bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictors of the surgical outcome of propeller perforator flap reconstruction, focusing on the effective safe distance between the perforator and the wound edge
Authors: Wang Peng , Lin Fang , Ma YunHong , Wang Jianbing , Zhou Ming , Rui YongJun 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Introduction: Soft tissue defects in the distal third of the leg and malleolus are difficult to cover and often require free tissue transfer, even for small-sized defects. Propeller flaps were designed as an alternative to free tissue transfer, but are reportedly associated with high complication rates. The aim of our study was to assess our institutional experience with the propeller flap technique and to predict its role in lower-limb reconstruction. Methods: All patients who had undergone propeller flap reconstruction of a distal leg defect between 2013 and 2018 were included. Demographic, clinical, and follow-up data were analyzed. Results: Complications occurred in 17 of 82 propeller flaps (20.7%), comprising 11 cases of partial necrosis and six of total necrosis. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index smoking, diabetes mellitus, and soft tissue defect sites between the groups of patients with versus without flap necrosis (p > 0.05). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), there were also no significant differences between these two groups in the length and width of the fascial pedicle, and the ratio of the flap length to the flap width (p > 0.05). Interestingly, there were significant differences between the two groups in the distance between the flap perforator and the wound center (p < 0.05) and the rotation angle of the flap (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that when the nearest distance from the flap to the wound was less than 3.5 cm, the necrosis rate of the flap was markedly increased (AUC = 76.1); this suggests that the effective safe flap–wound distance was 3.5 cm. Conclusions: Propeller flaps are a reliable option for reconstruction in carefully selected patients with traumatic defects of the lower limb and malleolus. What we found is that What we found is that the ‘effective safe distance’ was 3.5 cm which the distance from the flap to the wound.
Extending the Low Temperature Operating Range of Sodium Metal Batteries with Acyclic/Cyclic Ether-Based Electrolytes
Authors: Wang Chuanlong , Thenuwara Akila , Luo Jianmin , Shetty Pralav , McDowell Matthew , Li Weiyang 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Despite the promise of sodium electrochemistry at ambient temperature, the performance of sodium metal batteries in frigid environments is hindered by high internal resistance and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which strongly depends on the electrolyte composition. Here we present an electrolyte formulation consisting of acyclic/cyclic ethers as binary solvents and a compatible sodium salt, which is thermally stable down to − 150°C. This electrolyte not only provides low resistance but enables a protective SEI in cold environments. Long-term sodium-metal cycling is demonstrated at the gelid temperature of − 80°C, showing small overpotentials of ~ 150 mV for over 750 hours. Both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy are performed to elucidate the temperature-dependent chemistry of the interphase. Full cells are further demonstrated, exhibiting a low decay rate (< 0.089% per cycle) and a high average Coulombic efficiency (> 99.5%) at temperatures as low as − 60°C.
High Prevalence of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery
Authors: KONUK ŞERİFE GÜLHAN , KILIÇ RAŞİT , KAYA FATİH , GÜNEŞ ALPER 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
PurposeThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence has rapidly been increased worldwide in the last a few months. Asymptomatic COVID-19 cases scheduled for elective surgeries can be a risk factor for the healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients undergoing cataract surgery.MethodsPatients scheduled for cataract surgery in months of November and December 2020 were included in the study. COVID 19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test was taken routinely from all patients within 48 hours before the operation date. ResultIn this study, 151 patients who planned cataract surgery were included. The average age of the patients was 64,6±12,6 years. The study population consisted of 94 (%62,3)men and 57 (%37,7) women. According to COVID 19 PCR test results, there were 16 (%10.6) positive cases. All cases were asymptomatic.ConclusionsAsymptomatic covid patients continue to be contagious. We need to be careful when taking elective cases to minimize the risk of adverse outcomes after surgery and transmission of viruses to medical staff and other patients.
Does Good Governance Moderate the Financial Development-CO2 Emissions Relationship?
