bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blood glucose outcomes of anti-retroviral therapy naïve Ugandan people with HIV with pre-diabetes mellitus initiated on dolutegravir for 48 weeks
Authors: Mulindwa Frank , Schwarz Jean-Marc , Brusselaers Nele , Nabwana Martin , Bollinger Robert , Buzibye Allan , Amutuhaire Willington , Yendewa George , Laker Eva , Kiguba Ronald , Castelnuovo Barbara 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background:
The Uganda ministry of Health recommends frequent blood glucose monitoring for the first six months on dolutegravir, in people with HIV (PWH) having pre-diabetes mellitus (pre-DM). We sought to determine if indeed PWH with pre-diabetes started on dolutegravir had worse blood glucose outcomes at 48 weeks compared to those with normal blood glucose.
Methods:
In this matched cohort study, we compared 44 PWH with pre-DM and 88 PWH with normal blood glucose at baseline. The primary outcome was change in mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) from baseline to week 48 and 2-hour blood glucose (2hBG) from baseline to week 36 compared between the two groups.
Results:
There was significant increase in FBG in PWH with normal blood glucose (mean change in FBG(FBG): 3.9mg/dl, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): (2.2, 5.7), p value (p) = < 0.0001) and decrease in those with pre-DM (FBG: -6.1mg/dl, 95%CI (-9.1, -3.2), p = < 0.0001) at 48 weeks. 2hBG at 36 weeks was significantly lower than at baseline in both groups with the magnitude of reduction larger in those with pre-DM at 12 weeks (adjusted differences in mean drop in 2hBG (a2hBG): -19.69mg/dl, 95%CI (-30.19, -9.19), p = < 0.0001) and 36 weeks (a2hBG: -19.97mg/dl, 95%CI (-30.56, -9.39), p = < 0.0001).
Conclusion;
We demonstrated that Ugandan ART naïve PWH with pre-diabetes at enrollment have consistent improvement in both fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance over 48 weeks on dolutegravir. Intensified blood glucose monitoring of these patients in the first six months of dolutegravir may be unnecessary.
Performance evaluation of three antibody binding assays, a neutralizing antibody assay, and an interferon-gamma release assay for SARS-CoV-2 according to vaccine type in vaccinated group
Authors: NAM MINJEONG , Cha Jae Hyun , Kim Sang-wook , Kim Sun Bean , Lee Ki-Byung , Chung You-Seung , Yun Seung Gyu , Nam Myung-Hyun , Lee Chang Kyu , Cho Yunjung 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We evaluated the performance of SARS-CoV-2 assays in the vaccinated group using receptor-binding domain antibody assays (RBD Ab assay), neutralizing antibody assay (nAb assay), and interferon-gamma release assay (IGR assay). We also compared the performance of the SARS-CoV-2 assays based on vaccine type in a large population. We collected 1,851 samples from vaccinated individuals with vector, mix-and-match (MM), and mRNA vaccines. The performance of the RBD Ab assays was assessed by SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant (Abbott Laboratories, Sligo, Ireland), SARS-CoV-2 IgG (Beckman Coulter, CA, USA), and anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany). The nAb assay was assessed by cPass SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody detection kits (GenScript, NJ, USA). The IGR assay was assessed by QuantiFERON (Qiagen, Venlo, The Netherlands). Median values of the RBD Ab assays and nAb assay sequentially increased after the 1st and 2nd vaccinations. RBD Ab assays and nAb assay showed very strong correlations. The median values of the RBD Ab, nAb, and IGR were higher in the mRNA vaccine group than in the vector and MM vaccine groups. The agreement and correlation among the RBD Ab assays, nAb assay, and IGR assay were higher in the mRNA vaccine group than in the vector and MM vaccine groups. We compared the performance of the RBD Ab assay, nAb assay, and IGR assay based on the vaccine types using the RBD Ab, nAb, and IGR assays. This study provides a better understanding of the assessment of humoral and cellular immune responses after vaccination.
