bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tibial Tubercle to Trochlear Groove Distance Measured by Transepicondylar Axis on MRI is a Reliable Parameter in Tibial Tuberosity Osteotomy Decision Making in Patients with Recurrent Patellar Dislocation
Authors: Zhao Pei , Feng Yi , Yin Baoshan , Tan Hao , Zhang Hua , Zhang Jian , Zhou Aiguo
Published: June 2022

purpose: To (1) verify the reliability of the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance measured by posterior condylar reference line (PCRL), surgical and anatomical transepicondylar axis (SEA and AEA) on MRI (TT-TGp, TT-TGs, and TT-TGa, respectively), (2) validate the diagnostic capacity of each parameter, (3) define the pathological threshold value of each TT-TG distance for tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO).Methods: 86 patients with patellar dislocation (PD) and 86 healthy individuals were included. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to assess inter-observer reliability of each parameter. Unpaired t-test and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and the areas under the curves (AUC) were analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic capacity of the parameters. The data of the control group was used to identify the pathological value of the parameters and Binary logistic regression model was established.Results: The TT-TGp, TT-TGs, and TT-TGa distance were greater in the study group (12.7±4.0, 12.0±4.1, and 11.9±4.2, respectively) than in the control group (8.2±2.9, 8.1±3.0, and 8.0±3.0, respectively) (P<0.001) and were correlated with trochlear dysplasia with a ρ of 0.47, 0.46, and 0.50, respectively (P<0.001). In the study group, the TT-TGp distance was greater than TT-TGs and TT-TGa distance (P<0.001). The ICC of each TT-TG distance was more than 0.85 in any degree of trochlear dysplasia. The AUC of the TT-TGp distance (0.811) was higher than the TT-TGs (0.777) and TT-TGa (0.768) distance. The pathological value of each TT-TG distance was 13.0mm. And the TT-TGp revealed a significant OR of 18.68 (95% CI [6.28, 55.50]) with regard to PD.Conclusion: Each TT-TG distance can be measured reliably by MRI and has a good diagnostic capacity for PD. TTO should be considered when a pathological TT-TG distance (>13.0 mm) is presented.Level of Evidence: Retrospective cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, I.
RRN3P2, RPL7AP64, ACTR3C, & RPL7AP30 as Novel Prognostic Biomarkers for Glioblastoma (GBM): A Bioinformatics-Based Analysis
Authors: Malik Param
Published: June 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes gliomas as the most frequent intrinsic tumors of the CNS and classifies gliomas into multiple histological types. Among these, the most invasive type of brain cancer histology is Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). GBM is an extremely fast-growing type of malignant brain tumor seen in more than 15% of all patients with primary malignant brain tumors. The treatment of GBM poses a substantial clinical challenge due to tumor heterogeneity, ineffectiveness of surgery/radiotherapy, and chemoresistance. Prognostic biomarkers will enable clinicians to identify patients with a more aggressive tumor evolution. To identify novel biomarkers in GBM, gene expression datasets of metastatic brain cancer were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a publicly-available collection of genomic data relating to the molecular and clinical basis of cancer. Genes from patient files were retrieved and analyzed for oncogenic capacity, metastatic contribution, and potential for prognostic signature. Using the differentially expressed genes RRN3P2, RPL7AP64, ACTR3C, and RPL7AP30, survival curves were generated using Kaplan Meier test to explore the prognostic value of the select risk signature. Further, immune infiltration analyses were performed to assess the immune infiltrates of six tumor-immune infiltrating cells (TIIC) subsets. Gene Ontology and KEGG were used to identify the correlated molecular pathways of the target genes and present possible therapeutic direction. This study explores the prognostic value of RRN3P2, RPL7AP64, ACTR3C, and RPL7AP30 genes in GBM, and provides new insight into the therapeutic value of the correlated molecular pathways of the set of genes. Further, this model is expected to provide guidance for clinical evaluation of the prognosis of GBM patients with overexpression of the aforementioned genes.
Continuous measures of audience immersion: validating behavioural and physiological measures against self-report
Authors: Hammond Hugo , Armstrong Michael , Thomas Graham A. , Gilchrist Iain D.
Published: June 2022

When an audience member becomes immersed, attention is shifted towards the media and story, and this is accompanied by the allocation of mental resources to represent events and characters. Here we investigate whether it is possible to measure immersion using continuous behavioural or physiological measures. Using television and film clips, we validated dual-task reaction times, heart rate, and skin conductance against self-reported narrative engagement. We find that reaction times in the dual-task were strongly positively correlated with immersion: slower reaction times were indicative of greater immersion, particularly emotional engagement. Synchrony in heart rate between participants was associated with attentional and emotional engagement with the story, although we found no such relationship with skin conductance. These results establish both dual-task reaction times and heart rate as candidate measures for the real-time, continuous, assessment of audience immersion.
An estimation of regional and at-site quantiles of extreme winds under flood index procedure
Authors: Ahmad Ishfaq , Ahmad Touqeer , Almanjahie Ibrahim Mufrah , Ameer Muhammad Athar
Published: June 2022