Authors: Omri Anis , Kahia Montassar , Kahouli Bassem 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
This inquiry contributes to the previous literature by analyzing the empirical linkage between the development of the financial sector and carbon emissions in the presence of good governance. Specifically, we examine the ability of good governance in moderating the negative effect of financial development on environmental quality in the case of Saudi Arabia over the period 1996-2016. Different indicators of financial development and governance quality are included in the analysis. Using Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) estimator, we find that (i) an unconditional effect of the three indicators of financial development on increasing carbon emissions in the most models; (ii) the conditional impact of the indicators of governance quality increases carbon emissions in the most models; (iii) the interactions between the indicators of governance and the indicators of financial development are negative and statistically significant only in the models pertaining to political and institutional governance, meaning that the development of financial sector reduces carbon emissions if it is accompanied by good institutional and political governance.
Identification and Characterization of A Lanosterol synthase Gene from Sanghuangporus Baumii
Authors: Wang XuTong , Sun TingTing , Sun Jian , Liu Zengcai , Zou Li 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Lanosterol synthase (LS) is a key enzyme involved in the mevalonate pathway (MVA pathway) to produce lanosterol, which is a precursor for synthesizing Sanghuangporus baumii triterpenoids. To research the characteristics and construction of LS, LS ORF and promoter were cloned from S. baumii. A 2,445 bp S. baumii LS sequence was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology and recombinant PCR. S. baumii LS sequence includes a 5’-untranslated region (129 bp), a 3’-untranslated region (87 bp), and an open reading frame (2,229 bp) encoding a 734 amino acids. The molecular weight of LS is 84.99 kDa, and transcription start site of S. baumii LS promoter sequence ranged from 1 740 bp to 1790 bp. LS promoter contained 12 CAAT-boxes, 5 ABREs, 6 G-Boxes, 6 CGTCA-motifs, and so on. The S. baumii LS protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) (84.99 kDa + 21.15 kDa tag protein). The transcription level of S. baumii LS was the highest on day 11 in mycelia (1.6-fold).
Insights Into Role of STP13 in Sugar Driven Signaling That Leads to Decrease in Photosynthesis in Dicot Legume Crop Model (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Under Fe and Zn Stress.
Authors: Urwat Uneeb , Zargar Sajad , Ahmad Syed Mudasir , Ganai Nazir Ahmad 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Mineral (Fe/Zn) stress significantly affects fundamental metabolic and physiological responses in plants that results in reduction of plant growth and development. In the present study, common bean variety; Shalimar French Bean-1 (SFB-1) was used as an experimental material and were grown under in vitro condition on 4 different MGRL media i.e. normal MGRL medium (Control), MGRL without Fe (0-Fe), MGRL without Zinc (0-Zn) and MGRL with excess Zn (300-Zn) for 21 days under optimum conditions. Shoot and root tissue from all the treatments were harvested and further, subjected to estimation of total chlorophyll, total sugar and extraction of total RNA for differential gene expression of sugar transporter 13 (STP13). We observed significant decrease in total chlorophyll content in stressed plants. However, the concentration of total sugar and fold expression of STP13 gene was significantly higher in shoots of Fe/Zn stressed and in roots of 300-Zn plants. We observed higher accumulation of sugar under stress condition that correlated with high expression of sugar transporter 13 (STP 13). Further, we observed decrease in the chlorophyll content under stress conditions. Based on these findings, we propose the role of sugar driven signaling in decreasing photosynthesis in case of common bean. The decrease in photosynthesis is, confirmed by observing significant decrease in chlorophyll content in stressed plants.
