bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ONE POT POLYOL SYNTHESIS OF Fe2O3-Fe3O4 NANO COMPOSITES AND THEIR STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL, PROPERTY STUDIES
Authors: Jeyavenkatesh M. , Arunodaya J. , Sahoo Trilochan
Published: March 2022

The magnetic iron oxides are classified into three phases known as Magnetite (Fe3O4), Magnetite (-Fe2O3), Hematite (-Fe2O3).The ferric oxide synthesis with the excess of the ferrous oxide nanoparticles was carried out by the co-precipitation method. The precursors Ferric sulphate hydrate and Ferrous sulphate heptahydrate taken in the molar ratio of 1:2 in 100 ml of water and 30 ml of Hydrochloric acid added to initiate precipitation at 90 OC with vigorous stirring the ammonia solution was added. The prepared materials are characterized by XRD, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The XRD showed formation of phase and crystallization of the nanomaterial is prepared. The UV-Vis spectroscopy used to determine the reflectance and absorptance as well as the optical bandgap of the nanomaterial, in the range of 800 nm to 200 nm. The analysis indicated formation of ferrous oxide impregnated ferric oxide nanoparticles with desired optical band gap.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF AA2024 INTERACTION REINFORCED WITH CARBON NANOTUBES AND SILICON NANOCOMPOSITES STUDIED BY FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: Muniyappan M. , Iyandurai N.
Published: March 2022

AA2024 is used in applications where a high strength to weight ratio is required. In the present work, Infrared spectroscopy had been used to expand our knowledge about AA2024-carbon nanotubes-silicon interactions at various proportions. The analysis of Infrared data supported the subsistence of structural specificities in the interaction. From the observed results, the effect of CNTs and silicon on AA2024 is clearly explained. For example, the infrared band observed at 619 cm−1 is assigned to the Al-O-Si stretching of AA2024. This band is shifted to 612 cm−1 when 4% CNTs is added and 617 cm−1 when 4% silicon is added with AA2024, which shows strong interaction is present. The FTIR ban observed at 771 cm−1 is assigned to silicon-carbon stretching mode, which is shifted to 775 cm−1. This suggests that sturdy interaction is present.
SCAPS simulated FASnI3 and MASnI3 based PSC solar cells: A comparison of device performance
Authors: Vishnuwaran M. , Ramachandran K. , Roy Priyanka , khare Ayush
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we have designed simulated, compare, and analyzed the high efficiency of FASnI3 and MASnI3 based PSC solar cell. In recent times, organic and inorganic Perovskite-based solar cells are turning to be hopeful devices due to their unique proprieties in the PV field. In our present work, we were concentrating several studies on Perovskite solar cell-based FASnI3 and MASnI3 Perovskite layer. Most of the Perovskite solar cell is made by Pb material for getting the high efficiency. However, the factor of toxicity and stability of the Pb-constructed devices is the main challenge to progress in commercial manufacture. In this study, numerical modeling of PSC used the alternative materials which are Sn-based Perovskite solar cells. In this work, we investigated tin-based perovskite solar cells with different absorber layers and also we investigated using high thickness in ETL and HTL what are change could be happen these are the things also we discussed in this paper. If we increase the thickness of the ETL and HTL the efficiency also increased we got some good results on it. Here we report simulation of lead-free Tin based PSC processed on FASnI3 and MASnI3 two different Perovskite layers. In our present work, we using 1D-SCAPS for numerical analysis.
Improvement in property of waste brick admixtured cement cured with different water conditions
Authors: Gopalakrishnan R. , Geetha A.
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this report is to study the use of waste brick as an additive for Portland cement, in which 5, 10, 15 and 20% (by weight) of Portland cement is substituted by waste brick. The specimens are subsequently hardened for a period of 7, 28, 90 and 180 days under curing with the condition of distilled water, groundwater and seawater. The waste brick additives prompt the initial hydration of Portland cement and promote the hydration reaction. In the next stage of hardening (after 28, 90 and 180 days of hydration), waste brick supplement (up to 20 wt.%) enhances the compressive strength of the specimens, illustrating this effect as the development of calcium silicate hydrates. It is to be mentioned that waste brick activates the hydric properties of Portland cement. In the initial stages, additional seawater promotes cement hydration and, in the later stage, retards the same.
Numerical hybrid thermal MRT-LBM for condensation and boiling phenomena on horizontal walls of different wettability
Authors: Channouf Salaheddine , Jami Mohammed , Mezrhab Ahmed
Published: March 2022

In this paper, boiling and condensation phenomena are described on walls with mixed wettability using a hybrid thermal model with multiple relaxation times of the Boltzmann lattice type. We start this study by validating our code. To do so, different simulations are performed namely the spreading of a liquid droplet on an adjustable wettability surface by varying its density, the surface tension for different temperatures around the critical point using Laplace’s law which is used to compute the characteristic parameters (Taylor wavelength

