bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urinary retention concomitant with methamphetamine use: a case report
Authors: Ojo Ayotunde Olumide , Ajasa Adesegun Lawrence , Oladipupo Rilwan Babatunde , Aderinto Nicholas Oluwaseyi
Published: April 2021

Background

Urinary retention is a condition in which impaired emptying of the bladder results in postvoid residual urine. It can be acute or chronic urinary retention. There have been only scattered case studies that have described urinary retention resulting from methamphetamine use. This case report is aimed at raising awareness about methamphetamine abuse as an important factor in the aetiological considerations when evaluating cases of urinary retention among healthy younger age groups.

Case presentation

We report a patient who had acute urinary retention after brief amphetamine use. A 26-year-old Nigerian man presented at the emergency room on account of an inability to pass urine and lower abdominal pain. Before this incident, the patient reported a recent ingestion of amphetamine to achieve weight reduction and a fit body. A week after use, he started to experience difficulty passing out urine hence necessitating a visit to the emergency department. After a brief assessment, physical examination revealed a man in painful distress with mild suprapubic fullness. He had a successful passage of a urethral catheter for continuous bladder drainage with dramatic improvement in his symptoms. He was subsequently discontinued on methamphetamine use and referred to a urologist for further evaluation.

Conclusion

Most cases of urinary retention are diagnosed clinically and are rarely missed. But because urinary retention is associated with a wide range of aetiological factors, clinicians need to be aware of the effects of certain drugs in the aetiology of urinary retention. In the management of a case of urinary retention in the younger age group, clinicians should enquire about a history of drug use, the drug of particular interest being methamphetamine, and also employ the use of urodynamic studies in the evaluation of such cases.
Effectiveness and safety of low-level laser therapy in diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Lin , Li Jingjing , Lin Jingshan , Tang Shiheng , Li Yuxia
Published: April 2021

Background

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes mellitus. The main symptoms of DPN include numbness or pain in both extremities and paresthesia (such as formication or burning sensations), which greatly affect patients’ quality of life. Pharmacological treatments for DPN are associated with both uncertain therapeutic effects and adverse effects, as well as with high costs. Some clinical studies have reported that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) relieves clinical symptoms and improves nerve function in patients with DPN. We intend to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of LLLT for DPN.

Methods

The following electronic databases will be searched to retrieve literature from their inception until December 2020: MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science (the Science and Social Science Citation Index), CNKI, VIP, WanFang, and SinoMed. Simultaneously, clinical registration tests and gray literature will also be retrieved. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LLLT with either sham LLLT, no (specific) treatment, or active conventional medical treatments will be included. The primary outcomes will be nerve conduction velocity as well as clinical scores that assess neurological function and related symptoms. The risk of bias of each study and quality of evidence will be assessed using the updated Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool and GRADE approach, respectively. A meta-analysis will then be conducted using Review Manager software version 5.3.

Discussion

This study will integrate RCTs and analyze data to provide a detailed summary of the evidence relating to the effects and safety of LLLT in patients with DPN. LLLT will be compared with sham LLLT, no (specific) treatment, or active conventional medical treatments, especially in terms of neurological function, quality of life, and adverse events. In conclusion, this systematic review will generate evidence regarding the use of LLLT to treat DPN, in terms of both its efficacy and safety.

Systematic review registration

This protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews on April 2020 (registration number: CRD42020170625).
Biosynthesis of resveratrol derivatives and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activity
Authors: Chong Yoojin , Lee Hye Lim , Song Jihyeon , Lee Youngshim , Kim Bong-Gyu , Mok Hyejung , Ahn Joong-Hoon
Published: April 2021

Resveratrol is a typical plant phenolic compound whose derivatives are synthesized through hydroxylation, O-methylation, prenylation, and oligomerization. Resveratrol and its derivatives exhibit anti-neurodegenerative, anti-rheumatoid, and anti-inflammatory effects. Owing to the diverse biological activities of these compounds and their importance in human health, this study attempted to synthesize five resveratrol derivatives (isorhapontigenin, pterostilbene, 4-methoxyresveratrol, piceatannol, and rhapontigenin) using Escherichia coli. Two-culture system was used to improve the final yield of resveratrol derivatives. Resveratrol was synthesized in the first E. coli cell that harbored genes for resveratrol biosynthesis including TAL (tyrosine ammonia lyase), 4CL (4-coumaroyl CoA ligase), STS (stilbene synthase) and genes for tyrosine biosynthesis such as aroG (deoxyphosphoheptonate aldolase) and tyrA (prephenate dehydrogenase). Thereafter, culture filtrate from the first cell was used for the modification reaction carried out using the second E. coli harboring hydroxylase and/or O-methyltransferase. Approximately, 89.8 mg/L of resveratrol was synthesized and using the same, five derivatives were prepared with a conversion rate of 88.2% to 22.9%. Using these synthesized resveratrol derivatives, we evaluated their anti-inflammatory activity. 4-Methoxyresveratrol, pterostilbene and isorhapontigenin showed the anti-inflammatory effects without any toxicity. In addition, pterostilbene exhibited the enhanced anti-inflammatory effects for macrophages compared to resveratrol.
Receiver tilt: a scourge for aquatic telemetry or useful predictor variable
Authors: Becker Alistair , Lowry Michael B. , Taylor Matthew D.
Published: April 2021

Background

Water current data can be a useful predictor variable to include in acoustic telemetry studies given its link to changes in fish behaviour. While there are a range of sensors which can measure currents, they are often expensive and logistically difficult to deploy and maintain. Contemporary acoustic receivers measure tilt angle which may act as a proxy for water current data if the receiver is moored on a rope and buoy system and allowed to sway in the direction of water flow. We tested the relationship between tilt angle and water current by co-locating two types of commonly deployed receivers with current meters.

