bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening Tools for Employment in Clinical Healthcare Delivery Systems: A Content Analysis
Authors: Colon Mina , Goodman Julia M.
Published: March 2023

Background
The relationship between work and health is complex and bidirectional, where work can have both health-harming and health-enhancing effects. Though employment is recognized as a social determinant of health, and clinical healthcare delivery systems are increasingly using screening tools to ask patients about social needs, little research has explored the extent to which employment-related social risk is captured in these screening tools. This study aimed to identify and characterize employment- and work-related questions in social risk screening tools that have been implemented in clinical healthcare delivery systems.
Methods
We conducted a qualitative content analysis of employment-related items in screening tools that have been implemented in clinical healthcare service delivery systems. Three content areas guided data extraction and analysis: Setting, Domain, and Level of Contextualization.
Results
Screening tools that asked employment-related questions were implemented in settings that were diverse in the populations served and the scope of care provided. The intent of employment-related items focused on four domains: Social Risk Factor, Social Need, Employment Exposure, and Legal Need. Most questions were found to have a low Level of Contextualization and were largely focused on identifying an individual’s employment status.
Conclusions
Several existing screening tools include measures of employment-related social risk, but these items do not have a clear purpose and range widely depending on the setting in which they are implemented. In order to maximize the utility of these tools, clinical healthcare delivery systems should carefully consider what domain(s) they aim to capture and how they anticipate using the screening tools to address social determinants of health.
Clinical value of PRC1 and DLGAP5 and immunosuppressive T cells overexpressing them in HCC based on transcriptome data
Authors: Yang Cheng-Lei , He Jia-Tai , Li Nan-Nan , Song Rui , Ni Hang-Hang , Huang Jun-Tao , Liu Guo-Qun , Wang Jun-Duo , Li Yuan-Kuan , Zhan Guo-Hua , Li Min-Jun , Zhao Jing-Fei , Zhang Jie , Xiang Bang-De
Published: March 2023

Purpose
Despite immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has recently taken on an extremely important role in tumors, only a minority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are effective. The clinical value of PRC1 and DLGAP5 in HCC and its relationship with immune microenvironment have been rarely reported.
Methods
Key genes related to doubling time of HCC tumors were identified using WGCNA, and their expression was analyzed against our in-house RNA sequencing database, the Gene Expression Omnibus and the Cancer Genome Atlas database. We explored correlations between key genes and the immune microenvironment based on the TISCH and TIMER database, as well as clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HCC in patients at our center.
Results
WGCNA identified PRC1 and DLGAP5 as key genes in HCC. PRC1 and DLGAP5 were over-expressed in HCC tissues relative to normal tissues based on analysis of 2,154 patients and 1,344 controls. The genes gave respective areas under the summary receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.95 (95%CI 0.93–0.97) and 0.94 (95%CI 0.92–0.96). High expression of PRC1 and DLGAP5 positively correlated with tumor recurrence and microvascular invasion, was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival. PRC1 and DLGAP5 were co-expressed in proliferative T cells over-expressing immunosuppressive markers PDCD1, CTLA4, HAVCR2, LAG3 and TIGIT based on single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets.
Conclusions
PRC1 and DLGAP5 significantly upregulated in HCC are associated with poor prognosis and show strong diagnostic potential. PRC1 or DLGAP5 combined with CD8 T cell markers may serve as predictive biomarkers for the efficacy of ICI combination therapy.
Global maps of canopy photosynthesis of wine grape under changing climate
Authors: Murakami Keach , Nemoto Manabu
Published: March 2023

Climate change induces shifts in suitable areas for cultivation and phenology of grapevines, which regulate complex sunlight patterns within hedge rows and canopy photosynthetic gain. However, suitability assessments have focused on climate indices, such as growing season temperature, but have ignored canopy photosynthesis, despite its close connection to berry yield and wine quality. Here, we visualized global maps of the theoretical maxima of grapevine canopy photosynthetic gain during berry development under present and future climates scenarios using an integrated model of canopy light interception, leaf thermal balance, and photosynthetic processes. The high-latitude zone accommodated high-gain sites under future scenarios, characterized by shifted suitable areas and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. By contrast, at some prestigious sites located at low latitudes, the projected leaf temperatures exceeded the optimal range for photosynthesis, resulting in reduced gain. Our results highlight a north-south gradient in canopy photosynthesis and support the decision-making of winemaking stakeholders.
Anomalous interlayer exciton diffusion in WS2/WSe2 moiré heterostructure
Authors: Rossi Antonio , Zipfel Jonas , Maity Indrajit , Lorenzon Monica , Francaviglia Luca , Regan Emma , Zhang Zuocheng , Nie Jacob , Barnard Edward , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Rotenberg Eli , Wang Feng , Lischner Johannes , Raja Archana , Weber-Bargioni Alexander
Published: March 2023

