bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics in distinguishing testicular torsion from torsion of the appendix testis
Authors: Zvizdic Zlatan , Aganovic Amila , Milisic Emir , Jonuzi Asmir , Zvizdic Denisa , Vranic Semir 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose

The acute scrotum (AS) in the pediatric population is a medical emergency. The most common causes of AS include testicular torsion (TT) and torsion of the appendix testis (TAT). Their distinction may be clinically challenging. The purpose of our study was to compare demographic and clinical characteristics of the pediatric cases of TT and TAT and thus provide clinical evidence for distinguishing these two conditions.
Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all children ≤ 16 years who underwent surgical exploration for AS. The patients were divided into Group 1 or TT and Group 2 or TAT groups.
Results

Ninety patients were included in the study (24 with TT and 66 with TAT). Patients with TT were significantly older than those with TAT (p < 0.001). The peak incidence of TT was in the age of 12–16 years (p < 0.001), whereas the peak of TAT was in the age group of 7–11 years (p < 0.001). Scrotal pain was more prevalent in patients with TAT (p = 0.02), whereas systemic signs (nausea/vomiting and abdominal pain) affected more frequently the TT patients (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). The mean duration of symptoms was significantly longer in the TAT group than in the TT group (p < 0.001). Color-Doppler Ultrasound (CDUS) findings of absent or decreased testicular blood flow in the affected testis strongly favored the diagnosis of TT (p < 0.001).
Conclusion

Our data indicate that the older age, shorter duration of symptoms, systemic signs (nausea/vomiting and abdominal pain), and characteristics CDUS findings can help distinguish between the two most common acute scrotum causes.
Forecasting of China’s Solar PV Industry Installed Capacity and Analyzing of Employment Effect: Based on GRA-BiLSTM Model
Authors: liu bingchun , Song Chengyuan , Wang Qingshan , Wang Yuan 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
With the acceleration of China's energy transformation process and the rapid increase of renewable energy market demand, the photovoltaic (PV) industry has created more jobs and effectively alleviated the employment pressure of the labor market under the normalization of the epidemic situation. First, to accurately predict China’s solar PV installed capacity, this paper proposes a multi-factor installed capacity prediction model based on Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory-Grey Relation Analysis. Compared with the prediction results of GRU and LSTM models, the prediction accuracy of the GRA-BiLSTM model is higher. Second, the BiLSTM model is used to forecast China’s installed solar PV capacity from 2020 to 2035. The forecast results show that China’s newly installed solar PV capacity will continue to grow and reach 2,833GW in 2035. Third, the employment number in China’s solar PV industry during 2020–2035 is predicted by the Employment Factors method. The results show that the energy transition in China during 2020–2035 will have a positive impact on the future stability and growth of the labor market in the solar PV industry. Overall, an accurate forecast of solar PV installed capacity can provide effective decision support for planning electric power development strategy and formulating employment policy of solar PV industry.
Groundwater Fluoride Contamination and Probabilistic Health-risk Assessment in Fluoride Endemic Areas of the Lower Satluj Basin, Punjab, India
Authors: Chaudhry Akshay Kumar , Sachdeva Payal 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Groundwater fluoride contamination in some parts of the study region was long recognized as a water quality issue. The results of WQI showed that 85% and 15% of sampling sites fall within the class of “good” and “poor” quality, respectively. Non-carcinogenic health risk (NCHR) assessment (using Hazard quotient (HQ)), and sensitivity analysis for three age groups were also carried out using the Monte Carlo simulation technique. The estimated levels of HQoral were greater in magnitude than those estimated from HQdermal, thus the main source for fluoride toxicity is oral ingestion. Amongst the three age groups studied, children >female >male were found to be more prone to NCHR with HQoral ranging from (0.13-5.45), (0.07-2.97), and (0.06-2.51), respectively. Sensitivity analyses indicated that fluoride concentration, ingestion rate, shower exposure time, and fractional skin contact with water were the most relevant variables in the model to reduce the potential health effect.
