bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Outcomes of Unexpected Positive Intraoperative Cultures in Presumed Aseptic Revision Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Neufeld Michael E. , Lanting Brent A. , Shehata Michael , Howard James L. , MacDonald Steven J. , Teeter Matthew G. , Vasarhelyi Edward M.
Published: May 2021

Background:

The prevalence and outcomes of unexpected positive cultures (UPCs) of specimens taken during presumed aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) are unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of UPC and infection-free implant survival in this patient population. Secondary aims included identifying factors associated with subsequent infection-related failure in patients with UPC.

Methods:

We reviewed all THA revisions (n = 2,288) performed at our institution from 2006 to 2019. Presumed aseptic revision THAs with intraoperative culture(s) were eligible (n = 1,196), and those with UPC were included in a Kaplan-Meier analysis to determine the infection-free implant survival and in Cox regression analysis to identify factors associated with infection-related failure.

Results:

UPC(s) were documented for 9.2% (110) of 1,196 aseptic THA revisions. The 2- and 5-year infection-free implant survival in the entire UPC cohort was 93.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 90.5% to 95.7%) and 86.8% (95% CI = 82.9% to 90.7%), respectively. The 2- and 5-year infection-free survival with failure due to infection with the same microorganism as identified in the UPC as the end point was 95.8% (95% CI = 93.7% to 97.9%) and 94.3% (95% CI = 91.7% to 96.9%), respectively. Subsequent infection-related failures caused by the same microorganism as identified in the UPC were more likely to occur after revisions with ≥2 UPCs than after those with 1 UPC (p = 0.024). Revision due to adverse metal reaction was a risk factor for subsequent infection-related failure (hazard ratio [HR] = 14.49, 95% CI = 2.69 to 78.04). Patients with a single UPC who were not treated with antibiotics had no subsequent periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) caused by the same microorganism as identified in the UPC.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of UPC was 9.2%, and the infection-free implant survival in patients with UPC is encouraging. Implant survival free of PJI caused by the same microorganism as identified in the UPC was excellent. Aseptic revision for adverse metal reaction was a risk factor for subsequent PJI in patients with UPC. No patient with a single UPC who was not treated with antibiotics developed PJI caused by the UPC-identified microorganism, suggesting that in the absence of other signs of infection a single UPC does not warrant antibiotic treatment.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Midterm Results of Primary Exeter Cemented Stem in a Select Patient Population
Authors: Gausden Elizabeth B. , Abdel Matthew P. , Mabry Tad M. , Berry Daniel J. , Trousdale Robert T. , Sierra Rafael J.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Most North American surgeons predominantly use uncemented stems in primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and reserve cemented stems for selected older patients and those with poor bone quality. However, data on this “selective use” strategy for cemented stems in the population at risk for periprosthetic fracture and implant loosening are limited. The purpose of this study was to describe implant survivorship, complications, and radiographic results of a specific collarless, polished, tapered cemented stem (Exeter; Stryker) used selectively in a predominantly elderly population undergoing primary THA.

Methods:

We identified 386 patients who underwent a total of 423 primary THAs with selectively utilized Exeter stems for the treatment of osteoarthritis between 2006 and 2017. In the same time period, 11,010 primary THAs were performed with uncemented stems and 961 with non-Exeter cemented stems. The mean patient age was 77 years, 71% were female, and the mean body mass index was 29 kg/m2. Competing risk analysis accounting for death was utilized to determine cumulative incidences of revision and reoperation. The mean follow-up was 5 years (range, 2 to 12 years).

Results:

The 10-year cumulative incidence of any femoral component revision in this patient cohort was 4%, with 10 stems revised at the time of the latest follow-up. There were no intraoperative femoral fractures. The indications for revision were postoperative periprosthetic femoral fracture (n = 6), dislocation (n = 3), and infection (n = 1). There were no revisions for femoral loosening. The 10-year cumulative incidence of reoperation was 10%. The 10-year cumulative incidence of Vancouver B periprosthetic femoral fracture was 2%. Radiographically, there were no cases of aseptic loosening or osteolysis. There was a significant improvement in median Harris hip score, from 53 preoperatively to 92 at a mean follow-up of 5 years (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The strategy of selectively utilizing a collarless, polished, tapered cemented stem produced a low (4%) cumulative incidence of stem revision at 10 years postoperatively and resulted in no cases of aseptic loosening. The use of the Exeter stem did not eliminate postoperative femoral fractures in this predominantly elderly, female patient population.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Digital badges: Pinning down employer challenges
Authors: Perkins Joy , Pryor Mary
Published: May 2021

