bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strontium ranelate promotes chondrogenesis through inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Yu Hao , Liu Yan , Yang Xiangwen , He Jiajing , Zhang Fan , Zhong Qun , Guo Xiaojing 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundCartilage regeneration is a key step in functional reconstruction for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) but is a difficult issue to address. Strontium ranelate (SrR) is an antiosteoporosis drug that has been proven to affect OA in recent years, but its effect on chondrogenesis and the underlying mechanism are still unclear.MethodsBone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were induced in chondrogenic differentiation medium with or without SrR, XAV-939, and LiCl. CCK-8 assays were used to examine cell proliferation, and alcian blue staining, toluidine blue staining, immunofluorescence, and PCR analysis were performed. Western blot (WB) analyses were used to assess chondrogenic differentiation of the cells. For an in vivo study, 30 male SD rats with cartilage defects on both femoral condyles were used. The defect sites were not filled, filled with silica nanosphere plus gelatine-methacryloyl (GelMA), or filled with SrR-loaded silica nanosphere plus GelMA. After 3 months of healing, paraffin sections were made, and toluidine blue staining, safranin O/fast green staining, and immunofluorescent or immunohistochemical staining were performed for histological evaluation. The data were analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software.ResultsLow concentrations of SrR did not inhibit cell proliferation, and the cells treated with SrR (0.25 mmol/L) showed stronger chondrogenesis than the control. XAV-939, an inhibitor of β-catenin, significantly promoted chondrogenesis, and SrR did not suppress this effect, while LiCl, an agonist of β-catenin, strongly suppressed chondrogenesis, and SrR reversed this inhibitory effect. In vivo study showed a significantly better cartilage regeneration and a lower activation level of β-catenin by SrR-loaded GelMA than the other treatments.ConclusionSrR could promote BMSCs chondrogenic differentiation by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and accelerate cartilage regeneration in rat femoral condyle defects.
Mean square cross error: performance analysis and applications in non-Gaussian signal processing
Authors: Zhang Yunxiang , Zhao Yuyang , Wang Gang , Xue Rui 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMost of the cost functions of adaptive filtering algorithms include the square error, which depends on the current error signal. When the additive noise is impulsive, we can expect that the square error will be very large. By contrast, the cross error, which is the correlation of the error signal and its delay, may be very small. Based on this fact, we propose a new cost function called the mean square cross error for adaptive filters, and provide the mean value and mean square performance analysis in detail. Furthermore, we present a two-stage method to estimate the closed-form solutions for the proposed method, and generalize the two-stage method to estimate the closed-form solution of the information theoretic learning methods, including least mean fourth, maximum correntropy criterion, generalized maximum correntropy criterion, and minimum kernel risk-sensitive loss. The simulations of the adaptive solutions and closed-form solution show the effectivity of the new method.
Some inequalities involving two generalized beta functions in n variables
Authors: Raïssouli Mustapha , El-Soubhy Salma I. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe beta and gamma functions have recently seen several developments and various extensions because of their nice properties and interesting applications. The contribution of this paper falls within this framework. After introducing a generalized gamma function and two generalized beta functions in several variables, we investigate some inequalities involving these generalized functions.
Sorption behavior of phosphate by fly ash discharged from biomass thermal power plant
Authors: Park Jong-Hwan , Hwang Se-Wook , Lee Su-Lim , Lee Jae-Hoon , Seo Dong-Cheol 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis study evaluated the characteristics and mechanism of phosphate adsorption by fly ash discharged from a biomass thermal power plant (BTP-FA) under various environmental conditions in order to increase the recyclability of BTP-FA. The phosphate adsorption properties of BTP-FA and fly ash derived from coal thermal power plant (CTP-FA) were better matched by those predicted by the Langmuir isothermal model and the pseudo-second-order model, and their maximum adsorption capacities were 62.1 and 4.1 mg/g, respectively. It was found that the adsorption of phosphate by BTP-FA was predominantly influenced by the outer boundary layer rather than the inner diffusion in the pores. The phosphate adsorption process by BTP-FA was greatly influenced by the initial pH and the BTP-FA dose. Therefore, to effectively treat phosphate using BTP-FA, the concentration and flow rate of phosphate in the incoming wastewater must be considered. The concentration of dissolved calcium from BTP-FA decreased sharply during the phosphate adsorption process compared to that in the phosphate-free solution. This was thought to be due to surface adsorption/reaction between calcium and phosphate. The SEM–EDS and FTIR results also supported the surface adsorption/precipitation reaction of Ca-P. Recycling fly ash discharged from biomass power plants as phosphate adsorbents is expected to contribute not only to waste reduction, but also to wastewater purification.
Genetic susceptibility of COVID-19: a systematic review of current evidence
Authors: SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad , Mehrtak Mohammad , MohsseniPour Mehrzad , Mirzapour Pegah , Barzegary Alireza , Habibi Pedram , Moradmand-Badie Banafsheh , Afsahi Amir Masoud , Karimi Amirali , Heydari Mohammad , Mehraeen Esmaeil , Dadras Omid , Sabatier Jean-Marc , Voltarelli Fabricio 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Introduction
While COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, researchers have linked patterns of traits to poor disease outcomes. Risk factors for COVID-19 include asthma, elderly age, being pregnant, having any underlying diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and experiencing lifelong systemic racism. Recently, connections to certain genes have also been found, although the susceptibility has not yet been established. We aimed to investigate the available evidence for the genetic susceptibility to COVID-19.

