bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes Following Distal Radial Fractures
Authors: Schmidt Viktor , Gordon Max , Tägil Magnus , Sayed-Noor Arkan , Mukka Sebastian , Wadsten Mats
Published: May 2023

Background:

Several studies of distal radial fractures have investigated final displacement and its association with clinical outcomes. There is still no consensus on the importance of radiographic outcomes, and published studies have not used the same criteria for acceptable alignment. Previous reports have involved the use of linear or dichotomized analyses.

Methods:

The present study included 438 patients who were managed with either reduction and cast immobilization or surgery for the treatment of distal radial fractures. Radiographic outcomes were determined on the basis of radiographs that were made 3 months after the injury. Clinical outcome was determined on the basis of the QuickDASH (an abbreviated version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] questionnaire) score, range of motion, and grip strength at 1 year after the injury. Nonlinear relations were analyzed with cubic splines.

Results:

Three hundred and sixty-six patients (84%) had both radiographic and clinical follow-up. Seventy patients were lost to follow-up. The mean age was 57 years (range, 18 to 75 years), and 79% of the patients were female. Dorsal tilt was the radiographic parameter that was most strongly associated with the QuickDASH score, grip strength, and range of motion. We found nonlinear relations. Clinical outcomes were found to worsen with increasing dorsal tilt, with the cutoff value being approximately 5°.

Conclusions:

We found that clinical outcomes following distal radial fractures have a nonlinear relationship with dorsal tilt, with worse outcomes being associated with increasing dorsal tilt. The decline in clinical outcome starts at 5°, but there is unlikely to be a noticeable difference in capability as measured with the QuickDASH until 20° of dorsal tilt (based on the minimum clinically important difference) in a population up to 75 years old.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
VARIABILIDADE E TENDÊNCIA CLIMÁTICA NOS MUNICÍPIOS DE MANAUS (AM) E SÃO GABRIEL DA CACHOEIRA (AM): UMA AVALIAÇÃO A PARTIR DOS DADOS DE PRECIPITAÇÃO E TEMPERATURA
Authors: Oliveira dos Santos Thiago , De Andrade Filho Valdir Soares , França Rebeca dos Santos
Published: May 2023

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a variabilidade e tendência climática nos municípios de Manaus (AM) e São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), analisando o comportamento de variáveis meteorológicas como precipitação e temperatura. O recorte temporal do estudo foi de 1961-2020. Os resultados observados mostram que, os impactos oriundos da mudança do padrão de uso do solo e a consequente expansão urbana nas cidades do Amazonas estão produzindo uma alteração no microclima local das cidades. A variável precipitação mostrou comportamento oscilatório em ambas as cidades, porém os maiores registros de chuva foram observados em São Gabriel da Cachoeira, uma vez que, o município está inserido no contexto do núcleo de precipitação abundante localizado no noroeste da Amazônia. Na cidade de Manaus observou-se um aumento na temperatura média decenal mais pronunciado em relação a SGC. Esse aumento foi associado aos diferentes processos de expansão urbana existentes entre as duas cidades. Esses resultados mostram que a mudança no uso do solo e o consequente aumento da expansão urbana pode afeta de forma significativa o microclima das cidades do Amazonas, implicando em graves consequências no padrão de vida nas cidades, tais como: redução do conforto térmico, aumento da conta de energia elétrica e internações hospitalares em decorrência do aumento da temperatura e poluição atmosférica.
TENDENCIA DE LA VEGETACIÓN DEGRADADA EN TERRITORIO BRASILEÑO Y SU RELACIÓN CON LA REDUCCIÓN EN LAS LLUVIAS (2000-2021)
Authors: Macedo da Silva Leandro Rodrigo , Alves Barbosa Humberto , De Oliveira Buriti Catarina , Paredes-Trejo Franklin
Published: May 2023

La degradación de las tierras es considerada uno de los más graves problemas ambientales actualmente. Sin embargo, en Brasil, el grado de conocimiento del proceso y el mapeo de su expansión aún son muy incipientes. El monitoreo de la degradación, utilizando datos de satélites y metodologías estandarizadas, es fundamental para contribuir con estrategias de combate a la degradación ambiental y adaptación a los eventos climáticos extremos, principalmente sequías. El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar el proceso de degradación de la cobertura vegetal en el territorio brasileño y su relación con la reducción de las lluvias, a partir de series temporales de datos de satélites durante el período 2000-2021. Se identificaron las áreas del territorio brasileño donde la degradación alteró significativamente la dinámica de la vegetación a partir del análisis de las correlaciones entre la tendencia del Índice de Vegetación por Diferencia Normalizada (NDVI), el índice de quemas y la dinámica de la lluvia. Los datos permitieron identificar que 39% de la cobertura vegetal de Brasil se degradó en este período. Por otro lado, se observó un crecimiento de 33% de biomasa, caracterizada por la ganancia de cobertura vegetal agrícola o pastizales. Los resultados permitieron identificar las regiones donde hubo mayor pérdida de vegetación por deforestación y quemas, en las cuales también se registró una reducción histórica en los volúmenes de precipitación. Los resultados alertan sobre la alta velocidad de la degradación de la vegetación en el territorio brasileño. Como consecuencia, los procesos irreversibles de deterioro ambiental se han expandido, incrementando de esta forma el riesgo de savanización de la Amazonia y la desertificación en el Semiárido brasileño.
EVENTOS EXTREMOS DE TEMPERATURA DO AR E DOENÇAS CARDIORRESPIRATÓRIAS EM MANAUS/AM
Authors: Lima Beatriz , Aleixo Natacha Cíntia Regina
Published: May 2023

