bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visual outcomes after bilateral implantation of a new diffractive multifocal IOL: Preliminary results
Authors: Garcia-Bella Javier , Carballo-Alvarez Jesus , Collado-Vincueria Isabel , Sanz-Fernandez Juan C , Vazquez-Molini Jose M. , Garcia-Feijoo Julian , Martinez-de-la-Casa Jose M
Published: June 2022

Background: The aim was to determine visual outcomes and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing cataract surgery after the binocular implant of multifocal difractive Intensity IOL Methods: 21 patients were evaluated. Six weeks after surgery, uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA), distance corrected intermediate visual acuity at 60 cm(DCIVA) and distance corrected near visual acuity at 40cm (DCNVA) were determined using the ETDRS test. Defocus curves were produced both in photopic and mesopic conditions. Contrast sensitivity(CSF) was measured using the CSV-1000 test. Patients were shown pictures about dysphotopic phenomena and informed about their meaning with a likert scale from 0 (no problem) to 4 (overwhelming). Results: Post implantation mean logMAR Binocular UDVA, CDVA, DCIVA and DCNVA were 0.07± 0.09, -0.01 ± 0.04, 0.08 ± 0.05 and 0.12 ± 0.06 respectively. Photopic defocus curve showed a extended range of good vision. Mesopic defocus curve results were better than previously reported with trifocal designs. Mean binocular CSF values for 4 spatial frequencies (3, 6, 12 and 18 cpd) were 1.55±0.29, 1.60±0.17, 1.29±0.26 and 0.81±0.15 log. units, respectively. Halos were more frequent than starburst and glare with a Likert scale mean value of 0.86±0.83. Conclusions: The IOL provided a continuous range of vision from distance to near. Patients were not bothered or only slightly bothered in relation to the visual disturbances.
Prehospital analgesia in pediatric trauma and critically ill patients - An analysis of a German air rescue service
Authors: Eimer Christine , Reifferscheid Florian , Jung Philipp , Rudolph Marcus , Terboven Tom , Hoffmann Florian , Lorenzen Ulf , Köser Andrea , Seewald Stephan
Published: June 2022

BackgroundPain management in the prehospital setting remains a particular challenge for paramedics and emergency physicians, especially in children. This study evaluates the prehospital use and effect of analgesics in children with trauma or severe disease. MethodsThis study is a retrospective analysis of the database of a German air rescue service and was conducted over a period of 9 years (2012 – 2020) to assess pain in general and whether patients with trauma or severe disease received treatment with analgesics. We included all patients in the registry under the age of 16 years. Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 at hospital admission and incomplete records were excluded. The intensity of pain was determined by the emergency physician on scene at arrival and hospital admission in a ten-point rating scale (0=no pain). Effective pain reduction was analyzed. ResultsOut of 227,458 cases, a total of 22,025 emergency cases involved pediatric patients aged 0 – 16 years. 20,407 cases were included in the study. 12,000 (58,8%) children had suffered a trauma, 8,108 (39,7%) had severe diseases and 297 (1,5%) had both. In total, 4,608 (38,4%) of the children with trauma were assessed having a numerical rating scale (NRS) > 4 at EMS arrival. These patients received mainly ketamine (34.5%) and the opioids fentanyl (38.7%) and piritramide (19.1%). The value on the NRS was significantly lower at admission to hospital (mean 1.9) compared with the EMS arrival (mean 6.9). In 4.9% the NRS at hospital admission was still >4. 282 patients had a disease with an initially pain determined >4. The pain therapy consisted of opioids (35.8%) and ketamine (2.8%). 28.4% patients in the disease group received no pain medication. In 16.0% the NRS at hospital admission was still >4.ConclusionsGerman emergency physicians achieved a sufficient pain therapy in pediatric patients with a NRS >4 after trauma. In case of a disease the pain management by the emergency physicians is restrained and less successful. The most common analgesic medications administered were ketamine and fentanyl, followed by piritramide. Trial registration: The study has been retrospectively registered at DRKS (DRKS00026222)
Design and Implementation of Two-Dimensional Pipelined & Parallel FIR Filter Architectures
Authors: Singh Thingujam Churchil , Kumar Manoj
Published: June 2022

This paper aims at designing and implementation of two dimensional pipelining, fine-grain pipelining, parallel processing and combined pipelining and parallel processing architecture for FIR filter using VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language). These specific architectures significantly reduce the delay and the power consumption of the filter. Sampling frequency for the proposed designs is given in this paper. Rectangular window method is used for calculating Filter coefficients for the proposed two dimensional FIR filter architectures. The proposed filters are compared with the existing FIR filter in respect to area, operational speed, power consumption and delay. The proposed designs of the FIR digital filters provides an optimum output with 81% increase in speed of operation and up to 75% reduction in power consumption when compare to the existing architectures. Implementation of the FIR filter is carried out by using VHDL codes. Simulation and synthesis have been executed on Artix-7 FPGA series with the target device (xc7a35t-cpg236) speed grade-I using Xilinx Vivado 2015.2 version.
VEGF-A/VEGFR2 induces podocyte apoptosis via activating ERK1/2 signaling in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Zhang Liying , Zhao Jianrong , Zhao Chunmei , Yuan Hongwei , Hou Xiaoyan
Published: June 2022

