bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blood enterovirus polymerase chain reaction testing in young febrile infants
Authors: Pintos Carla , Mintegi Santiago , Benito Javier , Aranzamendi Maitane , Bonilla Leire , Gomez Borja 
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveTo analyse the impact of blood enterovirus and human parechovirus PCR (ev-PCR) testing in young infants with fever without a source (FWS).DesignObservational study, subanalysis of a prospective registry.SettingPaediatric emergency department.PatientsInfants ≤90 days of age with FWS seen between September 2015 and August 2019 with blood ev-PCR, blood and urine cultures and urine dipstick test performed.Main outcome measuresPrevalence of invasive bacterial infection (IBI: bacterial pathogen in blood or cerebrospinal fluid) in infants with positive or negative ev-PCR test results. Secondarily, we also compared length of stay and antibiotic treatment in hospitalised infants.ResultsOf 703 infants, 174 (24.7%) had a positive blood ev-PCR and none of them were diagnosed with an IBI (vs 2.6% (95% CI 1.3% to 4.0%) of those with a negative result, p=0.02). Prevalence of non-IBI (mainly urinary tract infection) was also lower among infants with a positive blood ev-PCR (2.3% (95% CI 0.1% to 4.5%) vs 17.6% (95% CI 14.3% to 20.8%), p<0.01).Overall, 258 infants were hospitalised (36.6%) and 193 (74.8%) of them received antibiotics. Length of hospital stay and antibiotic treatment were shorter in those with a positive blood ev-PCR (median: 3 days vs 5 days and 1 day vs 5 days, respectively; p<0.01). Differences remained statistically significant among well-appearing infants >21 days old with normal urine dipstick.ConclusionBlood ev-PCR identifies a group of infants under 90 days of age with FWS at very low risk of IBI. This test may help to guide clinical decision making in young febrile infants.
Validation of the soft-embalmed Thiel cadaver as a high-fidelity simulator of pressure during targeted nerve injection
Authors: McLeod Graeme , Zihang Shengli , Sadler Amy , Chandra Anu , Qiao Panpan , Huang Zhihong , Demore Christine 
Published: April 2021

IntroductionAlthough administration of regional anesthesia nerve blocks has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, training opportunities in regional anesthesia have reduced. Simulation training may enhance skills, but simulators must be accurate enough for trainees to engage in a realistic way—for example, detection of excessive injection pressure. The soft-embalmed Thiel cadaver is a life-like, durable simulator that is used for dedicated practice and mastery learning training in regional anesthesia. We hypothesized that injection opening pressure in perineural tissue, at epineurium and in subepineurium were similar to opening pressures measured in experimental animals, fresh frozen cadavers, glycol soft-fix cadavers and patients.MethodsWe systematically reviewed historical data, then conducted three validation studies delivering a 0.5 mL hydrolocation bolus of embalming fluid and recording injection pressure. First, we delivered the bolus at 12 mL/min at epimysium, perineural tissue, epineurium and in subepineurium at 48 peripheral nerve sites on three cadavers. Second, we delivered the bolus at using three infusion rates: 1 mL/min, 6 mL/min and 12 mL/min on epineurium at 70 peripheral nerve sites on five cadavers. Third, we repeated three injections (12 mL/min) at 24 epineural sites over the median and sciatic nerves of three cadavers.ResultsMean (95%) injection pressure was greater at epineurium compared with subepineurium (geometric ratio 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9 to 1.6)), p=0.04, and perineural tissue (geometric ratio 5.1 (95% CI: 3.7 to 7.0)), p<0.0001. Mean (95%) injection pressure was greater at 12 mL/min compared with 1 mL/min (geometric ratio 1.6 (95% CI: 1.2 to 2.1), p=0.005). Pressure measurements were similar in study 3 (p>0.05 for all comparisons).DiscussionWe conclude that the soft-embalmed Thiel cadaver is a realistic simulator of injection opening pressure.
Pullout behaviour of inclined shallow plate anchors in sand
Authors: Zhuang Pei-Zhi , Yue Hong-Ya , Song Xiu-Guang , Yang He , Zhang Hong-bo , Yu Hai-Sui 
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an experimental study on the pullout behaviour of inclined shallow plate anchors subjected to axial pull in sand. The 1g model tests were performed to examine the effects of anchor inclination and sand–anchor interface conditions on the load–displacement response and the associated failure and deformation mechanisms of plate anchors at various embedment ratios and sand densities. The anchor pullout capacity was found to increase continuously with the load inclination angle to the vertical (α), and the increase was more significant for α from 45° to 90°. The effect of sand–anchor interface conditions was negligible for horizontal plate anchors (α = 0°), but it became increasingly significant at larger inclination angles. The effects of these two factors both decreased with an increasing embedment ratio. Their influences on the failure and deformation mechanisms were measured and analysed using a digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Based on the test data and results available in the literature, a simple empirical method for the prediction of pullout resistance of inclined plate anchors in sand is calibrated and recommended.
Study of muon-induced background in MMC detector arrays for the ECHo experiment
Authors: Göggelmann A. , Jochum J. , Gastaldo L. , Velte C. , Mantegazzini F. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractFor above ground particle physics experiments, cosmic muons are common source of background, not only for direct detector hits, but also for secondary radiation created in neighboring materials. The ECHo experiment has been designed for the determination of the effective electron neutrino mass by the analysis of the endpoint region of the $$^{163}\text {Ho}$$

