bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term outcome of female dogs treated for intramural ectopic ureters with cystoscopic‐guided laser ablation
Authors: Hoey Christopher S. F. K. , Friend Ed , Meakin Lee B. , Chanoit Guillaume P.
Published: August 2021

Objective

To report the complications and long‐term outcome of female dogs with intramural ectopic ureter(s) (iEU) undergoing cystoscopic‐guided laser ablation (CLA) and determine the effect of post‐CLA neutering on urinary continence.

Study Design

Retrospective clinical study.

Animals or Sample Population

Thirty‐four client‐owned dogs.

Methods

Medical records of female dogs that had iEU‐CLA were reviewed. A 10‐point continence score was assigned before, immediately after, and at a minimum of 12 months postprocedure via owner telephone contact. Neutering status prior to and postprocedure was recorded.

Results

Continence scores increased in all dogs after CLA (p < .0001, mean duration of follow‐up: 63.9 ± 5.7 months) with an increase of the median score from 2 (preprocedure) to 10 (postprocedure). A urethral tear occurred in 2/34 dogs immediately after the procedure, successfully managed conservatively. Mild hematuria was present in 2/34, lasting less than 48 h. Postoperative urinary tract infections were documented in 6/34 dogs. Two dogs died of urinary‐related issues at 1 and 5 months after CLA. Complete and near‐complete urinary continence (scores 9 and 10/10) was achieved in 26/32 dogs including 3 dogs requiring medical (2) or surgical interventions (1). Post‐CLA neutering did not affect continence scores (p = .44).

Conclusion

A large proportion of dogs regained and maintained full continence after CLA alone. Subsequent medical or surgical therapy allowed further improvements when needed. Post‐CLA neutering did not negatively impact urinary continence score.

Clinical Significance

The beneficial effect of iEU‐CLA in female dogs is long standing and not affected by postprocedural neutering.
Association between prescribed opioid use for acute pain in adolescents and the subsequent development of opioid misuse and substance use disorders: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Rahmandar Maria , Fawcett Andrea , Manworren Renee CB
Published: August 2021

Objective:

This review aims to examine prescribed short-term opioid use in adolescents to treat acute pain. The review will analyze the influence of opioid use on future non-medical opioid use (misuse) or substance use disorders (addiction) in adolescents and young adults.

Introduction:

Prescription opioids are medically indicated for acute pain. Descriptive studies of administrative datasets and surveys implicate adolescent opioid exposure as a risk factor for subsequent opioid misuse and addiction. This review will provide a synthesis of the literature on the association between prescribed opioid exposure to treat acute pain in adolescents and the subsequent development of opioid misuse or substance use disorders in adolescents and young adults.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider quantitative studies on opioid misuse or substance use disorders in Canadian and US adolescents and young adults (12 to 25 years of age). Studies must include exposure during adolescence (12 to 17 years of age) to legitimately prescribed short-term opioid use to treat acute pain. Studies on chronic pain or exposure to opioids for longer duration (more than 30 doses or more than 7 days) will be excluded.

Methods:

This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of etiology and risk. Published and unpublished studies will be sourced from multiple databases and resources. Two independent reviewers will screen, appraise, and extract data from studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Data synthesis will be conducted and a Summary of Findings will be presented.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42020179635
Fatigue Life Assessment for Variable Strain in a Mixing Tee by Use of Effective Strain Range
Authors: Miyoshi Koji , Kamaya Masayuki
Published: August 2021

Mixing flow causes fluctuations in fluid temperature near a pipe wall and may result in fatigue crack initiation. Movement of the hot spot, at which the pipe inner surface was heated by hot flow from the branch pipe, causes thermal stress fluctuations. In this study, the effect of the loading sequence on thermal fatigue in a mixing tee was investigated. In addition, the prediction method of the fatigue life for the variable thermal strain in the mixing tee was discussed. The time histories of the strain around the hot spot were estimated by finite element analysis for which the temperature condition was determined by wall temperature measured in a mockup test. The accumulated fatigue damage around the hot spot obtained by Miner's rule was less than 1.0. Since the strain around the hot spot had waveforms with periodic overload, the loading sequence with periodic overload caused reduction of the fatigue life around the hot spot. Crack growth tests showed that a single overload decreased crack opening strain and increased the effective strain range. The increment of the effective strain range accelerated the crack growth rate after the overload. The accumulated fatigue damage for the strain in the mixing tee was calculated using Miner's rule and the strain ranges, which added the maximum increment of the effective strain range. The accumulated fatigue damage was larger than 1.0 under most conditions. The proposed procedure is suitable to predict the conservative fatigue life in a mixing tee.
Air Cooling of Power Electronics Through Vertically Enhanced Manifold Microchannel Systems (VEMMS)
Authors: Yuruker Sevket U. , Mandel Raphael K. , McCluskey Patrick , Ohadi Michael M.
Published: August 2021

