AP adaptation traits by enabling water uptake at depth. Quantitative trait loci (QTL), such as qRCA4, contributing to RCA variation in AP systems have been previously identified. However, their usefulness depends on validation in a range of genetic backgrounds, development of associated molecular markers, and identification of possible donors in other subpopulations. Results Using three F2 bi-parental populations derived from IRAT109 crossed with three different genetic backgrounds, and genotypes with known qRCA composition, QTL validation were performed and molecular markers developed. qRCA4 was shown to be effective in multiple backgrounds, explaining 9.3-17.3% of the genotypic variation in the populations tested and the introgression of the favourable allele resulted in 11.7-15.1° narrower RCA. Novel kompetive allele specific PCR (KASP) molecular markers have been developed associated with narrow RCA. Core molecular marker quality metrics have shown robustness and breeding program specific utility of up to 83%. qRCA4 was further fine mapped into a 720 kb region. Analysis of candidate genes identified those related with plant response to abiotic stress stimulus together with root development. Available public database search found 178 potential donors representing major rice subpopulations and may be used readily by breeding programs. ConclusionThis study validated qRCA4’s effect in multiple genetic backgrounds further strengthening its value in improvement of rice genotypes for AP adaptation. Furthermore, the development of novel KASP markers has ensured the opportunity for its seamless introgression across pertinent breeding programs. Future research in metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of QTL positive genotypes should improve the understanding of the physiological mechanisms underpinning narrow RCA and development of deeper rooting. Finally, this work provides the tools and opportunity to accelerate the development of genotypes with narrow RCA through marker assisted selection in breeding programs targeting AP, which may ultimately contribute to more sustainable rice production where water availability is limited.
Assessment of the Influence of Keratometry on Intraocular Lens Calculation Formulas in Long Axial Length Eyes
Authors: Yin Shengjie , Guo Chengyao , Qiu Kunliang , Ng Tsz Kin , Li Yuancun , Du Yali , Chen Bingyao , Wang Hongxi , Zhang Mingzhi
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Hyperopic surprises tend to occur in axial myopic eyes and other factors including corneal curvature have rarely been analyzed in cataract surgery, especially in eyes with long axial length (≥ 26.0 mm). Thus, the purpose of our study was to evaluate the influence of keratometry on four different formulas (SRK/T, Barrett Universal II, Haigis and Olsen) in intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation for long eyes.Methods: Retrospective case-series. 180 eyes with axial length (AL) ≥ 26.0 mm were divided into 3 keratometry (K) groups: K ≤ 42.0 D (Flat), K ≥ 46.0 D (Steep), 42.0 < K < 46.0 D (Average). Prediction errors (PE) were compared between different formulas. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with the PE.Results: The mean absolute error was higher for all evaluated formulas in Steep group (ranging from 0.66 D to 1.02 D) than the Flat (0.34 D to 0.67 D) and Average groups (0.40 D to 0.74D). The median absolute errors predicted by Olsen formula were significantly lower than that predicted by Haigis formula (0.42 D versus 0.85 D in Steep and 0.29 D versus 0.69 D in Average) in Steep and Average groups (P = 0.012, P < 0.001, respectively). And the Olsen formula demonstrated equal accuracy to the Barrett II formula in Flat and Average groups. The predictability of the SRK/T formula was affected by the AL and K, while the predictability of Olsen and Haigis formulas was affected by the AL only. Conclusions: Steep cornea has more influence on the accuracy of IOL power calculation than the other corneal shape in long eyes. Overall, both the Olsen and Barrett Universal II formulas are recommended in long eyes with unusual keratometry.
The value of ROX index in predicting the outcome of high flow nasal cannula: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Junhai Zhen , Jing Yan , Shijin Gong , BeiBei Cao , Li Li
Published: June 2021