Daily annual maximum wind speed values are among environmental events with the most catastrophic consequences for society. A comprehensive understanding of the magnitudes and frequency of extreme winds is essential for ensuring sustainably managed wind energy, planning for emergency weather situations, and designing different building structures. This study investigated regional frequency analysis of daily annual maximum winds for Baluchistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. We intended to find the regional frequency distribution for maximum winds and predict the returns for extreme winds events in the future. L-moments regionalization techniques along with flood index procedure were applied to maximum wind speed records of 21 stations across the study area. Only one station namely Lasbella was found to be discordant. With the help of cluster analysis, the remaining twenty stations were further divided into two homogeneous. Heterogeneity measures validate that both regions are homogenous with allotted stations. Regional quantiles for both regions are estimated through best-fit probability distribution among Generalized Normal (GNO), Generalized Logistic (GLO), Pearson Type 3 (P3), Generalized Pareto (GPA), and Generalized Extreme Value (GEV). Robustness of GLO distribution compared to GEV distribution is assessed through Monte Carlo simulations of relative bias and relative root mean square error. Findings clearly show that GLO distribution is best for the regional modeling. Furthermore, at-site quantiles are estimated by multiplying quantities of regional quantiles using the sample mean and median as scaling factors. Estimated quantiles can be helpful for future planning concerning wind energy and the codification of structural designs and policy implications.
Microbial Quality and Antimicrobial Residue of Local and Industrial Processed Fruit Juice Sold in Tamale, Ghana
Authors: Jimma Fidaus Iddrisu , Mohammed Amina , Adzaworlu Emmanuel Gameli , Nzeh Joseph , Quansah Lydia , Dufailu Osman Adamu
Published: June 2022

Fruits are essential part of human nutrition that provides numerous health benefits. When processed into juice, they are either packaged and stored or consumed immediately. There are reports on contraction of foodborne illness due to consumption of these natural beverages possibly from contamination by pathogenic microbes. Also, concerns of antimicrobial resistance due to antimicrobial residues in fruit juices has been raised. Thus, this study assessed the microbial quality of fruit juice by determining the microbial load of E. coli and Salmonella spp., and the presence of antimicrobial residues in locally processed fruit juices (n = 25) and industrially (n = 3) processed fruit juices sold in Tamale, Ghana. Spread plate technique was adopted for isolation and enumeration of bacteria. Whereas the presence of antimicrobial residue was determined using the Premi® test kit. Neither E. coli nor Salmonella spp. is recorded in all three industrially processed juice samples. However, the locally processed juice samples recorded 88% E. coli and 40% Salmonella spp. with microbial load above the acceptable limits. Antimicrobial residues were absent in all 28 samples analyzed. The incidence of high microbial load found in the locally processed fruit juice is of concern to avert possible foodborne illness linked with the consumption of fruit juices within Tamale.
Implementing an Activity Tracker to Increase Motivation for Physical Activity in Diabetic Patients in Primary Care: a SWOT Analysis
Authors: Pelletier Cynthia , Gagnon Marie-Pierre , Chabot Christian , Rhéaume Caroline
Published: June 2022

Objectives: To explore the feasibility of implementing an activity tracker to increase motivation for physical activity among patients with type 2 diabetes in primary care setting, and to assess patient satisfaction with this technology.Design: Mixed methods study using a satisfaction and acceptability questionnaire on an activity tracker (participants) and a questionnaire based on the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis elements (team).Setting: Academic Primary Health Centre in Quebec City, Canada.Participants: 15 participants with type 2 diabetes who took part in the intervention group, and 7 members of the research team and health professionals who contributed to this project.Methods: Quantitative variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Qualitative variables from selected answers were reported in frequency tabs. Qualitative variables from open questions were synthesized in a matrix and ranked according to apparition frequency and global importance. A thematic analysis was performed by the first author and validated by two coauthors separately. The information gathered was triangulated to propose recommendations that were then approved by the team. Both quantitative and qualitative results were combined for recommendations.Main findings: In total, 86% of the participants were satisfied with their activity tracker use, and 79% did with the technical support provided by the team. The main strengths of the team members’ perspective were the study design, the team, and the device. The weaknesses were the budgetary constraints, the turnover, and the technical issues. The opportunities were the primary care setting and the common technology. The threats were the recruitment, the administrative challenges, and the technological difficulties.Conclusion: Patients with type 2 diabetes were satisfied with their activity tracker used to improve motivation for physical activity. Research team members agreed that implementation can be done in primary care, but some challenges remain for using this tool in clinical practice regularly.
Precipitation of Vanadium Carbides for Improved Resistance to Gouging during the Running-In of Hadfield Steels
Authors: Wang Jiangting , Bruel Guillaume , Wang Zhiyang , Gilbert Elliot , Cizek Pavel , Corujeira-Gallo Santiago , Fabijanic Daniel , Barnett Matthew
Published: June 2022

