bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anaemia and its associated factors among diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Adane Tiruneh , Getawa Solomon
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Anaemia is common but often overlooked in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. There is also no official nationwide survey registry that estimated the prevalence of anaemia in DM patients in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to determine the countrywide pooled prevalence and associated factors of anaemia in DM patients.

Methods

This systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. STATA 11 software was used for all statistical analysis. Random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of anaemia and associated factors at a 95% confidence interval (CI) with its respective odds ratio (OR). Subgroup analysis and egger test were used to determine heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively.

Results

Nine articles were included in this systematic review and meta‐analysis with a total of 2889 DM patients. The pooled prevalence of anaemia among DM patients in Ethiopia was 22.11% (95% CI: 15.83–28.39)I2 = 94.8%. The prevalence of anaemia in type I and type II DM patients was (16.78% [95% CI: 11.53–22.04]) and (31.12% [95% CI; 9.66–52.58]), respectively. The prevalence of anaemia was higher among male (36.72% [95% CI: 22.58–50.87]I2 = 97.6%) than female (27.51% [95% CI: 16.12–38.90]I2 = 96.3%). Moreover, the odds of anaemia were higher among patients with age ˃ 60 (OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.83, 4.87), low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (OR = 8.59; 95% CI: 4.76, 15.57), and duration of illness ≥5 years (OR = 2.66; 95%: 1.38, 5.13).

Conclusions

The result of this review implies that anaemia is a moderate public health problem among DM patients in Ethiopia. Older age, poor glycemic control, low eGFR and longer duration of illness were found to be the contributing factors for the development of anaemia in DM patients. Therefore, by considering the negative impact of anaemia, it is important to include anaemia screening into routine assessment of DM‐related complications targeting patients with older age, poor glycemic control, low eGFR, and longer duration of illness to reduce the magnitude of the problem.
Involvement of chronic inflammation via monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 in uraemic cardiomyopathy: a human biopsy study
Authors: Nakano Tomoya , Onoue Kenji , Seno Ayako , Ishihara Satomi , Nakada Yasuki , Nakagawa Hitoshi , Ueda Tomoya , Nishida Taku , Soeda Tsunenari , Watanabe Makoto , Kawakami Rika , Hatakeyama Kinta , Sakaguchi Yasuhiro , Ohbayashi Chiho , Saito Yoshihiko
Published: May 2021

Aims

Patients undergoing dialysis, even those without coronary artery disease or valvular abnormalities, sometimes present with reduced heart function, which resembles dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This condition is known as uraemic cardiomyopathy (UCM). The mechanisms of UCM development are not fully understood. Previous studies demonstrated that the balance between placental growth factor (PlGF) and fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (Flt‐1) is correlated with renal function, and PlGF/Flt‐1 signalling is involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases in patients with chronic kidney disease. This study was conducted to evaluate the pathogenesis of UCM and clarify the differences in the mechanisms of UCM and DCM by using human endomyocardial biopsy and blood samples.

Methods and results

The clinical and pathological features of 30 patients on dialysis with reduced cardiac function [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50%] (UCM group; mean age: 58.5 ± 9.4 years and LVEF: 39.1 ± 7.2%), 196 DCM patients (DCM group; mean age: 62.7 ± 14.0 years and LVEF: 33.5 ± 8.8%) as controls with reduced cardiac function (LVEF ≤ 45%), and 21 patients as controls with normal cardiac function (control group; mean age: 56.2 ± 19.3 years and LVEF: 67.5 ± 6.7%) were analysed. The percentage of the interstitial fibrosis area in the UCM group was greater than that in the DCM group (P = 0.045). In UCM patients, the percentage of the interstitial fibrosis area was positively correlated with the duration of renal replacement therapy (P < 0.001). The number of infiltrated CD68‐positive macrophages in the myocardium and expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) in cardiomyocytes were significantly greater in the UCM group than in the other groups (P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, while the serum level of soluble form of Flt‐1, an endogenous inhibitor of PlGF, in the UCM group was lower compared with that in the DCM group (P < 0.001), the serum levels of PlGF and PlGF/soluble form of Flt‐1 ratio and plasma level of MCP‐1 in the UCM group were higher than those in the DCM group (P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

These results suggest that activated PlGF/Flt‐1 signalling and subsequent macrophage‐mediated chronic non‐infectious inflammation via MCP‐1 in the myocardium are involved in the pathogenesis of UCM.
Sequential Acylation/Silylation/Hetero‐Claisen Rearrangement of Nitroalkanes for the Synthesis of Protected Hydroxyoxime Derivatives
Authors: Antonova Yulia A. , Ioffe Sema L. , Sukhorukov Alexey Yu. , Tabolin Andrey A.
Published: May 2021

