bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of functional combined anteversion on hip range of motion: a new optimal zone to reduce risk of impingement in total hip arthroplasty
Authors: O'Connor Patrick B. , Thompson Matthew T. , Esposito Christina I. , Poli Nikola , McGree James , Donnelly Thomas , Donnelly William
Published: October 2021

Aims

Pelvic tilt (PT) can significantly change the functional orientation of the acetabular component and may differ markedly between patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Patients with stiff spines who have little change in PT are considered at high risk for instability following THA. Femoral component position also contributes to the limits of impingement-free range of motion (ROM), but has been less studied. Little is known about the impact of combined anteversion on risk of impingement with changing pelvic position.

Methods

We used a virtual hip ROM (vROM) tool to investigate whether there is an ideal functional combined anteversion for reduced risk of hip impingement. We collected PT information from functional lateral radiographs (standing and sitting) and a supine CT scan, which was then input into the vROM tool. We developed a novel vROM scoring system, considering both seated flexion and standing extension manoeuvres, to quantify whether hips had limited ROM and then correlated the vROM score to component position.

Results

The vast majority of THA planned with standing combined anteversion between 30° to 50° and sitting combined anteversion between 45° to 65° had a vROM score > 99%, while the majority of vROM scores less than 99% were outside of this zone. The range of PT in supine, standing, and sitting positions varied widely between patients. Patients who had little change in PT from standing to sitting positions had decreased hip vROM.

Conclusion

It has been shown previously that an individual’s unique spinopelvic alignment influences functional cup anteversion. But functional combined anteversion, which also considers stem position, should be used to identify an ideal THA position for impingement-free ROM. We found a functional combined anteversion zone for THA that may be used moving forward to place total hip components. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(10):834–841.
A parameter-uniform finite difference scheme for singularly perturbed parabolic problem with two small parameters
Authors: Bullo Tesfaye Aga , Degla Guy Aymard , Duressa Gemechis File
Published: October 2021

A parameter-uniform finite difference scheme is constructed and analyzed for solving singularly perturbed parabolic problems with two parameters. The solution involves boundary layers at both the left and right ends of the solution domain. A numerical algorithm is formulated based on uniform mesh finite difference approximation for time variable and appropriate piecewise uniform mesh for the spatial variable. Parameter-uniform error bounds are established for both theoretical and experimental results and observed that the scheme is second-order convergent. Furthermore, the present method produces a more accurate solution than some methods existing in the literature.
Finite Element and Experimental Analysis of Residual Stresses in Electron Beam Welded Nickel-Based Superalloys
Authors: Saju Tom , Velu M.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, two different nickel-based superalloys, namely Inconel 718 and Nimonic 80A were joined using electron beam welding techniques with three different welding parameters. A finite element analysis (FEA) using Abaqus software was carried out to calculate the residual stresses due to welding. Both transverse and longitudinal residual stresses were determined. Also, an X-ray residual stress measurement system, μ-X360 Ver. 2.5.6.2 was used for measuring transverse residual stress along and across the weld centerline. The transverse residual stress found by FEA and that measured experimentally was nearly the same thus validating the FEA. Also, the peak values of longitudinal residual stress found using the FEA were close to the yield strengths of the base metals as found elsewhere.
Effects of hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) density and bottom shear stress on cohesive sediment erodibility and implications for benthic-pelagic coupling
Authors: Porter Elka T. , Johnson Barbara J. , Sanford Lawrence P.
Published: October 2021

The interacting effects of little neck hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) density and bottom shear stress on cohesive sediment erodibility were investigated. Short-term stepwise erosion experiments in 30 and 40 cm diameter Gust microcosms over a range of 0.0083 to 0.1932 Pa were
performed using sequential 20-minute constant shear stress steps while sampling turbidity regularly. In addition, sediment erodibility was monitored in two one-month long ecosystem experiments with tidal resuspension and 0, 10, and 50 hard clams in 1 m3 shear turbulence resuspension
mesocosms (STURM) with an initial stepwise erosion experiment (0.313 to 0.444 Pa). In short-term erosion experiments, a low density of hard clams did not significantly affect sediment erodibility, but a high density of hard clams destabilized muddy sediments through significantly decreased
critical shear stresses and higher erosion rates, resulting in higher cumulative suspended mass (CSM). In long-term erosion experiments, the sediment stabilized over time between treatments and decreased to a CSM of approximately 60 g m–2 with different densities of hard clams.
This was likely due to development of microphytobenthos, mediated by the filter-feeding clams, bottom shear stress and increased light. Bioturbation by a dense bed of hard clams in interaction with infrequent high bottom shear due to storms may increase CSM in the water column, with subsequent
direct and indirect effects on the ecosystem. However, more controlled longer-term erosion studies to determine the interacting effects of long-term exposure to high bottom shear stress, benthos, and microphytobenthos on sediment erodibility and benthic-pelagic coupling are needed.
Adiabaticity analysis of multimode optical fiber tapers in phase space
Authors: Li Li , Ma Xiuquan
Published: October 2021

