bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Litter Treatment Using Zeolite as a Management Protocol to Enhance Broiler Performance and Control Ammonia Emission in Broiler Production in the Humid Tropics of Nigeria
Authors: EZENWOSU CELESTINE chima , ANIZOBA NNENNA WILFRED , UDEH VALIENTINE VICTOR , NWOGA CAMELIOUS CHIJIOKE , ONODUGO MATTHEW ONYEKA , ONOCHIE CHARLSE OSITA , ONYIMONYI AMSYLEM EGO
Published: February 2022

A 9-week study was conducted to evaluate the effect of using zeolite as a litter management protocol to enhance broiler performance and control ammonia emission from litter. A total of 140 broiler birds (arbor acre) were used for the study. After brooding them together for 2 weeks as a way of stabilizing them, they were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups labeled A-D in a completely randomized experimental design and each treatment was replicated 5 times with 7 birds per replicate. Treat2ment of the litter were as follows: treatment A litter (control) had no zeolite treatment, B (200g zeolite kg−3 litter), C (400g zeolite kg−3 litter), and D (600g zeolite kg−3litter).The experiment was divided into two phase. Starter phahse which lasted for 3weeks and finisher phase lasted for 4 weeks. Feed and water were provided ad libitum Results showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the birds’ values for total feed intake, average daily feed intake, total beyody weight, average daily weight gain, final body weight and feed conversion ratio in both phases in favor of treatment groups. The litter chemical analysis showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the bird’s mean values for mo5isture, uric acid, pH, phosphorous, ammonium nitrate, total volatile fatty acid, ammonium sulfate, ammonia, nitrogen, and ash among the study groups in both phases. Difference in litter microbial load values among the treatments were also significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, litter treatment using zeolite as a management protocol to enhance broiler performance and control ammonia emission was able to enhance performance of the birds by exerting diminutive effect on the precursors and microbial activities that are involve in ammonia production from the litter. It is therefore recommended that farmers can adopt this litter management protocol to reduce ammonia emissions in broiler houses without negatively affecting the growth of the birds.
Serial state switches between local and global computation
in ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Mehta Priyanka , Hayden Benjamin , Yoo Seng Bum
Published: February 2022

Adaptive behavior requires the ability to see both the forest and the trees - to focus on local events at some times, and to assess the global context at others. We hypothesized that these computational foci are associated with distinct neuronal states within one population. We recorded from neurons in area 14 of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) as macaques performed a foraging task that alternated between periods of within-patch searching and long (4-second) inter-trial intervals (ITIs) We found that neural activity during and between trials occupies semi-orthogonal subspaces, with greater dimensionality between trials. We found a double dissociation: between trials, patch richness is linearly decodable; whereas during trials, the prey value is linearly decodable. Finally, subjects calibrated their accept-reject behavior during the trial according to patch richness.We conclude that ostensible downtime prioritizes global processing and highlights how neural populations can accomplish foreground and background-oriented cognition by transforming the neural subspace.
Using Allogenous Structural Bone Graft for Uncontained Tibial Bone Defects ≥ 10 mm in Depth in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Iwase Dai , Metoki Yukie , Kusumoto Yasuaki , Aikawa Jun , Fukushima Kensuke , Takano Shotaro , Mukai Manabu , Uchida Kentaro , Inoue Gen , Takaso Masashi
Published: February 2022

Background
In primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), tibial bone defects ≥ 10 mm in depth often become uncontained defects, a condition most surgeons find challenging to treat. Although the allogenous bone graft is a useful method, complications such as infection and nonunion are likely to occur. There are several reports on the use of allogenous bone graft in revision TKA; however, few studies have investigated its use in primary TKA. We performed primary TKA using the allogenous bone graft as a structural bone graft to treat uncontained defects ≥ 10 mm in depth. This study aimed to assess the clinical and radiographical results after primary TKA with allogenous structural bone graft (ASBG).
Methods
Seventeen patients (mean age, 69.2 years) with a follow-up period of at least 7 years, were retrospectively reviewed. All cases had been treated for medial bone defects using the ipsilateral medial tibial allogenous bone. Clinical evaluation included the assessment of the knee and function scores and knee angle, and the hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle, bone union, and radiolucent line (RL) were assessed radiologically.
Results
The mean depth of the medial tibial defects after tibia cutting was 16.8 mm. Nonunion occurred in one case, and RL occurred in another. We observed a significant difference when the preoperative knee score and HKA angle of patients was compared with that at 1 year postoperatively and the final evaluation. No major complications were observed.
Conclusion
The ASBG technique produced favorable surgical outcomes and may be an acceptable procedure for managing uncontained tibial bone defects ≥ 10 mm in depth in primary TKA.
Prediction of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACCE) Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Using ANFIS-PSO Model
Authors: Karsidani Sahar Dehdar , Farhadian Maryam , Mahjub Hossein , Mozayanimonfared Azadeh
Published: February 2022