Methods
This study was a systematic review of current evidence to investigate the genetic susceptibility of COVID-19. By systematic search and utilizing the keywords in the online databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct, we retrieved all the related papers and reports published in English from December 2019 to September 2020.

Results
According to the findings, COVID-19 uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cell entry. Previous studies have shown that people with ACE2 polymorphism who have type 2 transmembrane serine proteases (TMPRSS2) are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, two studies have shown that males are more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 than females. Besides, research has also shown that patients possessing HLA-B*15:03 genotype may become immune to the infection.

Conclusion
Combing through the genome, several genes related to immune system’s response were related to the severity and susceptibility to the COVID-19. In conclusion, a correlation was found between the ACE2 levels and the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Urban wastewater bacterial communities assemble into seasonal steady states
Authors: LaMartina Emily Lou , Mohaimani Aurash A. , Newton Ryan J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundMicroorganisms in urban sanitary sewers exhibit community properties that suggest sewers are a novel ecosystem. Sewer microorganisms present both an opportunity as a control point for wastewater treatment and a risk to human health. If treatment processes are to be improved and health risks quantified, then it is necessary to understand microbial distributions and dynamics within this community. Here, we use 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize raw influent wastewater bacterial communities in a 5-year time series from two wastewater treatment plants in Milwaukee, WI; influent wastewater from 77 treatment plants across the USA; and wastewater in 12 Milwaukee residential sewers.ResultsIn Milwaukee, we find that in transit from residences to treatment plants, the human bacterial component of wastewater decreases in proportion and exhibits stochastic temporal variation. In contrast, the resident sewer community increases in abundance during transit and cycles seasonally according to changes in wastewater temperature. The result is a bacterial community that assembles into two distinct community states each year according to the extremes in wastewater temperature. Wastewater bacterial communities from other northern US cities follow temporal trends that mirror those in Milwaukee, but southern US cities have distinct community compositions and differ in their seasonal patterns.ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence that environmental conditions associated with seasonal change and climatic differences related to geography predictably structure the bacterial communities residing in below-ground sewer pipes.
The impact of cross-kingdom molecular forensics on genetic privacy
Authors: Elhaik Eran , Ahsanuddin Sofia , Robinson Jake M. , Foster Emily M. , Mason Christopher E. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRecent advances in metagenomic technology and computational prediction may inadvertently weaken an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Through cross-kingdom genetic and metagenomic forensics, we can already predict at least a dozen human phenotypes with varying degrees of accuracy. There is also growing potential to detect a “molecular echo” of an individual’s microbiome from cells deposited on public surfaces. At present, host genetic data from somatic or germ cells provide more reliable information than microbiome samples. However, the emerging ability to infer personal details from different microscopic biological materials left behind on surfaces requires in-depth ethical and legal scrutiny. There is potential to identify and track individuals, along with new, surreptitious means of genetic discrimination. This commentary underscores the need to update legal and policy frameworks for genetic privacy with additional considerations for the information that could be acquired from microbiome-derived data. The article also aims to stimulate ubiquitous discourse to ensure the protection of genetic rights and liberties in the post-genomic era.