To improve the reliability and efficiency of power electronics, their thermal management must be further enhanced. Next-generation electronics systems are predicted to dissipate more heat as die size shrinks and power levels increase. Traditional air-cooling approaches usually provide insufficient performance or require heavy and bulky heat sinks to achieve adequate thermal management. To address this problem, a novel air cooled vertically enhanced manifold microchannel system (VEMMS) was developed. While minimizing the footprint required on the printed circuit board, the system offers efficient thermal management in a conformal scheme that accommodates the associated power electronics and their electrical connections. This work describes the manufacturing process of the air-cooled VEMMS heat sink and its experimental characterization and thermo-fluidic performance. Good agreement was obtained between the test results and numerical predictions. Using air at ambient conditions, thermal resistance of 2.6 K/W was achieved with a single-sided cooling architecture with a <1.5 cm2 footprint and <2 cm3 total heat sink volume. A full-bridge electrical power density of ∼84 kWe/L and overall direct current (DC–DC) converter power density of ∼20 kWe/L were achieved at reasonable flow rates and pressure drops using commercially available miniature electric fans.
ERGO: A New Robust Design Optimization Technique Combining Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization With Analytical Uncertainty Quantification
Authors: Wauters Jolan
Published: August 2021

In this work, robust design optimization (RDO) is treated, motivated by the increasing desire to account for variability in the design phase. The problem is formulated in a multi-objective setting with the objective of simultaneously minimizing the mean of the objective and its variance due to variability of design variables and/or parameters. This allows the designer to choose its robustness level without the need to repeat the optimization as typically encountered when formulated as a single objective. To account for the computational cost that is often encountered in RDO problems, the problem is fitted in a Bayesian optimization framework. The use of surrogate modeling techniques to efficiently solve problems under uncertainty has effectively found its way in the optimization community leading to surrogate-assisted optimization-under-uncertainty schemes. The Gaussian processes, the surrogates on which Bayesian optimization builds, are often considered cheap-to-sample black-boxes and are sampled to obtain the desired quantities of interest. However, since the analytical formulation of these surrogates is known, an analytical treatment of the problem is available. To obtain the quantities of interest without sampling an analytical uncertainty, propagation through the surrogate is presented. The multi-objective Bayesian optimization framework and the analytical uncertainty quantification are linked together through the formulation of the robust expected improvement, obtaining the novel efficient robust global optimization scheme. The method is tested on a series of test cases to examine its behavior for varying difficulties and validated on an aerodynamic test function which proves the effectiveness of the novel scheme.
Detached Eddy Simulation: Recent Development and Application to Compressor Tip Leakage Flow
Authors: He Xiao , Zhao Fanzhou , Vahdati Mehdi
Published: August 2021

Detached eddy simulation (DES) and its variants are emerging tools for turbomachinery simulations. In this paper, the state-of-the-art upgrades of DES are reviewed, and their capabilities in predicting compressor tip leakage flow are discussed. The upgrade with the best potential is identified as the delayed DES (DDES) method with the grid spacing FKHΔhyb, which unlocks the physics of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in compressor tip leakage flow. The upgraded grid spacing FKHΔhyb is compared against the widely used default one Δmax in a backward-facing step and a low-speed axial compressor rotor. Results show that the DDES method with FKHΔhyb predicts both the main flow field and the turbulence field with reasonably good accuracy. However, the original DDES method with Δmax predicts a delayed transition to turbulence, which leads to an inaccurate prediction of the main flow field when using a coarse mesh. The findings in this paper highlight the future opportunities for using the DDES-FKHΔhyb method to predict tip-driven compressor stall and generate a turbulence database for turbulence model development.
Proof-of-Concept of a Thermal Barrier Coated Titanium Cooling Layer for an Inside-Out Ceramic Turbine
Authors: Gauvin-Verville Antoine , Dubois Patrick K. , Picard Benoit , Landry-Blais Alexandre , Plante Jean-Sébastien , Picard Mathieu
Published: August 2021

Increasing turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of recuperated gas turbines would lead to simultaneously high efficiency and power density, making them prime candidates for low-emission aeronautics applications, such as hybrid-electric aircraft. The inside-out ceramic turbine (ICT) architecture achieves high TIT by using compression-loaded monolithic ceramics. To resist inertial forces due to blade tip speed exceeding 450 m/s, the shroud of the ICT is made of carbon-polymer composite, wound around a metallic cooling ring. This paper demonstrates that it is beneficial to use a titanium alloy cooling ring with a thermal barrier coating (TBC), rather than nickel superalloys, for the interstitial cooling ring protecting the carbon-polymer from the hot combustion gases. A numerical design of experiments (DOE) analysis shows the design tradeoffs between the minimum safety factor and the required cooling power for multiple geometries. An optimized high-pressure first turbine stage of a 500 kW microturbine concept using ceramic blades and a titanium cooling ring in an ICT configuration is presented. Its structural performance (minimum safety factor of 1.4), as well as its cooling losses, (2% of turbine stage power) are evaluated. Finally, a 20 kW-scale prototype is tested at 300 m/s and a TIT of 1375 K during 4 h to demonstrate the viability of the concept. Experiments show that the polymer composite was kept below its maximum safe operating temperature and components show no early signs of degradation.
Techno-Economic Analysis of a Hydrogen Production and Storage System for the On-Site Fuel Supply of Hydrogen-Fired Gas Turbines
Authors: Bexten Thomas , Sieker Tobias , Wirsum Manfred
Published: August 2021