Stochastic Modeling of 2D Photonic Crystals
Authors: Wafa Mohamed I. , El-Batawy Yasser M. , El-Naggar Sahar A. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Due to the fabrication processes, inaccurate manufacturing of the photonic crystals (PCs) might occur which affect their performance. In this paper, we examine the effects of tolerance variations of the radii of the rods and the permittivity of the material of the two-dimensional PCs on their performance. The presented stochastic analysis relies on plane wave expansion method and Mote Carlo simulations. We focus on two structures, namely Si-Rods PCs and Air-Holes PCs. Numerical results show – for both structures – that uncertainties in the dimensions of the PCs have higher impact on its photonic gap than do the uncertainties in the permittivity of the Si material. In addition, Air-Holes PCs could be a good candidate with least alteration in the photonic gap considering deviations that might occur in the permittivity of Si due to impurities up to 5%.
Efficacy and Safety of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Co-Infusion in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: li Teng , Luo Chengxin , Zhang Jiasi , Wei Ling , Sun Wei , Xie Qin , Liu Yan , Zhao Yongli , Xu Shuangnian , Wang Lihua 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
BackgroundHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a life-saving strategy for severe hematological conditions, but its efficacy and safety need further improvement. Co-infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may bring promise for the overall efficacy in HSCT setting. About that there are increasing studies, while the results from different trials are conflicting. A systematic review and meta-analysis are needed to appraise the real efficacy of MSCs co-infusion in HSCT. MethodsFive medical databases were searched to identify related controlled studies, which included individuals with hematological diseases receiving allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT), and with MSCs co-infusion as intervention arm versus no MSCs as comparison arm. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.ResultsUltimately, 19 trials met the inclusion criteria. MSCs co-infusion was associated with shorter time both to ANC engraftment (4RCTs: SMD -1.20, p = 0.04; 10nRCTs: SMD -0.54, p = 0.04) and PLT engraftment (4RCTs: SMD -0.60, p = 0.04; 10nRCTs: SMD -0.70, p = 0.01), lower risk of cGVHD incidence (4RCTs: RR 0.53, p = 0.01; 10nRCTs: RR 0.50, p < 0.01), and slightly positive trend towards the risk of aGVHD incidence (3RCTs: RR 0.84, p = 0.33; 9nRCTs: RR 0.74, p < 0.01) and NRM(3RCTs: OR 0.59, p = 0.34; 3nRCTs: OR 0.18, p < 0.01); didn’t affect relapse (5RCTs: RR 1.34, p = 0.34; 4nRCTs: RR 0.74, p = 0.24) and overall survival (4RCTs: HR 1.54, p = 0.18; 6nRCTs: HR 0.60, p = 0.06). Subgroup analyses revealed that, when co-transplanted with MSCs, patients younger than 18 or those received HLA-haploidentical grafts had improved engraftment (ANC and PLT）and lower risk of NRM and GVHD (acute and chronic forms) incidence. For adults or those received HLA-identical grafts, the risk of cGVHD incidence were reduced. Patients with hematologic malignancies had lower risk of developing GVHD and NRM, patients with non-malignancies showed faster engraftment.ConclusionWithout increasing the risk of mortality or relapse, MSCs co-infusion in allo-HSCT improved engraftment of platelet and neutrophil, reduced the risk of developing cGVHD. In terms of aGVHD and NRM, the effect of MSCs co-infusion was not quite significant with current evidence.
Neck circumference as marker of overweight and obesity among secondary adolescents aged 12-19 years in southwestern Uganda: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Katamba Godfrey , Agaba David Collins , Muzaale Francis , Namaganda Agnes , Namayanja Rosemary , Musasizi Abdul , Kinene Mivule Abdul , Migisha Richard 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background
Overweight and obesity have become more common among adolescents. Various indicators have been used to assess this burden across populations. Recent findings elsewhere have found neck circumference to be useful in defining overweight and obesity. However, the use of neck circumference as marker of overweight and obesity needs to be further explored among adolescents in Uganda.
Objective
To assess the usefulness of neck circumference as a marker of overweight and obesity.