Results

Both receivers (Vemco VR4 and VR2AR) displayed similar ranges in tilt angle. While the VR4 could only measure tilt on a daily basis, the VR2AR measurements were taken hourly; these data were then also aggregated on a daily scale. A positive relationship was found between the tilt angle for both types of receivers and current speed, including for both aggregated daily and hourly data for the VR2AR. Both receivers tended to slightly over-estimate current at lower speeds and underestimate it at high speeds.

Conclusions

These data show tilt angles recorded by commonly deployed receivers could be incorporated as a proxy for current flow where dedicated current loggers are absent. We would recommend programming receivers to record tilt as frequently as possible to account for short-term variability in environmental conditions.
Preservation stress resistance of melanin deficient conidia from Paecilomyces variotii and Penicillium roqueforti mutants generated via CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing
Authors: Seekles Sjoerd J. , Teunisse Pepijn P. P. , Punt Maarten , van den Brule Tom , Dijksterhuis Jan , Houbraken Jos , Wösten Han A. B. , Ram Arthur F. J.
Published: April 2021

Background

The filamentous fungi Paecilomyces variotii and Penicillium roqueforti are prevalent food spoilers and are of interest as potential future cell factories. A functional CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system would be beneficial for biotechnological advances as well as future (genetic) research in P. variotii and P. roqueforti.

Results

Here we describe the successful implementation of an efficient AMA1-based CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system developed for Aspergillus niger in P. variotii and P. roqueforti in order to create melanin deficient strains. Additionally, kusA− mutant strains with a disrupted non-homologous end-joining repair mechanism were created to further optimize and facilitate efficient genome editing in these species. The effect of melanin on the resistance of conidia against the food preservation stressors heat and UV-C radiation was assessed by comparing wild-type and melanin deficient mutant conidia.

Conclusions

Our findings show the successful use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and its high efficiency in P. variotii and P. roqueforti in both wild-type strains as well as kusA− mutant background strains. Additionally, we observed that melanin deficient conidia of three food spoiling fungi were not altered in their heat resistance. However, melanin deficient conidia had increased sensitivity towards UV-C radiation.
Treatment of secondary central nervous system involvement in systemic aggressive B cell lymphoma using R-MIADD chemotherapy: a single-center study
Authors: Wu Yuchen , Sun Xuefei , Bai Xueyan , Qian Jun , Zhu Hong , Cui Qu , Xing Ruixian , Chen Yuedan , Liu Qing , Lai Wenyuan , Li Junhong , Wang Yaming , Sun Shengjun , Ji Nan , Liu Yuanbo
Published: April 2021

Background

Secondary central nervous system lymphoma (SCNSL) is defined as lymphoma involvement within the central nervous system (CNS) that originated elsewhere, or a CNS relapse of systemic lymphoma. Prognosis of SCNSL is poor and the most appropriate treatment is still undetermined.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study to assess the feasibility of an R-MIADD (rituximab, high-dose methotrexate, ifosfamide, cytarabine, liposomal formulation of doxorubicin, and dexamethasone) regimen for SCNSL patients.

Results

Nineteen patients with newly diagnosed CNS lesions were selected, with a median age of 58 (range 20 to 72) years. Out of 19 patients, 11 (57.9%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 2 (10.5%) achieved partial remission (PR); the overall response rate was 68.4%. The median progression-free survival after CNS involvement was 28.0 months (95% confidence interval 11.0–44.9), and the median overall survival after CNS involvement was 34.5 months. Treatment-related death occurred in one patient (5.3%).

Conclusions

These single-centered data underscore the feasibility of an R-MIADD regimen as the induction therapy of SCNSL, further investigation is warranted.
Identification of two distinct begomoviruses infecting Malvastrum coromandelianum
Authors: Wang Yaqin , Zhang Xinyue , Hu Tao , Zhou Xueping
Published: April 2021

Malvastrum coromandelianum is a common weed plant frequently found around agricultural fields. Three virus isolates (Y249, Y278 and Y281) were obtained from M. coromandelianum with yellow vein symptoms in Honghe and Baoshan, Yunnan Province, China. Specific 500 bp products were amplified from total DNA extracts using universal primers for members of the genus Begomovirus. The complete viral genome sequences of both Y278 and Y281 were determined to be 2743 nucleotides, and that of Y249 was determined to be 2740 nucleotides. Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses support the proposal of creating new species in the genus Begomovirus, for which the name malvastrum yellow vein Baoshan virus (MaYVBsV) is proposed for Y278 and Y281, and malvastrum yellow vein Honghe virus (MaYVHhV) is proposed for Y249.
Total knee replacement in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Sekeitto Allan Roy , van der Jagt Kaeriann , Sikhauli Nkhodiseni , van der Jagt Dick Ronald
Published: April 2021

Background

A review of the literature revealed that only 9 total knee replacements were performed on patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), with one being a revision procedure of a periprosthetic fracture. Of the 9 primary procedures, all used cemented prostheses, and 3 patients had an osteotomy at the same procedure. Our patient required a hinged prosthesis because of collateral ligament incompetence and is the first such case reported in the literature.

