bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of surgical masks on aerosol dispersion in professional singing
Authors: Kniesburges Stefan , Schlegel Patrick , Peters Gregor , Westphalen Caroline , Jakubaß Bernhard , Veltrup Reinhard , Kist Andreas M. , Döllinger Michael , Gantner Sophia , Kuranova Liudmila , Benthaus Tobias , Semmler Marion , Echternach Matthias
Published: October 2021

Background

In the CoVID-19 pandemic, singing came into focus as a high-risk activity for the infection with airborne viruses and was therefore forbidden by many governmental administrations.

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of surgical masks regarding the spatial and temporal dispersion of aerosol and droplets during professional singing.

Methods

Ten professional singers performed a passage of the Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode of Joy” in two experimental setups—each with and without surgical masks. First, they sang with previously inhaled vapor of e-cigarettes. The emitted cloud was recorded by three cameras to measure its dispersion dynamics. Secondly, the naturally expelled larger droplets were illuminated by a laser light sheet and recorded by a high-speed camera.

Results

The exhaled vapor aerosols were decelerated and deflected by the mask and stayed in the singer’s near-field around and above their heads. In contrast, without mask, the aerosols spread widely reaching distances up to 1.3 m. The larger droplets were reduced by up to 86% with a surgical mask worn.

Significance

The study shows that surgical masks display an effective tool to reduce the range of aerosol dispersion during singing. In combination with an appropriate aeration strategy for aerosol removal, choir singers could be positioned in a more compact assembly without contaminating neighboring singers all singers.
Fetuin-B, a potential link of liver-adipose tissue cross talk during diet-induced weight loss–weight maintenance
Authors: Li Linna , Spranger Leonard , Stobäus Nicole , Beer Finja , Decker Anne-Marie , Wernicke Charlotte , Brachs Sebastian , Brachs Maria , Spranger Joachim , Mai Knut
Published: October 2021

Background/objectives

Numerous hepatokines are involved in inter-organ cross talk regulating tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. Adipose tissue lipolysis represents a crucial element of adipose insulin sensitivity and is substantially involved in long-term body weight regulation after dietary weight loss. Thus, we aimed to analyze the impact of the hepatokine Fetuin-B in the context of weight loss induced short- and long-term modulation of adipose insulin sensitivity.

Subjects/methods

143 subjects (age > 18; BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) were analyzed before (T-3) and after (T0) a standardized 12-week dietary weight reduction program. Afterward, subjects were randomized to a 12-month lifestyle intervention or a control group. After 12 months (T12) no further intervention was performed until 6 months later (T18) (Maintain-Adults trial). Tissue-specific insulin sensitivity was estimated by HOMA-IR (predominantly liver), ISIClamp (predominantly skeletal muscle), and free fatty acid suppression during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (FFASupp) (predominantly adipose tissue). Fetuin-B was measured at all concomitant time points.

Results

Circulating Fetuin-B levels correlated significantly with estimates of obesity, hepatic steatosis as well as HOMA-IR, ISIClamp, FFASupp at baseline. Fetuin-B decreased during dietary weight loss (4.2 (3.5–4.9) vs. 3.8 (3.2–4.6) µg/ml; p = 2.1 × 10−5). This change was associated with concomitant improvement of HOMA-IR (r = 0.222; p = 0.008) and FFASupp (r = −0.210; p = 0.013), suggesting a particular relationship to hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. Weight loss induced improvements of insulin resistance were almost completely preserved until months 12 and 18 and most interestingly, the short and long-term improvement of FFASupp was partially predicted by baseline level of Fetuin-B.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that Fetuin-B might be a potential mediator of liver-adipose cross talk involved in short- and long-term regulation of adipose insulin sensitivity, especially in the context of diet-induced weight changes.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00850629, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00850629, date of registration: February 25, 2009.
A qualitative interview study on how people with incomplete spinal cord injury experience high-intensity walking exercise
Authors: Sterling Malene Kolstad , Wouda Matthijs Ferdinand , Lahelle Andreas Falck
Published: October 2021

Study design

Qualitative, in-depth research interviews.

Objective

To provide new insight into how people with a recent incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) experience high-intensity walking exercise after discharge from subacute inpatient rehabilitation.

Setting

Informants for this interview study participated in a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) that was conducted at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway.

Methods

Four individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with the participants in natural setting. The interviews were analyzed through systematic text condensation and discussed in the context of experiences of bodily changes.

Results

Four themes emerged that described positive but also challenging bodily experiences related to performing high-intensity walking exercise: “Expectations and motivation”—reasons for participating, “Challenging bodily changes”—impacts on walking ability, “Adaptation strategies”—achieving the high-intensity target level, and “Integrating exercise into a new daily life”—combining participation, new body and new life.