Factors associated with retention of Health workers in remote Public Health Centers in Northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Twineamatsiko Andrew , Mugenyi Nathan , Kuteesa Yvonne Nabachwa , Livingstone Ejalu David 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background: Health worker retention in remote and hard-to-reach areas remains a threat in most low- and middle-income countries, and this negatively impacts health service delivery.
Objective: This paper explores factors associated with retention of health workers in remote public health centers in Lira district in Northern Uganda.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study with quantitative methods of data collection was used among health workers. The study utilized a structured questionnaire with closed ended questions to obtain quantitative information.
Results: Most of the health workers were attached to HC IIIs (61.28), females (62.90%), married (84.62%), with certificate level (55.74%), and nurses (36.60%). Likewise, most of the health workers were from within 5kms from the place they grew up from (37.45%), not staying with their families at the health facility (65.11%), of age group 31-40 years (42.98%), had worked at facility and with employer for 2-5 years or above 5 years (56.6%) and 45.96% respectively.
The average retention rate of health workers was 87.04%. Several individual, health system and career related factors were significantly associated.
Conclusion: The retention rate of health workers in the remote rural public health centers of Lira District is within the same ranges as other places in the world. The study established that indeed several individual and social demographics, health system and career related factors are significantly associated with retention of Health workers in the rural public health facilities.
Research on Intelligent Grading Method of Beef Marble Pattern Based on Few-shot Learning
Authors: LIU Chao , CHEN Kunjie , Wen Hongyuan , ZHANG Jiayu , QI Chao 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The beef quality grading model based on deep learning requires a large number of samples. Obtaining accurate beef samples requires manual classification or classification through more complex process methods, and the workload is huge. Aiming at the above problems, a beef marble pattern recognition model based on small sample learning is proposed. According to the national standard, a beef marble pattern grading data set was established by artificial classification method, and a lightweight CNN network was designed for image feature extraction. The pre-training of CNN was completed on the mini-ImageNet data set. The cross entropy loss function is updated with support set samples and the entropy regularization function is updated with query set samples to further optimize the parameter weights in the softmax classifier. Using cosine similarity to compare image feature vectors, softmax as a classifier to complete the task of image classification. The results show that the classification effect of this model is the best, and the highest accuracy of beef marble pattern recognition is 96.66 %. Under the premise of the same number of training samples, it is obviously better than other models.
A method for using the cell-penetrating peptides for loading plasmid DNA into secreted extracellular vesicles
Authors: Nebogatova Jekaterina , Härk Heleri Heike , Puskar Anett , Porosk Ly , Guazzi Paolo , Dowaidar Moataz , Langel Ülo , Kurrikoff Kaido 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The low bioavailability and high toxicity of pDNA-based therapeutics make their application in vivo challenging. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have great potential to overcome those limitations, thus they are biocompatible native cargo carriers. Various strategies to load EVs with pDNA, such as electroporation, sonication, and co-incubation, have been previously investigated, but with questionable success. In this work, we report a unique method of loading EVs through transient transfection of donor cells with complexes formed between pDNA and CPPs. With this method, we achieve up to 104 fold higher expression levels of the luciferase reporter protein in recipient cells compared to the untreated cells. This indicates high transfection efficacy and bioavailability of delivered encapsulated nucleic acid. Also, the in vivo experimental data indicates that the use of pDNA-loaded-EV as the native delivery vehicle reduces the toxic effects associated with traditional nucleic acid (NA) delivery and treatment.
Development and validation of a prognostic model of survival for classic heatstroke patients: A multicenter study
Authors: Wang Yu , Li Donglin , Wu Zongqian , Zhong Chuan , Tang Shengjie , Hu Haiyang , Lin Pei , Yang Xianqing , Liu Jiangming , Zhou Haining , Liu Fake , He Xinyi 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background
Classic heatstroke (CHS) is a life-threatening illness characterized by extreme hyperthermia, dysfunction of the central nervous system and multiorgan failure. Accurate predictive models are useful in the treatment decision-making process and risk stratification.This study was to develop and externally validate a prediction model of survival for hospitalized patients with CHS.