Case presentation

Presented here is a total knee replacement performed on a 52-year-old patient with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) who injured her left knee and ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament. Her right knee suffered from severe degenerative changes with an incompetent medial collateral ligament. It was decided to replace the right knee before addressing the left knee injury. A hinged revision prosthesis was used. The smallest components available were used because of the small anatomical bony dimensions.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of a hinged prosthesis and highlights the soft tissue component of osteogenesis imperfecta. We also highlight the technical problems with these patients, including mal-alignment, small bony dimensions and bone fragility.
Pathology Consultation Clinic for Patients With Cancer: Meeting the Clinician Behind the Microscope
Authors: Shachar Eliya , P. Hasson Shira , Fayngor Rochelle , Wolf Ido , Hershkovitz Dov
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE:

Traditionally, pathologists have been branded the doctor's doctor, with a position behind the microscope and limited interaction among patients, despite their rich understanding of disease development and ability to navigate personalized medicine in an era of dynamic molecular testing.

METHODS:

We piloted a unique patient-pathology consultation service, whereby pathologists review tissue specimens with oncology patients, facilitating a platform for heightening patient understanding of their disease and guiding additional genetic and molecular evaluation. We conducted a retrospective survey assessing patient experience.

RESULTS:

Fifty-nine patients participated in the patient-pathology clinic consultation, with a median age of 64 years and a female predominance (33, 55.9%). The majority of patients were treated for sarcomas (11, 18.6%), breast cancer (10, 17%), and GI tumors (10, 17%). Half of the participants consulted regarding a metastatic disease (28, 47.5%). Thirty patients (50.8%) were referred to additional workup, 11 patients (18.6%) to a second opinion, and 25 participants (42.4%) were counseled to complete genetic sequencing or additional molecular profiles on their pathologic samples. Twelve patients (20.3%) were referred for pathology revision within our institution. Three patients (5.1%) had a change in treatment plan resulting from the clinic visit. The majority (90%) would recommend the patient-pathology clinic to other oncology patients.

CONCLUSION:

To our knowledge, this is the largest study of patient-pathologist consultation services implemented at a single institution. Our work suggests that the program may provide effective patient understanding and reinforce the role of the pathologist as the patient's doctor. This work surfaced the concerns of patients, regarding their pathology reports, and demonstrated that the patient-pathology clinics are a valuable platform to address patients' distress regarding uncertainty of their diagnosis and an integral resource engaging directly with patients, driving additional evaluation and patient-targeted treatment.
Houses of Moral Suasion: Between Rehabilitation and Punishment
Authors: Park Young Sun
Published: April 2021

This article traces the conceptual, legal, and institutional development of Korean “houses of moral suasion” by exploring the example of the first such institution, the Yŏnghŭng School, founded in 1923. The appearance of houses of moral suasion in this era showcases the institutionalization of children deemed problematic and thus undesirable. The idea of rescuing and disciplining children became interconnected and conflated as these children were conceived of as both victims and threats, a process of othering that defined them as simultaneously needy and problematic. In dealing with children, social work aimed to be both disciplinary and protective, and the discourse surrounding the institutionalization of vulnerable children demonstrated the methods through which Korean society criminalized, disciplined, and corrected marginalized children. The link between vagrant or orphaned children and delinquency can be read as a fundamental reordering of the relationship between modern disciplinary power and marginalized children. This in turn reinforced the regulatory approach to undesirable children more generally in colonial Korea.
Προσδιορισμός συγγραφικού προφίλ μέσω τεχνικών επεξεργασίας φυσικής γλώσσας
Authors: Γαγιάτσου Σοφία
Published: April 2021