The Impact of Meteorological Parameters on the Pattern of Malaria Incidence Rate in the Northwest, Ethiopia; Repeated Cross-sectional Study Design With Bayesian Approach
Authors: Adimasu Asefa , Baraki Adhanom Gebreegziabher , Gelaye Kassahun Alemu , Wendimsigegn Dawit 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background: Commonly the incidence of malaria was determined by some meteorological parameters. However, updated evidences were not reported in the study area and recently malaria is reported as an epidemic disease in Ethiopia particularly in Amhara regional state. Therefore the study was aimed to estimate malaria incidence proportion linked with some meteorological parameters.Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study design was done in 8 districts of northwest Ethiopia. All malaria patients who visited the local health institutions in the study area were the study participants. A monthly malaria surveillance data were retrieved from 8 districts of North Gondar zone health department and metrological data were obtained from west Amhara metrology agency office monthly reported databases. Data was clean and analyzed by using R2 win bugs software. The bayesian generalized negative binomial regression model was fitted for parameter estimation. Results: The overall average cumulative annual malaria incidence rate during the study period was 29.9 per 100 populations. In this study relative humidity (IRR; 1.04 (95% BCI, 1.01-1.05), normalized difference vegetation index [IRR; 2.74(95% BCI, 1.35-5.58)], altitude [IRR; 0.97(95% BCI, 0.95 - 0.99], average maximum temperature [IRR; 1.07(95% BCI (1.05 - 1.09)] and average minimum temperature [IRR; 1.04 (95% BCI (1.02-1.07)] were the statistically significant predictors. However, monthly rainfall, length of a sunshine hour, monthly wind speed was not associated with malaria incidence. Conclusion: The research showed a greater incidence of malaria in the study area when compared to the national statistics. Climatic variability changes the pattern of the malaria incidence in the study area.
Enhancement of Photocatalytic And Biological Activities of Chitosan/Activated Carbon Incorporated With TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Owda Medhat E. , Elfeky Ahmed S. , Abouzeid Ragab E. , Saleh Ahmed K. , Awad Mohamed A. , Abdellatif Hitham A. , Ahmed Fakher M. , Elzaref Ahmed S. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
A Novel and sustainable chitosan (CS)/ activated charcoal (AC) composites were prepared by cross linking with epichlorohydrine (ECH) to form a porous structure. Different titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% w/w) were added to enhance the photocatalytic, antibacterial, larvicidal, and pupicidal activities efficiency toward rose bengal (RB) dye and the Culex Pipiens. The composites were characterized by FT-IR, XRD and SEM. The SEM images revealed the porous structure of CS/AC and TiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly distributed in the CS/AC matrix. The degradation of RB dye was used to test the photocatalytic behavior of the composites. Supporting TiO2 on a CS/AC matrix resulted in a significant increase in photocatalytic performance. The antibacterial activities supported by CS/AC/TiO2 NPs were evaluated by bacterial growth inhibition against B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The results showed that CS/AC/TiO2 NPs composite has an inhibitory effect and therefore considered as antibacterial agents. CS/AC/0.4%TiO2NPs showed maximum efficacy against larvicidal activity and pupicidal of mosquito vector which recorded 99.00 ± 1.14, 95.00 ± 1.43, 92.20 ± 2.64 for first, second and third larval instars and 66.00 ± 2.39 for pupal mortality, while the repellent activity reported high protection at 82.95 ± 2.99 with 3.24 mg/cm2 dose compared to control DEET.
Environmental Regulation, Technological Innovation and Industrial Environmental Efficiency : An Empirical Study Based on Chinese Cement Industry
Authors: Tu Hongxing , Xu Songtao , Xiao Xu 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Using DEA-Tobit model, the paper empirically analyzes the impact of environmental regulation and technological innovation on industrial environmental efficiency with the data from Chinese Cement Industry. The results show that both environmental regulation and technological innovation all have a significant role in promoting the environmental efficiency of cement industry. Among all the influencing factors, the improvement of pollution disposal capacity has the biggest positive effect on environmental efficiency, while the energy-saving effect caused by environmental regulation is not obvious, the factor endowment structure has no substantial impact on environmental efficiency. Adhering to the strategy of "reducing emissions mainly and saving energy as auxiliary", continuously optimizing the energy consumption structure, raising the level of industrialization and industrial agglomeration are conducive to the sustainable development of China’s cement industry.