Conclusions

This study indicates the importance of participating in a specific exercise program at discharge from subacute inpatient rehabilitation for ambulant people with SCI. However, high-intensity walking exercise may be too demanding to perform during this time period. The insights from the study provide new knowledge that can contribute to improving clinical rehabilitation practice.
Neural contributors to trauma resilience: a review of longitudinal neuroimaging studies
Authors: Roeckner Alyssa R. , Oliver Katelyn I. , Lebois Lauren A. M. , van Rooij Sanne J. H. , Stevens Jennifer S.
Published: October 2021

Resilience in the face of major life stressors is changeable over time and with experience. Accordingly, differing sets of neurobiological factors may contribute to an adaptive stress response before, during, and after the stressor. Longitudinal studies are therefore particularly effective in answering questions about the determinants of resilience. Here we provide an overview of the rapidly-growing body of longitudinal neuroimaging research on stress resilience. Despite lingering gaps and limitations, these studies are beginning to reveal individual differences in neural circuit structure and function that appear protective against the emergence of future psychopathology following a major life stressor. Here we outline a neural circuit model of resilience to trauma. Specifically, pre-trauma biomarkers of resilience show that an ability to modulate activity within threat and salience networks predicts fewer stress-related symptoms. In contrast, early post-trauma biomarkers of subsequent resilience or recovery show a more complex pattern, spanning a number of major circuits including attention and cognitive control networks as well as primary sensory cortices. This novel synthesis suggests stress resilience may be scaffolded by stable individual differences in the processing of threat cues, and further buttressed by post-trauma adaptations to the stressor that encompass multiple mechanisms and circuits. More attention and resources supporting this work will inform the targets and timing of mechanistic resilience-boosting interventions.
Proposed criteria for nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome in children assessed using statistical optimization
Authors: Gold Nina B. , Campbell Ian M. , Sheppard Sarah E. , Tan Wen-Hann
Published: October 2021

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is a tumor predisposition condition, the cardinal features of which emerge in adolescence or adulthood. Using statistical optimization, this study proposes NBCCS criteria with improved sensitivity in children less than 18 years of age. Earlier detection may lead to improved surveillance and prevention of sequelae. A survey eliciting medical history was completed by, or on behalf of, individuals with NBCCS. Based on these findings, criteria for suspicion of NBCCS in children were suggested using information from a Bernoulli naïve Bayes classifier relying on the human phenotype ontology. The sensitivity and specificity of the existing and proposed diagnostic criteria were also assessed. Participants (n = 48) reported their first signs of NBCCS appeared at a median age of 8 months, but by our retrospective analysis, they did not fulfill the current diagnostic criteria until a median age of 7 years. This study delineates the early-onset features of NBCCS and proposes criteria that should prompt consideration of NBCCS. Additionally, we demonstrate a method for quantitatively assessing the utility of diagnostic criteria for genetic disorders.
Effect of pitch range on dogs’ response to conspecific vs. heterospecific distress cries
Authors: Root-Gutteridge Holly , Ratcliffe Victoria F. , Neumann Justine , Timarchi Lucia , Yeung Chloe , Korzeniowska Anna T. , Mathevon Nicolas , Reby David
Published: October 2021

Distress cries are emitted by many mammal species to elicit caregiving attention. Across taxa, these calls tend to share similar acoustic structures, but not necessarily frequency range, raising the question of their interspecific communicative potential. As domestic dogs are highly responsive to human emotional cues and experience stress when hearing human cries, we explore whether their responses to distress cries from human infants and puppies depend upon sharing conspecific frequency range or species-specific call characteristics. We recorded adult dogs’ responses to distress cries from puppies and human babies, emitted from a loudspeaker in a basket. The frequency of the cries was presented in both their natural range and also shifted to match the other species. Crucially, regardless of species origin, calls falling into the dog call-frequency range elicited more attention. Thus, domestic dogs’ responses depended strongly on the frequency range. Females responded both faster and more strongly than males, potentially reflecting asymmetries in parental care investment. Our results suggest that, despite domestication leading to an increased overall responsiveness to human cues, dogs still respond considerably less to calls in the natural human infant range than puppy range. Dogs appear to use a fast but inaccurate decision-making process to determine their response to distress-like vocalisations.
The extracellular matrix glycoprotein ADAMTSL2 is increased in heart failure and inhibits TGFβ signalling in cardiac fibroblasts
Authors: Rypdal Karoline B. , Erusappan Pugazendhi M. , Melleby A. Olav , Seifert Deborah E. , Palmero Sheryl , Strand Mari E. , Tønnessen Theis , Dahl Christen P. , Almaas Vibeke , Hubmacher Dirk , Apte Suneel S. , Christensen Geir , Lunde Ida G.
Published: October 2021

Fibrosis accompanies most heart diseases and is associated with adverse patient outcomes. Transforming growth factor (TGF)β drives extracellular matrix remodelling and fibrosis in the failing heart. Some members of the ADAMTSL (a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase domain with thrombospondin type 1 motifs-like) family of secreted glycoproteins bind to matrix microfibrils, and although their function in the heart remains largely unknown, they are suggested to regulate TGFβ activity. The aims of this study were to determine ADAMTSL2 levels in failing hearts, and to elucidate the role of ADAMTSL2 in fibrosis using cultured human cardiac fibroblasts (CFBs). Cardiac ADAMTSL2 mRNA was robustly increased in human and experimental heart failure, and mainly expressed by fibroblasts. Over-expression and treatment with extracellular ADAMTSL2 in human CFBs led to reduced TGFβ production and signalling. Increased ADAMTSL2 attenuated myofibroblast differentiation, with reduced expression of the signature molecules α-smooth muscle actin and osteopontin. Finally, ADAMTSL2 mitigated the pro-fibrotic CFB phenotypes, proliferation, migration and contractility. In conclusion, the extracellular matrix-localized glycoprotein ADAMTSL2 was upregulated in fibrotic and failing hearts of patients and mice. We identified ADAMTSL2 as a negative regulator of TGFβ in human cardiac fibroblasts, inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation and pro-fibrotic properties.
Deficiency of phyto-available sulphur, zinc, boron, iron, copper and manganese in soils of India
Authors: Shukla Arvind Kumar , Behera Sanjib Kumar , Prakash Chandra , Tripathi Ajay , Patra Ashok Kumar , Dwivedi Brahma Swaroop , Trivedi Vivek , Rao Ch. Srinivasa , Chaudhari Suresh Kumar , Das Soumitra , Singh Anil Kumar
Published: October 2021