Η παρούσα διατριβή παρουσιάζει την ερευνητική προσπάθεια και τα αποτελέσματα που αυτή παρήγαγε αναφορικά με την αυτόματη αναγνώριση των χαρακτηριστικών της προσωπικότητας του συγγραφέα μέσω τεχνικών επεξεργασίας φυσικής γλώσσας. Συγκεκριμένα, εξετάζεται η υπόθεση ότι στοιχεία του χαρακτήρα ενός ατόμου μπορούν να προσδιοριστούν αυτόματα μέσω της γλώσσας που χρησιμοποιεί στο γραπτό του λόγο. Για το σκοπό αυτό αναπτύχθηκε ηλεκτρονικό σώμα κειμένων από εκθέσεις μαθητών Λυκείου στην Ελληνική γλώσσα. Στους συμμετέχοντες μαθητές χορηγήθηκαν δύο ερωτηματολόγια προσωπικότητας, το ένα βασισμένο στην τυπολογία του Carl Jung και το άλλο στο μοντέλο των Πέντε Παραγόντων (ψυχολογικών χαρακτηριστικών). Επιπλέον, καταγράφεται στην παρούσα διατριβή αναλυτική επισκόπηση της διεθνούς βιβλιογραφίας του εν λόγω ερευνητικού πεδίου, ώστε να μελετηθούν η μεθοδολογία, τα εργαλεία και τα αποτελέσματα των σχετικών ερευνών μέχρι σήμερα. Αξιοποιώντας τα σύγχρονα ερευνητικά πορίσματα, η διατριβή εξετάζει την αποτελεσματικότητα δεκάδων υφομετρικών χαρακτηριστικών για την πρόβλεψη της προσωπικότητας των μαθητών. Αυτά τα χαρακτηριστικά, αφού εξήχθησαν αυτόματα από τα ηλεκτρονικά κειμενικά σώματα των εκθέσεων με εργαλεία και πόρους επεξεργασίας φυσικής γλώσσας, τροφοδότησαν μια μεγάλη σειρά από αλγόριθμους μηχανικής μάθησης, των οποίων τα μοντέλα ελέγχθηκαν μετά ως προς την ακρίβεια της απόδοσής τους. Για το Ερωτηματολόγιο Τύπων Προσωπικότητας Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (ΜΒΤΙ) βρέθηκε ότι ο Naive Bayes αλγόριθμος αποδίδει το μεγαλύτερο συγκριτικά κατά μέσο όρο ποσοστό ακρίβειας, ανερχόμενο σε 76,5%, ενώ για την πρόβλεψη των χαρακτηριστικών προσωπικότητας βάσει του μοντέλου των Πέντε Παραγόντων, επικράτησε ο αλγόριθμος Generalized Linear Model με μέσο όρο ακρίβειας 72,2%. Από την διεξαχθείσα έρευνα προέκυψαν νέοι συνδυασμοί υφομετρικών χαρακτηριστικών και αντίστοιχες υπολογιστικές τεχνικές, που δίνουν ενδιαφέρουσες και ικανοποιητικές λύσεις στο πρόβλημα αυτόματης αναγνώρισης της προσωπικότητας του συγγραφέα για την Ελληνική γλώσσα, ενώ καταδείχθηκε (και για τα Ελληνικά) η βαρύνουσα αξία της χρήσης των υφομετρικών γλωσσολογικών χαρακτηριστικών στην αντιμετώπιση των ερευνητικών προβλημάτων στο γενικότερο επιστημονικό και τεχνολογικό πεδίο της κατανόησης από τον υπολογιστή του ανθρώπινου γραπτού λόγου, με έμφαση στην επεξεργασία κειμένων φυσικής γλώσσας για αυτόματη εξόρυξη ιδιαίτερων χαρακτηριστικών του συγγραφέα τους.
Η μεταμυθοπλασία στο εικονογραφημένο βιβλίο χωρίς λόγια (wordless picturebook) και η πρόσληψή της από παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας
Authors: Πασχαλίδου Ελένη
Published: April 2021

Τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες συναντάμε συχνά στα εικονογραφημένα βιβλία για παιδιά μεταμυθοπλαστικές τεχνικές, και στο γραπτό και στο οπτικό κείμενο, οι οποίες δημιουργούν ασάφεια και απροσδιοριστία και τα κάνουν ακόμα πιο σύνθετα και περίτεχνα. Αυτά τα αυτοαναφορικά και αυτοσυνειδητά κείμενα απαιτούν την ενεργητική συμμετοχή του αναγνώστη, ο οποίος καλείται να τα αποκωδικοποιήσει και να επιλύσει τα προβλήματα που δημιουργεί η μεταμυθοπλαστική αφήγηση. Τα βιβλία χωρίς λόγια είναι οπτικά κείμενα στα οποία οι εικόνες είναι αυτές που φέρουν το βάρος της αφήγησης. Κάποια από τα πιο απαιτητικά βιβλία χωρίς λόγια χρησιμοποιούν μεταμυθοπλαστικές τεχνικές με έναν παιγνιώδη τρόπο, προκειμένου να υπονομεύσουν τη σχέση ανάμεσα στη φαντασία και την πραγματικότητα και να παρουσιάσουν το βιβλίο ως μια κατασκευή. Στην παρούσα διατριβή μελετάμε πώς παιδιά 4-6 ετών κατανοούν και ανταποκρίνονται στη μεταμυθοπλασία σε ένα βιβλίο χωρίς λόγια, ιδιαίτερα στις τεχνικές της μετάληψης, της διάρρηξης του χωρόχρονου, της mise en abyme, της διεικονικότητας/διακειμενικότητας και των πειραματισμών στο design. Συμπεραίνουμε ότι τα παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας είναι σε θέση να διαχειριστούν την ασάφεια και την απροσδιοριστία των μεταμυθοπλαστικών τεχνικών στα βιβλία χωρίς λόγια και μπορούν, σε ένα ομαδικό πλαίσιο ανάγνωσης, να κατασκευάσουν τα νοήματα και μηνύματα αυτών των εκλεπτυσμένων αφηγήσεων. Η παιγνιώδης φύση των κειμένων αυτών τα κάνει ιδιαίτερα ελκυστικά στα παιδιά μικρής ηλικίας που δείχνουν ενδιαφέρον, συμμετέχουν ενεργά και απολαμβάνουν τις συνεχείς παραβιάσεις των λογοτεχνικών συμβάσεων και νόμων της πραγματικότητας.
Bearing witness to the challenges of breathlessness
Authors: Speakman Lucy , Butcher Dan , Schutz Sue
Published: April 2021

