bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of motorcyclists without helmets in a state without a universal helmet law: a propensity score analysis
Authors: Jones Michael D , Eastes Joel G , Veljanoski Damjan , Chapple Kristina M , Bogert James N , Weinberg Jordan A
Published: November 2020

Background

Although helmets are associated with reduction in mortality from motorcycle collisions, many states have failed to adopt universal helmet laws for motorcyclists, in part on the grounds that prior research is limited by study design (historical controls) and confounding variables. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association of helmet use in motorcycle collisions with hospital charges and mortality in trauma patients with propensity score analysis in a state without a universal helmet law.

Methods

Motorcycle collision data from the Arizona State Trauma Registry from 2014 to 2017 were propensity score matched by regressing helmet use on patient age, sex, race/ethnicity, alcohol intoxication, illicit drug use, and comorbidities. Linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the impact of helmet use.

Results

Our sample consisted of 6849 cases, of which 3699 (54.0%) were helmeted and 3150 (46.0%) without helmets. The cohort was 88.1% male with an average age of 40.9±16.0 years. Helmeted patients were less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (20.3% vs. 23.7%, OR 0.82 (0.72–0.93)) and ventilated (7.8% vs. 12.0%, OR 0.62 (0.52–0.75)). Propensity-matched analyses consisted of 2541 pairs and demonstrated helmet use to be associated with an 8% decrease in hospital charges (B−0.075 (0.034)) and a 56% decrease in mortality (OR 0.44 (0.31–0.58)).

Discussion

In a state without mandated helmet use for all motorcyclists, the burden of the unhelmeted rider is significant with respect to lives lost and healthcare charges incurred. Although the helmet law debate with respect to civil liberties is complex and unsettled, it appears clear that helmet use is strongly associated with both survival and less economic encumbrance on the state.

Level of evidence

Level III, prognostic and epidemiological.
On the classical complexity of sampling from quantum interference of indistinguishable bosons
Authors: Shchesnovich V. S.
Published: November 2020

Experimental demonstration of the quantum advantage over classical simulations with Boson Sampling is currently under intensive investigation. There seems to be a scalability issue to the necessary number of bosons on the linear optical platforms and the experiments, such as the recent Boson Sampling with 20 photons on 60-port interferometer by H. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.123 (2019) 250503, are usually carried out on a small interferometer, much smaller than the size necessary for the no-collision regime. Before demonstration of quantum advantage, it is urgent to estimate exactly how the classical computations necessary for sampling from the output distribution of Boson Sampling are reduced when a smaller-size interferometer is used. This work supplies such a result, valid with arbitrarily close to 1 probability, which reduces in the no-collision regime to the previous estimate by Clifford and Clifford. One of the results with immediate application to current experiments with Boson Sampling is that classically sampling from the interference of [Formula: see text] single bosons on an [Formula: see text]-port interferometer is at least as hard as that with [Formula: see text] single bosons in the no-collision regime, i.e. on a much larger interferometer with at least [Formula: see text] ports.
Cooling and exhumation of the Late Paleozoic Tulasu epithermal gold system, Western Tianshan, NW China: implications for preservation of Pre-Mesozoic epithermal deposits
Authors: Zhao Xiao-Bo , Xue Chun-Ji , Zhao Wei-Ce , Seltmann Reimar , Symons David T.A. , Dolgopolova Alla , Zhang Yong
Published: November 2020

Epithermal gold deposits are rarely well preserved in pre-Mesozoic terranes because of their low-temperature mineralization at shallow crust levels, and they are easily destroyed by subsequent erosion or depleted by tectonic events. However, several significant Late Paleozoic epithermal gold deposits have been found in the Tulasu volcanic basin in NW China, forming one of the largest gold districts in the western Tianshan Orogen. Here, we report a new
40
Ar/
39
Ar age from a monzonite porphyry enclave hosted in andesite and apatite fission track data for 10 volcanic rocks from the Tulasu basin. These data, combined with the previous dataset, are used to perform inverse thermal modelling to quantify the district's cooling and exhumation history. Our modelling indicates a phase of burial reheating during Late Paleozoic sedimentation following mineralization, a subsequent rapid exhumation in the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (
c.
196–128 Ma), and a slow exhumation to the present. The Mesozoic exhumation is likely related to the far-field effects of the Cimmerian orogeny along the southern Eurasian margin. Therefore, we suggest that the rapid burial by thick sediments and the slow protracted exhumation after mineralization were crucial for the preservation of the Paleozoic epithermal gold system at Tulasu.
The Xigaze ophiolite: fossil ultraslow-spreading ocean lithosphere in the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Tong , Liu Chuan-Zhou , Wu Fu-Yuan , Dick Henry J. B. , Ji Wen-Bin , Zhang Chang , Zhang Wei-Qi , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Xu Yang
Published: November 2020