Nutrient deficiencies in soil–crop contexts and inappropriate managements are the important reasons for low crop productivity, reduced nutritional quality of agricultural produce and animal/human malnutrition, across the world. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate nutrient deficiencies of sulphur (S) and micronutrients [zinc (Zn), boron (B), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn)] in agricultural soils of India for devising effective management strategies to achieve sustainable crop production, improved nutritional quality in crops and better animal/human health. A total of 2,42,827 surface (0–15 cm depth) soil samples were collected from agriculture fields of 615 districts lying in 28 states of India and were analysed for available S and micronutrients concentration. The study was carried out under the aegis of All India Coordinated Research Project on Micro- and Secondary-Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils and Plants. The mean concentrations were 27.0 ± 29.9 mg kg−1for available S, 1.40 ± 1.60 mg kg−1for available Zn and 1.40 ± 4.70 mg kg−1for available B, 31.0 ± 52.2 mg kg−1for available Fe, 2.30 ± 3.50 mg kg−1for available Cu and 17.5 ± 21.4 mg kg−1for available Mn. There were variable and widespread deficiencies of S and micronutrients in different states. The deficiencies (acute deficient + deficient + latent deficiency) of S (58.6% of soils), Zn (51.2% of soils) and B (44.7% of soils) were higher compared to the deficiencies of Fe (19.2% of soils), Cu (11.4% of soils) and Mn (17.4% of soils). Out of 615 districts, > 50% of soils in 101, 131 and 86 districts were deficient in available S, available Zn and available B, respectively. Whereas, > 25% of soils in 83, 5 and 41 districts had deficiencies of available Fe, available Cu and available Mn, respectively. There were occurrences of 2-nutrients deficiencies such S + Zn (9.30% of soils), Zn + B (8.70% of soils), S + B (7.00% of soils) and Zn + Fe (5.80% of soils) to a greater extent compared to the deficiencies of Zn + Mn (3.40% of soils), S + Fe (3.30% of soils), Zn + Cu (2.80% of soils) and Fe + B (2.70% of soils). Relatively lower % of soils were deficient in 3-nutrients (namely S + Zn + B, S + Zn + B and Zn + Fe + B), 4-nutrients (namely Zn + Fe + Cu + Mn) and 5-nutrients (namely Zn + Fe + Cu + Mn + B) simultaneously. The information regarding the distribution of deficiencies of S and micronutrients (both single and multi-nutrients) could be used by various stakeholders for production, supply and application of right kind of fertilizers in different districts, states and agro-ecological regions of India for better crop production, crop nutritional quality, nutrient use efficiency, soil health and for tackling human and animal malnutrition.
Detecting spiral wave tips using deep learning
Authors: Lilienkamp Henning , Lilienkamp Thomas
Published: October 2021

The chaotic spatio-temporal electrical activity during life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation is governed by the dynamics of vortex-like spiral or scroll waves. The organizing centers of these waves are called wave tips (2D) or filaments (3D) and they play a key role in understanding and controlling the complex and chaotic electrical dynamics. Therefore, in many experimental and numerical setups it is required to detect the tips of the observed spiral waves. Most of the currently used methods significantly suffer from the influence of noise and are often adjusted to a specific situation (e.g. a specific numerical cardiac cell model). In this study, we use a specific type of deep neural networks (UNet), for detecting spiral wave tips and show that this approach is robust against the influence of intermediate noise levels. Furthermore, we demonstrate that if the UNet is trained with a pool of numerical cell models, spiral wave tips in unknown cell models can also be detected reliably, suggesting that the UNet can in some sense learn the concept of spiral wave tips in a general way, and thus could also be used in experimental situations in the future (ex-vivo, cell-culture or optogenetic experiments).
Spatial hand representation in anorexia nervosa: a controlled pilot study
Authors: Verbe J. , Lindberg P. G. , Gorwood P. , Dupin L. , Duriez P.
Published: October 2021