Background: High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy is widely employed in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) patients. However, the techniques for predicting HFNC outcome remain scarce.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched until April 20, 2021. We included the studies that evaluated the potential predictive value of ROX (respiratory rate-oxygenation) index for HFNC outcome. This meta-analysis determined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic score, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and pooled area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve.Results: We assessed nine studies with 1933 patients, of which 745 patients experienced HFNC failure. This meta-analysis found that sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, diagnostic score, and DOR of ROX index in predicting HFNC failure were 0.67 (95% CI 0.57-0.76), 0.72 (95% CI 0.65-0.78), 2.4 (95% CI 2.0-2.8), 0.46 (95% CI 0.37-0.58), 1.65(95% CI 1.37-1.93), and 5.0 (95% CI 4.0-7.0), respectively. In addition, SROC was 0.75 (95% CI 0.71-0.79). Besides, our subgroup analyses revealed that ROX index had higher sensitivity and specificity for predicting HFNC failure in COVID-19 patients from non-European countries, while the acquisition time of 6 h after receiving HFNC had a lower sensitivity and specificity when compared to other times.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that ROX index could function as a novel potential marker to identify patients with a higher risk of HFNC failure. However, the prediction efficiency was moderate, and additional research is required to determine the optimal cut-off value and propel acquisition time of ROX index in the future.
Clinical Implication of Monitoring Circulating Tumor DNA in Untreated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Lim Jun Hyeok , Shin Hyun-Tae , Oh Sekyung , Lee Seung Jae , Ryu Jeong-Seon
Published: June 2021

CtDNA has been utilized to monitor the clinical course of the patients of NSCLC who receive therapies targeting druggable mutations. However, despite providing valuable information on how NSCLC would naturally progress, the clinical utility of ctDNA for clinical-course monitoring and prediction of the treatment-naïve NSCLC patients without druggable mutations remain unknown. We longitudinally followed a total of 12 treatment-naïve NSCLC patients, who did not harbor EGFR and ALK mutations, by collecting clinical information, radiological data, and plasma samples. Changes in ctDNA levels and tumor burden (TB) were also compared with each other. Volume doubling time (VDT), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed regarding ctDNA detection at diagnosis. CtDNA was detected in the plasma of seven (58.3%) patients. Changes in ctDNA levels correlated with those in TB in a substantial fraction (57.1%) of patients and was also associated with brain metastasis, tumor necrosis, or pneumonia in other patients. In addition, the patients with ctDNA detection had shorter VDT (p = 0.039) and worse OS (p = 0.019) than those without ctDNA detection. The natural course of NSCLC progression can be monitored by measuring ctDNA levels. Detection of ctDNA at diagnosis can predict rapid tumor growth and poor survival of NSCLC patients.
Model Predictive Displacement Control Tuning for Tap-Water-Driven Muscle By Inverse Optimization with Adaptive Model Matching and Analysis of Contribution
Authors: Tsuruhara Satoshi , Inada Ryo , Ito Kazuhisa
Published: June 2021

The tap-water-driven McKibben muscle has many advantages and is expected to be applied in mechanical systems that require a high degree of cleanliness. However, the muscle has strong asymmetric hysteresis characteristics that depend on the load, and these problems prevent its widespread use. In this study, a novel control method - model predictive control with servomechanism based on inverse optimization with adaptive model matching - is applied to the muscle based on a high-precision mathematical model employing an asymmetric Bouc-Wen model. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves a high tracking performance at a reference frequency of 0.3 Hz, with a mean absolute error of 0.13 mm in the steady-state response. Furthermore, an easier controller tuning can be achieved. Additionally, the authors evaluate the contributions of the elements of the proposed method. The results show that the contribution of the adaptive system is higher than that of the servo system. Furthermore, the effectiveness of adaptive model matching is reconfirmed.
3x + 1 problem: Iterative operations neither cause loops nor diverge to infinity
Authors: Jiang Li
Published: June 2021

The 3x+1 problem is a problem of continuous iteration for integers. According to the basic theorem of arithmetic and the way of iteration, we derive a general formula for continuous iteration for odd integers. Through this formula, we can construct a loop iteration equation and obtain the result of the equation: the equation has only one positive integer solution. In addition, this general formula can be converted into a linear indeterminate equation. The process of solving this equation shows that the relationship between the iteration result and the odd number being iterated is linear. Extending this result to all positive even numbers, we get the answer to the 3x + 1 question.
Triglyceride-glucose Index Predicts 2-year Adverse Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Non-st-segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Underwent Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Chen Liang , Ding Xiao-Hang , Fan Kang-Jun , Gao Ming-Xin , Yu Wen-Yuan , Liu Hong-Li , Yu Yang
Published: June 2021