Digital badges hold considerable potential for employers and recruiters, as they evidence accomplishments of skills and competencies at a more granular level than a traditional degree certificate. Badges are a validated, online graphical representation of an achievement, which is accomplished by undertaking criteria-based learning activities. Despite the established educational benefits of badges in higher education, limited research has been conducted into employer awareness, acceptance, and use of digital badges in recruitment practices. To address this research gap, a mixed method study combining quantitative and qualitative data collection was conducted before and during the COVID-19 health pandemic. Approximately 700 employers were emailed and invited to complete the initial survey and 73 responded. One of the major survey findings is that 97% of respondents were unfamiliar with the concept of digital badges. Significantly, however, despite the lack of employer awareness there was no widespread resistance to the concept of badges, but a strong appeal for further clarification of their value, credibility, and security. Analysis of the data reveals stronger partnership working, between the higher education sector and employers, is pivotal to establish effective digital credentialing systems. Recommendations for higher education institutions have emerged from this study, which aim to balance pedagogical digital badge practice with employer needs. Such synergies are crucial to address the changing skills agenda, to prepare students to thrive in physical and virtual work environments. Given the paucity of research in this field, further studies are warranted, to investigate the impact of digital badges on the employer community.
Sparse Based Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Kumar Lalit , Pandey Manish , Ahirwal Mitul Kumar
Published: May 2021

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is the well-known metaheuristic algorithm for optimization, inspired from swarm of species.PSO can be used in various problems solving related to engineering and science inclusive of but not restricted to increase the heat transfer of systems, to diagnose the health problem using PSO based on microscopic imaging. One of the limitations with Standard-PSO and other swarm based algorithms is large computational time as position vectors are dense. In this study, a sparse initialization based PSO (Sparse-PSO) algorithm has been proposed. Comparison of proposed Sparse-PSO with Standard-PSO has been done through evaluation over several standard benchmark objective functions. Our proposed Sparse-PSO method takes less computation time and provides better solution for almost all benchmark objective functions as compared to Standard-PSO method.
CNC Machine Bearing Fault Detection using Hybrid Signal Processing
Authors: Iqbal Mohmad , Madan Ashok Kumar
Published: May 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Low intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a novel treatment for stress urinary incontinence: a randomized-controlled clinical study
Authors: Lin Kun-Ling , Chueh Kuang-Shun , Lu Jian-He , Chuang Shu-Mien , Wu Bin-Nan , Lee Yung-Chin , Wu Yi-Hsuan , Shen Mei-Chen , Sun Ting-Wei , Long Cheng-Yu , Juan Yung-Shun
Published: May 2021

Aims: To evaluate the effects of low intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LiESWT) on stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods: This investigation was a multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial study. 60 female SUI patients were randomly assigned to receive LiESWT with 0.25 mJ/mm2 intensity, 3000 pulses, and 3 pulses/second, once weekly for 4-week (W4) and 8-week (W8), or an identical sham LiESWT treatment without energy transmission. The primary endpoint was the changes in urine leakage as measured by pad test and validated standardized questionnaires. While the secondary endpoint was the changes in 3-day urinary diary among the baseline (W0), the W4 and the W8 of LiESWT, and 1-month (F1), 3-month (F3) and 6-month (F6) follow-up after LiESWT. Results: The results showed that 4-week LiESWT could significantly decrease urine leakage based on pad test and validated standardized questionnaire scores, as compared to the sham group. Moreover, 4-week LiESWT could significantly reduce urine leakage, but increase urine volume and attenuate urgency symptom, which showed meaningful and persistent improvement at W8, F1, F3 and F6. Furthermore, validated standardized questionnaire scores were significantly improved at W4, W8, F1, F3 and F6 as compared to the baseline (W0). Conclusions: 8-week LiESWT could attenuate SUI symptoms on physical activity, reduce urine leakage and ameliorate overactive bladder symptoms, which implied that LiESWT significantly improved the quality of life. Our findings suggested that LiESWT could serve as a potentially novel and non-invasive treatment for SUI.
Preventive Effect of Cryotherapy on Persistent Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy After Completion of Weekly Paclitaxel Therapy for Breast Cancer
Authors: Shigematsu Hideo , Kimura Yuri , Itagaki Tomoko , Yasui Daisuke
Published: May 2021

BackgroundChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is an important adverse event of taxane-based chemotherapy, which can persist in a substantial proportion of patients for years. Cryotherapy therapy is shown to be effective in prevention of CIPN during chemotherapy, but its protective effect on persistent CIPN has not been reported. MethodsCases enrolled in a randomized trial investigating the preventive effect of cryotherapy on weekly paclitaxel-induced CIPN in breast cancer patients (UMIN000034966) were evaluated for Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Neurotoxicity (FACT-NTX) score and Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire (PNQ) at more than one year after completion of weekly paclitaxel. ResultsThirty-eight cases were evaluated for persistent CIPN with a median 2.3 (1.3-3.1) years after completion of weekly paclitaxel. The incidence of a significant decrease in FACT-NTX scores was numerically lower in the cryotherapy group compared with the control group (15.8% vs. 36.8%, p = 0.13). There was also a lower grade of PNQ sensory (p = 0.02) and motor (p = 0.17) in the cryotherapy group compared with the control group. ConclusionIn breast cancer patients treated with weekly paclitaxel, cryotherapy resulted in a numerical decrease in the incidence of persistent CIPN at more than one year after completion of weekly paclitaxel treatment.
RhoA G17E/Vav1 signaling induces cancer invasion via matrix metalloproteinase-9 in gastric cancer
Authors: Nakamura Satoshi , Kitazawa Masato , Miyagawa Yusuke , Koyama Makoto , Miyazaki Satoru , Hondo Nao , Muranaka Futoshi , Tokumaru Shigeo , Yamamoto Yuta , Ehara Takehito , Kuroiwa Masatsugu , Tanaka Hirokazu , Matsumura Tomio , Takeoka Michiko , Soejima Yuji
Published: May 2021