A Qualitative Study on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Behavior and Attitudes of Smokers and Non-smokers in South Korea
Authors: Hwang Jieun , Chun Hae-ryong , Cheon Eunsil 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of human society, including education, culture, and economy, and has also brought changes in health behaviors such as drinking alcohol, nutrition intake, and practicing healthy living. This study conducted a qualitative research in the Korean context to examine the changes in the smoking behavior of smokers and secondhand smoke exposure of non-smokers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Focus group interviews were conducted with 36 Korean participants (18 men and 18 women): groups were composed of cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, heated tobacco products users, or non-smokers. ResultsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless tobacco products, in the case of users who were not participating in engaging in social interaction, such as working from home or online classes, the frequency of using increased, and for users who continued engaging in social interactions, the amount of using increased each time they used. Smokers showed a tendency to avoid smoking rooms and to smoke alone in places where there were no people. In addition, non-smokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke did not decrease, but since non-smokers used masks, they reported more relief about the risk of exposure to secondhand smoke than before.ConclusionsSmokers being a high-risk group for COVID-19 did not result in smoking cessation among smokers. Therefore, policy and educational campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and to encourage smoking cessation are needed in the future.
Directional Synthesis of Furfural Compounds From Holocellulose Catalyzed by Sulfamic Acid
Authors: Lu Yuchan , He Qiao , Peng Qiao , Chen Wenhai , Fan Guozhi , Cheng Qunpeng , Song Guangsen 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The coproduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and furfural (FUR) via the direct hydrolysis of holocellulose analogue composed of cellulose and hemicellulose was investigated. The effects of catalyst amount, solvent type and amount, reaction temperature and time using sulfamic acid with dual active sites as catalyst were also studied. The yields of 5-HMF and FUR at 37.2% and 62.0% were obtained with the volume ratio of γ-valerolactone to water of 25:1 at 180 oC for 3 h. The conversion of corn cob holocellulose and wheat straw holocellulose to furfural compounds was then carried out under the identical conditions. Yields of 5-HMF at 26.6% and 28.5%, and yields of FUR at 34.5% and 26.1% were obtained, respectively. A possible mechanism for the coproduction of 5-HMF and FUR from holocellulose was proposed. It is believed that there is a synergistic effect between the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose during the conversion of holocellulose.
The Association Between Diurnal Temperature Range and Clinic Visits for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Among College Students in Wuhan, China
Authors: Zhang Faxue , Wu Chuangxin , Zhang Miaoxuan , Zhang Han , Feng Huan , Zhu Wei 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The effects of daily mean temperature on health outcomes have been discussed in many previous studies, but few have considered the adverse impacts due to variance of temperature in one day. Diurnal temperature range (DTR) was a novel indicator calculated as maximum temperature minus minimum temperature in the same day. In this study, generalized additive model (GAM) with quasi-Poisson distribution was used to investigate the association between DTR and the number of daily outpatient visits for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) among college students. Data about meteorological factors and air pollutants were provided by Hubei Meteorological Bureau and Wuhan Environmental Protection Bureau, respectively. Outpatient visits data were provided by the Hospital of Wuhan University from January 1, 2016 to November 31, 2018. Short-term exposure to DTR was associated with the increased risk of outpatient for URTI among all college students. Per 1 ℃ increased in DTR was associated with 0.89% (95%CI: 0.40, 1.38) increased in outpatient visits of all college students for URTI at lag 0 day. The greatest effect values were observed in males [1.83% (95%CI: 0.81, 2.86)], and in females [1.44% (95%CI: 0.51, 2.38)] at lag 0–6 days. DTR had more adverse health impact in the warm season than that in the cold season. Public health departments should consider the negative effect of DTR to formulate more effective preventive and control measures for protecting vulnerable people.
Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study of Seribantumab (MM-121), an anti-HER3 Monoclonal Antibody, in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
Authors: Denliger Crystal , Keedy Vicki L , Moyo Victor , MacBeath Gavin , Shapiro Geoffrey I 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Overactivation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) triggers multiple intracellular pathways resulting in tumor cell survival. This Phase 1 study assessed the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of seribantumab, a fully human anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody.METHODS: Adult patients with advanced or refractory solid tumors were treated in six dose cohorts of seribantumab: 3.2, 6, 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg weekly, or 40 mg/kg loading dose followed by 20 mg/kg weekly maintenance dose (40/20 mg/kg) using a modified 3+3 dose escalation strategy with cohort expansion. Primary objectives were identification of a recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) and determination of objective response rate. Secondary objectives were assessment of safety, dose-limiting toxicities, and PK.RESULTS: Forty-four patients (26 dose escalation; 18 dose expansion) were enrolled. Seribantumab monotherapy was well tolerated with most adverse events being transient and mild to moderate (grade 1 or 2) in severity; maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The highest dose, 40/20 mg/kg, was identified as RP2D. Best response was stable disease, achieved by 24% and 39% of patients during the dose escalation and expansion portions of the study, respectively. Seribantumab terminal half-life was ≈100 hours; steady state concentrations were reached after 3–4 weekly doses. CONCLUSIONS: Seribantumab monotherapy was well tolerated across all dose levels. Safety and PK data from this study support further seribantumab investigations in genomically defined populations. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00734305.DATE OF REGISTRATION: August 12, 2008.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase TRIM29 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Progression via Stabilizing Yes-associated Protein 1
Authors: Deng Xueqiang , Fu Xiaowei , Teng Hong , Fang Lu , Liang Bo , Zeng Rengui , Chen Lian , Zou Yeqing 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most fatal digestive system cancers. tripartite motif-29 (TRIM29) has been reported as oncogene in several human cancers. However, the precise role and underlying signal cascade of TRIM29 in PC progression remain unclear.Methods: Western blot, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze TRIM29 and Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) levels. CCK8 assays, EdU assays and flow cytometry were designed to explore the function and potential mechanism of TRIM29 and YAP1 in the proliferation of PC. Next, a nude mouse model of PC was established for validating the roles of TRIM29 and YAP1 in vivo. The relationship among TRIM29 and YAP1 was explored by co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro ubiquitination assay.Results: TRIM29 and YAP1 was significantly upregulated in PC patient samples, and TRIM29 expression was closely related to a malignant phenotype and poorer overall survival (OS) of PC patients. Functional assays revealed that TRIM29 knockdown suppresses cell growth, arrests cell cycle progression and promotes cell apoptosis of PC cells in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the rescue experiments demonstrated that TRIM29-induced proliferation is dependent on YAP1 in PC cells. Mechanistically, TRIM29 regulates YAP1 expression by directly binding to YAP1, and reduced its ubiquitination and degradation.Conclusion: Taken together, these results identify a novel mechanism used by PC growth, and provide insight regarding the role of TRIM29 in PC.
Optimal Design of Bistable Nonlinear Energy Sink Based on Global Vibration Control
Authors: Wang Guo-Xu , Ding Hu , Chen Li-Qun 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Although a linear vibration absorber (LVA) or nonlinear energy sink (NES) can effectively mitigate the vibration of the main system in harmonic excitation, the amplitude of the absorber can be very large. Using the single-objective differential evolutionary (DE) algorithm, this paper pioneers the global control of the main system and a bistable NES to achieve decent vibration mitigation effects and decrease the global response of the system. Using the multi-objective DE algorithms and comparing the optimization results of the LVA, this paper proposes multi-objective and multi-parameter design criteria of a bistable NES. The mass ratio, the displacement amplitude, and the mechanical energy are optimization goals. The results show that the maximum amplitude of the main system and the absorber can be controlled at the same level, and the global control strategy does not change the resonance frequency of the main system. Compared with the LVA, the bistable NES has similar vibration mitigation effects with the variation of the mass ratio in the multi-objective optimization. However, the bistable NES can achieve better control over a larger spring stiffness range. Therefore, through single- and multi-objective optimization design, this paper proves the superiority of the bistable NES in the vibration mitigation. Meanwhile, this paper provides an optimization design method for global vibration control.