Sequential acylation‐silylation of nitroalkanes leads to O‐silylated α‐acyloxyoximes in high yields. The first step of the reaction involves deprotonation of nitro compound with sodium hydride promoted by DBU or alcohol/15‐crown‐5 system followed by treatment with acyl chloride. In situ generated acyl nitronate is further silylated by silyl triflate that triggers hetero‐Claisen [3,3]‐rearrangement within N‐acyloxyenamine moiety furnishing orthogonally protected oxime derivatives. The procedure has large substrate scope for both nitroalkanes and acylating agents (acyl chlorides, chloroformates) and allows tuning of reaction conditions depending on the particular type of substrate. Application of obtained oxime derivatives in organic synthesis is demonstrated.
Design of filamentary planar spiral coils with enhanced channel model for magnetic induction based underground communication
Authors: Sugumar Swathi , Santhanam Sakthivel Murugan
Published: May 2021

Earlier researches have proved that the magnetic induction (MI) communication has better performance compared to the electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation in underground (UG) medium as it provides low signal attenuation using small MI coils. In general, non‐planar coils are employed as transceivers in the MI UG communication and their performance is dependent on coil parameters. The disadvantages of non‐planar coils are their bulkiness and limited transmission distance. In this article, a novel idea of using compact filamentary planar spiral coils for MI UG communication is proposed to achieve higher received power at greater transmission distance. An enhanced MI channel model is also proposed to study the medium's influence on MI performance accurately by considering different soil characteristics. Performances of the circular and square coils in the MI system are evaluated based on mutual inductance, path loss, received power, and signal‐to‐noise ratio. The performance comparison suggests that the filamentary planar spiral square coil MI system achieves 9.22% higher received power than the filamentary planar spiral circular coil MI system. Moreover, the lateral and angular misalignment study shows that square coils are more tolerant to misalignments. For the proposed filamentary planar square spiral coil (FPSSC) MI system, the influence of coil parameters, channel parameters, and coil misalignment on the received power was carried out and its least sensitive and most sensitive parameters were identified for further optimization. The performance comparison between the proposed FPSSC MI system and the traditional non‐planar MI coil system suggests that the received power of the proposed system is improved by 47‐49 dBm thus extending the achievable transmission distance.
The U.S. Academic Fisheries Co-Authorship Network Under the Lens of Diversity and Inclusion
Authors: Arismendi Ivan , McLaughlin Katherine R , Penaluna Brooke E
Published: May 2021

The inclusion of diverse individuals in ecological sciences has shown little progress over the past 2 decades for various reasons, including structural barriers in societies, organizations, and academia. Collaboration networks are important for productivity, promotion, and scientific impact, yet the extent to which the structure of these networks affects the inclusion of minoritized people remains unknown. Here, we evaluated trends in published research between 1965 and 2017 within the U.S. fisheries science academic co-authorship network and evaluated its structural composition, focused on gender and race/ethnicity. Although the number of publications, number of authors per article, and lead authorship by women and people of color have increased over time, white men still lead more than 70% of published articles. Network analysis demonstrates a shift in the structure of the network over time from an initial concentration of research among a few fragmented clusters to a nearly completely connected network by 2016. However, centrality metrics for women and people of color consistently showed lower scores, suggesting that their integration into the network remains incipient. Our findings illustrate that although progress has been made towards the inclusion of diverse talent in fisheries science over time, continued progress requires strategic, explicit efforts to overcome biases and barriers.
Multimodal data acquisition at SARS‐CoV‐2 drive through screening centers: Setup description and experiences in Saarland, Germany
Authors: Flotho Philipp , Bhamborae Mayur J. , Grün Tobias , Trenado Carlos , Thinnes David , Limbach Dominik , Strauss Daniel J.
Published: May 2021

SARS‐CoV‐2 drive through screening centers (DTSC) have been implemented worldwide as a fast and secure way of mass screening. We use DTSCs as a platform for the acquisition of multimodal datasets that are needed for the development of remote screening methods. Our acquisition setup consists of an array of thermal, infrared and RGB cameras as well as microphones and we apply methods from computer vision and computer audition for the contactless estimation of physiological parameters. We have recorded a multimodal dataset of DTSC participants in Germany for the development of remote screening methods and symptom identification. Acquisition in the early stages of a pandemic and in regions with high infection rates can facilitate and speed up the identification of infection specific symptoms and large‐scale data acquisition at DTSC is possible without disturbing the flow of operation.
The effect of gender on student self‐assessment skills in operative preclinical dentistry
Authors: Kornmehl David L. , Patel Eshani , Agrawal Ruchika , Harris Jacqueline R. , Ba Aisha K. , Ohyama Hiroe
Published: May 2021

Purpose/objective

Self‐assessment is a fundamental skill for dentists and other health care providers. It enables these professionals' ability to critically evaluate the quality of their clinical work and improve through self‐directed learning. Researchers have investigated how gender affects self‐assessment skills and have shown that male students tend to overestimate their performance while female students tend to underestimate theirs as compared to peer or faculty assessment. The goal of this study was to evaluate how the self‐assessment skills of dental students differ by gender in operative preclinical dentistry.

Methods

Third‐year dental students (N = 208, Class of 2016–2021) self‐assessed their work using the same rubrics as faculty on four operative dentistry competency examination procedures: Class II amalgam preparation and restoration and Class III resin‐composite preparation and restoration. Two calibrated full‐time faculty graded all procedures independently. The Student self‐assessment‐Faculty grade (S‐F) gap scores were calculated and statistically analyzed.