Background: This study aimed to use the hybrid method based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to predict the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) of patients underwent angioplasty.Method: This is a retrospective cohort study comprised a total of 220 patients (69 women and 151 men) who underwent coronary angioplasty in Ekbatan medical center in Hamadan city, Iran between March 2009 until March 2012. The occurrence and non-occurrence of MACCE, (including death, CABG, stroke, repeat revascularization) were considered as a binary outcome. The performance of ANFIS models for predicting MACCE was compared with ANFIS-PSO and logistic regression.Results: Ninety-six patients (43.6%) experienced the MACCE event after ten years of follow-up. In multivariate analysis based on logistic regression model, variables such as age (OR = 1.05), smoking (OR = 3.53), diabetes (OR = 2.17) and stent length (OR = 3.12) had a significant effect on MACCE occurrence. Comparing the prediction performance of the models showed that the ANFIS-PSO model had higher accuracy (89%) compared to the ANFIS (81%) and logistic regression (72%) in the prediction of MACCE.Conclusion: The performance of ANFIS-PSO has a minimum error and maximum accuracy compared to other models in the prediction of MACCE. Application of this model is recommended for intelligent monitoring of these patients, the classification of high-risk patients and the allocation of necessary medical and health resources based on the needs of these patients.
Implementation evaluation of a leadership strengthening intervention for improved family experience in a private paediatric care hospital, Pakistan
Authors: Rasheed Muneera A. , Hussain Ayesha , Hashwani Amin , Kedzierski Johannes , Hasan Babar S.
Published: February 2022

Background: A study from a tertiary care center in Pakistan demonstrated that a leadership strengthening intervention led to improved family experience of care outcomes. The objective of the current paper is to assess the implementation of this intervention and identify barriers and facilitators to inform sustainability and scalability. Methods: A working group designed the intervention using a theory-of-change model to strengthen leadership development to achieve greater employee engagement. The interventions included: i) purpose and vision through purpose-driven leadership skills trainings; ii) engaging managers via on-the-job mentorship programme for managers, iii) employee voice i.e., facilitation of upward communication to hear the employees using Facebook group and subsequently inviting them to lead quality improvement (QI) projects; and iv) demonstrating integrity by streamlining actions taken based on routine patient experience data. Implementation outcomes included acceptability, adoption, fidelity across degree & quality of execution and facilitators & barriers to the implementation. Data analyzed included project documentation records and posts on the Facebook group. Analysis indicated acceptability and adoption of the intervention by the employees as178 applications for different QI projects were received. Leadership sessions were delivered to 455 (75%) of the employees and social media communication was effective to engage employees. However, mentorship package was not rolled out nor the streamlined processes for action on patient experience data achieved the desired fidelity. Only 6 QI projects were sustained for at least a year out of the 18 approved by the working group. Facilitators included leadership involvement, real-time recognition and feedback and value-creation through participation by national and international celebrities. Challenges identified were the short length of the intervention and incentives not being institutionalized. The authors conclude that leadership strengthening through short training sessions and on-going communications facilitated by social media were the key processes that helped achieve the outcomes. However, a long-term strategy is needed for individual managerial behaviours to sustain.
Ludangshen Oral Liquid for Treatment of Convalescent COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Trial
Authors: an Xuedong , peng bo , huang xiaodong , jiang hongmei , xiong zhang e , zhang hong , lian fengmei , ba yuanming , tong xiaolin
Published: February 2022

Objective To explore the effect of Ludangshen Oral Liquid for treatment of convalescent patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter method.Methods200 convalescent COVID-19 patients who had symptoms related to decreased digestive and respiratory function were randomly divided to either receive Ludangshen Oral Liquid or placebo for 2 weeks. The severity of clinical symptoms including fatigue, anorexia, abdominal distension, loose stools, and shortness of breath were assessed by visual analogue scale and observed at before and after treatment. The improvement and resolution rates of clinical symptoms were evaluated. Full analysis set (FAS) and per-protocol set (PPS) were used for statistical analyses. Adverse events were recorded during the study. Results8 patients did not complete the study. After 2 weeks of treatment, both FAS and PPS results showed that patients in Ludangshen group had significantly lower score of fatigue, anorexia, loose stools, and shortness of breath than placebo group (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in distention (P > 0.05). The improvement rate of fatigue, anorexia, distension, loose stools and shortness of breath were significantly higher in Ludangshen group (P < 0.05), as well as the resolution rates (P < 0.05) except for shortness of breath (P > 0.05). There were two cases of adverse events, with one nose bleeding in Ludangshen group and one headache in placebo group. ConclusionThe study suggested that two weeks of Ludangshen Oral Liquid treatment may have certain effects for convalescent COVID-19 patients on improving digestive and respiratory symptoms including fatigue, anorexia, loose stools and shortness of breath, which may be one of the choices for management of convalescent COVID-19 patients with digestive and respiratory symptoms.
The association between dietary antioxidant indices and cardiac disease: Baseline data of Kharameh cohort
Authors: keshani parisa , jalali Maryam , ghoddusi masomeh , rezaeianzadeh ramin , Hosseini Seyed Vahid , rezaeianzadeh Abbas
Published: February 2022