Stacking van der Waals crystals allows for on-demand creation of a periodic potential landscape to tailor the transport of quasiparticle excitations. We investigate the diffusion of photoexcited electron-hole pairs or excitons at the interface of WS2/WSe2 Van der Waals heterostructure over a wide range of temperatures. We observe the appearance of distinct interlayer excitons for parallel and anti-parallel stacking, and track their diffusion through spatially and temporally resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy from 30 K to 250 K. While the measured exciton diffusivity decreases with temperature, it surprisingly plateaus below 90K. Our observations cannot be explained by classical models like hopping in the moiré potential. Using a combination of ab-initio theory and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that low energy moiré phonons, also known as phasons, play a key role in describing and understanding this anomalous behavior of exciton diffusion. In particular, we show that the moiré potential landscape is dynamic down to very low temperatures. Our observations show that the phason modes arising from the mismatched lattices of a moiré heterostructures can enable surprisingly efficient transport of energy in the form of excitons, even at low temperatures.
Cross-Validation and Cosine Similarity-based Deep Correlation Analysisof Nonlinear Properties in Transition Metal Clusters
Authors: Kokabi Alireza , Nasirimahd Zahra , Naghibi zohreh
Published: March 2023

A new approach for the rapid and accurate correlation study of the nonlinear properties in the Transition Metal (TM) clusters based on the Deep Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOO-CV) method is presented. This study shows that the DNN-based approach proposes a more efficient method for predicting several properties of the fourth-row TM nanoclusters in comparison with the conventional methods based on Density Functional Theory (DFT), which are computationally expensive and significantly time-consuming. The feature space or equivalently called descriptors are defined based on a wide range of electronic and physical properties. Considering the similarities between these clusters, the DNN-based model is employed to investigate the correlation between the TM cluster properties. The method together with the cosine similarity delivers significant accuracy in the order of at most 10− 9 for the prediction of total energy, lowest vibrational mode, binding energy and HOMO-LUMO energy gap of TM2, TM3, and TM4 nanoclusters. Based on the correlation errors, the most coupling TM clusters are obtained. In this regard, Mn and Ni clusters has the maximum and minimum amount of energy couplings with other transition metals, respectively. In general, energy prediction errors of TM2, TM3, and TM4 demonstrate comparable patterns while an even-odd behavior is observed for vibrational modes and binding energies. In addition, Ti, V and Co demonstrate maximum binding energy coupling to the TM2, TM3 and TM4 sets, respectively. For the case of the energy gap, Ni shows the maximum correlation in the smallest TM2 clusters while Cr dependence is highest for TM3 and TM4 sets. Finally, Zn has the highest error for HOMO-LUMO energy gap in all sets and consequently the maximum independent energy gap characteristics.
Role of lymph node involvement and lymphadenectomy in patients with different subtypes of uterine sarcoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fan Yu , Zhang Yu-fei , Song Ting-ting , Mu Yi , Ruan Jia-ying , Li Jin-ke
Published: March 2023

Background
We meta-analyzed the available data on the influence of lymph node involvement (LNI) and lymphadenectomy on the prognosis of patients with uterine sarcoma.
Method
PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Scopus, OpenGrey, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for articles related to LNI or lymphadenectomy in patients diagnosed with any of the following subtypes of uterine sarcoma: uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS), undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS), and adenosarcoma (ADS). Data on the incidence rates of LNI, lymphadenectomy, and survival were independently extracted and pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic.
Result
A total of 25 studies with 19,926 patients were included in our meta-analysis. LNI was more common in patients with HGESS/UUS [rate 18%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 95%: 9–28%], but less in uLMS (rate 6%; 95% CI 4–8%), LGESS (rate 7%; 95% CI 4–11%), or ADS (rate 2%; 95% CI 1–3%). Lymphadenectomy did not improve overall survival in patients with LGESS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.21, 95% CI 0.95–1.54], ADS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.73–1.10) or uLMS (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.27), but it did improve overall survival in patients with HGESS/UUS (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48–0.85). Lymphadenectomy did not improve disease-free survival in patients with uLMS or ADS (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.61–1.26).
Conclusion
LNI is relatively infrequent among patients with uLMS, LGESS, or ADS, and lymphadenectomy in such patients does not appear to improve survival. In contrast, LNI is relatively common among patients with HGESS/UUS, and lymphadenectomy significantly improves overall survival. The available evidence supports routine lymphadenectomy for patients with HGESS or UUS, but not those with uLMS, LGESS, or ADS.
Trial registration:
This meta-analysis registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022353507).
Nonfood Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Synbiotic Use Reduces All-Cause And Cardiovascular Mortality Risk In Older Adults: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Shen RuMing , chen shuaijie , lei wenjing , shen jiayi , lv lingchun , wei tiemin
Published: March 2023