Podocyte apoptosis contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) are expressed in podocytes. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation plays an essential role in cell apoptosis. Herein, we asked whether the VEGF-A/VEGFR2 signaling promotes podocyte apoptosis via activating ERK1/2 pathway and the underlying mechanisms. We found that blockade of VEGF-A downregulates VEGFR2 expression and attenuates podocyte apoptosis and proteinuria in diabetic rats. Further, we provided evidence that depletion of VEGFR2 abrogates ERK1/2 signaling. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling attenuates podocyte apoptosis. Thus, we propose that VEGF-A/VEGFR2 induces podocyte apoptosis via activating ERK1/2 signaling. Targeting VEGFR2 and ERK1/2 could be promising therapeutic approaches for treating diabetic kidney disease.
Compound heterozygous deletions of the WWOX gene caused a WOREE syndrome associated with severe epileptic encephalopathy
Authors: Dong Xing-sheng , Wen Xiao-jun , Wang De-gang , Xiong Yi , Li Zhi-ming
Published: June 2022

Recent studies showed that germline, bi-allelic and pathogenic variants of the WWOX gene have been associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCAR12) and a severe WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy (WOREE syndrome). The underlying mechanisms of the diseases are poorly understood. Here, we reported the case of a WOREE syndrome patient with early-onset refractory seizures and global neurodevelopmental delay who died at the age of two and a half years. The whole exon sequencing showed homozygous exon 6 deletions in the WWOX gene. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed that deletions were inherited from each parent. An exons 6–8 deletion was inherited from the mother, while an exon 6 deletion plus a microdeletion involving intron 5 was inherited from the father. Due to the structure of the WWOX locus encompassing the FRA16D fragile site, we confirmed the exact breakpoints using whole genomic sequencing combined with long-range PCR. Our findings extend the mutation spectrum of the WOREE syndrome and support an important role for the WWOX gene in neural development.
A Qualitative Study on Perspective of Patients Regarding Family Support in the Management of Diabetes in Limpopo Province
Authors: Mphasha Pitso , Mothiba Tebogo , Skaal Linda
Published: June 2022

Background: Most of diabetes care happens at the household in which patients resides; and this has larger influences of diabetes management behaviours. Therefore, family members should actively be involved in supporting and caring for patients. Family support is associated with improved coping and quality of life, better diabetes, and health outcomes, including prevention of complications. Conversely, it has been established that patients without family support are likely to experience poor diabetes outcomes and increased mortality.Objectives: To explore existence or non-existence of family support for patients living with diabetes.Methodology: Qualitative method and phenomenological exploratory descriptive design were used to collect data from 25 participants selected using purposive sampling. One-on-one interviews were conducted using voice recorders and field notes for non-verbal cues. The use of unstructured interview guide with a grand tour question enabled probing. The 8 Steps of Tesch’s inductive, descriptive, and open coding technique was used in analyzing data. Measures of trustworthiness were ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.Results: Participants indicated that they get support from family members with regards to food, exercise, and collection of medication. Diabetic men with sexual dysfunction also reported that they still get support from their wives regarding cooking, healthy eating and being there for them. On contrary diabetic women reported that they do not get sufficient supports from their husbands. Loss of income among diabetic men has been reported as a source of martial conflicts and unsatisfactory support from wives.Conclusion: Overall, this study concludes that family members of diabetic patients are supportive in the care of patients. Conversely, the study found out that men living with diabetes receive support from their beloved wives, whilst women living with diabetes do not get similar support from their husbands. More research on the effectiveness and barriers to family support to patients is recommended. Introduction of family-centred care which is biased to gender should be designed and introduced to enable both genders benefitting from spousal support.
Growth, biomass, pigments, NO3 and PO4 removal and energy consumption in green microalga, Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorophyceae) cultured under the red light emitting diodes (R-LED)
Authors: Rostami Fatemeh , Farhadian Omidvar , Beshart Sheyda , Nezafatian Elham
Published: June 2022

