bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Ion Conductivity and Hierarchical Molecular Mobility of Oligocarbonate-based Electrolytes
Authors: Kojio Ken , Kaetsu Katsuhiro , Hirai Tomoyasu , Takahara Atsushi
Published: February 2022

To obtain a direction for an experimental design to clarify the ion conductivity mechanism, the effects of type of lithium salt, salt concentration, and number density of branching points on conductivity of aliphatic oligocarbonate-based lithium-ion electrolytes were investigated using dielectric, conductive, and viscosity measurements. It was revealed that hierarchical molecular mobility including local, micro-, and macro-Brownian modes affect the conductivity of polymer electrolytes depending on the situation of electrolytes, such as salt concentration, type of salt, and molecular architecture.
Introduction: Studying the ‘facesphere’
Authors: Leone Massimo
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Studying the ‘facesphere’
Cultures of the (masked) face
Authors: Marino Gabriele
Published: February 2022

What we generally regard as ‘the face’ should be semiotically understood not as something given and monolithic, but rather stratified – it is at least threefold: biological (face), physiognomic (expression), perceivable (visage) – and relational as it has to be put within a narrative in order to make sense. The face lies at the centre of a whole semiotic system, the form of life, revolving around the issue of identity (which the face – the visage, to be precise – embodies and still does not resolve). What we may call ‘the natural face’ is not, as common sense would suggest, the precondition of the ‘culturalized’ one (featured with modifications ranging from make-up and proper masks to surgery), but rather just one of the possible semiotic masks a person may choose to wear. At the same time, the mask does not have to be reduced to a deceptive device only (nor to be meant merely as a material object), being in fact at the centre of a more complex axiology. The classic veridictory square articulating the opposition between Being and Seeming may provide a suitable model for the semiotic square of ‘visageness’, so that we would have: Face, Disguise (the place of the mask proper), Fake, Anonymity. Based on these theoretical premises, the paper finally addresses popular music and outlines a provisional map of the pragmatics of the mask (subtractive vs. additive, ritualistic vs. continuous, material vs. virtual, mask as face vs. face as mask), as a suggestion for further studies.
Faces in the pre-Hispanic rock art of Colombia: Semiotic strategies, visual semiospheres, and gestures
Authors: Domínguez Núñez Martín Cuitzeo
Published: February 2022

This article analyses the sign systems or semiotic models that make up the meaning of a double face or mask drawing in the pre-Columbian rock art of Colombia, also discussing two human figures with depicted faces associated with the main picture. The sample of rock art was detected on the walls of the Chicamocha Canyon at the Mirador de Bárcenas site in the Santander Department in Northeast Colombia. Its origin is attributed to the Guane chiefdom. We hold as a central argument that this face and its gestures were part of a sign system or visual semiosphere that spread along the banks of the Chicamocha Canyon. However, the image shared some semiotic models and visual communication strategies with societies that inhabited areas in central Colombia located hundreds of kilometers away from the site studied. We support this claim because the forms, the use of the space in the images, and the gestures of a hieratic character appear both in the faces of the petroglyphs of the Huila Department as well as in some pre-Hispanic gold masks from the Cundinamarca region.

The images of the rock art faces were analysed using a visual semiotic model based on the suggestions of the Mu group and analyses by Félix Thürleman and Jean Marie Floch. The analysis was complemented by Jacques Fontanille’s proposal for the levels of semiotic relevance, with Juri Lotman’s concept of the semiosphere employed as a key concept.
Poezja romantycznych przełomów. Odwrócona elegia
Authors: Opacki Ireneusz
Published: February 2022

The book includes eight studies concerning poetry of the romantic epoch. The author’s attention focuses on the poetic works of Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki and Cyprian Norwid. They are discussed in separate chapters, but interpretation presented in the volume concerns also works of other romantic poets – artists who are known and less known. Poetry of the Romantics has been depicted from the historical and literary perspective (in this context, poetry of the Enlightenment is an important point of reference, and the question of transformations of poetry in the 19th century constitutes one of the main threads of the book) as well as from the poetological perspective, especially genological, in which different issues are included: 19th century transformations of particular poetic genres and forms (epic, elegy, poetic cycle), and the phenomenon of genre crossing, considered as an important factor of the evolution of poetry.
Lemko Generals and Senior Officers
Authors: Horbal Bohdan
Published: February 2022

Łemkowscy generałowie i wyżsi oficerowie

Każda wspólnota etniczna szczyci się swoimi wybitnymi postaciami, niezależnie od tego, czy funkcjonują one wewnątrz grupy, czy wykazują jakikolwiek związek ze wspólnotą. Wśród Łemków informacje o takich postaciach przekazywano z pokolenia na pokolenie, a także utrwalano w publikacjach, źródłach drukowanych. W artykule dokonano przeglądu informacji o kilku wyższych oficerach wojskowych, w tym o generałach, o których wspominano, że byli Łemkami. Badania zawierają główne informacje biograficzne o nich i wykazują, że choć istotnie większość z tych osób była pochodzenia łemkowskiego, to jednak nie wszyscy.
Optimal Electricity Demand Response Contracting with Responsiveness Incentives
Authors: Aïd René , Possamaï Dylan , Touzi Nizar
Published: February 2022