Objectives
Pro-, pre-, and synbiotic supplements improve cardiovascular risk factors. However, the association between nonfood pro-, pre-, and synbiotics and long-term all-cause and cardiovascular mortality have not been studied. Thus, our objective was to determine the impact of nonfood pro-, pre-, and synbiotics to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Design, setting, and participants:
A retrospective, cohort study of 4837 nationally representative American participants aged 65 years or older with a median follow-up duration of 77 months.
Measurements:
all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Results
A total of 1556 participants died during the median 77 months follow-up, and 517 died from cardiovascular disease. Compared with participants without nonfood pro-, pre-, and synbiotics use, nonfood pro-, pre-, and synbiotics use reduces nearly 41% risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.59, 95%CI 0.43 to 0.79) and 52% risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.48, 95%CI 0.30 to 0.76). Such an effect persists in most subgroup analysis and complete-case analysis.
Conclusion and relevance:
In this study, we found a protective effect of NPPS for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Americans aged 65 years or older. Nonfood pro-, pre-, and synbiotics can be a novel, inexpensive, low-risk treatment addition for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality for older individuals.
Association between Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Autoimmune Thyroid Dysfunction in Pediatric Population Cross Sectional Study, Single Center Experience
Authors: Shamma Radwa , Soliman Hend M. , Abdelfattah Walaa , Badawy Marwa A. , Shafie Eman S.
Published: March 2023

Background
Thyroid disease is more frequent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than in the general population. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the occurrence of immunological thyroid dysfunctions in Egyptian children with SLE in a single center and its relation to the disease activity and duration.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional observational study. The study included 50 children and adolescents with SLE. All patients were subjected to complete history taking, thorough physical examination. Thyroid profile, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.
Results
Out of 50 patients, six were males (12%), and 44 were females (88%), with female to male ratio (F: M = 7: 1). Their ages ranged from 5–17 years, with a median of 12 years. Thirty-two of patients (64%) had thyroid dysfunctions, 19 (38%) were diagnosed with euthyroid sick syndrome, ten (20%) had overt hypothyroidism, three (6%) had subclinical hypothyroidism, and none of the patients had hyperthyroidism. Antithyroglobulin antibodies (Anti-TG) was normal in all patients of the studied group, and antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) was elevated in one (2%) out of 50 patients. There was a significant negative correlation between free thyroxine (FT4) and disease duration with a p-value of 0.007. Moreover, by comparing the duration of the disease and thyroid antibodies (anti-TG, and anti-TPO), there was a significant negative correlation with p-values of 0.015 and 0.028.
Conclusions
Intermittent biochemical screening of thyroid function and anti-thyroid antibodies is recommended as part of the clinical profile in SLE patients, to identify clinical/subclinical thyroid disease. To intervene with the most convenient therapy whenever indicated.
Dose-efficient Scanning Compton X-ray Microscopy
Authors: Bajt Saša , Li Tang , Dresselhaus Jan Lukas , Ivanov Nikolay , Prasciolu Mauro , Fleckenstein Holger , Yefanov Oleksandr , Zhang Wenhui , Pennicard David , Dippel Ann-Christin , Gutowski Olof , Villanueva-Perez Pablo , Chapman Henry
Published: March 2023

The highest resolution of images of soft matter and biological materials is ultimately limited by modification of the structure, induced by the necessarily high energy of short-wavelength radiation. Imaging the inelastically scattered X-rays at a photon energy of 60 keV (0.02 nm wavelength) offers greater signal per energy transferred to the sample than coherent-scattering techniques such as phase-contrast microscopy and projection holography. We present images of dried, unstained, and unfixed biological objects obtained by scanning Compton X-ray microscopy, at a resolution of about 40 nm. This microscope was realised using novel wedged multilayer Laue lenses that were fabricated to sub-ångström precision, a new wavefront measurement scheme for hard X rays, and efficient pixel-array detectors. The doses required to form these images were as little as 0.02% of the tolerable dose and 0.05% of that needed for phase-contrast imaging at similar resolution using 12 keV photon energy. The images obtained provide a quantitative map of the projected mass density in the sample, as confirmed by imaging a silicon wedge. Based on these results, we find that it should be possible to obtain radiation damage-free images of biological samples at a resolution below 10 nm.
Understanding Structure-Processing Relationships in Metal Additive Manufacturing via Featurization of Microstructural Images
Authors: Sanpui Dipayan , Chandra Anirban , Manna Sukriti , Dutta Partha , Chan Maria , Chan Henry , Sankaranarayanan Subramanian
Published: March 2023

Understanding and predicting accurate property-structure-processing relationships for additively manufactured components is important for both forward and inverse design of robust, reliable parts and assemblies. While direct mapping of process parameters to properties is sometimes plausible, it is often rendered difficult due to poor microstructural control. Exploring the direct relationship between processing conditions and microstructural features can thus provide significant physical insights and aid the overall design process. Here, we develop an automated high-throughput framework to simulate an uncertainty-aware additive manufacturing (AM) process, characterize microstructural images, and extract meaningful features/descriptors. A kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model of the AM process is used as a digital twin to simulate microstructural evolution for a diverse set of experimentally relevant processing conditions. We perform a detailed parametric study to map the relationship between microstructural features and experimental conditions. Our results indicate that a many-to-one mapping can exist between processing conditions and typical descriptors. Multiple descriptors are thus necessary to unambiguously represent microstructural images. Our work provides crucial quantitative and qualitative information that would aid in the selection of features for microstructural images. Featurized microstructures could then be utilized to build data-driven models for predictive control of microstructures and thereby properties of additively manufactured components.
Feeding ecology and bioturbation of fiddler crab Uca princeps (Smith, 1870) (Brachyura, Ocypodidae) in a peri-urban wetland in an arid region
Authors: Ochoa-Gómez Jonathan , Koch Volker , Acosta-Velázquez Joanna , Núñez-Lara Enrique , Laffon-Leal Sandra
Published: March 2023