The crust and mantle both in ophiolites (fossil ocean lithosphere) and in modern oceans are enormously diverse. Along-axis morphology and lower crustal accretion at ultraslow-spreading ocean ridges are fundamentally different from those at faster-spreading ridges, and are critical to understanding how crustal accretion varies with spreading rate and magma supply. Ultraslow-spreading ridges provide analogues for ophiolites, to identify those that may have formed under similar conditions. Parallel studies of modern ocean lithosphere and ophiolites therefore can uniquely inform the origin and genesis of both. Here we report the results of structural and petrological studies on the Xigaze ophiolite in the Tibetan Plateau, and compare it with the morphology and deep drilling results at the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. The Xigaze ophiolite has a complete but laterally discontinuous crust, with discrete diabase dykes and sills cutting both mantle and lower crust. The gabbro units are thin (
c
. 350 m) and show upward cyclic chemical variations, supporting for an episodic and intermittent magma supply. These features are comparable with the highly focused magmatism and low magma budget at modern ultraslow-spreading ridges. Thus we suggest that the Xigaze ophiolite represents an on-land analogue of ultraslow-spreading ocean lithosphere.

Supplementary material:
Single-spot analysis and average compositions for mineral major element compositions (wt.%) of the Jiding gabbro section, Xigaze ophiolite are available at
https://doi.org/10.17632/dtzpmwkscp.1
GEVO
Authors: Liou Jhe-Yu , Wang Xiaodong , Forrest Stephanie , Wu Carole-Jean
Published: November 2020

GPUs are a key enabler of the revolution in machine learning and high-performance computing, functioning as de facto co-processors to accelerate large-scale computation. As the programming stack and tool support have matured, GPUs have also become accessible to programmers, who may lack detailed knowledge of the underlying architecture and fail to fully leverage the GPU’s computation power. GEVO (Gpu optimization using EVOlutionary computation) is a tool for automatically discovering optimization opportunities and tuning the performance of GPU kernels in the LLVM representation. GEVO uses population-based search to find edits to GPU code compiled to LLVM-IR and improves performance on desired criteria while retaining required functionality. We demonstrate that GEVO improves the execution time of general-purpose GPU programs and machine learning (ML) models on NVIDIA Tesla P100. For the Rodinia benchmarks, GEVO improves GPU kernel runtime performance by an average of 49.48% and by as much as 412% over the fully compiler-optimized baseline. If kernel output accuracy is relaxed to tolerate up to 1% error, GEVO can find kernel variants that outperform the baseline by an average of 51.08%. For the ML workloads, GEVO achieves kernel performance improvement for SVM on the MNIST handwriting recognition (3.24×) and the a9a income prediction (2.93×) datasets with no loss of model accuracy. GEVO achieves 1.79× kernel performance improvement on image classification using ResNet18/CIFAR-10, with less than 1% model accuracy reduction.
Optimizing the Linear Fascicle Evaluation Algorithm for Multi-core and Many-core Systems
Authors: Aggarwal Karan , Bondhugula Uday
Published: November 2020

Sparse matrix-vector multiplication (
SpMV
) operations are commonly used in various scientific and engineering applications. The performance of the SpMV operation often depends on exploiting regularity patterns in the matrix. Various representations and optimization techniques have been proposed to minimize the memory bandwidth bottleneck arising from the irregular memory access pattern involved. Among recent representation techniques, tensor decomposition is a popular one used for very large but sparse matrices. Post sparse-tensor decomposition, the new representation involves indirect accesses, making it challenging to optimize for multi-cores and even more demanding for the massively parallel architectures, such as on GPUs.

Computational neuroscience algorithms often involve sparse datasets while still performing long-running computations on them. The Linear Fascicle Evaluation (LiFE) application is a popular neuroscience algorithm used for pruning brain connectivity graphs. The datasets employed herein involve the Sparse Tucker Decomposition (STD)—a widely used tensor decomposition method. Using this decomposition leads to multiple indirect array references, making it very difficult to optimize on both multi-core and many-core systems. Recent implementations of the LiFE algorithm show that its SpMV operations are the key bottleneck for performance and scaling.

In this work, we first propose target-independent optimizations to optimize the SpMV operations of LiFE decomposed using the STD technique, followed by target-dependent optimizations for CPU and GPU systems. The target-independent techniques include: (1) standard compiler optimizations to prevent unnecessary and redundant computations, (2) data restructuring techniques to minimize the effects of indirect array accesses, and (3) methods to partition computations among threads to obtain coarse-grained parallelism with low synchronization overhead. Then, we present the target-dependent optimizations for CPUs such as: (1) efficient synchronization-free thread mapping and (2) utilizing BLAS calls to exploit hardware-specific speed. Following that, we present various GPU-specific optimizations to optimally map threads at the granularity of warps, thread blocks, and grid. Furthermore, to automate the CPU-based optimizations developed for this algorithm, we also extend the PolyMage domain-specific language, embedded in Python. Our highly optimized and parallelized CPU implementation obtains a speedup of 6.3× over the naive parallel CPU implementation running on 16-core Intel Xeon Silver (Skylake-based) system. In addition to that, our optimized GPU implementation achieves a speedup of 5.2× over a reference-optimized GPU code version on NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GPU and a speedup of 9.7× over our highly optimized and parallelized CPU implementation.
Inner Product and Set Disjointness
Authors: Podolskii Vladimir V. , Sherstov Alexander A.
Published: November 2020