In this study, culture of Chlorella vulgaris in food effluent and its specific growth rate, biomass, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids and removal of nitrate and phosphate under the red light emitting diodes (R-LED) and fluorescent light (FL) were investigated. For these purposes, C. vulgaris were cultured in two concentrations of 10% (treatment of 10% W), 15% (treatment of 15% W) as mixotrophic model (Mix) of food effluent and BBM as autotrophic model (Auto) under red LED and fluorescence light for 15 days. Therefore, six different treatments were assigned as; BBM + FL (Auto), 10%W + FL (Mix), 15%W + FL (Mix), BBM + R-LED (Auto), 10%W + R-LED (Mix) and 15%+R-LED (Mix). The experiment conditions were 24 hours light photoperiod, water temperature of 26°C and a light intensity of 300 µmol photons m− 2 s− 1 for red LED light and 35 µmol photons m− 2 s− 1 for fluorescent treatments. The highest amount of chlorophyll a (1.60 mgL− 1), cell density (46.6 × 106 cell/mL), specific growth rate (1.1 per day) and biomass (2.1 mg/l) were observed in BBM + R-LED treatment; while the lowest were observed in 10%W + FL. The results showed that C. vulgaris grew well in these amounts of effluent and removed 93.6% of phosphate (15%W + R-LED treatment) and 47.2% of nitrate (10%W + R-LED treatment) over a culture period of 15-days. The biomass production were 1.22, 0.73, 0.82, 2.07, 0.92 and 1.34 mgL− 1 at the treatments of BBM + FL, 10%W + FL, 15%W + FL, BBM + R-LED, 10%W + R-LED and 15%+R-LED, respectively. Correspondingly, the electricity consumption were 25.33, 15.13, 17.14, 6.20, 2.77 and 4.02 kWh, respectively. In addition, the power consumption of fluorescent lamps was 4.43 times higher than LED lamps. Generally, the performance of microalgae, C. vulgaris cultured in food effluents combined with Red LED was better than combination of BBM reference medium and fluorescent light.
The evolution of tyramides in male fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini: Attina)
Authors: Luo Amy , Hassler Madeline , Jones Tappey , Meer Robert Vander , Adams Rachelle M. M.
Published: June 2022

Ants use a variety of semiochemicals for essential activities and have been a source for many novel natural products. While ant taxa produce a wide variety of chemicals, the chemistry and ecology of male ants has remained understudied. Tyramides are a class of compound that have been found only in males of the Myrmicinae ant subfamily. Tyramides found in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta are transferred to gynes during mating where they are converted to tyramine, leading to rapid reproductive development. To further understand the evolution of tyramide production in male ants, we determined the tyramide composition in males of 15 fungus-growing ant species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini: Attina) and a Megalomyrmex species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Solenopsidini). Thirteen tyramides were identified, four for the first time in natural sources, and their percent composition was mapped to the fungus-growing ant phylogeny. This research contributes to an understanding of the evolution of male-produced tyramides.
Acute Effects of Long Interval Training With Varied Recovery Periods in Trained Runners
Authors: Rodríguez-Barbero Sergio , Rodrigo-Carranza Victor , Santos-García Daniel Juárez , Ravé José María González , González-Mohíno Fernando
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of recovery period during long interval training (IT) on mechanical, physiological, perceptive, and neuromuscular parameters. Six men and six women trained runners (23.82 ± 7.83years; 56.27 ± 8.95kg; 167.55 ± 9.77cm) performed three treadmill interval sessions (4x4min) at 1% incline with 1min, 2min or self-selected recovery periods (SSrecovery) at highest possible average running speed. Velocity and distance increased by 2.5% (p < 0.05) in SSrecovery (~ 190s) compared to 2min. Blood lactate concentration (BLC) (p < 0.01) and RPE (p < 0.05) were lower with SSrecovery compared to 1min. Vertical oscillation decrease in SSrecovery vs 1min (p < 0.01) and stride frequency in lower recovery periods compared to SSrecovery (p < 0.01). Women displayed lower stride length, distance, velocity, heart rate recovery (p < 0.001) and flight time (p < 0.05), and higher contact times, BLC and RPE (p < 0.05), and less CMJ height loss (p < 0.05) than men in all conditions. Our findings suggest that manipulating the duration of the recovery period during a 4x4min IT leads to a 5% decrease in performance in the shorter recovery periods, greater BLC and RPE combined with a lower stride frequency and higher vertical oscillation. Women had higher metabolic and perceptive stress than men, while men suffered more mechanical fatigue.
Latent Dirichlet Allocation for Double Clustering (LDA-DC): Discovering patients phenotypes and cell populations within a single Bayesian framework
Authors: Hachem Elie-Julien El , Sokolovska Nataliya , Soula Hedi
Published: June 2022

Background: Current clinical routines rely more and more on ``omics'' data such as flow cytometry data from host and sometimes microbiota. Cohorts variability in addition to patients' heterogeneity make any underlying structure of these high-dimensional difficult to understand. In order to patients stratification and diagnostics, there is an acute need to develop novel statistical machine learning methods that are robust with respect to the data heterogeneity, efficient from the computational viewpoint, and can be understood by human experts Results: We propose a novel approach to stratify cell-based observations within a single probabilistic framework, i.e., to extract meaningful phenotype from both patients and cells simultaneously. We define this problem as a double clustering problem that we tackle with the proposed approach. Our method is a practical extension of the Latent Dirichlet Allocation and is used for this Double Clustering task (LDA-DC). We first validate the method on artificial datasets, then we apply our method to two real problems of patients stratification from cytometry and microbiota data. We observe that the LDA-DC returns clusters of patients and simultaneously clusters of cells related to patients’ conditions.We also construct a graphical representation of the results which can be easily understood and a great help for human experts.
Health care prioritization process for the elderly in rural Tanzania under decentralized system: prospects and challenges
Authors: Tungu Malale , Sirili Nathanael , Frumence Gasto , Kagaigai Alphoncina , Anaeli Amani , Mwangu Mughwira A. , Kiwara Angwara D.
Published: June 2022