Background:Oxidative stress contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease. Tools for evaluating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative characteristics of an individual’s diet as a whole may be valuable for assessing the combined effects of dietary antioxidants on health. This population-based study aimed to investigate the association between dietary antioxidants and cardiac disease.Methods:In this population-based cross-sectional study, 10439 individuals aged 40-70 years were recruited during 2014-2017 in Kherameh cohort study which is a part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN). The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 130 food items was used to assess the dietary intakes. Vitamin A, E, C, selenium, zinc and Manganese intakes were used to compute dietary antioxidant index (DAI) and dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQs).Results:The participants’ mean age was 52.1± 8.3 years. Among all, 4356 (41.7%) were overweight and 1892 (18.1%) were obese. According to the results, odds of cardiac diseases decreased by increasing DAI score (OR=0.80, Pvalue <0.001). , Odds of cardiac diseases increased by lower DAQS after adjusting for demographic variables including age, sex, BMI, Marital status and hypertension (OR=0.799, P value=0.002)Conclusion:The role of anti-oxidants in reducing the odds of cardiovascular disease is very important. Our results highlighted that DAQS and DAI had protective effect on the odds of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is suggested that anti-oxidants as zinc, manganese, selenium, and vitamins A, E and C should be taken through food to reduce the risk of the disease.
Low-dose Polyethylenimine-Mediated Transfection to Generate Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell: an optimized protocol
Authors: Shayestehfar Monir , Farahi Sara , Azar Behjat Kheiri Yeganeh , Memari Amirhossein , Baluchnejadmojarad Tourandokht , Faghihi Faeze
Published: February 2022

Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) can be reprogrammed through different strategies to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). However, most of these strategies require high-cost materials and specific equipment not readily accessible in most laboratories. Hence, liposomal and virus-based techniques can replace with polyethyleneimine (PEI)-mediated transfection to overcome these challenges. However, few researchers have addressed the PEI's ability to transfect HDFs. This study used PEI reagent to transfer oriP/EBNA1-based vector into HDFs to produce hiPSC lines. We first described conditions allowing the efficient transfection of HDFs with low cytotoxicity and without specific types of equipment and optimized several parameters relevant to the transfection procedure. We then monitored the effect of different N/P ratios on transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. By the results, we found that transfection efficiency was greatly affected by plasmid DNA (pDNA) concentration, PEI concentration, order of combining reagents, serum presence in polyplexes, and the duration of serum starvations. Moreover, using the optimized condition, we found that the N/P ratio of 3 achieved the highest percentage of HDFs positive for pGFP (~ 40%) with minimal cell toxicity. We finally generated hiPSCs using the optimized protocol and oriP/EBNA1-based vectors. We confirmed hiPSC formation by characterizing tests: Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) staining, immunocytochemistry (ICC) assay, real-time PCR analysis, in vitro differentiation into three germ layers, and karyotyping test. In conclusion, our results indicated that 25kD branched PEI could efficiently transfect HDFs toward generating hiPSCs via a simple, cost-effective, and optimized condition.
Comparing the 1-year clinical outcomes of polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation between hemodialysis and non-hemodialysis patients: A prospective, observational, single-center study”.
Authors: Nakama Tatsuya , Torii Sho , Kojima Shunsuke , Muraishi Makio , Arai Junya , Azumi Yuta , Asano Kazuhiro , Takafuji Hiroya , Obunai Kotaro , Watanabe Hiroyuki
Published: February 2022

Background: Previous studies have shown favorable clinical outcomes of polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stents (PB-PESs) in patients with femoropopliteal artery (FPA) disease. However, the effectiveness of PB-PES in hemodialysis (HD) patients has not been reported. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical performance of PB-PESs between HD and non-HD patients with symptomatic FPA disease.Materials and Methods: Between January 2019 and February 2020, 52 consecutive patients (mean age: 75.5 years; 42 men) underwent PB-PES implantation for symptomatic FPA diseases. Of these, 29 patients received HD and were classified into the HD cohort. The remaining 23 patients were classified into the non-HD cohort. Clinical outcomes were compared between the two cohorts. The primary efficacy endpoint was the primary patency at 12 months, and the primary safety endpoint was the 12-month incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and limb events (MACLEs), which were defined as the composite of the incidence of all-cause death, major amputation, stent thrombosis, and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR).Results: The overall primary patency rate was 93.3%. No significant difference existed in primary patency between the HD and non-HD cohorts (91.7% vs. 95.0%, P=0.577). The overall incidence rate of MACLEs was 16.6%, and the incidence rate was not significantly different between the HD and non-HD cohorts (20.2% vs. 13.3%, P=0.954). The incidence of stent thrombosis was not different between the HD and non-HD cohorts (8.3% vs. 5.0%, P=0.956).Conclusion: PB-PESs have exceptional 1-year primary patency and acceptable safety in HD patients and non-HD patients.Level of Evidence: Level 3, nonrandomized, follow-up study
Epidemiological Study of Unintentional Childhood Injuries in a Rural and Urban Area of Mangaluru Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka State, India
Authors: Nirgude Abhay S , Haleema Mubeena
Published: February 2022