A major goal in complexity theory is to understand the communication complexity of number-on-the-forehead problems
f
:({0, 1}

n

)

k

→ {0, 1} with
k
> log
n
parties. We study the problems of inner product and set disjointness and determine their randomized communication complexity for every
k
≥ log
n
, showing in both cases that Θ(1 + ⌈log
n
⌉/ log ⌈1 +
k
/ log
n
⌉) bits are necessary and sufficient. In particular, these problems admit constant-cost protocols if and only if the number of parties is
k
≥
n
ϵ
for some constant ϵ > 0.
Special Issue on The Workshop on MAthematical performance Modeling and Analysis (MAMA 2020)
Authors: Squillante Mark S.
Published: November 2020

The complexity of computer systems, networks and applications, as well as the advancements in computer technology, continue to grow at a rapid pace. Mathematical analysis, modeling and optimization have been playing, and continue to play, an important role in research studies to investigate fundamental issues and tradeoffs at the core of performance problems in the design and implementation of complex computer systems, networks and applications.
Using Graph Convolutional Networks to Compute Approximations of Dominant Eigenvectors
Authors: Lu Ping-En , Chang Cheng-Shang
Published: November 2020

Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) have been very popular for the network embedding problem that maps nodes in a graph to vectors in a Euclidean space. In this short paper, we show that a special class of GCNs compute approximations of dominant eigenvectors of symmetric matrices with zero column sums.
Caches and Timelines Operate Under Heavy Traffic
Authors: Menasché Daniel S. , Shifrin Mark , Hargreaves Eduardo
Published: November 2020

The heavy traffic regime is a regime wherein system resources are always busy. As caches and social network timelines are intrinsically always busy, i.e., their space-shared resources are always utilized, the goal of this paper is to evaluate the implications of a simple albeit unexplored observation: caches and timelines operate under heavy traffic. First, we introduce the control problem of caches and timelines under heavy traffic. Then, we derive properties of the asymptotically optimal (AO) policy. In particular, we indicate that there is an AO control that threatens content diversity, as it involves maintaining contents from up to two classes in the system, leading to the so called filter bubbles.
Human plantar fascial dimensions and shear wave velocity change in vivo as a function of ankle and metatarsophalangeal joint positions
Authors: Shiotani Hiroto , Maruyama Nana , Kurumisawa Keisuke , Yamagishi Takaki , Kawakami Yasuo
Published: November 2020

Joint angle dependence and site specificity of the plantar fascial dimensions and SWV were examined by combining sagittal magnetic resonance and supersonic shear imaging techniques. We revealed that the site-specific changes in PF SWV were related to joint angle positions, i.e., PF slackness and elasticity changed in varying combinations of ankle and MTP angle. Our findings suggest that PF can elastically support the foot arch throughout the stance phase of human bipedal locomotion.
Individual differences in the neural strategies to control the lateral and medial head of the quadriceps during a mechanically constrained task
Authors: Avrillon Simon , Del Vecchio Alessandro , Farina Dario , Pons José L. , Vogel Clément , Umehara Jun , Hug François
Published: November 2020

We observed that the distribution of the strength of neural drive between the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis during a single-joint isometric task varied across participants. Also, we observed that the proportion of neural drive that was shared within and between these muscles also varied across participants. These results provide evidence that the neural strategies to control the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles widely vary across individuals, even during a mechanically constrained task.
Inflammatory-Related Clinical and Metabolic Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Martinez-Urbistondo Maria , Mora-Vargas Alberto , Expósito-Palomo Esther , Castejón Raquel , Citores M. Jesús , Rosado Silvia , de Mendoza Carmen , Baños Isolina , Fernández-Cruz Ana , Daimiel Lidia , San-Cristóbal Rodrigo , Vargas Juan Antonio , Martinez J. Alfredo
Published: November 2020