We propose a new method to analyze the adiabaticity of a highly multimode tapered waveguide. The propagation of the optical beam in the multimode fiber taper is calculated using the Monte–Carlo ray tracing technique, and then the corresponding phase space of the optical beam is obtained. By calculating the phase space area, the etendue variation of the light is analyzed, and the quantitative criterion for evaluating the adiabaticity of the multimode fiber taper is given based on the etendue conservation principle.
SGCS: a signal reconstruction method based on Savitzky-Golaysgz filtering and compressed sensing for wavelength modulation spectroscopy
Authors: Shen Shuai , He Jianjun
Published: October 2021

The residual oxygen concentration in pharmaceutical glass vial variously threatens the aseptic properties of encapsulated agents. The demodulated 2nd harmonic signals in the wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) detection system, the data basis of the inversion of oxygen concentration, are inevitably destroyed by various time-varying industrial noises. In this work, we propose a signal reconstruction method based on self-correcting Savitzky-Golaysgz filter and compressed sensing (namely SGCS) for the urgent signal denoising task, which is a dual-step lightweight denoising scheme. First, in order to avoid the influence of glitch noise on sparse signal reconstruction, Savitzky-Golay (S-G) filter is used to smooth the 2nd harmonic signal while retaining the change information effectively. Then, the well-tuned measurement matrix of compressed-sensing (CS) is applied to aggressively fetch the sparse principal components while bypassing most residual dynamic noises. Finally, the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) is used to reconstruct the 2nd harmonic signal according to sparsity constrain and the sparse principal components. Experimental results show that the performance of SGCS method is superior. Compared with other competitive methods the operation time of SGCS is the shortest. When the normalized SNR is 1, the average correct discrimination rate is 98.57%. Even if SNR reduces from 1 to 0.55, the WMS detection system still survives well, with the highest average correct discrimination rate of 89.34%.
Tapered multicore fiber interferometer for ultra-sensitive temperature sensing with thermo-optical materials
Authors: Cheng Shu , Hu Wenbin , Ye Hongrui , Wu Lijun , Li Qinyou , Zhou Ai , Yang Minghong , Zhao Qiang , Guo Donglai
Published: October 2021

An in-line interferometer based on tapered multicore embedded into a flexible thermo-optical material is proposed and investigated, theoretically and experimentally. The device consists of a tapered multicore fiber spliced between two single-mode fibers covered with PDMS, with high thermo-optic coefficient. The temperature sensitivity improvement obtained from PDMS applied on a tapered multicore fiber (TMCF) interferometer has been fundamentally and experimentally verified. The experimental results show the temperature sensitivity can be improved by reducing the tapered waist diameter of TMCF. The sensor exhibits the high sensitivity of 5-25 nm/°C within the decreasing temperature range from 50 °C down to 10 °C. A sequence of simulations and corresponding experiments are performed to clarify the evolution of the interference fading and consequently build the criteria for sensor design and reachable lower limit of temperature sensing. The proposed sensor can be employed as photonic thermometer with ultra-high sensitivity for biological and deep-sea applications, particularly based on the claimed quantitative criteria.
Circular dichroism assisted metadevice for efficient transmission and broadband absorption
Authors: Wan Weipeng , Li Yongfeng , Wang Weiyu , Chen Hongya , Wang He , Qin Zhe , Zheng Lin , Wang Jiafu , Zhang Jieqiu , Qu Shaobo
Published: October 2021

Owing to the intriguing capability of manipulating electromagnetic (EM) properties, the metasurface has aroused great attention of researchers and promoted its applications in EM invisibility. However, there are strong demands to provide an efficient transparent window for signals transmitting in EM invisibility devices. Here, we propose a scheme of a circular dichroism assisted metadevice to provide efficient transmission and broadband absorption in microwave frequencies. By employing chiral meta-atoms to introduce a strong asymmetric response for circularly polarized waves, a chiral metadevice for spin-selective absorption with an efficient transmission is presented. Then, we couple four chiral atoms into a polarization-insensitive atom pair, thus the achiral metadevice presents an identical high-efficiency absorption for both the x- and y-polarized wave. Here, both the chiral and achiral metadevices are realized by loading the metasurface-based absorber on a bandpass frequency selective surface. A proof-of-prototype is fabricated to verify the achiral design. The simulated and experimental results have demonstrated wideband, high-efficiency, polarization-insensitive absorption and high in-band transmission. Interestingly, the proposed paradigm can not only provide the potential for chirality-enhanced absorber design but also may trigger applications in spin-dependent systems, stealth antenna systems, and EM camouflage devices.
Wake dynamics of air filaments generated by high-energy picosecond laser pulses at 1 kHz repetition rate
Authors: Higginson A. , Wang Y. , Chi H. , Goffin A. , Larkin I. , Milchberg H. M. , Rocca J. J.
Published: October 2021

