bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reliable and valid robot-assisted assessments of hand proprioceptive, motor and sensorimotor impairments after stroke
Authors: Zbytniewska Monika , Kanzler Christoph M. , Jordan Lisa , Salzmann Christian , Liepert Joachim , Lambercy Olivier , Gassert Roger 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Background
Neurological injuries such as stroke often differentially impair hand motor and somatosensory function, as well as the interplay between the two, which leads to limitations in performing activities of daily living. However, it is challenging to identify which specific aspects of sensorimotor function are impaired based on conventional clinical assessments that are often insensitive and subjective. In this work we propose and validate a set of robot-assisted assessments aiming at disentangling hand proprioceptive from motor impairments, and capturing their interrelation (sensorimotor impairments).

Methods
A battery of five complementary assessment tasks was implemented on a one degree-of-freedom end-effector robotic platform acting on the index finger metacarpophalangeal joint. Specifically, proprioceptive impairments were assessed using a position matching paradigm. Fast target reaching, range of motion and maximum fingertip force tasks characterized motor function deficits. Finally, sensorimotor impairments were assessed using a dexterous trajectory following task. Clinical feasibility (duration), reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient ICC, smallest real difference SRD) and validity (Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlations $$\rho$$
ρ
with Fugl-Meyer Upper Limb Motor Assessment, kinesthetic Up-Down Test, Box & Block Test) of robotic tasks were evaluated with 36 sub-acute stroke subjects and 31 age-matched neurologically intact controls.

Results
Eighty-three percent of stroke survivors with varied impairment severity (mild to severe) could complete all robotic tasks (duration: <15 min per tested hand). Further, the study demonstrated good to excellent reliability of the robotic tasks in the stroke population (ICC>0.7, SRD<30%), as well as discriminant validity, as indicated by significant differences (p-value<0.001) between stroke and control subjects. Concurrent validity was shown through moderate to strong correlations ($$\rho$$
ρ
=0.4-0.8) between robotic outcome measures and clinical scales. Finally, robotic tasks targeting different deficits (motor, sensory) were not strongly correlated with each other ($$\rho \le$$

ρ
≤

0.32, p-value>0.1), thereby presenting complementary information about a patient’s impairment profile.

Conclusions
The proposed robot-assisted assessments provide a clinically feasible, reliable, and valid approach to distinctly characterize impairments in hand proprioceptive and motor function, along with the interaction between the two. This opens new avenues to help unravel the contributions of unique aspects of sensorimotor function in post-stroke recovery, as well as to contribute to future developments towards personalized, assessment-driven therapies.
Rapid preoperative predicting tools for 1-year mortality and walking ability of Asian elderly femoral neck fracture patients who planned for hip arthroplasty
Authors: Fu Guangtao , Li Mengyuan , Xue Yunlian , Wang Hao , Zhang Ruiying , Ma Yuanchen , Zheng Qiujian 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Background
Femoral neck fractures in elderly patients typically warrant operative treatment and are related to high risks of mortality and morbidity. As early hip arthroplasties for elderly femoral neck fractures are widely accepted, rapid predicting models that allowed quantitative and individualized prognosis assessments are strongly needed as references for orthopedic surgeons during preoperative conversations.

Methods
Data of patients aged ≥ 65 years old who underwent primary unilateral hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty due to femoral neck fracture between January 1st, 2012 and June 30th, 2019 in our center were collected. Candidate variables included demographic data, comorbidities, and routine preoperative screening tests. The main outcomes included 1-year mortality and free walking rate after hip arthroplasty. Patients were randomly divided into derivation and validation groups in the ratio of three to one. Nomograms were developed based on multivariable logistic regressions of derivation group via R language. One thousand bootstraps were used for internal validation. Those models were further tested in the validation group for external validation.

