bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison between turbo spin-echo and echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging of the female pelvis with 3T MRI
Authors: Yoshizako Takeshi , Yoshida Rika , Asou Hiroya , Nakamura Megumi , Kitagaki Hajime
Published: February 2021

Background

Echo-planar imaging (EPI)-diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may take unclear image affected by susceptibility, geometric distortions and chemical shift artifacts.

Purpose

To compare the image quality and usefulness of EPI-DWI and turbo spin echo (TSE)-DWI in female patients who required imaging of the pelvis.

Material and Methods

All 57 patients were examined with a 3.0-T MR scanner. Both TSE- and EPI-DWI were performed with b values of 0 and 1000 s/mm2. We compared geometric distortion, the contrast ratio (CR) of the myometrium to the muscle and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for the myometrium and lesion. Two radiologists scored the TSE- and EPI-DWI of each patient for qualitative evaluation.

Results

The mean percent distortion was significantly smaller with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.00). The CR was significantly higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.003). There was a significant difference in the ADC value for the uterus and lesions between the EPI- and TSE-DWI ( p < 0.05). Finally, the ADC values of cancer were significantly different from those for the uterus and benign with both the two sequences ( p < 0.05). The scores for ghosting artifacts were higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.019). But there were no significant differences between TSE- and EPI-DWI with regard to image contrast and overall image quality.

Conclusion

TSE-DWI on the female pelvis by 3T MRI produces less distortion and higher CR than EPI-DWI, but there is no difference in contrast and image quality.
“They Are Not Mixing With Others”: Finnish Lecturers’ Perspectives on International Students’ (Mis-)Encounters in Higher Education
Authors: Mendoza Carlos , Dervin Fred , Yuan (袁梅) Mei , Layne Heidi
Published: February 2021

Purpose:

Meeting “others,” especially so-called “local” students, is usually seen as a sign of success for intercultural learning and integration in research on study abroad and internationalization of higher education. Previous studies have focused on how international students themselves describe their (mis-)encounters. In this article, the authors consider lecturers’ voices about this phenomenon. Lecturers have an influence on the students’ experiences since they spend a lot of time together in and outside class.

Design/Approach/Methods:

Using a thematic analysis and social network analysis of interview data with lecturers, and a critical perspective toward the dichotomy of “local” versus “international” students, a university in Finland, a popular destination thanks to its positive image in global education, serves as a case study.

Findings:

The article identifies privileges, limits, and (missed) opportunities of encounters, as shared by the lecturers in focus group discussions. Furthermore, the lecturers created hierarchies in the way they described the encounters between different kinds of students. Some signs of pluralizing both local and international students were also found in some lecturers’ discourses.

Originality/Value:

The article ends with recommendations for institutions regarding the lecturers’ problematic role of gatekeepers in student encounters and the limiting categories used in institutions of higher education to refer to students.
Implementing Telemedicine Visits in an Underserved Ophthalmology Clinic in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Adeli Mona , Bloom William R.
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

Many of the potential barriers to providing telehealth services already disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the incorporation of synchronous ophthalmology telemedicine visits in a tertiary university-based ophthalmology clinic for low-income and uninsured patients in the COVID-19 era.

Methods:

The records of 18 patients who were due for an in-person visit in the medically underserved patient clinic at our institute were reviewed. Patients considered high risk of ocular morbidity progression were approved to proceed with an in-person visit. Patients with non-urgent visit indications were attempted to be contacted by telephone to be offered a telemedicine telephone visit as an alternative to a postponed in-person office visit.

Results:

Clinical triage by an attending ophthalmologist determined that 17 patients (94.4%, n = 18) had visit indications appropriate for evaluation by telemedicine. Six patients (35.3%, n = 17) were successfully contacted and offered a telemedicine visit as an alternative to a postponed in-person office visit. All 6 patients accepted, scheduled, and completed a telemedicine visit. Eleven patients (64.7%, n = 17) were not able to be successfully contacted to offer and schedule either a telemedicine visit or a postponed in-person office visit. Patients who were not able to be successfully contacted were on average younger in age and more likely to be female, Hispanic/Latino, from Latin America, with a preferred language of Spanish.

Conclusions:

Synchronous ophthalmology telemedicine visits can be successfully incorporated in a tertiary university-based setting for low-income and uninsured patients. The primary barrier to providing telemedicine visits in this population was the ability to successfully contact patients to offer and schedule these visits.
Clinical Outcomes, Survivorship, and Return to Sport After Arthroscopic Capsular Repair With Suture Anchors for Adolescent Multidirectional Shoulder Instability: Results at 6-Year Follow-up
Authors: Mitchell Brendon C. , Siow Matthew Y. , Carroll Alyssa N. , Pennock Andrew T. , Edmonds Eric W.
Published: February 2021

Background:

Multidirectional shoulder instability (MDI) refractory to rehabilitation can be treated with arthroscopic capsulolabral reconstruction with suture anchors. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have reported on outcomes or examined the risk factors that contribute to poor outcomes in adolescent athletes.