163

Ho

electron capture spectrum. The fraction of events occurring in the region of interest of 10 eV below the $$Q_{\mathrm {EC}}$$

Q
EC

value of about 2.8 keV is only of the order of $$10^{-9}$$

10

-
9

. This means that the background in that region need to be studied, characterized and methods to suppress it need to be developed. We expect a major background contribution to be due to cosmic muons and radiation produced by muons traveling through material around the detectors. To determine the muon-related background in metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) used in the ECHo experiment, we have performed an experiment in which a muon veto was installed around the cryostat used for the operation of the detectors. We analysed the acquired events to investigate the pulse shape of MMC events in coincidence with the muon veto and the rate of multiple coincidences among detector array pixels. With different methods used for identification of muon related events, we studied events generated by muons and secondary radiation depositing energy in the substrate close to the ECHo pixels. In addition, energy depositions of muons and secondary radiation in the detectors was studied via Monte Carlo simulation. At the present status of investigation, we conclude that muon related events will be a negligible background in the region of interest of the $$^{163}\text {Ho}$$

163

Ho

spectrum.
Nonrelativistic treatment of fully-heavy tetraquarks as diquark-antidiquark states
Authors: Mutuk Halil 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe goal of the present work is to obtain a reliable estimate of the masses of the ground and radially excited states of fully-heavy tetraquark systems. In order to do this, we use a nonrelativistic model of tetraquarks which are assumed to be compact and consist of diquark-antidiquark pairs. This nonrelativistic model is composed of Hulthen potential, a linear confining potential and spin-spin interaction. We computed ground, first, and second radially excited $$cc{\bar{c}}{\bar{c}}$$

c
c

c

¯

c

¯

and $$bb{\bar{b}}{\bar{b}}$$

b
b

b

¯

b

¯

tetraquark masses. It was found that predicted masses of ground states of $$cc{\bar{c}}{\bar{c}}$$

c
c

c

¯

c

¯

and $$bb{\bar{b}}{\bar{b}}$$

b
b

b

¯

b

¯

tetraquarks are significantly higher than the thresholds of the fall-apart decays to the lowest allowed two-meson states. These states should be broad and are thus difficult to observe experimentally. First radially excited states are considerably lower than their corresponding (2S-2S) two-meson thresholds. We hope that our study may be helpful to the experimental search for ground and excited $$cc{\bar{c}}{\bar{c}}$$

c
c

c

¯

c

¯

and $$bb{\bar{b}}{\bar{b}}$$

b
b

b

¯

b

¯

tetraquark states.
GPU Accelerated Path Tracing of Massive Scenes
Authors: Jaroš Milan , Říha Lubomír , Strakoš Petr , Špeťko Matěj 
Published: April 2021

