bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review on Modern Synthetic Route for the Construction of 1, 3-Diazanaphthalene Moiety
Authors: Faheem Mohd. , Tiwari Anjani K. , Singh Vinay K.
Published: May 2020

Quinazoline is an organic heterocyclic molecule in which two six-membered
aromatic rings are fused. Two nitrogen atoms are present in the quinazoline molecule at 1
and 3 positions that is why it is also known as 1,3-diazanaphthalene. The presence of these
two nitrogen atoms in 1,3-diazanaphthalene increases the usefulness of this molecule in
the field of pharmaceutical sciences. Many reactions have been reported to prepare 1,3-
diazanaphthalene by aminobenzonitrile, o-aminobenzohydrazide, aminobenzamide, aminoacetophenone,
and aminobenzoketone under different solvent conditions, but condensation
of anthranilic acid with an aromatic aldehyde is the most common method. Later,
metal-free and solvent-free conditions dominated over the old methods. This review describes
the synthesis of 1,3-diazanaphthalene under different metal catalysts, reagents, solvent-
free conditions and under microwave radiation through nucleophilic substitution reaction, condensation,
and aromatization. In biological sciences, 1,3-diazanaphthalene derivatives have got an important place due to
their ability to bind to different target sites and subsequent discovery of many drug structures.
Recent Developments and Perspectives in the C-Se Cross Coupling Reactions
Authors: Jose Diana Elizabeth , Kanchana U. S. , Mathew Thomas V. , Anilkumar Gopinathan
Published: May 2020

:

The C-Se bond forming reactions are attractive synthetic strategies for biochemists and synthetic chemists alike for the synthesis of various molecules that are of biological, pharmaceutical and material interest. Therefore, the design and synthesis of organoselenium compounds currently constitute engaging fundamental problems in applied chemistry both in pharmaceutical and academic laboratories. This review discusses the recent works reported in carbon–selenium cross-coupling reactions with the emphasis on the mechanistic aspects of the reactions. The reacting species, the addition of ligands, selection of catalysts, use of suitable solvents, proper setting of reaction time, are well discussed to understand the detailed mechanism. Various simple, economical and environmentally friendly protocols are demonstrated, which ensured product stability, low toxicity, environmentally benign and excellent reactivity for the synthesis of organoselenium compounds. This review covers the scientific literature from 2010 to 2019.
HumDLoc: Human Protein Subcellular Localization Prediction Using Deep Neural Network
Authors: Semwal Rahul , Varadwaj Pritish Kumar
Published: May 2020

Aims:

To develop a tool that can annotate subcellular localization of human proteins.

Background:

With the progression of high throughput human proteomics projects, an enormous amount of protein sequence data has been discovered in the recent past. All these raw sequence data require precise mapping and annotation for their respective biological role and functional attributes. The functional characteristics of protein molecules are highly dependent on the subcellular localization/ compartment. Therefore, a fully automated and reliable protein subcellular localization prediction system would be very useful for current proteomic research.

Objective:

To develop a machine learning-based predictive model that can annotate the subcellular localization of human proteins with high accuracy and precision.

Methods:

In this study, we used the PSI-CD-HIT homology criterion and utilized the sequence-based features of protein sequences to develop a powerful subcellular localization predictive model. The dataset used to train the HumDLoc model was extracted from a reliable data source, Uniprot knowledge base, which helps the model to generalize on the unseen dataset.

Result :

The proposed model, HumDLoc, was compared with two of the most widely used techniques: CELLO and DeepLoc, and other machine learning-based tools. The result demonstrated promising predictive performance of HumDLoc model based on various machine learning parameters such as accuracy (≥97.00%), precision (≥0.86), recall (≥0.89), MCC score (≥0.86), ROC curve (0.98 square unit), and precision-recall curve (0.93 square unit).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, HumDLoc was able to outperform several alternative tools for correctly predicting subcellular localization of human proteins. The HumDLoc has been hosted as a web-based tool at https://bioserver.iiita.ac.in/HumDLoc/.
A New Approach to Identify the Methylation Sites in the Control Region of Mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Pérez-Muñoz Ashael Alfredo , de Lourdes Muñoz María , García-Hernández Normand , Santander-Lucio Heriberto
Published: May 2020