Background:Worldwide injury & violence is most important cause of death in children, every year it causes death in approximately 950000 children and youngsters who are under the age group of 18 years of age. Ninety percent of it is caused by unintentional injuries. Methods:This study was conducted with the aim to find the period prevalence and factors associated with unintentional childhood injuries. The study was conducted in rural and urban field practice area of a private medical College, Mangaluru taluk.. Community based cross sectional study was conducted by enrolling 400 children (0-18 years) from rural area and 500 from urban during July 2016 to October 2018. Multistage simple random sampling method was followed to select the participants. Source of data was Mother/Father. Predesigned pretested validated structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results:Period prevalence of childhood injury was 67(16.8%) in rural area and 93(18.6%) in urban area. In both area fall was most common cause of injury. Factors which were found to be protective against injury were male child, children of working women in rural area and in urban area it was children belonging to lower and middle socio-economic status, child with 1 sibling. Usage of protective gears while driving was reported by majority of subjects. Almost one third of the children had risk factors for burn at home. However risk factors for sharp injury and animal bite was not found in majority of the children. Environmental risk factors for falls were unprotected roof/balcony/staircase, unsafe equipment/ deep ditches in playground. In both areas, risk factors for fall were significantly associated with fall. Conclusions:Magnitude of unintentional childhood injuries was similar in rural and urban areas, in both areas majority of the participants had fall as a cause of injury. Varied risk factors for injury were found in both areas. Injury prevention, risk reduction should be part of school curriculum and school health programme. Parents should be sensitized about the common type of injury, risk factors and its prevention
Effectiveness of Nootropics in Combination with Cholinesterase Inhibitors on Cognitive Function in Mild-To-Moderate Dementia: A Study Using Real-world Data
Authors: Kang Minjae , Lee Dan Bee , Kwon Sungchan , Lee Eun , Kim Woo Jung
Published: February 2022

Background
The clinical benefits of nootropics in the treatment of cognitive decline has been either limited or controversial. This study aimed to observe the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) and nootropics combination in the treatment of cognitive impairment in dementia.
Methods
Data were based on electronic medical records in a university health system. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia and no history of prior cognitive enhancer use were included (n = 583). The subjects were categorized into the ChEI only group and the ChEI and nootropics combination group. The primary outcome measure was the change in cognitive function, as assessed by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) from baseline to 300–400 days after the first ChEI prescription. Subsequent analyses were conducted in consideration of the dementia type, medical adherence, and type of nootropics.
Results
The changes in MMSE scores from baseline to endpoint were not significantly different between the two groups. In Alzheimer’s dementia, the combination group showed significantly less deterioration in MMSE language subscale scores compared to the ChEI only group (F = 6.86, p = 0.009), and the difference was consistent in the highly adherent subjects (F = 10.16, p = 0.002). The choline alfoscerate and the ginkgo biloba extract subgroups in Alzheimer’s dementia showed more significant improvements in the MMSE language subscale scores compared to the other nootropics subgroup (F = 7.04, p = 0.001).
Conclusions
The present study showed that the effectiveness of ChEI and nootropics combination on cognition may appear differently according to the dementia type. It emphasizes the need for well-controlled studies to generalize the effectiveness of nootropics across various clinical settings.
Light Absorption Enhancement in thin Film GaAs Solar Cells Using Dielectric Nanoparticles
Authors: Chaudhry Fateh A. , Escandell Lorena , López-Fraguas Eduardo , Vergaz Ricardo , Sanchez-Pena Jose Manuel , Garcia-Camara Braulio
Published: February 2022

Cost-effective and lightweight solar cells are demanded in strategic fields such as space applications or integrated-wearable devices, among others. A reduction of the thickness of the active layer, producing thin-film devices, has been a traditional solution for both requirements. However, this also reduces the efficiency of the device. For this reason, alternative strategies are being proposed. In this work, light trapping effects of an array of semiconductor nanoparticles located on the top surface of a thin-film GaAs solar cell are investigated to improve the optical absorption and current density in active layer, under the standard AM-1.5 solar spectrum. The numerical results are compared with other previous proposals such as an aluminum nanoparticle array, as well as conventional solar cells with and without a standard anti-reflective coating (ARC). The inclusion of semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) shown an improved response of the solar cells at different angle of incidence in comparison to solar cell with an ARC. Furthermore, the efficiency was increased a 10% respect to the aluminum nanoparticles (NPs) architecture, and a 21% and a 30% respect to solar cells with and without ARC, respectively.
Outcomes of Professional Development Activities for Selected Texas School Personnel Helping Students Cope with Behavioral and Mental Health Issues
Authors: Wingenbach Gary , Koswatta Taniya , Engels Josephine , Freeny Jamie , Haddad Sana
Published: February 2022