Fiddler crabs are essential to understanding tropical coastal wetlands' dynamics and analyzing carbon budgets because they are the primary epibenthic biomass. They have a high consumption of detritus/bacterial biomass and generate high rates of bioturbation in sediments, affecting storage and export carbon budgets. In the present study, we analyzed the feeding ecology and bioturbation of Uca princeps with field experiments (i.e., daily food intake) and laboratory/analysis. This study estimated the daily food intake, evacuation rates, organic matter/carbon content, and bioturbation rate by feeding this species in two seasons (cold and warm). We found that the percentage of daily intake of U. princeps measured in dry weight in November 2008 was 16.2% and 17.4% for females and males, while in April, the food intake was much higher with 38.4% and 41.6%, respectively. The average bioturbation of this species through their feeding activities was ~ 0.3 Mg ha− 1 day− 1. The results suggest that the females are more selective in their feed. The evacuation rate was 0.84 h− 1 for females and 0.87 h− 1 for males. Therefore, U. princeps plays a vital role within the peri-urban ecosystem by removing/altering high quantities of organic matter from the sediments, transforming them into biomass, and influencing biophysical modifications in the peat.
Mixed potential function modeling and stability analysis of DC microgrid with hybrid energy storage
Authors: Zhang Guopeng , Zheng Yuqi , Zheng Zheng , Chen Jikai , Hang Tao
Published: March 2023

Aiming at the large disturbance stability problem of hybrid energy storage DC microgrid with constant power load, based on deducing the equivalent model of hybrid energy storage system (HESS) pulse-width modulated switching network, a stability criterion and analysis method of DC microgrid containing the HESS based on mixed potential function theory is proposed. Firstly, considering the charge-discharge characteristics of HESS, the operating states of the DC microgrid system containing the HESS are divided into buck and boost operating modes. Then, the mixed potential function model of the DC microgrid system based on the equivalent model of pulse-width modulated switching network is established for the above two operating modes respectively; Finally, the third stability theorem of the mixed potential function theory is applied to derive the large disturbance stability criterion of the DC microgrid under buck and boost operating modes respectively. This criterion gives the stability operating conditions of each converter control parameter. The accuracy of the proposed stability analysis method and the validity of the mixed potential function criterion are verified by simulation.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based profiling and phytochemical screening revealed industrially important metabolites in wild seabuckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia D.Don) berries
Authors: Singh Sugandh , Sharma Prakash Chand
Published: March 2023

In recent times, seabuckthorn (Hippophae Sp.) has attracted worldwide attention as a source of traditional medicines, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals due to the presence of a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals These bioactive phytochemicals may vary in different regions of plant collections. The amount of plant materials traded within the State has increased dramatically in recent years as a result of the rising demand for herbal products. Moreover, there are no organized methods of seabuckthorn cultivation in Uttarakhand. Through experience and practice, the locals preserve their customary knowledge, which is passed down orally and without documentation. Currently, this information is in danger of disappearing. The scenario regarding the development of seabuckthorn as a future crop in the Uttarakhand region is very alarming. Most of the metabolomics research has been carried out on a single analytical platform. However, each platform has intrinsic advantages and drawbacks that can affect the analytical coverage of the metabolome. The present study was carried out to identify the entire unrevealed metabolites in H. salicifolia berries originating from Uttarakhand regions for the first time, utilizing both GC-MS and 1H NMR techniques. Phytochemical screening was performed by various qualitative and quantitative methods such as GC-MS and 1H NMR in H. salicifolia berry extract originating from three regions (Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri) of Uttarakhand (India). Phytochemical determination revealed the presence of industrially important metabolites. In total, 318 metabolites were identified, 305 by GC-MS and 13 by 1H NMR. These metabolites were classified in 23 sets of metabolites such as alkane hydrocarbons, alkene hydrocarbons, fatty acid methyl esters, etc. in which total metabolomic percentage and its amount was highly detected in the Gangotri region followed by Badrinath and Yamunotri. The present study provides valuable information for the identification of the natural source of metabolites related to the quality of various seabuckthorn-based products useful for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries as well as for effective germplasm collection.
Isolation, Identification and Antibiotic Resistance of Common Food Borne Bacteria in Chicken Meat in Addis Ababa and Debre Zeit Areas of Central High Lands of Ethiopia
Authors: Admasu Henok Nahusenay , Debebe Sara Birke , Engida Shashitu Alelign , Biru Zerihun Asefa , Mitku Solomon Yilma
Published: March 2023