Background: Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), a member of the Rho family of small GTPases, and Vav1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho family GTPases, have been reported to activate pathways related to the actin cytoskeleton and regulation of cell shape, attachment, and motility. The interaction between these molecules in lymphoma is involved in malignant signaling, but its function in epithelial malignancy is unknown. Here, we investigated the malignant signal of mutant RhoA in gastric cancer and demonstrated the potential of RhoA G17E/Vav1 as a therapeutic target for diffuse gastric cancer. Methods: The RhoA mutants R5W, G17E, and Y42C were retrovirally transduced into the gastric cancer cell line MKN74. The stably transduced cells were used for morphology, proliferation, and migration/invasion assays in vitro. MKN74 cells stably transduced with ectopic wild-type RhoA and mutant RhoA (G17E) were used in a peritoneal xenograft assay. Results: The RhoA mutations G17E and Y42C induced morphological changes in MKN74. G17E induced Vav1 expression at the mRNA and protein levels and promoted the migration and invasion of MKN74. An RNA interference assay of Vav1 revealed that RhoA G17E enhanced cancer cell invasion via Vav1. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation revealed that Vav1 and RhoA G17E specifically bind and function together through matrix metalloproteinase-9. In a peritoneal xenograft model of nude mice, RhoA G17E promoted peritoneal dissemination, whereas Vav1 knockdown suppressed it. Conclusion: Overall, our findings indicate that RhoA G17E associated with Vav1 and promoted cancer invasion via matrix metalloproteinase-9 in gastric cancer cells. Thus, RhoA G17E/Vav1 signaling in diffuse gastric cancer may be a useful therapeutic target.
Loss to follow-up after surgery in patients with hip fractures
Authors: Rui Min , Zheng Xin , Du Xingye , Shen Jianguo , Kan Peng , Hui Yujian , Ren Yajun , Lu Dong , Ren Kewei , Gu Jiaye
Published: May 2021

Background: Non-attendance with scheduled postoperative follow-up visits remains a common problem in orthopaedic clinical researches. The goal of this study was to determine the risk factors for loss to follow-up of hip-fracture patients postoperatively. Methods: A 1-year postoperatively retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent surgery for hip-fractures between January 2017 and December 2018. According to whether they finished the appointed follow-up schedule, the patients were divided into two groups: LTFU Group (Follow-up loss group) and FU Group (Follow-up group). Electronic Medical Records (EMR) was examined to identify the patients’ variables of interest and telephone or text message interviews were attempted on those who didn’t return for follow-up to determine the reasons for loss to follow-up. The baseline characteristics between the 2 groups were compared and the statistical differences were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: 1041 patients met the inclusion criteria were included in this study, of which 212 (20.37%) were lost to follow-up at 1 year postoperatively. The logistic regression analysis showed that old age at surgery, fracture type, distance to hospital, HA surgery and patients transport to hospital by urban-rural public traffic or bus were found to be risk factors for noncompliance with the follow-up visit. As for the reasons for loss to follow-up in in LTFU Group, 75 patients (35.4%) claimed symptoms improvement, 43 (20.3%) cited difficulties of transportation to hospital, 23 (10.8%) chose other health care institutions, and 57 (26.9%) couldn’t travel to hospital alone. Other reasons including thinking follow-up was unnecessary (n=4, 1.8%), no spare time (n=5, 2.4%) and financial problems (n=5, 2.4%). Conclusion: Loss to follow-up was common in patients with hip-fracture postoperatively. Our study suggested advanced age, difficult transport, long distance, fracture type and surgical procedures were risk factors for noncompliance.
Plant agrobiodiversity conservation and use in intensive farming systems: N-Italy as a case study.
Authors: Canella Marco , Ardenghi Nicola M.G. , Müller Jonas V. , Rossi Graziano , Guzzon Filippo
Published: May 2021

Northern Italy is an area particularly suitable for the cultivation of different crops. It used to be characterized by a high agrobiodiversity. However, it is estimated that over the last decades, this area experienced a genetic erosion of more than 95%, resulting in the loss of many traditional plant genetic resources (PGR). Nevertheless, recent surveys found an unexpectedly high agrobiodiversity which remains. The presented study aims to provide a complete overview of plant agrobiodiversity (in terms of crop landraces, old cultivars and neglected crops) in northern Italy using a mixed approach of literature research and ethnobotanical field surveys. This paper is a fundamental step towards putting in place successful on farm and ex situ conservation measures in the study area. 811 entities were found, of which 27 were identified as neglected crops, 377 as landraces (plus 124 doubtful landraces) and 99 as old cultivars (plus 184 doubtful old cultivars). 248 entities were here recorded for the first time through field surveys. It clearly emerges that by using an ethnobotanical approach, several PGR can still be found in the study area especially in small farms and home gardens. We describe hotspots of crop diversity and areas in which there is still a lack of knowledge of local agrobiodiversity. Only 43% of the PGR recorded are conserved long-term in seed banks, underlying the fact that great efforts are needed to ensure the ex situ conservation of PGR in northern Italy. Careful interventions are needed to enhance the on-farm conservation status of the crop diversity reported here by enhancing its demand and its accessibility.
The role of remittances inflow, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption in the environment: accounting ecological footprint indicators for top remittance-receiving countries
Authors: Zhang Liping , Yang Bo , Jahanger Atif
Published: May 2021