Results

Overall, both genders overestimated their self‐assessment for all four procedures as compared to actual scores given by faculty. Males overestimated more significantly than females for Class II Amalgam preparation, but not for the other three procedures. However, when the S‐F gap for all procedures was combined and analyzed together, male students significantly overestimated their self‐assessments compared to female students. When female and male students grading scores were stratified into quartiles, there were significantly larger differences between males and females in the lower quartiles, which suggest that difference in self‐assessment abilities was more prominent among the lower performing students.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate that gender may affect the accuracy of self‐assessment in operative preclinical dentistry.
Models of care for chronic myeloid leukemia patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: Changes in patient attitudes to remote consultations and future implications
Authors: Duncan Nicholas , Deekes Nigel , FitzGerald David , Ng Tin Wai Terry , Raghavan Manoj
Published: May 2021

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to the provision of patient care within hematology. We undertook a questionnaire‐based study investigating the experiences and opinions of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the UK in relation to the different models of follow‐up care received during the pandemic. One hundred fifty‐four patients completed the online questionnaire. Only 19% of patients had experienced remote clinics prior to the pandemic compared with 91% afterward. After having experience of remote clinics, the proportion of patients who were positive about the remote clinic concept increased from 34% to 52% (P < .05). However, when asked to compare their experiences with face to face versus remote clinics, 48% preferred face‐to‐face clinics compared with 17% preferring remote clinics (35% expressed no preference). During the pandemic, frequency of blood tests was unchanged for 71% of patients, although they were performed in a number of different locations. The majority of patients (57%) had medication delivered to their home, with a small number (8%) having difficulty obtaining their medication. In terms of future models of care, 72% of patients were in favor of building remote appointments into the clinic model with 61% expressing a preference for a mixture of remote and face‐to‐face appointments. There was also interest in greater utilization of primary care for blood testing. Our findings should help optimize future models of care for CML patients.
Poly(I:C) enhances the efficacy of phagocytosis checkpoint blockade immunotherapy by inducing IL-6 production
Authors: Zhong Cheng , Wang Lixiang , Hu Shengzhao , Huang Chunliu , Xia Zijin , Liao Jing , Yi Wei , Chen Jun
Published: May 2021

Macrophage phagocytosis plays essential roles in antitumor immunity. CD47/SIRPα phagocytosis checkpoint blockade has demonstrated therapeutic potential in several hematopoietic cancers, but recent clinical studies reported very limited efficacy against solid malignancies. Here, we show that polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly(I:C)), a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA, enhances the antitumor activity of CD47 blockade in colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. Poly(I:C) activation leads to a potent immune response characterized by the production of proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-6. Stimulation with IL-6 promotes the PI3K signaling and cytoskeletal reorganization required for macrophage phagocytosis mediated by CD47 blockade. Our findings demonstrate the potential of Poly(I:C) to synergize the efficacy of CD47 blockade therapy and a novel role for IL-6 in macrophage phagocytosis, which provide new strategy for combinational cancer immunotherapy.
Spatial correlations of daily precipitation over mainland China
Authors: Fan Conghui , Yin Shuiqing , Chen Deliang
Published: May 2021

Knowledge of spatial correlations of precipitation is important for the generation of grid‐based surface precipitation data sets, deployment of data collection, selection of downscaling strategies, and interpretation of paleoclimate reconstructions. Spatial correlations of daily precipitation in China were analyzed based on a daily precipitation data set from 1951 through 2014 for 2,208 stations by dividing them into 13 regions. Interstation Pearson correlation coefficient r for the daily precipitation series and the corresponding interstation distance d were calculated for each region. The exponential spatial correlation model () was fitted by the r‐d pairs, in which c0, d0 and s0 were the parameter variance, scale and shape, respectively. The results showed that: (a) The determination coefficient R2 of the correlation model varied from 0.54 to 0.96, with a mean of 0.82 and the regional maximum correlation distance d0 varied from 102.2 to 201.7 km, with a mean of 155.2 km. Western regions generally had smaller d0 than eastern regions, which indicates rain events in the western regions were more local; (b) The goodness‐of‐fit of the model was improved by dividing samples into West‐East (W‐E) and North‐South (N‐S) directions. The average of d0 for all regions (190.2 km) for the W‐E direction is larger than that for the N‐S direction (142.9 km); (c) The correlation distances in summer and dry years are shorter than those in winter and wet years. However, the difference of correlation distance between dry and wet years was subtle compared with those between summer and winter, and between W‐E and N‐S directions. Seven regions were divided based on the spatial correlations of daily precipitation and different spatial models were suggested to be used for different regions, seasons and directions when the interpolation of daily precipitation is conducted for the generation of gridded surface precipitation data sets.
Long‐term variability and trends of precipitable water vapour derived from GPS tropospheric path delays over the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Ziskin Ziv Shlomi , Alpert Pinhas , Reuveni Yuval
Published: May 2021