Cursor movement detection in brain-computer-interface systems using the K-means clustering method and LSVM
Authors: Mohammadi Leila , Einalou Zahra , Hosseinzadeh Hamidreza , Dadgostar Mehrdad 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this study, we present the detection of the up-downward as well as the right- leftward motion of cursor based on feature extraction. In this algorithm, the K-means clustering method is used to recognize the available hidden patterns in each of the four modes (up, down, left, and right). The identification of these patterns can raise the accuracy of classification. The membership degree of each feature vector in the proposed new patterns is considered as a new feature vector corresponding to the previous feature vector and then, the cursor motion is detected using the linear SVM classifier. Applying the proposed method for data based on the hold-up cross validation causes the accuracy of the classifier in the up-downward and left- rightward movements in each person to increase by 2–10 %.
A novel risk score for the prediction of airway management in patients with deep neck space abscess: a multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lin Yu , Gao Wenxiang , Yue Huijun , Chen Weixiong , Liu Tianrun , Ye Jin , Cai Qian , Ye Fei , He Long , Xie Xingqiang , Xiong Guoping , Wang Bin , Pang Feng , Li Pei , Wu Jianhui , Wang Bin , Huang Junru , Wen Weiping , Lei Wenbin 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
Airway management, including noninvasive endotracheal intubation or invasive tracheostomy, is an essential treatment strategy for patients with deep neck space abscess (DNSA) to reverse acute hypoxia, which aids in avoiding acute cerebral hypoxia and cardiac arrest. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel risk score to predict the need for airway management in patients with DNSA.

Methods
Patients with DNSA admitted to 9 hospitals in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, were included. The cohort was divided into the training and validation cohorts. The risk score was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression models in the training cohort. The external validity and diagnostic ability were assessed in the validation cohort.

Results
A total of 440 DNSA patients were included, of which 363 (60 required airway management) entered into the training cohort and 77 (13 required airway management) entered into the validation cohort. The risk score included 7 independent predictors (p < 0.05): multispace involvement (odd ratio [OR] 6.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–23.07, p < 0.001), gas formation (OR 4.95, 95% CI 2.04–12.00, p < 0.001), dyspnea (OR 10.35, 95% CI 3.47–30.89, p < 0.001), primary region of infection, neutrophil percentage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18, p = 0.015), platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.01, p = 0.010), and albumin level (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.92, p < 0.001). Internal validation showed good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.951 (95% CI 0.924–0.971), and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow [HL] test, p = 0.821). Application of the clinical risk score in the validation cohort also revealed good discrimination (AUC 0.947, 95% CI 0.871–0.985) and calibration (HL test, p = 0.618). Decision curve analyses in both cohorts demonstrated that patients could benefit from this risk score. The score has been transformed into an online calculator that is freely available to the public.