This study determines the dynamic linkages between remittances inflow, foreign direct investment, and ecological footprint in top ten remittance-receiving counties in the presence of economic growth and renewable and non-renewable energy under the framework of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis over the period of 1990–2018 by employing the continuously updated fully modified (CUP-FM) and the continuously updated bias-corrected (CUP-BC) estimators. The results show that remittances inflow, foreign direct investment, and non-renewable energy utilization affect the ecological footprint positively while renewable energy utilization negatively impacts on ecological footprint. This study also supports the pollution haven hypothesis and inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis. Furthermore, in order to account for the national heterogeneity, we have executed a country-wise EKC hypothesis, the results of the full modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) support the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis in the case of Bangladesh, China, France, India, Pakistan, and Vietnam while displaying a U-shaped curve in Germany, Mexico, and Nigeria. Besides, the results are robust to various robustness analyses that we have executed for inspection of the reliability of our main findings. Finally, this study presents important policy implications with respect to top remittance-receiving countries.
Reappraisal of ischemia-reperfusion injury in laparoscopic surgery
Authors: Bickel Amitai , Khatib Soliman , Kakiashvilli Eli , Eilam Palzur
Published: May 2021

Background: Serum biochemical changes during laparoscopic surgery and positive pressure pneumoperitoneum (PP) may reflect mild oxidative stress due to the ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) mechanism. However, there is still a controversy regarding the exact mechanism of PP in creating oxidative stress and whether the induction of PP causes I/R effects at all. To elucidate this debated issue, we studied, for the first time, the changes of I/R parameters in the serum, using a reliable, independent exogenous oxidative biomarker, together with common intrinsic biomarkers of oxidative stress. Patients and Methods: Our study included 20 patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We evaluated the levels of the extrinsic and endogenous markers for oxidative stress during awareness, under anesthesia, the end of surgery (abdominal CO2 evacuation), and 2 hours afterward. Results: After an initial increase in oxidative stress following anesthesia, we did not notice any further significant rise in the levels of the synthetic exogenous and the endogenous biomarkers at the end of the surgery and 2 hours later on. However, a positive correlation was noted between the levels of both the intrinsic and extrinsic markers. Conclusions: In our study, the capability of the extrinsic biomarker to detect mild oxidative stress was not shown. Our study stresses the heterogeneous nature of the oxidative reactions and the diversity of the endogenous and exogenous biomarkers while detecting various biochemical patterns under mild oxidative stress, especially during the short period of laparoscopic surgery.
Study on Solidification of Chromium-Containing Sludge With Alkali Slag Combined With Attapulgite
Authors: Lin Huirong , Zeng Linghao , Zhang Pengpeng , Jiao Bingquan , Shiau YanChyuan , Li Dongwei
Published: May 2021

In order to solve the harm of hazardous waste chromium-containing sludge to humans and the environment, this paper uses attapulgite to strengthen alkali slag to prepare cementitious materials to solidify/stabilize chromium-containing sludge. Single-factor and orthogonal experiments were used to optimize the preparation parameters of alkali slag cementitious materials. The compressive strength, heavy metal leaching toxicity, and microscopic characterization of chromium-containing sludge solidified body were tested to investigate the solidification effect and mechanism of chromium-containing sludge. The results show that: The best content of attapulgite is 4%. The compressive strength of the solidified body decreased with the increase of chromium sludge content, and the leaching concentration of Cr and Cu increased with the rise of chromium-sludge content. The addition of attapulgite enhanced the compressive strength. Compared with the original chromium-containing sludge, the leaching concentration of heavy metals in the solidified body is significantly reduced. The XRD and FTIR analysis showed that the solidified body might solidify/stabilize heavy metals by physical encapsulation of amorphous form and chemical immobilization. This research realizes the use of waste to treat waste and provides the possibility for the application of solidified products in construction.
Individualized Cerebral Artery Protection Strategies for the Surgical Treatment of Parasellar Meningiomas Based on Preoperative Imaging
Authors: Li Yang , Zhang Xingshu , Qin Chaoying , Su Jun , Wang Xiangyu , Xiao Kai , Liu Qing
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVE

Parasellar meningiomas represent a cohort of skull base tumors localize to parasellar region. Those meningiomas tend to compress, encase or even invade cerebral arteries and their perforating branches. Surgical resection of PMs is a challenging operation without damaging perforating arteries. The study aimed to analyze functional outcomes in a series of patients who underwent surgery with individualized cerebral arteries protection strategy based on preoperative imaging.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a single surgeon’s experience with microsurgical removal of PMs in 163 patients between January 2012 to March 2020. Individualized approaches with bidirectional dissection strategy were used. Cerebral Artery invasion classification, neurological outcomes, MRC Scale Muscle Strength Grading, and Karnofsky Performance Scale were used to assess the tumor vascular invasion, functional outcome, and patient quality-of-life outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

