bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical efficacy of B-ultrasound-guided manual repositioning combined with intramedullary tibial nailing in the treatment of Zhang-Hou fractures
Authors: Mei Jie , He Qiang , Liu Ying 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Objective:To investigate and analyze the clinical efficacy of B-ultrasound-guided manipulative repositioning combined with tibial intramedullary nailing in the treatment of Zhang-Hou's (Z-H) fractures.
Methods: Fifty-nine patients with Z-H fractures treated surgically in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 were selected for retrospective study, and were divided into 31 cases in the observation group (B-ultrasound-guided manipulative repositioning combined with intramedullary nailing of the tibia) and 28 cases in the control group (plate screw internal fixation) according to the surgical method. The general data, surgical indexes, VAS scores at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, and the excellent rate of functional rehabilitation at 6 and 12 months after surgery were compared between the two groups.
Results: There was no statistical difference between the general data of the two groups (P > 0.05), which was comparable. The observation group had better operating time, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, hospital stay and fracture healing time than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference was not statistically significant when comparing the preoperative VAS scores of the two groups (P>0.05); whereas the observation group had better VAS scores than the control group at all postoperative time points, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was 6.45% (2/31, cases), which was significantly lower than that in the control group (17.86% (5/28, cases), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The excellent functional rehabilitation rate in the observation group was 93.55% (29/31, cases) at 12 months after surgery, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (78.57% (22/28, cases), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Compared with conventional plate and screw internal fixation for Zhang-Hou fractures, B-ultrasound-guided manual repositioning combined with intramedullary nailing of the tibia has the advantages of optimizing surgical indexes, reducing postoperative complications, and improving postoperative functional recovery, and also shortens the learning curve of clinicians for intramedullary nailing surgery.
Nonlinear observer-based fault diagnosis for the control system of the stratospheric airship
Authors: Hu Jichen , Zhu Ming , Zheng Zewei , Chen Tian 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
This paper is dedicated to investigating an observer-based fault diagnosis (FD) approach for a Lipschitz nonlinear system and applied in a stratospheric airship (SA) flight control system. The system model uncertainties, external disturbances, and sensor noise are considered. Firstly, a detailed model of the SA is obtained by kinematics and dynamics. Then a nonlinear fault detection observer is designed via Linear Matrix Inequation (LMI) in H∞ framework, and a bank of unknown input observers is activated for isolating the faulty component. Moreover, to estimate the size of the fault, an expanded robust estimation observer is designed concerning states and fault estimator error. All of the mentioned observers are designed by a matrix inequation formulation, which reformulated the nonlinear system to a generalized Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) system mathematically. The proposed FD scheme is applied to the control system of a SA and its effectiveness is illustrated.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2020) MSC code1 · MSC code2 · more
Cauda Equina Syndrome Following Traumatic Injury Managed With Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: A case report and literature review
Authors: Altahla Ruba , Alshorman Jamal , Tao Xu 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background: Physiotherapists often deal with spinal pathology in their caseloads, so they should have a thorough understanding of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES). While CES treatment with physical therapy and rehabilitation is a rare presentation, A careful review only revealed four case reports. This case presented an unusual traumatic CES treatment with physical therapy and rehabilitation with a good functional outcome.
Case presentation: Here is a case of a 56 years old Chinese male who visited the hospital with the lumbar spine showed that the L1 vertebral body was compressed fracture and the corresponding plane spinal cord was compressed following a fall injury.
A description is provided of his subjective and physical examinations as well as the results of his lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome. He was further referred to the physiotherapy department for management of the same. The patient was treated with surgical laminectomy and decompression at L1-L2. Anticoagulation, anti-infection, and pain relief therapies were part of the intervention. A comprehensive rehabilitation program included paraplegia physical therapy, intelligent lower limb training, acupuncture and massage, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Conclusion: The comprehensive physical rehabilitation program and medical treatment work best to heal the lesion and its resulting function in traumatic CES.
Neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL1)-associated membranous nephropathy with heterogeneous underlying diseases: A case report
Authors: Miyazaki Reina , Ueda Hiroyuki , Okabe Masahiro , Shimizu Akihiro , Joh Kensuke , Tsuboi Nobuo , Yokoo Takashi 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Background:
Neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL1) is a target antigen of membranous nephropathy (MN). NELL1-associated MN (NELL1-MN) was originally a primary form but has been associated with other diseases, including malignancies, pre-exposure to certain drugs, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Case presentation:
A 78-year-old woman with long-standing RA developed persistent proteinuria and was diagnosed with MN. Evaluation of the underlying cause revealed chronic active HCV infection and past HBV infection. The underlying cause was less likely to be drug-related; however, there was no evidence of malignancy. The patient was diagnosed with HCV-associated MN. At 4 years after MN diagnosis, the patient died of breast cancer with multiple metastases. Subsequent immunohistological analysis revealed that she had NELL1-MN and that her breast cancer tissue positively stained for NELL1.