O objetivo da pesquisa foi analisar a influência dos extremos térmicos de temperatura do ar, associados às condições de vulnerabilidade social sobre a ocorrência das doenças cardiorrespiratórias em Manaus. Para isso, foram coletados dados de Temperatura Máxima e Mínima do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) dos anos de 1990 a 2020, bem como dados secundários das doenças circulatórias e respiratórias do período de 2008-2020, disponíveis no banco de dados online do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), estes foram tratados estatisticamente com técnicas descritivas. Os resultados mostraram que as doenças do aparelho circulatório apresentam uma sazonalidade no que se refere às internações, com 50,21% e 49,79% no período seco e chuvoso, respectivamente. De igual modo, as doenças respiratórias apresentam uma sazonalidade quando se trata das internações, sendo 52,81% no período chuvoso e 47,19% no período seco. Na análise diária de 2016-2020, notou-se que não há tanta diferença na sazonalidade das internações das doenças, principalmente nas respiratórias, enquanto que as circulatórias não possuem a sazonalidade bem definida. Quanto aos extremos de temperatura, o maior número de ocorrências concentrou-se no período seco, pôde-se constatar também que, as morbidades se correlacionaram de forma fraca, apesar da significância estatística com relação aos eventos extremos. A análise do indicador síntese de vulnerabilidade demonstrou as áreas que carecem de infraestrutura para a população, potencializando riscos no acometimento de diferentes patologias. A pesquisa realizada foi importante para evidenciar os aspectos têmporo-espaciais dos eventos extremos térmicos e doenças em Manaus e seus resultados tem potencial para subsidiar políticas públicas.
Modeling Flow and Transport in Saline Aquifers and Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs for Hydrogen Energy Storage
Authors: Delshad M. , Alhotan M. M. , Fernandes B. R. B. , Umurzakov Y. , Sepehrnoori Kamy
Published: May 2023

Hydrogen (H2) is an attractive energy carrier, and its true potential is in decarbonizing industries, such as for providing heat for buildings and being a reliable fuel for trains, buses, and heavy trucks. Industry is already making tremendous progress in cutting costs and improving the efficiency of hydrogen infrastructure. Currently, heating is primarily provided by using natural gas and transportation by gasoline with a large carbon footprint. Hydrogen has a similarly high energy density, but there are technical challenges preventing its large-scale use as an energy carrier. Underground geologic storage of hydrogen in porous media (aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs) could offer substantial storage capacity at low cost as well as buffer capacity to meet changing seasonal electricity demands or possible disruptions in power supply. Underground geologic storage must have adequate capacity and ability to inject/extract high volumes with a reliable caprock. A thorough study is essential for a large number of site surveys to locate and fully characterize the subsurface geological storage sites both onshore and offshore. An isothermal compositional reservoir simulator was used to evaluate hydrogen storage and withdrawal from saline aquifers and depleted oil/gas reservoirs. The phase behavior, fluid properties, and petrophysical models were all calibrated against published laboratory data for density, viscosity, relative permeability, and capillary pressure for a given site. History-matched dynamic models of two CO2 injection field projects in saline aquifers and one natural gas storage in a depleted oil reservoir were considered as hypothetical hydrogen seasonal storage sites. A wide range of working gas volume/cushion gas volume ratios was observed, meaning that careful optimization is required for a successful storage project. For the aquifer cases, the range was 0.292 to 1.883 and a range of 1.045 to 4.4 was observed for the depleted hydrocarbon reservoir scenarios. For the saline aquifer cases, a higher injection rate, longer injection/withdrawal (I/W) cycles, and the use of pump wells to control the hydrogen plume spreading were all beneficial for improving the working gas/cushion gas ratio and the working gas volume. Plume control was important for storage in the oil reservoir in which changes in the well length location and orientation showed high sensitivity in the working and cushion gas volumes. Sensitivities to the initial gas saturation in the depleted gas reservoir scenarios suggested that both cushion and working gas volumes increased with the initial gas saturation while the ratio of working to cushion gas volumes decreased with the initial gas saturation. Finally, when comparing the ratios of working to cushion gas volumes, it was the highest for the depleted oil reservoir, followed by the depleted gas reservoir, and the aquifer.
Data-Driven Analysis of Stimulation Treatments Using Association Rule Mining
Authors: Ahmadi Rouholah , Aminshahidy Babak , Shahrabi Jamal
Published: May 2023