Total resection (Simpson Grade I or II) was achieved in 114 (69.9%) patients in our series. Vision improved in 44.7% of patients with consecutive follow-up, was stable in 51.1% and deteriorated in 3.8%. Improvement in cranial nerve IIII, IV, and VI was observed in 41.1%, 36.2%, and 44.8%, respectively. The mean follow-up time was (38.8±27.9) months and KPS at the last follow-up was (89.6±8.5). Recurrence was observed in 8 (13.8%) patients with CSMs while the rate was only 3.8% and 2.8% in ACMs and MSWMs.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative imaging is of great significance in the selection of surgical approach. Maximum tumor resection and cerebral artery protection can be achieved concurrently utilizing bidirectional dissection. Those Individualized cerebral artery protection strategies not only are of great utility to neurosurgeons but also can improve patient’s quality of life.
Glycation of Apolipoprotein A-IV Impairs Angiogenesis Through The Orphan Nuclear Receptor Nur77
Authors: Liu Hongjuan , Dai Yang , Xu Yawei , Lu Lin
Published: May 2021

Background

Apo A-Ⅳ played an key role in Cardiovascular diseases, but the effect and mechanism of glycated apo A-Ⅳ on angiogenesis remains unclear.
Methods

In this study, we demonstrated that oral administration of glycated apoA-Ⅳ impaired blood perfusion recovery in a mouse hind-limb ischemia model. A reduction in blood perfusion recovery at day 21 was observed in the ischemic tissue of apoA-Ⅳ and glycated apoA-Ⅳ-treated mice.
Results

In this study, we demonstrated that glycated apo A-Ⅳ impaired blood perfusion recovery in a mouse hind-limb ischemia model. And in vitro study also showed that glycated apo A-Ⅳ inhibited the migration, proliferation, and tube-formation abilities of endothelial cells. Further research revealed that glycated apo A-Ⅳ regulated angiogenesis partly by interrupting Nur77. In addition, CML levels were increased in patients with Lower limb circulation (n = 30) compared with those with no limb circulation(n = 50).
Conclusions

We found impaired angiogenesis induced by glycated apo A-Ⅳ might contribute to poor coronary collateral growth by inhibit the expression of Nur77.
Forecasting of COVID-19 Reproduction Number by ARIMA Methodology and Quantile Estimation based on Best Fit Distribution by L- moments for Top-10 Affected Countries
Authors: Waqas Muhammad , Xu Songhua , Zhou Linyun
Published: May 2021

We utilized the average weekly estimated reproduction number data of COVID-19 from March (2020–2021). By applying ARIMA and L-moments methodology, short-and-long-term forecasting of R0 is made for Govt. officials and public health experts to take before-time policy measures to control the spread of novel coronavirus. This study helps medical staff to measure the expected demand of COVID-19 vaccine doses. We applied various ARIMA models on each country’s data and the best selected based on RMSE, AIC, and BIC for point and interval forecasting. Application L-Moments techniques selected GLO, GEV, and GNO distributions and quantile estimation with return period calculations. The forecasting shows that maximum countries mean R0 > 1, which is still a serious threat and can lead to heath disaster. The forecasting provided an alarming situation in the coming months for India, France, Turkey, and Spain; health experts should take strict measures because the cases rise due to the high R0 forecast. The USA, Russia, and the UK mean R0 will not suddenly increase; these countries consistent in COVID-19 R0 control. We find that even the significant population differences prevail among selected countries, the R0 is still high in maximum countries, so its a dire need to take strict control actions to minimize the R0 for public safety.
Modeling Soil Cation Exchange Capacity in Arid Region of Iran: Application of Novel Hybrid Intelligence Paradigm.
Authors: Shahabi Mahmood , Ghorbani Mohammad Ali , Naganna Sujay Raghavendra , Kim Sungwon , Hadi Sinan Jasim , Yaseen Zaher Mundher , Inyurt Samed
Published: May 2021

The potential of the soil to hold plant nutrients is governed by cation exchange capacity (CEC) of any soil. Estimating soil CEC aids in conventional soil management practices to replenish the soil solution that supports plant growth. In the present study, a multiple model integration scheme driven by hybrid GANN (MM-GANN) was developed and employed to predict the accuracy of soil CEC in Tabriz plain, an arid region of Iran. The standalone models (i.e., artificial neural network (ANN) and extreme learning machine (ELM)) were implemented for incorporating in the MM-GANN. In addition, it was tested to enhance the prediction accuracy of the standalone models. The soil parameters such as clay, silt, pH, carbonate, calcium equivalent (CCE), and soil organic matter (OM) were used as model inputs to predict soil CEC. By the use of several evaluation criteria, the results showed that the MM-GANN model involving the predictions of ELM and ANN models calibrated by considering all the soil parameters (e.g., Clay, OM, pH, Silt, and CCE) as inputs provided superior soil CEC estimates with an NSE = 0.87. The proposed MM-GANN model is a reliable intelligence based approach for the assessment of soil quality parameters intended for sustainability and management prospects.
Investigating the Dynamic Relationships Among Disaggregate Components of Financial Development, Renewable Energy Consumption and Environmental Degradation
Authors: HABIBA UMME , Xinbang Cao
Published: May 2021