Purpose:

To identify risk factors for surgical failure by comparing anatomic, clinical, and demographic variables in adolescents who underwent intervention for MDI.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

All patients 20 years or younger who underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery at a single institution between January 2009 and April 2017 were evaluated. MDI was defined by positive drive-through sign on arthroscopy plus positive sulcus sign and/or multidirectional laxity on anterior and posterior drawer tests while under anesthesia. A 2-year minimum follow-up was required, but those whose treatment failed earlier were also included. Demographic characteristics and intraoperative findings were recorded, as were scores on the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), Pediatric and Adolescent Shoulder Survey (PASS), and short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH).

Results:

Overall, 42 adolescents (50 shoulders; 31 female, 19 male) were identified as having undergone surgical treatment for MDI with minimum 2-year follow-up or failure. The mean follow-up period was 6.3 years (range, 2.8-10.2 years). Surgical failure, defined as recurrence of subluxation and instability, was noted in 13 (26.0%) shoulders; all underwent reoperation at a mean of 1.9 years (range, 0.8-3.2 years). None of the anatomic, clinical, or demographic variables tested, or the presence of generalized ligamentous laxity, was associated with subjective outcomes or reoperation. Number of anchors used was not different between shoulders that failed and those that did not fail. Patients reported a mean SANE score of 83.3, PASS score of 85.0, and QuickDASH score of 6.8. Return to prior level of sport occurred in 56% of patients.

Conclusion:

Adolescent MDI refractory to nonsurgical management appeared to have long-term outcomes after surgical intervention that were comparable with outcomes of adolescent patients with unidirectional instability. In patients who experienced failure of capsulorrhaphy, results showed that failure most likely occurred within 3 years of the index surgical treatment.
Validating the Psychosocial Functioning during COVID-19 Questionnaire among a Sample of Informal Caregivers
Authors: Arnold Trisha , Kunicki Zachary J. , Rogers Brooke G. , Haubrick Kayla K. , Klasko-Foster Lynne , Norris Alyssa L. , Drohan Megan M. , Greaney Mary L. , Cohen Steven A.
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on global economies and societies. Although social distancing policies are needed to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19, they also impose a psychological and economic burden on people who are already experiencing increased distress such as caregivers. Yet, few measures have been developed and validated to measure the psychosocial impact of COVID-19. Utilizing item response theory (IRT), the purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically validate a measure of psychosocial functioning—the Psychosocial Functioning during COVID-19 (PFC-19) Questionnaire—to assess changes in social interaction, mental health, health behavior, and global functioning among a sample of informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analytic sample ( n = 733) was recruited from Amazon Mechanic Turk (MTurk) (69% male, 55% white). Results suggest a two-factor measure, assessing global functioning (14 items) and affective response (8 items), with strong evidence for reliability, validity, and dimensionality. Future research should replicate this factor structure in other samples.
No Time for Lullabies: Tracing down Pharmacological Effects & Uses of H1-Antihistamines in Children Younger than 6 Years
Authors: Yehya Alaa , Numan Mohammad , Matalqah Laila
Published: February 2021

Objectives. To provide a qualitative and a quantitative analysis of H1-antihistamines pharmacological uses pattern among children (<6 years old) and to evaluate the parental-related awareness. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out at 5 retail pharmacies in Jordan over 5 months (October/2019-February/2020). Parents who requested any of H1-antihistmine agent for a child (<6 years) were invited to participate. Results. A total of 516 children, most of them were toddlers (1-3) years, received at least 1 H1-antihistamine. More than half of the cases received H1-antihistamine as self-medication (56.3%). Sedating antihistamine agents were the most frequently used among children (<6 years old) (77.9%) among which Chlorpheniramine maleate was the most commonly used agent (62.9%). About half of the children (47.0%) received H1-antihistamine to induce sleep. Whereas, 21.7% and 12.9% received them to manage flu, and allergic rhinitis (AR), respectively. Around 66.6% of the cases were classified as off-label use. Most of the parents (80.5%) were aware of the sedative adverse effects of H1-antihistamines, whereas a fewer number (31.9%) were aware of their cognitive effects. Finally, more than two thirds of parents (79.7%) were unfamiliar with off-label drug use in children. Conclusion. Despite the availability of less-sedating H1-antihistamines with a wide safety and efficacy record, the use of sedating H1-antihistamines remains popular in children.
Gold particles from Kamchatka: A brief look at gold biogeochemical cycling in a distinct environment
Authors: Rea Maria Angelica D. , Brugger Joël , Etschmann Barbara , Okrugin Victor , Shuster Jeremiah
Published: February 2021