Introduction: In the early 1990s, many countries in the world adopted health sector reforms that focused on strengthening the primary health care system through strong community participation. However, most of the primary health care systems in many countries including Tanzania have remained weak. Most of the vulnerable groups like the elderly have been neglected in the priority setting process. The study aimed to analyse the prospects and challenges of the implementation of the prioritization process for elderly health care services under a decentralised health system.Methods: The study adopted an exploratory case study design that used Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). The study was conducted in Nzega and Igunga districts in Tabora Region of western Tanzania. The study employed 24 key informants from the two districts. Data were analyzed using the content analysis approach. Results: The study found prospers of the Local Government Authorities (LGAs) that LGAs can conduct a priority-setting process that involves different stakeholders. Different procedures are used for prioritizing the elderly at LGAs including the issue of dealing with their complaints, identifying the elderly and providing identities (IDs) for exemption purposes. In addition, the priority setting process is done on a teamwork basis and uses different guidelines which are prepared by the central government to help the process of priority setting at LGAs. However, there were some challenges facing LGAs, these included; difficulties during elderly identification, there being no specific law that protects elderly matters, exemption/waivers being not clear and insufficient resources to implement the planned activities at the LGAs. Conclusion: The LGAs are important and have the chance to improve the health care services of the elderly. However, due to the encountered challenges, the government should enact a law that will protect the elderly’s interests and that will give the direction of the exemption policy. Also, having a specific per cent of the LGAs revenue for the elderly matters and improving the identification process by having a database at the LGAs level.
Knee pain in young sports players aged 6 to 15 years: a cross-sectional study in Japan
Authors: Iwatsu Jun , Yabe Yutaka , Sekiguchi Takuya , Momma Haruki , Tsuchiya Masahiro , Kanazawa Kenji , Yoshida Shinichirou , Sogi Yasuhito , Nagatomi Ryoichi , Hagiwara Yoshihiro
Published: June 2022

BackgroundKnee pain is a common symptom among young sports players. Nevertheless, few studies with large sample size have been published reporting the difference of the prevalence of knee pain for each sport among young sports players.MethodsThis study was to investigate the point prevalence of knee pain according to age, sex and sports discipline and the association between knee pain and sports discipline among young sports players. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire on young sports players aged 6–15 years who belonged to the Miyagi Amateur Sports Association. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between knee pain and sports discipline and were adjusted for age, sex, training days per week, and training hours per weekday and weekend.ResultsA total of 7234 young sports players were included. The point prevalence of knee pain was 10.9%. Females (13.3%) had more knee pain than males (9.8%). 13 years had the highest prevalence of knee pain (19.1%). In multivariable analysis, mini-basketball (odds ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.44–2.52) and basketball (odds ratio, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.20–2.18) were significantly associated with knee pain, compared with football. ConclusionThe prevalence of knee pain among young athletes differed according to age, sex, and sports discipline. Their parents and clinicians should recognize this information to manage knee pain prevention among young sports players.
Relationships between cervical sagittal posture, muscle endurance, joint position sense, range of motion and level of smartphone addiction
Authors: Torkamani Maryam Heidary , Mokhtarinia Hamid Reza , Vahedi Mohsen , Gabel Charles Philip
Published: June 2022

Background: Frequent smartphone use in a pathological way forces the user to adopt a compromised posture. This gradually results in changes to both the postural and musculoskeletal systems. This study’s objectives were evaluation of head posture, muscle endurance, neck range of motion (ROM) and joint position sense in two separate smartphone user groups, one ‘Addicted’, the other ‘Non-Addicted’. Methods: A sample of convenience (n=60) were recruited from medical students (age 24.57±4.38, 53.3 % male) with a history of smartphones use >2 hours/day for 1-year. Based on the cut-off values of the smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV, male=31, female=33), participants were entered into each group. Neck muscle endurance time, joint position error and cervical ROM, along with forward head posture parameters of craniovertebral angle (CVA), shoulder angle (SA), sagittal head angle (SHA) and forward head distance (FHD)) were evaluated. A Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to determine the difference between groups and the correlations between variables.Results: The difference between 'Addicted’ and ‘Non-Addicted’ groups was confirmed by the values for SAS-SV scores (25.23±5.5 versus 43.9±6.61) (p<0.001). There were statistically significant differences between groups for neck extensor muscle endurance (97±3.79 versus 74.86±2.23), (p=0.01) and between CVA and FHD parameters (p<0.001). There was no notable difference in the neck flexor muscle endurance, joint position error, SA, and SHA parameters between groups (p>0.05).Conclusions: The positive correlation between smartphone addiction and both decreased extensor muscle endurance and changes in neck postural alignment is concerning.
Prehospital presentation of organ donors – a registry-based cohort study.
Authors: Rasmussen Mads Anders , Moen Håvard Storsveen , Milling Louise , Munthe Sune , Rosenlund Christina , Poulsen Frantz Rom , Brøchner Anne Craveiro , Mikkelsen Søren
Published: June 2022