Body representation distortion (BRD) is a core criterion of Anorexia Nervosa (AN), and is usually assessed subjectively, focusing on body shape. We aimed to develop a new assessment to evaluate body representation independently from socially-mediated body image, on a body part with low emotional salience (hands). In a monocentric open label pilot study, we measured hand representations based on explicit (verbal) and implicit (tactile) instructions. Participants, with eyes closed, had to point targeted locations (knuckles and nails of each finger) based on verbal instructions and tactile stimulations to evaluate body representations respectively. Ratios between hand width and finger length were compared between AN (n = 31) and controls (n = 31) and correlated with current body mass index, AN subtype and disease duration. To control that hand distortion was specific to body representation, we also assessed object representation. Hand representation’s width/length ratio was significantly increased in patients with AN, whereas no difference was found in object representation. We found no correlation between hand wideness and clinical traits related to eating disorders. Our results propose that BRD is not limited to body parts with high emotional salience, strengthening the hypothesis that anorexia nervosa is associated with profound unspecific BRD.
A transfer learning framework based on motor imagery rehabilitation for stroke
Authors: Xu Fangzhou , Miao Yunjing , Sun Yanan , Guo Dongju , Xu Jiali , Wang Yuandong , Li Jincheng , Li Han , Dong Gege , Rong Fenqi , Leng Jiancai , Zhang Yang
Published: October 2021

Deep learning networks have been successfully applied to transfer functions so that the models can be adapted from the source domain to different target domains. This study uses multiple convolutional neural networks to decode the electroencephalogram (EEG) of stroke patients to design effective motor imagery (MI) brain-computer interface (BCI) system. This study has introduced ‘fine-tune’ to transfer model parameters and reduced training time. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated by the abilities of the models for two-class MI recognition. The results show that the best framework is the combination of the EEGNet and ‘fine-tune’ transferred model. The average classification accuracy of the proposed model for 11 subjects is 66.36%, and the algorithm complexity is much lower than other models.These good performance indicate that the EEGNet model has great potential for MI stroke rehabilitation based on BCI system. It also successfully demonstrated the efficiency of transfer learning for improving the performance of EEG-based stroke rehabilitation for the BCI system.
Corneal nerve loss as a surrogate marker for poor pial collaterals in patients with acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Khan Adnan , Menon Ajay , Akhtar Naveed , Kamran Saadat , Muhammad Ahmad , Ponirakis Georgios , Gad Hoda , Petropoulos Ioannis N. , Wadiwala Faisal , Babu Blessy , Narangoli Adeeb M. , Bermejo Pablo G. , Al Hamad Hanadi , Ramadan Marwan , Woodruff Peter , Santos Mark , Saqqur Maher , Shuaib Ashfaq , Malik Rayaz A.
Published: October 2021

In patients with acute ischemic stroke, pial collaterals play a key role in limiting neurological disability by maintaining blood flow to ischemic penumbra. We hypothesized that patient with poor pial collaterals will have greater corneal nerve and endothelial cell abnormalities. In a cross-sectional study, 35 patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion with poor (n = 12) and moderate-good (n = 23) pial collaterals and 35 healthy controls underwent corneal confocal microscopy and quantification of corneal nerve and endothelial cell morphology. In patients with MCA stroke, corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL) (P < 0.001), corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD) (P = 0.025) and corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) (P = 0.002) were lower compared to controls. Age, BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, systolic blood pressure, NIHSS and endothelial cell parameters did not differ but mRS was higher (p = 0.023) and CNFL (p = 0.026) and CNBD (p = 0.044) were lower in patients with poor compared to moderate-good collaterals. CNFL and CNBD distinguished subjects with poor from moderate-good pial collaterals with an AUC of 72% (95% CI 53–92%) and 71% (95% CI 53–90%), respectively. Corneal nerve loss is greater in patients with poor compared to moderate-good pial collaterals and may act as a surrogate marker for pial collateral status in patients with ischemic stroke.
Toward the accurate estimation of elliptical side orifice discharge coefficient applying two rigorous kernel-based data-intelligence paradigms
Authors: Karbasi Masoud , Jamei Mehdi , Ahmadianfar Iman , Asadi Amin
Published: October 2021

In the present study, two kernel-based data-intelligence paradigms, namely, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) and Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (KELM) along with Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM), as the validated schemes, employed to precisely estimate the elliptical side orifice discharge coefficient in rectangular channels. A total of 588 laboratory data in various geometric and hydraulic conditions were used to develop the models. The discharge coefficient was considered as a function of five dimensionless hydraulically and geometrical variables. The results showed that the machine learning models used in this study had shown good performance compared to the regression-based relationships. Comparison between machine learning models showed that GPR (RMSE = 0.0081, R = 0.958, MAPE = 1.3242) and KELM (RMSE = 0.0082, R = 0.9564, MAPE = 1.3499) models provide higher accuracy. Base on the RSM model, a new practical equation was developed to predict the discharge coefficient. Also, the sensitivity analysis of the input parameters showed that the main channel width to orifice height ratio (B/b) has the most significant effect on determining the discharge coefficient. The leveraged approach was applied to identify outlier data and applicability domain.
Umbilical cord serum concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanoic acid, and the body mass index changes from birth to 5 1/2 years of age
Authors: Horikoshi Takanobu , Nishimura Tomoko , Nomura Yoko , Iwabuchi Toshiki , Itoh Hiroaki , Takizawa Takumi , Tsuchiya Kenji J.
Published: October 2021

Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been reported to affect body weight from birth to childhood, but the results remain inconclusive. We investigated whether umbilical cord blood concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are associated with children’s risk trajectory for obesity. 600 children were randomly selected from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC study) and their umbilical cord serum PFAS concentrations were quantified. Participants underwent BMI measurements at ages 1, 4, 10, 18, 24, 32, 40, 50, and 66 months. Growth curve modeling with random intercept was performed with standardized BMI as outcome variable. PFOS was negatively associated with standardized BMI (β =  − 0.34; p = 0.01), with a marginally significant interaction with the child’s age (β = 0.0038; p = 0.08). PFOA was negatively associated with standardized BMI (β =  − 0.26, 95% CI − 0.51, 0; p = 0.05), with a significant interaction with the child’s age (β = 0.005; p = 0.01). Stratified analysis by sex revealed that these effects were significant only among girls. Prenatal exposure to PFAS initially was associated with lower standardized BMI during infancy, but this effect dissipated over time and reversed in direction during later childhood. The effects of prenatal PFAS on higher standardized BMI is stronger in girls.
Postprandial hepatic stiffness changes on magnetic resonance elastography in healthy volunteers
Authors: Obrzut Marzanna , Atamaniuk Vitaliy , Chen Jun , Obrzut Bogdan , Ehman Richard L. , Cholewa Marian , Palusińska Agnieszka , Gutkowski Krzysztof
Published: October 2021

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a reliable noninvasive method for assessment of hepatic stiffness. Liver stiffness is known to be affected by elevated postprandial portal blood flow in patients with chronic liver disease. The goal of this study was to determine whether food intake affects liver stiffness in the absence of known liver disease. We evaluated 100 volunteers (35 men and 65 women) who met inclusion criteria. The subjects had two MRE examinations, first while fasting and then 30 min after a test meal. Fourteen subjects also had two additional MRE exams 1 h 30 min and 2 h 30 min after the meal. Liver stiffness was measured by placing the largest possible polygon ROIs on the four widest liver slices and calculated as a mean of stiffness values from each slice. The correlation of liver stiffness values before and after the meal was assessed using a paired t-test. To evaluate the relationship between the change in postprandial liver stiffness and fasting liver stiffness values, linear regression was performed. The liver stiffness values in the fasting state ranged from 1.84 to 2.82 kPa, with a mean of 2.30 ± 0.23 kPa (95% CI 2.25–2.34). At 30 min after the meal, liver stiffness values ranged from 2.12 to 3.50 kPa, with a mean of 2.70 ± 0.28 kPa (95% CI 2.64–2.75), demonstrating a systematic postprandial increase by 0.40 ± 0.23 kPa (17.7 ± 3.5%). Meal intake significantly increases liver stiffness in healthy individuals, which persists for at least 2 h 30 min. Patients should fast for 3–4 h before MRE examinations to avoid fibrosis overstaging due to postprandial liver stiffness augmentation.
A double layer FSS filter for sub-THz applications
Authors: Ghavidel A. , Kokkonen M. , Myllymäki S.
Published: October 2021

This work presents the simulated and measured performance of single- and double-layer frequency selective surface filters for operation at sub-THz frequencies (250 GHz center frequency). They were composed of concentric square loops with a split as a unit cell resonator on top of a low dielectric permittivity, low thickness material (RT5880). Both a single layer filter and a cascaded two layer filter with varied distances were investigated. The simulated bandwidth for the cascaded filter was 27 GHz and 16 GHz and 9 GHz bandwidth measured with a THz-TDS and microwave system.
Extract from Dioscorea bulbifera L. rhizomes aggravate pirarubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the expression of P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 in the mouse liver
Authors: Sun Li-rui , Guo Qiu-shi , Zhou Wei , Li Min
Published: October 2021

Chinese herbal medicine is widely used because it has a good safety profile and few side effects. However, the risk of adverse drug reactions caused by herb-drug interactions (HDIs) is often overlooked. Therefore, the task of identifying possible HDIs and elucidating their mechanisms is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of HDI-related adverse reactions. Since extract fromDioscorea bulbiferaL. rhizomes (DB) can cause various degrees of liver damage, it is speculated that HDIs may occur between DB extract and chemicals metabolized or excreted by the liver. Our study revealed that the cardiotoxicity of pirarubicin (THP) was increased by co-administration of DB, and the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2) in the liver was inhibited by DB extract, which led to the accumulation of THP in heart tissue. In conclusion, there are risks of the co-administration of DB extract and THP. The mechanism of HDIs can be better revealed by targeting the efflux transporters.
Utility of neutrophil CD64 in distinguishing bacterial infection from inflammation in severe alcoholic hepatitis fulfilling SIRS criteria
Authors: Pandey Gaurav , Singh Harshit , Chaturvedi Saurabh , Hatti Manjunath , Kumar Alok , Mishra Ravi , Mishra Prabhakar , Krishna V. P. , Bhadauria Arun , Mohindra Samir , Misra Durga Prasanna , Saraswat Vivek Anand , Agarwal Vikas
Published: October 2021