Kamchatka is a peninsula located on the far eastern side of Russia and is a geologically active region within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Placer gold particles were obtained from a stream located in the Yelizovsky District and were compared to particles from regions at similar latitudes. Russian gold particle surface textures and morphologies were characterised optically and using electron microscopy, and bacteria occurring on the surface of particles were inferred from detected amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The gold particles contained remarkably variable gold surface textures with an average 70% of surface area containing clay-filled concavities. Particle morphologies, interpreted from axis ratios, suggested that these particles were transported from primary sources. Proteobacteria constituted 60% of all the detected ASVs from the particles. Within this phylum, Gammaproteobacteria was the most dominant class. This study contributes to the understanding of gold biogeochemical cycling in a distinct bioclimatic environment.
Control Performance Evaluation of Serial Urology Manipulator by Virtual Prototyping
Authors: Shi Hu , Li Jiajie , Guo Lianjie , Mei Xuesong
Published: February 2021

Prostatic hyperplasia and tumor are common diseases, and the minimally invasive surgery inserting the instruments through the urethra into the prostate is commonly conducted. Taking the robotic manipulator for such surgery into consideration, this paper analyses the workspace of the end effector, and proposes the distribution error of the fixed point and the tracking error of manipulator end effector on the cone bottom surface of the workspace as the basis for control implementation of the manipulator. The D-H coordinate system of the manipulator is established and the trajectory planning of the end effector in the Cartesian space is carried out. The digital model was established, and dynamics simulation was performed in Solidworks and Matlab/Simulink environment to guide the manipulator design. Trajectory mapping and synchronization control between virtual model and the actual manipulator are realized based on digital twin technique. The virtual manipulator can reflect the real-time state of the manipulator with data interaction by comparing the dynamics simulation results with the motor current values obtained by experiment. Experiment was carried out with PD feedback control and Newton–Euler dynamics based feedforward control to get the trajectory tracking characteristic of each motor, errors of the fixed point and tracking performance of the end effector of the manipulator. The results show that compared with PD feedback control, feed forward control implementation can achieve a reduction of 30.0% in the average error of the fixed point of the manipulator and a reduction of 33.3% in the maximum error.
Persumed sympathetic Ophthalmia after scleral buckling surgery: case report
Authors: Hosseini Seyedeh Maryam , Shoeibi Nasser , Azimi Zadeh Mahdieh , Ghasemi Mahdi , Abrishami Mojtaba
Published: February 2021

Background

Scleral buckling (SB) is usually considered an extraocular operation premeditated to have a low risk of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO). Here we report a rare case of presumed SO in a young female patient following SB.

Case presentation

A nineteen-year-old female patient was referred for visual loss in her left eye due to macula off inferior long-standing rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/400 in the left eye. SB with 360 degrees encircling band, an inferior segmental tire with one spot cryoretinopexy at the break site, and subretinal fluid drainage was performed. BCVA was improved to 20/80 and the retina was totally attached 1 week after the operation. The patient referred to the hospital 6 weeks later with severe visual loss in both eyes as counting finger 1 m. Patient examination indicated bilateral multifocal serous retinal detachment (SRD) and vitreous cells. The patient, diagnosed with SO, received intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy and mycophenolate mofetil for treatment. The inflammation was controlled and SRD resolved after a 5-day intravenous treatment without being relapsed after 6 months. Consequently, BCVA became 20/20 and 20/50 in the right and left eye, respectively, after 6 months. The findings of systemic workup were negative for any extraocular disease or systemic involvement.

Conclusion

Since SB is a procedure without manipulating intraocular tissues, it is considered to impose a low risk for SO. This report presented SO occurrence after successful SB. Some factors may induce SO, including inciting the choroid and retinal pigment epithelium with cryoretinopexy or perforating for drainage.
Correction to: Avian eggshell biomineralization: an update on its structure, mineralogy and protein tool kit
Authors: Gautron J. , Stapane L. , Le Roy N. , Nys Y. , Rodriguez-Navarro A. B. , Hincke M. T.
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Comprehensive analysis of immunoglobulin and clinical variables identifies functional linkages and diagnostic indicators associated with Behcet’s disease patients receiving immunomodulatory treatment
Authors: Cheng Linlin , Li Yang , Wu Ziyan , Li Liubing , Liu Chenxi , Liu Jianhua , Dai Jiayu , Zheng Wenjie , Zhang Fengchun , Tang Liujun , Yu Xiaobo , Li Yongzhe
Published: February 2021

Background

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a relapsing systemic vascular autoimmune/inflammatory disease. Despite much effort to investigate BD, there are virtually no unique laboratory markers identified to help in the diagnosis of BD, and the pathogenesis is largely unknown. The aim of this work is to explore interactions between different clinical variables by correlation analysis to determine associations between the functional linkages of different paired variables and potential diagnostic biomarkers of BD.