Hydrogen-fired gas turbines have the potential to play an important role in future CO2-neutral energy and industry sectors. A prerequisite for the operation of hydrogen-fired gas turbines is the availability of sufficient quantities of hydrogen. The combination of electrolysis and renewable power generation is currently considered the most relevant pathway for the large-scale production of CO2-neutral hydrogen. Regarding the fuel supply of hydrogen-fired gas turbines, this pathway is associated with various technical and economic challenges. This applies in particular to configurations in which electrolyzers and hydrogen storage capacities are installed directly at gas turbine sites to avoid hydrogen transport. Considering an exemplary system configuration, this study extends prior model-based investigations by focusing on the economic viability of the on-site fuel supply of hydrogen-fired gas turbines. The impact of various design parameters and operational strategies is analyzed using the levelized cost of hydrogen as the main economic indicator. The study reveals that the investigated on-site hydrogen production is not economically viable within the current (2019) framework of the German energy sector. Assuming the extensive availability of renewable power generation in the long-term, additional investigations indicate that on-site hydrogen production and storage systems for gas turbines could potentially become economically viable if various advantageous conditions are met. These conditions include a sufficient availability of inexpensive renewable power for the operation of electrolyzers as well as a sufficient utilization of on-site hydrogen storage capacities to justify corresponding capital expenditures.
Experimental and Numerical Study for Improved Understanding of Mixed-Convection Type of Flows in Turbine Casing Cavities During Shut-Down Regimes
Authors: Murat Oguzhan , Rosic Budimir , Tanimoto Koichi , Egami Ryo
Published: August 2021

Due to an increase in the power generation from renewable sources, steam and gas turbines will be required to adapt for more flexible operations with frequent start-ups and shut-downs to provide load leveling capacity. During shut-down regimes, mixed convection takes place with natural convection dominance depending on the operating conditions in turbine cavities. Buoyant flows inside the turbine that are responsible for nonuniform cooling leading to thermal stresses and compromise clearances directly limits the operational flexibility. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are required to predict the flow field during these regimes since direct measurements are extremely difficult to conduct due to the harsh operating conditions. Natural convection with the presence of cross-flow -mixed convection has not been extensively studied to provide detailed measurements. Since the literature lacks of research on such flows with real engine representative operating conditions for CFD validation, the confidence in numerical predictions is rather inadequate. This paper presents a novel experimental facility that has been designed and commissioned to perform very accurate unsteady temperature and flow field measurements in a simplified turbine casing geometry. The facility is capable of reproducing a wide range of Richardson, Grashof, and Reynolds numbers which are representative of engine realistic operating conditions. In addition, high fidelity, wall resolved large eddy simulation (LES) with dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid scale model has been performed. The flow field as well as heat transfer characteristics have been accurately captured with LES. Finally, the inadequacy of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) for the mixed type of flows has been highlighted.
Partially coherent spontaneous parametric downconversion: Twisted Gaussian biphotons
Authors: Hutter Lucas , Gómez E. S. , Lima G. , Walborn S. P.
Published: August 2021

Partially coherent optical beams present phenomena that may not appear in perfectly coherent beams. In this regard, spontaneous parametric downconversion is an intriguing physical process, since the optical properties of the pump laser beam are transferred to the quantum properties of the down-converted photon pairs. Here, the authors study the transfer of twist phase, a novel property of the so-called twisted Gaussian Schell model beams, from a pump beam to down-converted photons. The authors show that a non-zero twist phase can lead to highly entangled yet highly mixed states. The correlations that appear in near/far-field intensity measurements, in the two-photon covariance matrix as well as in orbital angular momentum modes, are explored. The authors derive expressions for the purity of the two-photon state and relate it to the transverse spatial coherence of the pump beam. Their main results utilize a Wigner function formalism that can be applied to a number of scenarios involving partially coherent downconversion sources and contribute to the recent interest in spatially correlated photon pairs produced in mixed states, with possible applications in quantum communication and imaging.
An investigation of maximum particle velocity as a universal invariant—Defined by a statistical measure of failure or plastic energy loss for acoustofluidic applications
Authors: Singh Arik , Zhang Naiqing , Friend James
Published: August 2021