This article presents a solution to path tracing of massive scenes on multiple GPUs. Our approach analyzes the memory access pattern of a path tracer and defines how the scene data should be distributed across up to 16 GPUs with minimal effect on performance. The key concept is that the parts of the scene that have the highest amount of memory accesses are replicated on all GPUs.
We propose two methods for maximizing the performance of path tracing when working with partially distributed scene data. Both methods work on the memory management level and therefore path tracer data structures do not have to be redesigned, making our approach applicable to other path tracers with only minor changes in their code. As a proof of concept, we have enhanced the open-source Blender Cycles path tracer.
The approach was validated on scenes of sizes up to 169 GB. We show that only 1–5% of the scene data needs to be replicated to all machines for such large scenes. On smaller scenes we have verified that the performance is very close to rendering a fully replicated scene. In terms of scalability we have achieved a parallel efficiency of over 94% using up to 16 GPUs.
USP48 Is Upregulated by Mettl14 to Attenuate Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Regulating SIRT6 Stabilization
Authors: Du Lutao , Li Yang , Kang Min , Feng Maoxiao , Ren Yidan , Dai Hongliang , Wang Yumin , Wang Yunshan , Tang Bo 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Exploiting cancer metabolism for the clinical benefit of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a topic under active investigation. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 48 (USP48), a member of the ubiquitin-specific protease family, is involved in tumor growth, inflammation, and genome stability. However, the role of USP48 in HCC tumorigenesis remains unknown. In this study, we report that expression of USP48 is downregulated in diethylnitrosamine-induced liver tumorigenesis in mice as well as in human HCC. USP48 physically bound and stabilized SIRT6 by K48-linked deubiquitination at the K33 and K128 sites of SIRT6, which impeded metabolic reprogramming to hamper HCC tumorigenesis. Moreover, methyltransferase-like 14 (Mettl14)–induced m6A modification participated in the regulation of USP48 in HCC by maintaining USP48 mRNA stability. Our work uncovers the tumor-suppressive function of the Mettl14–USP48–SIRT6 axis via modulation of glycolysis, providing new insights into the critical roles of metabolic activities in HCC and identifying an attractive target for future treatment studies.

Significance:
These findings demonstrate that USP48 is regulated by Mettl14-induced m6A modification and stabilizes SIRT6 to attenuate HCC glycolysis and malignancy.
Prdm16 Supports Arterial Flow Recovery by Maintaining Endothelial Function
Authors: Craps Sander , Van Wauwe Jore , De Moudt Sofie , De Munck Dorien , Leloup Arthur J.A. , Boeckx Bram , Vervliet Tim , Dheedene Wouter , Criem Nathan , Geeroms Carla , Jones Elizabeth A.V. , Zwijsen An , Lambrechts Diether , Fransen Paul , Beerens Manu , Luttun Aernout 
Published: April 2021

Rationale:
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate arterial flow recovery is important to design treatment options for peripheral artery disease patients ineligible for invasive revascularization. Transcriptional orchestrators of this recovery process represent an appealing target for treatment design. We previously identified Prdm (positive regulatory domain-containing protein) 16 as an arterial-specific endothelial transcription factor but its in vivo role in arteries remains completely unknown.

Objective:
To unravel the role of Prdm16 in arteries under physiological and pathological conditions, more specifically during peripheral artery disease.

Methods and Results:

Within the vasculature, Prdm16 expression was strictly confined to arterial endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Heterozygous loss of
Prdm16
caused a modest reduction of the inner arterial diameter and smooth muscle cell coating without compromising vasomotor function. Upon femoral artery ligation,
Prdm16
+/−
mice featured significantly impaired flow recovery to ischemic limbs. This impairment was recapitulated in mice with a
Prdm16
deletion specifically in endothelial cells (
EC-Prdm16
−/−
) but not smooth muscle cells. Structural collateral remodeling was normal in both
Prdm16
+/−
and
EC-Prdm16
−/−
mice, but significant endothelial dysfunction postligation was present in
EC-Prdm16
−/−
mice as evidenced by impaired endothelial-dependent relaxation. Upon ligation, endothelial
Prdm16
deficiency altered the expression of genes encoding endothelial cell function regulators, many related to nitric oxide bioavailability and Ca
2+
homeostasis. Accordingly, Prdm16 overexpression in cultured endothelial cells affected both total cellular Ca
2+
levels and store-operated Ca
2+
entry.

Conclusions:
We showed that Prdm16 is indispensable for arterial flow recovery under pathological challenge not because it affects structural remodeling but due to its role in maintaining endothelial function. It, therefore, represents an appealing target for designing novel therapeutic strategies for no-option patients with peripheral artery disease.
Cigarette Smoking and Longitudinal Associations With Blood Pressure: The CARDIA Study
Authors: Luehrs Rachel E. , Zhang Dong , Pierce Gary L. , Jacobs David R. , Kalhan Ravi , Whitaker Kara M. 
Published: April 2021

Background
The associations of chronic cigarette smoking with blood pressure (BP) remain mixed. It is unclear whether a lack of examination of racial differences contributed to the mixed findings in previous studies. Black smokers metabolize nicotine at a slower rate than White smokers and racial discrimination contributes to nicotine dependence and higher BP among Black smokers.