Background. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection elicits inflammatory manifestations that relate with a “cytokine storm.” Objective. The aim of this research was to assess the role of circulating interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels and other inflammatory markers in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on metabolic functions and accompanying clinical complications. Patients and Methods. A total of 165 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia were examined for medical features and inflammatory markers such as blood IL-6, CRP, ferritin, LDH, neutrophil/lymphocyte index (NLI), D-Dimer, and Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW). Regression analyses concerning electronically collected medical data were adjusted by appropriate factors and confounding variables. Results. Plasma IL-6 determinations evidenced a consistent association with hospital stay days, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and mortality rates. Similar trends were found for other proinflammatory variables, where ferritin and NLI showed a remarkable value as surrogates. Hyperglycaemia and the Charlson Comorbidity Index Score were positively associated with the inflammatory response induced by the SARS-COV-2 infection. An unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and alcoholic drinks consumption as well as excessive body adiposity influenced inflammatory-related outcomes in the screened patients. Conclusion. IL-6 together with other inflammatory biomarkers accompanied poor clinical and metabolic outcomes in COVID-19-infected patients. IL-6 may result in a suitable proxy to individually categorise patients in order to manage this infectious pandemic.
Modeling and Analysis of a Large-Scale Double-Level Guyed Mast for Membrane Antennas
Authors: Li Bingyan , Liu Yuxuan , Liu Rongqiang , Guo Hongwei , Cong Qiang , Lin Qiuhong , Qiao Shangling
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a double-level guyed membrane antenna for stiffness improvement of a large-scale tri-prism deployable mast using the collapsible tubular mast (CTM). Initially, the construction of the antenna and the modeling of the CTM boom are illustrated. Afterwards, the central mast with isosceles triangular cross section is mathematically equivalent to a continuum beam, in which the equations of motion and the constitutive relations are derived. Based on the equivalent central beam, the double-level guyed mast for the membrane antenna is modeled as a 2(3-SPS-S) mechanism, and then velocity Jacobian matrices and stiffness matrices of SPS branches are constructed. Additionally, the total stiffness matrix of the equivalent mechanism is derived with the principle of virtual work and then evaluated as an accurate approach. Finally, with the aim to improve the static stiffness of the double-level guyed mast, the numerical analysis using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is carried out for optimizing the distribution of guys in terms of anchor positions and attachment heights.
Estimation of Iron Content and Its Contribution in Iron-Fortified Food Products Consumed by School Children in Sri Lanka
Authors: Perera D. Ruwani G. , Gunawardana Dilantha , Jayatissa Renuka , Silva A. Buddhika G.
Published: November 2020

Iron fortification is an effective strategy that can be implemented to ensure supply and intake of iron for the public at large. Even though iron-fortified foods are widely available in the Sri Lankan market, the quantification of iron in those foods is not under the regulations of the food authorities in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the concentration of iron in selected iron-fortified foods available in the local market and determine their contribution to the recommended daily allowances (RDA) per serving. The iron content in most popular powdered milk, biscuits, and breakfast cereals among the children of 15-16 years in Horana Divisional Secretariat was analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy, and its contribution to RDA was calculated. The average iron values of iron-fortified milk powder (IFMP), iron-fortified biscuit (IFB), and iron-fortified breakfast cereals (IFBC) were found to be 18.08 ± 9.53, 7.88 ± 0.07, and 17.78 ± 7.47 mg/100 g, respectively. The average estimated daily intake (EDI) per serving of IFMP, IFB, and IFBC was 3.61 ± 1.75, 2.13 ± 0.06, and 5.60 ± 1.45 mg, respectively. The highest contribution to the RDA can be obtained by a single serving of IFBC. Only less than half of the tested products have compatible iron levels with their labeled information. Iron-fortified foods which were studied have a high amount of iron, and they can make from 5% to 35% contribution to RDAs in young children, adolescents, and adults even by a single serving.
Numerical Investigation on the Mechanism of Rock Directional Fracturing Method Controlled by Hydraulic Fracturing in Dense Linear Multiholes
Authors: Cheng Qingying , Huang Bingxiang , Zhao Xinglong
Published: November 2020

Rock directional fracturing is one of the difficult problems in deep mines. Directional fracturing controlled by hydraulic fracturing in dense linear multiboreholes is a novel directional fracturing technology of rock mass, which has been applied to the ground control in mines. In this paper, a physical model experiment was performed to study the fracture propagation process between multiboreholes. The results show that the intersecting of fractures between boreholes caused the sharp fluctuation of injecting water pressure. A directional fracturing plane was formed along with the direction of boreholes layout, and the surface of the fracturing plane is relatively flat. The dynamic initiation and propagation process of cracks between boreholes during directional hydraulic fracturing were simulated. The evolution of poroelastic stress and pore pressure between multiboreholes was analyzed. The numerical results indicated that a poroelastic stress concentration zone and pore pressure increase zone appeared between boreholes in the direction of boreholes layout. The pore pressure distribution is generally an elliptical seepage water pressure zone with the long axis along the direction of the boreholes layout. After the hydraulic fractures are initiated along the direction of the boreholes layout, the poroelastic stress on both sides of fractures decreases.
Multimode Traffic Travel Behavior Characteristics Analysis and Congestion Governance Research
Authors: Li Wen , Feng Wei , Yuan Hua-zhi
Published: November 2020

The rapid aggregation of modern urban population and the rapid growth of car travel lead to traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and other problems. In view of the limited land resources in our country, it is impractical to meet residents’ travel demand by blindly increasing traffic supply. Therefore, addressing the urban road congestion problem for sustainable development of modern cities, the paper makes research on residents’ travel behavior characteristics and travel preference under the condition of multimodal transportation to formulate reasonable traffic demand management strategy for the guide on public traffic demand, bus priority strategy, and congestion management. The operation characteristic of each transportation mode is analyzed by comparing its related traffic and economic characteristics. Multimode traffic choice behavior is discussed by establishing multiple logistic regression models to analyze the main influencing factors to travelers’ social and economic attributes, travel characteristics, and preference based on travel survey data of urban residents. The paper proposes the development of an urban public transportation system and travelling mode shift from cars to public transportation as reasonable travel structure for congestion management and sustainable development of modern cities.
Experience of Filipinos with Spinal Cord Injury in the Use of Assistive Technology: An Occupational Justice Perspective
Authors: Yao Daryl Patrick G. , Inoue Kaoru , Sy Michael P. , Bontje Peter , Suyama Natsuka , Yatsu Chiyomi , Perez Dante A. , Ito Yuko
Published: November 2020