The precipitable water vapour (PWV) of 21 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ground receivers from the Survey Of Israel Active Permanent Network (SOI‐APN) in the Eastern Mediterranean area are processed and analysed. We focus on the annual cycles, inter‐annual variations and long‐term trends. The PWV monthly mean values peak during September–October where October has the highest variability for all stations. PWV values reach minimum level during February–March where Apr is the least variable month for most stations. Generally, the PWV variability decreases with station height. Additionally, harmonic analysis indicates that the annual mode's amplitude decreases with station height. In contrast, the semi‐annual mode's accounting for the sub‐annual variance increases with station height. The PWV monthly mean anomalies are consistent among all the stations suggesting a common regional driver. Furthermore, a comparison between the PWV station average anomalies and the regional mean anomalies from the ERA5 reanalysis shows a strong correlation with r = 0.95. In addition, a correlation coefficient of r = 0.72 was found with the regional mean moisture flux anomalies at 750 hPa taken from ERA5 and the station average PWV anomalies, thus implying that horizontal moisture flow accounts for most of the inter‐annual variability. However, the significance of the 750 hPa pressure level requires future investigation. For the long‐term analysis, we find an increasing regional mean trend of 0.5 mm ⋅ decade−1 for the entire data period (1997–2019) as compared to 1 mm ⋅ decade−1 for the last decade (2010–2019) suggesting a recent accelerated moistening of the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Gut colonization in preterm infants supplemented with bovine colostrum in the first week of life: An explorative pilot study
Authors: Jiang Ping‐Ping , Muk Tik , Krych Lukasz , Nielsen Dennis Sandris , Khakimov Bekzod , Li Yanqi , Juhl Sandra Meinich , Greisen Gorm , Sangild Per Torp
Published: May 2021

Background

In the first weeks after birth, enteral feeding and bacterial colonization interact to influence gut maturation in preterm infants. Bovine colostrum (BC) has been suggested as a relevant supplementary diet when own mother's milk (MM) is insufficient or absent. This pilot trial tests whether the supplement type, BC or donor human milk (DM), affects gut colonization in preterm infants during the first week of life.

Methods

On day 7, fecal samples were collected from preterm infants (n = 24) fed BC or DM as a supplement to MM. The gut microbiome (GM) was analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing. Correlations between the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa and blood chemistry variables, including amino acids, were explored.

Results

BC‐supplemented infants showed a lower relative abundance of the families Lactobacillaceae and Enterococcaceae than DM infants. Planococcaceae were more abundant in infants delivered by cesarean birth vs vaginally. The relative abundance of bacterial families, specifically Enterobacteriaceae, correlated negatively with plasma levels of multiple essential and nonessential amino acids (valine, isoleucine, lysine, histidine, and arginine).

Conclusion

The nature of nutrition supplements (BC or DM) just after birth may affect GM development and nutrient metabolism in the neonatal period of preterm infants. The exploratory nature of our study calls for confirmation of these results and their possible long‐term clinical implications for preterm infants.
TMT‐labeled quantitative proteomic analysis to identify proteins associated with the stability of peanut milk
Authors: Jia Cong , Lu Xin , Gao Jinhong , Wang Ruidan , Sun Qiang , Huang Jinian
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND

Peanut milk benefits human health mainly due to its high protein content and suitable amino acid composition. To reveal the molecular mechanism affecting the quality of peanut milk, tandem mass tag (TMT)‐labeled proteomic analysis was applied to identify the proteome variation between two peanut cultivars that produced peanut milk with the best and worst stability.

RESULTS

A total of 478 differentially abundant proteins (fold change >1.2 or <0.83, P < 0.05) were identified. Most of these proteins were located in the cytoplasm and chloroplasts. Correlation analysis showed that RNA recognition motif (RRM) domain‐containing protein (17.1 kDa) had a negative relationship with the sedimentation rate of peanut milk and that 22.0 kDa class IV heat shock protein was negatively correlated with the creaming index (P < 0.05). Bioinformatic analysis showed that the molecular function of RRM domain‐containing protein (17.1 kDa) was associated with RNA binding and nucleotide binding, and 22.0 kDa class IV heat shock protein was involved in the pathway of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the differentially abundant proteins in the biological metabolic pathway might offer some potential markers to guide future peanut breeding, especially for the production of peanut milk. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
A new HPLC‐MS/MS analytical method for quantification of tazobactam, piperacillin, and meropenem in human plasma
Authors: Krnáč Dušan , Reiffová Katarína , Rolinski Boris
Published: May 2021