Demand response programs in retail electricity markets are very popular. However, despite their success in reducing average consumption, the random responsiveness of consumers to price events makes their efficiency questionable to achieve the flexibility needed for electric systems with a large share of renewable energy. This paper aims at designing demand response contracts that allow to act on both the average consumption and its variance. The interaction between a risk-averse producer and a risk-averse consumer is modelled as a principal–agent problem, thus accounting for the moral hazard underlying demand response contracts. The producer, facing the limited flexibility of production, pays an appropriate incentive compensation to encourage the consumer to reduce his average consumption and to enhance his responsiveness. We provide a closed-form solution for the optimal contract in the linear case. We show that the optimal contract has a rebate form where the initial condition of the consumption serves as a baseline and where the consumer is charged a price for energy and a price for volatility. The first-best price for energy is a convex combination of the marginal cost and the marginal value of energy, where the weights are given by the risk-aversion ratios, and the first-best price for volatility is the risk-aversion ratio times the marginal cost of volatility. The second-best price, for energy and volatility, is a decreasing nonlinear function of time inducing decreasing effort. The price for energy is lower (respectively, higher) than the marginal cost of energy during peak-load (respectively, off-peak) periods. We illustrate the potential benefits issued from the implementation of an incentive mechanism on the responsiveness of the consumer by calibrating our model with publicly available data.
Study scope
Authors: Welyczko Nikki
Published: February 2022

A brief overview of recently published articles on subjects relevant to endoscopic practitioners
Consecutive ipsilateral inferior pole patella and superior patella sleeve fractures
Authors: Hannah A , Stoddard JE , Sutton PM
Published: February 2022

We present a rare, previously undescribed case of a superior patella sleeve fracture in a skeletally immature adolescent male, just 1 month following surgery for an ipsilateral traumatic inferior pole patella fracture. This was initially missed resulting in a delay to surgery. We recommend a high index of suspicion is key in these patients who re-present following subsequent trauma and alternative X-ray views such as a flexed lateral can be extremely beneficial.
Method for determination of optical rotatory dispersion curve by using a polarization axis finder
Authors: Wang Fujie , Lei Bing , Gao Chao , Wen Xueke , Lei Yu
Published: February 2022

We report a new, to the best of our knowledge, measurement method of optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) based on a polarization axis finder (PAF) and digital image processing. The collimated quasi-monochromatic light is output by a monochromator and passes through a polarizer and the chiral samples, and a PAF is employed to modulate the light beam spatially to form an “hourglass” intensity pattern, which is utilized to determine the polarization direction of linearly polarized light. After being recorded by a digital camera, the modulated patterns with and without samples are analyzed by our specially designed digital image processing program to calculate the optical rotation (OR) angle of the chiral substance at a certain wavelength, and the ORD curve can be obtained by fitting a series of OR angles with different wavelengths. The ORD curves of two standard quartz plates with opposite chirality and a glucose solution with different concentrations are measured experimentally, and the fitted coefficients and measurement results agree well with their theoretical values, which indicates that the presented method is an effective and accurate way to determine the ORD of chiral substances conveniently.
Surface quality of laser paint removal of marine steel: a comparative study using a Gaussian beam and a flat-top beam
Authors: Tong Yanqun , ShangGuan Jianfeng , Ren Xudong , Yuan Aihua , Liu Jianfeng , Lian Zhaohua , Hu Xiaocai , Ma Jian , Yang Zhen , Wang Dongfang
Published: February 2022

The spot mode has a great influence on the effect of laser paint removal, but it has not been clarified. This paper studies the influence of a Gaussian beam and a flat-top beam on surface quality. The results show that for the laser paint removal with the Gaussian beam, the surface hardness, corrosion resistance, and adhesion of marine steel improved significantly. The surface hardness increased by a factor of 20.8% compared to the original substrate, and the paint adhesion increased by 32.7%. For the flat-top beam, the surface quality of the substrate is unchanged, but the cleaning efficiency was observed to be 20% higher than that of the Gaussian beam. This paper can provide technical support for the control of surface cleaning quality in the laser paint removal process.
Broadband edge filter based on a helical long-period fiber grating and its application to a power-interrogated torsion sensor
Authors: Gao Kaiyue , Zhang Zhen , Huang Bo , Hao Hui , Zhao Hua , Wang Peng , Li Hongpu
Published: February 2022

A broadband edge filter with linear dynamic ranges of

40

n
m

in wavelength and

93

%

in transmission loss has been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, which is achieved by using a helical long-period fiber grating (HLPG) operating near the dispersion turning point (DTP) of the

L
P

1
,
10

mode. To take full advantage of the wide dynamic ranges, the fabricated edge filter has been successfully used as a power-interrogated torsion sensor, and the torsion responsivity presented is about 0.501 nm/(rad/m), which is higher than most conventional HLPG-based torsion sensors. The results indicate that the proposed edge filter may find applications in any other kinds of power-interrogated sensors as well.
From superradiance to subradiance: exploring the many-body Dicke ladder
Authors: Glicenstein Antoine , Ferioli Giovanni , Browaeys Antoine , Ferrier-Barbut Igor
Published: February 2022