The community respiratory nurse specialist (CRNS) supports patients at different stages of lung disease, witnessing the challenge of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive illness for which there is no cure. Breathlessness is the most prominent and debilitating symptom experienced; it is frightening, distressing and very difficult to manage. Little is known about the experience of CRNSs in witnessing the distress of patients, specifically those experiencing breathlessness. The nurse may have cared for such patients over many months or years. In witnessing this distress, CRNSs engage in emotional labour, which is associated with burnout and poor-quality care. This paper seeks to identify bearing witness to suffering and vulnerability as components of emotional labour in the context of the CRNS role. It highlights the need for research to explore the experience of CRNSs and insights into supporting people with long-term breathlessness. It is more likely that well-supported staff can provide sustained, supportive care to patients living with breathlessness.
Psychological factors and intermittent self-catheterisation
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: April 2021

This article explores the factors less widely discussed in research that relate to the psychological aspects of those who may be eligible for or using intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC). Guidance indicates that cognition and ability to consent should be considered, and research indicates that a person is more likely to cope with ISC if they exhibit resilience and other positive attributes; further, a person's quality of life (QoL) is impacted by factors, such as social isolation, which need to be considered. This article takes an in-depth look at the available information on these factors.
Diabetes education to provide the necessary self-management skills
Authors: Wilson Val
Published: April 2021

Diabetes is a chronic health condition requiring patients to provide 95% of their own care. Having control over this condition and the self-care behaviours necessary for good diabetes self-management can be achieved with patient empowerment and effective diabetes education. The patient must perceive that they have this level of control to maintain good diabetes self-management, enabling prevention or delay of diabetic complications. Currently, there are 3.9 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK, 90% of whom have Type 2 diabetes. However, there has also been a rise in prevalence of Type 1 diabetes in recent years – caused by autoimmune disease rather than lifestyle factors. The number of individuals now living with diabetes exerts a huge toll on the NHS and community healthcare resources, making it crucial that patients manage their condition as well as possible to reduce the human and healthcare costs of treating diabetes complications.
Part 1: a qualitative description of participation in an eight-week infant skin integrity study
Authors: Phipps Fiona MacVane , Price Alan D , Ackers-Johnson James , Cook Penny A , Lythgoe Jeanne
Published: April 2021

Background

The qualitative phase of the Baby Skin Integrity Comparison Survey (BaSICS) study was designed to address a dearth of information about research recruitment and retention, and how mothers make decisions about neonatal skincare.

Aims

The aim of the qualitative phase of the BaSICS study was to explore participants' experience of participating in the research and how this interrelated with the experience of newborn skincare.

Methods

Semi-structured, face-to-face or telephonic interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data analysis used both software and manual methods.

Findings

Motivation included both altruism and personal benefits. The bespoke smartphone application was a convenient and easy tool for data collection, and being afforded full responsibility for observing and recording infant skin condition increased mothers' awareness of skin changes. Family, friends and the internet were the most commonly used sources of information about baby skincare.

Conclusion

The qualitative interview component of the BaSICS study provided information that could not have been deduced from the daily survey and final questionnaire alone. This provides valuable guidance for future research in the field of infant skincare.
Women's views on the visiting restrictions during COVID-19 in an Irish maternity hospital
Authors: Cullen Sarah , Doherty Jean , Brosnan Mary
Published: April 2021

Background

Due to the coronavirus infection, visitors to all hospitals were greatly restricted in the UK. In maternity hospitals, only partners of women in labour were permitted to attend the hospital.

Aims

This study aimed to gain an understanding of women's experiences of visiting restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

Methods

Women who attended the hospital for outpatient appointments and who were inpatients on the antenatal or postnatal ward during a two-week period were asked to complete an anonymous survey.

Findings

A total of 422 surveys were completed. The majority of women (97.6%) agreed that the hospital made adequate preparations for them to feel safe. Most women reported that the restrictions are a good thing and several advantages were identified. Women cited not having their partner with them as the main negative consequence to the restrictions.

Conclusions

Although women miss having their partner for support during scans and to help after the baby is born, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety aspect of the restrictions and the support received from staff is considered by women when making recommendations to a maternity hospital about whether, or how, to ease restrictions on visiting.
The legacy of the Ten Point Plan for general practice nurses
Authors: Oldman Crystal
Published: April 2021

As the General Practice Nurse Ten Point Plan comes to an end, Crystal Oldman explores its achievements and the legacy it will leave
High speed external cavity diode laser concept based on a resonantly driven MEMS scanner for the mid-infrared region
Authors: Hoppe Morten , Schmidtmann Sebastian , Aßmann Christian , Honsberg Martin , Milde Tobias , Schanze Thomas , Sacher Joachim R. , Gu-Stoppel Shanshan , Senger Frank
Published: April 2021

The rapid detection of trace gases is of great relevance for various spectroscopy applications. In this regard, the technology of external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) has firmly established itself due to its excellent properties. Outside of the laboratory environment, however, these still have some restrictions, especially with regard to high acquisition rates for sensitive spectroscopy applications and mode-hop-free tuning. In this article, we present our innovative GaSb-based ECDL concept, in which a resonantly driven microelectromechanical system actuator is used. With this, a defined frequency range can be tuned extremely fast and without mode hops. Results of the characterization and its use for the rapid detection of trace gases are presented.
Induction and detection of pressure waves by pulsed thermal lens technique in water–ethanol mixtures
Authors: Capeloto Otávio A. , Zanuto Vitor S. , Camargo Vinicius G. , Flizikowski Gabriel A. S. , Morais Flávia A. P. , Lukasievicz Gustavo V. B. , Herculano Leandro S. , Belançon Marcos P. , Astrath Nelson G. C. , Malacarne Luis C.
Published: April 2021