A simple and fast high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of tazobactam, piperacillin, and meropenem in human plasma has been developed and validated. Simple sample preparation with a volume of 10 μL was done by protein precipitation with a mixture of methanol–acetonitrile–water (6:2:2, v/v/v). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Luna column with a precolumn security guard by gradient elution using a mobile phase consisting of water with the addition of 0.1% formic acid (component A) and mixture methanol–acetonitrile (8:2, v/v) with the addition of 0.1% formic acid (component B). The run time was 2.7 min. The lower limits of detection and lower limits of quantification were for piperacillin 0.03 and 0.1 mg/L, for meropenem 0.04 and 0.2 mg/L and for tazobactam 0.16 and 0.5 mg/L. The validated method was used for therapeutic monitoring of tazobactam, piperacillin, and meropenem in samples of patients treated in the intensive care unit.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Early Systolic Notching in Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Aslaner Mehmet Ali , Karbek Akarca Funda , Aksu Şakir Hakan , Yazla Merve , Can Özge , Kuş Görkem , Çelik Ali , Özkan Selçuk , İbze Süleyman , Yamanoğlu Adnan , Yazıcı Mümin Murat , Yürüktümen Ünal Aslıhan , Demircan Ahmet
Published: May 2021

Objective

Recently, a cardiac sonography finding, early systolic notching (ESN), was reported with high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in a limited population. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ESN finding for PE in emergency department (ED) patients.

Method

This prospective multicenter study was conducted in 4 academic EDs. All patients who underwent computed tomography angiography for suspected PE were included in the study. After inclusion, cardiac ultrasound including the right ventricular outflow tract Doppler signal was performed. The diagnostic tests of ESN finding were used for PE and its subgroups.

Results

In the study, 183 of 201 patients met the study criteria. Of all patients, 52.5% had PE (n = 96), and 19.7% (n = 36) had ESN finding. In all ED patients, the sensitivity of ESN for PE was 34% (95% CI 25–45), and the specificity was 97% (95% CI 90–99). In the subgroup analysis, the sensitivity of ESN for PE with high or intermediate‐high risk was 69% (95% CI 49–85), and the specificity was 90% (95% CI 84–94). Inter‐rater reliability for ESN finding between the cardiologist and emergency physician was strong with a kappa statistic of 0.87.

Conclusion

The pulmonary Doppler flow of ESN was moderate to high specific but low sensitive for PE in all ED patients. In the subgroup analysis, this finding was moderate specific and low sensitive.
Autologous Muscle‐Derived Cell Therapy for Swallowing Impairment in Patients Following Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Nativ‐Zeltzer Nogah , Kuhn Maggie A. , Evangelista Lisa , Anderson Johnathon D. , Nolta Jan A. , Farwell D. Gregory , Canestrari Emanuele , Jankowski Ron J. , Belafsky Peter C.
Published: May 2021

Objectives/Hypothesis

To evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of autologous muscle‐derived cells (AMDCs) for the treatment of swallowing impairment following treatment for oropharynx cancer.

Study Design

Prospective, phase I, open label, clinical trial.

Methods

Oropharynx cancer survivors disease free ≥2 years post chemoradiation were recruited. All patients had swallowing impairment but were not feeding tube dependent (Functional Oral Intake Scale [FOIS] ≥ 5). Muscle tissue (50–250 mg) was harvested from the vastus lateralis and 150 × 106 AMDCs were prepared (Cook MyoSite Inc., Pittsburgh, PA). The cells were injected into four sites throughout the intrinsic tongue musculature. Participants were followed for 24 months. The primary outcome measure was safety. Secondary endpoints included objective measures on swallowing fluoroscopy, oral and pharyngeal pressure, and changes in patient‐reported outcomes.

Results

Ten individuals were enrolled. 100% (10/10) were male. The mean age of the cohort was 65 (±8.87) years. No serious adverse event occurred. Mean tongue pressure increased significantly from 26.3 (±11.1) to 31.8 (±9.5) kPa (P = .017). The mean penetration‐aspiration scale did not significantly change from 5.6 (±2.1) to 6.8 (±1.8), and the mean FOIS did not significantly change from 5.4 (±0.5) to 4.6 (±0.7). The incidence of pneumonia was 30% (3/10) and only 10% (1/10) experienced deterioration in swallowing function throughout 2 years of follow‐up. The mean eating assessment tool (EAT‐10) did not significantly change from 24.1 (±5.57) to 21.3 (±6.3) (P = .12).

Conclusion

Results of this phase I clinical trial demonstrate that injection of 150 × 106 AMDCs into the tongue is safe and may improve tongue strength, which is durable at 2 years. A blinded placebo‐controlled trial is warranted.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 132:523–527, 2022
A new method to estimate the cover and management factor for soil loss prediction on the Loess Plateau in China: A case‐study using a soybean field
Authors: Xie Xinli , Wang Jie , Hou Lei , Wang Jilei , Bin Zhaoqi , Wu Faqi
Published: May 2021