We report a time-resolved study of collective emission in dense
ensembles of two-level atoms. We compare, on the same sample, the
buildup of superradiance and subradiance from the ensemble when driven
by a strong laser. This allows us to measure the dynamics of the
population of superradiant and subradiant states as a function of
time. In particular, we demonstrate the buildup in time of subradiant
states through superradiant dynamics. This illustrates the dynamics of
the many-body density matrix of superradiant ensembles of two-level
atoms when departing from the ideal conditions of Dicke superradiance,
in which symmetry forbids the population of subradiant states.
Tool evaluation for the detection of variably sized indels from next generation whole genome and targeted sequencing data
Authors: Wang Ning , Lysenkov Vladislav , Orte Katri , Kairisto Veli , Aakko Juhani , Khan Sofia , Elo Laura L.
Published: February 2022

Insertions and deletions (indels) in human genomes are associated with a wide range of phenotypes, including various clinical disorders. High-throughput, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies enable the detection of short genetic variants, such as single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels. However, the variant calling accuracy for indels remains considerably lower than for SNVs. Here we present a comparative study of the performance of variant calling tools for indel calling, evaluated with a wide repertoire of NGS datasets. While there is no single optimal tool to suit all circumstances, our results demonstrate that the choice of variant calling tool greatly impacts the precision and recall of indel calling. Furthermore, to reliably detect indels, it is essential to choose NGS technologies that offer a long read length and high coverage coupled with specific variant calling tools.
Regulatory network-based imputation of dropouts in single-cell RNA sequencing data
Authors: Leote Ana Carolina , Wu Xiaohui , Beyer Andreas
Published: February 2022

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) methods are typically unable to quantify the expression levels of all genes in a cell, creating a need for the computational prediction of missing values (‘dropout imputation’). Most existing dropout imputation methods are limited in the sense that they exclusively use the scRNA-seq dataset at hand and do not exploit external gene-gene relationship information. Further, it is unknown if all genes equally benefit from imputation or which imputation method works best for a given gene. Here, we show that a transcriptional regulatory network learned from external, independent gene expression data improves dropout imputation. Using a variety of human scRNA-seq datasets we demonstrate that our network-based approach outperforms published state-of-the-art methods. The network-based approach performs particularly well for lowly expressed genes, including cell-type-specific transcriptional regulators. Further, the cell-to-cell variation of 11.3% to 48.8% of the genes could not be adequately imputed by any of the methods that we tested. In those cases gene expression levels were best predicted by the mean expression across all cells, i.e. assuming no measurable expression variation between cells. These findings suggest that different imputation methods are optimal for different genes. We thus implemented an R-package called ADImpute (available via Bioconductor https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/ADImpute.html) that automatically determines the best imputation method for each gene in a dataset. Our work represents a paradigm shift by demonstrating that there is no single best imputation method. Instead, we propose that imputation should maximally exploit external information and be adapted to gene-specific features, such as expression level and expression variation across cells.
High fidelity epigenetic inheritance: Information theoretic model predicts threshold filling of histone modifications post replication
Authors: Ramakrishnan Nithya , Pillai Sibi Raj B. , Padinhateeri Ranjith
Published: February 2022

During cell devision, maintaining the epigenetic information encoded in histone modification patterns is crucial for survival and identity of cells. The faithful inheritance of the histone marks from the parental to the daughter strands is a puzzle, given that each strand gets only half of the parental nucleosomes. Mapping DNA replication and reconstruction of modifications to equivalent problems in communication of information, we ask how well enzymes can recover the parental modifications, if they were ideal computing machines. Studying a parameter regime where realistic enzymes can function, our analysis predicts that enzymes may implement a critical threshold filling algorithm which fills unmodified regions of length at most k. This algorithm, motivated from communication theory, is derived from the maximum à posteriori probability (MAP) decoding which identifies the most probable modification sequence based on available observations. Simulations using our method produce modification patterns similar to what has been observed in recent experiments. We also show that our results can be naturally extended to explain inheritance of spatially distinct antagonistic modifications.
Treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB and its determinants at referral hospitals in Ethiopia
Authors: Wakjira Mengistu K. , Sandy Peter T. , Mavhandu-Mudzusi A. H.
Published: February 2022

Background

There is limited empirical evidence in Ethiopia on the determinants of treatment outcomes of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) who were enrolled to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. Thus, this study investigated the determinants of treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB at referral hospitals in Ethiopia.

Design and methods

This study was underpinned by a cross-sectional quantitative research design that guided both data collection and analysis. Data is collected using structured questionnaire and data analyses was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Multi-variable logistic regression was used to control for confounders in determining the association between treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB and selected predictor variables, such as co-morbidity with MDR-TB and body mass index.

Results

From the total of 136 patients with MDR-TB included in this study, 31% had some co-morbidity with MDR-TB at baseline, and 64% of the patients had a body mass index of less than 18.5 kg/m2. At 24 months after commencing treatment, 76 (69%), n = 110), of the patients had successfully completed treatment, while 30 (27%) died of the disease. The odds of death was significantly higher among patients with low body mass index (AOR = 2.734, 95% CI: 1.01–7.395; P<0.048) and those with some co-morbidity at baseline (AOR = 4.260, 95%CI: 1.607–11.29; p<0.004).