An in-Depth Analysis Identifies Two New Genetic Variants in 22q11.2 Associated with Vitiligo in the Chinese Han Population
Authors: Tang Xianfa , Cheng Hui , Cheng Lu , Liang Bo , Chen Mengyun , Zheng Xiaodong , Xiao Fengli 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background Vitiligo is a complex disease in which patchy depigmentation results from autoimmune loss of melanocytes in affected regions. Previously, we provided significant linkage evidence on 22q12 by genomewide linkage analysis of vitiligo in the Chinese Han population. Our aim is to identify susceptibility variants associated with vitiligo at an expanded region for 22q12. Methods and Results A deep analysis of the expanded region for 22q12 locus was performed in a large GWAS dataset consisting of 1117 cases and 1701 controls by imputation. Eight nominal SNPs were selected and genotyped in an independent cohort of 2069 cases and 1370 controls of Chinese Han by using the Sequenom MassArray iPLEX1 system. Data were analyzed with PLINK 1.07 software. The C allele of rs730669 located in ZDHHC8/RTN4R was observed a strong evidence of association for vitiligo (P = 3.25×10-8, OR = 0.81). The C allele of rs4820338 located in VPREB1 and A allele of rs2051582 (a reported SNP in our previous study) located in IL2RB were suggestive evidence of association for vitligo (P = 1.04×10-5, OR = 0.86; P = 1.78×10-6, OR = 1.27). The three identified SNPs showed independent associations with vitiligo by conditional logistic regression (all P < 1.0 ×10-5; all D′< 0.05, r 2 < 0.0001). Conclusions The study identifies that two novel variants rs730669 (ZDHHC8/RTN4R) and rs4820338 (VPREB1) in 22q11.2 might confer susceptibility to vitiligo and affect its disease phenotypes. The presence of multiple independent variants emphasizes an important role in the genetic pathogenesis of disease.
Efficacy and Safety of the Chinese Herbal Formula Hewei Jiangni Recipe for NERD With Cold-heat Complex Syndrome: Study Protocol for a Double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Xiaosi Zhang , Cheng Yuan , Li Xiaohong , Li Junxiang , Tan Xiang , Shi Lei , Shi Xiaojun , Zhang Xiancui , Xie Chune 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is effective for the treatment of non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux (NERD ), but long-term use of PPI is prone to have complications and recurrence after withdrawal. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can relieve the symptoms of reflux and improve the quality of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Hewei Jiangni recipe (HWJNR) in the treatment of NERD with cold-heat complex syndrome, clarify the mechanism of HWJNR on NERD based on the correlation analysis of intestinal flora and metabolites. Methods This is a single-center, randomized controlled, double-blind, double-simulation clinical trial in which 72 eligible participants with NERD and TCM syndrome of intermingled heat and cold will be randomly allocated in the ratio of 1:1 to two groups: TCM group and western medicine group. The TCM group will receive HWJNR with Omeprazole Enteric-coated Tablets simulator, while the western medicine group will receive Omeprazole Enteric-coated Tablets with HWJNR simulator. Each group will be treated for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the score of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) health related quality of life questionnaire (GERD-Q). Secondary outcomes include SF-36 quality of Life scale, patient reported outcomes (PRO) self-rating scale score, syndrome score of TCM, and adverse events. Mechanistic outcome is the correlation analysis of intestinal flora and metabolites from healthy individuals and NERD participants before and after the treatment respectively. Discussion The goal of this trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of HWJNR in the treatment of NERD with cold-heat complex syndrome, and to study the composition structure and metabolite expression profile of intestinal flora in patients with NERD through 16SrRNA sequencing and metabonomic correlation analysis of fecal flora, which makes us identify the dominant links of treatment and reveal the potential mechanism of HWJNR.ChiCTR2000041225. Registered on 22 December 2020http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=66217