The cover management factor (C‐factor) has become one of the most sensitive and complex parameters in the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) because of its sensitivity to anthropogenic activities. However, due to the regionally limited scope of conventional models, direct applications of the C‐factor prediction have been hindered in China. Alternative C‐factor estimation approaches often consider vegetation coverage alone. This can decrease the accuracy of the estimation to an extent. In this study, several cropping systems were established to investigate the coupling effect of surface changes under different management practices and crop cover in preventing soil loss at the plot scale. Five experimental (CP, cropped; SSR, roughened; SC, crusted; CP‐SSR, cropped‐roughened; CP‐SC, cropped‐crusted) plots were set, compared to bare plot (BP). The impact of cropping systems on soil loss was estimated by SLR (soil loss ratio), according to the universal soil loss equation (USLE). The SLR estimation models were provided via identifying the related sub‐factors, subsequently, combined with the distribution curve of rainfall erosivity to allow the novel C‐factor estimation. The results showed that compared with SLRCP, the decrease in SLRCP − SSR varied from 12% to 43% with a mean of 25.50%; and the decrease in SLRCP − SC varied from 24% to 51% with a mean of 34.75%. Crop coverage, plant height, root weight density, < 0.5 mm root length density (both at 0–5 cm depth), initial roughness, and initial crust thickness were significantly correlated with SLR. For cropped plot, SLRCP − estimated can achieve more accurate simulation result than conventional models obtained from literature findings, with RMSE (root mean square error) coefficient of 0.17. For a comprehensive understanding of the C‐factor, multiple crops should be considered, and more experiments in the experimental group to better verify SLRCP − SSR − estimated and SLRCP − SC − estimated are recommended.
Respiration by “marine snow” at high hydrostatic pressure: Insights from continuous oxygen measurements in a rotating pressure tank
Authors: Stief Peter , Elvert Marcus , Glud Ronnie N.
Published: May 2021

It is generally anticipated that particulate organic carbon (POC) for most part is degraded by attached microorganisms during the descent of “marine snow” aggregates toward the deep sea. There is, however, increasing evidence that fresh aggregates can reach great depth and sustain relatively high biological activity in the deep sea. Using a novel high‐pressure setup, we tested the hypothesis that increasing levels of hydrostatic pressure inhibit POC degradation in aggregates rapidly sinking to the ocean interior. Respiration activity, a proxy for POC degradation, was measured directly and continuously at up to 100 MPa (corresponding to 10 km water depth) in a rotating pressure tank that keeps the aggregates in a sinking mode. Model diatom‐bacteria aggregates, cultures of the aggregate‐forming diatom Skeletonema marinoi, and seawater microbial communities devoid of diatoms showed incomplete and complete inhibition of respiration activity when exposed to pressure levels of 10–50 and 60–100 MPa, respectively. This implies reduced POC degradation and hence enhanced POC export to hadal trenches through fast‐sinking, pressure‐exposed aggregates. Notably, continuous respiration measurements at ≥50 MPa revealed curved instead of linear oxygen time series whenever S. marinoi was present, which was not captured by discrete respiration measurements. These curvatures correspond to alternating phases of high and low respiration activity likely connected to pressure effects on unidentified metabolic processes in S. marinoi.
Microstructure‐dependent corrosion of herringbone‐grooved embossed Al–1.1 wt% Mn strips for heat exchanger tubes
Authors: Zaffaroni Giorgio G. B. , Gudla Visweswara C. , Laganá Simone , Gundlach Carsten , Olsson Bjorn , Yazdi Rouhollah , Nordlien Jan H. , Ambat Rajan
Published: May 2021

This paper studied the effect of embossing on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of an Al−1.1 wt% Mn sheet. The microstructure of the embossed Al−1.1 wt% Mn sheets was studied by differential interference contrast microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, focused ion beam microscopy and X‐ray computational tomography. Finite element modelling was used to assess the stress and strain distribution developed during embossing, and to support the experimental analyses. The corrosion behaviour of the embossed sheets was assessed using potentiodynamic anodic polarisation tests, followed by corrosion surface morphology analysis. Results showed a microstructural evolution of the alloy during embossing, which is dependent on both the embossed pattern geometry and the roll forming direction. Nonsymmetrical displacement of material, in respect to the pattern geometry, was caused by the anisotropic forming pressure applied on the strip during roll forming, which yielded the formation of more susceptible sites for pitting and intergranular corrosion on the embossed aluminium surfaces.
Novel Thiadiazolobenzotriazole Based Donor–Acceptor Type Conjugated Polymers as Neutral Green Electrochromic Materials
Authors: Zhang Yan , Kong Lingqian , Du Yuchang , Zhao Jinsheng , Xie Yu
Published: May 2021

Thiadiazolobenzotriazole (TBZ)‐containing donor‐acceptor (D–A) type polymers are rarely investigated as electrochromic materials, although they have made important progress in the fields of organic transistors and solar cells. In this work, a new class of soluble D–A type electrochromic polymer is designed using the alkyl substituted TBZ units as the acceptor, the alkyl substituted 3,4‐propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) units as the donor, and benzene (B) units as the π‐bridge. Through altering the molar ratio of ProDOT/B/TBZ, three polymers named PPBT‐1, PPBT‐2 and PPBT‐3 are chemically synthesized. After various characterizations, it is found that all the polymers display saturated green in their neutral states and switch to transparent gray upon oxidation with narrow optical bandgaps, and moreover, they demonstrate high optical contrast, rapid switching speed, and excellent coloration efficiency particularly in the near infrared region. The impacts of different donor‐acceptor feed ratios on electrochromic performances are mainly reflected in the optical, electrochemical and kinetic properties. In contrast to PPBT‐1 and PPBT‐3, PPBT‐2 show the best performances with the most appropriate ProDOT/B/TBZ ratio of 2/3/1 in its backbone. These positive results provide a theoretical basis for the research of electrochromic polymers based on TBZ units.
Rational Design of a High‐Strength Tough Hydrogel from Fundamental Principles
Authors: Chen Genxin , Zhang Qiong , Ma Liya , Zhao Yang , Ran Jiabing
Published: May 2021