We investigated the filamentation in air of 7 ps laser pulses of up to 200 mJ energy from a 1.03 μm-wavelength Yb:YAG laser at repetition rates up to

f
=

1

k
H
z

. Interferograms of the wake generated show that while pulses in a train of repetition rate

f
=

0.1

k
H
z

encounter a nearly unperturbed environment, at

f
=

1

k
H
z

, a channel with an axial air density hole of

∼

20
%

is generated and maintained at all times by the cumulative effect of preceding laser pulses. Measurements at

f
=

1

k
H
z

show that the energy deposited decreases proportional to the air channel density depletion, becoming more pronounced as the repetition rate and pulse energy increase. Numerical simulations indicate that contrary to filaments generated by shorter duration pulses, the electron avalanche is the dominant energy loss mechanism during filamentation with 7 ps pulses. The results are of interest for the atmospheric propagation of joule-level picosecond pulses from Yb:YAG lasers, of which average powers now surpass 1 kW, and for channeling other directed energy beams.
Electrically pumped widely tunable O-band hybrid lithium niobite/III-V laser
Authors: Han Ya , Zhang Xian , Huang Fujin , Liu Xiaoyue , Xu Mengyue , Lin Zhongjin , He Mingbo , Yu Siyuan , Wang Ruijun , Cai Xinlun
Published: October 2021

Significant improvements in the lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) platform are pushing LNOI-based laser sources to the forefront of integrated photonics. Here, we report the first, to the best of our knowledge, electrically pumped hybrid lithium niobate/III-V laser by butt coupling an InP-based optical gain chip with a LNOI photonic integrated circuit (PIC). In the PIC, a Vernier filter consisting of two LNOI microring resonators is employed to select the lasing wavelength. A wavelength tuning range of more than 36 nm is achieved in the O band. The hybrid laser has a maximum on-chip optical power of 2.5 mW and threshold current density of

2.5

k
A

/

c
m

2

. A side mode suppression ratio better than 60 dB is achieved.
Continuation and Bifurcation in Nonlinear PDEs – Algorithms, Applications, and Experiments
Authors: Uecker Hannes
Published: October 2021

Numerical continuation and bifurcation methods can be used to explore the set of steady and time–periodic solutions of parameter dependent nonlinear ODEs or PDEs. For PDEs, a basic idea is to first convert the PDE into a system of algebraic equations or ODEs via a spatial discretization. However, the large class of possible PDE bifurcation problems makes developing a general and user–friendly software a challenge, and the often needed large number of degrees of freedom, and the typically large set of solutions, often require adapted methods. Here we review some of these methods, and illustrate the approach by application of the package to some advanced pattern formation problems, including the interaction of Hopf and Turing modes, patterns on disks, and an experimental setting of dead core pattern formation.
Selective sorting of ancestral introgression in maize and teosinte along an elevational cline
Authors: Calfee Erin , Gates Daniel , Lorant Anne , Perkins M. Taylor , Coop Graham , Ross-Ibarra Jeffrey
Published: October 2021

While often deleterious, hybridization can also be a key source of genetic variation and pre-adapted haplotypes, enabling rapid evolution and niche expansion. Here we evaluate these opposing selection forces on introgressed ancestry between maize (Zea maysssp.mays) and its wild teosinte relative,mexicana(Zea maysssp.mexicana). Introgression from ecologically diverse teosinte may have facilitated maize’s global range expansion, in particular to challenging high elevation regions (> 1500 m). We generated low-coverage genome sequencing data for 348 maize andmexicanaindividuals to evaluate patterns of introgression in 14 sympatric population pairs, spanning the elevational range ofmexicana, a teosinte endemic to the mountains of Mexico. While recent hybrids are commonly observed in sympatric populations andmexicanademonstrates fine-scale local adaptation, we find that the majority ofmexicanaancestry tracts introgressed into maize over 1000 generations ago. Thismexicanaancestry seems to have maintained much of its diversity and likely came from a common ancestral source, rather than contemporary sympatric populations, resulting in relatively lowFSTbetweenmexicanaancestry tracts sampled from geographically distant maize populations.

Introgressedmexicanaancestry in maize is reduced in lower-recombination rate quintiles of the genome and around domestication genes, consistent with pervasive selection against introgression. However, we also findmexicanaancestry increases across the sampled elevational gradient and that high introgression peaks are most commonly shared among high-elevation maize populations, consistent with introgression frommexicanafacilitating adaptation to the highland environment. In the other direction, we find patterns consistent with adaptive and clinal introgression of maize ancestry into sympatricmexicanaat many loci across the genome, suggesting that maize also contributes to adaptation inmexicana, especially at the lower end of its elevational range. In sympatric maize, in addition to high introgression regions we find many genomic regions where selection for local adaptation maintains steep gradients in introgressedmexicanaancestry across elevation, including at least two inversions: the well-characterized 14 MbInv4mon chromosome 4 and a novel 3 Mb inversionInv9fsurrounding themacrohairless1locus on chromosome 9. Most outlier loci with highmexicanaintrogression show no signals of sweeps or local sourcing from sympatric populations and so likely represent ancestral introgression sorted by selection, resulting in correlated but distinct outcomes of introgression in different contemporary maize populations.
A novel AST2 mutation generated upon whole-genome transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae confers high tolerance to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and other inhibitors
Authors: Vanmarcke Gert , Deparis Quinten , Vanthienen Ward , Peetermans Arne , Foulquié-Moreno Maria R. , Thevelein Johan M.
Published: October 2021