This study investigates the relationship between disaggregate components of financial development and CO2 emissions by considering the complicated and multidimensional nature of modern financial systems across the globe. Using panel data for 46 Sub Saharan Africa countries ranging from 1991 to 2016, we adopt the dynamic generalized-method-of moment system (sys-GMM) model to investigate the aforementioned objective of the study. The empirical results show that the development of financial market and its sub-measures such as financial market access, depth and efficiency further raise CO2 emissions in the region. The similar impact is found for the development of financial institution and its sub-measures. However, the development of financial market has a smaller impact on CO2 emissions compared to the development of financial institution. The results further reveal that renewable energy consumption reduces CO2 emissions significantly. An increasing role of financial markets complement renewable energy to improve the quality of the environment. The study also reveal that the relationships among these variables and CO2 emissions vary across countries due to different level of economic development. The policy implications are also discussed in the current study.
Exploring the Mutations on Improving Oxidative Stability of Tobacco Etch Virus Protease for Tag-removal in Refolding of Two Disulfide-rich Proteins
Authors: Fan Jun , Bayar Enkhtuya , Ren Yuanyuan , Hu Yafang , Chen Yinghua , Yu Xuelian
Published: May 2021

Tobacco etch virus protease (TEVp) is a useful tool for removing fusion tag, but wild type TEVp shows less oxidative stability, which limits its application under the oxidized redox state to facilitate disulfide bonds formation for refolding disulfide-bonded proteins. Previously, we combined six mutations into the TEVp to generate the TEVp5M for obviously increasing the protein solubility and decreasing the auto-cleavage. In this work, we introduced and combined C19S, C110S and C130S mutations into the TEVp5M to generate seven variants, analyzed protein solubility and the cleavage activity of the constructs in each of three E. coli strains including BL21(DE3), BL21(DE3)pLys, and Rossetta(DE3), and those of the optimized soluble variants in the oxidative cytoplasm of Origami(DE3) under the same induction conditions. The results suggested that desirable protein solubility, cleavage activity and oxidative stability are not combined. Unlike that of the C19S, introduction of the C110S and/or C130S less affected protein solubility but increased tolerance to the oxidative redox state. Use of the TEVp5MC110S/C130S variant, the refolded disulfide-rich bovine enteropeptidase or maize peroxidase was released via cleaving the sequence between the target protein and the cellulose-binding module bound to regenerated amorphous cellulose.
Evaluation of Drought Events in Various Climatic Conditions using Data-Driven Models and A Reliability-Based Probabilistic Model
Authors: Barzkar Ali , Najafzadeh Mohammad , Homaei Farshad
Published: May 2021

Due to a wide range of socio-economic losses caused by drought over the past decades, having a reliable insight of drought properties plays a key role in monitoring and forecasting the drought situations, and finally generating robust methodologies for adapting to various vulnerability of drought situations. The most important factor in causing drought is rainfall, but increasing or decreasing the temperature and consequently evapotranspiration can intensify or moderate the severity of drought events. Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI), as one of the most well-known indices in definition of drought situation, is applied based on potential precipitation, evapotranspiration, and the water balance. In this study, values of SPEI are formulated for various climates by three robust Artificial Intelligence (AI) models: Gene-Expression Programming (GEP), Model Tree (MT), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS). Meteorological variables including maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), average temperature (Tmean), relative humidity (RH), 24-hour rainfall (P24) and wind speed (U2) were used to perform the AI models. Dataset reported from four synoptic stations through Iran, dating back to a 58-year period beginning in 1957. Each AI technique was run for all the climatic situations: Temperate-Warm (T-W), Wet-Warm (W-W), Arid-Cold (A-C) and Arid-Warm (A-W). Results of AI models development indicated that M5 version of MT provided the most accurate SPEI prediction for all the climatic situations in comparison with GEP and MARS techniques. SPEI values for four climatic conditions were evaluated in the reliability-based probabilistic framework to take into account the influence of any uncertainty and randomness associated with meteorological variables. In this way, the Monte-Carlo scenario sampling approach has been used to assess the limit state function from the AI models-based-SPEI. Based on the reliability analysis for all the synoptic stations, as the probability of exceedance values declined to below 75%, drought situations varied from “Normal” to “Very Extreme Humidity”.
What matters in the patients' decision to choose a family physician? A qualitative inquiry of Iran
Authors: Bazyar Mohammad , Feyzabadi Vahid Yazdi , Sadeghifar Jamil , Bahmani Mona
Published: May 2021