Currently, polymer‐based hydrogels have found applications in many fields but are faced with a challenge how to reach an optimum trade‐off between strength and toughness. In this regard, two prototypes (i.e., poly(AAm‐co‐AA)/CS‐Fe3+ and poly(AAm‐co‐AA)/PVA‐Fe3+ double‐network (DN) hydrogels), following the fundamental principles, are developed for the first time through constructing covalent/ionic dual cross‐links in the first networks while inducing polymer entanglement/crystallite‐based hidden chains in the second networks. Through systematic investigation of their comprehensive mechanical properties, the rationality of the proof‐of‐concept strategy is verified but some modifications are needed for further improvement. In summary, the synergy of DN structure and integrated irreversible/reversible dual cross‐links in a sacrificing network can formulate an effective energy‐dissipation system for high toughness, high toughness/strain recoverability, and high antifatigue capability. High‐functionality cross‐links based on polymer crystallites in the second network enhance the strength and elasticity of the as‐prepared hydrogels but destroy the flexibility and softness of the matrix phase, therefore sacrificing their stretchability. For optimal hydrogel design, introducing high‐functionality cross‐links in the matrix network while maintaining its flexibility or constructing hidden chains in the sacrificing network may be an ideal strategy to solve the afore‐mentioned problem.
A Natural Rubber Waste Derived Surfactant for High Internal Phase Emulsion Templating of Poly(Dicyclopentadiene)
Authors: Schallert Viktor , Slugovc Christian
Published: May 2021

The use of a surfactant derived from the degradation of natural rubber gloves via cross‐metathesis with methyl acrylate and subsequent saponification of the ester group for the stabilization of water in dicyclopentadiene high internal phase emulsions is described. The versatility of the resulting high internal phase emulsion is demonstrated by polymerizing the continuous dicyclopentadiene phase via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization yielding macroporous poly(dicyclopentadiene) foams with a porosity of 82%. The use of the ionic surfactant allows for the preparation of foams, which are resistant to absorb water. This property is hitherto not accessible with protocols involving the use of nonionic surfactants commonly employed in emulsion templating of polymers.
Tailoring Crosslinked Polyether Networks for Separation of CO2 from Light Gases
Authors: Rahman Md. Mushfequr , Abetz Volker
Published: May 2021

Crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is an ideal membrane material for separation of CO2 from light gases (e.g., H2, N2, O2, CH4 etc). In these membranes, crosslinking is used as a tool to suppress crystallinity of the PEG segments. In spite of the extensive effort to develop crosslinked PEG membranes in the last two decades, it remains a challenge to establish the structure–property relationships. This paper points out the fundamental limitations to correlate the chain topology of a network with the gas permeation mechanism. While a quantitative comparison of the molecular weight between crosslinks of networks and gas permeation mechanism reported by different research groups is challenging, effort is made to draw a qualitative picture. In this review, a focus is also put on the progress of utilization of dangling chain fractions to tailor the gas permeation behavior of PEG networks.
Formation mechanism of in‐situ V8C7 and V3B4 particles in iron matrix composites by vacuum sintering
Authors: Qin Y. , Wang Y. , Wu S. , Fan L. , Miao W. , Chen H.
Published: May 2021

The in‐situ V8C7‐V3B4/Fe45 composites were fabricated by vacuum sintering using ferrovanadium, carbon black and Fe45 alloy powders as raw materials. The microstructure, phase structure and hardness of sintered Fe45+x wt.% (FeV+C) composite specimens (x = 0, x = 5, x = 10, x = 15, x = 20) were investigated. The results show that the type and shape of in‐situ borides and carbides depend on the content of (FeV+C) mixed powders. When x = 5, the composite consists of α‐(Fe, Cr, V) solid solution, strip M7C3 carbides and block M2B borides. When x = 10, the V3B4 particles initiate inside the M2B borides by in‐situ precipitation, and the excess vanadium reacts with carbon to in‐situ form V8C7 particles. When x≥15, the M2B completely transform into V3B4. Furthermore, the V8C7 and V3B4 particles coarsened and tended to be spheroidal and rectangle shape respectively. The V3B4 particles coarsen possibly by contacting and merging of the small V3B4 particles. However, the V8C7 particles coarsen possibly by the Ostwald ripening. The hardness of the composites increases firstly and then decreases with the increase of (FeV+C) mixed powders. The Fe45+10 wt.% (FeV+C) composite has the highest hardness value (54.2 HRC), which is due to the fine boride and carbide reinforcement and little pore defect.
Customer concentration and analyst following: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Lingchen , Gu Yan , Ho Kung‐Cheng , Chang Chiu‐Lan
Published: May 2021