Materials under vibration experience internal stress waves that can cause material failure or energy loss due to inelastic vibration. Traditionally, failure is defined in terms of material acceleration, yet this approach has many drawbacks, principally because it is not invariant with respect to scale, type of vibration, or material choice. Here, the likelihood of failure is instead considered in terms of the maximum vibration or particle velocity for various metals, polymers, and structural materials. The exact relationship between the maximum particle velocity and the maximum induced stress may be derived, but only if one knows the details of the vibration, material, flaws, and geometry. Statistical results with over thousands of individual trials are presented here to demonstrate a wide variety of vibrations across a sufficient variety of these choices. Failure in this context is defined as either fracture or plastic yield, the latter associated with inelastic deformation and energy loss during vibration. If the maximum permissible cyclical stress in material vibration is known, to at least an order of magnitude, the probability of this type of failure may be computed for a range of vibration velocities in each material. The results support the notion that a maximum particle velocity on the order of 1 m/s is a universal and critical limit that, upon exceeding, causes the probability of failure to become significant regardless of the details of the material, geometry, or vibration. We illustrate this in a specific example relevant to acoustofluidics, a simple surface acoustic wave device. The consequences of particle velocity limit analysis can effectively be used in materials and structural engineering to predict when dynamic material particle velocity can cause inelastic losses or failure via brittle fracture, plastic deformation, or fatigue failure.
Electro-mechanical coupling diode of elastic wave in nonlinear piezoelectric metamaterials
Authors: Li Zhen-Ni , Wang Yi-Ze , Wang Yue-Sheng
Published: August 2021

In this investigation, the bandgaps and nonreciprocal transmission of the nonlinear piezoelectric phononic crystal and elastic wave metamaterial are studied. Analytical solutions for the wave motion equations with the electro-mechanical coupling are obtained. According to the continuous conditions, the stop bands and transmission coefficients of both fundamental wave and second harmonic are derived by the stiffness matrix method. Some particular examples are presented to show the nonreciprocal transmission of the nonlinear elastic waves. Additionally, nonlinear ultrasonic experiments are applied to verify the theoretical analyses and numerical simulations. This work is intended to be helpful in the design and fabrication of devices of the elastic wave diode with piezoelectric materials.
Rheology of wormlike micellar gels formed by long-chained zwitterionic surfactants
Authors: Gupta Ronak , Mitishita Rodrigo , Frigaard Ian A. , Elfring Gwynn J.
Published: August 2021

Long-chained surfactant solutions have found widespread use in the oil and gas industry due to a host of attractive properties. In this paper, we characterize one such commercially used viscoelastic surfactant that forms a wormlike micellar gel at room temperature and a viscoelastic solution at higher temperatures. We probe both states by conducting linear and nonlinear rheological tests and analyze their behavior under the framework of micellar rheology. Our study outlines departure from behavior exhibited by more conventional micellar systems and uncovers interesting dynamics like shear-induced fracture and possible shear-banding in these materials. In doing so, we provide a detailed understanding of a novel class of wormlike micellar solutions.
Taliban's rise puts polio eradication in danger
Authors: Roberts Leslie
Published: August 2021

U.S. departure from Afghanistan raises questions about future of vaccination drives
Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling
Authors: Hunt Nathaniel H. , Jinn Judy , Jacobs Lucia F. , Full Robert J.
Published: August 2021

Squirrel parkour

Every day, there are acrobatic extravaganzas going on above our heads. Squirrels navigate remarkably complex and unpredictable environments as they leap from branch to branch, and mistakes can be fatal. These feats require a complex combination of evolved biomechanical adaptations and learned behaviors. Hunt
et al
. characterized the integration of these features in a series of experiments with free-living fox squirrels (see the Perspective by Adolph and Young). They found that the squirrels’ remarkable and consistent success was due to a combination of learned impulse generation when assessing the balance between distance and branch flexibility and the addition of innovative leaps and landings in the face of increasingly difficult challenges. —SNV
Maturation of the matrix and viral membrane of HIV-1
Authors: Qu Kun , Ke Zunlong , Zila Vojtech , Anders-Össwein Maria , Glass Bärbel , Mücksch Frauke , Müller Rainer , Schultz Carsten , Müller Barbara , Kräusslich Hans-Georg , Briggs John A. G.
Published: August 2021

Structural changes in HIV maturation

Nascent HIV particles assemble at the plasma membrane of an infected cell and bud into a membrane-enveloped, immature virion. Assembly and budding are driven by a polyprotein called Gag, which consists of a matrix domain (MA) that is recruited to the plasma membrane, a capsid domain (CA) responsible for self-assembly, and a nucleocapsid domain (NC) that recruits the viral RNA genome. Gag cleavage results in a structural rearrangement that produces the mature virion. Qu
et al
. imaged mature and immature HIV particles by electron tomography and focused in on the MA domain (see the Perspective by Hikichi and Freed). They found that MA rearranges between two distinct hexameric lattices, and mature MA modulates the viral membrane by binding to a membrane lipid. This finding suggests that MA may play functional roles in the mature virion. —VV
Bioinspired nanofluidic iontronics
Authors: Hou Yaqi , Hou Xu
Published: August 2021

Electrolytes in planar nanochannels are predicted to function as nanofluidic memristors
Governing the genome
Genomic Politics: How the Revolution in Genomic Science Is Shaping American Society
Jennifer L. Hochschild
Oxford University Press, 2021. 336 pp.
Authors: Blatt Jessica
Published: August 2021

A political scientist proposes a framework for understanding genomic policy debates
Learning to move in the real world
Authors: Adolph Karen E. , Young Jesse W.
Published: August 2021