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) methylation has the potential to be used as a
biomarker of human development or disease. However, mtDNA methylation procedures
are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, we developed a new approach based on an
RT-PCR assay for the base site identification of methylated cytosine in the control region
of mtDNA through a simple, fast, specific, and low-cost strategy. Total DNA was purified,
and methylation was determined by RT-PCR bisulfite sequencing. This procedure included
the DNA purification, bisulfite treatment and RT-PCR amplification of the control region
divided into three subregions with specific primers. Sequences obtained with and without
the bisulfite treatment were compared to identify the methylated cytosine dinucleotides.
Furthermore, the efficiency of C to U conversion of cytosines was assessed by including a
negative control. Interestingly, mtDNA methylation was observed mainly within non-Cphosphate-
G (non-CpG) dinucleotides and mostly in the regions containing regulatory
elements, such as OH or CSBI, CSBII, and CSBIII. This new approach will promote the
generation of new information regarding mtDNA methylation patterns in samples from
patients with different pathologies or that are exposed to a toxic environment in diverse
human populations.
Brevifoliol and its Analogs: A New Class of Anti-tubercular Agents
Authors: Bhukya Balakishan , Alam Sarfaraz , Chaturvedi Vinita , Trivedi Priyanka , Kumar Shailesh , Khan Feroz , Negi Arvind S. , Srivastava Santosh Kumar
Published: May 2020

Brevifoliol is an abeo-taxane isolated from the Taxus wallichiana needles; eighteen semisynthetic
esters derivatives of brevifoliol were prepared by Steglich esterification and screened for
their anti-tubercular potential against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra avirulent strain. The 3-
[chloro (7)] and 3, 5-[dinitro (8)] benzoic acid ester derivatives were most active (MIC 25 ug/ml)
against the pathogen. Further, in silico docking studies of the active derivative 7 with mycobacterium
enzyme inhA (enoyl-ACP reductase) gave the LibDock score of 152.68 and binding energy of -208.62
and formed three hydrogen bonds with SER94, MET98, and SER94. Similarly, when derivative 8
docked with inhA, it gave the LibDock score of 113.55 and binding energy of -175.46 and formed a
single hydrogen bond with GLN100 and Pi-interaction with PHE97. On the other hand, the known
standard drug isoniazid (INH) gave the LibDock score of 61.63, binding energy of -81.25 and formed
one hydrogen bond with ASP148. These molecular docking results and the way of binding pattern
indicated that compounds 7 and 8 bound well within the binding pocket of inhA and showed a higher
binding affinity than the known drug isoniazid. Additionally, both the derivatives (7 and 8) showed no
cytotoxicity, with CC50 195.10 and 111.36, respectively towards the mouse bone marrow-derived
macrophages.
Study of the Usefulness of Bone Scan Index Calculated From 99m-Technetium-Hydroxymethylene Diphosphonate (99mTc-HMDP) Bone Scintigraphy for Bone Metastases from Prostate Cancer Using Deep Learning Algorithms
Authors: Higashiyama Shigeaki , Yoshida Atsushi , Kawabe Joji
Published: May 2020

Background:

BSI calculated from bone scintigraphy using 99mtechnetium-methylene
diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) is used as a quantitative indicator of metastatic bone involvement in
bone metastasis diagnosis, therapeutic effect assessment, and prognosis prediction. However, the
BONE NAVI, which calculates BSI, only supports bone scintigraphy using 99mTc-MDP.

Aims:

We developed a method in collaboration with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
to calculate bone scan index (BSI) employing deep learning algorithms with bone scintigraphy
images using 99mtechnetium-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (99mTc-HMDP). We used a convolutional
neural network (CNN), enabling the simultaneous processing of anterior and posterior
bone scintigraphy images named CNNapis.

Objectives:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the usefulness of the BSI calculated by CNNapis
as bone imaging and bone metabolic biomarkers in patients with bone metastases from prostate
cancer.

Methods:

At our hospital, 121 bone scintigraphy scans using 99mTc-HMDP were performed and analyzed
to examine bone metastases from prostate cancer, revealing the abnormal accumulation of radioisotope
(RI) at bone metastasis sites. Blood tests for serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and
alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were performed concurrently. BSI values calculated by CNNapis were
used to quantify the metastatic bone tumor involvement. Correlations between BSI and PSA and between
BSI and ALP were calculated. Subjects were divided into four groups by BSI values (Group
1, 0 to <1; Group 2, 1 to <3; Group 3, 3 to <10; Group 4, >10), and the PSA and ALP values in
each group were statistically compared.

Results:

Patients diagnosed with bone metastases after bone scintigraphy were also diagnosed with
bone metastases using CNNapis. BSI corresponding to the range of abnormal RI accumulation was
calculated. PSA and BSI (r = 0.2791) and ALP and BSI (r = 0.6814) correlated positively. Significant
intergroup differences in PSA between Groups 1 and 2, Groups 1 and 4, Groups 2 and 3, and
Groups 3 and 4 and in ALP between Groups 1 and 4, Groups 2 and 4, and Groups 3 and 4 were
found.