The mode-mismatched dual-beam thermal lens technique is widely applied in the characterization of optical and thermo-physical properties of solids and liquids. The technique has also been used to investigate transient acoustic waves induced by pulsed laser excitation at the nanosecond time scale. In this paper, we developed a semi-analytical model to describe the transient acoustic wave that allows a fitting procedure to get the physical properties of fluid samples. The method was used to investigate samples with different mixtures of ethanol and water, and quantitative information of piezo-optic coefficient and sound speed are evaluated for the fluid mixtures.
Spatial coherence in 2D holography
Authors: Diebold Aaron V. , Pendry John B. , Favaro Alberto , Imani Mohammadreza F. , Smith David R.
Published: April 2021

Holography is a long-established technique to encode an object’s
spatial information into a lower-dimensional representation. We
investigate the role of the illumination’s spatial coherence
properties in the success of such an imaging system through point
spread function and Fourier domain analysis. Incoherent illumination
is shown to result in more robust imaging performance free of
diffraction artifacts at the cost of incurring background noise and
sacrificing phase retrieval. Numerical studies confirm that this
background noise reduces image sensitivity as the image size
increases, in agreement with other similar systems. Following this
analysis, we demonstrate a 2D holographic imaging system realized with
lensless, 1D measurements of microwave fields generated by dynamic
metasurface apertures.
Narrow-linewidth thermally tuned multi-channel interference laser integrated with a SOA and spot size converter
Authors: Jiang Chun , Chen Quanan , Wang Kuankuan , Lu Qiaoyin , Lu Mingzhi , Guo Weihua
Published: April 2021

A narrow-linewidth thermally tuned multi-channel interference (MCI) laser integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and spot size converter (SSC) is demonstrated in this paper. A MCI laser integrated with SOA through chirped grating is successfully realized for the first time, which achieves a tuning range of more than 42.5 nm with side-mode suppression ratios (SMSRs) higher than 48 dB and Lorentzian linewidth below 100 kHz. InGaAlAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and thermal tuning are used to reduce linewidth. The integration of SSC greatly improves the coupling efficiency between the laser and a lensed fiber. The MCI laser integrated with SSC achieves more than 16 dBm output power coupled into a lensed fiber. Air layers are fabricated in the phase sections to increase the heating efficiency. The total thermal tuning power is below 20 mW across the whole tuning range.
Diversified functions for a terahertz metasurface with a simple structure
Authors: Pan Wei-Mang , Li Jiu-Sheng
Published: April 2021

Here, we propose a new encoded metasurface with diﬀerent predesigned coding sequences to dynamic manipulate terahertz wavefront and realize various functionalities including beam splitting, anomalous beam deflection, vortex beam generation, angle controlled single-beam deflection, angle controlled multi-beam deflection, angle-controlled vortex beam generation and multi-vortex beam generation. The far-ﬁeld scattering patterns obtained by CST Microwave Studio demonstrate the behavior of the terahertz wave in each case and shows a high consistency with our theoretical prediction results. Due to the excellent properties of the diversified functionalities in a single structure at terahertz frequencies, the proposed encoded metasurface provides promising applications in terahertz multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communication.
Fabrication of uniform-aperture multi-focus microlens array by curving microfluid in the microholes with inclined walls
Authors: Long Yan , Song Zeyuan , Pan Mingliang , Tao Chunxian , Hong Ruijin , Dai Bo , Zhang Dawei
Published: April 2021

A variety of techniques have been proposed for fabricating high-density, high-numerical-aperture microlens arrays. However, a microlens array with a uniform focal length has a narrow depth of field, limiting the ability of depth perception. In this paper, we report on a fabrication method of multi-focus microlens arrays. The method for the preparation of the mold of the microlens array is based on 3D printing and microfluidic manipulation techniques. In the preparation of the mold, curved surfaces of the photo-curable resin with different curvatures are formed in the 3D printed microholes whose walls are inclined with different angles. The replicated microlens array consists of hundreds of lenslets with a uniform diameter of 500 µm and different focal lengths ranging from 635 µm to 970 µm. The multi-focus microlens array is capable of extending the depth of field for capturing clear images of objects at different distances ranging from 14.3 mm to 45.5 mm. The multi-focus microlens array has the potential to be used in a diversity of large-depth-of-field imaging and large-range depth perception applications.
Photorealistic computer generated holography with global illumination
and path tracing
Authors: Blinder David , Chlipala Maksymilian , Kozacki Tomasz , Schelkens Peter
Published: April 2021