To assess utility of neutrophilCD64 (nCD64) expression in differentiating bacterial infection from inflammation in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) fulfilling systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. Patients with SAH and infection (n = 58), SAH without infection (n = 70), and healthy controls (n = 20) were included. Neutrophil CD64 expression by flowcytometry, serum Procalcitonin (ELISA) and C-reactive protein (Nephelometry) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were studied. Percentage of neutrophils with CD64 expression (nCD64%) was significantly higher in patients with SAH and infection than in those without infection and controls [76.2% (56.9–86.5) vs. 16% (12.6–23.1) vs. 7.05% (1.4–9.5), p < 0.05], as was their mean fluorescence intensity [MFI; 1431 (229–1828) vs. 853 (20–968) vs. 99.5 (54.7–140.7), p < 0.05]. Using a cut-off of 27%, the sensitivity and specificity of nCD64% to diagnose bacterial infection was 94% and 81%, respectively, with area under curve (AUC) of 0.95. At a cut-off value of 0.261 ng/ml, the sensitivity and specificity of serum procalcitonin was 83% and 72%, respectively, with AUC of 0.86. Serum CRP, total leukocyte count, NLR had AUCs of 0.78, 0.63 and 0.64, respectively. Quantitative measurement of nCD64 can better distinguish systemic bacterial infection and inflammation in SAH as compared to traditional biomarkers.
Perineural invasion/lymphovascular invasion double positive predicts distant metastasis and poor survival in T3–4 oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ting Kuan-Chung , Lee Tsung-Lun , Li Wing-Yin , Chang Chia-Fan , Chu Pen-Yuan , Wang Yi-Fen , Tai Shyh-Kuan
Published: October 2021

Postoperative adjuvant therapy has been indicated by advanced T classification for T3–4 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the significance of perineural invasion (PNI) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in treatment for T3–4 OSCC remains unclear. Ninety-eight cumulative patients with T3–4 OSCC who underwent curative surgery between Jan 2002 and Dec 2010 were recruited and analyzed. Twenty-seven (27.6%) patients were PNI/LVI double positive. PNI/LVI double positive demonstrated independent predictive values for higher neck metastasis (LN+), higher distant metastasis (DM) and low 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates (p < 0.001, p = 0.017, and p < 0.001, respectively) after controlling for other pathologic features of the primary tumors. A high DM rate of 33.3% was noted in PNI/LVI double-positive patients. Among the PNI/LVI double negative, single positive to double positive subgroups, increasing LN+, DM rates and decreasing DSS rate were observed. Among the 44 LN+ patients, PNI/LVI double positive remained associated with a markedly high DM rate of 42.9% and a poor 5-year DSS of 27.7%. PNI/LVI double positive plays important roles in prognostication and potential clinical application for T3–4 OSCC by independently predicting LN+, DM, and poor DSS, and can be used as a good marker to select DM high-risk patients for novel adjuvant therapy trials.
Factors associated with health intentions and behaviour among health checkup participants in Japan
Authors: Otsuka Takayuki , Konta Tsuneo , Sho Ri , Osaki Tsukasa , Souri Masayoshi , Suzuki Natsuko , Kayama Takamasa , Ueno Yoshiyuki
Published: October 2021

Health intentions and behaviours are essential for improving the health of individuals and society. This study used cross-sectional data from 20,155 health checkup participants in the Yamagata study to identify factors associated with health intentions and behaviours. Information regarding the current level of health intentions and behaviours was collected using a baseline survey questionnaire. Participants were categorised into three groups: having no intention (no intention), having intentions to improve but not acting on them (intention), and already active (action). The associations between background factors and the presence/absence of health intentions and behaviours were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Of the participants, 35.4%, 37.7%, and 26.9% belonged to the no intention, intention, and action groups, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the factors associated with health intentions were being young, being female, longer duration of education, higher body mass index and abdominal circumference, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. The factors associated with health behaviours were being older and male, not consuming alcohol, not smoking, performing daily exercise, and having diabetes. These results indicate that health guidance considering background factors, including age, gender, education, and comorbidities, may be useful for effectively promoting health intentions and health behaviours in the Japanese population.
Evaluation of a genus-specific rGroEL1-524 IgM-ELISA and commercial ELISA kits during the course of leptospirosis in Thailand
Authors: Maneewatchararangsri Santi , Doungchawee Galayanee , Kalambaheti Thareerat , Luvira Viravarn , Soonthornworasiri Ngamphol , Vattanatham Pisut , Chaisri Urai , Adisakwattana Poom
Published: October 2021

In the present study, we developed a genus-specific rGroEL1-524 IgM-ELISA assay for use in screening diagnosis of suspected leptospirosis among acute undifferentiated febrile illness patients during acute fever. The diagnostic accuracies of the rGroEL1–524 IgM-ELISA, commercial Panbio IgM-ELISA, and Virion-Serion Classic IgG-ELISA were evaluated using 133 Thai leptospirosis sera and 210 controls. Sensitivities were 91.7%, 59.6%, and 17.7% for acute infection, and the specificities were 92.6%, 90.2%, and 88.3% for the non-leptospirosis control, respectively. The rGroEL1-524 IgM-ELISA had high sensitivity, at 92.3% and 91.7%, among culture-positive and MAT-negative cases at 1–3 days post-onset of symptoms (DPO1–3), respectively. Impaired specificity on scrub typhus was found, possibly from antibody cross-reaction to ortholog GroEL. Commercial Panbio IgM-ELISA had sensitivities at DPO1–3 of 30.8% and 41.7% for culture-positive and MAT-negative cases whereas Virion-Serion IgG-ELISA showed sensitivities of 5.9% and 13.3%, respectively. The rGroEL1-524 IgM-ELISA could be useful as a screening test for early diagnosis. The performance of the commercial ELISA suggests the applicability of IgM-ELISA for diagnosis, while IgG-ELISA is useful for seroprevalence surveys. However, confirmation by reference tests is recommended.
Population-scale identification of differential adverse events before and during a pandemic
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Sumathipala Marissa , Zitnik Marinka
Published: October 2021