Methods

We measured the immunoglobulin proteome (IgG, IgG1–4, IgA, IgA1–2) and 29 clinical variables in 66 healthy controls and 63 patients with BD. We performed a comprehensive clinical variable linkage analysis and defined the physiological, pathological and pharmacological linkages based on the correlations of all variables in healthy controls and BD patients without and with immunomodulatory therapy. We further calculated relative changes between variables derived from comprehensive linkage analysis for better indications in the clinic. The potential indicators were validated in a validation set with 76 patients with BD, 30 healthy controls, 18 patients with Takayasu arteritis and 18 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Results

In this study, the variables identified were found to act in synergy rather than alone in BD patients under physiological, pathological and pharmacological conditions. Immunity and inflammation can be suppressed by corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, and integrative analysis of granulocytes, platelets and related variables is likely to provide a more comprehensive understanding of disease activity, thrombotic potential and ultimately potential tissue damage. We determined that total protein/mean corpuscular hemoglobin and total protein/mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels, total protein/mean corpuscular volume, and plateletcrit/monocyte counts were significantly increased in BD compared with controls (P < 0.05, in both the discovery and validation sets), which helped in distinguishing BD patients from healthy and vasculitis controls. Chronic anemia in BD combined with increased total protein contributed to higher levels of these biomarkers, and the interactions between platelets and monocytes may be linked to vascular involvement.

Conclusions

All these results demonstrate the utility of our approach in elucidating the pathogenesis and in identifying novel biomarkers for autoimmune diseases in the future.
An ambient-temperature storage and stabilization device performs comparably to flash-frozen collection for stool metabolomics in infants
Authors: Ramamoorthy Sivapriya , Levy Shira , Mohamed Masouma , Abdelghani Alaa , Evans Anne M. , Miller Luke A. D. , Mehta Lopa , Moore Sean , Freinkman Elizaveta , Hourigan Suchitra K.
Published: February 2021

Background

Stool metabolites provide essential insights into the function of the gut microbiome. The current gold standard for storage of stool samples for metabolomics is flash-freezing at − 80 °C which can be inconvenient and expensive. Ambient temperature storage of stool is more practical, however no available methodologies adequately preserve the metabolomic profile of stool. A novel sampling kit (OMNImet.GUT; DNA Genotek, Inc.) was introduced for ambient temperature storage and stabilization of feces for metabolomics; we aimed to test the performance of this kit vs. flash-freezing. To do this stool was collected from an infant’s diaper was divided into two aliquots: 1) flash-frozen and 2) stored in an OMNImet.GUT tube at ambient temperature for 3–4 days. Samples from the same infant were collected at 2 different time points to assess metabolite changes over time. Subsequently, all samples underwent metabolomic analysis by liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Results

Paired fecal samples (flash-frozen and ambient temperature) from 16 infants were collected at 2 time points (32 individual samples, 64 aliquots). Similar numbers of metabolites were detected in both the frozen and ambient temperature samples (1126 in frozen, 1107 in ambient temperature, 1064 shared between sample types). Metabolite abundances were strongly correlated between storage methods (median Spearman correlation Rs = 0.785 across metabolites). Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis showed that samples from the same individuals at a given time point clustered closely, regardless of the storage method. Repeat samples from the same individual were compared by paired t-test, separately for the frozen and OMNImet.GUT. The number of metabolites in each biochemical class that significantly changed (p < 0.05) at timepoint 2 relative to timepoint 1 was similar in flash-frozen versus ambient temperature storage. Changes in microbiota modified metabolites over time were also consistent across both methodologies.

Conclusion

Ambient temperature storage and stabilization of stool in the OMNImet.GUT device yielded comparable metabolomic results to flash freezing in terms of 1) the identity and abundance of detected biochemicals 2) the distinct metabolomic profiles of subjects and 3) changes in metabolites over time that are plausibly microbiota-induced. This method potentially provides a more convenient, less expensive home collection and storage option for stool metabolomic analysis.
Correction to: Risk conditions in children hospitalized with influenza in Norway, 2017–2019
Authors: Hauge Siri Helene , Bakken Inger Johanne , de Blasio Birgitte Freiesleben , Håberg Siri Eldevik
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Gestational systolic blood pressure trajectories and risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in Chinese women
Authors: Teng Haoyue , Wang Yumei , Han Bing , Liu Jieyu , Cao Yingying , Wang Jiaxiang , Zhu Xiaoyan , Fu Jiaojiao , Ling Qi , Xiao Chengqi , Wan Zhongxiao , Yin Jieyun
Published: February 2021

Background

Associations between trajectories of systolic blood pressure (SBP) during pregnancy and pregnant outcomes remain unclear and disparate.

Methods

Data of 20,353 mothers without chronic hypertension and who delivered live singletons between January, 2014 and November, 2019, was extracted from Taicang register-based cohort. Based on SBP measured during 10 to 40 weeks of gestation, SBP trajectories were explored using latent class growth mixture model, and their associations with maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed by logistic regression analyses.