Introduction: There may be an unrealised prehospital potential for procuring organ donors. The objective of this study was to characterise the prehospital patients who underwent organ donation to alert prehospital physicians to patients who may potentially increase the donor pool.Methods: This is a retrospective register-based study from the Region of Southern Denmark. The prehospital medical records from patients who underwent organ donation after prehospital care from 1st of January 2016 – 31st of December 2020 were screened for inclusion. The Outcome measures were prehospital diagnosis, vital parameters, and critical interventions.Results: In the five year period, one-hundred-and-fifty-one patients were entered into a donation process in the health region following prehospital care. Sixteen patients were excluded due to limitations in data availability (transfer from hospitals outside of the health region or transport by helicopter). Of the 135 patients in the study, forty-nine patients had a stroke. One-third of these patients were intubated prehospitally. Twenty-one patients had subarachnoideal haemorrhage. Two-thirds of these were intubated prehospitally. Fourteen patients suffered from head trauma. One-third of these patients were intubated at the scene. In 29 patients, the prehospitally assigned tentative diagnosis was missing or included a diverse spectrum of medical and surgical emergencies.Twenty-two patients (16.3%) were resuscitated from cardiac arrest.Conclusion: The majority of the patients who were entered into an organ donation process presented prehospitally with intracranial pathology. However, 30% of patients were assigned other diagnoses not related to intracranial pathology. Among these, one patient in six had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. There is a potential for enlarging the donor pool if the decision processes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest include considerations concerning the procurement of organ donors.Trial Registration: N/A
Synthesis, and assessment of the cytotoxic effect of some of Novel Biginelli 3,4-dihydropyrmidine2-(1H) one derivatives Containing 2-mercapto-3-phenyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone.
Authors: Nouri Mojtaba , Pirmohammadi Nasim , dilmaghani karim akbari , Pazhang Yaghub
Published: June 2022

In the present study, a new series of 3,4- dihydropyrmidine2-(1 H) one derivatives(4a-f) which linked to 2-mercapto-3-phenyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone were synthesized by using the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2-mercapto-3-phenyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone (1) and an appropriate 6-bromomethyl-3,4- dihydropyrmidine2-(1 H) one (3a-f) in the presence of KOH as base and in CH3CN as solvent. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by means of IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, Mass spectroscopy, and Elemental analysis. The cytotoxicity of the newly synthesized compounds was evaluated in vitro against the human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line and human colon cancer cell line (HT-29) based on the results of the MTT assay. Our results indicated that the compound 4b exerted the most cytotoxic effect in the two cell lines and the IC50 values were (4.25±0.16 μM) for MCF-7 cell lines and (12.11±0.76 μM) for HT-29 cell lines. Also, compound 4b induced apoptosis more than other compounds in the two cell lines. Thus, compound 4b may be had a potential anticancer agent.
A pan-cancer exploration of kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A)'s oncogenic activity in human tumors
Authors: Liu Xiaojun , Du Yiqun , Zhang Jian
Published: June 2022

Background: Increasing evidence has revealed that kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) is highly expressed in a variety of cancers and is related to the occurrence and prognosis of cancer. However, a pan-cancer analysis has not been performed.Methods and results: Based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases, we clarified the expression of KIF20A in 33 tumor types using a series of bioinformatics analyses. KIF20A is highly expressed in the majority of malignancies, and there were distinct connections between KIF20A expression and pathological stage and prognosis in tumor patients. KIF20A overexpression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with certain cancers, such as adrenocortical carcinoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and brain lower grade glioma. The associations of KIF20A expression with immune cell infiltration, including the levels of infiltrating B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells, varied among tumors. Moreover, we found a positive association between KIF20A expression and cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration in patients with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), mesothelioma (MESO) and thyroid carcinoma (THCA). In addition, we identified five genes, KIF2C, KIF23, CDC25, CCNB1 and DLGAP5, whose expression was positively related to KIF20A expression.Conclusions: This pan-cancer study provides a comprehensive understanding of KIF20A's oncogenic functions in a variety of human tumors.
Critical care ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation versus early goal-directed therapy in patients with septic shock: A systematic review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zhe-Yuan , Han Xiao , Liu Ying , Wang Meng-Jun , Wang Bei-Bei , Wang Ling , Jin Hong-Xu
Published: June 2022