The occurrence of pathogenic bacteria in poultry meat is of growing concern and another problem found on a global level is the continuous increase of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from food. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria in poultry carcasses collected from Addis Ababa and Debre ziet areas and to reveal the most prevalent patterns of antimicrobial resistance in the isolated strains. A total of 30 chicken carcasses were evaluated according to standard microbiological methods. Coliform count showed that 8.99logcfu/g highest count and 5.01logcfu/g lowest. There was high prevalence of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in poultry meat. Forty percent Listeria ,56.7% Shigella, 43.3% Escherichia, 57.3% Staphylococcus and 40% Salmonella spp. of antibiotic resistant bacterial contamination was found from the 27 chicken meat samples. The study showed that most of the bacterial isolates showed high resistance to Amoxicillin (x̄= 66.24), Cefixime (x̄ =60.36), Erythromycin (x̄ = 59.92), and Tetracycline (x̄ =59.6). On the other hand, lower resistance was found to Chloramphenicol (x̄ =74.88), Ciprofloxacin (x̄=67.18) and Norfloxacin (x̄ =58.7). An alarming level of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of above 0.2 was observed all the bacterial isolates tested. The study revealed that these isolates represent an important reservoir in the spread of zoonotic diseases. The current finding suggest that the country urgently needs an integrated surveillance system within the entire chain, for drug-resistant pathogens isolated from poultry meat.
Highly Diverse Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles but No Evidence for Aggression Towards Non-kin in the Ambrosia Beetle Xyleborinus Saxesenii
Authors: MELET Antoine , LEIBOLD Viesturs , SCHMITT Thomas , BIEDERMANN Peter
Published: March 2023

Animal societies have nestmate-recognition to protect against social cheaters and parasites. In most social insect societies individuals recognize and exclude any non-nestmate. There, the roles of cuticular hydrocarbons as recognition cues are well documented. Some ambrosia beetles live in cooperatively breeding societies, within nests that are almost completely isolated. Their fungus-farming and inbreeding habits within their nest ensure a nearly complete isolation. However, little is known about whether nestmate recognition is present and adaptive in these ambrosia beetle societies.
Here we studied the ability for nestmate recognition in the cooperatively breeding ambrosia beetle Xyleborus saxesenii, combining behavioural observations and cuticular hydrocarbon analyses. Laboratory nests of X. saxesenii were exposed to foreign adult females, from the same population, another population and another species and survival as well as behaviours of receivers and the donor individual were observed. We expected that increasing genetic distance would cause increasing distance in chemical profiles and increasing levels of behavioural exclusion and possibly mortality. Chemical profiles were different between populations and appeared as variable as in other highly social insects. However, we did not find any evidence for behavioural exclusion of foreign individuals. These results suggest that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles might be used for communication, but that exclusion of non-nestmates is absent in X. saxesenii. By contrast it may be adaptive for inbreeding ambrosia beetle species to accept non-nestmate to increase genetic diversity within nests.
Innovative, Low-cost and Eco Composite Boards Produced From High-energy Milled Wood, Plastic Waste and Bio-polymer
Authors: Pařil Petr , Baar Jan , Rousek Radim
Published: March 2023

Currently, there is a big issue with waste, its processing and subsequent use. On the one hand, there are many initiatives to replace materials that are poorly biodegradable, but on the other, it is necessary to process and ideally use the waste that we have already produced. In this study, the properties of composite boards made of waste materials and biodegradable polymer were investigated. The composite boards were made from wood and plastic waste using high-energy milling technology. This technology for material preparation is promising as it includes controlling the morphology of particles, homogenising the mixture and drying the material during the milling process. Results show higher flexural strength of HDF boards compared to tested composites with one exception. Wood/PHBV composite exhibits 30% higher MOE than HDF due to its higher modulus of PHBV. The lowest thickness swelling (3%) and water absorption (12%) were measured for wood/HDPE composite. HDF boards recorded the lowest dimensional stability. The highest water absorption of tested composites was measured for wood/PHBV composite. Resistance to wood-rotting fungi was greatest for wood/PHBV composite containing marble powder, which corresponds to the results of scanning electron microscopy. The effects of both fungi (Coniophora puteana and Pleurotus ostreatus) in the decay test were similar.
Structural behavior of ultra-high performance concrete corner beam-column joint under bidirectional loading
Authors: Nadir Wissam , Ali Ammar Yasir
Published: March 2023