λ
d

, characteristic length

l
0

and characteristic time

t
0

), the evaporation of a liquid droplet is evaluated in compraison with the literature work for constant thermal conductivity values. Subsequently, the power law is verified by processing the growth of a liquid droplet for three different cases of wettability. On the other hand, we study the behavior of condensation and boiling processes and their interactions between the boundaries of the solid surface in which they occur. For this purpose, the cavity walls are considered wetting in some areas and non-wetting in others. The results show different behaviors depending on the zones of the walls.
Simulating quantum circuits with ZX-calculus reduced stabiliser decompositions
Authors: Kissinger Aleks , van de Wetering John
Published: March 2022

We introduce an enhanced technique for strong classical simulation of quantum circuits which combines the ‘sum-of-stabilisers’ method with an automated simplification strategy based on the ZX-calculus. Recently it was shown that quantum circuits can be classically simulated by expressing the non-stabiliser gates in a circuit as magic state injections and decomposing them in chunks of 2–6 states at a time, obtaining sums of (efficiently-simulable) stabiliser states with many fewer terms than the naive approach. We adapt these techniques from the original setting of Clifford circuits with magic state injection to generic ZX-diagrams and show that, by interleaving this ‘chunked’ decomposition with a ZX-calculus-based simplification strategy, we can obtain stabiliser decompositions that are many orders of magnitude smaller than existing approaches. We illustrate this technique to perform exact norm calculations (and hence strong simulation) on the outputs of random 50- and 100-qubit Clifford + T circuits with up to 70 T-gates as well as a family of hidden shift circuits previously considered by Bravyi and Gosset with over 1000 T-gates.
Magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic particle spectroscopy-based bioassays: a 15 year recap
Authors: Wu Kai , Liu Jinming , Chugh Vinit Kumar , Liang Shuang , Saha Renata , Krishna Venkatramana D , Cheeran Maxim C-J , Wang Jian-Ping
Published: March 2022

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have unique physical and chemical properties, such as high surface area to volume ratio and size-related magnetism, which are completely different from their bulk materials. Benefiting from the facile synthesis and chemical modification strategies, MNPs have been widely studied for applications in nanomedicine. Herein, we firstly summarized the designs of MNPs from the perspectives of materials and physicochemical properties tailored for biomedical applications. Magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS), first reported in 2006, has flourished as an independent platform for many biological and biomedical applications. It has been extensively reported as a versatile platform for a variety of bioassays along with the artificially designed MNPs, where the MNPs serve as magnetic nanoprobes to specifically probe target analytes from fluid samples. In this review, the mechanisms and theories of different MPS platforms realizing volumetric- and surface-based bioassays are discussed. Some representative works of MPS platforms for applications such as disease diagnosis, food safety and plant pathology monitoring, drug screening, thrombus maturity assessments are reviewed. At the end of this review, we commented on the rapid growth and booming of MPS-based bioassays in its first 15 years. We also prospected opportunities and challenges that portable MPS devices face in the rapidly growing demand for fast, inexpensive, and easy-to-use biometric techniques.
The product arbitrariness of generalised functions and its role in quantum field theory
Authors: Nanni Luca
Published: March 2022

In this study, the problem of the product arbitrariness of generalised functions in the framework of Schwartz distribution is addressed. This arbitrariness is responsible for the problem of infinities encountered in quantum field theory when higher-order corrections are considered. The methods of Güttinger-König and Hörmander for getting rid of this arbitrariness are investigated.
Effect of biologically-motivated energy constraints on liquid state machine dynamics and classification performance
Authors: Fountain Andrew , Merkel Cory
Published: March 2022

Equipping edge devices with intelligent behavior opens up new possibilities for automating the decision making in extreme size, weight, and power-constrained application domains. To this end, several recent lines of research are aimed at the design of artificial intelligence hardware accelerators that have significantly reduced footprint and power demands compared to conventional CPU/GPU systems. However, despite some key advancements, the majority of work in this area assumes that there is an unlimited supply of energy available for computation, which is not realistic in the case of battery-powered and energy harvesting devices. In this paper, we address this gap by exploring the computational effects of energy constraints on a popular class of brain-inspired spiking neural networks–liquid state machines (LSMs). Energy constraints were applied by limiting the spiking activity in subsets of LSM neurons. We tested our designs on two biosignal processing tasks: epileptic seizure detection and biometric gait identification. For both tasks, we show that energy constraints can significantly improve classification accuracy. This demonstrates that in the design of neuromorphic systems, reducing energy and increasing performance are not always competing goals.
Septins guide noncentrosomal microtubules to promote focal adhesion disassembly in migrating cells
Authors: Merenich Daniel , Nakos Konstantinos , Pompan Taylor , Donovan Samantha J. , Gill Amrik , Patel Pranav , Spiliotis Elias T. , Myers Kenneth A.
Published: March 2022

Rac1 activation drives septin localization proximal to peripheral focal adhesions to guide noncentrosomal microtubule assembly into focal adhesions. Septins inhibit mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK)-induced disassembly of microtubules and recruit cytoplasmic linker-associated protein (CLASP) to promote iterative bouts of microtubule growth and shrinkage that induce focal adhesion disassembly.
Black Arts, Black Women, Black Politics
Authors: Powell Elliott H
Published: March 2022