Methods
In this retrospective study, we enrolled patients with CHS who were hospitalized from June 2022 to September 2022 at 3 hospitals in Southwest Sichuan (training cohort) and 1 hospital in Central Sichuan (external validation cohort). Prognostic factors were identified utilizing least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis in the training cohort. A predictive model was developed based on identified prognostic factors, and a nomogram was built for visualization. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) and the calibration curve were utilized to assess the prognostic performance of the model in both the training and external validation cohorts. The Kaplan‒Meier method was used to calculate survival rates.
Result
A total of 189 patients (median age, 75 [68–81] years) were included. Social isolation, self-care ability, comorbidities, body temperature, heart rate, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), procalcitonin (PCT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and diarrhea were found to have a significant or near-significant association with worse prognosis among hospitalized CHS patients. The AUCs of the model in the training and validation cohorts were 0.994 (95% [CI], 0.975–0.999) and 0.815 (95% [CI], 0.596–0.956), respectively. The model's prediction and actual observation demonstrated strong concordance on the calibration curve regarding 7-day survival probability. According to K‒M survival plots, there were significant differences in survival between the low-risk and high-risk groups in the training cohort and borderline significant differences in the external validation cohort.
Conclusion
We designed and externally validated a prognostic prediction nomogram for CHS. This model has promising predictive performance and could be applied in clinical practice for managing patients with CHS.
Measurement of vitreous humor pressure in vivo using an optic-fiber pressure sensor
Authors: Mimura Masashi , Akagi Tadamichi , Kohmoto Ryosuke , Fujita Yasushi , Sato Yohei , Ikeda Tsunehiko 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We conducted a study to assess the pressure difference between the aqueous and vitreous humors in rabbit eyes using a direct intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement method. A micro-optic-fiber pressure sensor was utilized for this purpose. Preliminary experiments with enucleated porcine eyes confirmed the sensor's accuracy in measuring both aqueous and vitreous humor pressure. The main study involved six healthy albino rabbits, where the sensor measured the pressure in the anterior chamber (aIOP) and posterior vitreous-cavity (pIOP). These measurements were compared to aIOP values obtained through rebound tonometry. Additionally, pre- and postoperative pressure comparisons were made after performing a vitrectomy. Results revealed a significant disparity between aqueous and vitreous humor pressures. Prior to vitrectomy, pIOP was 22.8mmHg, over twice as high as aIOP (11.0mmHg), but decreased to a similar level following the procedure. Comparison between the sensor measurements and rebound tonometry showed agreement in aIOP values. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that vitreous humor pressure is consistently higher than aqueous humor pressure, reaching the upper limit of normal IOP. Furthermore, vitrectomy effectively reduces pIOP, aligning it with aIOP. These findings contribute valuable insights into intraocular pressure dynamics and have implications for clinical interventions targeting ocular pressure regulation.
Processing of boar spermatozoa with cold PBS induces an increase in p32
Authors: Martín-Hidalgo David , Izquierdo Mercedes , Bartolomé-García Paloma , Macías-García Beatriz , González-Fernández Lauro 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We aimed to investigate the impact of processing boar spermatozoa with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 4 ˚C on acrosomal integrity and increase in phosphorylation in tyrosine residues of the p32 protein. Following cold PBS washing, we observed a significant increase in p32 levels and in the proportion of non-viable spermatozoa with compromised acrosomal integrity compared to sperm washing using PBS at room temperature. Interestingly, this increase in p32 was effectively inhibited when cold PBS was supplemented with 1 mM AEBSF, a serine protease inhibitor. Our findings suggest that the induction of p32 in response to cold PBS washing in boar spermatozoa is associated with enhanced protease activity in dead spermatozoa.
Epidemiological trends of pyogenic spondylodiscitis in Germany: An EANS Spine Section Study
Authors: Kramer Andreas , Thavarajasingam Santhosh G. , Neuhoff Jonathan , Ponniah Hariharan Subbiah , Ramsay Daniele S. C. , Demetriades Andreas K. , Davies Benjamin M. , Shiban Ehab , Ringel Florian 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background: Pyogenic spondylodiscitis presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In Germany, comprehensive understanding of its epidemiology and inpatient management outcomes is limited, hindering the optimisation of therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to characterise the evolving epidemiological trends of pyogenic spondylodiscitis in Germany, and concurrently evaluate inpatient management strategies and outcomes.