Effective analysis of data collected during the well’s operational cycle is crucial to well performance, economic evaluation, and good decision-making in the upstream oil industry. Generally, the analysis of huge volumes of data stored in databases is beyond the power of traditional methods, such as curve-fitting and statistical hypothesis testing. Data mining is the practice of analyzing large databases to identify patterns, anomalies, and correlations, within the data, leading to new, hidden, and valuable knowledge that would support decisions. This article proposes a data-driven methodology for analyzing the stimulation operations data in oil/gas wells to identify the underlying rules or patterns that lead to successful operations. Association rule mining (ARM) is used in this research for rule induction purposes. The proposed approach aims to mine the frequently occurring rules, within the collected database, that guarantee the success of stimulation operations with a high degree of confidence. Finally, the proposed approach is evaluated against a set of real data from an Iranian oil field. On the basis of past stimulation operations, these extracted rules show the conditions that are most likely to lead to a successful operation. The rules identified by the proposed approach are compared against the rules that can be generated by the decision tree (DT) technique using the same data set. As the reliability of the rules is controlled by setting the minimum thresholds on support and confidence, more significant and useful rules could be derived from ARM compared to the DT technique. Using the identified rules and generated information can support the operational decisions by assisting in the design of due stimulation jobs or in selecting the appropriate candidates for future operations.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye With Phyto-enhanced Zinc Oxide Doped With Nitrogen
Authors: Nnodim Uche Jude , Akpan Uduak
Published: May 2023

The removal of organic pollutants from wastewater through chemical techniques has become imperative for the preservation of the ecosystem due to the non-biodegradability of organic pollutants. In this study, phyto-enhanced Zinc oxide (ZnO) was prepared from an aqueous solution of Zinc nitrate hexahydrate and Papaya leaf extracts. Preliminary degradation of MB dye with phyto-enhanced ZnO of different compositions for the dopant (nitrogen) revealed that phyto-enhanced ZnO doped with 5wt% Urea had superior photocatalytic capabilities than pure ZnO, 10wt% Urea and 2wt% Urea doping. The effects of solution pH, 5wt%Urea, N-ZnO dosage and initial solution concentration on MB dye on degradation were studied, and optimum percentage degradation of 83% and 97.5% were observed for pure ZnO and 5wt%UreaN-ZnO at solution pH of 9.0, initial concentration of 10 mg/L and photocatalyst dosage of 100 mg. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the catalyst. The BET result revealed surface area of 113.3cm2/g for the 5wt% Urea N-ZnO which was five times the surface area pure ZnO. The shift in the XRD pattern for 5wt% Urea N-ZnO affirmed the presence of dopants in the crystalline structure of ZnO. The average crystallite sizes of pure ZnO and 5wt% N-ZnO were 34.7nm and 24.8nm, respectively. The findings from this research revealed green synthesis and doping improves the degradation ability of ZnO, which often leads to increased efficiency of wastewater treatment processes/systems.
Indirect H2O2 synthesis without H2
Authors: Berlinguette Curtis , Fink Arthur , Delima Roxanna , Rousseau Alexandra , Hunt Camden , LeSage Natalie , Huang Aoxue , Stolar Monika
Published: May 2023

Industrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is synthesized using carbon-intensive H2 gas production and purification, anthraquinone hydrogenation, and anthrahydroquinone oxidation. Electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of anthraquinones offers a carbon-neutral alternative for generating H2O2 using renewable electricity and water instead of H2 gas. However, ECH has not yet had an impact on the industry because H2O2 formation rates are too low for commercialization. We report here that a membrane reactor enabled us to hydrogenate anthraquinone (0.25 molar) with a current efficiency of > 80% at current densities of 75 milliamperes per square centimeter. We also demonstrate continuous H2O2 synthesis from the hydrogenated anthraquinones over the course of 48 hours. This study represents the fastest rates of electrochemical anthraquinone hydrogenation ever reported (1.32 ± 0.14 millimoles per hour normalized per centimeter squared of geometric surface of electrode), and provides a pathway toward carbon-neutral H2O2 synthesis.
Microwave absorption of film explained accurately by wave cancellation theory
Authors: Liu Ying , Yin Xiangbin , Drew M. G. B. , Liu Yue
Published: May 2023

It has been proved theoretically that in the field of microwave absorption, film and material are confused, and that the impedance matching theory (IM) which is usually applied to metal-backed film is inadequate. Before the scientific community accepts any new theories, it is necessary to validate them from different perspectives with a variety of experimental data such as those obtained from films of different materials. By analysis of experimental data, it is elaborated here from new perspectives that the problems with IM cannot be solved even if different criteria such as the value of |Zin - Z0| or the phase difference between Zin and Z0 are used and therefore it needs to be replaced by wave cancellation theory. The analysis in this work applies to published data and supports the following conclusions. The value of reflection loss RL is determined by energy conservation, specific to film since it is related to the amplitude of the resultant of the two beams reflected from the two interfaces in the film, and the angular effect from the phase difference between the two beams is vital for understanding microwave absorption from film.
Population genomics of the critically endangered Brazilian merganser
Authors: Santos Fabricio R. , Campos Davidson Pinheiro , Santos-Junior José Eustáquio , Faux Pierre
Published: May 2023