Conclusions
The risk score may help predict a patient’s risk of requiring airway management, thus advancing patient safety and supporting appropriate treatment.
Innovative procedure for measuring left ventricular ejection fraction from 18F-FDG first-pass ultra-sensitive digital PET/CT images: evaluation with an anthropomorphic heart phantom
Authors: Verrecchia-Ramos Emilie , Morel Olivier , Retif Paul , Ben Mahmoud Sinan 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is usually measured by cine-cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), planar and single-photon emission-computerized tomography (SPECT) equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography (ERNA), and echocardiography. It would be clinically useful to measure LVEF from first-pass positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) radionuclide angiography, but this approach has been limited by fast radiotracer diffusion. Ultra-sensitive digital PET systems can produce high-quality images within 3-s acquisition times. This study determined whether digital PET/CT accurately measured LVEF in an anthropomorphic heart phantom under conditions mimicking radiotracer first-pass into the cardiac cavities.

Methods
Heart phantoms in end-diastole and end-systole were 3D-printed from a patient’s MRI dataset. Reference left ventricle end-diastole volume (EDV), end-systole volume (ESV), and LVEF were determined by phantom weights before/after water filling. PET/CT (3-s acquisitions), MRI, and planar and SPECT ERNA were performed. EDV, ESV, and/or LVEF were measured by manual and automated cardiac cavity delineation, using clinical segmentation softwares. LVEF was also measured from PET images converted to 2D “pseudo-planar” images along the short axis and horizontal long axis. LVEF was also calculated for planar ERNA images. All LVEF, ESV and EDV values were compared to the reference values assessed by weighing.

Results
Manually calculated 3D-PET-CT-based EDV, ESV, and LVEF were close to MRI and reference values. Automated calculations on the 3D-PET-CT dataset were unreliable, suggesting that the SPECT-based tool used for this calculation is not well adapted for PET acquisitions. Manual and automated LVEF estimations from “pseudo-planar” PET images were very close/identical to MRI and reference values.

Conclusions
First-pass “pseudo-planar” PET may be a promising method for estimating LVEF, easy to use in clinical practice. Processing 3D PET images is also a valid method but to date suffers from a lack of well-suited software for automated LV segmentation.
Anesthetic management of a patient with severe aortic regurgitation undergoing reoperation for ascending aorta false aneurysm using hypothermia: prevention of ventricular fibrillation by nifekalant
Authors: Tomita Akiko , Fujimoto Tomoko , Takada Shoko , Hayashi Yukio 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
To prevent cardiac collapse and to protect cerebral function, hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass is established before resternotomy. However, ventricular fibrillation under hypothermia facilitates left ventricular distension, which causes irreversible myocardial damage when the patient has aortic regurgitation. We report a case of successful management in preventing ventricular fibrillation under hypothermia by using nifekalant.

Case presentation
A 56-year-old male, who had been performed a David operation, was scheduled for a Bentall operation for a pseudo aortic aneurysm with severe aortic regurgitation. After inducing anesthesia, we administered intravenous nifekalant and a vent tube was inserted into the left ventricle under one-lung ventilation. Extracorporeal circulation was established and resternotomy started after cooling to 27 °C. Although severe bradycardia and QT prolongation were observed, ventricular fibrillation did not occur until aortic cross-clamping.