Assistive technology (AT) is often required to facilitate the performance of occupations and promote inclusion and reduction of dependency among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, only 5-15% of individuals in developing countries have access to AT. This study is aimed at exploring the experience of Filipinos with SCI as they use AT and understand these from an occupational justice (OJ) perspective. This study utilised a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the participants’ experiences with AT usage. Ten participants were recruited from a hospital and communities within Metro Manila, Philippines, and interviewed last January 2020. Hermeneutic analysis was done to interpret the shared meaning embedded within their experiences and was informed by an occupational justice perspective. Exploring the experience of the participants in using AT yielded four themes, namely, (1) engaging in occupations despite limited opportunities, (2) going to various locations amidst an inaccessible environment, (3) striving towards inclusion in spite of attitudinal barriers, and (4) securing needs in light of unfavourable life conditions. Filipinos with SCI deal with numerous structural and contextual factors in daily life. There has been partial enablement of OJ as they incorporate AT in their daily lives as occupational rights are far from being recognised and respected. In infusing an OJ perspective to understanding AT use, OT practitioners are bound to identify problems and courses of action that go beyond traditional service delivery.
Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block for Perioperative Pain Management of Geriatric Patients with Hip Fractures: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Wan Hao-yang , Li Su-yi , Ji Wei , Yu Bin , Jiang Nan
Published: November 2020

Background. With continuous increase of the aging population, the number of geriatric patients with fragility hip fractures is rising sharply, and timely surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. However, adequate and effective pain control is the precondition of satisfactory efficacy. This systematic review aimed to summarize the use of fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) as an analgesic strategy for perioperative pain management in geriatric patients with hip fractures. Methods. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for English published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting application of FICB for pain control of the older adults with hip fractures between January 1st, 2000, and May 31st, 2020. The modified Jadad scale was used to evaluate quality of the RCTs included. Primary outcomes of the eligible RCTs were presented and discussed. Results. A total of 27 RCTs with 2478 cases were included finally. The present outcomes suggested, after admission or in the emergency department (ED), FICB can provide patients with equal or even better pain relief compared with the conventional analgesia methods, which can also reduce additional analgesic consumptions. While, before positioning for spinal anesthesia (SA), FICB is able to offer superior pain control, facilitating SA performance, after surgery FICB can effectively alleviate pain with decreased use of additional analgesics, promoting earlier mobilization and preventing complications. Conclusions. FICB is a safe, reliable, and easy-to-conduct technique, which is able to provide adequate pain relief during perioperative management of geriatric patients with hip fractures.
Dimensions of Motivation in Teaching: Relations with Social Support Climate, Teacher Efficacy, Emotional Exhaustion, and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Gonzales Gamaliel , Gonzales Roselyn , Costan Felix , Himang Celbert
Published: November 2020

This study explored how teachers' peer support climate (PSC) and supervisory support climate (SSC) were related to teacher self-efficacy (TSE), teacher job satisfaction (TJS), teacher emotional exhaustion (TEE), and motivation to quit the teaching profession (MQTP) among teachers in the Philippines. Participants were 457 teachers in the Central Visayas Region. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that MQTP varies as to self-efficacy, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Responses among all constructs do not vary among novice and experienced teachers except on TJS. The findings of the research advocate the proposed model. The model can guide future researchers in developing countries like the Philippines to explain teachers’ attrition caused by social support, efficacy factors, burnout, and job satisfaction.
Longitudinal GluCEST MRI Changes and Cerebral Blood Flow in 5xFAD Mice
Authors: Igarashi Hironaka , Ueki Satoshi , Kitaura Hiroki , Kera Tae , Ohno Ken , Ohkubo Masaki , Terumitsu-Tsujita Mika , Kakita Akiyoshi , Kwee Ingrid L
Published: November 2020

Many of the focal neurological symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are due to synaptic loss. Glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a candidate method to assess synaptic dysfunction. We assessed chronological changes in GluCEST in a 5xFAD mouse model of AD, comparing Glucest effects and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF). GluCEST effects and CBF in 5xFAD mice aged 1–15 months and their littermates (WT) were measured. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) MRI reflecting dendritic/axonal density was also measured and compared with GluCEST in 7-month-old mice. While regional CBF’s decrease began at 7 months, GluCEST-reduction effects preceded hypoperfusion of the temporal cortex and hippocampus. While longitudinal 5xFAD mouse measurements revealed a correlation between the regional GluCEST effects and CBF, a generalized linear mixed model revealed statistically different correlations in cortical and basal brain regions. Further, NODDI-derived neurite density correlated with GluCEST effects in the parietal cortex, but not in the hippocampus, thereby revealing regional differences in pathophysiological mechanisms. Finally, GluCEST’s effects correlated with regional synaptophysin. These results demonstrate that GluCEST can reflect subtle synaptic changes and may be a potential imaging method for AD diagnosis as well as serve as a biomarker of AD progression.
Numerical Simulation of the Dynamic Responses and Cumulative Damage of Underground Caverns under Multiple Explosions
Authors: Wang Guangyong , Cao Ansheng , Dun Zhilin , Ren Lianwei , Sun Xiaowang
Published: November 2020