The Brazilian merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) is one of the most endangered bird species in South America that comprises less than 250 mature individuals in the wild environments. This is a species extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances and restricted to few “pristine” freshwater habitats in Brazil, and it has been classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1994. Understanding its current genetic diversity to promote in situ and ex situ management strategies was considered urgent for conservation of the remaining populations. To understand the evolutionary dynamics of remaining Brazilian merganser populations we have used "Genotyping by Sequencing" approach to characterize 923 SNPs in 31 individuals from all known areas of occurrence. The remaining populations of the Brazilian merganser present a low genetic diversity and high inbreeding levels likely due to recent population decline associated to habitat loss. Furthermore, it revealed a moderate level of genetic differentiation between all populations located in four separated areas of the highly threatened Cerrado biome. The results indicate that urgent actions for conservation of the species should be accompanied by a careful genetic monitoring to allow appropriate in situ and ex situ management to increase the long-term species survival in its natural environment.
Disruption of RCAN1.4 Expression Mediated by YY1/HDAC2 Modulates Chronic Renal Allograft Interstitial Fibrosis
Authors: Tan Ruoyun , Zhang Jianjian , Zhang Yao , Feng Dengyuan , Zhou Hai , Gui Zeping , Zheng Ming , Hang Zhou , Gu Min
Published: May 2023

Chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) is a major factor that hinders kidney transplant survival in the long run. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been confirmed to significantly contribute to interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA), which is the main histopathological feature of CAD. Aberrant expression of regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), recognized as an endogenous inhibitor of the calcineurin phosphatase, has been shown to be extensively involved in various kidney diseases. However, it remains unclear how RCAN1.4 regulates IF/TA formation in CAD patients. Herein, an in vivo mouse renal transplantation model and an in vitro model of human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) treated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were employed. Our results proved that RCAN1.4 expression was decreased in vivo and in vitro, in addition to the up-regulation of Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a transcription factor that has been reported to convey multiple functions in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Knocking in of RCAN1.4 efficiently attenuated chronic renal allograft interstitial fibrosis in vivo and inhibited TNF-α-induced EMT in vitro through regulating anti-oxidative stress and the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) signaling pathway. In addition, suppression of YY1 mediated by shRNA or siRNA alleviated TNF-α-induced EMT through abolishing reactive species partly in a RCAN1.4-dependent manner. Notably, we confirmed that YY1 negatively regulated RCAN1.4 transcription by directly interacting with the RCAN1.4 promoter. In addition, histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) interacted with YY1 to form a multi-molecular complex, which was involved in TNF-α-induced RCAN1.4 transcriptional repression. Therefore, RCAN1.4 is suggested to be modulated by the YY1/HDAC2 transcription repressor complex in an epigenetic manner, which is a mediated nephroprotective effect partly through modulating O2⋅- generation and the calcineurin/NFATc1 signaling pathway. Thus, the YY1-RCAN1.4 axis constitutes an innovative target for IF/TA treatment in CAD patients.
Sulforaphane alleviates psoriasis by enhancing antioxidant defense through KEAP1-NRF2 Pathway activation and attenuating inflammatory signaling
Authors: Wang Hongwei , MA Chujun , Peng ZiQi , Lian Panpan , Wazir Junaid , LU Renwei , GU Chaode , Wei Lulu , Li Li , Pu Wenyuan , Wang Wentong , ZONG Yangyongyi , Lu Yan , Su Zhonglan
Published: May 2023

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Sulforaphane (SFN) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of SFN on a mouse model of psoriasis induced by imiquimod (IMQ) and its underlying molecular mechanism. Mice treated with SFN showed significant improvement in psoriatic symptoms, including reduced erythema, scales, and cutaneous thickness. Histopathological analysis and immunohistochemical staining revealed decreased expression of K16, K17, and Ki67 in SFN-treated mice, indicating reduced abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes and cutaneous inflammation. SFN treatment also reduced the activation of STAT3 and NF-κB pathways and downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and CCL2. In vitro experiments using HaCaT cells demonstrated that SFN inhibited IL-22 and TNF-α-induced activation of inflammatory pathways and keratinocyte proliferation. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway might be involved in the protective effects of SFN on psoriasis. We observed reduced NRF2 expression in human psoriatic lesions, and subsequent experiments showed that SFN activated KEAP1-NRF2 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, Nrf2-deficient mice exhibited aggravated psoriasis-like symptoms and reduced response to SFN treatment. Our findings indicate that SFN ameliorates psoriasis symptoms and inflammation through the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway, suggesting a potential therapeutic role for SFN in the treatment of psoriasis.
Time-resolved Observation of Surface-Bound Carbon Dioxide Radical Anions on Metallic Nanocatalyst
Authors: Mostafavi Mehran , Jiang Zhiwen , Clavaguéra carine , Hu Changjiang , Ma Jun
Published: May 2023

Time-resolved identification of surface-bound intermediates on metallic nanocatalysts is imperative to develop an accurate understanding of the elementary steps of CO2 reduction, but remains challenging in particular for carbon dioxide radical anions, CO2•‒. Herein, we use pulse radiolysis to observe the holistic stabilization process of CO2•‒ radicals on well-defined nanoscale metallic sites. The method allows to identify surface-bound intermediates with characteristic transient absorption and the distinct kinetics for three typical metallic nanocatalysts (Cu, Au, and Ni). The interfacial interactions were further investigated by varying the important factors, such as catalyst size and cation in the electrolyte. The spectral data, combined with molecular simulations, highlighted the selectivity of the critical initial step in the CO2 catalytic reduction mechanism, even before CO2•‒ radical dissociation.
Popularity and parity: towards more inclusive and balanced aquaculture
Authors: Cai Junning , Leung PingSun
Published: May 2023