Background: Data on the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and prognosis after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) are limited. This retrospective observational study evaluated the association of the TyG index with prognosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) who underwent OPCABG.Methods: A total of 1534 patients with T2DM who underwent OPCABG for NSTE-ACS were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into lower and higher TyG index groups according to the optimal cutoff value of the TyG index for predicting the primary endpoint. The primary outcomes included the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), which were defined as all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke and symptomatic graft stenosis or occlusion. The TyG index was calculated using the following equation: TyG index = ln (fasting triglyceride level [mg/dL] × fasting glucose level [mg/dL]/2).Results: The overall incidence of MACCEs was 10.7% with a median follow-up of 23.1 months. The optimal TyG index cutoff for predicting MACCEs was 9.42 (sensitivity 49.4%; specificity 71.2%; area under the curve 0.631; P < 0.001). The incidence of MACCEs increased with a 1-unit increase in the TyG index [HR 2.218, 95% CI (1.733-2.839), P < 0.001]. A TyG index greater than 9.42 was independently associated with a higher risk of MACCEs [HR 2.092, 95% CI (1.573-2.784), P < 0.001] and each component. Furthermore, the effect of TyG in increasing MACCEs was consistent across groups of age, sex, BMI, hypertension, LDL-C, oral hypoglycemic agents, LIMA, number of grafts and IABP groups, except in patients diagnosed with NSTEMI, treated with statins and prescribed insulin at discharge.Conclusion: The TyG index predicts future MACCEs independently of known cardiovascular risk factors, suggesting that the TyG index may be a useful marker for prognosis in patients with T2DM and NSTE-ACS who underwent OPCABG.
Economic Burden of Comorbid Chronic Conditions Among Survivors of Stroke in China: 10-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Zhang Ji , Song Suhang , Zhao Yang , Ma Gaoting , Jin Yinzi
Published: June 2021

Background: The coexistence of chronic diseases among people with stroke is common. However, little is known about the extent of incremental healthcare expenditures associated with having physically and psychologically chronic conditions among stroke survivors.Methods: We used the nationally representative data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, including 36,076 participants enrolled as our analytic cohort of ten years of follow-up visits (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015). Chronic conditions include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and impaired cognitive function. Two-part models were used to estimate the effect of comorbid chronic conditions on total annual healthcare expenditure, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditure, and incidence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE).Results: Among survivors of stroke during 2006 to 2015, the prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and impaired cognitive function were 75.5%, 9,8%, 12.7% and 65.1%, significantly higher than those among adults without stroke history (27.9%, 2.7%, 10.0% and 41.2%). Having hypertension ($794.5, p=0.004), diabetes ($3978.5, p<0.001) were associated with the largest incremental total healthcare expenditures. Stroke survivors with diagnosed hypertension and diabetes had additional 5.7 (p<0.001) and 10.4 (p<0.001) percentage point of CHE rate, respectively. Total healthcare expenditures were $2413.0 (P<0.001) and $5151.7 (P<0.001) higher among patients with 2, and ≥3 chronic conditions, respectively, than those individuals with no chronic conditions.Conclusions: Excess expenditures associated with chronic diseases were substantial among stroke survivors. These results highlight the needs for both prevention and better management of multimorbidity among stroke survivors, which in turn may lower the financial burden of treating these concurrent comorbidities.
MTBAN: An Enhanced Variant Effect Predictor Based on a Deep Generative Model
Authors: Kim Ha Young , Jeon Woosung , Kim Dongsup
Published: June 2021

The development of an accurate and reliable variant effect prediction tool is important for research in human genetic diseases. A large number of predictors have been developed towards this goal, yet many of these predictors suffer from the problem of data circularity. Here we present MTBAN (Mutation effect predictor using the Temporal convolutional network and the Born-Again Networks), a method for predicting the deleteriousness of variants. We apply a form of knowledge distillation technique known as the Born-Again Networks (BAN) to a previously developed deep autoregressive generative model, mutationTCN, to achieve an improved performance in variant effect prediction. As the model is fully unsupervised and trained only on the evolutionarily related sequences of a protein, it does not suffer from the problem of data circularity which is common across supervised predictors. When evaluated on a test dataset consisting of deleterious and benign human protein variants, MTBAN shows an outstanding predictive ability compared to other well-known variant effect predictors. We also offer a user-friendly web server to predict variant effects using MTBAN, freely accessible at http://mtban.kaist.ac.kr. To our knowledge, MTBAN is the first variant effect prediction tool based on a deep generative model that provides a user-friendly web server for the prediction of deleteriousness of variants.
Association Between CACNA1C Polymorphisms and Insomnia in a Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Population-Based Analysis
Authors: Chen Liucui , Li Huaxin , Yuan Haijun , Gao Wei , Liu Feng , Ma Bing , Ding Yingmei , Liu Xiaofen , Yuan Mei
Published: June 2021