This essay-review examines Emily J. Lordi’s The Meaning of Soul: Black Music and Resilience since the 1960s (2020), Sharrell D. Luckett’s African American Arts: Activism, Aesthetics, and Futurity (2019), and Kimberly Mack’s Fictional Blues: Narrative Self-Invention from Bessie Smith to Jack White (2020). Although differing in scope and form, the three books are recent works that are invested in explicating Black, and especially Black women’s, artistic creation as sites of and spaces for alternative Black world-making. This review argues that these works share a demand to consider how Black expressive culture is personal and political, singular and social, and how it can offer creative, collective, and intersectional strategies for living in a more liberatory world. Indeed, this review illustrates how, for past and present Black artists, and Black women artists in particular, cultural production is a key site of struggle in grappling with multiple and concomitant oppressions as well as developing alternative formations of Black living and being, inevitably showcasing the importance of Black cultural production in our contemporary world of anti-Black racism.

Although differing in scope . . . and form, the three books are recent works that are invested in explicating Black, and especially Black women’s, artistic creation as sites of and spaces for alternative Black world-making.
What Do Safety Data Sheets for Artificial Stone Products Tell Us About Composition? A Comparative Analysis with Physicochemical Data
Authors: Kumarasamy Chellan , Pisaniello Dino , Gaskin Sharyn , Hall Tony
Published: March 2022

Artificial stone (AS) is a composite material that has seen widespread use in construction, particularly for kitchen benchtops. However, fabrication processes with AS have been associated with serious lung disease. Safety data sheets (SDSs) aim to provide important information pertaining to composition and health risks. In the case of a complex mixture, SDSs may be problematic in terms of specific information on overall health risks. To assess this issue, we compared empirically determined mineral, metallic, and organic resin content of 25 individual AS products across six suppliers, with the corresponding SDS information. X-ray diffraction was used to quantitate the mineralogical components of AS samples, and X-ray fluorescence was used to estimate the metallic components. Organic material (resin content) was estimated using weight loss during calcination. Although the resin content for all AS samples was within the SDS-reported ranges, there was considerable variability in the crystalline silica content when comparing with supplier’s SDS. Potentially toxicologically relevant metallic and mineral constituents were not reported. Some supplier SDSs were found to provide more information than others. Only one of the six suppliers provided crystalline mineral content other than silica, and only two suppliers provided any information about metals. There remains a limited understanding of lung pathogenesis from AS, and this study highlights the need for more comprehensive and standardized SDS information for risk assessment and management.
Looking out for a sustainable space
Authors: Blake James
Published: March 2022

James Blake charts the evolution of the orbital debris environment and reviews efforts to make operations more sustainable
25 years of planetary surprises
Authors: Nimmo Francis
Published: March 2022

Planetary research has generated a wealth of surprises in the last 25 years. Francis Nimmo presents his pick of the bunch, and looks at what surprises might be waiting for us in the next 25 years
Recurrent pericardial effusion and tamponade after epicardial pacemaker lead placement: a case report
Authors: Nguyen Danh Q , Huntley Geoffrey D , Zaki Timothy A , McGuire Darren K
Published: March 2022

Background

Epicardial pacemaker placement is often necessary in pacemaker-dependent patients with ongoing device pocket infection or lack of venous access. Pericardial effusion and tamponade are rare but serious complications of this procedure.

Case summary

A 38-year-old woman presented with nausea, diaphoresis, and hypotension 7 days after epicardial lead placement. Echocardiography revealed a large pericardial effusion with signs of tamponade. Despite initial improvement after pericardiocentesis, she continued to develop symptomatic pericardial effusions. The patient ultimately underwent pleuro-pericardial window surgery, which resulted in sustained resolution of effusion recurrence.

Discussion

Cases of recurrent pericardial effusion and tamponade following epicardial lead placement have been reported in the literature, although they are rare. While extensive partial pericardiectomy or total pericardiectomy was required to achieve adequate control of fluid accumulation in prior case reports, our patient was successfully managed with a pleuro-pericardial window.
Dento-skeletal response to three different protocols of rapid maxillary expansion in hyperdivergent growing subjects: a longitudinal retrospective study
Authors: Mucedero Manuela , Fanelli Silvia , Rozzi Matteo , Cozza Paola
Published: March 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dento-skeletal response in hyperdivergent growing patients comparing Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) using three different protocols.

Materials and Methods

Three groups of hyperdivergent subjects treated with RME were analyzed. In 41 patients (23F, 18M) the RME was bonded on the maxillary deciduous second molars (E-RME group); in 40 patients (24F, 16M) the RME was bonded on the first permanent maxillary molars (6-RME group); in 45 patients (26F,19M) the RME was bonded on the first permanent maxillary molars with a removable mandibular Bite-Block (6-RME/BB group). Lateral cephalograms and dental casts were scanned and digitally measured before treatment (T1), at the appliance removal (T2) and at least 1 year after the appliance removal (T3). The comparison was made within the same group and between the groups. Statistical comparisons were assessed with analysis of variance multi-comparison test (*P = 0.05).