Aquaculture is an emerging, fast-growing, and diverse food production system that could enhance food security and nutrition and add resilience to the global food system. Yet imbalanced aquaculture growth has resulted in a highly uneven distribution of aquaculture production among countries, which is essentially a lack of diversity in the source of aquaculture production. While the issue has been recognized as an undesirable feature of aquaculture development, there has yet to be a comprehensive assessment, not even a formal measure of such imbalance. This paper develops an indicator system to assess production distribution among countries and regions. The assessment framework uses the “effective number of countries” (ENC) as a diversity measure and extends it into two key indicators (i.e. popularity and parity) to measure the inclusiveness of a production system and the balance of production distribution. The assessment reveals that global aquaculture development 1970–2020 has raised its overall popularity to a high plateau (~ 85 percent) thanks to finfish farming, yet aquaculture popularity still has much room to grow for nearly all 43 species groups examined here. While the inclusive yet imbalanced aquaculture growth has reduced global aquaculture parity to below 3 percent, aquaculture has experienced a balanced growth in most of all 85 country groups examined, and the global parity has been on an upward trend since the new millennium 2000–2020. However, in most of the 85 country groups, the parity of aquaculture is still much lower than those of capture fisheries and terrestrial meat production, indicating that low aquaculture parity cannot be fully attributed to discrepancies in countries’ characteristics, such as geographic location and climate, resource endowments, demographics, socioeconomic conditions, and development status. The highly uneven distribution of aquaculture production could undermine its widely expected role in enhancing food security and nutrition, and weaken the resilience of the global food system against various risks. The unevenness, however, indicates a large untapped potential for further aquaculture growth. Aquaculture popularity and parity could be mainstreamed as performance indicators in policymaking and sector management to facilitate more inclusive aquaculture development, enhance the resilience of the global food system, and unlock aquaculture growth potential. The indicator system can be applied in sector assessment and monitoring of any sector or at different levels (e.g. subnational). While only key findings are highlighted in the main text, the comprehensive results of the assessment is documented in the supplementary materials to facilitate further study.
Premature birth; a risk factor for atrial septal defect secundum morbidity? - a national case-control study
Authors: Tanghöj Gustaf , Naumburg Estelle
Published: May 2023

Atrial septal defect secundum is a common type of congenital heart defect and even more common among children born premature. Premature birth is linked to a biventricular systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction which in turn may increase morbidity in congenital heart shunt defects, such as ASD II. The aim of this study was to assess premature birth as a potential associated risk factors for cardiac morbidity in children with ASD II. In this retrospective national registry-based case-control study all children born in Sweden between 2010–2015 with an isolated ASD II diagnosis were included. Association between premature birth and cardiac morbidity in children with isolated ASD II was assessed by different outcomes-models using conditional logistic regression and adjustments were made for confounding factors. Down syndrome was the only independent risk factors for associated with cardiac morbidity in children with ASD II. Preterm birth in children was not associated with an increased risk of ASD II cardiac morbidity.
Decarbonization Potential of Electrifying 50% of U.S. Light-Duty Vehicle Sales by 2030
Authors: Woody Maxwell , Keoleian Gregory , Vaishnav Parth
Published: May 2023

The U.S. federal government has established goals of electrifying 50% of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2030 and reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% by 2030, from 2005 levels. Here we evaluate the vehicle electrification goal in the context of the economy-wide emissions goal. A vehicle fleet model and a life cycle emissions model were used to project vehicle sales, stock, and emissions. To account for state-level variability in electric vehicle adoption and electric grid emissions factors, we apply the models to each state. By 2030, GHGs are reduced by approximately 25% (from 2005) for the light-duty vehicle fleet, primarily due to fleet turnover of conventional vehicles. By 2035, emissions reductions approach 45% if both vehicle electrification and grid decarbonization goals (100% by 2035) are met. To meet climate goals, the transition to electric vehicles must be accompanied by an accelerated decarbonization of the electric grid and other actions.
Risk factors for postoperative ileus in hysterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Hou Zhuoer , Liu Ting , Li Xiaoyan , Sun Qiuhua
Published: May 2023