Results

Six heterogeneous SBP trajectories were identified: low delayed-increasing (7.47%), low reverse-increasing (21.88%), low-stable (19.13%), medium-stable (21.64%), medium reverse-increasing (16.47%), and high stable (13.41%) trajectories. The high-stable trajectory had SBP around 125 mmHg in the 10th gestational week, and increased slightly onwards. When compared with the low-stable trajectory, the high-stable trajectory had maximally adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 5.28 (2.76–10.10), 1.30 (1.13–1.50), 1.53 (1.12–2.08), 1.32 (1.06–1.65) and 1.64 (1.08–2.48) for gestational hypertension (GH), early-term delivery (ETD), preterm delivery (PTD), small for gestational age and low birth weight (LBW), respectively. Besides, the medium reverse-increasing trajectory showed significantly increased risk of GH and ETD, while the medium-stable trajectory had significantly elevated risk of ETD and PTD. Notably, SBP trajectories slightly but significantly improved risk discrimination of GH, ETD and LBW, over traditional risk factors.

Conclusion

Women with different SBP trajectories were at varied risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Meanwhile, our study suggested that BP monitoring during pregnancy is necessary, especially for women with high SBP in early pregnancy or upward trajectory.
Changes in cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-10 levels display better performance in predicting disease relapse than conventional magnetic resonance imaging in primary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zou Dongmei , Yin Jingjing , Zhang Li , Zhang Xiao , Wang Wei , Zhang Meifen , Zhou Daobin , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2021

Backgroud

Establishing diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a challenge. This study evaluated the value of dynamic interleukin (IL)-10 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations for prognosis and relapse prediction in PCNSL.

Methods

Consecutive 40 patients newly diagnosed with PCNSL between April 2015 and April 2019 were recruited, and serial CSF specimens were collected by lumbar punctures (LP) or by Ommaya reservoir at diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up phase.

Results

We confirmed that an elevated IL-10 cutoff value of 8.2 pg/mL for the diagnosis value of PCNSL showed a sensitivity of 85%. A persistent detectable CSF IL-10 level at the end of treatment was associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) (836 vs. 481 days, p = 0.049). Within a median follow-up of 13.6 (2–55) months, 24 patients relapsed. IL-10 relapse was defined as a positive conversion in patients with undetectable IL-10 or an increased concentration compared to the last test in patients with sustained IL-10. IL-10 relapse was detected a median of 67 days (28–402 days) earlier than disease relapse in 10/16 patients.

Conclusion

This study highlights a new perspective that CSF IL-10 relapse could be a surrogate marker for disease relapse and detected earlier than conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Further evaluation of IL-10 monitoring in PCNSL follow-up is warranted.
Transient accumulation of subretinal fluid after half-fluence photodynamic therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Kim Min Ho , Chung Yoo-Ri , Song Ji Hun
Published: February 2021

Background

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is known to occlude choroidal neovascularisation selectively, and there have been several reports on its adverse effects on the normal choroid and retinal pigment epithelium, resulting in decreased vision.

Methods

This retrospective interventional case series aimed to investigate the changes in visual acuity and retinal thickness in the immediate post-treatment period after half-fluence PDT, administered alone or with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and steroids, in 29 eyes (26 patients) with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The patients’ best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography images were measured 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month post-treatment.

Results

Compared to the pre-treatment CFT (270.38 μm), the mean CFT was significantly increased 1 day post-treatment (387.07 μm, P = 0.001), which then started to decrease, with a mean CFT of 269.32 μm (P = 0.516) at 1 week, and of 240.66 μm (P = 0.066) at 1 month post-treatment. All CFT increases were due to the accumulation of subretinal fluid (SRF), rather than the intraretinal or subretinal pigment epithelium fluid. Relative to the pre-treatment BCVA (0.59 logMAR), the mean BCVA at 1 day (0.74 logMAR, P = 0.005) and 1 week (0.75 logMAR, P = 0.002) post-treatment was significantly deteriorated; however, it recovered to 0.62 logMAR at 1 month. The patterns of change in CFT and BCVA did not differ according to treatment modality.

Conclusions

Half-fluence PDT resulted in accumulation of SRF in the immediate post-treatment period; this damage mostly recovered within a week, and the BCVA was restored within a month.
Neonatal mortality burden and trends in UNHCR refugee camps, 2006–2017: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Tappis Hannah , Ramadan Marwa , Vargas Josep , Kahi Vincent , Hering Heiko , Schulte-Hillen Catrin , Spiegel Paul
Published: February 2021

Background

More than 100 million people were forcibly displaced over the last decade, including millions of refugees displaced across international borders. Although refugee health and well-being has gained increasing attention from researchers in recent years, few studies have examined refugee birth outcomes or newborn health on a regional or global scale. This study uses routine health information system data to examine neonatal mortality burden and trends in refugee camps between 2006 and 2017.

Methods

Refugee population and mortality data were exported from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Health Information System (HIS) database. Tableau was used to export the data. Stata was used for data cleaning and statistical analysis. Neonatal mortality burdens and trends in refugee camps were analyzed and compared to national and subnational neonatal mortality rates captured by household surveys.