Development of cell factories for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates into biofuels or bio-based chemicals faces major challenges, including the presence of inhibitory chemicals derived from biomass hydrolysis or pretreatment. Extensive screening of 2526 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and 17 non-conventional yeast species identified a Candida glabrata strain as the most 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) tolerant. Whole-genome (WG) transformation of the second-generation industrial S. cerevisiae strain MD4 with genomic DNA from C. glabrata, but not from non-tolerant strains, allowed selection of stable transformants in the presence of HMF. Transformant GVM0 showed the highest HMF tolerance for growth on plates and in small-scale fermentations. Comparison of the WG sequence of MD4 and GVM1, a diploid segregant of GVM0 with similarly high HMF tolerance, surprisingly revealed only nine non-synonymous SNPs, of which none were present in the C. glabrata genome. Reciprocal hemizygosity analysis in diploid strain GVM1 revealed AST2N406I as the only causative mutation. This novel SNP improved tolerance to HMF, furfural and other inhibitors, when introduced in different yeast genetic backgrounds and both in synthetic media and lignocellulose hydrolysates. It stimulated disappearance of HMF and furfural from the medium and enhanced in vitro furfural NADH-dependent reducing activity. The corresponding mutation present in AST1 (i.e. AST1D405I) the paralog gene of AST2, also improved inhibitor tolerance but only in combination with AST2N406I and in presence of high inhibitor concentrations. Our work provides a powerful genetic tool to improve yeast inhibitor tolerance in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates and other inhibitor-rich industrial media, and it has revealed for the first time a clear function for Ast2 and Ast1 in inhibitor tolerance.
Metabolic gene regulation by Drosophila GATA transcription factor Grain
Authors: Kokki Krista , Lamichane Nicole , Nieminen Anni I. , Ruhanen Hanna , Morikka Jack , Robciuc Marius , Rovenko Bohdana M. , Havula Essi , Käkelä Reijo , Hietakangas Ville
Published: October 2021

Nutrient-dependent gene regulation critically contributes to homeostatic control of animal physiology in changing nutrient landscape. InDrosophila, dietary sugars activate transcription factors (TFs), such as Mondo-Mlx, Sugarbabe and Cabut, which control metabolic gene expression to mediate physiological adaptation to high sugar diet. TFs that correspondingly control sugar responsive metabolic genes under conditions of low dietary sugar remain, however, poorly understood. Here we identify a role forDrosophilaGATA TF Grain in metabolic gene regulation under both low and high sugar conditions.De novomotif prediction uncovered a significant over-representation of GATA-like motifs on the promoters of sugar-activated genes inDrosophilalarvae, which are regulated by Grain, the fly ortholog of GATA1/2/3 subfamily.grainexpression is activated by sugar in Mondo-Mlx-dependent manner and it contributes to sugar-responsive gene expression in the fat body. On the other hand,graindisplays strong constitutive expression in the anterior midgut, where it drives lipogenic gene expression also under low sugar conditions. Consistently with these differential tissue-specific roles, Grain deficient larvae display delayed development on high sugar diet, while showing deregulated central carbon and lipid metabolism primarily on low sugar diet. Collectively, our study provides evidence for the role of a metazoan GATA transcription factor in nutrient-responsive metabolic gene regulationin vivo.
Cytotoxin antibody-based colourimetric sensor for field-level differential detection of elapid among big four snake venom
Authors: Kaul Sherin , Sai Keerthana L. , Kumar Pankaj , Birader Komal , Tammineni Yathirajarao , Rawat Deepali , Suman Pankaj
Published: October 2021

Development of a rapid, on-site detection tool for snakebite is highly sought after, owing to its clinically and forensically relevant medicolegal significance. Polyvalent antivenom therapy in the management of such envenomation cases is finite due to its poor venom neutralization capabilities as well as diagnostic ramifications manifested as untoward immunological reactions. For precise molecular diagnosis of elapid venoms of the big four snakes, we have developed a lateral flow kit using a monoclonal antibody (AB1; IgG1 – κ chain; Kd: 31 nM) generated against recombinant cytotoxin-7 (rCTX-7; 7.7 kDa) protein of the elapid venom. The monoclonal antibody specifically detected the venoms of Naja naja (p < 0.0001) and Bungarus caeruleus (p<0.0001), without showing any immunoreactivity against the viperidae snakes in big four venomous snakes. The kit developed attained the limit of quantitation of 170 pg/μL and 2.1 ng/μL in spiked buffer samples and 28.7 ng/μL and 110 ng/μL in spiked serum samples for detection of N. naja and B. caeruleus venoms, respectively. This kit holds enormous potential in identification of elapid venom of the big four snakes for effective prognosis of an envenomation; as per the existing medical guidelines.
Live-imaging rate-of-kill compound profiling for Chagas disease drug discovery with a new automated high-content assay
Authors: Svensen Nina , Wyllie Susan , Gray David W. , De Rycker Manu
Published: October 2021