Precipitation hardening is a promising approach for strengthening of Hadfield steels to provide resistance to wear loss due to gouging in the initial ‘running-in’ period of mining components. The present study examines the potential to achieve this by combining vanadium addition (up to 2 wt.%) with short time aging (15 min) at 900 °C. It was found that such a treatment is sufficient to generate a dispersion of nano-scale precipitates that provided an increase in hardness and up to a factor three increase in gouging resistance in the as-processed state. Small-angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy measurements were performed to quantify the particle dispersion and Orowan precipitate hardening predictions made using the parameters thus obtained show good correspondence with the observed rates of age hardening, suggesting the precipitates are resistant to shearing. The present steels showed a small reduction in work hardening capacity and resistance to gouging in the work hardened state, after vanadium addition and aging. This is believed to be due to carbon depletion from the matrix. It is concluded that the addition of vanadium and a short aging treatment at 900 °C provides a promising pathway to imparting gouge resistance during the running-in period of components made from Hadfield steel. For optimum performance, additional carbon should be added to maintain the solute carbon content of the matrix, and hence the matrix work hardening rate.
Multiple Vehicle Cooperation and Collision Avoidance in Automated Vehicles: Survey and an AI-Enabled Conceptual Framework
Authors: Muza Abu Jafar Md , Kamarulzaman Syafiq Fauzi , Rahman Md Arafatur , Murad Saydul Akbar , Kamal Md Abdus Samad , Alenezi Ali H
Published: June 2022

Prospective customers are becoming more concerned about safety and comfort as the automobile industry swings toward Automated Vehicles (AVs). A comprehensive evaluation of recent AVs collision data indicates that modern automated driving systems are prone to rear-end collisions, usually leading to multiple vehicle collisions. Moreover, most investigations into severe traffic conditions are confined to single-vehicle collisions. This work reviewed diverse techniques of existing literature to provide planning procedures for Multiple Vehicle Cooperation and Collision Avoidance (MVCCA) strategies in AVs while also considering their performance and social impact viewpoints. Firstly, we investigate and tabulate the existing MVCCA techniques associated with single-vehicle collision avoidance perspectives. Then, current achievements are extensively evaluated, challenges and flows are identified, and remedies are intelligently formed to exploit a taxonomy. This paper also aims to give readers a AI-enable conceptual framework, a decision-making model with a concrete structure of the training network settings to bridge the gaps between current investigations. These findings are intended to shed insight on the benefits of the greater efficiency of AVs set-up for academics and policymakers. Finally, the open research issues discussed in this article will pave the way for the actual implementation of driver-less automated traffic systems.
Development and influencing factors of ophthalmology residency training in a program in China--an analysis of a 360-degree evaluation results in the past 5 years
Authors: Sun Yaoyao , Zhang Qin , Zeng Qingqi , Liu Jing , Wu Huijuan , Huang Lvzhen , Peng Zisu , Qi Huijun , Bao Yongzhen , Li Xiaoxin , Palis Gabriela , Zhao Mingwei
Published: June 2022

Background
To explore the development of ophthalmology residents and the factors that influence resident performance in China with a 360-degree evaluation.
Methods
59 residents enrolled in the resident training system at Peking University People's Hospital were evaluated by a 360-degree evaluation system created by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) from July 2017 to September 2021. All residents were required to complete a 3-year training program. An online evaluation questionnaire was applied and resident's entire score was added together and transformed to a percentage system. The data was statistically analyzed with T-paired test and multiple linear regression analysis to determine the changes of resident’ evaluation results and the potential influencing factors on the residents' grades.
Results
A total of 364 evaluations for 59 residents and 20 instructors were conducted. By September 2021, a total of 28 residents had finished the program, with another 31 in the process. There was generally positive trend in performance ratings. In years 1, 2, and 3, the average scores were 82.67 ± 8.26, 89.85 ± 6.03, and 91.77 ± 4.03, respectively. There is a substantial difference in average scores between year 1 and year 2 (P = 0.000) but not between year 2 and 3 (P > 0.05). Residents' average clinical skills scores are 45.08 ± 3.36, 50.34 ± 4.95, and 51.06 ± 5.51 and non-clinical skills scores are 37.55 ± 3.42, 38.16 ± 5.07, and 38.93 ± 3.19 by the end of year 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was a significant improvement in residents' clinical skills in the first year compared to the second year (P = 0.003) but not between the second and third year (P > 0.05). There was no significant improvement of non-clinical skills regardless of the year. Educational background, rather than other characteristics, had the biggest impact on residents’ achievement in the first and second years of training.
Conclusion
Ophthalmology residents' performance improved significantly from the first to the second year, after which they reached a plateau. Different education backgrounds had the greatest impact on their first-year performance. Additional attention should be devoted to senior residents and residents with inferior educational backgrounds.
A nomogram based on clinicopathologic characteristics and pretreatment systemic inflammation response index to predict pathological complete response of neoadjuvant systemic therapy in HER2-positive breast cancer: A dual-center study
Authors: Wu Hong-Yu , Tzeng Yen-Dun , Hung Chih-Chiang , Liu Shiuh-Inn , Yin Chun-Hao , Chen Jin-Shuen , Chen Yao-Shen , Yang Jie-Ru
Published: June 2022