A limited number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown that CACNA1C is a potential candidate gene for insomnia. The present study sought to investigate the association of CACNA1C gene polymorphisms and insomnia in a Chinese Han population. Twenty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CACNA1C were genotyped by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with a Sequenom MassARRAY system in 205 patients with insomnia and 154 healthy controls. Data from all participants were systematically collected. Association of the polymorphisms with insomnia was evaluated by statistical analysis. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis were performed with Haploview v4.2 software. After adjustment for multiple comparisons and gender, age, body mass index (BMI), hypertension and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), only the rs2302729 in the recessive model (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]= 0.414, 95%CI= 0.220-0.771, P= 0.004) related to insomnia achieved significance by the false discovery rate (FDR) Benjamini and Hochberg (BH) criterion. The haplotypes rs2302729-rs1051375, CA and TG were significantly associated with insomnia (P<0.05). Our findings contributed important evidence for the confirming of CACNA1C as a susceptibility gene for insomnia in the samples of Chinese Han population.
Human Development, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sub-National Mitigation Burdens: A Brazilian Perspective
Authors: Ambrósio Geanderson , Cunha Dênis Antônio Da , Pires Marcel Viana , Costa Luis , Faria Raiza Moniz , Gurgel Angelo Costa
Published: June 2021

International frameworks for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation usually disregard country-specific inequalities for the allocation of mitigation burdens. This may hinder low developed regions in a country from achieving development in a socioeconomic perspective, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of eradicating poverty (SDG1) and hunger (SDG2). We use observed data (1991-2010) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions and a sub-national human development index (MicroHDI, range [0, 1]) for Brazilian microregions to design a framework where regional mitigation burdens are proportional to the MicroHDI, without compromising national mitigation pledges. According to our results, the less developed Brazilian regions have not been basing their development in emission-intensive activities; instead, the most developed regions have. Between 2011 and 2050, Brazilian cumulative emissions from the sectors most correlated with MicroHDI are expected to be 325 Gt CO2eq, of which only 50 Gt are associated with regions of MicroHDI < 0.8. Assuming a national GHG mitigation target of 56.5% in 2050 over 2010 (consistent with limiting global warming to 2ºC), Brazil would emit 190Gt CO2eq instead of 325Gt and the 135 Gt reduction is only accounted for by regions after reaching MicroHDI ≥ 0.8. Allocating environmental restrictions to the high-developed regions leaves ground for the least developed ones to pursue development with fewer restrictions. Our heterogeneous framework represents a fairer allocation of mitigation burdens and could be an international reference for addressing both environmental and socioeconomic development in developing countries at sub-national level as emphasized by the SDGs.
Structure-based screening of Natural product libraries in search of potential antiviral drug-leads as first-line treatment to Covid-19 infection
Authors: Rao Aditya , Shetty Nandini
Published: June 2021

The study describes a novel strategy to screen natural products (NPs) based on their structural similarities with chemical drugs and their use as first-line treatment to Covid-19 infection. In the present study, the in-house natural product libraries, consisting of a total of 26,311 structures, were screened against potential targets of 2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2 based on their structural similarities with the prescribed chemical drugs. The comparison was based on molecular properties, 2 and 3-dimensional structural similarities, activity cliffs, and core fragments of NPs with chemical drugs. The screened NPs were evaluated for their therapeutic effects based on predicted in-silico pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties, binding interactions with the appropriate targets, and structural stability of the bound complex. The study yielded NPs with significant structural similarities to synthetic drugs currently used to treat Covid-19 infections. The study proposes the selected NPs as Anti-retroviral protease inhibitors, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors, and viral entry inhibitors.