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a highly neglected tropical disease, causing significant morbidity and mortality in central and south America. Current treatments are inadequate, and recent clinical trials of drugs inhibiting CYP51 have failed, exposing a lack of understanding of how to translate laboratory findings to the clinic. Following these failures many new model systems have been developed, both in vitro and in vivo, that provide improved understanding of the causes for clinical trial failures. Amongst these are in vitro rate-of-kill (RoK) assays that reveal how fast compounds kill intracellular parasites. Such assays have shown clear distinctions between the compounds that failed in clinical trials and the standard of care. However, the published RoK assays have some key drawbacks, including low time-resolution and inability to track the same cell population over time. Here, we present a new, live-imaging RoK assay for intracellular T. cruzi that overcomes these issues. We show that the assay is highly reproducible and report high time-resolution RoK data for key clinical compounds as well as new chemical entities. The data generated by this assay allow fast acting compounds to be prioritised for progression, the fate of individual parasites to be tracked, shifts of mode-of-action within series to be monitored, better PKPD modelling and selection of suitable partners for combination therapy.
In vivo study on the healing of bone defect treated with non-thermal atmospheric pressure gas discharge plasma
Authors: Shimatani Akiyoshi , Toyoda Hiromitsu , Orita Kumi , Hirakawa Yoshihiro , Aoki Kodai , Oh Jun-Seok , Shirafuji Tatsuru , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: October 2021

Medical treatment using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP) is rapidly gaining recognition. NTAPP is thought to be a new therapeutic method because it could generate highly reactive species in an ambient atmosphere which could be exposed to biological targets (e.g., cells and tissues). If plasma-generated reactive species could stimulate bone regeneration, NTAPP can provide a new treatment opportunity in regenerative medicine. Here, we investigated the impact of NTAPP on bone regeneration using a large bone defect in New Zealand White rabbits and a simple atmospheric pressure plasma (helium microplasma jet). We observed the recovery progress of the large bone defects by X-ray imaging over eight weeks after surgery. The X-ray results showed a clear difference in the occupancy of the new bone of the large bone defect among groups with different plasma treatment times, whereas the new bone occupancy was not substantial in the untreated control group. According to the results of micro-computed tomography analysis at eight weeks, the most successful bone regeneration was achieved using a plasma treatment time of 10 min, wherein the new bone volume was 1.51 times larger than that in the plasma untreated control group. Using H&E and Masson trichrome stains, nucleated cells were uniformly observed, and no inclusion was confirmed, respectively, in the groups of plasma treatment. We concluded the critical large bone defect were filled with new bone. Overall, these results suggest that NTAPP is promising for fracture treatment.
A randomized controlled trial to evaluate a behavioral economic strategy for improving mobility in veterans with chronic pain
Authors: Compton Peggy , Chaiyachati Krisda H. , Dicks Tanisha , Medvedeva Elina , Chhabra Manik
Published: October 2021

Rates of chronic pain and daily opioid use are higher among veterans relative to civilian populations. Increasing physical activity can reduce pain severity and decrease opioid use among patients with chronic pain. Behavioral economic strategies can improve physical activity levels but have been undertested in veterans with chronic pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate if a financial incentive combined with a loss aversion component—a “regret lottery” in which veterans could win money if they met a set goal or told how much they could have won had they met their goal—would increase physical activity levels among veterans with chronic pain. A 12-week single-blinded randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04013529) was designed. Veterans with chronic pain (N = 40) receiving care at a specialty pain clinic were eligible for participation, and were randomly assigned (1:1) to either (a) activity trackers and daily text message reminders to increase physical activity (“control arm”), or (b) the same plus a weekly regret lottery (“intervention arm”). For those in the intervention arm, participants who met their activity goal, had a chance to win a small ($30) or large ($100) gift card incentive; those who did not meet their goals were informed of what they would have won had they met their goal. The primary outcome, physical activity, was measured using self-reported physical activity and step counts using activity trackers. Secondary outcomes included changes in physical function, chronic pain severity, depression and opioid use. The sample was primarily white, male and disabled, with an average age of 57 years. No between-arm differences were noted for physical activity, physical function, chronic pain severity, depression or opioid use. Regret lottery-based approaches may be ineffective at increasing physical activity levels in veterans with chronic pain.

Trial Registry: NCT04013529.
Changes in serum and urinary metabolomic profile after a dietary intervention in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Nybacka Sanna , Simrén Magnus , Störsrud Stine , Törnblom Hans , Winkvist Anna , Lindqvist Helen M.
Published: October 2021

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a multi-faceted gastrointestinal disorder where food intake often triggers symptoms. Metabolomics may provide mechanistical insights to why responses to dietary modifications are diverse.

Objective

This study aimed to identify metabolite patterns related to dietary intake in patients with IBS, and to identify metabolites driving the separation between responders and non-responders to treatment.