Background: Postoperative ileus (POI) is a common complication after hysterectomy, with an incidence of 2%. However, according to statistics, there are more than 400,000 hysterectomy patients every year. Therefore, there may be thousands of people who may develop POI after hysterectomy. Estimates of medical costs spent on POI range from $750 million to $1 billion annually. Thus, the occurrence of POI undoubtedly increases the family and medical burden. Moreover, the pathogenesis of POI is not clear, and there is a lack of effective preventive measures at present. Therefore, understanding related risk factors is of guiding value for understanding POI and accelerating surgical rehabilitation of patients after hysterectomy. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of POI in hysterectomy patients.
Methods: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with the PRISMA Statement. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Medline and the Cochrane Library databases were searched. The search period is from inception until December 2018. Key words used were: hysterectomy, postoperative ileus, postoperative intestinal obstruction, risk factors, factors. Two researchers screened literatures and extracted data, and used Newcastle-Ottawa scale to evaluate their quality. Then, Stata17 software was used for statistical analysis.
Result: A total of 5 literatures were included, and the results of meta-analysis showed that undergone adhesiolysis (OR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.37-2.53), duration of surgery (OR=1.78, 95%CI: 1.32-2.40), perioperative transfusion (OR=4.50, 95%CI: 3.29-6.16) and Concomitant bowel surgery (OR=3.11, 95%CI: 1.47-6.57) were the risk factors for POI development in hysterectomy patients. The included studies showed low heterogeneity.
Conclusions: The results of this study were mainly surgical factors, including several aspects, which may all increase the risk of POI in hysterectomy patients. After the conclusion of risk factors, more accurate screening and identification of high-risk groups can be conducted and timely preventive measures can be taken to reduce the incidence of POI.
Trial registration: The study protocol for this meta-analysis was registered (CRD42023407167) with the PROSPERO database (www. crd.york.ac.uk/prospero)
Modeling agricultural drought based on the earth observation-derived standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index and vegetation health index in the northeastern highlands of Ethiopia
Authors: Chere Zerihun , Debalke Dereje Biru
Published: May 2023

Drought is one of the most overwhelming natural disasters that has a widespread impact on ecosystems, economies, and societies around the world. It has been a major concern for farmers in the South Wollo Zone, so better monitoring and assessment of agricultural drought with the help of earth observation data is critical. The main objective of this research is to characterize the spatiotemporal variation, frequency, and trends of agricultural drought from 2001 to 2021 using the earth observation-derived vegetation health index (VHI) and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The VHI and SPEI were developed using the following variables: potential evapotranspiration (MOD16A2GF), climatic hazards group infrared precipitation with stations (CHIRPS), surface temperature of the land and emissivity (MOD11A2), and normalized difference vegetation index (MOD13Q1 NDVI). As a result, SPEI and VHI were used to characterize the spatiotemporal agricultural drought variation in the South Wollo zone. Additionally, the Mann-Kendall (MK) trends analysis and Pearson correlation were used to identify the trends in the agricultural drought and the relationship between VHI and SPEI, respectively. SPEI and VHI were validated using crop yield data. According to the findings, there were agricultural droughts of varying severity in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015. Furthermore, the study found a significant increase in drought frequency over the years 2001–2021. The results demonstrated that there was a decreasing SPEI (87.5%) and VHI (57.4%) slope during July. The comparison between the SPEI and VHI was positive and significant on the seasonal scale (r = 0.56, p = 0.01). The regression analysis results showed that detrended crop yields agreed well with VHI (R2/r = 0.49/0.70, P < 0.01) and SPEI (R2/r = 0.34/0.58, P < 0.05). Hence, the findings of the present study illustrated the effectiveness and utility of the SPEI and VHI for agricultural drought evaluation, monitoring, and early warnings in the South Wollo administrative zone.
Da Vinci SP Robotic Surgery for Cervical Cancer FIGO 2018 Stage IA-IB: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mohamad Noor Azura Noor , Kim Jung Chul , Kim Sang Wun
Published: May 2023

Da Vinci SP robotic platform is utilized in benign gynecology, with no study of its use for cervical cancer surgery till date. The study aimed to present clinical experience and surgical outcome of da Vinci SP robotic surgery for cervical cancer stage IA-IB. This cross-sectional study involved patients undergoing da Vinci SP robotic type B radical hysterectomy (RH), type C1 RH, and radical trachelectomy (RT) from January 2019 until December 2021. Median age and body mass index were 38 years old (28–49) and 21.6 kg/m2 (17.6–33.6) respectively. 61.5% were stage IA1, 23.1% IB1 and 15.4% IB2. 6 underwent type B RH, 1 type C RH, and 6 RT. Median docking time, console time and total operation time were 4 minutes (2–9), 151 minutes (75–258) and 278 minutes (159–360) respectively. Median estimated blood loss was 50 mL (10–100). Median pain score was 3, 0, 0, and 0 at 0-, 6-, 12-, and 24-hour post-surgery. Median postoperative hospital stay was 2 days (2–4). In conclusion, da Vinci SP robotic surgery for cervical cancer stage IA-IB could be performed with good peri-operative surgical outcomes. Large scaled long-term follow-up studies are required to assess oncological outcomes of patients undergoing these procedures.
Utilization of Preconception Care and Its Determinants Among Pregnant Women Attending ANC in Private MCH Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Descriptive Study
Authors: Girma Addisu , Bedada Abera , Kumbi Solomon
Published: May 2023