Findings

One hundred fifty refugee camps in 21 countries were included in this study, with an average population of 1,725,433 between 2006 and 2017. A total of 663,892 live births and 3382 neonatal deaths were captured during this period. Annual country-level refugee camp neonatal mortality rates (NMR) ranged from 12 to 56 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births. In most countries and years where national population-based surveys are available, refugee camp NMR as reported in the UNHCR HIS was lower than that of the immediate host community.

Conclusion

The UNHCR HIS provides insights into the neonatal mortality burden among refugees in camp settings and issues to consider in design and use of routine health information systems to monitor neonatal health in sub-national populations. Increased visibility of neonatal deaths and stillbirths among displaced populations can drive advocacy and inform decisions needed to strengthen health systems. Efforts to count every stillbirth and neonatal death are critical, as well as improvements to reporting systems and mechanisms for data review within broader efforts to improve the quality of neonatal care practices within and outside of health facilities.
Proposal of selective wedge instillation of pulmonary surfactant for COVID-19 pneumonia based on computational fluid dynamics simulation
Authors: Kitaoka Hiroko , Kobayashi Hisato , Takimoto Takayuki , Kijima Takashi
Published: February 2021

Background

The most important target cell of SARS-CoV-2 is Type II pneumocyte which produces and secretes pulmonary surfactant (PS) that prevents alveolar collapse. PS instillation therapy is dramatically effective for infant respiratory distress syndrome but has been clinically ineffective for ARDS. Nowadays, ARDS is regarded as non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema with vascular hyper-permeability regardless of direct relation to PS dysfunction. However, there is a possibility that this ineffectiveness of PS instillation for ARDS is caused by insufficient delivery. Then, we performed PS instillation simulation with realistic human airway models by the use of computational fluid dynamics, and investigated how instilled PS would move in the liquid layer covering the airway wall and reach to alveolar regions.

Methods

Two types of 3D human airway models were prepared: one was from the trachea to the lobular bronchi and the other was from a subsegmental bronchus to respiratory bronchioles. The thickness of the liquid layer covering the airway was assigned as 14 % of the inner radius of the airway segment. The liquid layer was assumed to be replaced by an instilled PS. The flow rate of the instilled PS was assigned a constant value, which was determined by the total amount and instillation time in clinical use. The PS concentration of the liquid layer during instillation was computed by solving the advective-diffusion equation.

Results

The driving pressure from the trachea to respiratory bronchioles was calculated at 317 cmH2O, which is about 20 times of a standard value in conventional PS instillation method where the driving pressure was given by difference between inspiratory and end-expiratory pressures of a ventilator. It means that almost all PS does not reach the alveolar regions but moves to and fro within the airway according to the change in ventilator pressure. The driving pressure from subsegmental bronchus was calculated at 273 cm H2O, that is clinically possible by wedge instillation under bronchoscopic observation.

Conclusions

The simulation study has revealed that selective wedge instillation under bronchoscopic observation should be tried for COVID-19 pneumonia before the onset of ARDS. It will be also useful for preventing secondary lung fibrosis.
The effect of rehabilitation education through social media on the quality of life in burn patients: a randomized, controlled, clinical trial
Authors: Rouzfarakh Maryam , Deldar Kolsoum , Froutan Razieh , Ahmadabadi Ali , Mazlom Seyed Reza
Published: February 2021

Background

Burn is one of the most brutal harms to the human body and mind and its wide-ranging complications have many adverse effects on the patients’ quality of life. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of rehabilitation education through social media on burn patients’ quality of life.

Methods

The present randomized, controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients admitted to Imam Reza Hospital Burn Center in the city of Mashhad, Iran, who were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups (n = 30 per group). The researcher then created a WhatsApp channel to provide educational content and a WhatsApp group for burns patients to join and get their questions answered. The intervention group patients pursued their post-discharge education through the social media for a month. The control group patients received their discharge education according to the ward’s routine procedures through pamphlets and face-to-face training by the personnel. As the study’s main variable, the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief was completed by both groups before and 1 and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the ANCOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results

There was no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of the QOL score and any of the domains at baseline. The results indicated the significant effect of the intervention both 1 and 2 months post-intervention on the QOL score and all the domains (P < 0.05), except for body image (Pmodel1 = .550 and  Pmodel2 = .463) and skin sensitivity (Pmodel1 = .333 and Pmodel2 = .104).

Conclusion

The post-discharge rehabilitation education of burns patients through social media improves their quality of life and can be used as an appropriate educational and follow-up method in different stages of the rehabilitation of burn patients.

Trial registration no.