Results
The final analysis was performed on 702 patients after exclusion and follow-up. All-cause 1-year mortality of the entire data set was 23.4%, while the free walking rate was 57.3%. Preoperative walking ability showed the biggest impact on predicting 1-year mortality and walking ability. Static nomograms were created from the final multivariable models, which allowed simplified graphical computations for the risks of 1-year mortality and walking ability in a certain patient. The bias-corrected C index of those nomograms for predicting 1-year mortality in the derivation group and the validation group were 0.789 and 0.768, while they were 0.807 and 0.759 for predicting postoperative walking ability. The AUC of the mortality and walking ability predicting models were 0.791 and 0.818, respectively.

Conclusions
Our models enabled rapid preoperative 1-year mortality and walking ability predictions in Asian elderly femoral neck fracture patients who planned for hip arthroplasty, with adequate predictive discrimination and calibration. Those rapid assessment models could help surgeons in making more reasonable clinical decisions and subsequently reducing the risk of potential medical dispute via quantitative and individualized prognosis assessments.
The parental perspective of thalassaemia in Bangladesh: lack of knowledge, regret, and barriers
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Sorowar , Mahbub Hasan Md. , Petrou Mary , Telfer Paul , Mosabbir Abdullah Al 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Background
Thalassaemia, a hereditary haemoglobin disorder, is a major public health concern in some parts of the world. Although Bangladesh is in the world’s thalassaemia belt, the information on this disease is scarce. Additionally, the awareness of this life threatening, but potentially preventable disease is surprisingly poor. However, mass awareness is pivotal for the development of an effective preventive strategy. In this context, the understanding of parental perspectives is essential to grasp the magnitude of the problem. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the parental knowledge gaps and perceptions regarding thalassemia, the barriers confronted by the parents for caring for their thalassaemic children and their attitude to prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis.

Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2018 and December 2018 at a dedicated thalassemia hospital located in Dhaka. A structured questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews with parents of thalassaemic children. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data.

Results
Of 365 respondents, nearly all respondents (97%) had not heard about the term, ‘thalassemia’ before the disease was diagnosed in their children; all (100%) were unscreened for carrier status prior to marriage. Mean knowledge scores were significantly higher in respondents with higher income and education. Most respondents (~ 91%) had a guilty feeling for not undergoing premarital screening. Only around 36% of them had heard about prenatal diagnosis. Approximately 25% participants would consider prenatal diagnosis in a future pregnancy, while 70% of them were unsure and only ~ 5% would decline prenatal diagnosis. Only 9.3% mothers had prenatal diagnosis in a previous pregnancy. Nearly 80% of the parents faced difficulty for obtaining blood donors regularly and a similar proportion (~ 81%) of them did not receive support from any organized blood clubs. More than 40% of the parents reported they felt socially stigmatized.

Conclusion
This study suggests poor parental knowledge regarding thalassaemia including prenatal diagnosis and the challenges faced while caring for their children. These findings would be of paramount importance in planning and devising effective prevention and intervention strategies in Bangladesh as well as other countries with similar sociocultural setting.
Acute motor-sensory axonal polyneuropathy variant of Guillain–Barre syndrome complicating the recovery phase of coronavirus disease 2019 infection: a case report
Authors: Haidary Ahmed Maseh , Noor Sarah , Hamed Esmatullah , Baryali Tawab , Rahmani Soma , Ahmad Maryam , Erfani Farahnaz , Azimi Hashmatullah , Habib Habib Ul Rahman , Tahiri Gul Ahmad , Saadaat Ramin , Ibrahimkhil Abdul Sami , Esmat Esmatullah , Malakzai Haider Ali 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Introduction
The novel coronavirus, since its first identification in China, in December 2019, has shown remarkable heterogeneity in its clinical behavior. It has affected humans on every continent. Clinically, it has affected every organ system. The outcome has also been variable, with most of the older patients showing grave outcomes as compared with the younger individuals. Here we present a rare and severe variant of Guillain–Barre syndrome that complicated the disease in recovery phase.

Case presentation
A 60-year-old Afghan man, who had been recovering from symptoms related to novel coronavirus associated disease, presented with sudden onset of progressive muscle weakness and oxygen desaturation. Electrophysiological workup confirmed the diagnosis of Guillain–Barre syndrome, and early institution of intravenous immunoglobulin resulted in complete resolution.