Conclusion
Combining maintaining cerebral perfusion and avoiding left ventricle distension during hypothermia was successfully managed with nifekalant in our redo cardiac patient with aortic regurgitation.
Implementation and utilization of gynecological teaching associate and male urogenital teaching associate programs: a scoping review
Authors: Hopkins Holly , Weaks Chelsea , Napier Elise 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundGynecological Teaching Associates (GTAs) and Male Urogenital Teaching Associates (MUTAs) are individuals trained to instruct health professional learners with their own body to conduct accurate, patient-centered breast, pelvic, urogenital, rectal, and/or prostate examinations. Evidence indicates that this results in improvements in technical competence and communication skills, but there is wide variability to how such programs are implemented and engaged within the curriculum. In this scoping review, we mapped evidence regarding (1) how GTA/MUTA programs are utilized with health professional learners, (2) how GTA/MUTA programs are implemented using the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) as a framework, and (3) what broad outcomes are addressed in publications.MethodsPubMed, ERIC, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts were searched for all publications addressing instruction of physical examinations with a GTA/MUTA and/or administration of GTA/MUTA programs. Studies were charted in tandem until consensus was identified and then charted individually, using an iterative process. The scoping review protocol was registered prospectively.ResultsOne hundred and one articles were identified, and nearly all highlighted positive results regarding GTA/MUTA programs. Most studies addressed medical students within the USA and Europe. During instructional sessions, three (SD=1.4) learners worked with each GTA/MUTA and an average of 32 min (SD=17) was allocated per learner. GTAs/MUTA instructed both independently (n=33) and in pairs (n=51). Thirty-eight articles provided detailed information consistent with one or more of the Domains of the ASPE SOBP, with six providing specific information regarding safe work environments.ConclusionsWhile studies demonstrate consistently positive outcomes for learners, there is wide variability in implementation patterns. This variability may impact learning outcomes and impact both physical and psychological safety for GTAs/MUTAs and learners. Terminology used to refer to GTAs/MUTAs is inconsistent and may obscure relevant publications. Additional research is indicated to explore the pedagogical variables that result in positive learning outcomes and examine methods to ensure physical and psychological safety of GTAs/MUTAs and learners.Trial registrationhttps://osf.io/x9w2u/.
Purines for Rapid Identification of Stroke Mimics (PRISM): study protocol for a diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Shaw Lisa , Graziadio Sara , Lendrem Clare , Dale Nicholas , Ford Gary A. , Roffe Christine , Smith Craig J. , White Philip M. , Price Christopher I. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
Rapid treatment of stroke improves outcomes, but accurate early recognition can be challenging. Between 20 and 40% of patients suspected to have stroke by ambulance and emergency department staff later receive a non-stroke ‘mimic’ diagnosis after stroke specialist investigation. This early diagnostic uncertainty results in displacement of mimic patients from more appropriate services, inappropriate demands on stroke specialist resources and delayed access to specialist therapies for stroke patients. Blood purine concentrations rise rapidly during hypoxic tissue injury, which is a key mechanism of damage during acute stroke but is not typical in mimic conditions. A portable point of care fingerprick test has been developed to measure blood purine concentration which could be used to triage patients experiencing suspected stroke symptoms into those likely to have a non-stroke mimic condition and those likely to have true stroke. This study is evaluating test performance for identification of stroke mimic conditions.

Methods
Design: prospective observational cohort study
Setting: regional UK ambulance and acute stroke services
Participants: a convenience series of two populations will be tested: adults with a label of suspected stroke assigned (and tested) by attending ambulance personnel and adults with a label of suspected stroke assigned at hospital (who have not been tested by ambulance staff).
Index test: SMARTChip Purine assay
Reference standard tests: expert clinician opinion informed by brain imaging and/or other investigations will assign the following diagnoses which constitute the suspected stroke population: ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, TIA and stroke mimic conditions.
Sample size: ambulance population (powered for mimic sensitivity) 935 participants; hospital population (powered for mimic specificity) 377 participants.
Analyses: area under the receiver operating curve (ROC) and optimal sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values for identification of mimic conditions. Optimal threshold for the ambulance population will maximise sensitivity, minimum 80%, and aim to keep specificity above 70%. Optimal threshold for the hospital population will maximise specificity, minimum 80%, and aim to keep sensitivity above 70%.

Discussion
The results from this study will determine how accurately the SMARTChip purine assay test can identify stroke mimic conditions within the suspected stroke population. If acceptable performance is confirmed, deployment of the test in ambulances or emergency departments could enable more appropriate direction of patients to stroke or non-stroke services.

Trial registration
Registered with ISRCTN (identifier: ISRCTN22323981) on 13/02/2019 http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN22323981