IRCT20190622043971N1, 05-10-2019.
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine-potential therapeutic application for the treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Capodice Jillian L. , Chubak Barbara M.
Published: February 2021

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has evolved over millennia to include practices and procedures such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, manual therapies, nutrition, and mind–body therapies such as qi gong. In modern-day China and other Asian countries, TCM is a medical subspecialty utilized alongside western biomedicine. During the current Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, TCM and TCM herbal medicine is being used and a number of single herbs and combination formulas have significant bioactivity and therapeutic potential. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19. This commentary provides the reader with a concise background on COVID-19 and summarizes TCM concepts including identification, pattern diagnosis, and treatment principles commonly used for the treatment of viral influenza-like diseases. It also highlights some of the challenges and potential for using TCM in an integrated medical setting.
“I have SMA, SMA doesn’t have me”: a qualitative snapshot into the challenges, successes, and quality of life of adolescents and young adults with SMA
Authors: Mazzella Allison , Curry Mary , Belter Lisa , Cruz Rosángel , Jarecki Jill
Published: February 2021

Background

With the approval of three treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and several promising therapies on the horizon, the SMA adolescent and young adult populations are expected to evolve in the coming years. It is imperative to understand this cohort as it exists today to provide optimal care and resources, as well as to assess possible treatment effects over time. In 2018, Cure SMA launched two initiatives geared towards understanding adolescents and young adults with SMA, ages 12–25. First, Cure SMA launched a Quality of Life (QoL) survey to capture quantitative and qualitative information on this specific age demographic. Concurrently, Cure SMA invited SMA-affected individuals, ages 12–25, to create a three-minute video on their everyday experiences living with SMA. An inductive thematic analysis of the free-text survey questions along with the video contest findings are reported here.

Results

Eighty-five individuals—6 type Is, 58 type IIs, and 21 type IIIs—completed the Quality of Life free-response, while six individuals participated in the SMA awareness video contest. In both settings, individuals detailed a variety of challenges, including but not limited to forming or maintaining close relationships, experiencing feelings of isolation, challenges with accessibility, independence, and dealing with the stigma of being perceived as mentally disabled. Individuals also discussed their successes, including but not limited to higher education enrollment and attendance, development of quality friendships, and perseverance through obstacles. Additionally, notably in the survey, 39% of respondents requested the creation of an SMA peer support group in efforts to connect with each other as well as collectively navigate the aforementioned challenges they face.

Conclusion

Together, these findings provide a rare glimpse into the unique mindsets, challenges and motivations of SMA adolescents and young adults, via patient-reported measures instead of caregiver proxy. The adolescent and young adult age demographics assessed represent a critical transition period in life and in SMA care. No one understands the needs of an adolescent or young adult with SMA better than the individuals themselves, and it is critical to encapsulate their insights to affect change.
Prion protein oligomers cause neuronal cytoskeletal damage in rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Shafiq Mohsin , Zafar Saima , Younas Neelam , Noor Aneeqa , Puig Berta , Altmeppen Hermann Clemens , Schmitz Matthias , Matschke Jakob , Ferrer Isidre , Glatzel Markus , Zerr Inga
Published: February 2021

Background

High-density oligomers of the prion protein (HDPs) have previously been identified in brain tissues of patients with rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease (rpAD). The current investigation aims at identifying interacting partners of HDPs in the rpAD brains to unravel the pathological involvement of HDPs in the rapid progression.

Methods

HDPs from the frontal cortex tissues of rpAD brains were isolated using sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Proteins interacting with HDPs were identified by co-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry. Further verifications were carried out using proteomic tools, immunoblotting, and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Results

We identified rpAD-specific HDP-interactors, including the growth arrest specific 2-like 2 protein (G2L2). Intriguingly, rpAD-specific disturbances were found in the localization of G2L2 and its associated proteins i.e., the end binding protein 1, α-tubulin, and β-actin.

Discussion

The results show the involvement of HDPs in the destabilization of the neuronal actin/tubulin infrastructure. We consider this disturbance to be a contributing factor for the rapid progression in rpAD.
Assessing adverse childhood experiences, social, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, and subjective health complaints among Hungarian adolescents
Authors: Kovács-Tóth Beáta , Oláh Barnabás , Papp Gábor , Szabó Ildikó Kuritárné
Published: February 2021

Background

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have lifelong adverse impacts; they can play a role in the development of subsequent emotional, cognitive, and social impairments leading to somatic and mental difficulties, as well as health damaging behaviours. Unfortunately, there are currently no research data available in Hungary regarding the frequency of ACEs among adolescents.

Aims

A cross sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a community sample of Hungarian adolescents to assess the frequency of ACEs and analyse their association with current social, emotional, and behavioural symptoms (SEB), and subjective health complaints (SHC).

Methods

Demographic data, ACEs, SEB and SHC status of 516 adolescents aged 12 to 17 were collected. ACEs were assessed using the ACE Score Calculator; for SEB the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and for SHC some specific items from the Health Behaviour of School Children questionnaire were employed. To analyse the relationship of ACEs to SEB and SHC logistic regression was performed.