Conclusion
Guillain–Barre syndrome has recently been reported in many patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus associated disease. While clinical suspicion is mandatory to guide towards an effective diagnostic workup, early diagnosis of this complication and timely institution of therapeutic interventions are indispensable and lifesaving.
Blow-up for a viscoelastic von Karman equation with strong damping and variable exponent source terms
Authors: Park Sun-Hye 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn this article, we deal with a strongly damped von Karman equation with variable exponent source and memory effects. We investigate blow-up results of solutions with three levels of initial energy such as non-positive initial energy, certain positive initial energy, and high initial energy. Furthermore, we estimate not only the upper bound but also the lower bound of the blow-up time.
Mathematical modeling of non-Newtonian fluid in arterial blood flow through various stenoses
Authors: Owasit Pinyo , Sriyab Somchai 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSince the stenosis geometry of some cardiovascular patients cannot be described by a vertically symmetric function throughout the stenosis, so it motivates us to study the blood flow through a vertically asymmetric stenosis. In addition, we compare the flow quantities in bothvertically symmetric and asymmetric stenoses. The vertically symmetric stenosis is explained by a vertically symmetric function such as an exponential function in bell shape and a cosine function in cosine shape. The vertically asymmetric stenosis is interpreted by a vertically asymmetric function such as the combination of two different stenosis shapes. Blood is treated as a non-Newtonian fluid which is represented in the power-law model. The finite difference scheme is used to solve governing equations for obtaining the flow quantities such as axial velocity, radial velocity, flow rate, resistance to flow, and skin friction. We investigated the way that the stenosis height, stenosis length, and non-Newtonian behavior affect the flow quantities through three various stenoses. The flow quantities in the bell shape and cosine shape of stenosis show significantly different behavior. Moreover, we found that the flow quantities in the single shape (bell shape or cosine shape) have the same behavior as the flow quantities in the combined shape in the first half part, but have a slightly different behavior in the last half part.
Toxicometabolomics of lindane in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) using GC-MS/MS and LC-Orbitrap-MS/MS
Authors: Yuan Xiu , Lee Junghak , Park Eunyoung , Lee Hwa-Kyung , Kim Jeong-Han 
Published: July 2021