Leaping squirrels show that locomotion entails perceiving and innovating possibilities for action from moment to moment
Blue carbon can't wait
Authors: Douvere Fanny
Published: August 2021

When the United Nations released its World Ocean Assessment in 2015, it was clear that the oceans were seriously degraded, with stressors on these environments projected to increase. The 2021 Assessment, released in April, shows that they have further declined, bringing us ever closer to losing the structure, function, and benefits of Earth's marine systems. One way forward might be to focus on “blue carbon” ecosystems and the incentives they offer through carbon credits linked to decreasing carbon emissions.
Complete Genome Sequence and Methylome of the Type Strain of Shewanella algae
Authors: Tellgren-Roth Christian , Thorell Kaisa , Galperin Michael Y. , Krell Tino , Römling Ute , Sjöling Åsa , Martín-Rodríguez Alberto J.
Published: August 2021

We report the complete genome sequence and base modification analysis of the
Shewanella algae
type strain CECT 5071 (= OK-1 = ATCC 51192 = DSM 9167 = IAM 14159). The genome is composed of a single chromosome of 4,924,764 bp, with a GC content of 53.10%.
Successful treatment of central nervous system lymphoproliferative disorder in a kidney-pancreas and stem cell transplanted patient using intrathecal rituximab
Authors: Anastasiou Maria , Mamez Anne-Claire , Masouridi Stavroula , Vargas Maria Isabel , Hadaya Karine , Egervari Kristof , Chalandon Yves
Published: August 2021

Central nervous system lymphoproliferative disorder (CNS-PTLD) after organ transplant is a unique clinicopathological entity and is associated with poor survival rates. When the CNS is involved, intravenous rituximab might not be the treatment of choice, due to its poor CNS penetration. However, intrathecal (IT) administration of rituximab has shown to be safe and efficient in small studies and in case series. We report here the case of a patient with late development of CNS-PTLD after kidney-pancreas transplantation who achieved complete remission after surgical resection and four cycles of IT rituximab and we provide a review of the literature for this treatment option.
Management of late events after conventional radical prostate radiotherapy: against the odds of secondary tumours and recurrence of prostate cancer
Authors: AR Rodriguez-Perez , M Montero-Feijoo , LA Blanco-de-Córdoba , J Luna-Tirado
Published: August 2021

We present two 85-year-old men, with a similar history of prostate cancer treated more than 10 years ago with radiotherapy, who were in remission, but sought medical care at a time, due to alarm sign and symptoms. Case 2 resulted in a locally advanced secondary radiation-induced sarcoma of the penile base. Case 1 suffered from a round, 2 cm soft-tissue lesion with spiculated borders at the ureterovesical junction responsible for ipsilateral iliac vein compression and urinary obstruction without proven biochemical prostate cancer relapse, raising concerns about recurrence or secondary tumour. Both patients followed an oncological geriatric assessment and were ‘vulnerable’ at their presentation. Hence, we describe the effort to perform medical care adequacy regarding patient’s frailty and the anatomic locations within the prior radiation field. In case 2, we got a pathological diagnose and followed sequential multimodal treatments without success. But in case 1, minimal intervention resulted in improvement.
Cyclical haematological changes in a case of hypopituitarism
Authors: Nema Rahul , Sengupta Abhinav , Kumar Arvind , Wig Naveet
Published: August 2021

A 40-year-old woman presented to our emergency department in an altered state following a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. On regaining consciousness, she gave a history of bleeding tendencies and menorrhagia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and appetite loss for a long time. She had received multiple blood transfusions in the last 10 years. Investigations revealed severe hyponatraemia, transaminitis and pancytopenia, which showed cyclical fluctuations in the hospital. Hyponatraemia was attributed to a central cause owing to secondary hypothyroidism and hypocortisolism on evaluation. A diagnosis of cyclical thrombocytopenia was made by logging the trends of blood cell lines and applying the Lomb-Scargle test. Liver biopsy showed features of transfusion hemosiderosis explaining transaminitis. All of the haematological abnormalities and clinical symptoms resolved on thyroxine and corticosteroid replacement, suggesting causal association hypopituitarism with cyclical thrombocytopenia
Unusual case of disappearing hepatic hydatid cyst: COVID-19 times
Authors: Govindaraj Shrenik , Bhadra Veera , Prakash Clement , Govindaraj Sridar
Published: August 2021

The larvae of the tapewormEchinococcus granulosuscause echinococcosis or hydatid disease. Liver is the most commonly involved organ accounting for 60%–80%. Rupture into the biliary radicle through a cystobiliary communication is the most anticipated complication seen in 5%–17%, presenting with obstructive jaundice and cholangitis. We present a young patient who had presented with cholangitis and a tender hepatomegaly. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) had revealed a large hepatic hydatid cyst with multiple daughter cysts and significant dilatation of intrahepatic/extrahepatic biliary system. He had undergone an emergency Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with extraction of the membranes and stenting of the common bile duct. A few cycles of albendazole were given to sterilise before elective laparoscopic surgery. However, a follow-up CECT showed complete resolution of the hepatic hydatid with calcification. In conclusion, medical treatment with a few cycles of albendazole and ERCP with stenting could be a good treatment option.
Intraperitoneal migration of a hookwire following wide local excision of a breast lesion presenting as a spontaneous pneumothorax
Authors: Joret Maximilian Olavi , El-Haddawi Falah
Published: August 2021