Results

Our results showed that the frequency of ACEs, SEB and SHC is high among adolescents. One-fourth of the students reported ≥ 2 categories of childhood exposures, and 7.4% reported having experienced ≥ 4 types of ACEs. The most prevalent forms of child maltreatment were emotional neglect (15.5%) and emotional abuse (14.5%). The most frequent dysfunctional household condition was parental divorce or separation (23.8%), followed by household substance abuse (8.9%) and household mental illness (8.1%). Almost one-fifth of students (17.5%) reported SEB symptoms (peer relationship problems in 21.7%, emotional symptoms in 14.6%, conduct problems in 18.3%, hyperactivity in 15%). The prevalence of SHC was also high: more than half of the students experienced at least one subjective health complaint multiple times a week. Significant associations were found between ACEs and the SEB/SHC reported by students.

Conclusions

Adverse childhood experiences, social, emotional, and behavioural symptoms, and SHC are common among Hungarian adolescents. The cumulation of ACEs is associated with a higher number of SEB and SHC symptoms. Therefore, prevention programmes, early recognition, risk reduction, and therapy are needed.
Correction to: Show us your ticks: a survey of ticks infesting dogs and cats across the USA
Authors: Saleh Meriam N. , Sundstrom Kellee D. , Duncan Kathryn T. , Ientile Michelle M. , Jordy Julia , Ghosh Parna , Little Susan E.
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Bisphosphonates as disease-modifying drugs in osteoarthritis preclinical studies: a systematic review from 2000 to 2020
Authors: Fernández-Martín Silvia , López-Peña Mónica , Muñoz Fernando , Permuy María , González-Cantalapiedra Antonio
Published: February 2021

Bisphosphonates have been proposed as possible disease-modifying drugs in osteoarthritis. However, the evidence of their efficacy is poor and their outcomes presented a great heterogeneity. Therefore, the aim of this study is to systematically review the main effects of bisphosphonate use on synovial joint tissues and biochemical markers in preclinical studies over the past two decades (2000–2020). Three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched, and after screening, twenty-six studies with five different types of bisphosphonates were included in the review. The animal model selected, the type of bisphosphonate used, the therapy duration, and the main effects of individual drugs on synovial tissues were evaluated. Additionally, the quality and risk of bias assessments were performed using the Animals in Research Reporting In Vivo Experiments guidelines and the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation tool. Studies showed high variability in experimental designs. Consequently, the comparison of the findings in order to draw specific conclusions about the effectiveness of the drugs is complicated. However, the results of this systematic review suggested that bisphosphonates seemed to reduce the osteoarthritic changes in a dose-dependent manner showing better chondroprotective effects at high doses. Besides, a time-dependent efficacy was also detected in terms of cartilage status. One can conclude that the disease stage of the time-point of treatment initiation may constitute a key factor in the antiresorptive drug efficacy. Generally, we noted that bisphosphonate administration seemed to show positive subchondral bone conservation and fewer biomarker alterations. However, they did not appear to suppress the osteophyte development and their chondroprotective effect is highly variable among the studies. Bisphosphonates appeared to show a positive anti-inflammatory effect on the synovial membrane. However, only a few included publications were focused on their investigation. Regarding the therapy duration, there is a significant lack of evidence on evaluating their effectiveness in preclinical long-term studies and further experimental studies may be needed to examine the pharmacological response in these circumstances. This systematic review might help to clarify the efficacy of bisphosphonates and their function as disease-modifying treatments in osteoarthritis.
New Tseng’s extragradient methods for pseudomonotone variational inequality problems in Hadamard manifolds
Authors: Khammahawong Konrawut , Kumam Poom , Chaipunya Parin , Plubtieng Somyot
Published: February 2021

We propose Tseng’s extragradient methods for finding a solution of variational inequality problems associated with pseudomonotone vector fields in Hadamard manifolds. Under standard assumptions such as pseudomonotone and Lipschitz continuous vector fields, we prove that any sequence generated by the proposed methods converges to a solution of variational inequality problem, whenever it exits. Moreover, we give some numerical experiments to illustrate our main results.
Dual-channel convolutional neural network for power edge image recognition
Authors: Zhou Fangrong , Ma Yi , Wang Bo , Lin Gang
Published: February 2021

In view of the low accuracy and poor processing capacity of traditional power equipment image recognition methods, this paper proposes a power equipment image recognition method based on a dual-channel convolutional neural network (DC-CNN) model and random forest (RF) classification. In the aspect of feature extraction, the DC-CNN model extracts the characteristics of power equipment through two independent CNN models. In the aspect of the recognition algorithm, by referring to the advantages of the traditional machine learning method and incorporating the advantages of the RF, an RF classification method incorporating deep learning is proposed. Finally, the proposed DC-CNN model and RF classification method are used to classify images of various types of power equipment. The results show that the proposed methods can be effectively applied to the image recognition of various types of power equipment, and they greatly improve the recognition rate of power equipment images.