Conclusion

The higher proportion of mortality among patients treated for MDR-TB at Adama and Nekemte Hospitals, central Ethiopia, is attributable to co-morbidities with MDR-TB, including HIV/AIDS and malnutrition. Improving socio-economic and nutritional support and provision of integrated care for MDR-TB and HIV/AIDS is recommended to mitigate the higher level of death among patients treated for MDR-TB.
Mapping spatial distribution and geographic shifts of East African highland banana (Musa spp.) in Uganda
Authors: Ochola Dennis , Boekelo Bastiaen , van de Ven Gerrie W. J. , Taulya Godfrey , Kubiriba Jerome , van Asten Piet J. A. , Giller Ken E.
Published: February 2022

East African highland banana (Musa acuminatagenome group AAA-EA; hereafter referred to as banana) is critical for Uganda’s food supply, hence our aim to map current distribution and to understand changes in banana production areas over the past five decades. We collected banana presence/absence data through an online survey based on high-resolution satellite images and coupled this data with independent covariates as inputs for ensemble machine learning prediction of current banana distribution. We assessed geographic shifts of production areas using spatially explicit differences between the 1958 and 2016 banana distribution maps. The biophysical factors associated with banana spatial distribution and geographic shift were determined using a logistic regression model and classification and regression tree, respectively. Ensemble models were superior (AUC = 0.895; 0.907) compared to their constituent algorithms trained with 12 and 17 covariates, respectively: random forests (AUC = 0.883; 0.901), gradient boosting machines (AUC = 0.878; 0.903), and neural networks (AUC = 0.870; 0.890). The logistic regression model (AUC = 0.879) performance was similar to that for the ensemble model and its constituent algorithms. In 2016, banana cultivation was concentrated in the western (44%) and central (36%) regions, while only a small proportion was in the eastern (18%) and northern (2%) regions. About 60% of increased cultivation since 1958 was in the western region; 50% of decreased cultivation in the eastern region; and 44% of continued cultivation in the central region. Soil organic carbon, soil pH, annual precipitation, slope gradient, bulk density and blue reflectance were associated with increased banana cultivation while precipitation seasonality and mean annual temperature were associated with decreased banana cultivation over the past 50 years. The maps of spatial distribution and geographic shift of banana can support targeting of context-specific intensification options and policy advocacy to avert agriculture driven environmental degradation.
On the estimation of the fill rate for the continuous (s, S) inventory system for the lost sales context
Authors: Guijarro Ester , Babiloni Eugenia , Cardós Manuel
Published: February 2022

In the continuous review reorder point, base-stock (s, S) policy, the replenishment order is launched when the inventory position reaches the reorder point, s. It is commonly assumed that the inventory position is exactly equal to the reorder point at the moment the order is launched, when actually it could be lower at that moment. This implies neglecting the possible undershoots at the reorder point, which has a direct impact on the calculation of the expected shortages per replenishment cycle. This article presents a method for an exact calculation of the fill rate (fraction of demand that is immediately satisfied from shelf) which takes explicit account of the existence of undershoots and is applicable to any discrete demand distribution function in a context of lost sales. This method is based on the determination of the stock probability vector at the moment the replenishment order is launched. Furthermore, neglecting the undershoots is shown to lead to an overestimation of the fill rate, particularly when we move farther away from the unitary demand assumption. From a practical point of view, this behaviour involves underestimating the base-stock level, S, when a target fill rate is set for its determination. The method proposed in this paper overcomes these shortcomings.
Protein-protein interactions enhance the thermal resilience of SpyRing-cyclized enzymes: A molecular dynamic simulation study
Authors: Gao Qi , Ming Dengming
Published: February 2022

Recently a technique based on the interaction between adhesion proteins extracted from Streptococcus pyogenes, known as SpyRing, has been widely used to improve the thermal resilience of enzymes, the assembly of biostructures, cancer cell recognition and other fields. It was believed that the covalent cyclization of protein skeleton caused by SpyRing reduces the conformational entropy of biological structure and improves its rigidity, thus improving the thermal resilience of the target enzyme. However, the effects of SpyTag/ SpyCatcher interaction with this enzyme are poorly understood, and their regulation of enzyme properties remains unclear. Here, for simplicity, we took the single domain enzyme lichenase from Bacillus subtilis 168 as an example, studied the interface interactions in the SpyRing by molecular dynamics simulations, and examined the effects of the changes of electrostatic interaction and van der Waals interaction on the thermal resilience of target enzyme. The simulations showed that the interface between SpyTag/SpyCatcher and the target enzyme is different from that found by geometric matching method and highlighted key mutations at the interface that might have effect on the thermal resilience of the enzyme. Our calculations highlighted interfacial interactions between enzyme and SpyTag/SpyCatcher, which might be useful in rational designs of the SpyRing.
Alterations of lower- and higher-order aberrations after unilateral horizontal rectus muscle surgery in children with intermittent exotropia: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Lee Dong Cheol , Lee Se Youp , Jun Jong Hwa
Published: February 2022

Background

This retrospective, cross-sectional study investigated changes in corneal lower- and higher-order aberrations that cause visual disturbance after lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection in children.