Results

A significant increase of upper molars buccal tipping was observed in 6-RME group when compared with E-RME and 6-RME/BB groups in the short-term (T2–T1) and long-term (T3–T1); a significant intercanine width increase was observed in E-RME group at the same times. No significant differences in dentoalveolar variables were observed comparing E-RME group versus 6-RME/BB group.

Conclusions

The E-RME protocol allows for a greater skeletal expansion and produces a lower buccal tipping of the first permanent upper molars. The use of the BB in 6-RME/BB group shows a similar attitude to the E-RME protocol then can be considered an effective therapeutic alternative.
Developing a core outcome set for patient-reported symptom monitoring to reduce hospital admissions for patients with heart failure
Authors: Lawson Claire A , Lam Carolyn , Jaarsma Tiny , Kadam Umesh , Stromberg Anna , Ali Mohammad , Tay Wan Ting , Clayton Louise , Khunti Kamlesh , Squire Iain
Published: March 2022

Aims

In patients with heart failure (HF), hospitalization rates are increasing, particularly for non-HF causes and over half may be avoidable. Self-monitoring of symptoms plays a key part in the early identification of deterioration. Our objective was to develop expert consensus for a core outcome set (COS) of symptoms to be monitored by patients, using validated single-item patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), focused on the key priority of reducing admissions in HF.

Methods and results

A rigorous COS development process incorporating systematic review, modified e-Delphi and nominal group technique (NGT) methods. Participants included 24 HF patients, 4 carers, 29 HF nurses, and 9 doctors. In three Delphi and NGT rounds, participants rated potential outcomes on their importance before a HF or a non-HF admission using a 5-point Likert scale. Opinion change between rounds was assessed and a two-thirds threshold was used for outcome selection.

Item generation using systematic review identified 100 validated single-item PROMs covering 34 symptoms or signs, relevant to admission for people with HF. De-duplication and formal consensus processes, resulted in a COS comprising eight symptoms and signs; shortness of breath, arm or leg swelling, abdomen bloating, palpitations, weight gain, chest pain, anxiety, and overall health. In the NGT, a numerical rating scale was selected as the optimal approach to symptom monitoring.

Conclusion

Recognition of a range of HF-specific and general symptoms, alongside comorbidities, is an important consideration for admission prevention. Further work is needed to validate and integrate the COS in routine care with the aim of facilitating faster identification of clinical deterioration.
No Guts About It: Captivity, But Not Neophobia Phenotype, Influences the Cloacal Microbiome of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)
Authors: Kelly T R , Vinson A E , King G M , Lattin C R
Published: March 2022

Synopsis

Behavioral traits such as anxiety and depression have been linked to diversity of the gut microbiome in humans, domesticated animals, and lab-bred model species, but the extent to which this link exists in wild animals, and thus its ecological relevance, is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between a behavioral trait (neophobia) and the cloacal microbiome in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus,n = 22) to determine whether gut microbial diversity is related to personality in a wild animal. We swabbed the cloaca immediately upon capture, assessed neophobia phenotypes in the lab, and then swabbed the cloaca again after several weeks in captivity to additionally test whether the microbiome of different personality types is affected disparately by captivity, and characterized gut microbiomes using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We did not detect differences in cloacal alpha or beta microbial diversity between neophobic and non-neophobic house sparrows, and diversity for both phenotypes was negatively impacted by captivity. Although our results suggest that the adult cloacal microbiome and neophobia are not strongly linked in wild sparrows, we did detect specific OTUs that appeared more frequently and at higher abundances in neophobic sparrows, suggesting that links between the gut microbiome and behavior may occur at the level of specific taxa. Further investigations of personality and the gut microbiome are needed in more wild species to reveal how the microbiome-gut-brain axis and behavior interact in an ecological context.
Impact of longitudinal data-completeness of electronic health record data on risk score misclassification
Authors: Jin Yinzhu , Schneeweiss Sebastian , Merola Dave , Lin Kueiyu Joshua
Published: March 2022

Background

Electric health record (EHR) discontinuity, that is, receiving care outside of a given EHR system, can lead to substantial information bias. We aimed to determine whether a previously described EHR-continuity prediction model can reduce the misclassification of 4 commonly used risk scores in pharmacoepidemiology.

Methods

The study cohort consists of patients aged ≥ 65 years identified in 2 US EHR systems linked with Medicare claims data from 2007 to 2017. We calculated 4 risk scores, CHAD2DS2-VASc, HAS-BLED, combined comorbidity score (CCS), claims-based frailty index (CFI) based on information recorded in the 365 days before cohort entry, and assessed their misclassification by comparing score values based on EHR data alone versus the linked EHR-claims data. CHAD2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED were assessed in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, whereas CCS and CFI were assessed in the general population.

Results

Our study cohort included 204 014 patients (26 537 with nonvalvular AF) in system 1 and 115 726 patients (15 529 with nonvalvular AF) in system 2. Comparing the low versus high predicted EHR continuity in system 1, the proportion of patients with misclassification of ≥2 categories improved from 55% to 16% for CHAD2DS2-VASc, from 55% to 12% for HAS-BLED, from 37% to 16% for CCS, and from 10% to 2% for CFI. A similar pattern was found in system 2.