AbstractLindane is a broad-spectrum persistent organochlorine pesticide that has been used to control pests for many years. In this study, its toxic mechanisms in adult zebrafish were investigated using targeted metabolomics with GC-MS/MS and non-targeted metabolomics with LC-Orbitrap-MS/MS. Zebrafish was exposed to lindane in water for 48 h in three groups: control, low exposure (1/10 LC50) and high exposure (LC50). In the zebrafish exposed to low concentration of lindane, 2.24–3.98 mg/kg of lindane were determined, while 35.67–56.46 mg/kg were observed in the zebrafish exposed to high concentration. A total of 118 metabolites were identified from 394 metabolites on GC-MS/MS and 45 metabolites were selected as biomarkers. A total of 62 metabolites were identified on LC-Orbitrap-MS/MS and 7 metabolites were selected as biomarkers. Three groups were well separated on partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and a total of 52 metabolites in both the targeted and non-targeted metabolites were selected as biomarkers through VIP and ANOVA tests to construct a heatmap. Five metabolic pathways such as the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), histidine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, alanine/aspartate/glutamate metabolism, and phenylalanine/tyrosine/tryptophan biosynthesis, were observed to show toxicologically significant alterations. Oxidative stress was also confirmed through MDA and ROS assays. Such perturbations of the metabolic pathways of zebrafish caused by the exposure to lindane resulted in significant toxicological effects.
Melatonin improves the first cleavage of parthenogenetic embryos from vitrified–warmed mouse oocytes potentially by promoting cell cycle progression
Authors: Pan Bo , Qazi Izhar Hyder , Guo Shichao , Yang Jingyu , Qin Jianpeng , Lv Tianyi , Zang Shengqin , Zhang Yan , Zeng Changjun , Meng Qingyong , Han Hongbing , Zhou Guangbin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated the effect of melatonin (MT) on cell cycle (G1/S/G2/M) of parthenogenetic zygotes developed from vitrified-warmed mouse metaphase II (MII) oocytes and elucidated the potential mechanism of MT action in the first cleavage of embryos.ResultsAfter vitrification and warming, oocytes were parthenogenetically activated (PA) andin vitrocultured (IVC). Then the spindle morphology and chromosome segregation in oocytes, the maternal mRNA levels of genes includingMiss, Doc1r, Setd2andYthdf2in activated oocytes, pronuclear formation, the S phase duration in zygotes, mitochondrial function at G1 phase, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level at S phase, DNA damage at G2 phase, early apoptosis in 2-cell embryos, cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were evaluated. The results indicated that the vitrification/warming procedures led to following perturbations 1) spindle abnormalities and chromosome misalignment, alteration of maternal mRNAs and delay in pronucleus formation, 2) decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and lower adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, increased ROS production and DNA damage, G1/S and S/G2 phase transition delay, and delayed first cleavage, and 3) increased early apoptosis and lower levels of cleavage and blastocyst formation. Our results further revealed that such negative impacts of oocyte cryopreservation could be alleviated by supplementation of warming, recovery, PA and IVC media with 10− 9 mol/L MT before the embryos moved into the 2-cell stage of development.ConclusionsMT might promote cell cycle progression via regulation of MMP, ATP, ROS and maternal mRNA levels, potentially increasing the first cleavage of parthenogenetic zygotes developed from vitrified–warmed mouse oocytes and their subsequent development.
Resection and reconstruction of pancreatic artery aneurysms caused by the compression of the celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament: a report of two cases
Authors: Uchiyama Hideaki , Kuma Sosei , Ishida Mayumi , Tsujita Eiji , Nobuto Yoshinari , Kasagi Yuta , Natsugoe Keita , Aoyagi Takehiko , Iguchi Tomohiro , Itoh Hiroyuki 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Background
Some patients with the compression of the celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament (MAL) suffer pancreatic artery aneurysms (PAAs) due to excessive blood flow from the superior mesenteric artery. These aneurysms are in peril because they are prone to rupture irrespective of size. Here, we present two cases of resection and reconstruction of PAAs caused by the compression of the celiac trunk by the MAL.

Case presentation
Patient 1 was a 44-year-old man who was first diagnosed to have a visceral artery aneurysm with a diameter of 4 cm accidentally found by ultrasound examination at a regular medical check-up. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed the compression of the celiac trunk by the MAL and a PAA originating from the first jejunal artery. First, laparoscopic excision of the MAL followed by a stent placement into the celiac trunk was performed. Although the stent was patent, the PAA still grew. The patient underwent resection and reconstruction of the PAA. Reconstruction of the pancreatic arterial arcade was needed because clamping of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA) resulted in disappearance of the hepatic arterial blood flow. The follow-up CT 2 years and 9 months after the operation revealed no recurrence of aneurysms and the patent anastomosis. Patient 2 was a 68-year-old man who presented with an epigastric pain. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed the compression of the celiac trunk by the MAL and a PAA approximately 6 cm in diameter originating from the IPDA. The PAA was surrounded by a relatively low-intensity area, suggesting impending rupture of the PAA. The patient underwent resection and reconstruction of the PAA under an emergency situation. Reconstruction of the pancreatic arterial arcade was needed because clamping of the inflow IPDA resulted in disappearance of the hepatic blood flow. The follow-up CT 1 year and 8 months after the operation revealed no recurrence of aneurysms and the patent anastomosis.