School personnel help youth cope with life and school stressors daily. However, help may depend on one’s confidence or knowledge of such issues. In 2019 and 2020, more than 13,800 Texas educators participated in Emotional Backpack Project (EBP) training for youth coping with behavioral and mental health issues. Post-intervention results showed significant gains in understanding students’ behavioral and mental health issues, improved confidence in approaching students, parents, or other school staff to discuss students’ harmful behaviors, understanding mindfulness activities, and increased knowledge of trauma informed schools and trauma informed educators. Teachers and other school personnel were less confident approaching parents or guardians to discuss youth mental health issues than in approaching students, counselors, and other staff. EBP interventions produced positive results in school personnel’s knowledge, perceptions, and confidence to help students cope with behavioral and mental health issues. EBP training should be adopted widely and occur more than once annually.
Prognostic impact of C-reactive protein and alpha-fetoprotein in immunotherapy score in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab: A multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Hatanaka Takeshi , Kakizaki Satoru , Hiraoka Atsushi , Tada Toshifumi , Hirooka Masashi , Kariyama Kazuya , Tani Joji , Atsukawa Masanori , Takaguchi Koichi , Itobayashi Ei , Fukunishi Shinya , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Tajiri Kazuto , Ochi Hironori , Yasuda Satoshi , Toyoda Hidenori , Ogawa Chikara , Nishimura Takashi , Shimada Noritomo , Kawata Kazuhito , Kosaka Hisashi , Tanaka Takaaki , Ohama Hideko , Nouso Kazuhiro , Morishita Asahiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Nagano Takuya , Itokawa Norio , Okubo Tomomi , Arai Taeang , Imai Michitaka , Naganuma Atsushi , Koizumi Yohei , Nakamura Shinichiro , Joko Kouji , Kaibori Masaki , Iijima Hiroko , Hiasa Yoichi , Kumada Takashi
Published: February 2022

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in immunotherapy (CRAFITY) score in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev).Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a total of 297 patients receiving Atez/Bev from September 2020 to November 2021 at 17 different institutions and hospital groups in Japan. Patients with AFP≥100 ng/mL and those with CRP≥1 mg/dL were assigned a CRAFITY score of 1 point.Results: The patients were assigned CRAFITY scores of 0 points (n=147 [49.5%]), 1 point (n=111 [37.4%]), and 2 points (n=39 [13.1%]). AFP≥100 ng/mL and CRP≥1.0 mg/dL were significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The median PFS in the CRAFITY score 0, 1, and 2 groups was 11.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.4-not applicable [NA]), 6.5 months (95% CI 4.6-8.0), and 3.2 months (95% CI 1.9-5.0), respectively (p<0.001). The median OS in patients with CRAFITY score 0, 1 and 2 was not reached, 14.3 months (95% CI 10.5-NA), and 11.6 months (95% CI 4.9-NA), respectively. The percentage of patients with grade ≥3 liver injury, any grade of decreased appetite, any grade of proteinuria, any grade of fever, and any grade of fatigue was lowest in patients with a CRAFITY score of 0, followed by patients with CRAFITY scores of 1 and 2.Conclusions: The CRAFITY score is simple and could be useful for predicting therapeutic outcomes and treatment-related adverse events.
Lipidomics Analysis Reveals Protective Effect of Myriocin on Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Model Rats
Authors: Wang Ting , Zhang Jingmin , Yang Meng , Guo Jinxiu , Li Duolu , Li Ying
Published: February 2022

Ceramide accumulation has been associated with ischemic stroke. Myriocin is an effective SPT inhibitor, which reduces the levels of ceramides by inhibiting de novo synthesis pathway. However, the role of myriocin in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and its underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study established an experimental rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). We employed UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based lipidomic analysis to identify the disordered lipid metabolites and the effects of myriocin in cerebral cortical tissues of rats. In this study, we found 15 characterized lipid metabolites involved in sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism in cerebral I/R-injured rats, which were significantly reversed by myriocin. Specifically, the mRNA expression of metabolism-related enzyme genes was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).We demonstrated that myriocin could regulate the mRNA expression of ASMase, NSMase, SGMS1, SGMS2, ASAH1, ACER2, ACER3 involved in sphingolipid metabolism and PLA2 involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Moreover, TUNEL and western blot assay showed that myriocin played a key role in regulating neuronal cell apoptosis. In summary, the present work provides a new perspective for a systematic study of metabolic changes in ischemia stroke and the therapeutic applications of myriocin.
Numerical study on vortex-induced vibrations of a flexible cylinder subjected to multi-directional flows
Authors: Qu Yang , Wang Piguang , Fu Shixiao , Zhao Mi
Published: February 2022