Background: Fluid resuscitation is a vital therapy for patients with septic shock. With the widespread application of ultrasound in critical care medicine, it is also used in the fluid resuscitation of critical patients. However, the effect of critical care ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation (CCUGFR) in patients with septic shock needs further research.Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and Registers for randomized controlled trials from inception to April 2022, evaluating the prognosis of CCUGFR in patients with septic shock. Data were pooled by risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) and estimated using fixed-effects or random-effects models.Results: Twelve randomized controlled studies with a total of 947 participants were included, of which 473 used CCUGFR. CCUGFR in patients with septic shock was associated with reduced mortality (RR 0.78; 95%CI, 0.65, 0.94; P=0.007), with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=0.45), and 24-hour fluid volume (MD -1.02; 95%CI, -1.28, -0.75; P<0.001), with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=1.00). Increased norepinephrine dose (MD 0.07; 95%CI, 0.02, 0.11; P=0.002), with low heterogeneity (I2=45%, P=0.18), and dobutamine dose (MD 2.2; 95%CI, 0.35, 4.04; P=0.02), with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=0.61). There was no reduction in the risk of dobutamine users (RR 1.67; 95%CI, 0.52, 5.36; P=0.39), with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=0.86), and no difference in duration of vasopressin infusion (MD -5.46; 95%CI, -38.78, 27.86; P=0.75), with high heterogeneity (I2=97%, P<0.001). But taking left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI), passive leg raising test, inferior vena cava (IVC) related measures, or only IVC-related measures to evaluate fluid responsiveness was advantageous in the duration of vasopressin infusion. Subgroup analyses showed IVC-related measures and using passive leg raising test combined with echocardiography to assess fluid reactivity reduced hospital stay (MD -2.91; 95%CI, -5.2, -0.62; P=0.01) with low heterogeneity (I2=8%, P=0.34) and ICU length of stay (MD -2.77; 95%CI, -4.51, -1.02; P=0.002), with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=0.57). Conclusion: Our findings suggested that in patients with septic shock receiving CCUGFR is beneficial. CCUGFR and fluid responsiveness using LVOT-VTI, passive leg raising test, and IVC-related measures may be preferable.Trial registration: PROSPERO, CRD42022326566, Registered 10 May 2022
Comprehensive Engineering Frequency Domain Analysis and Vibration Suppression of Aircraft Based on ADRC
Authors: Liu Litao , Tian Bingwei
Published: June 2022

An aircraft was crashed almost vertical posture on 21 March 2022 in Wuzhou, Guangxi, China, which has created a strong debate in civil aviation industry. We proposed an active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) for suppressing aircraft elastic vibration at the simulation level. ADRC, with relative simple structure, has been confirmed in several fields that its controlling effect is superior to classical proportion-integration-differentiation (PID) control theory, and it is easier to realize the transformation from theory to practice. In this article, the aircraft’s vibration model is modeled based on the first elastic vibration mode of the aircraft. In addition, the principles of ADRC are illustrated in detail, a second-order ADRC is designed to control the elastic vibration model and the closed-loop frequency domain characteristics, tracking effect, and sensitivity of the system are analyzed. The estimated error of the extended state observer (ESO) is analyzed and the anti-disturbance effect of the closed-loop system and the robustness is verified using the Monte Carlo method. The simulation result illustrates that ADRC has a good suppression effect on the elastic vibration of the aircraft, and the closed-loop system has strong robustness in the face of dynamic parameters.
A new species-specific approach to detect a saproxylic hoverfly pollinator, with implication in forest ecosystems conservation
Authors: Maritano Umberto , Bianco Lorenzo
Published: June 2022

Hoverflies play a key role in pollinating and other forest ecosystem services. They can be used as bioindicators of many different habitats. The presence of species with high environmental requirements, especially in forest ecosystems, can be a fundamental tool for developing the right management plan for biodiversity conservation also in an ecological connectivity perspective. Mallota fuciformis Fabricius, 1794 is an elusive saproxylic species listed as threatened in many European countries and internationally recognised as a species of conservation interest. In this paper, we provide for the first time a targeted, fast and effective standardised field protocol for the detection of Mallota fuciformis in oak-hornbeam stands and alluvial forests with oaks along lowland streams. Given the short period of flight of the species, 88 sites were considered enough to testify this standardised methodology. The study was carried out in the Piedmont region (Northwestern Italy) between 2019 and 2022. Overall, 48 sites have proved to be positive for the presence of the species. The average detection time was very short in positive sites, suggesting the effectiveness of this approach in fast surveys. The proposed protocol can be extended to other geographical areas. The possibility to apply the proposed methodology for extensive ecological connectivity studies is discussed.Implications for insect conservationTo monitor long-term trends of elusive pollinators, ad hoc protocols need to be developed. In this perspective, our work proposes a new monitoring method tested on a target species but applicable to different species of interest. In addition, this method could be further implemented for the assessment of forest network connectivity.
Preceptor support outcomes during the COVID 19 Pandemic: recommendations for responsive continuing development programmes
Authors: Dyk Lizemari Hugo-Van , Nyoni Champion N. , Williams Margaret , Botha Benjamin S
Published: June 2022