Conclusions
Although long-term follow-up is needed, resection and reconstruction is one of the therapeutic choices for PAAs caused by the compression of the celiac trunk by the MAL in order to prevent catastrophic aneurysm rupture.
Identifying the research gap of zoonotic disease in displacement: a systematic review
Authors: Braam Dorien Hanneke , Jephcott Freya Louise , Wood James Lionel Norman 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Background
Outbreaks of zoonotic diseases that transmit between animals and humans, against a backdrop of increasing levels of forced migration, present a major challenge to global public health. This review provides an overview of the currently available evidence of how displacement may affect zoonotic disease and pathogen transmission, with the aim to better understand how to protect health and resilience of displaced and host populations.

Methods
A systematic review was conducted aligned with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Between December 2019 - February 2020, PubMed, Web of Science, PLoS, ProQuest, Science Direct and JSTOR were searched for literature. Studies were included based on a focus on zoonotic disease risks in displacement and/or humanitarian emergencies, and relevance in terms of livestock dependency of the displaced populations. Evidence was synthesised in form of a table and thematic analysis.

Results
Of all records, 78 papers were selected for inclusion. Among the included studies, the majority were based on secondary data, including literature reviews (n=43) and case studies (n=5), while the majority of papers covered wide geographical areas such as the Global South (n=17) and Africa (n=20). The review shows significant gaps in the literature, which is specifically lacking primary data on zoonotic diseases in displacement. Risk factors for the transmission of zoonoses in displacement are based on generic infectious disease risks, which include the loss of health services, increased population density, changes in environment, reduced quality of living conditions and socio-economic factors. Regardless of the presence of these disease drivers during forced migration however, there is little evidence of large-scale zoonotic disease outbreaks linked directly to livestock in displacement.

Conclusion
Due to the lack of primary research, the complex interlinkages of factors affecting zoonotic pathogen transmission in displacement remain unclear. While the presence of animals may increase the burden of zoonotic pathogens, maintaining access to livestock may improve livelihoods, nutrition and mental health, with the potential to reduce people’s vulnerability to disease. Further primary interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral research is urgently required to address the evidence gaps identified in this review to support policy and program development.
Uncertainty modeling of wind power frequency regulation potential considering distributed characteristics of forecast errors
Authors: Yan Cheng , Tang Yi , Dai Jianfeng , Wang Chenggen , Wu Shengjun 
Published: July 2021

AbstractLarge-scale integration of wind power generation decreases the equivalent inertia of a power system, and thus makes frequency stability control challenging. However, given the irregular, nonlinear, and non-stationary characteristics of wind power, significant challenges arise in making wind power generation participate in system frequency regulation. Hence, it is important to explore wind power frequency regulation potential and its uncertainty. This paper proposes an innovative uncertainty modeling method based on mixed skew generalized error distribution for wind power frequency regulation potential. The mapping relationship between wind speed and the associated frequency regulation potential is established, and key parameters of the wind turbine model are identified to predict the wind power frequency regulation potential. Furthermore, the prediction error distribution of the frequency regulation potential is obtained from the mixed skew model. Because of the characteristics of error partition, the error distribution model and predicted values at different wind speed sections are summarized to generate the uncertainty interval of wind power frequency regulation potential. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms other state-of-the-art contrastive models in terms of the refined degree of fitting error distribution characteristics. The proposed model only requires the wind speed prediction sequence to accurately model the uncertainty interval. This should be of great significance for rationally optimizing system frequency regulation resources and reducing redundant backup.
A survey: which features are required for dynamic visual simultaneous localization and mapping?
Authors: Xu Zewen , Rong Zheng , Wu Yihong 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn recent years, simultaneous localization and mapping in dynamic environments (dynamic SLAM) has attracted significant attention from both academia and industry. Some pioneering work on this technique has expanded the potential of robotic applications. Compared to standard SLAM under the static world assumption, dynamic SLAM divides features into static and dynamic categories and leverages each type of feature properly. Therefore, dynamic SLAM can provide more robust localization for intelligent robots that operate in complex dynamic environments. Additionally, to meet the demands of some high-level tasks, dynamic SLAM can be integrated with multiple object tracking. This article presents a survey on dynamic SLAM from the perspective of feature choices. A discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of different visual features is provided in this article.