Conclusions

Using a previously described prediction model to identify patients with high EHR continuity may significantly reduce misclassification for the commonly used risk scores in EHR-based comparative studies.
Morphological and Molecular Identification of Cimex hemipterus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) and First Report of C. lectularius Linnaeus, 1758, in Madagascar
Authors: Akhoundi Mohammad , Raharisoa Annie , Andrianjafy Romain Lovanirina , Chebbah Dahlia , Razanakolona Lala Rasoamialy-Soa , Izri Arezki
Published: March 2022

Bed bugs are hematophagous insects with a long history of presence in human communities. Over the last three decades, infestations by bed bugs in human dwellings have drastically increased, leading to a rise in bed bug concerns. This study was conducted in May 2019 in the Miarinarivo district of Madagascar. Eight locations with suspected infestations were inspected. Of these, five locations were found with active bed bug infestations. Overall, 23 (19 adults and four nymphs) specimens with numbers per apartment ranging from 2 to 6 were collected and analyzed using morphological and molecular approaches. Of 19 adults collected, 18 were morphologically identified as Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), with the final adult identified as C. lectularius. Morphological identification of adults was confirmed by sequencing 450 bp fragment of COI gene. All four nymphs were also identified molecularly as C. hemipterus. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of COI gene and sequence alignment of C. hemipterus specimens revealed the presence of two groups (first group clustered with previously reported haplotype from Asian and African countries and the second group encompassed a lesser known haplotype exclusively from Africa (Kenya and Senegal). This study presents low genetic diversity among C. hemipterus specimens and, for the first time, reports the occurrence of C. lectularius, known as temperate species, in Madagascar. These results can be helpful in control management strategies against these ectoparasites in this country.
Behold-Nå̄, Statistics is an Effective Tool, Use It-Nå̄
Authors: Rachmuth Moshe , Portnoy Stephen , Wright Jacob L
Published: March 2022

In recent years a debate has erupted around the possibility of using quantitative tools to date biblical texts. Our article sets forth a new methodology for discerning statistically significant traces of diachronic layers in texts from the Hebrew Bible. This is not to suggest that an irregularity in a book is sufficient to determine that it is made of more than one source. We are only making the argument on the negative: that there is no reason to explain phenomena that ‘seem interesting’ if there is no statistical model that shows a significant difference from random distribution. More generally, this study demonstrates the need for informed and careful application of recent statistical theory to the field of biblical studies.
Community Policing as a Philosophy: The Case of Pol-Der (Polis Derneği, Police Association) in Turkey
Authors: Genç Yılmaz Ayfer
Published: March 2022

The police are different from the military and other security institutions as they hold stronger ties with society. This relationship has kept its significance throughout the history of police all around the world. Particularly starting with the 1970s, a new philosophy of policing termed ‘community policing’ or ‘community-oriented policing’ was born in consolidated Western democracies. Since the 1990s, this model has become a central model for police transformation, predominantly in developing countries. Later, this philosophy was imported to unconsolidated democracies of the Third World. This paper contends that Turkey is a compelling case for police studies as, a Turkish police association called Pol-Der was established in the 1970s and the members of Pol-Der, by declaring their ambition to become community’s police, brought forward the idea of community policing in a relatively early period of time. Despite the fact that previous research on Pol-Der discussed the political–ideological character of the organization, Pol-Der’s emphasis on community policing as a philosophy demonstrated an ambitious—but a failed—initiative to create a paradigmatic shift for policing models in Turkey.
Linking clinical complaints and objective measures of disrupted nighttime sleep in narcolepsy type 1
Authors: Barateau Lucie , Lopez Régis , Chenini Sofiene , Rassu Anna-Laura , Mouhli Lytissia , Dhalluin Cloé , Jaussent Isabelle , Dauvilliers Yves
Published: March 2022

Study Objectives

Despite its high frequency in narcolepsy type 1(NT1), disrupted nocturnal sleep (DNS) remains understudied, and its determinants have been poorly assessed. We aimed to determine the clinical, polysomnographic (PSG), and biological variables associated with DNS in a large sample of patients with NT1, and to evaluate the effect of medication on DNS and its severity.

Methods

Two hundred and forty-eight consecutive adult patients with NT1 (145 untreated, 103 treated) were included at the National Reference Center for Narcolepsy-France; 51 drug-free patients were reevaluated during treatment. DNS, assessed with the Narcolepsy Severity Scale (NSS), was categorized in four levels (absent, mild, moderate, severe). Clinical characteristics, validated questionnaires, PSG parameters (sleep fragmentation markers: sleep (SB) and wake bouts (WB), transitions), objective sleepiness, and orexin-A levels were assessed.

Results

In drug-free patients, DNS severity was associated with higher scores on NSS, higher sleepiness, anxiety/depressive symptoms, autonomic dysfunction, worse quality of life (QoL). Patients with moderate/severe DNS (59%) had increased sleep onset REM periods, lower sleep efficiency, longer wake after sleep onset, more N1, SB, WB, sleep instability, transitions. In treated patients, DNS was associated with the same clinical data, and antidepressant use; but only with longer REM sleep latency on PSG. During treatment, sleepiness, NSS scores, depressive symptoms decreased, as well as total sleep time, WB, SB, transitions. DNS improved in 55% of patients, without predictors except more baseline anxiety.