Computer generated holography (CGH) algorithms come in many forms, with
different trade-offs in terms of visual quality and calculation speed.
However, no CGH algorithm to date can accurately account for all 3D
visual cues simultaneously, such as occlusion, shadows, continuous
parallax, and precise focal cues, without view discretization. The aim
is to create photorealistic CGH content, not only for display purposes
but also to create reference data for comparing and testing CGH and
compression algorithms. We propose a novel algorithm combining the
precision of point-based CGH with the accurate shading and flexibility
of ray-tracing algorithms. We demonstrate this by creating a scene
with global illumination, soft shadows, and precise occlusion cues,
implemented with OptiX and CUDA.
Maternal weight change from prepregnancy to 18 months postpartum and subsequent risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in Danish women: A cohort study
Authors: Kirkegaard Helene , Bliddal Mette , Støvring Henrik , Rasmussen Kathleen M. , Gunderson Erica P. , Køber Lars , Sørensen Thorkild I. A. , Nøhr Ellen A.
Published: April 2021

Background

One-fourth of women experience substantially higher weight years after childbirth. We examined weight change from prepregnancy to 18 months postpartum according to subsequent maternal risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods and findings

We conducted a cohort study of 47,966 women with a live-born singleton within the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC; 1997–2002). Interviews during pregnancy and 6 and 18 months postpartum provided information on height, gestational weight gain (GWG), postpartum weights, and maternal characteristics. Information on pregnancy complications, incident hypertension, and CVD was obtained from the National Patient Register. Using Cox regression, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) for hypertension and CVD through 16 years of follow-up. During this period, 2,011 women were diagnosed at the hospital with hypertension and 1,321 with CVD. The women were on average 32.3 years old (range 18.0–49.2) at start of follow-up, 73% had a prepregnancy BMI <25, and 27% a prepregnancy BMI ≥25. Compared with a stable weight (±1 BMI unit), weight gains from prepregnancy to 18 months postpartum of >1–2 and >2 BMI units were associated with 25% (10%–42%), P = 0.001 and 31% (14%–52%), P < 0.001 higher risks of hypertension, respectively. These risks were similar whether weight gain presented postpartum weight retention or a new gain from 6 months to 18 months postpartum and whether GWG was below, within, or above the recommendations. For CVD, findings differed according to prepregnancy BMI. In women with normal-/underweight, weight gain >2 BMI units and weight loss >1 BMI unit were associated with 48% (17%–87%), P = 0.001 and 28% (6%–55%), P = 0.01 higher risks of CVD, respectively. Further, weight loss >1 BMI unit combined with a GWG below recommended was associated with a 70% (24%–135%), P = 0.001 higher risk of CVD. No such increased risks were observed among women with overweight/obesity (interaction by prepregnancy BMI, P = 0.01, 0.03, and 0.03, respectively). The limitations of this observational study include potential confounding by prepregnancy metabolic health and self-reported maternal weights, which may lead to some misclassification.

Conclusions

Postpartum weight retention/new gain in all mothers and postpartum weight loss in mothers with normal-/underweight may be associated with later adverse cardiovascular health.
Simultaneous circulation of two West Nile virus lineage 2 clades and Bagaza virus in the Zambezi region, Namibia
Authors: Guggemos Heiko D. , Fendt Matthias , Hieke Christian , Heyde Verena , Mfune John K. E. , Borgemeister Christian , Junglen Sandra
Published: April 2021

Flaviviruses include a great diversity of mosquito-borne arboviruses with epidemic potential and high global disease burden. Several flaviviruses are circulating in southern Africa affecting humans and livestock, among them West Nile virus (WNV) and Wesselsbron virus. Despite their high relevance, no arbovirus surveillance study has been conducted for more than 35 years in Namibia. In this study we assessed the diversity of flaviviruses circulating in mosquitoes in the densely populated, semi-tropical Zambezi region of north-eastern Namibia. In total, 10,206 mosquitoes were sampled in Bwabwata and Mudumu national parks and Mashi and Wuparo conservancies and screened for flavivirus infections. A high infection rate with insect-specific flaviviruses was found with 241 strains of two previously known and seven putative novel insect-specific flaviviruses. In addition, we identified ten strains of WNV in the main vector Cx. univittatus sampled in the Mashi conservancy. Surprisingly, the strains fell into two different clades of lineage 2, 2b and 2d. Further, three strains of Bagaza Virus (BAGV) were found in Cx. univittatus mosquitoes originating from Mudumu national park. Assessment of BAGV growth in different cell lines showed high replication rates in mosquito and duck cells and about 100,000fold lower replication in human, primate and rodent cells. We demonstrate a wide genetic diversity of flaviviruses is circulating in mosquitoes in the Zambezi region. Importantly, WNV and BAGV can cause outbreaks including severe disease and mortality in humans and birds, respectively. Future studies should focus on WNV and BAGV geographic distribution, as well as on their potential health impacts in and the associated social and economic implications for southern Africa.
Investigation of ANN architecture for predicting shear strength of fiber reinforcement bars concrete beams
Authors: Nguyen Quang Hung , Ly Hai-Bang , Nguyen Thuy-Anh , Phan Viet-Hung , Nguyen Long Khanh , Tran Van Quan
Published: April 2021