Conclusions:
Our case illustrates the difficulty in establishing the underlying disease of NELL1-MN, even after diagnosis. However, the incidence of malignancies, particularly breast and prostate cancers, is higher in NELL1-MN than in MN with other target antigens. Therefore, malignancies are considered a priority for investigation because of their frequency and prognosis among patients with NELL1-MN.
Healthcare services utilization and seeking behaviour during COVID- 19 pandemic in the UAE – A cross-sectional study.
Authors: Kambris Mona El Kouatly , AlBlooshi Sharifa , Elamin Amal , Ajja Rahma 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Background Following the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, many governments, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), imposed restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the virus. In such conditions, it is imperative that we ensure that healthcare remains accessible and safe. To better understand the impact of the pandemic on healthcare-seeking behavior, this cross-sectional study aimed to describe the patterns of healthcare utilization among adults in the UAE during the pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study used snowball sampling to recruit participants from the UAE to complete a well-structured online questionnaire between December 2020 – March 2021. The questionnaire included closed-ended items covering demographic characteristics, medical history, and healthcare utilization during the pandemic, Results A total of 3371 participants completed the online questionnaire. A total of 66.7% of participants reported some level of worry over maintaining healthcare during the pandemic. In terms of seeking care for COVID-19 symptoms, 43% preferred seeking care in the emergency room, while 25.1% preferred the use of telemedicine services. The results showed a drop in healthcare utilization during the lockdown period (12.95%) compared to after the lockdown period (53.1%) among the respondents. Only 33.5% of healthcare services used during the pandemic were related to COVID-19. Females (p < 0.000), Emirati nationals (p < 0.05), and those with health insurance (p < 0.000) were more likely to utilize health services. Whereas those over the age of 31 (p < 0.05) were less likely to utilize health services during COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who reported chronic medical conditions were more than twice as likely to utilize health services as those without chronic medical condition. Conclusions Overall, this study found a decrease in healthcare seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many participants expressing some level of worry about seeking healthcare during that period. Telemedicine appears to have potential as an alternative during such crises. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of this reduction in healthcare utilization. Understanding the impact of the pandemic on healthcare utilization can help identify any gaps in healthcare systems and inform strategies for improving healthcare access and delivery in post-pandemic times.
Perceptions of lecturers and students regarding discriminatory experiences and sexual harassment in Academic Medicine – Results from a faculty-wide quantitative study
Authors: Sabine Ludwig , Sabine Jenner , Berger Ralph , Tappert Sylvie , Kurmeyer Christine , Oertelt-Prigione Sabine , Petzold Mandy 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Background
Discrimination and sexual harassment are prevalent in higher education institutions and can affect students, faculty members and employees. Herein the aim was to assess the extent of discriminatory experiences and sexual harassment of students and lecturers at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe. We analyze whether there are differences between lecturers and students, different study programs as well as sex/gender differences.
Methods
In an interdisciplinary, iterative process, a semi-standardized questionnaire was developed and sent to N = 7095 students (S) of all study programs and N = 2528 lecturers (L) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. The study was conducted from November 2018 to February 2019. Besides a broad range of questions on sociodemographic background allowing for diversity sensitive data analysis, they were asked if they had witnessed and/or experienced any form of discrimination or sexual harassment at the medical faculty, if yes, how often, the perceived reasons, situational factors and perpetrators.
Results
The response rate was 14% (n = 964) for students and 11% (n = 275) for lecturers. A proportion of 49.6% of students (L: 31%) reported that they have witnessed and/or experienced discriminatory behavior. Sexual harassment was witnessed and/or experienced by 23.6% of students (L: 19.2%). Lecturers (85.9%) were identified as the main source of discriminatory behavior by students. Directors/supervisors (47.4%) were stated as the main source of discriminatory behavior by lecturers. As the most frequent perceived reason for discriminatory experiences sex/gender (S: 71%; L: 60.3% ) was reported. Women and dental students experienced more discriminatory behavior and sexual harassment.
Conclusions
Discriminatory behavior is experienced by a significant number of students and lecturers, with power structures having a relevant impact. Dental students and women appear to be particularly exposed. Specific institutional measures, such as training programs for lecturers and students are necessary to raise awareness and provide resources. Furthermore, national preventive strategies should be thoroughly implemented to fight discrimination and harassment at the workplace.