Conclusion

DNS complaint is frequent in NT1, associated with disease severity based on NSS, several PSG parameters, and objective sleepiness in untreated and treated conditions. DNS improves with treatment. We advocate the systematic assessment of this symptom and its inclusion in NT1 management strategy.
Pancreatic Stellate Cells Prolong Ex Vivo Islet Viability and Function and Improve Engraftment
Authors: Paul Pradyut K , Das Rahul , Drow Travis J , de Souza Arnaldo H , Balamurugan Appakalai N , Belt Davis Dawn , Galipeau Jacques
Published: March 2022

Preserving islet health and function is critical during pretransplant culture to improve islet transplantation outcome and for ex vivo modeling of diabetes for pharmaceutical drug discovery. The limited islet engraftment potential is primarily attributable to loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) support and interaction. Multipotent cells with ECM depositing competency improve islet survival during short coculture period. However, role of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and their ECM support in preserving ex vivo islet physiology remains largely unknown. Here, we report novel cytoprotective effects of culture-adapted porcine PSCs and role of their ECM-mediated intercellular communication on pig, mouse and human islets ex vivo. Using direct-contact coculture system, we demonstrate that porcine PSCs preserve and significantly prolong islet viability and function from 7 ± 3 days to more than 28 ± 5 (P < .001) days in vitro. These beneficial effects of PSCs on islet health are not species-specific. Using NSC47924 to specifically inhibit 37/67 kDa laminin receptor (LR), we identified that LR-mediated intercellular communication is essential for PSCs to protect functional viability of islets in vitro. Finally, our results demonstrate that PSC co-transplantation improved function and enhanced capacity of syngeneic islets to reverse hyperglycemia in mice with preexisiting diabetes. Cumulatively, our findings unveil novel effects of culture-adapted PSCs on islet health likely mirroring in vivo niche interaction. Furthermore, islet and PSC coculture may aid in development of ex vivo diabetes modeling and also suggests that a combined islet-PSC tissue engineered implant may significantly improve islet transplantation outcome.
Intrinsic neural activity predisposes susceptibility to a body illusion
Authors: Hsu Tzu-Yu , Zhou Ji-Fan , Yeh Su-Ling , Northoff Georg , Lane Timothy Joseph
Published: March 2022

Susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI) varies. To date, however, there is no consensus explanation of this variability. Previous studies, focused on the role of multisensory integration, have searched for neural correlates of the illusion. But those studies have failed to identify a sufficient set of functionally specific neural correlates. Because some evidence suggests that frontal α power is one means of tracking neural instantiations of self, we hypothesized that the higher the frontal α power during the eyes-closed resting state, the more stable the self. As a corollary, we infer that the more stable the self, the less susceptible are participants to a blurring of boundaries—to feeling that the rubber hand belongs to them. Indeed, we found that frontal α amplitude oscillations negatively correlate with susceptibility. Moreover, since lower frequencies often modulate higher frequencies, we explored the possibility that this might be the case for the RHI. Indeed, some evidence suggests that high frontal α power observed in low-RHI participants is modulated by δ frequency oscillations. We conclude that while neural correlates of multisensory integration might be necessary for the RHI, sufficient explanation involves variable intrinsic neural activity that modulates how the brain responds to incompatible sensory stimuli.
Total Vaginal Hysterectomy With Uterosacral Ligament Suspension Compared With Supracervical Hysterectomy With Sacrocervicopexy for Uterovaginal Prolapse
Authors: Giugale Lauren E. , Melnyk Alexandra I. , Ruppert Kristine M. , Napoe Gnankang S. , Lavelle Erin S. , Bradley Megan S.
Published: March 2022

(Abstracted from Obstet Gynecol 2021;138:435–442)

Options for women with uterovaginal prolapse who desire hysterectomy and reconstructive repair include native tissue or mesh-based repairs. The benefit of a mesh sacrocolpopexy as the initial surgical approach for uterovaginal pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is unclear.
Use of Metformin to Prolong Gestation in Preterm Pre-eclampsia: Randomised, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
Authors: Cluver Catherine A. , Hiscock Richard , Decloedt Eric H. , Hall David R. , Schell Sonja , Mol Ben W. , Brownfoot Fiona , Kaitu'u-Lino Tu'uhevaha J. , Walker Susan P. , Tong Stephen
Published: March 2022

(Abstracted from BMJ 2021;374:n2103)

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly when presenting preterm. Because the only treatment for preeclampsia is delivery, preterm preeclampsia often leads to preterm delivery placing the neonate at risk of major neonatal disability and death.
Characteristics of White Matter Integrity During Different Phases of Abstinence in Heroin Use Disorders: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Authors: Zhu Jia , Yan Xuejiao , Lyu Zhuomin , Wang Shu , Chen Jiajie , Wang Wei , Li Qiang , Li Wei
Published: March 2022

Objectives

The recovery of heroin-induced white matter impairment during abstinence has been reported, determining the characteristics of this recovery can help to improve the therapeutic strategies. In this study, we explored white matter characteristics in heroin use disorders during different phases of abstinence by using a quantitative diffusion tensor imaging method.