Methods

Participants were randomized to a low fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharide and polyol (FODMAP) diet (LFD) or traditional IBS diet (TID) for four weeks. Fasting serum and urine samples pre- and post-intervention were analyzed using1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics. Response to treatment was defined as a reduction in IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS) ≥50.

Results

Twenty-five individuals in the LFD (13 responders) and 28 in the TID (14 responders) were included in these post hoc analyses. In endpoint samples, significant decreases in polyols and glucose were seen in the LFD. Post-intervention samples revealed that LFD responders had significantly increased levels of 2-hydroxybuturate and decreased levels of glucose and pantothenic acid compared to non-responders. For the TID, only weak multivariate models were identified and a larger diversity in metabolite response compared to the LFD were noted.

Conclusions

In this study, metabolite patterns between individuals who responded well to an LFD compared to non-responders could be distinguished. This provides new hypotheses for mechanistic actions related to response to dietary modifications, but the results need to be validated in larger cohorts.

Clinical trial registration

This trial was registered atwww.clinicaltrials.gov, registry numberNCT02107625.
Comprehensive infection control measures prevent hospital-acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection: A single-center prospective cohort study and seroprevalence survey
Authors: Hori Hiroshi , Fukuchi Takahiko , Sanui Masamitsu , Moriya Takashi , Sugawara Hitoshi
Published: October 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with a high mortality rate in older adults; therefore, it is important for medical institutions to take measures to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. This study aimed to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) and the effectiveness of infection control measures.

Methods

This study had a cross-sectional component and a prospective cohort component. The cross-sectional component comprised an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody survey among HCWs at a medical center in Saitama City, Japan. In the prospective cohort component, HCWs at the same medical center were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies monthly over a 3-month period (May to July 2020) to assess the effectiveness of infection prevention measures, including personal protective equipment use. All participants in the cohort study also participated in the antibody survey. The primary outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody (measured using Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2) positivity based on whether participants were engaged in COVID-19-related medical care. Other risk factors considered included occupational category, age, and sex.

Results

In total, 607 HCWs participated in the antibody survey and 116 doctors and nurses participated in the cohort study. Only one of the 607 participants in the survey tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All participants in the cohort study were anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody negative at baseline and remained antibody negative. Engaging in the care of COVID-19 patients did not increase the risk of antibody positivity. During the study period, a total of 30 COVID-19 in-patients were treated in the hospital.

Conclusions

The infection control measures in the hospital protected HCWs from nosocomially acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection; thus, HCWs should engage in COVID-19-related medical care with confidence provided that they adhere to infectious disease precautions.
Robust adaptive filtering algorithms based on (inverse)hyperbolic sine function
Authors: Guan Sihai , Cheng Qing , Zhao Yong , Biswal Bharat
Published: October 2021

Recently, adaptive filtering algorithms were designed using hyperbolic functions, such as hyperbolic cosine and tangent function. However, most of those algorithms have few parameters that need to be set, and the adaptive estimation accuracy and convergence performance can be improved further. More importantly, the hyperbolic sine function has not been discussed. In this paper, a family of adaptive filtering algorithms is proposed using hyperbolic sine function (HSF) and inverse hyperbolic sine function (IHSF) function. Specifically, development of a robust adaptive filtering algorithm based on HSF, and extend the HSF algorithm to another novel adaptive filtering algorithm based on IHSF; then continue to analyze the computational complexity for HSF and IHSF; finally, validation of the analyses and superiority of the proposed algorithm via simulations. The HSF and IHSF algorithms can attain superior steady-state performance and stronger robustness in impulsive interference than several existing algorithms for different system identification scenarios, under Gaussian noise and impulsive interference, demonstrate the superior performance achieved by HSF and IHSF over existing adaptive filtering algorithms with different hyperbolic functions.
The influence of non-family members in top management teams on research and development investment: Evidence from Chinese family firms
Authors: Shao Yujia , Huang Dechun , Lv Lelin , Yu Jie
Published: October 2021

The diversified management ability of the non-family members in the top management teams (TMTs) can significantly increase the research and development (R&D) investment of the family firms. However, existing studies focus on family characteristics. To bridge the gap, this study explored the R&D investment propensity for family firms from the perspective of non-family members’ participation in TMTs. Based on the upper echelons and the socioemotional wealth theory, this paper incorporated the non-economic goals that influence strategic decisions on family firms into the analytical framework. According to the questionnaire data of Chinese private enterprises, the Tobit regression model was used to analyze the influence of family members on R&D investment decisions under non-economic goal orientations. The results indicated that the preference for control and influence among family members weakens the positive effect of non-family managers on R&D investment, while the preferences for status perception and social responsibility strengthen the positive effect.
Alterations in children’s sub-dominant gut microbiota by HIV infection and anti-retroviral therapy
Authors: Nguyen Quynh Thi , Ishizaki Azumi , Bi Xiuqiong , Matsuda Kazunori , Nguyen Lam Van , Pham Hung Viet , Phan Chung Thi Thu , Phung Thuy Thi Bich , Ngo Tuyen Thi Thu , Nguyen An Van , Khu Dung Thi Khanh , Ichimura Hiroshi
Published: October 2021

Objective

We investigated the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) on the gut microbiota of children.