Attacking underground caverns with earth-penetrating bombs usually involves multiple explosions in succession. To assess the dynamic responses and cumulative damage of underground caverns under multiple explosions, based on a reduced-scale physical model test, the modified Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma (RHT) model in the finite-element software LS-DYNA is used to build an underground cavern model that encounters four explosions above the vault. The characteristics of the stress wave attenuation and the evolution laws for the cumulative damage of the surrounding rock in the process of the four explosions are presented. Also, the displacement of the vault, the strain of the cavern wall, and the damage of a rock bolt-supported cavern and an unanchored cavern are compared. The results indicate that the peak pressure is attenuated increasingly in the latter three explosions. The circumferential strain of the cavern wall changes from tensile to compressive from the vault to the corner. The damage of the surrounding rock on the left and right sides of the explosion source is attenuated with increasing distance from the explosion source, and the attenuation curve has a reverse “S” shape. Moreover, the attenuation rate of the curve decreases with each explosion. Multiple explosions do not affect the size of the crushed zone, but they do increase the range of the fracture zone. With each explosion, the cumulative damage of the surrounding rock increases irreversibly, but the damage increment decreases. The cumulative damage of the surrounding rock exhibits a highly nonlinear relationship with successive explosions, and the effect of the rock bolt reinforcement becomes more obvious with successive explosions. Accordingly, the present research results offer a reference for antiexplosion design and support the optimization of underground engineering.
Lane-Change Model and Tracking Control for Autonomous Vehicles on Curved Highway Sections in Rainy Weather
Authors: Peng Tao , Su Li-li , Guan Zhi-wei , Hou Hai-jing , Li Jun-kai , Liu Xing-liang , Tong Yi-ke
Published: November 2020

In this study, we propose an adaptive path planning model and tracking control method for collision avoidance and lane-changing manoeuvres on highways in rainy weather. Considering the human-vehicle-road interaction, we developed an adaptive lane change system that consists of an intelligent trajectory planning and tracking controller. Gaussian distribution was introduced to evaluate the impact of rain on the pavement characteristics and deduce adaptive lane-change trajectories. Subsequently, a score-based decision mechanism and multilevel autonomous driving mode that considers safety, comfort, and efficiency were proposed. A tracking controller was designed using a linearised model predictive control method. Finally, using simulated scenarios, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method were demonstrated. The results obtained herein are a valuable resource that can be used to develop an intelligent lane change system for autonomous vehicles and can help improve highway traffic safety and efficiency in adverse weather conditions.
Musculoskeletal Pain during the Menopausal Transition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lu Chang-bo , Liu Peng-fei , Zhou Yong-sheng , Meng Fan-cheng , Qiao Tian-yun , Yang Xiao-jiang , Li Xu-yang , Xue Qian , Xu Hui , Liu Ya , Han Yong , Zhang Yang
Published: November 2020

Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the most severe complaints in women undergoing menopause. The prevalence of MSP varied when taking the menopausal state and age factor into consideration. This study investigated the prevalence of MSP in perimenopausal women and its association with menopausal state. The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched from inception to July 2020, and 16 studies were retrieved for the current meta-analysis. The primary outcome measure was the MSP Odds Ratio (OR). The estimated overall prevalence of MSP among perimenopausal women was 71% (4144 out of 5836, 95% confidence interval (CI): 64%-78%). Perimenopausal women demonstrated a higher risk for MSP than premenopausal ones (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.35-1.96,P=0.008,I2=59.7%), but similar to that in postmenopausal ones (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.95–1.20,P=0.316,I2=13.4%). The postmenopausal women were at a higher risk of moderate/severe MSP than the premenopausal ones (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.21-1.75,P=0.302,I2=16.5%) or the perimenopausal ones (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.09–1.79,P=0.106,I2=55.4%). In conclusion, the perimenopause is a state during which women are particularly predisposed to develop MSP. As to moderate to severe degrees of MSP, the odds increase linearly with age, from premenopause to peri- and then to postmenopause.
Digital Avatars: Promoting Independent Living for Older Adults
Authors: Bertoa Manuel F. , Moreno Nathalie , Perez-Vereda Alejandro , Bandera David , Álvarez-Palomo José M. , Canal Carlos
Published: November 2020