Background Regardless of its benefit in promoting maternal health and the health of her developing fetus, and little is known about preconception care practice in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine the utilization of preconception health care services and its determinants among women following ANC in Private MCH Hospitals in Addis Ababa.Methods A Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to April 30,2022 among 385 women attending ANC in Private MCH Hospitals. Data were collected by a pretested self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. To identify the determinants associated with the utilization of preconception care bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were estimated to assess the strength of associations and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05.Results The utilization of PCC among the pregnant mothers according to our study was 40%. Professional/technical/managerial occupation (AOR = 4.3, 95%CI = 1.13, 16.33), good knowledge on PCC (AOR = 3.5, 95%CI = 1.92, 6.53),having unintended pregnancy (AOR = 0.1, 95%CI = 0.03, 042), history of family planning use before conception (AOR = 3.9, 95%CI = 1.20, 12.60), having pre-existing medical disease(s) (AOR = 8.4, 95%CI = 2.83, 24.74) and having obstetric problem(s) in previous pregnancies (AOR = 3.2, 95%CI = 1.55, 6.50) were significantly associated with preconception care utilization.Conclusions This study found out that the utilization of preconception care in the private MCH Hospitals is still low i.e., only 40%. Occupation, level of knowledge, having intended pregnancy, history of family planning use before conception, having obstetric problem(s) in previous pregnancy and having pre-existing medical condition(s) were independently associated with preconception care utilization. Lack of awareness about the availability of the services and having unintended pregnancy were the main reasons for not utilizing the PCC services.
Development of secretory and cell wall anchor recombinant Lactococcus lactis vaccine expressing the porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88ac or K99-987P protein
Authors: Zhang Xiyue , Zhang Mingyang , Zhao Ge , Qu Zhina , Xu Jiawei , Wang Haoran , Zhao Jianmei , Huang Xiumei , Wang Lin , Liu Na , Cheng Huimin , Wang Junwei , Zou Ming
Published: May 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
On the adsorption of Arsenic on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube and Fe-doped Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube: A Quantum Mechanical Study
Authors: Munio Art Anthony Zoilo , Pido Alvanh Alem , Ambolode Leo Cristoba II
Published: May 2023

Due to mounting environmental and public health concerns about the toxicity of Arsenic (As) contamination, there is a strong drive to develop cost-effective sensors and adsorbent material for As. Using density functional theory, we examined the adsorption mechanism, electronic structure, and optical absorption spectra of SWCNT with atomic As and Arsenous acid (H3AsO3). Results indicate that atomic As can strongly interact with SWCNT with significant structural deformation of the SWCNT upon adsorption. This bonding creates modification on the intrinsic electronic structure and the optical absorption spectra of the prototype SWCNT. Hence, SWCNT is an efficient adsorbent and a candidate material for sensing atomic As. On the other hand, H3AsO3 interacts weakly with the SWCNT, with no significant modification observed in the SWCNT's atomic configuration, electronic structure, and optical absorption spectra. The interaction and sensitivity with H3AsO3 significantly improved after doping the SWCNT with Fe. The changes in the band structure patterns and optical absorption spectra of Fe-doped SWCNT is also observed upon exposure to H3AsO3. The results presented here provide fundamental insights into the interaction of SWCNT and As, which serve as a reference for fabricating SWCNT-based adsorbent and sensing platforms of heavy metals. The results further explore how metal-doped SWCNT tunes the bonding and sensitivity with heavy metals.
smart±step exergame and seated computer brain training for preventing falls in community-dwelling older people: a 12-month randomised controlled trial.
Authors: Hicks Cameron , Smith Natassia , Ratanapongleka Mayna , Menant Jasmine , Turner Jessica , Lo Joanne , Garcia Jamie , Valenzuela Michael , Chaplin Carly , Delbaere Kim , Herber Robert , Sherrington Catherine , Toson Barbara , Lord Stephen , Sturnieks Daina
Published: May 2023

Objectives Exergame training is a promising method for delivering evidence-based fall prevention exercise as it can facilitate exercise adherence and can be tailored to address cognitive and motor risk factors for falls. This study examined the effectiveness of two home-based computer game interventions (seated brain training and step training; smart±step) in preventing falls in community-dwelling older people, compared to a minimal-intervention control group.
Design Assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial.
Setting Research institute and homes of older people living in the community of Sydney, Australia.
Participants 769 people aged 65+ years living independently in the community and free of cognitive impairment, progressive neurological disease, or any other unstable or acute medical condition that precludes exercise.
Interventions Participants were randomised to one of three arms: brain training using a computerised touch pad while seated; exergame step training on a computerised mat; or control. The intervention groups were provided with a home-based training system and were asked to train for at least two hours per week over the 12-month trial.
Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the rate of falls reported monthly over 12 months.
Results Between October 2016 and May 2019, 769 participants were randomised (seated brain training =262, exergame step training=252, control=255) and all were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. The rate of falls over 12 months was significantly reduced in the exergame step training group compared to control (IRR=0.74, 95%CI=0.56 to 0.98) and was not statistically different between the seated brain training and control groups (IRR=0.86, 95%CI=0.65 to 1.12). No serious intervention-related adverse events were reported.
Conclusions A home-based exergame step training program provides a safe and effective means for preventing falls in older people living in the community. As this intervention can be conducted at home and requires only minimal equipment, it has the potential for scalability as a public health intervention to address the increasing problem of falls and fall-related injuries.
Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12616001325493, registered 22 September 2016.
FHL1 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Luo Bo , Li Wei , Li Jialing , Chen Guanfei , Zeng Jingyuan , Hu Nan , Li Lulu , He Zhongming , He Shuang , Guo Qulian , Zheng Xiaoli
Published: May 2023