Purpose:
Multiple pretreatment systemic inflammatory markers (SIMs) have been reported as predictors of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) in patients with breast cancer (BC). However, the most significant SIM remains to be conclusively identified, and variations among different molecular subtypes remain unknown. The objective of the study was to identify the most significant SIM in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive BC, and to construct a pCR-predictive nomogram combining it with other clinicopathological factors.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the findings for 240 patients with stage I–III HER2-positive BC who underwent NST and subsequent surgery at Kaohsiung and Taichung Veterans General Hospital from 2011 to 2021. Clinicopathological factors were analyzed by stepwise logistic regression with forward selection. The data were used to construct a nomogram plot for determining the probability of pCR.
Results:
Among the pretreatment SIMs, only SIRI was significantly related to pCR, with an optimal cutoff value of 1.27 × 109/L. Stepwise logistic analyses indicated that clinical N stage, HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) score, hormone receptor status, targeted therapy regimen, and SIRI were independent predictors of pCR, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.722. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test and calibration curve revealed that the predictive ability was a good fit to actual observations. A nomogram was constructed based on the logistic model.
Conclusions:
Pretreatment SIRI < 1.27 is predictive of pCR in HER2-positive BC. Our nomogram could efficiently predict pCR and facilitate clinical decision-making before neoadjuvant treatment.
Identification and Validation of a Novel Prognostic Model Based on Platinum Resistance-Related Genes in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Hao Yining , Wang Chenghe , Xu Danfeng
Published: June 2022

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease with high recurrence rate. The depth of response to platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents in urothelial neoplasm tissues varies greatly. Biomarkers that have practical value in prognosis stratification and early determination of therapeutic effect are increasingly needed. Our study aimed to select a set of BC-related genes involved in both platinum resistance and survival, then use these genes to establish the prognostic model.Methods: Platinum resistance-related DEGs and tumorigenesis-related DEGs were identified. Among the intersection of them, 10 most predictive genes were acquired through Cox, lasso, and stepwise regressions followed by building a risk score model with their regression coefficients. Survival analysis and ROC plot were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of our model. Combined with age and TMN stages, a nomogram was generated to create a graphical representation of survival rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year in BC patients. The prognostic performance of risk score was also validated in three independent BC datasets including cisplatin-treated patients and a gastric cancer cohort with platinum-based chemotherapy. The potential mechanism of the gene-based model was explored by enrichment analysis.Results: PPP2R2B, TSPAN7, ATAD3C, SYT15, SAPCD1, AKR1B1, TCHH, AKAP12, AGLN3, and IGF2 were selected for our prognostic model. Patients in high- and low-risk groups exhibited a significant survival difference (HR = 2.7, p < 0.0001). The prognostic nomogram of predicting 3-year OS for BC patients could yield an AUC of 0.819. In the external validation dataset, the risk score also has a robust predictive ability. Conclusion: A prognostic model derived from platinum resistance-related genes was constructed, we confirmed its value in predicting platinum-based chemotherapy benefits and overall survival for BC patients. The model might assist in therapeutic decisions for bladder malignancy.Subjects: Urology, Oncology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology.
An Effective Hybrid Deep Learning Technique for Covid-19 Detection Using InceptionV3 and optimized Squeeze Net
Authors: B Srinivasarao , B Raviteja ,   Dr. Saichandana1 B, J Harikiran
Published: June 2022

Covid-19 is a virus that affects both animals and people and is quickly expanding. This deadly illness affects people's daily lives, health, and economy. The most significant imaging methods for detecting COVID-19 are a computed tomography (CT) scan and chest X-ray. For this epidemic, all researchers are striving for efficient solutions and quick treatment approaches. Fast and accurate automated detection approaches have been introduced to eliminate the requirement for medical professionals. This work proposes an efficient SqueezeNet for Covid classification to solve this challenge. Inception V3 is employed to extract some of the most important features. SqueezeNet is optimized by Deer Hunt Optimization algorithm (DHO) to improve the performance. From chest x-ray images, a multi-classification DL approach for diagnosing COVID-19, pneumonia, normal, and tuberculosis is proposed. The proposed categorization strategy is implemented in Python and compared to other approaches. In terms of f1-score, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy experiments have shown that the proposed method outperforms other recent and state-of-the-art methodologies.
Nanopore ion sources deliver single amino acid and peptide ions directly into high vacuum
Authors: Drachman Nicholas , Lepoitevin Mathilde , Szapary Hannah , Wiener Benjamin , Maulbetsch William , Stein Derek
Published: June 2022