In the past few decades, extensive experimental research has been focused on studying the performance of beam-column joints under cyclic load due to their involvement in the collapse of several reinforced concrete structures during earthquakes. However, the behavior of beam-column joints under monotonic load, especially bidirectional monotonic load, has not been well-described. This study aims to enhance the performance of reinforced concrete corner beam-column joints subjected to bidirectional monotonic loads by utilizing ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Four scaled RC corner beam-column joints were constructed, with two made entirely of normal strength concrete (NSC) and the other two utilizing UHPC in the joint region. The variables were the material and the spacing of transverse reinforcement in the joint region. In all tested specimens, the transverse reinforcement in the joint region was eliminated to reduce the congestion of steel reinforcement in this region. The results indicate that utilizing UHPC in the joint region significantly improves the performance of the corner beam-column joint. The main result was a shift in the failure mode of the tested specimen from brittle failure caused by joint shear failure to flexural failure by the development of a plastic hinge at the joint-beam interface. Additionally, the UHPC joint showed superior performance in terms of joint shear capacity, load carrying capacity, energy absorption, and damage tolerance, despite the removal of transverse reinforcement in the joint core. Furthermore, using UHPC in the joint region allows for a reduction in the transverse reinforcement in beams and columns, thus eliminating the congestion of steel reinforcement in the joint region.
Optimized nutrition in mitochondrial disease correlates to improved muscle fatigue, strength, and quality of life
Authors: DiVito Donna , Wellik Amanda , Burfield Jessica , Peterson James , Flickinger Jean , Tindall Alyssa , Albanowski Kimberly , Vishnubhatt Shailee , MacMullen Laura , Martin Isaac , Muraresku Colleen , McCormick Elizabeth , Ibrahim-Sankoh George , McCormack Shana , Goldstein Amy , Ganetzky Rebecca , Yudkoff Marc , Xiao Rui , Falk Marni J. , Mascarenhas Maria , Zolkipli-Cunningham Zarazuela
Published: March 2023

We sought to prospectively characterize the nutritional status of adults ≥ 19 years (n=22, 27% males) and children (n=38, 61% male) with genetically-confirmed primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) to guide development of precision nutritional support strategies to be tested in future clinical trials. We excluded subjects who were exclusively tube-fed. Daily caloric requirements were estimated using World Health Organization (WHO) equations to predict resting energy expenditure (REE) multiplied by an activity factor (AF) based on individual activity levels. We developed a Mitochondrial Disease Activity Factors (MOTIVATOR) score to encompass fatigue typical of PMD. PMD cohort daily diet intake was estimated to be 1,143 ± 104.1 Kcal in adults (mean ± SEM, 76.2% of WHO-MOTIVATOR predicted requirement), and 1,114 ± 62.3 Kcal in children (86.4% predicted). A total of 11/22 (54.5%) adults and 18/38 (47.4%) children with PMD consumed ≤75% predicted daily Kcal needs. Malnutrition was identified in 16/60 (26.7%) PMD subjects. Increased protein and fat intake correlated with improved muscle strength in those with insufficient daily Kcal intake (£75% predicted); higher protein and fat intake correlated with decreased muscle fatigue; and higher protein, fat and CHO intake correlated with improved quality of life (QoL). These data demonstrate the frequent occurrence of malnutrition in PMD and emphasize the critical need to devise nutritional interventions to optimize clinical outcomes.
Impact of 2020 COVID-19 pandemic on bystander reaction to and outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan: a population-based, nationwide cohort study
Authors: Nakajima Kento , Ushimoto Tomonori , Murasaka Kenshi , Nunokawa Chika , Inaba Hideo
Published: March 2023

Background
To clarify the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic on bystanders’ response to and outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)| in Japan.
Methods
Prospectively collected nationwide population-based data, including detailed location information, of 9,212 pediatric (age ≤ 18 years) OHCA cases recorded between 2017 and 2020 were combined with another database. After excluding 610 emergency medical service (EMS)- and physician-witnessed cases, 62 cases without any prehospital resuscitation effort, and 430 newborns, 7,582 patients were finally analyzed. The primary outcome was neurologically favorable 1-month survival (cerebral performance category = 1 or 2). We examined detailed variations in OHCA characteristics and outcomes between the pre-pandemic and pandemic years with consideration of phase, and witness status.
Results
The pandemic year 2020 was considerably associated with higher rates of neurologically favorable 1-month survival rate, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR), advanced compliance to DA-CPR (dispatcher-assisted CPR), and higher proportions of witnessed OHCA, outdoor OHCA, and compression-only BCPR. The pandemic year was associated with a lower incidence of DA-CPR attempt in care/education facilities, and a higher incidence of DA-CPR during the temporary school closure. The association of the pandemic year with better outcomes and higher bystander’s own activities for CPR in witnessed OHCA were statistically stronger than those in unwitnessed OHCA. Improvements in the survival rate in 2020 were significant in locations other than childcare/education facilities and for witnessed OHCA and OHCA during days other than temporary school closure. Worsening of outcomes was not observed in any subgroup. he superiority of conventional BCPR to compression-only BCPR in neurologically favorable outcomes were enhanced in 2020.
Conclusions
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was associated with better outcomes of OHCA in children. Significant enhancements of favorable outcomes were observed in witnessed cases. The heightened preparedness for health crises in communities may have contributed to better outcomes during this pandemic compared to pre-pandemic years. In addition, during this pandemic, the benefits of conventional CPR were further enhanced.
Distribution and characteristics of colonic diverticula in northern China
Authors: Yang Fang , Sun Xueyue , Jiang Kui
Published: March 2023

Background

The increasing prevalence of colonic diverticula likely correlated with aging and shift to western lifestyle in Oriental countries over past decades. However, limited data about the distribution and endoscopic characteristics of colonic diverticula are available until now. We aimed to evaluate the number, size, depth and location of colonic diverticula in our study population.