Methods: We performed a retrospective population-based study of spondylodiscitis cases in Germany from 2005 to 2021, utilising data from the German Federal Statistical Office database. The parameters assessed were incidence trends, demographic characteristics, inpatient management strategies, and inpatient mortality.
Results: The study found a significant rise in the population-adjusted incidence of spondylodiscitis in Germany from 2005 to 2021, increasing by 104% from 5.4 to 11.0 cases per 100,000 individuals (p<0.001). The highest number of diagnoses was recorded in 2019. Age group-adjusted data revealed the largest relative changes in the "90+" age group, followed by the "80-89" and "70-79" age groups. These increases were not solely attributable to population changes but were also confirmed after calculating the age-group-adjusted incidence rates. Additionally, our statistical analysis demonstrated that both age and year significantly influenced the incidence of spondylodiscitis. Over the same period, inpatient mortality also surged significantly by 347% (p<0.001), with the highest increase recorded in the 90+ age group, observing a 2450% rise (p<0.001). The mean length of inpatient stay decreased by 15% (p<0.05). Concurrently, there was a significant increase in surgical interventions using spinal stabilisation procedures (p<0.001), which might suggest a shift in the treatment paradigm for spondylodiscitis.
Conclusion: The results underscore a concerning rise in spondylodiscitis incidence and mortality in Germany, affecting the ageing population in particular. A notable shift towards surgical intervention was observed. The data highlights the urgent necessity for high-level evidence studies comparing surgical versus conservative treatment, thereby guiding optimised therapeutic strategies.
Synthesis of Enhanced Crosslinker and Its Effect on Rheological Properties of Hydrophobic Polymers
Authors: YANG Wen-wen , LAI xiao-juan , WEI Hui-ning , HE Xiao-gen , WANG lei , WEN xin 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Objective:Taking zirconium oxychloride as the main body and ethylene glycol/cocamidopropyl dimethylamine glycolactone as the ligand, a surface-active enhanced cross-linking agent UF-4 was obtained, and the synthesis of the product was proved by infrared spectrometer.
Results:The obtained UF-4 and the hydro phobically associative polyacrylamide polymer GS709 were formed into a polymer gel, and it was found that "secondary cross-linking" could be achieved during the cross-linking process. The microstructure and rheological properties of the gel were characterized by scanning electron microscope and rotary rheometer. The results showed that the enhanced cross-linking agent UF-4 promoted the polymer gel to show excellent temperature and salt resistance. After shearing at 130 ℃ for 1 h, the viscosity in clear water was 120 mPa ·s and the viscosity was 110 mPa ·s in 20000 mg/L sodium chloride solution.
Through dynamic rheological frequency scanning and stress scanning, it is found that the formed polymer gel fluid shows elastic characteristics and obvious "secondary cross-linking" phenomenon.
A Soft Obstacle Search Strategy for Various Solitary Robots in an Unknown Environment
Authors: Masakuna Jordan F. , Kafunda Pierre K. 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The problem of coordination without a priori informationabout the environment is important in robotics. Applications vary fromformation control to search and rescue. This paper considers the problemof search by a group of solitary robots: self-interested robots without apriori knowledge about each other, and with restricted communicationcapacity. When the capacity of robots to communicate is limited, theymay obliviously search in overlapping regions (i.e. be subject to inter-ference). Interference hinders robot progress, and strategies have beenproposed in the literature to mitigate interference (Wellman et al., 2011;Hourani et al., 2013). Interaction of solitary robots has attracted muchinterest in robotics, but the problem of mitigating interference when timefor search is limited remains an important area of research. We proposea coordination strategy based on the method of cellular decomposition(Choset, 2001) where we employ the concept of soft obstacles: a robotconsiders cells assigned to other robots as obstacles. The performance ofthe proposed strategy is demonstrated by means of simulation experi-ments in both actual and simulated environments. Simulations indicatethe utility of the strategy in situations where a known upper bound onthe search time precludes search of the entire environment.