We report a nanopore ion source for mass spectrometry that delivers ions directly into high vacuum from aqueous solutions.
The ion source comprises a pulled quartz capillary with a sub-100~nm opening. Ions escape an electrified meniscus between the liquid and high vacuum by ion evaporation and travel along collisionless trajectories to the ion detector. We measure mass spectra of 16 different amino acid ions as well as post-translationally modified variants of glutathione in unsolvated states using the nanopore ion source. The emitted current is composed of ions rather than charged droplets, and more than 90% of the current can be recovered in a distant collector. The nanopore ion source could enable more sensitive proteomic analyses. It circumvents the sample loss mechanisms inherent to conventional electrospray ionization (ESI), where charged droplets are sprayed into a background gas that scatters ions and degrades their transmission.
Hemosuccus pancreaticus as an unusual cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Case report and literature review
Authors: Ayala Daniela , T. Juliana González , Pedroza Felipe , M. Ana M. Gonzalez , Chaves Carlos Eduardo Rey , Acosta Mauricio , Conde Danny , Olarte Juan Carlos Sabogal
Published: June 2022

Background: Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (1/1500) and represents the loss of blood through the main pancreatic duct and its exteriorization through the major duodenal papilla. It can lead to massive bleeding, which is potentially life-threatening. This condition most commonly follows pseudoaneurysm formation secondary to acute or chronic pancreatitis. As a result of its infrequency, it is difficult to diagnose, and the mortality rate remains high. To our knowledge this is the first case report of Latin-American population. Case presentation: A 70-year-old male patient presented with diffuse severe abdominal pain associated with melenas. Angiotomography was performed, ruling out mesenteric ischemia, with evidence of pancreatic head tumor with liver metastases. Sandblom's triad was present and the diagnosis of hemosuccus pancreaticus was confirmed. Multiple arteriograms were performed, with pseudoaneurysm of gastroduodenal artery findings. Therefore, endovascular coil embolization was performed in two opportunities to control the bleeding. Conclusion: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a clinical challenge for the surgeon and emergency medicine. It’s a complex entity with high mortality that should be suspected in patients with acute or chronic pancreatitis and periampullary tumors with non-established sources of bleeding. Clinically manifested by Sandblom's triad. Its diagnosis gold standard is the arteriography plus embolization which is also therapeutic. Surgery is related to higher mortality and reserved for specific situations.
Who should do as AI say? Only non-task expert physicians benefit from correct explainable AI advice
Authors: Gaube Susanne , Suresh Harini , Raue Martina , Lermer Eva , Koch Timo , Hudecek Matthias , Ackery Alun D. , Grover Samir C. , Coughlin Joseph F. , Frey Dieter , Kitamura Felipe , Ghassemi Marzyeh , Colak Errol
Published: June 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated clinical advice is becoming more prevalent in healthcare. However, the impact of AI-generated advice on physicians’ decision-making is underexplored. In this study, physicians received X-rays with correct diagnostic advice and were asked to make a diagnosis, rate the advice’s quality, and judge their own confidence. We manipulated whether the advice came with or without a visual annotation on the X-rays and whether it was labeled as coming from an AI or a human radiologist. Overall, receiving annotated advice from an AI resulted in the highest diagnostic accuracy. Physicians rated the quality of AI advice higher than human advice. Neither manipulation had strong effects on participants’ confidence. Importantly, the results varied among task experts and non-task experts, with only the latter considerably benefiting from correct explainable AI advice. These findings raise important considerations for the deployment of diagnostic advice in healthcare.
Optical Image Guided Multi-scale Learning for Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Super-resolution
Authors: Li Yanshan , Xu Fan , Zhou Li
Published: June 2022

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image Super-Resolution (SR) has various application including military reconnaissance and marine monitoring. Comparing with other natural images, the SAR images suffer from lower spatial resolution and less amplitude information, which provide insufficient information for SAR image reconstruction. Therefore, current SAR image SR methods show worse performance. In this paper, considering optical images have higher resolution and richer texture information, we propose a multi-scale learning based optical image guidance network (MLOG) to make good use of high-resolution (HR) optical image for SAR image SR. Specifically, we design an optical image weighted guidance network (OWG) to get more discriminative feature and reduce the impact of the lack of detailed information in LR SAR images. Then a multi-scale learning network (MLN) is proposed to obtain the global features from optical image. After that, a residual multi-scale block (RMB) is introduced to extract the global multi-scale context information. Finally, the extracted multi-scale features are reconstructed to generate high-resolution SAR images through a convolutional reconstruction layer. The experimental results show that the proposed MLOG method achieves state-of-the-art performance for SAR image SR on public available datasets.
Influence of AI-assisted motion correction algorithm (CardioCapture) on the correlation between HR and optimal reconstruction phase
Authors: Yin Wei , Xu Ruimin , Jia Zijun , Zhao Binghui , Lu Jianping , Shao Chengwei , Liu Shuilian , Wang Minjie
Published: June 2022