Methods

Eighty-five eyes of 85 patients (44 boys; 8.64±2.88 years) who underwent lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection to correct intermittent exotropia were assessed. The Galilei G4 Dual Scheimpflug Analyzer was used for wavefront analysis. Risk factors (age, sex, amount of surgery, preoperative axial length, preoperative intraocular pressure) were determined. Outcome measures included simulated and ray-tracing mode keratometry with secondary defocus, oblique, and vertical astigmatism (for lower-order aberrations) and the root mean square, 3rd-order vertical and horizontal coma, oblique and horizontal trefoil, 4th-order spherical aberration, oblique and vertical secondary astigmatism, and oblique and vertical quadrafoil (2nd‒8th sums) (for higher-order aberrations).

Results

Myopic with-the-rule changes in low-order aberrations and increases in simulated and ray-tracing mode keratometry during the 3 months following lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection were attributed to muscle healing and stability changes. High-order aberrations altered in the week following surgery almost returned to normal within 3 months. Axial length, the amount of surgery, age, and sex affected astigmatism due to differences in patients’ scleral states.

Conclusions

Clinicians should consider changes in high-order aberrations of young individuals who underwent lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection and may not be able to verbalize changes in vision.
Understanding discarding in trawl fisheries: A model based demersal case study with implications for mitigating and assessing impacts
Authors: Barnes Thomas C. , Candy Steven G. , Morris Stephen , Johnson Daniel D.
Published: February 2022

Despite research and public scrutiny over recent decades, discarding continues to be an issue for trawl fisheries. Previous research demonstrates that environmental, biological, operational, legislative and socioeconomic drivers affect a fisher’s decision to discard an organism. Therefore, the reduction of fishery discards requires a better understanding of fishery-specific drivers. Despite considerable research and mitigation, further work is required to reduce discarding to acceptable levels (currently ~ 50% in Australia). To better understand the drivers of discarding, this study used a modelling approach to determine environmental and operational factors that drive discarding in the New South Wales (NSW) ocean prawn trawl fishery (OPT). Further, the study investigated the relationship between the discarded number of individuals from all functional species groups (i.e. elasmobranchs, crustaceans and fish combined) and the retained catch weight. This model was also run on just fish partly due to their disproportionally high contribution to the discard assemblage (e.g. 76% of all species or higher taxon) and importance (e.g. to the ecosystem and fisheries). The results quantified relationships of environmental and operational drivers of discarding and the relationship of fish discarding and retained catch weight was found to be linear. However, the identified relationships appear complicated and, whilst an important first step, more work is required to identify all drivers influencing discarding practices. We, in combination with previous research, suggest implementation of effort quotas may be a suitable management initiative to reduce discarding and its impact; at least whilst more research is conducted to better understand this complex process. Furthering our understanding of discarding is urgent given its global impact and the rate of discarding in the OPT.
Hepatitis vaccination adherence and completion rates and factors associated with low compliance: A claims-based analysis of U.S. adults
Authors: LaMori Joyce , Feng Xue , Pericone Christopher D. , Mesa-Frias Marco , Sogbetun Obiageli , Kulczycki Andrzej
Published: February 2022

Poor compliance with multi-dose vaccine schedules by adults for whom hepatitis (Hep) A and B vaccines are recommended contributes to major Hep A and B disease burdens among high-risk U.S. adults. Evidence on hepatitis vaccine series adherence, completion, timeliness of completion, and factors associated with these outcomes, is limited and not readily generalizable for U.S. adults. This retrospective, observational study examined adherence, completion, its timeliness, and the impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on these outcomes among a large, geographically representative sample of U.S. adults. We analyzed the Optum Clinformatics SES administrative claims database (1/1/2010-6/30/2020) for recipients of 2-dose (HepA, HepB2) or 3-dose (HepB3, HepAB) hepatitis vaccines. Adherence was defined as receipt of booster doses within specified assessment periods, per label-recommended schedules. Completion (receipt of all doses) was assessed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.The study included 356,828 adults ≥19 years old who were continuously enrolled in a medical benefit plan for one (HepB2), six (HepB3; HepAB), or 18 months (HepA) prior to and following the index date (first observed vaccine dose). Adherence and 24-month completion rates were: HepA (27.0%, 28.4%), HepB2 (32.2%, 44.8%), HepB3 (14.3%, 37.3%), HepAB, (15.3%, 33.8%). Kaplan-Meier completion curves plateaued after about 6 months for HepB2 and about 12 months for HepA, HepB3, and HepAB vaccines. Logistic regression analyses showed risk for low adherence/completion was generally associated with male gender, younger age, Black or Hispanic race/ethnicity, lower educational or household income attainment, and more comorbidities. Adherence and completion rates for all hepatitis vaccine series are low, especially for males, younger adults, those with lower socio-economic status and more comorbidities. To our knowledge, this is the largest claims-based analysis of adherence and completion rates for U.S. adults initiating all currently available HepA and HepB vaccines. Findings may inform hepatitis vaccination programming.
Omecamtiv mecarbil treatment improves post-resuscitation cardiac function and neurological outcome in a rat model
Authors: Wu Shih-Ni , Tsai Min-Shan , Huang Chien-Hua , Chen Wen-Jone
Published: February 2022

Background

Myocardial dysfunction is a major cause of poor outcomes in the post-cardiac arrest period. Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a selective small molecule activator of cardiac myosin that prolongs myocardial systole and increases stroke volume without apparent effects on myocardial oxygen demand. OM administration is safe and improves cardiac function in patients with acute heart failure. Whether OM improves post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of OM treatment on post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction and outcomes.