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has a poor prognosis and high heterogeneity. Most leukemias are caused by environmental factors interacting with the cell’s genetic material, but treatment is still dominated by cell cycle drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find reliable biomarkers. Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus database, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were used to select the genes that had the most significant influence on the prognosis of patients with AML. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of small interfering RNA transfection and lentiviral interference on knockout and overexpression of the gene, respectively, and to verify the difference in the FHL1 gene in the HL60 cell line and neutrophils. Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect the effect of high or low expression of FHL1 on cell viability and apoptosis under the influence of cytarabine and daunorubicin. FHL1 was found to be the most prognostic independent biomarker by GSE12417 screening and GSE37642 validation. FHL1 is highly expressed in AML, and knockdown of FHL1 can increase the sensitivity of AML cells to cytarabine and daunorubicin. FHL1 may play a role as a potential molecular marker and therapeutic target for predicting poor prognosis of AML and for direct treatment (adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy).
Evidence of Bisphosphonate-Conjugated Sitafloxacin Eradication of Established Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Infection with Osseointegration in Murine Models of Implant-Associated Osteomyelitis
Authors: Xie Chao , Ren Youliang , Weeks Jason , Xue Thomas , Rainbolt Joshua , Bentley Karen de Mesy , Shu Ye , Liu Yuting , Masters Elysia , Cherian Philip , McKenna Charles , Neighbors Jeffrey , Ebetino Frank , Schwarz Edward , Sun Shuting
Published: May 2023

Eradication of MRSA osteomyelitis requires elimination of distinct biofilms. To overcome this, we developed bisphosphonate-conjugated sitafloxacin (BCS, BV600072) and hydroxybisphosphonate-conjugate sitafloxacin (HBCS, BV63072), which achieve “target-and-release” drug delivery proximal to the bone infection and have prophylactic efficacy against MRSA static biofilm in vitro and in vivo. Here we evaluated their therapeutic efficacy in a murine 1-stage exchange femoral plate model with bioluminescent MRSA (USA300LAC::lux). Osteomyelitis was confirmed by CFU on the explants and longitudinal bioluminescent imaging (BLI) after debridement and implant exchange surgery on day 7, and mice were randomized into seven groups: 1) Baseline (harvested at day 7, no treatment); 2) HPBP (bisphosphonate control for BCS) + vancomycin; 3) HPHBP (bisphosphonate control for HBCS) + vancomycin; 4) vancomycin; 5) sitafloxacin; 6) BCS + vancomycin; and 7) HBCS + vancomycin. BLI confirmed infection persisted in all groups except for mice treated with BCS or HBCS + vancomycin. Radiology revealed catastrophic femur fractures in all groups except mice treated with BCS or HBCS + vancomycin, which also displayed decreases in peri-implant bone loss, osteoclast numbers, and biofilm. To confirm this, we assessed the efficacy of vancomycin, sitafloxacin, and HBCS monotherapy in a transtibial implant model. The results showed complete lack of vancomycin efficacy, while all mice treated with HBCS had evidence of infection control, and some had evidence of osseous integrated septic implants, suggestive of biofilm eradication. Taken together these studies demonstrate that HBCS adjuvant with standard of care debridement and vancomycin therapy has the potential to eradicate MRSA osteomyelitis.
One-stage Circumcision and Hyaluronic acid injections for Men Reporting Small Penis with Redundant Prepuce or Phimosis
Authors: He Hailong , Li Qing , Zhang Xiaowei
Published: May 2023

Background The efficacy and safety of filler injection were approved and have become the main choice for penile augmentation (PA). Traditionally, the PA for patients with phimosis or redundant prepuce has been a two-stage surgery-male circumcision first and hyaluronic acid (HA) injections then. We introduced a one-stage procedure for these patients to reduce the cost and recovery time.Methods Eighty-three men who received one-stage male circumcision and HA injection simultaneously in a regional hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. In the male circumcision, the penile skin was sharply resected to preserve the integrity of the superficial fascia. HA was injected into the space between the superficial fascia and the deep fascia of the penis. Patients were followed up at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the surgery. Penile maximal girth, patients’ satisfaction level for (using a 5-point scale, with 1 indicating very dissatisfied and 5 indicating very satisfied.) penile appearance and surgical complications were recorded during follow-up.Results Eighty-three men (aged 35.72 ± 4.73 years) received one-stage male circumcision and HA injection surgery. The dosage of HA was 16.10 ± 2.32 ml. The penile maximal girth growth was 2.33 ± 1.27 cm, 1.80 ± 1.11 cm, and 1.31 ± 0.71 cm at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. The satisfaction level for penile appearance was 2.5 ± 0.9 on the final follow-up The complications included 1 (1.2%) infection and 1 subcutaneous bleeding (1.2%). No HA leakage happened.Conclusion One-stage simultaneous male circumcision and HA injection were proven to ensure surgical efficacy and safety for men reporting a small penis with redundant prepuce or phimosis.