Background: The best suitable candidates for scanning mode and reconstruction phase according to the heart rate in coronary CTA. while the heart rate threshold depends on the hardware of the CT scanner. This study aims to find the heart rate threshold of CCTA using the latest CT scanner with AI-assisted motion correction algorithm(CardioCapture).Methods: All cases were examined from April 2021 to September 2021. two experienced radiologists scored these images on a four-point Likert scale. Images quality below three-point were reconstructed by CardioCapture. All images were divided into eight groups according to HR (at an interval of 5 bpm). The subjective score of images, the frequency of used CardioCapture and the proportion of diastolic reconstruction phase were compared in each group. The relationship between HR and the diastolic reconstruction phase was analyzed by the receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC).Result: The data of 515 patients were studied. With an increase in HR, the subjective image score decreased, the frequency of CardioCapture increased, and the phase ratio of diastolic reconstruction decreased. When the HR was less than 70 bpm, the percentage of excellence image in each group was more than 94.90%. The highest frequency of CardioCapture was 65.22%, and the lowest proportion of diastolic reconstruction was 72.46%. The best cut-off point between HR and the diastolic reconstruction ROC curve in the groups without CardioCapture was 65 bpm, while that in groups with CardioCapture was 68 bpm. Conclusion: The CardioCapture can effectively improve the image quality of CCTA with high HR. Keeping the HR below 68bpm and adopting the prospective ECG-gated narrow phase axial scan can ensure the image quality and reduce the radiation dose simultaneously.
Adaptive fixed-time fault-tolerant control of interconnected non-affine systems with full-state constraints.
Authors: Bai Wen , Liu Peter Xiaoping , Wang Huanqing
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the constrained control problem is considered for nonlinear interconnected non-affine systems with actuator faults. On the basis of the backstepping design framework, an adaptive controller is developed to deal with unknown items and the non-affine appearance by using neural networks and the mean value theorem. In an attempt to avert the constraint violation, the difficulties brought by the emergence of full state constraints can be eased by selecting an appropriate barrier Lyapunov function. A fault-tolerant controller is designed to handle actuator faults, involving stuck constant value and loss of effectiveness. The fixed time controller is designed to ensure that all the signals of the closed-loop system can maintain semi-globally stable. The simulation results show that the developed controller is effective for targeted nonlinear systems.
Assessment of Genetic Diversity of a Critically Endangered Species, Centaurea amaena (Asteraceae)
Authors: ATASAGUN Bayram
Published: June 2022

Centaurea amaena is an endemic and endangered species and listed as CR in Turkey. ISSR markers were used to detect the level of genetic diversity in two natural populations of C. amaena. A total of 50 ISSR primers were used and 13 primers producing polymorphic and reproducible products were selected. These primers yielded 102 amplified discernible loci, of which 80 (78%) were polymorphic. A high level of genetic diversity was detected both at population and species levels; the effective number of alleles (Ne) was 1.544, the observed number of alleles (Na) was 1.784, the Nei’s genetic diversity (H) was 0.306, and Shannon's information index was 0.447. The determined gene flow (Nm) was 2.329, indicating a high migration rate between the populations. Moderate level of genetic differentiation (GST: 0.176) was also observed. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 24.89% of the total genetic diversity resided among populations, while 75.10% within the populations. Cluster analysis showed that samples from the same locality clustered together and there was no cross-clustering between the samples. The patterns of genetic variation indicates that existing C. amaena populations should be conserved.
Health care use attributable to COVID-19: A propensity matched national electronic health records cohort study of 249,390 people in Wales, UK.
Authors: Kennedy Jonathan , Parker Michael , Seaborne Michael , Mhereeg Mohamed , Walker Alex , Walker Venexia , Denaxas Spiros , Kennedy Natasha , Katikireddi Srinivasa , Brophy Sinead
Published: June 2022

Background: To determine the extent and nature of changes in infected patients’ healthcare utilization, we studied healthcare contact in the 1-4 weeks and 5-24 weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis compared to propensity matched controls.Methods: Survival analysis was used for time to death and first clinical outcomes including clinical terminology concepts for post-viral illness, fatigue, embolism, respiratory conditions, mental and developmental conditions, fit note, or hospital attendance. Increased instantaneous risk for the occurrence of an outcome for positive individuals was quantified using hazard ratios (HR) from Cox Regression and absolute risk was quantified using relative risk (RR) from life table analysis.Results: Compared to matched individuals testing negative, surviving positive community-tested patients had a higher risk of post-viral illness (HR: 4.57, 95%CI: 1.77-11.80, p=0.002), fatigue (HR: 1.47, 95%CI: 1.24-1.75, p<0.001) and embolism (HR: 1.51, 95%CI: 1.13-2.02, p=0.005) at 5-24 weeks post-diagnosis. In the four weeks after COVID-19 higher rates of sick notes were being issued for community-tested (HR: 3.04, 95%CI: 0.88 to 10.50, p<0.079); the risk was reduced after four weeks, compared to controls. Overall healthcare attendance for anxiety, depression was less likely in those with COVID-19 in the first four weeks (HR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.73-1.06, p=0.007). After four weeks, anxiety, depression is less likely to occur for the positive community-tested individuals (HR: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.77-1.00, p=0.048), but more likely for positive hospital-tested individuals (HR: 1.16, 95%CI: 1.00-1.45, p=0.053). Although statistical associations between positive infection and post-infection healthcare use are clear, the absolute use of healthcare is very.Conclusions: Community COVID-19 disease is associated with increased risks of post-viral illness, fatigue, embolism, depression, anxiety and respiratory conditions. Despite these elevated risks, the absolute healthcare burden is low. Either very small proportions of people experience adverse outcomes following COVID-19 or they are not presenting to healthcare.Trial registration: Data held in SAIL databank are anonymised and therefore, no ethical approval is required. All data in SAIL has the permission from the relevant Caldicott Guardian or Data Protection Officer and SAIL-related projects are required to obtain Information Governance Review Panel (IGRP) approval. The IGRP approval number for this study is 1259.
Diabetes impairs endothelial cell metabolic reprogramming and angiogenic responses to hypoxia, which are rescued by reconstituted high-density lipoproteins
Authors: Primer Khalia R. , Tan Joanne T.M. , Psaltis Peter J. , Bursill Christina
Published: June 2022