Methods

We collected data from patients who underwent colonoscopy at the endoscopy center of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and Bao Di Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University. Any colon diverticula was carefully assessed and recorded. Associations between participant characteristics and colonic diverticula were determined by using logistic regression model.

Results

A total of 27021applicable patients were retrieved from our colonoscopy database, with 1529 participants (5.67%) present with one or more diverticulosis. Patients with colonic diverticula (mean age: 58.6) were significantly older and showed male preponderance than those without diverticula. Right-sided, left-sided and bilateral diverticulosis were found in 1161 (76.0%), 170 (11.1%) and 198cases (12.9%), respectively. The patients with right-sided diverticula (mean age: 55.2) which were frequently in male were younger than those with left-sided diverticula (mean age: 67.1, P < 0.05) which were frequently in female (P<0.001). Participants represented aged ≥ 60years old (OR:4.32, P<0.001) and bilateral diverticulosis (OR:21.2,P<0.001) had an increased odds of having a greater burden .

Conclusion

the colonic diverticula were predominantly right-sided, male, and older age in northern China. Of these, patients with right-sided diverticulosis were younger than those with left-sided ones. The emergence of crowed was more likely observed in the individuals with aged over than 60 years old and bilateral distributed pattern.
Use and Cost of Skin Biopsy Procedures in the Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service Population, 2017 to 2020
Authors: Li Yiwen , Blalock Travis , Duszak Richard , Yeung Howa
Published: March 2023

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services noted skin biopsies have high expenditures and changed biopsy billing codes in 2018 to better align procedure type and associated billings. We examined associations between billing code updates and skin biopsy utilization and reimbursement across provider specialties. While dermatologists perform most skin biopsies, the proportion of skin biopsies performed by dermatologists has continuously decreased, but the proportion of skin biopsies performed by nonphysician clinicians has increased from 2017-2020. After the code update, the non-facility national payment amount decreased for first tangential biopsy but increased for first punch, first incisional, additional tangential, additional punch and additional incisional biopsy compared to the corresponding amount for first and additional biopsy before the code update. The allowable charges and Medicare payment per skin biopsy increased across provider specialties but has increased the most for primary care physicians from 2018-2020.
FixedSum: An improved algorithm for generation of weight vectors for decomposition-based multiobjective optimization
Authors: Qasim Syed Zaffar , Ismail Muhammad Ali
Published: March 2023

Many multiobjective optimization algorithms employ weight vectors for decomposing a problem into multiple subproblems by associating each subproblem with a single weight vector (WV). These weight vectors should be uniformly spread in the space so as to get a diversified set of solutions along the Pareto front. In the recent past, different studies involving the development of decomposition-based multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (including MOEA/D and MOEA/DD) have adopted different methods for generating weight vectors. However these WVs lack the needed diversity and are either biased near the boundary or the inner regions of the search space. In this paper, we have proposed an improved algorithm, FixedSum, for the generation of weight vectors and graphically compared its results with other methods on 2-, 5-, 8- and 10-D weight vectors. For further validation of our approach, we have applied our weight vectors along with WVs of two other methods for solving the DTLZ4 problem using a popular decomposition-based algorithm MOEA/DD. All the results are graphically shown which demonstrate the improved spread ability of our approach as compared to the competing approaches.
Knowledge Framework Construction, Question Bank Promotion and Case Collection Driving in GPA and Medical Licensing Exam
Authors: Li Zhuoquan , Qu Xiaoying , Cao Jinfeng , Huang Xiaoming
Published: March 2023