This study explores the influence of customer concentration on analyst following based on Chinese listed companies. Companies with higher customer concentrations have lower degrees of analyst following. The suppression effect of customer concentration on analyst following is more significant in industries with fierce competition. In companies with a longer accounts payable turnover cycle, the suppression effect of customer concentration on analyst following is more significant. Overall, our results suggest that the concentration of a supplier's customers greatly influences the corresponding behavior of analysts.
CMS proposes psychiatric prospective payment system rules
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on April 13 that would update the prospective payment rates, the outlier threshold and the wage index for Medicare inpatient hospital services provided by inpatient psychiatric facilities, which include psychiatric hospitals and excluded psychiatric units of an inpatient prospective payment system hospital or critical access hospital.
NAMI outlines key priorities for model bill on gun violence
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2021

Following an executive order on gun violence issued last month by the Biden administration to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish “red flag” legislation for states to address the issue, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in a letter to the DOJ urged a focus on effective solutions that do not discriminate against people with mental illness.
Automatic feature‐preserving size field for three‐dimensional mesh generation
Authors: Bawin Arthur , Henrotte François , Remacle Jean‐François
Published: May 2021

This article presents a methodology aiming at easing considerably the generation of high‐quality meshes for complex three‐dimensional (3D) domains. To this end, a mesh size field h(x) is computed, taking surface curvatures and geometric features into account. The size field is tuned by five intuitive parameters and yields quality meshes for arbitrary geometries. Mesh size is initialized on a surface triangulation of the domain based on discrete curvatures and medial axis transform computations. It is then propagated into the volume while ensuring the size gradient ∇h is controlled so as to obtain a smoothly graded mesh. As the size field is stored in an independent octree data structure, it can be computed separately, then plugged into any mesh generator able to respect a prescribed size field. The procedure is automatic, in the sense that minimal interaction with the user is required. Applications of our methodology on CAD models taken from the very large ABC dataset are presented. In particular, all presented meshes were obtained with the same generic set of parameters, demonstrating the universality of the technique.
Event‐triggered decentralized optimal fault tolerant control for mismatched interconnected nonlinear systems through adaptive dynamic programming
Authors: Luo Fangchao , Zhao Bo , Liu Derong
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we propose an event‐triggered decentralized optimal fault tolerant control (ETDOFTC) scheme based on adaptive dynamic programming for mismatched interconnected nonlinear systems with actuator failures. For fault‐free dynamic models, the decentralized control problem is addressed by developing a set of decentralized optimal control strategies for isolated subsystems with modified value functions, which are approximated by critic neural networks. Meanwhile, the neural network‐based decentralized observer is established to approximate actuator failures and mismatched unknown interconnections. The weights of the neural networks are aperiodically updated at the designed triggering instants. Then, the proposed ETDOFTC scheme is obtained by combining the event‐triggered decentralized optimal control strategies with the adaptive fault compensators. Furthermore, it is proved that all the signals of the closed‐loop system are uniformly ultimately bounded via the Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, simulation results of two examples are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed ETDOFTC scheme.
Improved robustH∞stability analysis and stabilization of uncertain systems with stochastic input time‐varying delays
Authors: Bourahala Fayçal , Rouamel Mohamed , Guelton Kevin
Published: May 2021

This article focus on the robustH∞stability analysis and controller design for a class of uncertain and disturbed continuous‐time systems with input time‐varying delays characterized by stochastic Bernoulli distributions. First, robustH∞stability conditions for linear continuous systems with interval input time‐varying delays is investigated. A delay‐distribution‐approach is considered to reduce the conservatism of the stability conditions from the convenient selection of a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF), which considers both the lower and upper bounds of the stochastic time‐varying delay to derive new delay‐dependentH∞stability conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Then, derived from the proposed stability conditions, LMI‐based conditions for the design of stabilizing robustH∞delayed state feedback controller are proposed. Finally, five numerical examples are considered to show the effectiveness of the proposed stability analysis and controller design conditions, in comparison to previous related results.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders in patients with intellectual disability
Authors: Javaid Amir , Rushforth Emma , Sajja Srikanth , Michael Dasari
Published: May 2021

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in the presentation of some psychiatric disorders such as somatisation disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse. Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders can also present with psychological symptoms. Furthermore, medications prescribed for GI disorders can cause psychiatric side‐effects. To better understand this complex relationship in the context of intellectual disability, we present 10 adult patients who had accompanying functional gastrointestinal disorders with adverse impact on their mental health.
Electroconvulsive therapy for refractory anxiety disorders
Authors: Yahya Ahmed Saeed , Khawaja Shakil
Published: May 2021

Anxiety disorders, particularly obsessive compulsive disorder and other related disorders, can be crippling and can cause significant distress and impairment. They may be very difficult to treat and some cases can also be life threatening. In this review, the authors summarise the latest research on the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy in treating refractory anxiety disorders.