Aims
Diabetes-impaired angiogenic responses to ischemia contribute to vascular complications such as chronic wounds and a poorer prognosis post-myocardial infarction. Diabetes disrupts mechanisms involved in endothelial cell (EC) adaptation to hypoxia, which is essential for angiogenesis. The pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4)/pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) axis is an oxygen-conserving mechanism that preserves EC function in hypoxia, but its role in diabetes-impaired angiogenesis is unknown. We hypothesised that regulation of the PDK4/PDC axis is impaired by diabetes, important in angiogenesis and rescued by pro-angiogenic reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL).
Methods
In diabetic mice, PBS and rHDL were topically applied daily to full-thickness wounds. Wound PDK4 and phosphorylated PDC (pPDC) were measured by qPCR, western blotting and ELISA. Laser Doppler imaging measured wound blood flow reperfusion and immunohistochemistry assessed CD31+ neovessels. In vitro, human coronary artery ECs were preincubated with rHDL, exposed to high glucose (25Mm) and hypoxia (1.2% O2). Matrigel tubulogenesis and Boyden chambers assessed angiogenic functions, and the Seahorse Bioanalyser assessed cellular respiration. PDK4 was knocked down by siRNA, and chromatin immunoprecipitation determined transcription factor binding to the PDK4 promoter.
Results
Diabetes impaired the early induction of wound PDK4 and pPDC post-wound ischemia. Topical rHDL rescued this, enhancing PDK4 (68%, P < 0.05) and pPDC (165%, P < 0.01) levels. This was associated with increased wound neovascularization (62%, P < 0.05) and closure (154%, P < 0.0001). In vitro, PDK4 and pPDC levels were markedly increased in ECs exposed to hypoxia (65%, 70% respectively, P < 0.05). High glucose prevented further step-wise inductions, and caused an aberrant increase in mitochondrial respiration (19%, P < 0.05). Importantly, rHDL increased PDK4 mRNA levels and pPDC two-fold, returning mitochondrial respiration and EC angiogenic functions to normal glucose levels. PDK4 siRNA knockdown attenuated the proangiogenic effects of rHDL. rHDL appears to mediate these effects by increasing the activity of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). We also show FOXO1 binds to the PDK4 promoter, which is enhanced by rHDL.
Conclusion
The PDK4/PDC axis response to hypoxia is important for angiogenesis and impaired by diabetes, which can be corrected by rHDL. These findings identify a new mechanism for the proangiogenic effects of rHDL in diabetes and have implications for its development as an agent that accelerates tissue regeneration.
The Impact of Early Adversity and Educational Attainment on Genetic and Brain Morphological Predictors of Intelligence
Authors: Donohoe Gary , Corley Emma , Fahey Laura , Fitzgerald Joan , Holleran Laurena , Walton Esther , Morris Derek
Published: June 2022

Intelligence is a strong predictor of occupational achievement, quality of life and physical health. While variation in intelligence is strongly heritable and has been robustly associated with early environment and brain morphology, little is known about how these factors combine and interact to explain this variation in intelligence. To address this, we modelled the relationship between common genetic variation, grey matter volume, early life adversity and education and intelligence in a UK Biobank sample of 16,383 individuals using structural equation modelling. We tested the hypotheses that total grey matter volume would mediate the association between genetics and intelligence, and that early life adversity and educational attainment would moderate this relationship. Common genetic variation was estimated using a genome-wide polygenic score (PGS) of intelligence. Consistent with previous studies, we found that grey matter volume was a significant mediator of the relationship between PGS and intelligence, but only when early life adversity was included in the model. We further found that higher educational attainment in turn moderated the effects of adversity. These findings suggest an important interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the development of intellectual functioning.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women attending antenatal follow up at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Mekonnen Olantu , Alelign Zewditu , Adugnaw Emebet , Neges Ketemaw
Published: June 2022