Methods
A cross sectional study was conducted among secondary adolescents aged 12–19 years from May to August in 2018, Height was measured using a wall mount height board and weight using a standard weighing scale. Neck circumference was measured using an inelastic measuring tape. We defined overweight as BMI = 25.0-29.9kg/m2 while obesity as BMI ≥ 30.0kg/m2 among the study participants. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between neck circumference, height, weight and body mass index. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the suitable cutoff of neck circumference for overweight and obesity.
Results
We enrolled 616 adolescents aged 12–19 years, with mean age of 15.6 ± 2.0 years. Most (65.6%) were female. The overall prevalence of overweight was 30.5% while that of obesity was 3.4%. Neck circumference was significantly correlated with height (r = 0.561, P < 0.001), weight (r = 0.547, P < 0.001) and body mass index (r = 0.193, P < 0.001). The best cutoff of neck circumference to identify participants with obesity were ≥ 31.0 cm with AUC of 0.83[0.73–0.94] and ≥ 32.0cm with an AUC of 0.59[0.11-1.00] among the females and males respectively.
Conclusion
Neck circumference was useful in defining and hence classifying for overweight or obesity among the female adolescents in our study population. It could useful for screening for overweight and obesity among the female adolescents.
Influence of BaO Doping on the Structural, ac Conductivity, and Dielectric Properties of BiFeO3 Multiferroic Nanoparticles
Authors: Ayoub M. S. , Morad Ibrahim , Ali H. Elhosiny , Mostafa M. M. , El–Desoky M. M. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The Bi1 − xBaxFeO3 (BiBaFeO3) multiferroic nanoparticles with different Ba molar concentrations were fabricated in reliance on the solid-state reaction technique. Nanostructures of the prepared samples were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) together with Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, whereas the ac conductivity, dielectric and ferroelectric features were examined depending on the RLC Bridge, and Sawyer–Tower circuit. XRD patterns displayed the creation of rhombohedral–hexagonal single-phase of BiBaFeO3. The formation of BiBaFeO3 multiferroic nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Curie temperature (TC) was observed around 1121–1189 K. Ferroelectric polarization was enhanced with remnant polarization of 88.8 µC/cm2 by Ba2+ ions substitution at x = 0.15 mol%. Besides, ac electrical conductivities as a function of frequency as well as temperature were reported for all BiBaFeO3 multiferroic nanoparticles, which exhibit a strong frequency dependence with conduction mechanism is the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model. The obtained high polarization and Curie temperature enhance their use in information storage devices.
A Novel Severe Plastic Deformation Method for Manufacturing Al/Mg bimetallic Tube
Authors: Tian Ye , Hu Hongjun , Zhang Dingfei 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
A new severe plastic deformation for manufacturing Al/Mg bimetallic tube called TES (Tube Extrusion Shearing) process, which combines direct extrusion with two step shearing, is developed to Al/Mg bimetallic tube. To explore the deformation mechanism for Al/Mg bimetallic tube during TES process, both experiments and numerical simulations have been carried out. The stroke loads during TES process of Al/Mg bimetallic tubes have been simulated by establishing three-dimensional finite element model. Experiments show that by use of TES process the microstructures can be refined to 50% of the original grain size and with more uniform grain distribution. TES process could improve hardness obviously by comparing which fabricated by direct extrusion. Numerical results indicate TES increases the cumulative strains effectively by direct extrusion and additional shearing. The micro-structures and mechanical properties of the bonded layer were analyzed, The results showed that under the extrusion temperature of 420℃, the bonding layer of the sample obtained by extrusion shearing had no hole defects, and the thickness was about 22um, among which the stable layer was about 11um.The average hardness of the bonding layer is 221HV.