BackgroundMentally fit preceptors may be more capable and flexible in providing students with system, emotional and cognitive support in the clinical learning environment (CLE) in the face of any life-threatening outbreaks. Existing professional development programmes for preceptors emphasise the development of preceptor competence in normal CLE with minimal focus on their ability to engage with adverse events that challenge their mental health. This study sought insight from the experiences of preceptors during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify their professional development programme needs while providing support to students during accompaniment. MethodA mixed-method research convergent parallel design was used to collect data from the 24 preceptors at a nursing education institution. Eleven preceptors responded to the survey that included the COVID Stress Scale (CSS) and the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) to collect quantitative data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five purposively selected preceptors to collect qualitative data regarding their experiences whilst accompanying students during COVID-19. ResultsSub-scales within the CSS and BAT instrument where mapped against an existing preceptor support framework. Overall data of the CSS for each sub-scale indicated an average score varying from no stress to moderate stress, while BAT data shows that respondents rarely experienced burnout. However, some respondents experienced very high level of stress and high levels of burnout. Qualitative data supplemented results. ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic influenced preceptors’ role in supporting students and reflected that they amended their functioning role. Existing preceptor professional development programmes should be reviewed to ensure that the necessary concepts that foster resilience are integrated to enhance the functional role of preceptors in adversity.
UGCG relieves iNKT cell-mediated liver injury by triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice
Authors: Junfeng Li , Gan Jian , Mao Xiaorong , Wang Lili , Yang Yating , Zhang Liting , Tian Aiping , Xiong Wanyuan , Qian Zibing , Chen Yu , Duan Zhongping
Published: June 2022

Immune-mediated liver injury is associated with excessive activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, and the role and regulatory mechanisms of UDP-glucosylceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG) in iNKT cell-mediated liver injury remain poorly defined. Here, we report UGCG induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is beneficial for hepatocytes to resist injury caused by iNKT cells, thereby improving immune-mediated liver injury outcomes in mice. UGCG levels were elevated in mice treated with concanavalin A, with excessive activation of iNKT cells. However, after UGCG inhibition, liver injury were alleviated along with reduced activation of iNKT cells. Interestingly, hepatocytes showed marked autophagy upon inhibition of UGCG. Mechanistically, inhibition of UGCG caused an increase in glucose-regulated protein 78, LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio and phosphorylated NF-κB p65, thereby triggering ER stress-mediated autophagy. These findings showed ER stress links UGCG with hepatic autophagy.
Open Text Classification Based on Dynamic Boundary Balance
Authors: Feng Jianzhou , Xu Ganlin , Wei Qikai
Published: June 2022

Traditional text classification tasks require the test set to contain the same classes (known/seen classes) as the training set. However, when the new classes (unknown/unseen classes) appear during testing, the traditional classifier cannot recognize them effectively. As a result, a qualified open text classifier should be able to classify known classes as well as identify unknown classes, e.i., open classfication. But current open text classifiers perform poorly on the task. To address the issue, we propose a two-stage learning model based on dynamic balance of decision boundary to complete the open text classification task. We call it open text classification with dynamic boundary balance (OCD2B). First, we construct a traditional classifier based on BERT(Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers) model to classify the known classes. Second, the prior knowledge of known classes is used to dynamically determine the decision boundaries between known classes and unknown classes. We propose a boundary loss function as boundary balance strategy to simultaneously reduce open space risk and empirical risk. Experiments on two standard datasets show that our method achieves better performance than existing other methods. In particular, OCD2B has even greater advantages over the others especially when the proportion of unknown classes is large.
Comparing the effects of canagliflozin vs glimepiride by body mass index in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic heart failure: a sub-analysis of the CANDLE trial
Authors: Sezai Akira , Tanaka Atsushi , Imai Takumi , Kida Keisuke , Sekino Hisakuni , Murohra Toyoaki , Sata Masataka , Suzuki Norio , Node Koichi
Published: June 2022

Background: It is not known if presence or absence of obesity influence the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin on N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). We present results of a 24-week comparative study of the effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin vs the sulfonylurea glimepiride, by baseline body mass index (BMI), in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic heart failure.Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the CANDLE trial (UMIN000017669), an investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial. This sub-analysis evaluated changes at 24 weeks in NT-proBNP, BMI, and other laboratory parameters, according to the subgroups stratified by baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m2 defined as obesity vs BMI <25 kg/m2 defined as normal.Results: A group ratio (canagliflozin versus glimepiride) of proportional changes in the geometric means of NT-proBNP was 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84 to 1.18, P=0.940) for the subgroup with baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and 0.85 (95% CI 0.71 to 1.02, P=0.075) for the subgroup with baseline BMI <25 kg/m2, respectively. Although the group ratio for the subgroup with baseline BMI <25 kg/m2 was smaller than that for the subgroup with baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m2, there was no statistical difference by baseline BMI subgroups (P for interaction=0.222). When baseline BMI was modeled as a continuous variable, results for patients with BMI <30 kg/m2 showed a slightly smaller increase in NT-proBNP in the canagliflozin group vs the glimepiride group; that difference was not seen among patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Irrespective of obesity, the canagliflozin group was associated with significant reduction of BMI compared to the glimepiride group.Conclusion: Although there was no significant difference in the effects of 24-week of canagliflozin treatment, relative to glimepiride, on NT-proBNP concentrations irrespective of baseline obesity, the canagliflozin treatment showed a trend toward lower NT-proBNP levels in patients across BMI <30 kg/m2. This suggests that baseline BMI levels affect the effect of SGLT2 inhibitor treatment on NT-proBNP concentrations. Further studies are needed to assess the association between clinical effects of SGLT2 inhibitor and obesity.UMIN clinical trial registration number (http://www.umin.ac.jp/): UMIN000017669
Functional performance of the upper limb and the most common boxing-related injuries in male boxers: A retrospective, observational, comparative study with non-boxing population
Authors: Giannatos Vasileios , Panagopoulos Andreas , Antzoulas Panagiotis , S Giakoumakis , Lakoumentas John , Kouzelis Antonis
Published: June 2022