Methods and results

Adult male rats were resuscitated after 9.5 min of asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest. OM and normal saline was continuously intravenously infused after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at 0.25 mg/kg/h for 4 h in the experimental group and control group, respectively (n = 20 in each group). Hemodynamic parameters were measured hourly and monitored for 4 h after cardiac arrest. Recovery of neurological function was evaluated by neurological functioning scores (0–12; favorable: 11–12) for rats 72 h after cardiac arrest. OM treatment prolonged left ventricular ejection time and improved post-resuscitation cardiac output. Post-resuscitation heart rate and left ventricular systolic function (dp/dt40) were not different between groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed non-statistically higher 72-h survival in the OM group (72.2% [13/18] and 58.8% [10/17], p = 0.386). The OM group had a higher chance of having favorable neurological outcomes in surviving rats 72 h after cardiac arrest (84.6% [11/13] vs. 40% [4/10], p = 0.026). The percentage of damaged neurons was lower in the OM group in a histology study at 72 h after cardiac arrest (55.5±2.3% vs. 76.2±10.2%, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

OM treatment improved post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction and neurological outcome in an animal model. These findings support further pre-clinical studies to improve outcomes in post-cardiac arrest care.
Structural and antigenic variations in the spike protein of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants
Authors: Mittal Anshumali , Khattri Arun , Verma Vikash
Published: February 2022

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is continuously evolving, and this poses a major threat to antibody therapies and currently authorized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. It is therefore of utmost importance to investigate and predict the putative mutations on the spike protein that confer immune evasion. Antibodies are key components of the human immune system’s response to SARS-CoV-2, and the spike protein is a prime target of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) as it plays critical roles in host cell recognition, fusion, and virus entry. The potency of therapeutic antibodies and vaccines partly depends on how readily the virus can escape neutralization. Recent structural and functional studies have mapped the epitope landscape of nAbs on the spike protein, which illustrates the footprints of several nAbs and the site of escape mutations. In this review, we discuss (1) the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants; (2) the structural basis for antibody-mediated neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 and nAb classification; and (3) identification of the RBD escape mutations for several antibodies that resist antibody binding and neutralization. These escape maps are a valuable tool to predict SARS-CoV-2 fitness, and in conjunction with the structures of the spike-nAb complex, they can be utilized to facilitate the rational design of escape-resistant antibody therapeutics and vaccines.
Nódulo tiroideo en el niño
Authors: Martín-Alonso Montserrat , Prieto Matos Pablo , Bajo Delgado Ana Fe , Mories Álvarez María Teresa , Sánchez Marcos Ana Isabel , Pardal Refoyo José Luis
Published: February 2022

Introducción y objetivo: Los nódulos tiroideos son poco frecuentes en la infancia (2% de niños tienen nódulos palpables y un 5% de niños tienen nódulos detectados por ecografía). La mayoría son benignos y asintomáticos. Pero a diferencia de lo que sucede en el adulto, el riesgo de malignización de los mismos es mayor, de modo que, dependiendo de las series la tasa de malignidad se sitúa entre 10-50%. De ahí la importancia de hacer un seguimiento clínico adecuado.

Síntesis: La glándula tiroidea del niño es más sensible al efecto de determinados agentes carcinogénicos que la del adulto. Esto hace que el seguimiento de los nódulos tiroideos del niño que, en su mayoría son benignos y asintomáticos, cobre especial importancia.

La American Thyroid Association (ATA) determinó que el criterio de tamaño utilizado en adultos para indicar punción aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) podía no ser apropiado para la glándula del niño que está en crecimiento, por lo que recomendó también tener en cuenta las características ecográficas y el contexto clínico. 

Ante los nódulos tiroideos benignos, se recomienda seguimiento clínico y ecográfico y ante aumentos de tamaño significativos, reconsiderar PAAF o cirugía.