Methods

Seventeen and 22 male patients with long- and short-term abstinence (LA and SA, respectively) from heroin use and 20 male healthy controls participated in this study. Voxel-wise diffusion tensor imaging method was used for the comparison of fractional anisotropy (FA). Radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were induced to explore the pathological characteristics of FA. The correlation between diffusion tensor indices and duration of abstinence was further analyzed.

Results

Compared to the healthy controls, patients with SA had significantly reduced FA in extensive white matter regions, while those with LA had only 2 clusters that showed reduced FA, which were located mainly in the genu of the corpus callosum, forceps minor, uncinate fasciculus, left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and posterior thalamic radiation. Significantly increased RD with unchanged axial diffusivity were detected. FA in the regions with the significant intergroup difference between SA and LA correlated positively with the duration of abstinence. The RD in these regions correlated negatively with the duration of abstinence.

Conclusions

The findings suggested that the time-dependent recovery of white matter, especially the restoration of the myelin sheath, occurred in patients with LA. Longer-abstinent duration with strategies of enhancing myelination may improve treatment effectiveness.
Threshold Equalizing Noise Test Reveals Suprathreshold Loss of Hearing Function, Even in the “Normal” Audiogram Range
Authors: Stone Michael A. , Perugia Emanuele , Bakay Warren , Lough Melanie , Whiston Helen , Plack Christopher J.
Published: March 2022

Objectives:

The threshold equalizing noise (TEN(HL)) is a clinically administered test to detect cochlear “dead regions” (i.e., regions of loss of inner hair cell [IHC] connectivity), using a “pass/fail” criterion based on the degree of elevation of a masked threshold in a tone-detection task. With sensorineural hearing loss, some elevation of the masked threshold is commonly observed but usually insufficient to create a “fail” diagnosis. The experiment reported here investigated whether the gray area between pass and fail contained information that correlated with factors such as age or cumulative high-level noise exposure (>100 dBA sound pressure levels), possibly indicative of damage to cochlear structures other than the more commonly implicated outer hair cells.

Design:

One hundred and twelve participants (71 female) who underwent audiometric screening for a sensorineural hearing loss, classified as either normal or mild, were recruited. Their age range was 32 to 74 years. They were administered the TEN test at four frequencies, 0.75, 1, 3, and 4 kHz, and at two sensation levels, 12 and 24 dB above their pure-tone absolute threshold at each frequency. The test frequencies were chosen to lie either distinctly away from, or within, the 2 to 6 kHz region where noise-induced hearing loss is first clinically observed as a notch in the audiogram. Cumulative noise exposure was assessed by the Noise Exposure Structured Interview (NESI). Elements of the NESI also permitted participant stratification by music experience.

Results:

Across all frequencies and testing levels, a strong positive correlation was observed between elevation of TEN threshold and absolute threshold. These correlations were little-changed even after noise exposure and music experience were factored out. The correlations were observed even within the range of “normal” hearing (absolute thresholds ≤15 dB HL).

Conclusions:

Using a clinical test, sensorineural hearing deficits were observable even within the range of clinically “normal” hearing. Results from the TEN test residing between “pass” and “fail” are dominated by processes not related to IHCs. The TEN test for IHC-related function should therefore only be considered for its originally designed function, to generate a binary decision, either pass or fail.
The Use of Biomarkers in the Early Diagnosis of Septic Arthritis and Osteomyelitis—A Pilot Study
Authors: Mo Michelle , Guilak Farshid , Elward Alexis , Quayle Kimberly , Thompson Dominic , Brouillet Kirsten , Luhmann Scott J.
Published: March 2022

Background:

The diagnosis of septic arthritis (SA) and osteomyelitis (OM) has remained challenging in the pediatric population, often accompanied by delays and requiring invasive interventions. The purpose of this pilot study is to identify a novel panel of biomarkers and cytokines that can accurately differentiate SA and OM at initial presentation using serum alone.

Methods:

Twenty patients below 18 years old whose working diagnosis included SA (n=10) and OM (n=10) were identified. Serum was collected at initial evaluation. Each sample underwent seven ELISA [C1-C2, COMP, CS-846, hyaluronan, procalcitonin, PIIANP, C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II)] and 65-plex cytokine panels. Principal component and Lasso regression analysis were performed to identify a limited set of predictive biomarkers.

Results:

Mean age was 4.7 and 9.5 years in SA and OM patients, respectively (P=0.029). 50% of SA patients presented within 24 hours of symptom onset, compared with 0% of OM patients (P=0.033). 30% of SA patients were discharged home with an incorrect diagnosis and re-presented to the emergency department days later. At time of presentation: temperature ≥38.5°C was present in 10% of SA and 40% of OM patients (P=0.12), mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/h) was 51.6 in SA and 44.9 in OM patients (P=0.63), mean C-reactive protein (mg/dL) was 55.8 in SA and 71.8 in OM patients (P=0.53), and mean white blood cells (K/mm3) was 12.5 in SA and 10.4 in OM patients (P=0.34). 90% of SA patients presented with ≤2 of the Kocher criteria. 100% of SA and 40% of OM patients underwent surgery. 70% of SA cultures were culture negative, 10% MSSA, 10% Kingella, and 10% Strep pyogenes. 40% of OM cultures were culture negative, 50% MSSA, and 10% MRSA. Four biomarkers [CTx-II, transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), B cell-attracting chemokine 1] were identified that were able to classify and differentiate 18 of the 20 SA and OM cases correctly, with 90% sensitivity and 80% specificity.