Adverse patient safety events, unintended injuries resulting from medical therapy, were associated with 110,000 deaths in the United States in 2019. A nationwide pandemic (such as COVID-19) further challenges the ability of healthcare systems to ensure safe medication use and the pandemic’s effects on safety events remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate drug safety events across demographic groups before and during a pandemic using a dataset of 1,425,371 reports involving 2,821 drugs and 7,761 adverse events. Among 64 adverse events identified by our analyses, we find 54 increased in frequency during the pandemic, despite a 4.4% decrease in the total number of reports. Out of 53 adverse events with a pre-pandemic gender gap, 33 have seen their gap increase with the pandemic onset. We find that the number of adverse events with an increased reporting ratio is higher in adults (by 16.8%) than in older patients. Our findings have implications for safe medication use and preventable healthcare inequality in public health emergencies.
Cell imaging with multi-color DNA framework probes
Authors: Xie Mo , Guo Linjie , Xing Shu , Cao Shuting , Zhao Ziwei , Liang Kaiyi , Li Jiang , Luo Shihua , Zhang Yu , Wang Lianhui
Published: October 2021

FDF-encoded multi-color fluorescent probes incorporating different aptamer motifs for pattern recognition of different cell lines.
Macrocyclic host molecules with aromatic building blocks: the state of the art and progress
Authors: Shi Qiang , Wang Xuping , Liu Bing , Qiao Panyu , Li Jing , Wang Leyong
Published: October 2021

The diversity of aromatic building blocks, bridging groups, and their connection patterns determines the richness of macrocyclic host molecules (MHMs). The MHMs with new aromatic building blocks reported in the last ten years were summarized and discussed.
The influence of the 6s2configuration of Bi3+on the structures of A′BiNb2O7(A′ = Rb, Na, Li) layered perovskite oxides
Authors: Mallick Subhadip , Khalsa Guru , Kaaret Jeffrey Z. , Zhang Weiguo , Batuk Maria , Gibbs Alexandra S. , Hadermann Joke , Halasyamani P. Shiv , Benedek Nicole A. , Hayward Michael A.
Published: October 2021

The presence of non-spherical Bi3+cations enhances, but does not cause, the polar distortions in layered perovskite oxides.
Sources of variability in nanoparticle uptake by cells
Authors: Åberg Christoffer , Piattelli Valeria , Montizaan Daphne , Salvati Anna
Published: October 2021

We study several reasons that could explain the heterogeneity in nanoparticle uptake among cells, concluding that one single cause is insufficient and that rather a range of heritable and non-heritable cell characteristics play a role.
A dual polymer composite of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) hybrid surface heterojunction with g-C3N4 for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Bao Hailian , Chen Xiaodi , Yuan Rui , Zhang Chao , Xu Shiai
Published: October 2021

A surface heterojunction catalyst of g-C3N4-PEDOT/P3HT with P3HT and PEDOT as the polymer sensitizer and hole transport pathway is successfully prepared. The as prepared photocatalyst with much improved photocatalytic activity for H2 production.
Spatial Hearing and Functional Auditory Skills in Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss
Authors: Corbin Nicole E. , Buss Emily , Leibold Lori J.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to characterize spatial hearing abilities of children with longstanding unilateral hearing loss (UHL). UHL was expected to negatively impact children's sound source localization and masked speech recognition, particularly when the target and masker were separated in space. Spatial release from masking (SRM) in the presence of a two-talker speech masker was expected to predict functional auditory performance as assessed by parent report.

Method

Participants were 5- to 14-year-olds with sensorineural or mixed UHL, age-matched children with normal hearing (NH), and adults with NH. Sound source localization was assessed on the horizontal plane (−90° to 90°), with noise that was either all-pass, low-pass, high-pass, or an unpredictable mixture. Speech recognition thresholds were measured in the sound field for sentences presented in two-talker speech or speech-shaped noise. Target speech was always presented from 0°; the masker was either colocated with the target or spatially separated at ±90°. Parents of children with UHL rated their children's functional auditory performance in everyday environments via questionnaire.

Results

Sound source localization was poorer for children with UHL than those with NH. Children with UHL also derived less SRM than those with NH, with increased masking for some conditions. Effects of UHL were larger in the two-talker than the noise masker, and SRM in two-talker speech increased with age for both groups of children. Children with UHL whose parents reported greater functional difficulties achieved less SRM when either masker was on the side of the better-hearing ear.