Population ageing, together with the desire to maintain an autonomous lifestyle, poses today’s societies with a challenge that technological advances can help considerably to cope with. The widespread use of smartphones and their increasing computing power and storage capacity make them the ideal tool to achieve this goal. In this paper, we present Digital Avatars, a software framework adapted to the needs of older adults who wish to preserve their lifestyle, but who require assistance through technology. Building on previous work on the People as a Service model, Digital Avatars takes advantage of a smartphone’s capabilities and services to collect information about the people who own them. To do this, it applies Complex Event Processing techniques extended with uncertainty to infer the habits, preferences, and needs of the device owner to build with them an enhanced virtual profile of the user. These virtual profiles are the mechanism for monitoring the quality of life of older adults: analyzing their patterns of activity, reminding them of medication schedules, or detecting risky situations that generate alerts to relatives, caregivers, or the community health system.
Free Vibration and Static Bending Analysis of Piezoelectric Functionally Graded Material Plates Resting on One Area of Two-Parameter Elastic Foundation
Authors: Nguyen Thi Hong
Published: November 2020

Free vibration and static bending analysis of piezoelectric functionally graded material plates resting on one area of the two-parameter elastic foundation is firstly investigated in this paper. The third-order shear deformation theory of Reddy and 8-node plate elements are employed to derive the finite element formulations of the structures; this theory does not need any shear correction factors; however, the mechanical response of the structure is described exactly. Verification problems are performed to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed theory and mathematical model. A wide range of parameter study is investigated to figure out the effect of geometrical, physical, and material properties such as the plate dimension, volume fraction index, piezoelectric effect, elastic foundation coefficients, and the square size of the area of the foundation on the free vibration and static bending of piezoelectric functionally graded material plates. These numerical results of this work aim to contribute to scientific knowledge of these smart structures in engineering practice.
Bell’s Palsy in Pregnancy: A Case Series
Authors: Leelawai Sumonthip , Sathirapanya Pornchai , Suwanrath Chitkasaem
Published: November 2020

The association between pregnancy-associated Bell’s palsy (PABP) and gestational hypertension (GHT), preeclampsia (PE), and eclampsia (EC) remains inconclusive. We aimed to study the characteristics of PABP cases and the neonatal outcomes at our institution. All cases diagnosed with PABP from 2006 to 2016 were identified. Demographic and clinical characteristics including maternal age, previous medical and obstetric illnesses, gestational age at the onset of PABP, the development of PE/EC, GHT, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), treatment and outcomes, as well as neonatal health indices and anomalies were described. Eight patients with PABP were identified. Most of the cases were first- or second-gravidity pregnancies. PABP occurred during the third trimester except for one case in whom PABP developed 2 days postpartum. No PABP case associated with EC was found. PE was found in only one case in whom GHT occurred in a previous pregnancy. Moreover, GHT combined with GDM was found in a case with previous GHT. The recovery of PABP was satisfactory. Previous obstetric complications are associated with the current PE, GHT and GDM. Facial weakness recovers favorably regardless of treatment and the neonatal outcomes are overall satisfactory.
Consolidation Treatment for Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Which Modality for Whom?
Authors: Bairey Osnat , Shargian-Alon Liat , Siegal Tali
Published: November 2020

Primary central nervous system lymphoma is a rare aggressive disease that largely affects elderly patients and is associated with poor prognosis. The optimal treatment approach is not yet defined and it consists of induction and consolidation phases. The combination of high-dose (HD) methotrexate-based chemotherapy followed by whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) prolongs the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival 2- to 3-fold as compared to WBRT alone but is associated with significant delayed neurotoxicity. Alternative strategies are being investigated in order to improve disease outcomes and spare patients the neurocognitive side effects. These include reduced-dose WBRT, non-myeloablative HD chemotherapy, or HD chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT). There are no randomized studies that compare all these consolidation regimens head to head but recently HDC/ASCT has been evaluated versus WBRT in prospective randomized studies. These studies proved that WBRT and HDC/ASCT yield similar 2-year PFS with preserved or improved cognitive function after HDC/ASCT. Yet, the proportion of patients treated with such intensive consolidation is low, both in real life and in specialized centers, leaving many unsettled issues. This review is appraising current dilemmas related to the choice of consolidating therapeutic modalities, their associated acute and delayed toxicity, and future prospects for alternative approaches in the elderly.
A Case of Transplant Nephrectomy due to Chronic Graft Intolerance Syndrome
Authors: Tomonari Masahiro , Kobayashi Akimitsu , Yamamoto Izumi , Hatanaka Saeko , Kawabe Mayuko , Yamakawa Takafumi , Katsumata Haruki , Katsuma Ai , Mafune Aki , Nakada Yasuyuki , Koike Yusuke , Miki Jun , Kimura Takahiro , Tanno Yudo , Yamamoto Hiroyasu , Yokoo Takashi
Published: November 2020