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness is a strategy to promote the timely used of skilled maternal and neonatal care with a skilled birth attendant, place of delivery and preparation in case of emergency during childbirth. Birth preparedness and complication readiness is the process of preparing for normal birth and anticipating the actions needed in case of an emergency. About 300 million women in developing world affected by short-term or long-term illness, even death by pregnancy and childbirth. This is because insufficiency birth and emergency preparedness.Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice on birth preparedness and complication readiness among women attending the ANC service at Mizan-Taipei university teaching hospital in Mizan Aman town October 1-29, 2021.Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending ANC at Mizan-Tepi university teaching hospital in Mizan Aman town from October 1-29,2021. The systematic random sampling technique was used and a total of 157 women was interviewed using both close ended and open ended questions. The data collected was analyzed by SPSS version 23 and was presented using tables, bar graphs and pie chart.Result: Data were obtained from 157 pregnant women yielding, a response rate of 100%. Taking into account that 113 (72%) were knowledgeable about danger sign during pregnancy, 110 (70.1%) during labor and 80 (51%) in the postpartum period, 50 (34.4%) of them were considered as had good practice and the 125 (79.6%) respondent has a favorable attitude towards BP& CR.Conclusion and recommendation: The study identified good comprehensive knowledge and attitude in preparation for birth and its complication in the study area. Community education about preparation for birth and its complication and empowerment of women through the expansion of educational opportunities are recommended for improving birth preparedness and consequently the effects of pregnancy related complications.
Effect of light irradiation on sugar, phenolics and GABA metabolism on postharvest grape (Vitis vinifera L.) during storage
Authors: Nassarawa Sanusi Shamsudeen , Luo Zisheng
Published: June 2022

The impact of red and blue lightemitting diodes (LEDs) irradiation on the sugar metabolism and γaminobutyric acid in postharvest table grapes stored at (4 ℃) for 21 d after harvest were explored. Grapes fruit were exposed to red and blue light irradiation at the same intensity (500 LUX). The findings revealed that red and blue light treatments enhanced TSS and TA content. Furthermore, redlight irradiation retained higher phenolics compound during storage than bluelight and control. Redlight radiation sustained higher levels of phenolics biosynthesis related enzymes, including PAL, TAL, C4H, and 4CL than bluelight irradiation and control. The results showed that red-light was extremely effective at increasing glucose, fructose, and sucrose levels, which were 32.19 g kg-1, 33. 18 g kg-1 and 2.95 g kg-1 than those in blue-light and control at the end of storage and enhancing the SS-synthesis and acid invertase, while blue light enhanced SS-cleavage. In addition, red-light irradiation increased GAD activity while red and blue light irradiation inhibited GABA-T activity by 22.14 U kg-1 and 20.71 U kg-1 at 21 d of storage, compared to control, leading to GABA accumulation. These findings suggest that red and blue-light will help in maintaining the quality of grape during postharvest storage.
Evaluation of clinical practice of extraperitoneal cesarean section
Authors: Ji Chao , Chen Meng , Qin Yichen
Published: June 2022

Objective: To evaluate the extraperitoneal cesarean section in current as routine elective operation.Methods: 461 primiparas were divided into extraperitoneal cesarean section group and transperitoneal cesarean section group according to the operation type randomly, but in a non-blinded manner. The outcome measures were amount of intraoperative blood loss, operation duration, postoperative gas passage time, postoperative pain, postoperative complication and neonatal outcome. Results: The operation duration of the extraperitoneal cesarean section group were much lower than transperitoneal cesarean section group (P<0.05). The birth weight of the extraperitoneal cesarean section group was higher, and the number of neonatal transfers was less (P<0.05). There were no differences in other maternal surgical or neonatal complications between groups.Conclusion: The extraperitoneal cesarean section can be safely and valuably performed as a routine procedure in the surgical delivery of primiparas, but must be performed by well-trained surgeons.
Positive predictive value estimates for noninvasive prenatal testing from data of a prenatal diagnosis laboratory and literature review
Authors: Liu Siping , Yang Fang , Chang Qingxian , Jia Bei , Xu Yushuang , Wu Ruifeng , Li Liyan , Chen Weishan , Yin Ailan , Huang Fodi , Feng Suxin , Li Fenxia
Published: June 2022

Objective: Since 2011, noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has undergone rapid expansion with both utilization and coverage. However, conclusive data regarding the clinical validity and utility of this testing tool, have lagged behind. Thus, there is a continued need to educate clinicians and patients about the current benefits and limitations to inform pre- and posttest counseling, pre/perinatal decision making, and medical risk assessment/management.Methods: A retrospective study among women referred for invasive prenatal diagnosis to confirm positive NIPT results between January 2017 and December 2020. Prenatal diagnosis testing were taken including karyotype, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) or CNV-seq. Positive predictive values (PPV) were calculated.Results: A total of 468 women were recruited. The PPVs for trisomy 21, 18, 13 were 86.1%, 57.8%, 25.0%, respectively. The PPV for RCAs and CNVs were 17.0%, 40.4% respectively. Detection of SCAs had PPV of 20% for monosomy X, 23.5% for 47,XXX, 68.8% for 47,XXY and 62.5% for 47,XYY. High-risk groups had a significant increase in the number of true positive cases compared to the low and moderate risk groups.Conclusion: T13, Monosomy X, RCA are associated with lower PPVs. Improvement of the cell-free fetal DNA screening technology and continued monitoring of its performance is important.