Bayesian State-space modelling of Impact of COVID-19 on stock Markets in G7 Countries
Authors: ojo oluwadare 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

This work examines the impact of Corona virus disease (COVID-19) on the stock market of Group of Seven (G7) countries using daily data from March, 1st of 2020 to December, 31st of 2020. A Bayesian Structural Time Series Model (BSTSM) was used to capture the effects of COVID-19 on the stock market performance of these G7 countries through a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. We considered an AR(p) model with time-varying parameters and local linear trend models to know if the stock price of these countries during the period of the first wave of COVID-19 is changing overtime. There was a stochastic trend in stock prices of G7 countries during the period of the first wave of COVID-19 while the autoregressive process itself was also changing overtime. The stock market of the USA followed by Japan performed well than other G7 countries during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic while the stock market of France was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact of reperfusion therapies on clot resolution and long-term outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Lio Ka U , Bashir Riyaz , Lakhter Vladimir , Li Si , Panaro Joseph , Rali Parth 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background: Major progress in reperfusion strategies has substantially improved the short-term outcomes of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), however, up to 50% of patients report persistent dyspnea after acute PE. This study aims to evaluate the impact of reperfusion therapies on clot resolution and compare the long-term outcomes following acute PE in patients treated with reperfusion therapies to anticoagulation alone.
Methods: A retrospective study of the pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) registry at our institution between January 2017 and June 2021 and included patients with repeat imaging at 3 to 12 months. The primary outcome was to determine the incidence of residual pulmonary vascular obstruction (RPVO) following acute PE and clot burden was assessed for each patient. Secondary outcomes included the development of PE recurrence, right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), readmission, and mortality at 12 months.
Results: A total of 382 patients were included and 107 patients received reperfusion therapies followed by anticoagulation. Patients who received reperfusion therapies including systemic thrombolysis, catheter-directed thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy presented with a higher vascular obstructive index (VOI, 47% vs 28%, p<0.001), more frequent concomitant deep vein thrombosis (DVT, 69% vs 40%, p<0.001), and right heart strain on both computed tomographic pulmonary arteriography (CTPA, 82% vs 37%, p<0.001) and echocardiogram (81% vs 43%, p<0.001) at the time of diagnosis. A higher absolute reduction in VOI (45% vs 26%, p<0.001, 95% CI 14.0-25.6), greater improvement in RV function (82% vs 65%, p=0.021), lower 12-month mortality rate (2% vs 7%, p=0.038) and readmission rate (33% vs 46%, p=0.031) were observed in the reperfusion group. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in the development of CTEPH (8% vs 5%, p=0.488) and PE recurrence (8% vs 6%, p=0.646).
Conclusion: We observed a more favorable survival, greater improvement in clot resolution and RV function in patients treated with reperfusion therapies. Future randomized control trials are needed to confirm our findings.
Influence of cyclosporine A trough level on acute graft versus host disease prophylaxis in pediatric allo- hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Yang Zi-yi , Zhang Jian-ping , Wang Lei , Zhao Ying , Zhang Shu-yu , Zhang Qian , Liu Hongxing 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Purpose Cyclosporine A (CsA) is the cornerstone prophylactic drug for graft versus host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT); however, its optimal trough level is yet to be determined. Therefore, in this study, we focused on the CsA trough levels and estimated their association with acute GvHD (aGVHD) risk in a consecutive cohort of 72 pediatric patients receiving allo-HSCT.
Method The trough CsA level was monitored 3–4 times in a week via mass spectrometry analysis during medication. The occurrence of GVHD, the trough of CsA level before and after allo-HSCT and other clinical information were recorded.
Results The cumulative incidence of aGVHD at 100 days was 19.44% for grade I and 23.61% for grades II–IV. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the optimal trough CsA level for aGVHD prophylaxis was >119 ng/mL, 146–214.5g/mL, >123.25 ng/mL, and 100.2–166 ng/mL on the −3rd day, 3rd day, 1st week, and 2nd month after HSCT, respectively. None of the cutoff values for CsA were significantly associated with the survival outcome.
Conclusion Our findings indicate that adequate management of CsA levels during the engraftment period might improve the clinical outcomes for pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Clinical trial registration: China Clinical Trial Registration Center (ChiCTR2000034702). Registered 15 July 2020.