Vortex-induced Vibrations ( VIVs ) of a flexible cylinder subjected to multi-directional flows have been studied based on a wake oscillator model. The multi-directional flow comprises two slab of flows in different directions, with each slabs having uniform uni-directional profile. The dynamics of the flexible cylinder is described based on the linear Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and a wake oscillator model is uniformly distributed along the cylinder to model the hydrodynamic force acting on it. The dynamics of the coupled system has been solved numerically using the finite element method and simulations have been conducted with the cylinder subjected to multi-directional flows with different angles between the two slabs. A large number of different initial conditions have been applied and more than one steady state responses have been captured for each flow condition. The steady state responses exhibit two different patterns, one is characterized by two waves travelling in the opposite directions, while the other is dominated by a single travelling wave. It has been found that the cross-flow VIV primarily occurs in the local cross-flow direction and a transition of its vibrating direction happens at the interface of the two flows. Such transition is not observed in the inline VIV and significant vibrations at the double frequency appear in both local cross-flow and inline directions. Energy analysis shows that this transition is boosted by a specific energy transfer pattern between the structure and the flow, which excites the vibration of the cylinder in some directions while damps it in others. It has also been found that this energy transfer is related to certain motion trajectories.
Geospatial analysis of cesarean section in Iran (2016-2020): Exploring clustered patterns and measuring spatial interactions of available health services
Authors: Mohammadi Alireza , Pishgar Elahe , Salari Zahra , Kiani Behzad
Published: February 2022

BackgroundThe lives of babies and mothers are at risk due to the uneven distribution of healthcare facilities required for emergency cesarean sections (CS). However, CS without medical indications might cause complications for mothers and babies, which is a global health problem. Identifying spatiotemporal variations of CS rates in each geographical area could provide helpful information to understand the status of using CS services.MethodsThis cross-sectional study explored spatiotemporal patterns of CS in the northeast of Iran from 2016 to 2020. Space-time scan statistics and spatial interaction analysis were conducted using geographical information systems to visualize and explore patterns of CS services. ResultsThere were 74,291 CS cases, and the total CS rate was 35.4% of all deliveries from 2016 until 2020. Some spatiotemporal clusters regarding CS distribution were identified (p<0.05). According to spatial interaction analysis, there was a solid spatial concentration of hospital facilities in the political center of the study area. Moreover, a high degree of inequity was observed in spatial accessibility to CS hospitals in the whole study area.ConclusionsA high CS rate in comparison to the global CS rate was observed. Therefore, healthcare policymakers might investigate the study area for potential reasons for the remarkable difference. Hospital capacity and distance from population centers to hospitals play an essential role in CS rate variations and spatial interactions among people and CS facilities. As a result, some healthcare strategies, e.g., building new hospitals and empowering the existing local hospitals to perform CS in areas out of service, might be developed to decline inequity.
Spectral Organ Fingerprints For Machine Learning-Based Intraoperative Tissue Classification With Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Studier-Fischer Alexander , Seidlitz Silvia , Sellner Jan , Özdemir Berkin , Wiesenfarth Manuel , Ayala Leonardo , Odenthal Jan , Knödler Samuel , Kowalewski Karl-Friedrich , Haney Caelan Max , Camplisson Isabella , Dietrich Maximilian , Schmidt Karsten , Salg Gabriel Alexander , Kenngott Hannes Götz , Adler Tim Julian , Schreck Nicholas , Kopp-Schneider Annette , Maier-Hein Klaus , Maier-Hein Lena , Müller-Stich Beat Peter , Nickel Felix
Published: February 2022

Visual discrimination of tissue during surgery can be challenging since different tissues appear similar to the human eye. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) removes this limitation by associating each pixel with high-dimensional spectral information. While previous work has shown its general potential to discriminate tissue, clinical translation has been limited due to the method’s current lack of robustness and generalizability. Specifically, it had been unknown whether variability in spectral reflectance is primarily explained by tissue type rather than the recorded individual or specific acquisition conditions. The contribution of this work is threefold: (1) Based on an annotated medical HSI data set (9,059 images from 46 pigs), we present a tissue atlas featuring spectral fingerprints of 20 different porcine organs and tissue types. (2) Using the principle of mixed model analysis, we show that the greatest source of variability related to HSI images is the organ under observation. (3) We show that HSI-based fully-automatic tissue differentiation of 20 organ classes with deep neural networks is possible with high accuracy (> 95 %). We conclude from our study that automatic tissue discrimination based on HSI data is feasible and could thus aid in intraoperative decision making and pave the way for context-aware computer-assisted surgery systems and autonomous robotics.Category for submissionExperimental studyLevel of EvidenceNot applicable. Translational animal science. Original article.
Comparison of Chloral Hydrate Nasal Spray With an Oral Solution for Sedation Before Electroencephalography in Children
Authors: Karimi Parviz , Karimi Elahe , Aidy Ali , Tahmasebi Masoumeh , Ghaneialvar Hori , Abbasi Naser
Published: February 2022