Design

This cross-sectional study investigated the gut microbiota of children with and without HIV.

Methods

We collected fecal samples from 59 children with HIV (29 treated with ART [ART(+)] and 30 without ART [HIV(+)]) and 20 children without HIV [HIV(–)] in Vietnam. We performed quantitative RT-PCR to detect 14 representative intestinal bacteria targeting 16S/23S rRNA molecules. We also collected the blood samples for immunological analyses.

Results

In spearman’s correlation analyses, no significant correlation between the number of dominant bacteria and age was found among children in the HIV(−) group. However, the number of sub-dominant bacteria, including Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae, positively correlated with age in the HIV(−) group, but not in the HIV(+) group. In the HIV(+) group, Clostridium coccoides group positively associated with the CD4+ cell count and its subsets. In the ART(+) group, Staphylococcus and C. perfringens positively correlated with CD4+ cells and their subsets and negatively with activated CD8+ cells. C. coccoides group and Bacteroides fragilis group were associated with regulatory T-cell counts. In multiple linear regression analyses, ART duration was independently associated with the number of C. perfringens, and Th17 cell count with the number of Staphylococcus in the ART(+) group.

Conclusions

HIV infection and ART may influence sub-dominant gut bacteria, directly or indirectly, in association with immune status in children with HIV.
Factors associated with oral pain and oral health-related productivity loss in the USA, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 2015–2018
Authors: Aldosari Muath , Mendes Suellen da Rocha , Aldosari Ahad , Aldosari Abdullah , de Abreu Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães
Published: October 2021

Background

Our aim was to identify clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with oral pain and oral health-related productivity loss among US adults.

Methods

We included adults aged ≥30 years who completed the dental examination, had at least one natural tooth, and provided an answer about their oral pain experience or oral health-related productivity loss in the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey (NHANES). We performed descriptive analyses and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses on weighted data.

Results

One out of four adults had oral pain and 4% reported oral health-related productivity loss occasionally or often within the last year of the survey. The odds of oral pain were higher among non-Hispanic black (OR = 1.35; 95%CI = 1.08–1.62) and non-Hispanic Asian individuals (OR = 1.38; 95%CI = 1.07–1.78) compared to non-Hispanic white individuals, and individuals with untreated dental caries (OR = 2.06; 95%CI = 1.72–2.47). The odds for oral health-related productivity loss were 13.85 times higher among individuals who reported oral pain (95%CI = 8.07–23.77), and 2.18 times higher among individuals with untreated dental caries (95%CI = 1.65–2.89). The odds of oral pain and reported oral health-related productivity loss decreased as family income increased.

Conclusions

Factors including non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity, lower socio-economic status, and untreated dental caries are associated with oral pain experience, which increases the odds of oral health-related productivity losses. Identifying factors associated with oral pain and productivity loss will enable clinicians, policymakers, and employers to proactively target and prioritize the higher-risk groups in early interventions and policies.
What predicts the knowledge of breastfeeding practices among late adolescent girls? evidence from a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Mishra Prem Shankar , Srivastava Shobhit , Sinha Debashree
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure infant health and survival. Inadequate breastfeeding practices, and knowledge among adolescent mothers have led to unprecedented infant and child morbidity and mortality. Given, the high global prevalence of adolescent mothers it is imperative to understand how the knowledge of breastfeeding practices operates among adolescent girls across different socio-economic settings.

Materials & methods

Data was carried out from Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA) survey, conducted in 2015–16. Descriptive statistics along with bivariate analysis was done to examine the preliminary results. For analysing the association between the binary outcome variable and other explanatory variables, binary logistic regression method was used. The explanatory variables were educational status of the respondent, media exposure, working status, ever pregnant status (only for married adolescent girls), sex and age of the household head, educational status of the head of the household, caste, religion, wealth index, residence and states.

Results

About 42%, 50%, and 42% of married adolescent girls had knowledge of immediate breastfeeding, yellowish milk, and exclusive breastfeeding respectively. The odds of knowledge about immediate breastfeeding [married-AOR: 1.57; CI: 1.09–2.28 and unmarried-AOR: 1.30; CI: 1.08–1.55], yellowish milk feeding [married-AOR: 2.09; CI: 1.46–3.01 and unmarried-AOR: 1.39; CI: 1.17–1.66], and exclusive breastfeeding [married-AOR: 1.74; CI: 1.2–2.52 and unmarried-AOR: 1.46; CI: 1.22–1.76] were significantly more among adolescent girls aged 19 years old compared to 15 years old girls. Adolescent married and unmarried girls with 10 & above years of schooling were 1.82 times [AOR: 1.82; CI: 1.52–2.18] and 2.69 times [AOR: 2.69; CI: 2.08–3.47] more likely to have knowledge about immediate breastfeeding, 1.74 times [AOR: 1.74; CI: 1.45–2.09] and 2.10 times [AOR: 2.10; CI: 1.68–2.62] more likely to have knowledge about yellowish milk feeding, and 3.13 times [AOR: 3.13; CI: 2.6–3.78] and 3.87 times [AOR: 3.87; CI: 2.95–5.08] more likely to have knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding respectively than girls with no schooling.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding practices and interpersonal counselling from elders in the household should be encouraged. Ongoing breastfeeding promotion programs of the government should promote high education of adolescent girls. Mass media interventions should be encouraged.
Detecting phishing websites using machine learning technique
Authors: Dutta Ashit Kumar
Published: October 2021