Hookwire migration is a rare complication of wide local excision surgery for breast neoplasia. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who presented to hospital with acute on chronic left upper quadrant and left scapular pain. She had undergone a hookwire-guided wide local excision of a right breast neoplasm 5 years previously. Her vital signs, clinical examination and blood test were unremarkable. A CT scan revealed a left-sided pneumothorax and a 20 cm metallic intraperitoneal foreign body transpiercing the diaphragm. A review of the patient’s clinical record revealed that she experienced a vagal collapse during hookwire implantation. This article underlines the importance of clear communication between members of a multidisciplinary team involved in a staged surgical intervention and exemplifies that foreign bodies can migrate across large distances, sometimes against gravity, to cross multiple anatomical compartments and cause iatrogenic injuries multiple years after an index intervention
Multimodal imaging in a classic case of unilateral retinocytoma
Authors: Venkatesh Ramesh , Agrawal Sameeksha , Reddy Nikitha Gurram , Pereira Arpitha
Published: August 2021

Retinoma or retinocytoma is a spontaneously arrested or spontaneously regressed variant of retinoblastoma. With the advent of the latest non-invasive imaging techniques, it is possible to evaluate the microstructural and microvascular changes associated with this tumour. Although there are a few reports which describe the imaging findings in retinocytoma, information regarding retinocytoma on the multicolour imaging is lacking. Here, we describe the multimodal imaging features in a patient with classic features of retinocytoma with special emphasis on its multicolour imaging features.
Associations of impaired glucose tolerance and sleep disorders with mortality among the US general population
Authors: Inoue Kosuke , Semba Eriko , Yamakawa Tadashi , Terauchi Yasuo
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Sleep disorders and short sleep duration are common symptoms among people with diabetes. However, the evidence is limited about the associations of post-challenge hyperglycemia and sleep quality or quantity with all-cause mortality in the US general population.

Research design and methods

Our study included 8795 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2014. Mortality data were ascertained through 2015. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate adjusted HRs (aHRs) for all-cause mortality according to 2-hour plasma glucose levels during the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test—normal glucose tolerance (NGT), <140 mg/dL; impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), 140–199 mg/dL; and diabetes, ≥200 mg/dL. We then examined the associations of glucose tolerance status and self-reported physician-diagnosed sleep disorders (yes vs no) or sleep duration (<7 vs ≥7 hours) with all-cause mortality.

Results

During follow-up (median, 5.6 years), the diabetes group had a higher risk of all-cause mortality compared with the NGT group (aHR (95% CI)=1.93 (1.41 to 2.64)), but not the IGT group (aHR (95% CI)=1.19 (0.90 to 1.59)). When we categorized participants according to glucose tolerance status and sleep disorders, the IGT group with sleep disorders had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (aHR (95% CI)=2.03 (1.24 to 3.34)) compared with the NGT group without sleep disorders. Both diabetes groups with and without sleep disorders also showed high mortality risks. The results were consistent when we used sleep duration instead of sleep disorders.

Conclusions

Using the most updated US national data, we found a high risk of all-cause mortality among individuals with IGT having sleep disorders or short sleep duration as well as those with diabetes. Future investigations are needed to identify whether and what kind of sleep management is beneficial for people with impaired glucose metabolism to prevent early death.
Assessment ofHelicobacter pyloristatus by examination of gastric mucosal patterns: diagnostic accuracy of white-light endoscopy and narrow-band imaging
Authors: Glover Ben , Teare Julian , Patel Nisha
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Helicobacter pyloriinfection is a common cause of chronic gastritis worldwide and an established risk factor for developing gastric malignancy. The endoscopic appearances predictingH. pyloristatus are an ongoing area of research, as are their diagnostic accuracies. This study aimed to establish the diagnostic accuracy of several mucosal features predictive ofH. pylorinegative status and formulate a simple prediction model for use at the time of endoscopy.

Design

Patients undergoing high-definition upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy without magnification were recruited prospectively. During the endoscopy, the presence or absence of specific endoscopic findings was noted. Sydney protocol biopsies were used as the diagnostic reference standard, and urease test if taken. The results informed a logistic regression model used to produce a simple diagnostic approach. This model was subsequently validated using a further cohort of 30 patients.

Results

153 patients were recruited and completed the study protocol. The prevalence of activeH. pyloriinfection was 18.3% (28/153). The overall diagnostic accuracy of the simple prediction model was 80.0%, and 100% of patients with activeH. pyloriinfection were correctly classified. The presence of regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC) showed a positive predictive value forH. pylorinaïve status of 90.7%, rising to 93.6% for patients under the age of 60.

Conclusion

A simple endoscopic model may be accurate for predictingH. pyloristatus of a patient, and the need for biopsy-based tests. The presence of RAC in the stomach is an accurate predictor ofH. pylorinegative status, particularly in patients under the age of 60.