Conclusiones: Es importante hacer un seguimiento clínico y ecográfico en el nódulo tiroideo del niño por su mayor riesgo de malignización.
Técnicas diagnósticas de Medicina Nuclear en patología tiroidea: relación con los grupos TIRADS y citología Bethesda
Authors: Martín-Gómez Esther , Garcia-Talavera Paloma , Díaz-González Luis Gonzaga , Martín-Gómez Enrique , López-Puche Sara , Tamayo-Alonso Pilar
Published: February 2022

Introducción y objetivo: La medicina Nuclear, desde sus inicios, ha tenido un papel importante en el estudio y tratamiento de la patología tiroidea. El hallazgo de un nódulo tiroideo es una situación muy frecuente en la práctica clínica diaria. En la actualidad, el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas como son la ecografía de alta resolución y la punción por aspiración con aguja fina ha originado un importante avance en el diagnóstico y manejo de ésta patología. Estos procedimientos han facilitado el desarrollo de sistemas de clasificación según las características ecográficas de los nódulos (TI-RADS) y según sus características citológicas (Bethesda) que orientan sobre la actitud a seguir en los diferentes casos. EL objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una revisión de las indicaciones y recomendaciones de la gammagrafía tiroidea y establecer su relación con los grupos TI-RADS y la citología Bethesda. Síntesis: Debido a que el iodo juega un rol importante en la fisiología y fisiopatología de la glándula tiroides, los radiofármacos del iodo o sus análogos son muy adecuados para el estudio de imágenes tiroideas. A pesar del desarrollo de nuevas técnicas muy precisas para el estudio del nódulo tiroideo, la gammagrafía de tiroides sigue siendo la única técnica capaz de correlacionar anatomía y función tiroidea y, por tanto, es el único examen capaz de demostrar la presencia de nódulos tiroideos autónomos, que raramente conllevan malignidad. Además, imágenes con trazadores específicos como el sestamibi-99mTc y 18F-fluorodeoxyglucosa pueden suministrar información del comportamiento biológico de nódulos citológicamente indeterminados. Conclusión: La gammagrafía de tiroides es el único método diagnóstico que proporciona información del estado funcional de la glándula. Su integración en los grupos TIRADS y Bethesda es de suma importancia para evitar biopsias innecesarias. Además, el uso de radiofármacos específicos, incluyendo la tomografía por emisión de positrones, proporcionan una información útil en el caso de nódulos citológicamente indeterminados.
The Effect of Pre-Operative Warming in Preventing Hypothermia and Shivering in Patients for Lower Limb Surgery under Subarachnoid Block
Authors: Muhammed Ashfal , N. Sudhir , E.V Juby , T.S. Sunilkumar
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Subarachnoid block (SAB) is a versatile regional anaesthesia technique for lower limb surgeries. Hypothermia (shivering) is a frequent, potentially serious event after spinal anaesthesia which can lead to severe complications. Several methods are used to minimize perioperative hypothermia and shivering. METHODS A hospital based prospective study was conducted in Government Medical College, Thrissur, over 12 months from January 2019 to January 2020. 260 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II patients undergoing elective surgeries under spinal anaesthesia were included. Prior to surgery patients were randomly allotted into two groups; Group 1 and Group 2. Group 1 patients were pre-warmed for 20 minutes and Group 2 were not pre-warmed. Measurement of body temperature, vital signs and shivering score was taken peri-operatively. Occurrence of hypothermia and shivering was observed intraoperatively and one hour postoperatively. RESULTS Baseline demographic data of the 2 groups was comparable. Temperature was persistently lower at all points except baseline in Group 2 compared to Group 1. Of those pre-warmed, 4.6 % and amongst those not pre-warmed, 65.4 % had shivering. Difference is statistically significant with chi square of 105.5 and p value <.001. CONCLUSIONS Incidence of hypothermia and shivering is found to be less in the pre-warmed. Hence, forced pre-warming has significant influence on hypothermia and shivering. KEY WORDS Subarachnoid Block, Pre-Warming, Hypothermia, Shivering.
Ultrasonological Findings in Multifidus Muscle in Chronic Back Pain Patients
Authors: Balan Bindu Vijayalakshmi , Manjalavil Mohanraj , Kammili Shehadad
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Chronic low back pain is a major health problem which has a negative physical, social and psychological impact on the patient and their family. Chronic low back pain is defined as pain that lasts for more than 3 months duration. We can ultrasonologically assess the spinal stabilizers in a given population and come to a common decision regarding their proper strengthening and rehabilitation. We wanted to assess the ultrasonological finding in lumbar multifidus muscle in chronic low back pain patients and to compare the findings with those who are not suffering from chronic low back pain. METHODS The case control study included 64 cases with chronic low back pain (excluding those with structural deformities, infective, traumatic, and inflammatory aetiology) and 64 controls without low back pain, among the persons who presented to the OPD of PMR Department, Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala. The crosssectional area as well as the percentage fatty infiltration of lumbar multifidus muscle at L4, L5 levels were assessed ultrasonologically after obtaining the consent. SPSS data analyser was used to statistically assess the variables. RESULTS The study population consisted of 53 % females and 47 % males with a comparable age group. The study showed persons with chronic low back pain had lower mean value of cross-sectional area (CSA) and higher mean value of percentage fatty infiltration in lumbar multifidus muscle at L4, L5 levels when compared to the values in persons without chronic low back pain. The CSA was significantly dependent on type of occupation they were involved. CSA was also found to be greater among males. CSA statistically showed direct relation to height and weightof the person. CONCLUSIONS The mean CSA of lumbar multifidus is lower in persons with chronic low back pain as compared to persons without low back pain. The CSA was significantly dependent on type of occupation. KEY WORDS Chronic Low Back Pain (LBP), Multifidus Muscle, Cross Sectional Area (CSA), Rehabilitation.
Tracheal Intubation with Different Doses of Propofol - Haemodynamic Changes
Authors: N. Sudhir , P Satheedevi , T.S. Sunilkumar , Joseph Elizabeth
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Stress response to intubation produces marked hemodynamic changes during direct laryngoscopy using muscle relaxants. Since attenuation of hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation leads to better outcomes, a method for providing good intubating conditions rapidly without using muscle relaxants is being sought. The objective of the present study was to compare the hemodynamic changes occurring while intubating with 2 different doses of propofol. METHODS We compared heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic pressure and mean arterial pressure changes during tracheal intubation with 2 different propofol doses without using muscle relaxants. Intravenous fentanyl inhibits the sympathetic nervous response to direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation in both groups of patients and acts as pre-emptive analgesia. RESULTS Comparison of the hemodynamic parameters revealed no statistically significant differences between the low dose propofol (PL) and high dose propofol (PH) groups with regard to heart rate or blood pressure changes at similar intervals postintubation. Both patient groups showed blood pressure fall along with a reflex increase in heart rate at 1 minute to 5 minutes post-intubation, returning to nearbaseline values 10 minutes post-intubation. None of these changes was either clinically detrimental or produced incidents of desaturation or arrhythmias in any study patient. CONCLUSIONS Low dose propofol may be useful in elderly or mildly hypovolemic patients, intolerant to a higher drug dosage whereas, the higher propofol dose may be particularly useful in the adult with a higher muscle mass in situations where muscle relaxant is to be restricted or avoided. KEY WORDS Tracheal Intubation, Hemodynamic Changes, Different Doses Propofol.
Calentamiento neuromuscular en la prevención de lesiones en deportistas caucanos
Authors: Villaquirán Andrés F. , Vernaza-Pinzón Paola , Portilla Enmanuel F.
Published: February 2022