In recent years, advancements in Internet and cloud technologies have led to a significant increase in electronic trading in which consumers make online purchases and transactions. This growth leads to unauthorized access to users’ sensitive information and damages the resources of an enterprise. Phishing is one of the familiar attacks that trick users to access malicious content and gain their information. In terms of website interface and uniform resource locator (URL), most phishing webpages look identical to the actual webpages. Various strategies for detecting phishing websites, such as blacklist, heuristic, Etc., have been suggested. However, due to inefficient security technologies, there is an exponential increase in the number of victims. The anonymous and uncontrollable framework of the Internet is more vulnerable to phishing attacks. Existing research works show that the performance of the phishing detection system is limited. There is a demand for an intelligent technique to protect users from the cyber-attacks. In this study, the author proposed a URL detection technique based on machine learning approaches. A recurrent neural network method is employed to detect phishing URL. Researcher evaluated the proposed method with 7900 malicious and 5800 legitimate sites, respectively. The experiments’ outcome shows that the proposed method’s performance is better than the recent approaches in malicious URL detection.
The problem of energy poverty in the activities of agricultural advisory centres in Poland
Authors: Piwowar Arkadiusz
Published: October 2021

It is necessary in agricultural consulting to take into account the current problems as well as economic and social challenges facing rural areas. Undoubtedly, sustainable economy and energy policy is such a problem in Poland, including the issue of access to energy from renewable sources and financial possibilities of meeting the electricity demand of households and agriculture. Therefore, advisory and information activities in the field of reducing energy poverty and improving air quality are important. The main purpose of the paper was to identify and assess the role of advisory entities in the process of counteracting energy poverty in rural areas in Poland. The basic research method was an expert (survey) study. Research shows that the subject of energy poverty is relatively rarely taken up by consulting institutions as part of training courses, especially issues related to saving electricity in the household/agricultural sector are marginalized; monitoring and analysis of energy consumption; selection of technical devices in terms of energy efficiency. Based on expert research, there were identified consultancy activities that are and may be important in the topic under study. Experts indicated co-financing of activities in the field of energy efficiency as the preferred way to fight energy poverty in agriculture and rural areas. The results may constitute an important direction in the development of consultancy, the basis for building priority programs, which in turn may affect the behaviour and actions of farmers and other inhabitants of rural areas in the context of energy transformation. The performed research may constitute the basis for further, in-depth analyses in other countries and on an international scale.
Effect of chronic kidney disease on outcomes following proximal humerus fragility fracture surgery in diabetic patients: A nationwide population-based cohort study
Authors: Chen Chien-Tien , Lin Su-Ju , Kuo Liang-Tseng , Chen Tien-Hsing , Hsu Wei-Hsiu , Chen Chi-Lung , Yu Pei-An , Peng Kuo-Ti , Tsai Yao-Hung
Published: October 2021

Background

The proximal humerus fracture (PHF) is the third most common fragility fracture. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are both risks for fragility fractures; however, the interplay of DM and CKD makes treatment outcomes unpredictable. This study aimed to investigate and compare early and late outcomes following proximal humerus fracture fixation surgery in diabetic patients with different renal function conditions.

Methods

DM patients receiving PHF fixation surgery during 1998–2013 were recruited from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. According to their renal function, patients were divided into three study groups: non-chronic kidney disease (CKD), non-dialysis CKD, and dialysis. Outcomes of interest were early and late perioperative outcomes. Early outcomes included in-hospital newly-onset morbidities. Late outcomes included infection, revision, readmission, and all-cause mortality.

Results

This study included a total of 10,850 diabetic patients: 2152 had CKD (non-dialysis CKD group), 196 underwent permanent dialysis (dialysis group), and the remaining 8502 did not have CKD (non-CKD group). During a mean follow-up of 5.56 years, the dialysis group showed the highest risk of overall infection, all-cause revision, readmission, and mortality compared to the non-dialysis CKD group and non-CKD group. Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that CKD patients had a higher risk of surgical infection following PHF surgery than non-CKD patients in cases with a traffic accident or fewer comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index, CCI <3) (Pfor interaction: 0.086 and 0.096, respectively). Also, CKD patients had an even higher mortality risk after PHF surgery than non-CKD patients, in females, those living in higher urbanization areas, or with more comorbidities (CCI ≥3) (Pfor interaction: 0.011, 0.057, and 0.069, respectively).

Conclusion

CKD was associated with elevated risks for infection, revision, readmission, and mortality after PHF fixation surgery in diabetic patients. These findings should be taken into consideration when caring for diabetic patients.