In this paper, an extensive simulation program is conducted to find out the optimal ANN model to predict the shear strength of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) concrete beams containing both flexural and shear reinforcements. For acquiring this purpose, an experimental database containing 125 samples is collected from the literature and used to find the best architecture of ANN. In this database, the input variables consist of 9 inputs, such as the ratio of the beam width, the effective depth, the shear span to the effective depth, the compressive strength of concrete, the longitudinal FRP reinforcement ratio, the modulus of elasticity of longitudinal FRP reinforcement, the FRP shear reinforcement ratio, the tensile strength of FRP shear reinforcement, the modulus of elasticity of FRP shear reinforcement. Thereafter, the selection of the appropriate architecture of ANN model is performed and evaluated by common statistical measurements. The results show that the optimal ANN model is a highly efficient predictor of the shear strength of FRP concrete beams with a maximum R2value of 0.9634 on the training part and an R2of 0.9577 on the testing part, using the best architecture. In addition, a sensitivity analysis using the optimal ANN model over 500 Monte Carlo simulations is performed to interpret the influence of reinforcement type on the stability and accuracy of ANN model in predicting shear strength. The results of this investigation could facilitate and enhance the use of ANN model in different real-world problems in the field of civil engineering.
Spatiotemporal analysis of bubonic plague in Pernambuco, northeast of Brazil: Case study in the municipality of Exu
Authors: Fernandes Diego Leandro Reis da Silva , Gomes Elainne Christine de Souza , Bezerra Matheus Filgueira , e Guimarães Ricardo José de Paula Souza , de Almeida Alzira Maria Paiva
Published: April 2021

Along with other countries in America, plague reached Brazil through the sea routes during the third pandemic. A brief ports phase was followed by an urban phase that took place in smaller inland cities and finally, it attained the rural area and established several foci where the ecological conditions were suitable for its continued existence. However, the geographic dispersion of plague in Brazil is still poorly studied. To better understand the disease dynamics, we accessed satellite-based data to trace the spatial occurrence and distribution of human plague cases in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil and using the municipality of Exu as study case area. Along with the satellite data, a historical survey using the Plague Control Program files was applied to characterize the spatial and temporal dispersion of cases in the period of 1945–1976. Kernel density estimation, spatial and temporal clusters with statistical significance and maximum entropy modeling were used for spatial data analysis, by means of the spatial analysis software packages. The use of geostatistical tools allowed evidencing the shift of the infection from the urban to the wild-sylvatic areas and the reemergence of cases after a period of quiescence, independent of the reintroduction from other plague areas.
Human microbiome privacy risks associated with summary statistics
Authors: Cho Jae-Chang
Published: April 2021

Recognizing that microbial community composition within the human microbiome is associated with the physiological state of the host has sparked a large number of human microbiome association studies (HMAS). With the increasing size of publicly available HMAS data, the privacy risk is also increasing because HMAS metadata could contain sensitive private information. I demonstrate that a simple test statistic based on the taxonomic profiles of an individual’s microbiome along with summary statistics of HMAS data can reveal the membership of the individual’s microbiome in an HMAS sample. In particular, species-level taxonomic data obtained from small-scale HMAS can be highly vulnerable to privacy risk. Minimal guidelines for HMAS data privacy are suggested, and an assessment of HMAS privacy risk using the simulation method proposed is recommended at the time of study design.
Association between postpartum depression level, social support level and breastfeeding attitude and breastfeeding self-efficacy in early postpartum women
Authors: Mercan Yeliz , Tari Selcuk Kevser
Published: April 2021

Objective

The study was aimed at investigating the association between postpartum women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy levels and their depression levels, social support levels, and breastfeeding attitudes in early postpartum period.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was carried out in Kirklareli in Turkey. The population of the study consisted of 398 women aged 15–49 in the first 42 days of the postpartum period who presented to eight family health centers. The study data were collected face-to-face using the Personal Information Form, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Breastfeeding Attitudes of the Evaluation Scale (BAES).

Results

The mean age of the participants was 28.61±5.72 (Min:18, Max: 44), and the mean score they obtained from the BSES-SF was 55.13±8.39. Statistically significant differences were detected between the participants’ BSES-SF scores and age groups, employment status, perceived income level, and the number of living children (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were detected between marital status, educational status and BSES-SF scores (p > 0.05). In the multivariate regression analysis adjusted according to the sociodemographic characteristics, BAES, EPDS and MSPSS accounted for 48.3% of the BSES-SF. A negative association was found between BSES-SF scores and EPDS scores (β = −0.178, 95% CI:−0.349, −0.006), and a positive relation between the BAES scores (β = 0.194, 95% CI: 0.163, 0.226) and the MSPSS scores (β = 0.114, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.191).

Conclusion

As the level of depression of women increases in the postpartum period, the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy decreases. The breastfeeding self-efficacy increases as the level of social support increases and as the attitudes that drive breastfeeding behavior change positively.
Is project-based learning effective among kindergarten and elementary students? A systematic review
Authors: Ferrero Marta , Vadillo Miguel A. , León Samuel P.
Published: April 2021

Project-based learning (PjBL) is becoming widespread in many schools. However, the evidence of its effectiveness in the classroom is still limited, especially in basic education. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the empirical evidence assessing the impact of PjBL on academic achievement of kindergarten and elementary students. We also examined the quality of studies, their compliance with basic prerequisites for a successful result, and their fidelity towards the key elements of PBL intervention. For this objective, we conducted a literature search in January 2020. The inclusion criteria for the review required that studies followed a pre-post design with control group and measured quantitatively the impact of PBL on content knowledge of students. The final sample included eleven articles comprising data from 722 students. The studies yielded inconclusive results, had important methodological flaws, and reported insufficient or no information about important aspects of the materials, procedure and key requirements from students and instructors to guarantee the success of PjBL. Educational implications of these results are discussed.