Methods and Results

We studied the association between cigarette smoking and longitudinal (30‐year) changes in systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure (PP) in 4786 Black and White individuals from the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study using repeated‐measures regression models. Neither systolic BP, nor diastolic BP differed between Black consistent smokers compared with Black never smokers, although Black consistent smokers had higher PP than Black never smokers (β=1.01 mm Hg,
P
=0.028). White consistent smokers had similar systolic BP, but lower diastolic BP (β=−2.27 mm Hg,
P
<0.001) and higher PP (β=1.59 mm Hg,
P
<0.001) compared with White never smokers. There were no differences in systolic BP, diastolic BP, or PP between Black or White long‐term former smokers compared with never smokers (all
P
>0.05).

Conclusions
Although the associations of cigarette smoking with alterations in BP are small, the greater PP observed in consistent smokers may contribute in part to the higher cardiovascular disease risk observed in this group because PP is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease risk after middle age.
Causal Effect of MMP-1 (Matrix Metalloproteinase-1), MMP-8, and MMP-12 Levels on Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Cárcel-Márquez Jara , Cullell Natalia , Muiño Elena , Gallego-Fabrega Cristina , Lledós Miquel , Ibañez Laura , Krupinski Jerzy , Montaner Joan , Cruchaga Carlos , Lee Jin-Moo , Gill Dipender , Paré Guillaume , Mola-Caminal Marina , Roquer Jaume , Jimenez-Conde Jordi , Martí-Fàbregas Joan , Fernandez-Cadenas Israel 
Published: April 2021

Background and Purpose:
MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) levels have been widely associated with ischemic stroke risk and poststroke outcome. However, their role as a risk factor or as a subeffect because of ischemia is uncertain.

Methods:
We performed a literature search of genome-wide studies that evaluate serum/plasma levels of MMPs. We used a 2-sample Mendelian randomization approach to evaluate the causality of MMP levels on ischemic stroke risk or poststroke outcome, using 2 cohorts: MEGASTROKE (n=440 328) and GODs (n=1791).

Results:

Genome-wide association studies of MMP-1, MMP-8, and MMP-12 plasma/serum levels were evaluated. A significant association, which was also robust in the sensitivity analysis, was found with all ischemic strokes: MMP-12 (odds ratio=0.90 [95% CI, 0.86–0.94];
q
value=7.43×10
−
5
), and with subtypes of stroke, large-artery atherosclerosis: MMP-1 (odds ratio=0.95 [95% CI, 0.92–0.98];
q
value=0.01) and MMP-12 (odds ratio=0.71 [95% CI, 0.65–0.77];
q
value=5.11×10
−
14
); small-vessel occlusion: MMP-8 (odds ratio=1.24 [95% CI, 1.06–1.45];
q
value=0.03). No associations were found in relation to stroke outcome.

Conclusions:
Our study suggests a causal link between lower serum levels of MMP-12 and the risk of ischemic stroke, lower serum levels of MMP-1 and MMP-12 and the risk of large-artery stroke and higher serum levels of MMP-8 and the risk of lacunar stroke.
Revisiting the Role of Mountains in the Northern Hemisphere Winter Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: White R. H. , Wallace J. M. , Battisti D. S. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe impact of global orography on Northern Hemisphere wintertime climate is revisited using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, version 6 (WACCM6). A suite of experiments explores the roles of both resolved orography and the parameterized effects of unresolved orographic drag (hereafter parameterized orography), including gravity waves and boundary layer turbulence. Including orography reduces the extratropical tropospheric and stratospheric zonal mean zonal wind by up to 80%; this is substantially greater than previous estimates. Ultimately, parameterized orography accounts for 60%–80% of this reduction; however, away from the surface most of the forcing of by parameterized orography is accomplished by resolved planetary waves. We propose that a catalytic wave–mean-flow positive feedback in the stratosphere makes the stratospheric flow particularly sensitive to parameterized orography. Orography and land–sea contrast contribute approximately equally to the strength of the midlatitude stationary waves in the free troposphere, although orography is the dominant cause of the strength of the Siberian high and Aleutian low at the surface and of the position of the Icelandic low. We argue that precisely quantifying the role of orography on the observed stationary waves is an almost intractable problem, and in particular should not be approached with linear stationary wave models in which is prescribed. We show that orography has less impact on stationary waves, and therefore on , on a backward-rotating Earth. Last, we show that atmospheric meridional heat transport shows remarkable constancy across our simulations, despite vastly different climates and stationary wave strengths.
Performance, Hemodynamics, and Stress in a Two-Day Vigilance Task: Practical and Theoretical Implications
Authors: Smith Samantha L. , Helton William S. , Matthews Gerald , Funke Gregory J. 
Published: April 2021