Infrared spectroscopy reveals the reactivity of fatty acids on copper surfaces and its implications for cultural heritage objects
Authors: Boyatzis Stamatis , Fragkos-Livanios Leonidas , Giannoulaki Maria , Filopoulou Anna 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

The reactivities of various fatty monoacids and diacids on copper metal-containing surfaces were investigated through reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy. The formation of copper soaps is detected on pure copper surfaces, while copper and zinc soaps are simultaneously formed as mixtures on brass surfaces. Following the changes of acidic carbonyl and carboxylate infrared bands, it is shown that fatty monoacids C8, and C10 react with clean/polished copper and its zinc alloy within 2–4 hours, while those with chains > C12 react within 15–40 days. An explanation for the above results is offered on a molecular mobility basis, where liquid monoacids at room temperature favour higher reaction rates. Furthermore, it is argued that longer-chain FMAs allow for favourable orientation resulting in self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-type molecular packing on Cu surface, may explain the slower reaction. Fatty diacids, on the other hand, do not form any carboxylate products under these conditions. In light of this interesting result, it is argued that dicarboxylic acids may also pack as self-assembled layers on Cu and ultimately protect it. The implications for fatty organic remains in copper containers are discussed, with emphasis on the stability of archaeological copper metal and carboxylates serving as molecular markers for the presence of fatty monoacids as residues in archaeological containers. Besides, the utilization of fatty acids, based on the above behaviour in copper-based dosimeters, such as those used in the Oddy test, is suggested.
Resolving the phylogeny of Thladiantha (Cucurbitaceae) with three different targeted-capture pipelines
Authors: Raza Mustafa , Ortiz Edgardo M. , Schwung Lea , Shigita Gentaro , Schaefer Hanno 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background
Despite recent advances, reliable tools to handle complex sequencing data (e.g., Targeted-capture, WGS, RNA-Seq, genome skimming) in phylogenomics are still lacking. Here, we evaluate the performance of the recently developed targeted capture pipeline Captus in comparison with the well-known pipelines HybPiper and SECAPR. As test data, we use simulated reads based on the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and empirical reads of the genus Thladiantha in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) for which no well-resolved phylogeny estimate has been available so far.
Results
Our pipeline comparisons are based on (1) the time needed for assembly and extraction, (2) locus recovery per sample, (3) the number of informative sites in nucleotide alignments, and (4) the topology of the nuclear and plastid phylogenies. In terms of computation time, locus recovery per sample, and informative sites, Captus outperforms HybPiper and SECAPR. The resulting topologies of Captus and SECAPR are identical for coalescent trees but differ when trees are inferred from concatenated alignments. The HybPiper phylogeny is similar to Captus in both methods. The nuclear genes recover a deep split of Thladiantha in two sections, but this is not confirmed with the plastid data.
Conclusions
Captus is the best choice among the three pipelines in terms of computation time and locus recovery. Even though there is no significant topological difference between the Thladiantha species trees produced by three pipelines, Captus yields a higher number of gene trees in agreement with the nodes of the species tree (i.e., fewer genes in conflict with the species tree topology).
A laboratory study on paddle type wave energy converter for transferring seawater using wave energy
Authors: Zolghadr Masih , Pardeh Peyman Keshavarz Ab , Zomorodian Seyed Mohammad Ali , Fathi Abazar 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Using wave energy for desalination is recently noticed by researchers and authorities. This is known in industry as wave to water and is especially vital for regions/islands where have access to seas and oceans but suffer from shortage of drinking water. Some devices are developed to perform this operation in industry sector as well as academic studies performed in this regard, yet study on geometrical optimization of these devices is required. Studies aiming to optimize the wave energy convertor (WEC) geometry are expensive in field. As a result, investigations are divided into numerical and experimental studies in which the former requires validation by observed data. In this paper, a preliminary experimental study on parameters affecting the performance of a paddle type WEC, such as paddle width, water depth, coast slope, and wave frequency period on the performance of the converter is conducted by running laboratory tests. This kind of WEC is used in industry. Analysis to scale up the results are provided and discussed in detail.
Characterizing entanglement robustness of N-qubit W superposition state against particle loss from
quantum Fisher information
Authors: Ren Zhihong , Li Yan 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

We investigate the entanglement robustness of N-qubit W superposition state against particle loss with quantum Fisher information. In the noninteracting environment, the quantum Fisher information of reduced W superposition state is found same as the W superposition state when the number of qubits larger than 5, which shows very strong entanglement robustness compared to Twin-Fock state and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. Meanwhile, the effect of re-particle-loss is also studied and it presents a rapid decay of quantum Fisher information with the increase of losing qubits, indicating the weak entanglement robustness. In the interacting environment, the results show that the reduced W superposition state performs better than it in noninteracting environment. Alternatively, with the increase of qubits (N > 5) the reduced W superposition state behaves much more robust than original state. To vividly approach the real noisy environment, the effects of different decoherence channels are also considered.