Background: To investigate the functional status and recording the most common injuries of the upper limb in male Greek boxing squad in comparison to the general population. Methods: A retrospective injury surveillance study using an electronic questionnaire was performed in 2021. The questionnaire was sent to male members of the Greek Boxing Federation and consisted of demographic data, training conditions, hours of training, the location, description, and the duration of each upper limb injury they had in the past and whether the injury occurred during competition or training and also whether it was a new or a recurrent one. The same questionnaire was sent to non-boxer males (military recruits), but without asking them to report any training parameters. Inclusion criteria were age < 35 years-old for all participants and no involvement in martial arts for the control group. Also, all participants (boxers and non-boxers) completed the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) scale and the Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (quick-DASH) score. Results: The final study cohort was consisted of 62 elite or amateur boxers and 75 non-boxer males, less than 35 years old. The quick-DASH score was found to be significantly lower (better) in boxers in comparison to the general population (15.65±10.25 vs 12.55±8.62; p = 0,020) whereas the PRWE score was similar in both groups (9.25±14.96 vs 8.61±13.05; p=0,843). Physical therapy sessions, thumb injuries and boxer’s knuckle were also found to be significantly higher in the boxers group. On the other hand, upper limb surgeries were significantly less in the boxers group. Finally, the size of boxing gloves was associated to the number of finger fractures, thumb injuries and ulnar sided wrist pain in boxers.Conclusions: Although a controversial sport, boxing appears to have no long-term consequences to the upper limb function, especially regarding hand performance. The size of gloves during heavy bag training was found to be an aggravating factor for hand injuries.
Developing a special face mask with angle meter to optimize the head position while performing bag valve mask ventilation – a prospective simulated proof of concept study
Authors: Schumacher Fabio , Oberhanss Natalia , Paal Peter , Pietsch Urs , Wenzel Volker , Herff Holger
Published: June 2022

Background In unconscious patients in supine position, loss of soft tissue tension results in obstruction of the upper airway. Unexperienced rescuers may be unable to perform efficient bag-valve mask ventilation due to difficulties to detect the optimal head position for opening the airway. If the ventilation mask indicates the rescuer an optimized head position, bag-valve mask ventilation could be possibly optimized. Methods A digital sensor was attached to the face mask to measure the degree of head reclination. We attached this face mask to an airway trainer and sealed the mask with tape on the face; the airway trainer was connected to a test lung and ventilated in pressure-controlled mode by a standard anesthesia machine (Pmax 10 mbar, PEEP 0 mbar, F 12/min). The head was extended starting from the neutral position to 42 degrees in steps of two degrees. Primary endpoints were the correlation of preset and by our face mask digitally measured head position angles. We further evaluated tidal- and minute ventilation volume depending on head reclination. Results Preset head position angles correlated significantly (R2 = 0.9895855684; P<.001) to digitally measured head position angles. In head position angles<10 degrees, tidal volume was 150 mL, at18 degrees 200 mL, at 25 degrees 450 mL and levelled off at 30 degrees with about 500 mL.Conclusion Digital head position angle measurement correctly detected head position. A signal in a face mask could indicate first responders or relatively inexperienced rescuers an optimized head position during emergency ventilation.
Contribution of lipid Peroxidation to Social Behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Yui Kunio , Imataka George , Hayashi Tomoｙo , Koshiba Mamiko , Shiko Yuki , Kawasaki Yohei , Sasai Hitomi
Published: June 2022

Lipid peroxidation contributes to the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids undergo lipid peroxidation, and conversion to malondialdehyde (MDA). The MDA further react with acetaldehyde to form malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL). MDA-LDL is known as a marker of lipid peroxidation. However, the association between PUFAs and MDA-LDL in the pathophysiology of ASD is unclear. We studied this association in 18 young individuals with ASD and 8 age- and sex-matched normal healthy controls. Social behaviors were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). To overcome the small sample size, three measures were conducted: firstly, use of adaptive Lasso for enhancing the accuracy of prediction and interpretability; second, estimation of coefficient of variation for an appropriate variable selection; and finally, appropriate variables were selected. Plasma MDA levels and DHA/omega 6 PUFA arachidonic acid ratio were significantly higher, whereas plasma levels of superoxide dismutase were significantly lower in the ASD group than in the control group. Total SRS scores were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the control group. Multiple linear regression and adaptive Lasso revealed that plasma DHA/ARA ratio were significantly associated with total SRS scores. Plasma levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased and plasma MDA-LDL levels were significantly increased. These findings firstly revealed that the plasma DHA/ARA ratio may be associated with social behaviors. Decreased plasma SOD levels and increased plasma MDA-LDL levels may be caused in relation to lipid peroxidation. These neurological bases may contribution to social impairment.