Conclusions:

This pilot study identifies a panel of biomarkers that can differentiate between SA and OM at initial presentation using serum alone.

Level of Evidence:

Level II—diagnostic study.
Treatments and Sequelae of Pediatric Pathologic Proximal Femur Fractures Due to Benign Bone Cyst
Authors: Lin Adrian J. , Siddiqui Ali A. , Fan Bensen , Bennett James T. , Illingworth Kenneth D. , Andras Lindsay M. , Skaggs David L. , Tolo Vernon T. , VandenBerg Curtis D.
Published: March 2022

Background:

The proximal femur is a common location for pathologic fractures in children, yet there is little published information regarding this injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of pediatric pathologic proximal femur fractures due to benign bone tumors.

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients treated for pathologic proximal femur fractures from 2004 to 2018 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were age below 18 years and pathologic proximal femur fracture secondary to a benign bone tumor. Patients were excluded if they had <1 year of follow-up. Medical charts and serial radiographs were reviewed for fracture classification, underlying pathology, treatment, complications, and time to fracture healing.

Results:

A total of 14 patients were included. Mean age was 6±3 (3 to 11) years, and mean follow-up was 44±21 (22 to 86) months. Index treatment was spica casting in 9/14 (68%) patients, while 5/14 (32%) were treated with internal fixation. Of the 9 patients initially treated with casting, 22% (2/9) required repeat spica casting at a mean of 0.6 months after index treatment, 67% (6/9) required internal fixation at a mean of 20.3 months after index treatment, and 11% (1/9) did not require revision treatment. Eighty-eight percent (8/9) of patients treated with casting required revision treatment compared with 40% (2/5) of those treated with internal fixation (P=0.05). Nonunion occurred after 1 refracture, malunion with coxa vara occurred in 2 fractures, and the remaining 11/14 (84%) fractures had a union at a mean of 4.9±3.0 months All cases of malunion occurred in patients initially treated nonoperatively. There were 19 distinct complications in 10/14 (71%) patients. The incidence of any revision surgery was 64% (9/14).

Conclusions:

In this series, pediatric pathologic proximal femur fractures demonstrated prolonged time to union, high incidence of revision surgery (64%), and substantial complication rate (71%). In children with pathologic proximal femur fractures, treatment with internal fixation is recommended as this series showed a 78% failure rate of initial conservative management.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV.
Hip Morphology in Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO) Patients Treated for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) as Infants Compared With Those Without Infant Treatment
Authors: Ellsworth Bridget K. , Bram Joshua T. , Sink Ernest L.
Published: March 2022

Background:

A subset of patients successfully treated for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) as infants have symptomatic acetabular dysplasia at skeletal maturity leading to periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). The purpose of this study was to compare femoral and acetabular morphology in PAO patients with late acetabular dysplasia after previous treatment for DDH with PAO patients who do not have a history of DDH treatment.

Methods:

A single surgeon’s patients who underwent PAO between 2011 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients previously treated for infantile DDH with a Pavlik harness, abduction brace, closed reduction and spica casting, or open reduction and spica casting were included. Patients with previous bony hip surgery were excluded. Preoperative radiographic measurements of each hip were recorded including lateral center edge angle, anterior center edge angle, and Femoro-Epiphyseal Acetabular Roof index. Computed tomography measurements included the coronal center edge angle, sagittal center edge angle, Tönnis angle, acetabular anteversion at 1, 2, and 3 o’clock, femoral neck-shaft angle, femoral version, and alpha angle. Control PAO cases without a history of DDH diagnosis or treatment were matched with the infantile DDH treatment group in a 2:1 ratio based on coronal center edge angle, age, and sex.

Results:

There were 21 hips in 18 patients previously treated for infantile DDH (13 patients Pavlik harness, 3 abduction brace, 1 closed reduction, and 1 open reduction). The control PAO cohort was 42 hips in 42 patients who did not have previous DDH treatment. There was no statistically significant difference in any of the recorded measurements between patients previously treated for DDH and those without previous treatment including femoral version (P=0.494), anteversion at 1 o’clock (P=0.820), anteversion at 2 o’clock (P=0.584), anteversion at 3 o’clock (P=0.137), neck-shaft angle (P=0.612), lateral center edge angle (P=0.433), Femoro-Epiphyseal Acetabular Roof index (P=0.144), and alpha angle (P=0.156).

Conclusions:

Femoral and acetabular morphology is similar between PAO patients with persistent symptomatic acetabular dysplasia following DDH treatment and patients presenting after skeletal maturity with acetabular dysplasia and no previous history of DDH treatment.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—case-control, prognostic study.