Fast Lightweight Accurate Xenograft Sorting
Authors: Zentgraf Jens , Rahmann Sven 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Motivation: With an increasing number of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models being created and subsequently sequenced to study tumor heterogeneity and to guide therapy decisions, there is a similarly increasing need for methods to separate reads originating from the graft (human) tumor and reads originating from the host species' (mouse) surrounding tissue. Two kinds of methods are in use: On the one hand, alignment-based tools require that reads are mapped and aligned (by an external mapper/aligner) to the host and graft genomes separately first; the tool itself then processes the resulting alignments and quality metrics (typically BAM files) to assign each read or read pair. On the other hand, alignment-free tools work directly on the raw read data (typically FASTQ files). Recent studies compare different approaches and tools, with varying results. Results: We show that alignment-free methods for xenograft sorting are superior concerning CPU time usage and equivalent in accuracy. We improve upon the state of the art sorting by presenting a fast lightweight approach based on three-way bucketed quotiented Cuckoo hashing. Our hash table requires memory comparable to an FM index typically used for read alignment and less than other alignment-free approaches. It allows extremely fast lookups and uses less CPU time than other alignment-free methods and alignment-based methods at similar accuracy. Several engineering steps (e.g., shortcuts for unsuccessful lookups, software prefetching) improve the performance even further. Availability: Our software xengsort is available under the MIT license at http://gitlab.com/genomeinformatics/xengsort. It is written in numba-compiled Python and comes with sample Snakemake workows for hash table construction and dataset processing.
Characterization, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant evaluation of biofabricated silver nanoparticles from endophytic Pantoea anthophila
Authors: Nirmala C. , Srid M 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Endophyte mediated nanoparticles fabrication was emerging as a new frontier in nanomedicines that produce high biocompatible and functionalized silver nanoparticles. In this study, silver nanoparticles were successfully biosynthesized from the extracellular extract of endophytic bacterium Pantoea anthophila isolated from the stem of Waltheria indica for the first time. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible and Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy. The structural analysis is done by X-ray diffraction and the stability was studied by dynamic light scattering and particle size analyser. The size and shape were observed by Transmission Electron Microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive X-Ray spectrum. Further, the nanoparticles were evaluated for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Synthesized nanoparticle showed a strong absorption band in the UV-Visible range at 410 nm. The average particle size was found to be 16.8 nm with spherical shaped, crystalline nature. Good zones of inhibition at various ranges were detected against a broad range of human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. A strong free radical scavenging activity of silver nanoparticles with IC50 values 30.75, 19.47, 34.59, 41.12, 27.24, 28.16, 36.21 µg/ml was obtained that was comparable to the reference. The study suggests that the silver nanoparticles can be biosynthesised from endophytic P. anthophila metabolites with significant therapeutic potential. With proper validation, the biosynthesised silver nanoparticles can be developed as a promising antiviral and anticancer drug candidate.
Utilization of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Associated Health Risks among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Assefa Desta , Gudeta Tadesse 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a crucial and widely used product to prevent the spreading of corona-virus disease (COVID-19). However, frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer mainly at the point-of-care can cause health risks and shortages in and outside the healthcare facilities.
Objective

The present study was designed to assess the utilization of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and the incidence of associated health risks among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Jimma Medical Center, Ethiopia, between April 01 and June 27, 2020. The collected data were analyzed and described using descriptive statistical tests with SPSS version 21.
Results
Ninety-six healthcare workers with 28.69 ± 4.048 years of mean age participated in the study. 95.8% of them used alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent COVID-19 virus transmission in the healthcare setting and community. But they encountered challenges to practice hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The common problems were alcohol-based hand sanitizers unavailability 66(68.8%), costly 50(52.1%), and skin damage 8(8.3%). Most of them experienced health risks such as skin dryness 60(62.5%), skin irritation 27(28.1%), ocular irritation 11(11.5%), cough 11(11.5%), and others. These health risks caused that 9(9.4%) of them do not practice hand hygiene by alcohol-based hand sanitizers (p-value = 0.999).
Conclusion

To stay safe from COVID-19, healthcare workers faced different challenges, such as access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers and reported health risks. Therefore, the regulatory and public health bodies should promote local production of alcohol-based hand sanitizers with careful follow-up, and its health risks management plan should gain attention.