Background: Creating a stable and long-term relationship also called “longitudinality” between the population and general practitioners is crucial for the family physician program. Constant change of family physician can deteriorate longitudinality. In this study we aim to reveal what factors people usually take into account when it comes to choosing a new family physician or changing their current family physician.Method: A qualitative study with content analysis approach and case study was carried out in Ilam province, Iran, in 2019. Purposeful sampling with maximum variations was followed to select the key. Data was analyzed and main themes of framework were extracted by using MAXQDA software. Results: The content of interviews was categorized in two main themes, 6 sub-themes and 38 codes. General behaviors, social and physical characteristics, professional expertise, and pharmaceutical prescriptions of family physician and also location and physical features and properties of the health center were the main sub-themes extracted from interviews which can influence the people’s choice of family physician.Conclusion: Some of the factors extracted from the interviews may have different effect on the choice of different people with different demographics. For instance, different patients may have different ideas about the age, gender, years of medical practice, language and origin of birth place of doctors. Quantitative studies are needed to rank the factors identifies in this study according to their significance for choosing FP and reveal preferences of patients for each factor.
Gender Stereotypes About Intellectual Ability in Japanese Children
Authors: Okanda Mako , Meng Xianwei , Kanakogi Yasuhiro , Uragami Moe , Yamamoto Hiroki , Moriguchi Yusuke
Published: May 2021

Japan has a large gender gap; thus, this study examined whether Japanese 4- to 7-year-old children exhibit a “brilliance = males” stereotype and whether parental attitudes toward gender roles were related to children’s stereotypes. We also explored whether children exhibit such stereotypes in response to various stimuli. We showed children photo (Study 1) and stick-figure (Study 2) stimuli of men, women, boys, and girls, asking them to attribute traits (smart or nice) to each. Unlike previous studies in the U.S., there were sex differences early in boys’ and girls’ attribution of smart or nice; however, a developmental transition was observed in 7-year-olds. In Study 1, 7-year-old girls were more likely to attribute nice, and 6-year-old boys were more likely to attribute smart, to their own sex, respectively. In Study 2, girls generally attributed nice to their own sex compared to boys, while only 7-year-old boys were more likely to attribute smart to their own sex compared to girls. Parental attitudes toward gender roles were unrelated to children’s gender stereotypes. The results indicated that Japanese children may acquire “brilliance = males” stereotypes later than American children (7-years-old). Further, the results were clearer when children were presented with stick figure stimuli.
Treatment of Distal Radial Fracture Fixation Using Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate:A Prospective Study
Authors: Liu Yang , Waheed Muhammad Zeeshan , Wang Dong , Zhou Junlin
Published: May 2021

Background: Unstable distal radial fractures are difficult to manage and so various treatment and management modalities have been introduced and described. The use of Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate is promoted for the management of such fractures. Objective: This study aimed to to investigate the clinical effect and functional output of Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate in the treatment of distal radius fractures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the functional and radiological results of treating distal radial fractures with Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate Methods: In our study from March 2017 to may 2019, the clinical efficacy of Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate in the treatment of distal radius fractures was retrospectively analyzed. Case Description: During the study period, 23 patients met the inclusion criteria. According to the AO lassification of distal radius, there were 9 patients with Ao-23b3 and 14 patients with Ao-23c3. The follow-up ime was 13-17 months (average 14.6 months). All patients achieved bony union without internal fixation failure or racture displacement. The Garland and Werley functional system score was used to evaluate the limb function. Among them, 9 cases were evaluated as excellent, 13 cases as good, and 1 case as fair. Radiological parameters such as radial inclination, length, tilt, and ulnar variance were measured at six weeks and at the final follow-up. The functional evaluation was conducted by measuring the range of motion at the wrist joint as well as the grip strength. Gartland and Werley’s demerit scoring system was used to assess the final outcome. Literature Review: Results without nonoperative treatment of these fractures are not satisfactory and may often require a subsequent corrective osteotomy.Good and Satisfactory results Can be achieved with operative treatment of the fracture when the fragments are well reduced by using theVolar Rim Distal Radius Plate。 Results: There was a significant improvement in the functional indices from six weeks to the final follow-up, while the radiological parameters were maintained. According to Gartland and Werley, excellent results were reported in 65% cases, while good results were present in 35% cases. Clinical Relevance: Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate can give an adequate buttress to volar projection of the lunate facet and it do not interfere with wrist mobility. More-ever, the dorsal fragments can be fixed through the volar approach which may eliminate our need for a secondary posterior incision. Furthermore, patients would be informed for the potential problems and let them know about the need of the removal of the plate if unfortunately symptoms develop. Conclusions: The use of Volar Rim Distal Radius Plate is an effective fixation method to treat distal radius fractures which can provide more firm stability, meet the needs of early functional exercise and improve the prognosis with excellent to good functional outcomes with minimal complications.
Mass Drug Distribution Strategy Efficacy for Schistosomiasis Control in Mali (West Africa)
Authors: Dabo Abdoulaye , Diallo Mouctar , Agniwo Privat Koba , Danté Salim , Traoré Assitan , Diawara Sidy , Doucouré Boubou
Published: May 2021