Background The choice of route of drug administration is given depends not only on the compliance but also on the drug’s pharmacokinetics pathway. In this study, the efficacy, and safety of nasal and oral administration of chloral hydrate in the pediatric ready for electroencephalography were evaluated. Methods 143 infants who had to undergo EEG for the diagnosis of neurological disorders received chloral hydrate between January 2017 and December 2018. Chloral hydrate was administered nasally or orally to infants using doses of 50-100 mg/kg. Clinical parameters are being analyzed to measure the efficacy/safety of nasal spray Vs. oral administration was (a) Heart rate Pre-sedation, (b) Heart rate Post Sedation, (c ) Hypoxemia, (d) Apnea), and (e) Oxygen Supplementation. Mean procedure time, mean recovery time, and total nursing times were calculated. Results Oral chloral hydrate group showed a lower heart rate and also a significantly higher percentage of hypoxemia. Apnea was not statistically different between the groups. The mean procedure time for the nasal and oral solution was ranged from 10 to 15 and 15-25 min, respectively. The mean recovery time for the nasal and oral solution was 5-8 and 10-15 min, respectively. Conclusion Chloral hydrate nasal spray is likely to be more safe and effective than oral in pediatric sedation.
Comparison of Growth Curve Models for Ongole Grade Cattle
Authors: Adinata Yudi , Noor Ronny Rachman , Priyanto Rudy , Cyrilla Lucia , Sudrajad Pita
Published: February 2022

Growth curves are important for understanding the growth phase and specific characteristics of farm animals. This study evaluated growth curve models to predict the age at puberty and growth rate of Ongole Grade cattle. The study used the weights of cattle from birth to 3 years old in 2011 to 2019 obtained from the Beef Cattle Research Station. The data were analyzed using three non-linear growth curve models: von Bertalanffy, logistic, and Gompertz. The coefficients of determination (R2) of the growth equation for the respective models were 0.996, 0.981, and 0.992. The estimated age and body weight at puberty for each model were 6.43 months and 144.09 kg, 13.94 months and 164.082 kg, and 11.76 months and 169.571 kg, respectively. The Gompertz function best fit the growth rate and exhibited the smallest standard deviation.
Genetic Diversity of Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica) Revealed Using RAD-Seq SNP Markers
Authors: Nagano Yukio , Tashiro Hiroaki , Nishi Sayoko , Hiehata Naofumi , Nagano Atsushi J. , Fukuda Shinji
Published: February 2022

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is thought to have originated in southeastern China and spread as a cultivated plant worldwide. Many of the loquat genetic resources collected internationally are of unknown origin, and their genetic background requires clarification. This study analyzed the genetic diversity of 95 accessions by using SNP markers obtained by restriction site–associated DNA sequencing. Principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis broadly classified loquat into three groups: 1) Japanese and Chinese cultivars and some Japanese strains (wild plants that are not used for commercial cultivation), 2) Vietnamese, Israeli, Greek, USA, and Mexican cultivars and strains, and 3) other Japanese strains. Group 2 is cultivated mostly outside of East Asia and was clearly distinct from the other groups, indicating that varieties of unknown origin with genetic backgrounds different from those of Japanese and Chinese cultivars may have been introduced to Mediterranean countries and North America (USA and Mexico). The fact that Japanese and Chinese cultivars belong to the same group confirms that the current Japanese cultivars are derived from genetic resources brought from China. Some of group 1 may have been introduced to Japan before excellent varieties were developed in China, while group 3 may have been indigenous to Japan.
A facilitated social innovation: Stakeholder groups using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles for perinatal health across levels of the health system in Cao Bang province, Vietnam
Authors: Bergström Anna , Hoa Dinh Phuong , Nga Nguyen Thu , Hoa Trieu , Tu Tran Thanh , Lien Pham Thi Lan , Trang Tran , Wallin Lars , Persson Lars-Åke , Eriksson Leif
Published: February 2022

Background
Universal coverage of evidence-based interventions for perinatal health could prevent most deaths, particularly if entire communities were engaged in the implementation. Social innovations may provide creative solutions to healthcare challenges, but their implementation relies on engaging communities and health system actors. This proof-of-concept study aimed to assess whether an earlier successful social innovation for improved neonatal survival that employed regular facilitated Plan-Do-Study-Act meetings on commune-level was feasible and acceptable when implemented on multiple levels of the health system (52 health units) and resulted in actions with plausibly favourable effects on perinatal health and survival in Cao Bang province, northern Vietnam.
Methods
The integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework guided implementation and evaluation of the Perinatal Knowledge-Into-Practice (PeriKIP) project. Data collection included facilitators’ diaries, health workers knowledge on perinatal care, structured observations of antenatal care, focus group discussions with facilitators, their mentors and representatives of different actors of the initiated stakeholder groups and an individual interview with the Reproductive Health Centre director. Clinical experts assessed the relevance of the identified problems and actions taken based on facilitators’ diaries. Descriptive statistics included proportions, means, and t-tests for the knowledge assessment and observations. Qualitative data were analysed by content analysis.
Results
The social innovation resulted in the identification of about 500 relevant problems. Also, 75% of planned actions to overcome prioritised problems were undertaken, results presented, and a plan for new actions to achieve the group’s goals to enhance perinatal health. The facilitators had significant roles, ensuring that the stakeholder groups were established based on principles of mutual respect. Overall, the knowledge of perinatal health and performance of antenatal care improved over the intervention period.
Conclusions
The establishment of facilitated local stakeholder groups can remedy the need for tailored interventions and grassroots involvement in perinatal health and provide a scalable structure for focused efforts to reduce preventable deaths and promote health and well-being.
Local Soil Properties and 1D Nonlinear Site Response Analysis: A Case Study of Arifiye (Sakarya Discrit) Turkey
Authors: Silahtar Ali
Published: February 2022