Conclusions

Children with UHL are clearly at a disadvantage compared with children with NH for both sound source localization and masked speech recognition with spatial separation. Parents' report of their children's real-world communication abilities suggests that spatial hearing plays an important role in outcomes for children with UHL.
The Effectiveness of Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy in the Treatment of Patients With COVID-19 in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting
Authors: Bellinger Leah , Ouellette Nelle Hannah , Robertson Julie Leonard
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in prolonged hospitalizations due to complications of moderate-to-severe COVID-19, leaving many with significant debilitation and functional impairment. The purpose of this research study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of physical, occupational, and speech therapy in the treatment of individuals recovering from COVID-19 in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Method

An observational pretest–posttest study of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation was conducted. Results from the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF PAI), the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), the Modified Barthel Index–Shah Version (mBI), the Orientation Log, and the Cognitive Log were collected and analyzed utilizing a paired
t
test.

Results

Statistically significant improvements (
p
< .05) in IRF PAI (
p
= 2.02 × 10
−14
), 6MWT (
p
= 2.29 × 10
−9
), mBI (
p
= 5.95 × 10
−9
), Orientation Log (
p
= 1.81 × 10
−2
), and Cognitive Log (
p
= 9.21 × 10
−4
) scores demonstrate that physical, occupational, and speech therapy improved the mobility, self-care, and cognitive performance of individuals recovering from COVID-19 at the inpatient rehabilitation level of care.

Conclusions

These findings can be used to impact the appropriate progression of patients through the health care continuum. As treatment of COVID-19 continues to evolve, ongoing research in this area of practice is warranted to continue to demonstrate the role of rehabilitation in the recovery process.
Comparison of Self-Report of Dysphagia Using the Eating Assessment Tool and the Sydney Swallowing Questionnaire in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Madhavan Aarthi , Shuman Nicole , Snyder Claire , Etter Nicole
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are an important feature in clinical evaluation of swallowing. The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) are two validated dysphagia PROs commonly used in healthy older adult populations as screening tools for swallowing problems. The purpose of this study is to compare the consistency of the EAT-10 and SSQ scores for self-reported swallowing difficulties in a group of community-dwelling older adults (CDOA) completing both questionnaires.

Method

A total of 316 individuals over the age of 60 years completed the EAT-10, SSQ, and provided demographic data, including a self-report of any medical diagnoses. Participants were excluded if they had any diagnoses known to cause dysphagia. Questionnaire responses were analyzed for frequencies of responses across all participants.

Results

Seventy-five participants were identified as having dysphagia by the EAT-10 (23.7%), while 30 participants were identified by the SSQ (9.49%). When comparing the results of the two assessments, the scales agreed on 289 out of 316 participants (91%). There was a disagreement on the results in 27 of the 316 participants, with 26 of these self-reporting dysphagia symptoms on the EAT-10 but not on the SSQ.

Conclusions

Two commonly used dysphagia PROs resulted in different prevalence rates of self-reported dysphagia in a group of CDOA. CDOAs may need questionnaires specifically validated for them with special consideration for specific age-related risk factors, to ensure accurate early identification.
Unveiling wide-orbit companions to K-type stars in Sco-Cen withGaiaEDR3
Authors: Bohn Alexander J. , Ginski Christian , Kenworthy Matthew A. , Mamajek Eric E. , Meshkat Tiffany , Pecaut Mark J. , Reggiani Maddalena , Seay Christopher R. , Brown Anthony G. A. , Cugno Gabriele , Henning Thomas , Launhardt Ralf , Quirrenbach Andreas , Rickman Emily L. , Ségransan Damien
Published: October 2021

Context.The detection of low-mass companions to stellar hosts is important for testing the formation scenarios of these systems. Companions at wide separations are particularly intriguing objects as they are easily accessible for variability studies of the rotational dynamics and cloud coverage of these brown dwarfs or planetary-mass objects.

Aims.We aim to identify new low-mass companions to young stars using the astrometric measurements provided by theGaiaspace mission. When possible, we use high-contrast imaging data collected with VLT/SPHERE.

Methods.We identified companion candidates from a sample of K-type, pre-main-sequence stars in the Scorpius Centaurus association using the early version of the third data release of theGaiaspace mission. Based on the provided positions, proper motions, and magnitudes, we identified all objects within a predefined radius, whose differential proper motions are consistent with a gravitationally bound system. As the ages of our systems are known, we derived companion masses through comparison with evolutionary tracks. For seven identified companion candidates we used additional data collected with VLT/SPHERE and VLT/NACO to assess the accuracy of the properties of the companions based onGaiaphotometry alone.

Results.We identify 110 comoving companions that have a companionship likelihood of more than 95%. Further color-magnitude analysis confirms their Sco-Cen membership. We identify ten especially intriguing companions that have masses in the brown dwarf regime down to 20MJup. Our high-contrast imaging data confirm both astrometry and photometric masses derived fromGaiaalone. We discovered a new brown dwarf companion, TYC 8252-533-1 B, with a projected separation of approximately 570 au from its Sun-like primary. It is likely to be located outside the debris disk around its primary star and SED modeling ofGaia, SPHERE, and NACO photometry provides a companion mass of 52−11+17 MJup.

Conclusions.We show that theGaiadatabase can identify low-mass companions at wide separations from their host stars. For K-type Sco-Cen members,Gaiacan detect sub-stellar objects at projected separations larger than 300 au and with a sensitivity limit beyond 1000 au and a lower mass limit down to 20MJup. A similar analysis of other star-forming regions could significantly enlarge the sample size of such objects and facilitate testing of the formation and evolution theories of planetary systems.