Background - Schistosomiasis is a water-based parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Mass Drug Distribution (MDD) with Praziquantel is periodically recommended in schistosomiasis-endemic countries to prevent morbidity. In Mali, schistosomiasis still remains endemic, especially in Senegal and Niger rivers basin, although the strategy has been adopted since 2005. Our study aimed to assess the impact of annual school-based MDD. Materials and methods – The study was conducted at twelve sentinel sites across Kayes and Koulikoro regions. A cross-sectional study design was performed in April 2018 after four-or five-years post treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) depending on the statute of sites. At baseline (2014-2015) and for the control year (2018), 734 (386 boys and 347 girls) and 1708 (844 boys and 864 girls) school children of 7-14 years of age, were successfully examined respectively. Infections with Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni were diagnosed with the urine filtration and the Kato-Katz method respectively. Results – From eight schools treated in 2014, the four annual rounds of MDD with PZQ were associated with a significant decrease in S. haematobium prevalence in five sites (p<0,001) and a significant increase in one site (p<0,001). Of them, the prevalence of high-intensity (≥50 eggs/10mL of urine) significantly decreased in four previous sites but not in Diakalele where it increased ((p<0.001). In all the four sites treated in 2015, S. haematobium prevalence increased significantly in Kokoun and Samaya (P<0.05). The heavy infection increased slightly in Dougourakoro and Samaya (P>0.05). The prevalence of S. mansoni significantly decreased in three sites (p<0.001), increased in three and remains zero in the six others sites. Conclusion – Our findings show that five of the twelve sentinel sites have achieved the criterion of elimination of schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium as a major public health problem (Prevalence of heavy infection <1%); three have achieved the criterion of morbidity control (Prevalence of heavy infection <5%), whereas two sites remain confined below the control criterion. These results call for a strong improvement in the therapeutic coverage associating, education and provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene to interrupt the transmission cycle of the schistosome.
Construction of a Prognostic Signature in Ewing’s Sarcoma: Based on RNA-binding Genes
Authors: Wu Bo , Xie Haoqun , Yibo Wang , Zhen Guo , Yuanyuan Hou , Zhu Dong
Published: May 2021

Background: Ewing’s sarcoma is the second most prevalent primary malignant bone neoplasm. RNA-binding proteins(RBPs) play a crucial role in post-transcriptional events. In tumor cells, the alterations of post-transcription enable cells to adapt to adjacent environment rapidly. Thus, the functions of RBPs in Ewing’s sarcoma can be of high value in the prognostic[1]. The underlying mechanism between Ewing’s sarcoma and RBPs remained unclear. Methods: Based on the GEO dataset, we investigated the global protein expression profile of Ewing's sarcoma patients. Differentially expressed proteins and survival-related RNA-binding protein related genes (RRGs) were evaluated by computational difference algorithm and COX regression analysis. In addition, we also explored the mutations in these RRGs. A new prognostic indicator based on RRGs was developed and tested afterwards using multivariate COX analysis.Results: The results showed that a total of 16 RRGs which closely associated with the overall survival in Ewing’s sarcoma patients using multivariate Cox regression analysis. The prognosis-related RRGs signature established using Cox regression model consists of 8 RRGs that can divide patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Our results suggested that overall survival rate of high-risk group patients was shorter than the patients in low-risk group. According to multivariate Cox analysis, risk score index was an independent prognosis factor for Ewing’s sarcoma. In addition, the area under the curve of the corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of survival is 0.947.Conclusion: The 8 RRGs marker can predict the prognosis of Ewing’s sarcoma and thus help individualized treatment of patients at different risks.
Health Related Quality of Life and Its Determinants Among Breast Cancer Patients in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Bitew Teshome Demelash , Ayenew Wondim , Baye Tenaw , Eshetu Eskinder
Published: May 2021

Background

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer disease in the world. Higher breast cancer incidence and poor survival is also seen in different African countries. Diagnosed with breast cancer and treatment is a very stressful event that greatly diminished the quality of life of the patient. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess health related quality of life and its determinants among breast cancer patients in Africa.
Methods

A systematic search of literatures was conducted from August 10 to September 5, 2020 without limitation of publication year in PubMed, HINARI, Science direct and Google scholar. The review followed PRISMA guidelines. Data were extracted in a well prepared Microsoft excel and exported to open meta-analysis software for analysis. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed based on 14 item modified quality of life assessment checklist. The pooled estimate quality of life scales were analyzed by open Meta analyst software and presented with forest plot. The results of included studies which were not suitable for meta-analysis were synthesized narratively. The heterogeneity of included studies was evaluated with I2 statistics.
Results

A total of ten studies which reported 2,190 breast cancer patients were included in the systematic review and meta- analysis. This review summarized five different standard instruments that used to measure health related quality of life. The pooled estimates mean score of general quality of life based on EORTC QLQ-C30 standard tool was 52.77 (95% CI: 42.199 to 63.345; I2 = 99.21%, P < 0.001). Age, level of education, marital status and financial difficulties were determinants health related quality of life in breast cancer patients in Africa.
Conclusions

The general health related quality of life of African breast cancer patients was not good. Therefore, more attention must be paid to the quality of life of breast cancer patients along with proper access to treatment.
Protocol registration:

The study protocol is registered at PROSPERO with reference ID CRD42020213726 and available at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/displayrecord.php?id=crd42020213726