Objectives:Passing the medical licensing exam is a primary objective of MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) education and a major milestone in medical careers. This study aimed to explore the influence of various learning methods on the participation and pass rate of the license exam.
Methods: Three different study tactics were employed among two grades (A: n=15 and B: n=23) of MBBS students. These tactics were Knowledge framework construction (KFC), Question bank promotion (QBP) and Case collection driving (CCD).
Results: The percentage distribution of KFC, QBP and CCD at the 1st AY in grade A was 40.0%, 40.0% and 20.0%, respectively, while at the 6th AY, it was 33.3%, 40.0% and 26.7%. At the 1st AY in grade B, the distribution was 52.2%, 21.7% and 26.1%, and at the 6th AY, it was 13.1%, 47.8% and 39.1%. The overall participation and pass rates in grade A were higher than in grade B (73.3% to 78.3%, 53.3% to 60.9%). The pass rates of participants in KFC, QBP and CCD in grade A were 50.0%, 100.0%, 66.7%, respectively, and in grade B were 0.0%, 100.0%, 57.1%. The grade point average (GPA) was significantly higher in QBP (4.2 ± 0.4) than in KFC (3.8 ± 0.2), but not in CCD (3.9 ± 0.4).
Conclusions: The pass rate of MBBS students in the license exam was higher in grade A than in grade B, and the study method of QBP had a better effect on the passing rate and GPA than KFC and CCD.
Prevalence of Functional Disability and Associated Factors Among the Patients With Schizophrenia Attending Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Kitomary Nuruel Robert , Likindikoki Samuel
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThe available literatures worldwide, mention the functional disability as the one of dangerous corollary of schizophrenia, while it is among the intrinsic complications of schizophrenia. Functional disability among the patients with schizophrenia is of greater concerns because patients remain dependent with hopeless life. Many factors are associated with functional disability such as age, sex, marital status, level of education, age at the diagnosis of schizophrenia, regimen of antipsychotics on use, frequency of admission and psychotherapy in among the patients with schizophrenia.ObjectiveThe study aimed to determine the prevalence of functional disability and associated factors among patients with schizophrenia attending psychiatric outpatient clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.DesignA cross-sectional surveySettingApsychiatric outpatient clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Participants281 adults were confirmed to have diagnosis of schizophrenia using MINI International neuropsychiatric interview for psychotic disorders studies (MINI version 7.0.2). World Health Organization Disability Scale-short version 12-items (WHODAS-12) used to measure functional disability among participants.ResultsThe overall prevalence of functional disability was 71.9%. About a third (33.5%), (30.6%) and about 1 in every 13 participants (7.8%) had mild, moderate, and severe functional disability, respectively. Increased odds of functional disability was independently associated with; the frequency of admission; 1-5 times (AOR=16.76, 95%CI: 4.74-59.33), ≥6times (AOR= 9.34 95%CI: 2.38-38.28), typical (AOR=2.76 95%CI: 1.29-5.89), mixed (atypical and typical) antipsychotics (AOR=13.92 95%CI: 2.20-80.04); Not receiving psychotherapy during treatment (AOR=2.62 95%CI: 1.27-5.41) and substance use for the past twelve months (AOR=3.00 95%CI: 1.24-7.24) but male participants had decreased odds (AOR=0.40 95%CI: 0.18-0.87) of functional disability.ConclusionPatients with schizophrenia have relatively higher prevalence of functional disability. Frequency of admission, male gender, using typical antipsychotics and mixed antipsychotics, not getting psychotherapy were independent predictors of functional disability. Routine assessment of functional disability among patients with schizophrenia attending clinic with early occupational therapy interventions is highly recommended.
Geometric magnetism and new enantio-sensitive observables in photoionization of chiral molecules
Authors: Ordonez Andres F. , Ayuso David , Decleva Piero , Smirnova Olga
Published: March 2023

Chiral molecules are instrumental for molecular recognition in living organisms. Distinguishing between two opposite enantiomers, the mirror twins of the same chiral molecule, is both vital and challenging. Geometric magnetism enables a broad class of phenomena in solids including the anomalous electron velocity, the Hall effect, and related topological observables. Here we show that ultrafast electron currents excited in chiral molecules can generate geometric fields which enable a new class of extremely efficient enantio-sensitive observables in phtoionization. Next, we introduce the first member of this new class: enantio-sensitive orientation of chiral molecules via photoionization. This effect opens new routes to both enantio-separation and imaging of chiral dynamics on ultrafast time scales. Our work suggests that geometric magnetism in photoionization provides the bridge between the two geometrical properties, chirality and topology.
Real-Time video-assisted intraoperative neuromonitoring in vestibular schwannoma surgery, Observational 10-year Iranian experience
Authors: Shahmohammadi Mohammadreza , Zandpazandi Sara , Behnaz Faranak
Published: March 2023

Background
Vestibular schwannoma is an extra-axial, benign tumor that is mostly located in the cerebellopontine angle. The goal of vestibular schwannoma surgery is gross total resection of the tumor along with preservation of the cranial nerves’ function. Intraoperative nerve monitoring is mainly rewarding in VS surgery.
Method
This study was observed prospectively from 2011–2021. Patients were divided into two groups; group one 19 patients underwent resection of the tumor with intraoperative neuromonitoring and group two without neuromonitoring based on patients’ ability to economically afford neuromonitoring. In the neuromonitoring group, SSEP is evaluated and recorded throughout the whole surgery. MEP is recorded at regular intervals as well. In this study, we benefit from the cooperation of a trained neurophysiologist. We compare tumor size, hemorrhage volume during surgery, length of surgery, and facial nerve preservation (HB score), with the follow-up of 1* year (0, 2, 6 months, 1y).
Result
FN anatomical preservation rate in the neuromonitoring group was 100% and in the control group was 75%. The rate of GTR in patients operated on using neuromonitoring was 78.9%. The rate of STR and PR in procedures without neuromonitoring was 50.0% and 12.5% respectively. In 100% of patients with intraoperative neuromonitoring, the HB level was evaluated as good. 68.8% of patients without neuromonitoring had poor HB.
Conclusion
IONM in VS surgery helps increase anatomical nerve preservation rate and facial nerve outcome. The value of coordination of an anatomically trained neurophysiologist along with real-time video-assisted nerve monitoring is to avoid and lower any delay in nerve recognition.