Comparison of kinematics and myoelectrical activity during deadlift, with and without variable banded resistance, in healthy, trained athletes
Authors: Lohman Everett B. , Alameri Mansoor , Cakir Fulden , Chia Chih Chieh , Shih Maxine , Mulay Owee , Marceline Kezia , Jaisinghani Simran , Bains Gurinder , DeLeon Michael , Daher Noha 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background
The conventional deadlift is a popular exercise for improving trunk, core, and lower extremity strength due to its functional nature and engagement of multiple joints. However, its use in sports medicine facilities is limited due to concerns about potential lumbar injuries despite evidence supporting the safety and rehabilitative benefits of deadlifts. Understanding lifting mechanics and muscle activation is crucial for optimizing muscle activation using resistive bands in variable resistance therapy. We explored the feasibility of using resistive bands in the conventional deadlift to reduce initial trunk load during forward trunk inclination while gradually increasing resistance as the deadlift progresses. A secondary objective was to provide customized resistance recommendations for injured athletes during the deadlift exercise, based on findings from healthy participants and utilizing dose-response band selection.
Methods
Surface electromyography recorded muscle activity in the trunk and lower extremities during lifting, with normalization to the isometric Floor Lift using Maximal Voluntary Contraction. Kinematics were measured using inclinometer sensors to track hip and trunk sagittal plane angles. To prevent fatigue, each subject only used one of the three pairs of bands employed in the study.
Results
Forty-five healthy subjects (mean age: 30.4 ± 6.3 years) participated. Baseline characteristics were similar among the three study groups, except for years of lifting and strength-to-years-of-lifting ratio. Compared to the conventional deadlift group, different resistance band groups showed significantly higher muscle activity in various muscles during different phases of the deadlift. The minimal resistance band group had significantly higher muscle activity in trunk, core, and lower extremity muscles, particularly in the end phase. The moderate resistance band group exhibited higher muscle activity in the mid- and end-phases. The maximum resistance band group had higher muscle activity in several specific muscles during the early phase and overall increased activity in all trunk and lower extremity muscles during the mid and end phases of the deadlift (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Findings provide valuable insights into the differential muscle activation associated with various resistance bands during deadlift exercise in the clinic and gym settings. There appears to be a dose-response relationship between increased resistance band width, external load, myoelectric activation, and range.
The Octahedral Collision-Based Periodic Orbit in the Three-Dimensional Eight-Body Problem
Authors: Simmons Skyler 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We construct a highly-symmetric periodic orbit of six bodies in three dimensions. In this orbit, binary collisions occur at the origin in a regular periodic fashion, rotating between pairs of bodies located on the coordinate axes. Regularization of the collisions in the orbit is achieved by an extension of the Levi-Civita method. Initial conditions for the orbit are found numerically. In contrast to an earlier periodic collision-based orbit in three dimensions, this orbit is shown to be unstable.
Enhanced antimicrobial activity and In-vitro local anaesthetic activity of bupivacaine adsorbed reduced graphene oxide
Authors: Li Haoyu , Xie Ming 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Current work proposed an easy, one-pot and green strategy for graphene oxide deoxygenation with the help of quercetin, which acts as a reducing agent in presence of bupivacaine. This synthetic approach avoids the use of harmful reducing agents. The descriptive results of Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (X-RD), Ultra violet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy for reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and synthesized graphene oxide (GO) indicates the oxygen containing groups removal followed by reduction process thereafter, stabilization using bupivacaine. Transparent and thin silk-like graphene sheets was exhibited by TEM analysis. Graphene sheets stabilization using oxidized form of quercitin molecules was proved by the analysis of Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The deoxygenation of GO to RGO was represented by the analysis of XPS and XRD. These outcomes show that this synthetic strategy is the best approach for large scale preparation of RGO in an easy, eco-friendly and cost effective method. Furthermore, the local anaesthetic activity was studied in guinea pig and frogs, which revealed the substantial local anaesthetic activity of prepared BRGO. Also, antimicrobial studies performed using the MTT assay, CFU enumeration, and growth curve analysis, which revealed that BRGO exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against dental pathogens. These findings suggest that BRGO could serve as a promising antibacterial material for dental care and therapy.