Objective To explore vigilance task performance, cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV), workload, and stress in a within-subjects, two-session experiment. Background Vigilance, or sustained attention, tasks are often characterized by a decline in operator performance and CBFV with time on task, and high workload and stress. Though performance is known to improve with practice, past research has not included measures of CBFV, stress, and workload in a within-subjects multi-session design, which may also provide insight into ongoing theoretical debate. Method Participants performed a vigilance task on two separate occasions. Performance, CBFV, workload, and self-reported stress were measured. Results Within each session, results were consistent with the vigilance profile found in prior research. Across sessions, performance improved but the time on task decrement remained. Mean CBFV and workload ratings did not differ between sessions, but participants reported significantly less distress, worry, and engagement after session two compared to one. Conclusion Though practice may not disrupt the standard vigilance profile, it may serve to improve overall performance and reduce stress. However, repeated exposure may have negative implications for engagement and mind-wandering. Application It is important to better understand the relationship between experience, performance, physiological response, and self-reported stress and workload in vigilance because real-world environments often require operators to do the same task over many occasions. While performance improvement and reduced distress is an encouraging result, the decline in engagement requires further research. Results across sessions fail to provide support to the mind-wandering theory of vigilance.
The NIFty Method; Developing the “Neonatal Intubation Flowchart”
Authors: Jackson Simon , Coffey Michael , Walker Alison 
Published: April 2021

Introduction: When intubation is required during a neonatal emergency, it is imperative there are no delays in collecting equipment. Current practice is for the Intubation Assistant to gather intubation equipment with no memory adjuncts. This study aimed to develop a Neonatal Intubation Flowchart (NIF) and test whether it improves performance in equipment collection. Methodology: Using simulation, a control group (n = 21) was compared to an intervention group (utilizing prototype NIF 1) (n = 24), with both groups consisting of neonatal nurses, midwives, and junior and senior pediatric doctors. The simulation involved a neonate requiring emergency intubation and the participant was tasked to collect the intubation equipment. The outcomes measured were Percentage of Equipment Collected, Time to Collect Equipment, and Amount of Questions Asked. Following post-simulation feedback, the NIF 2 was developed. The same simulation was repeated to an intervention group (n = 28) which utilized NIF 2. Results: The NIF 2 displayed a significantly better Time to Collect Equipment compared to control and NIF 1 (Mean [M] = 64.3-102.0 and 150.8 s, respectively). The NIF 2 had a significantly better Percentage of Equipment Collected compared to the control and NIF 1 (M = 96%-59% and 87%, respectively). The NIF 2 demonstrated significantly less Amount of Questions Asked compared to the control and NIF 1 groups (Median = 0-1 and 2, respectively). Conclusion: The NIF 2 provides a significantly superior method to collect equipment, in a quicker time, with less distracting questions asked, compared to current practice.
Hemihamate arthroplasties in pilon fractures: a modified approach and experience in 30 patients
Authors: Malhotra Gopal , Al Bahri Zamzam Hamed , Elsayed Ahmed Osama Abdelhamed , Komma Venkata Nageshwara Reddy , Patil Rahul 
Published: April 2021

Hemihamate arthroplasty is an established method of managing difficult Pilon fractures of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. We present our experience in 30 patients, whose injuries were further complicated by severe comminution and late presentations. Several modifications were utilized, including preoperative distraction, use of smaller size grafts and functional release of collaterals. The average follow-up period was 28 months (range 18 to 28). Postoperatively, the average range of flexion at the PIP joint improved from 30° (range 20° to 45°) preoperatively to 104° (90° to 110°) at the final follow-up. The average extension lag was 6° (0° to 20°). Five patients required secondary procedures and no patient had a recurrent dorsal dislocation. We propose these modifications in the use of hemihamate arthroplasty for the management of difficult PIP joint fractures. Level of evidence: IV