La lesión deportiva trae consigo deterioro de la salud física y mental del atleta, gastos económicos y perdida de los entrenamientos y competencias jugando un papel fundamental en el éxito deportivo, los programas de prevención de lesiones se vienen implementando como una herramienta eficaz en el cuidado de la salud y la optimización del rendimiento deportivo. Objetivo: Comparar el comportamiento de la lesión en atletas posterior a un programa de prevención de lesiones. Material y método: Se realizó un estudio casi experimental, de tipo comparativo con 80 deportistas, de Actividades Subacuáticas, bádminton, judo, halterofilia, patinaje, triatlón y taekwondo del departamento del Cauca, aplicando un programa preventivo de calentamiento neuromuscular estructurado en el cual se comparaba en la misma muestra de sujetos un antes y un después; para la vigilancia de la lesión se utilizó una ficha de seguimiento del comportamiento de la lesión. Resultados: Antes de la aplicación del programa de prevención de lesiones, el 55% de los deportistas presentaron lesión, siendo de mayor frecuencia las tendinopatía y los esguinces, donde la rodilla fue la articulación más afectada, mientras que luego de la aplicación del programa de prevención aparecieron lesiones en el 34% (36/80) de los deportistas; clínicamente se encontró que los deportes de combate, de tiempo y marca presentaron una reducción de lesión del 25,8% y 2,8% respectivamente post intervención, en cambio los deportes de pelotas y raqueta aumentaron incidencia de lesión en un 20%
Abriendo la caja de Pandora: ¿qué contienen los instrumentos que miden el ambiente de aprendizaje en medicina?
Authors: Martínez Negretti Mariagracia , Domínguez Torres Luis Carlos , Restrepo Escobar Jorge Alberto
Published: February 2022

Introducción/objetivo: La medición del ambiente de aprendizaje en medicina es fundamental para evaluar la calidad de la educación médica. Existen múltiples instrumentos diseñados para este propósito, pero su contenido, fundamento teórico y utilidad práctica son variables. El objetivo del estudio es sintetizar la validez de contenido y alcance de estos instrumentos.Métodos: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura de estudios originales en idioma inglés y español publicados desde 1990 hasta 2018 en las bases de datos de Pubmed, ERIC, British Nursing Index, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Cochrane, CINALH y Latindex que contienen instrumentos para medir el ambiente de aprendizaje en Medicina. Se analizaron los dominios, fundamentos teóricos y métodos para determinar la validez de contenido. Resultados: Se incluyeron treinta y ocho estudios que evaluaron doce instrumentos (uno disponible en español). Dos instrumentos identificados fueron específicos para el ambiente quirúrgico y uno para el comunitario. Únicamente tres instrumentos estuvieron respaldados por una teoría educativa. Los dominios más frecuentemente evaluados fueron la atmosfera del aprendizaje, la percepción social y percepción académica. La validez de contenido se estableció principalmente mediante un panel de expertos o método Delphi en el 83,3% de los instrumentos. Conclusiones: Existen diversos instrumentos para evaluar un constructo complejo como el ambiente de aprendizaje en medicina. En general, estos instrumentos cuentan con validez de contenido respaldada por múltiples fuentes y metodologías, y pueden ser utilizados por los educadores médicos para evaluar de forma integral el ambiente de aprendizaje.