Trial registration number

The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, No.NCT02385045.
Transitions of disability, disability-free life expectancy and health insurance among adults aged 50 and older in Mexico: a multistate life table analysis
Authors: Cabrero Castro Jose Eduardo , García-Peña Carmen , Ramírez Aldana Ricardo
Published: August 2021

Objectives

To analyse the transitions of disability onset and recovery, estimate life expectancy (LE) with and without disability and explore the relation between insurance and disability patterns in the population aged 50+ in Mexico.

Design

Multistate life table analysis of data from a longitudinal cohort survey.

Setting

Data came from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, a longitudinal and representative survey of older adults in Mexico.

Participants

10 651 individuals aged 50+ interviewed in 2012 and 2015, including those who died between waves.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Disability is measured using the activities of daily living (ADL) scale. Transition rates between disability free, ADL disabled and death were employed to estimate total life expectancy (TLE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE).

Results

46% of the individuals who reported an ADL limitation in 2012 recover from disability by 2015. TLE at age 60 for people without ADL limitations is 30 years (95% CI 28.9 to 31), out of which 4.7 years (95% CI 4.1 to 5.4) are lived with ADL limitations, while TLE at age 60 in the initially disabled is 18.7 years (95% CI 17.3 to 20), with 9.4 years (95% CI 8.4 to 10.3) lived with disability. DFLE at age 60 in people with social security is 24.2 years (95% CI 23.3 to 25.2), in people with public insurance is 24.6 years (95% CI 23.7 to 25.4) and in uninsured people is 26.9 years (95% CI 25.9 to 27.9).

Conclusions

In Mexico, a substantial proportion of ADL disabled individuals recover from disability. Nevertheless, initially disabled individuals have a considerably lower DFLE regardless of age when compared with initially active individuals. There appeared to be no differences in terms of disability and LEs between the individuals with social security and public insurance.
Procalcitonin-guided initiation of antibiotics in AECOPD inpatients: study protocol for a multicenter randomised controlled trial
Authors: Huang Lixue , Wang Jinxiang , Gu Xiaoying , Sheng Weili , Wang Yeming , Cao Bin
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Current antibiotic prescription for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is generally based on the Anthonisen criteria in The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD) guideline that have a potential risk of antibiotics overuse. The dilemma is to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from antibiotics while avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use. Procalcitonin (PCT), a more sensitive and specific biomarker of bacterial infection than other conventional laboratory tests, has the potential to determine those patients in whom antibiotics would be beneficial. It is unclear whether PCT-guided antibiotic therapy is safe and effective for patients hospitalised with AECOPD. The study hypothesis is that PCT-guided antibiotic therapy could reduce the antibiotic prescription rate for AECOPD, compared with the GOLD guideline recommendations, without negatively impacting the treatment success rate.

Methods and analysis

In this multicenter, open-label, randomised controlled trial, we aim to enrol 500 hospitalised patients with AECOPD that will be randomly assigned to either a PCT-guided group or a GOLD guideline-guided group. The coprimary endpoints are antibiotic prescription rate for AECOPD within 30 days post randomisation and treatment success rate at day 30 post randomisation. The secondary outcomes include: antibiotic prescription rate at day 1 post randomisation; hospital antibiotic exposure; length of hospital stay; rate of subsequent exacerbation and hospital readmission; overall mortality within 30 days post randomisation; changes in lung function and the score of COPD assessment test and modified Medical Research Council; and rate of intensive care unit admission.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial has been approved by the ethic committee of China–Japan Friendship Hospital. The findings of the study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. If the results of the study are positive, PCT-guided antibiotic therapy is likely to change the guidelines for antibiotic recommendations for patients with AECOPD.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT04682899.
Cyclic shearing behavior and dynamic characteristics of a fibrous peat
Authors: Sarkar Grytan , Sadrekarimi Abouzar
Published: August 2021

Cyclic shearing behavior, dynamic characteristics, and post-cyclic volume change of a peat sublayer from the Port Lands area of Toronto (Ontario, Canada) are investigated in this study. Laboratory specimens are trimmed from block samples collected from a depth of about 4.0 to 4.5 m. Constant-volume cyclic direct simple shear tests indicate an initial reduction of effective stress with number of stress cycles. However, the corresponding excess pore pressure ratios do not exceed 60%, indicating a cyclic mobility behavior in the peat specimens. Maximum shear moduli of the peat samples are also determined from shear wave velocity measurements. Post-cyclic volumetric strain, as well as the variations of secant modulus, modulus reduction, and damping ratio of the peat, are presented in terms of cyclic shear strain and compared with other studies. Empirical relationships are proposed for characterizing the shear modulus and damping ratio of Toronto peat.
Diversity, biocontrol, and growth promotion potential of culturable endophytic fungi isolated from root, shoot, and leaf of wild Phoebe bournei Yang across seasons
Authors: Yu Cun , Yao Ying
Published: August 2021