We report a case of graft intolerance syndrome in which transplant nephrectomy was performed 11 years after kidney transplantation. A 46-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in February 2018 with a mild fever, left lower abdominal pain, and gross hematuria with enlargement of the transplanted kidney. Urinary tract infection was ruled out. Because the symptoms developed after the immunosuppressants had been stopped after kidney graft loss, graft intolerance syndrome was suspected. He had lost his graft in 2016 and had stopped all immunosuppressants since January of 2017. Immunosuppressive therapy was intensified, and steroid half-pulse therapy was added for 3 days. After the steroid pulse therapy, the C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased from 6.47 mg/dL to 0.76 mg/dL, but there was little improvement in the symptoms, and the CRP then increased to 4.44 mg/dL. Transplant nephrectomy was performed in March 2018. Postoperatively, the symptoms disappeared without the administration of immunosuppressants, and the CRP decreased. Pathologically, the resected kidney graft showed persistent active allograft rejection with severe endarteritis, transplant glomerulopathy, and diffuse interstitial fibrosis. Massive thrombi occluded the large arteries, and there was extensive hemorrhagic cortical necrosis. Transplant nephrectomy is uncommon in patients >6 months after transplantation. However, even if more time has passed since transplantation, as in this case, transplant nephrectomy may be a valid option in some cases of severe graft intolerance syndrome.
Who Can Avoid Biopsy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Negative Lobes without Compromising Significant Cancer Detection among Men with Unilateral Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Positive Lobes?
Authors: Nakanishi Yasukazu , Ito Masaya , Kataoka Madoka , Ikuta Shuzo , Sakamoto Kazumasa , Takemura Kosuke , Suzuki Hiroaki , Tobisu Ken-ichi , Koga Fumitaka
Published: November 2020

Objectives: To assess whether biopsy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-negative lobes can be avoided without compromising significant cancer (SC) detection among men with unilateral MRI-positive lobes. Methods: From April 2013 to April 2019, 322 men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA <20 ng/mL) and unilateral MRI-positive lobes underwent targeted 4-core and systematic 14-core biopsy. MRI findings were prospectively collected and evaluated according to the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2, and scores ≥3 were considered positive. SC was defined as Gleason score ≥3 + 4 or maximal cancer length ≥5 mm. We developed predictive models of overall cancer and SC in MRI-negative lobes and evaluated the performance of these models. Results: Detection rates of overall cancer/SC were 69%/61% for the overall cohort, 58%/48% for MRI-positive lobes, and 36%/20% for MRI-negative lobes. Age ≥75 years, PSA density ≥0.3, and PI-RADS ≥4 were independently predictive of both overall cancer and SC in MRI-negative lobes; 1 point was assigned for each risk factor, and the predictive score was defined as the sum of points (0–3) for both overall cancer and SC. Areas under the curve of the model for overall cancer/SC were 0.67/0.71. In the decision curve analysis, the model was of value above the threshold probability of 13%/6% for detecting overall cancer/SC in MRI-negative lobes. Of 40 men with score 0, overall cancer/SC was detected in the MRI-negative lobe in 4 (10%)/1 (2.5%). Conclusion: Biopsies of MRI-negative lobes may be avoided without compromising SC detection using our predictive model.
The Collaborative Aging Research Using Technology Initiative: An Open, Sharable, Technology-Agnostic Platform for the Research Community
Authors: Beattie Zachary , Miller Lyndsey M. , Almirola Carlos , Au-Yeung Wan-Tai M. , Bernard Hannah , Cosgrove Kevin E. , Dodge Hiroko H. , Gamboa Charlene J. , Golonka Ona , Gothard Sarah , Harbison Sam , Irish Stephanie , Kornfeld Judith , Lee Jonathan , Marcoe Jennifer , Mattek Nora C. , Quinn Charlie , Reynolds Christina , Riley Thomas , Rodrigues Nathaniel , Sharma Nicole , Siqueland Mary Alice , Thomas Neil W. , Truty Timothy , Wall Rachel , Wild Katherine , Wu Chao-Yi , Karlawish Jason , Silverberg Nina B. , Barnes Lisa L. , Czaja Sara , Silbert Lisa C. , Kaye Jeffrey
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Future digital health research hinges on methodologies to conduct remote clinical assessments and in-home monitoring. The Collaborative Aging Research Using Technology (CART) initiative was introduced to establish a digital technology research platform that could widely assess activity in the homes of diverse cohorts of older adults and detect meaningful change longitudinally. This paper reports on the built end-to-end design of the CART platform, its functionality, and the resulting research capabilities. Methods: CART platform development followed a principled design process aiming for scalability, use case flexibility, longevity, and data privacy protection while allowing sharability. The platform, comprising ambient technology, wearables, and other sensors, was deployed in participants’ homes to provide continuous, long-term (months to years), and ecologically valid data. Data gathered from CART homes were sent securely to a research server for analysis and future data sharing. Results: The CART system was created, iteratively tested, and deployed to 232 homes representing four diverse cohorts (African American, Latinx, low-income, and predominantly rural-residing veterans) of older adults (n = 301) across the USA. Multiple measurements of wellness such as cognition (e.g., mean daily computer use time = 160–169 min), physical mobility (e.g., mean daily transitions between rooms = 96–155), sleep (e.g., mean nightly sleep duration = 6.3–7.4 h), and level of social engagement (e.g., reports of overnight visitors = 15–45%) were collected across cohorts. Conclusion: The CART initiative resulted in a minimally obtrusive digital health-enabled system that met the design principles while allowing for data capture over extended periods and can be widely used by the research community. The ability to monitor and manage health digitally within the homes of older adults is an important alternative to in-person assessments in many research contexts. Further advances will come with wider, shared use of the CART system in additional settings, within different disease contexts, and by diverse research teams.