The strong ground motion effect is amplified or de-amplified due to the change in subsoil condition. Local soil properties prediction is critical for earthquake-safe areas and the earthquake hazard assessment of existing structures. This study was carried out with time-domain 1D Non-linear analysis to understand the soil response characteristics of the Arifiye district. In this sense, geotechnical drilling at 47 points and surface wave analysis at 44 points were performed. Site response profiles in the study area were analyzed with the DeepSoil program for Mw:7.0 1967 Mudurnu and Mw:7.4 1999 Kocaeli earthquake scenarios. Peak spectral acceleration (Pga) and spectral acceleration (Sa) values were determined in the analysis of the Mudunu scenario as 0,11-0,24 g and 0,44-1 g, respectively. The Kocaeli scenario's Pga and Sa distribution were obtained in a wide range of 0.2-0.56 g and 0.47-2.3 g, respectively, compared to the Mudurnu scenario. Especially in the Mw:7.4 model, high Pga (>0.3g) and Sa (>1g) values were obtained in the uncemented units located north of the study area. Kocaeli scenario results showed that the spectral accelerations at the surface in soil groups D and E were higher than the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC) building requirements, and it is necessary to update the earthquake design spectra site-specific. On the other hand, it can be said that the southwest of the study area is safer and more suitable residential versus throughout the study area. The results clearly showed the effect of ground conditions and strong ground motion selection on earthquake-resistant building design.
Precipitation and soil microbial community influence plant response to warming and N addition in a desert steppe
Authors: Zhu Yi , Han Guodong , Yu Kailiang , Bisselling Ton , Cheng Xu , Wu Qian , Zhao Mengli , Wilkes Andreas , Ren Haiyan
Published: February 2022

Aims
Global environmental changes are known to affect terrestrial ecosystems. However, how plants and soil microorganisms respond to warming and nitrogen deposition in a desert steppe with strong seasonal drought remains largely unexplored.
Methods
Based on a 13-year manipulative field experiment, we investigated the effects of warming and nitrogen addition on soil microbial communities and plant net photosynthetic rates during two hydrologically contrasting months (6 mm in June and 106 mm in July) in a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia.
Results
We found that in the wet month, warming and nitrogen (N) addition significantly increased soil microbial biomass. Warming and N addition significantly increased soil inorganic N and increased leaf N concentration, thus promoting the net photosynthetic rate of Stipa breviflora. Moreover, warming and N addition significantly shifted soil microbial composition with an increase in soil bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and reduced fungal PLFAs. The increased soil inorganic N indirectly increased leaf N and plant photosynthesis by soil microbial composition. These changes were not significant in the dry month.
Conclusions
Our study indicates that warming and N addition can promote plant photosynthesis by increasing soil N availability and changing the structure of the soil microbial community. These changes only occurred when there was sufficient precipitation. These results highlight the crucial role of soil water availability and the soil microbial community in influencing plant responses to global change drivers (e.g., warming and N addition).
Experimental Investigation of E-beam Effect on Electric Field Distribution in Cross-Linked Polyethylene/ZnO Nanocomposites for Medium-Voltage Cables Simulated Using COMSOL Multiphysics
Authors: Sharshir A. I. , Fayek S. A. , El-Gawad Amal. F. Abd , Farahat M. A. , Ismail M. I. , Ghobashy Mohamed Mohamady
Published: February 2022

This study investigated the electric field distribution of underground cable insulation in cross-linked polyethylene/zinc oxide (XLPE/ZnO) NPs for medium-voltage (MV) cables. The ZnO NPs that were obtained by three methods of preparation were classified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained ZnO NPs were semi-spheres with sizes of 35–55 nm on TEM images. XLPE/ZnO films with various ZnO NP weight contents (i.e., 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) were exposed to varied dosages of 3-MeV electron beam (i.e., 0 kGy, 15 kGy, 20 kGy, and 25 kGy). The optimum film XLPE/5-ZnO, which has ZnO NP content (5 wt%), irradiated at 25 kGy, according to alternating current (AC)/DC conductivity (AC: 1 × 10−4 S/m; DC: 12.44 × 10−2 S/m) in minimum relative permittivity (2.24), was obtained. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the electric field distribution within an MV cable of 25-kGy XLPE/5-ZnO insulation. The maximum uniform electric field was found in the middle of the 25-kGy XLPE/5-ZnO film sample, rather than at the top or bottom, which might be attributed to the significantly low relative permittivity of the new 25-kGy XLPE/5-ZnO film cable.