Endophytic fungi were isolated from Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang, and their diversity and antimicrobial and plant-growth-promoting activities were investigated. Of the 389 isolated endophytic fungi, 88.90% belonged to phylum Ascomycota and 11.10% to phylum Basidiomycota. The isolates were grouped into four taxonomic classes, 11 orders, 30 genera, and 45 species based on internal transcribed spacer sequencing and morphologic analysis. The host showed a strong affinity for the genera Diaporthe and Phyllosticta. The diversity of the fungi was highest in autumn, followed by spring and summer, and was lowest in winter. The fungi exhibited notable tissue specificity in P. bournei, and the species richness and diversity were highest in the root across all seasons. Five isolates showed antimicrobial activity against eight plant pathogens and reduced the incidence of leaf spot disease in P. bournei. Additionally, nine biocontrol isolates showed plant-growth-promoting activity, with five significantly promoting P. bournei seedling growth. This is the first report on the endophytic fungi of P. bournei and their potential applicability to plant disease control and growth promotion.
AAC Vortex hard red winter wheat
Authors: Graf R.J. , Beres B.L. , Laroche A. , Aboukhaddour R. , Larsen R.J. , Humphreys D.G. , Randhawa H.S. , Foroud N.A.
Published: August 2021

AAC Vortex is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar well-adapted to all areas of western Canada and classified for grades of Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat. It was developed using doubled-haploid methodology. AAC Vortex was evaluated for registration relative to CDC Buteo, Emerson, Moats, and AAC Elevate across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Based on 44 replicated trials over 4 y (2016/17–2019/20), AAC Vortex had significantly higher grain yield than CDC Buteo and Emerson, and higher grain protein concentration than all of the checks except Emerson. AAC Vortex expressed winter survival and lodging resistance equal to the best checks, medium maturity and height, and acceptable test weight. AAC Vortex was resistant to stem, leaf and stripe rust, moderately resistant to Fusarium head blight, and susceptible to common bunt. AAC Vortex produced flour of higher protein concentration than all of the checks except Emerson, had higher clean wheat flour yield and loaf volume than all of the checks, and was similar in gluten strength to Emerson.
Simulating maize yield at county scale in southern Ontario using the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer model
Authors: Liu Shuang , Yang Jingyi , Yang Xueming , Drury Craig F. , Jiang Rong , Daniel Reynolds W.
Published: August 2021

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the ability of the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT) CERES-Maize model to simulate the response to applied nitrogen and soil water storage for maize (Zea mays L.) yields in Woodslee, Ontario. A second objective was to evaluate the CERES-Maize module for maize yield in five southern Ontario counties. The calibrated CERES-Maize module was used in 117 maize yield simulations involving combinations of 45 regional soil datasets and 35 weather datasets covering the five counties. The model evaluation showed a good agreement between the simulated and measured grain yields (i.e., index of agreement, d ≥ 0.96; modeling efficiency, EF ≥ 0.83; normalized root-mean-square error, nRMSE ≤ 15%). The model showed a large deviation using the default soil parameters from 0 to 0.4 m. A sensitivity analysis was made for three soil water parameters, and the calibrated soil parameters showed moderate to good agreements for total soil water storage in the 0–1.1 m soil profile. The model resulted in moderate to good agreement between the simulated and the measured above-ground biomass across growing seasons. There were significant yield differences across the soil types. Drought periods in August 2010 resulted in lower yields in 2010 compared with 2011 and 2012. The simulated average maize yields at each county matched well with the measured data for 2010–2012 except for lower estimated yields in Lambton county in 2010. We concluded that DSSAT CERES-Maize can adequately simulate regional maize yields using the CERES-Maize module calibrated to regional soil and daily weather databases.
Bentonite effects on soil physical properties and millet yield components in a semi-arid region in China
Authors: Mi Junzhen , Gregorich Edward G. , Xu Shengtao , McLaughlin Neil B. , Liu Jinghui , Zhao Baoping
Published: August 2021

Soil structure plays a critical role in agroecosystems because it controls soil air and water capacity, nutrient availability, and crop root growth. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of bentonite on soil relative water content, soil cone penetration resistance, soil bulk density, aggregate size distribution, and millet crop yield components in a semi-arid region in northern China from 2011 to 2015. Treatments consisted of six bentonite rates (0, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 Mg·ha−1) applied only in the initial year. Addition of bentonite significantly increased soil relative water throughout the profile (0–60 cm) and aggregates in 0.25–2 mm class in 0–40 cm depth; it significantly decreased soil bulk density, soil cone penetration resistance, and aggregates in 0.053–0.25 mm class in the 0–40 cm depth. All of the bentonite treatments significantly increased 1000-kernel weight and panicle number up to 16% and 33%, respectively, but did not affect kernels per spike. Treatment with 24 Mg·ha−1 bentonite achieved the greatest effect on all the soil physical parameters and crop yield components averaged over all years; the highest application rate (30 Mg·ha−1) had an increasing effect over time. This study indicates that application of bentonite improves soil health in sandy-loam soil in a semi-arid region, and thus it would help promote sustainable agriculture development in regions with similar soil and climate.