Conclusion:

BSI calculated using CNNapis correlated with ALP and PSA values and is useful as
bone imaging and bone metabolic biomarkers, indicative of the activity and spread of bone metastases
from prostate cancer.
Assessment of Digital Workflow in Predoctoral Education and Patient Care in North American Dental Schools
Authors: Prager Martin C. , Liss Hannah
Published: May 2020

Technology has revolutionized the field of dentistry, and digital workflow has become commonplace in everyday dental practices. However, are future practitioners prepared to enter into an increasingly digitized world? The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which digital modalities were being taught to predoctoral dental students and used for patient care in dental schools throughout North America. A 35‐question survey was sent in February 2019 to all 76 dental schools in the U.S. and Canada. After 90 days, 54 recorded responses were received, for a 71% response rate. Students were reported to be using CAD/CAM technology in 50 (93%) of the 54 responding schools. While almost all schools responding to the survey were using digital scanning, there was disparity among them in terms of the types and frequency of procedures for which digital impressions were utilized. This study found that the incorporation of CAD/CAM technology in predoctoral dental curricula varied widely. However, it was clear that the relative dearth of well‐trained faculty members and the number of CAD/CAM units available to students limited its use. It is imperative that more emphasis is placed on the utilization of digital workflow in North American dental schools for future practitioners to practice contemporary restorative dentistry.
Integrating Competency‐Based Didactic and Experiential Global Health Learning for Dental Students: The Global Health Learning Helix Model
Authors: Yu Amy , Lambert R. Frederick , Alvarado Jose A. , Guzman Carlos A. Faerron , Seymour Brittany
Published: May 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of immersive integrated experiential and didactic courses in strengthening competency‐based global health learning in dental education. To address global inequities in oral health and student interest in global health, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine introduced two global health courses in 2017‐18. The first was a didactic course in the core predoctoral curriculum, and the second, in collaboration with the Inter‐American Center for Global Health, was a five‐day elective experiential learning course in rural Costa Rica. The experiential course was an extension of the didactic course. All 33 second‐year dental students completed the didactic course, and three of those students completed the experiential course. A pre‐post survey and a six‐month follow‐up survey on self‐reported knowledge based on course learning objectives were administered. The experiential course students also completed journals and interviews for qualitative analysis. Thirty‐two students completed the pre‐post didactic course surveys, for a response rate of 94%. There was a 100% response rate on the pre‐post didactic surveys by those students who participated in the experiential learning course. While the experiential learning group scored similarly to the class average before the didactic course, they had higher scores than the class averages both immediately after and at the six‐month follow‐up. All three students reported that the experiential learning course was “extremely effective” in building on what they learned in the didactic course. Qualitative analysis of the journals and interviews suggested enhanced learning from the combination of didactic and experiential methods. These preliminary results support the Global Health Learning Helix Model, a theoretical competency‐based teaching model for ethical student global health engagement to better prepare the future generation in tackling oral health disparities both locally and worldwide.
Did Clinical Reasoning and Knowledge Questions During Team‐Based Learning Enhance Dental Students’ Performance in Esthetic Dentistry?
Authors: Ihm Jungjoon , Shin Yongmin , Seo Deog‐Gyu
Published: May 2020

The aim of this study was to assess whether clinical reasoning and factual knowledge questions used in team‐based learning (TBL) enhanced dental students’ performance in esthetic dentistry. Ninety‐seven third‐year dental students enrolled in esthetic dentistry in a dental school in Korea in 2018 were assigned to 16 teams consisting of five or six students each. A four‐step TBL sequence (pre‐study, readiness assurance test, appeal/feedback, and final test) was designed to examine how clinical reasoning and knowledge questions affected academically high‐ and low‐achieving students. The analysis was conducted with 87 students’ data because ten students failed to answer some questions. The results showed that team performance in TBL was consistently better than individual performance. The TBL sessions enhanced students’ critical thinking skills, though it did not affect their knowledge acquisition. The clinical reasoning questions especially benefited the academically low‐achieving students. Overall, TBL was an effective method for teaching these dental students using small‐group learning in esthetic dentistry. Team‐based cooperative learning facilitated a deeper understanding of esthetic dentistry because students were motivated to think critically and solve problems rather than simply memorize factual knowledge.
Usability of a Mobile App for Improving Literacy in Children With Hearing Impairment: Focus Group Study (Preprint)
Authors: DeForte Shelly , Sezgin Emre , Huefner Janelle , Lucius Shana , Luna John , Satyapriya Anand A , Malhotra Prashant
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Children with hearing loss, even those identified early and who use hearing aids or cochlear implants, may face challenges in developing spoken language and literacy. This can lead to academic, behavioral, and social difficulties. There are apps for healthy children to improve their spoken language and literacy and apps that focus on sign language proficiency for children with hearing loss, but these apps are limited for children with hearing loss. Therefore, we have developed an app called Hear Me Read, which uses enhanced digital stories as therapy tools for speech, language, and literacy for children with hearing loss. The platform has therapist and parent/child modes that allow (1) the selection of high-quality, illustrated digital stories by a speech-language pathologist, parent, or child; (2) the modification of digital stories for a multitude of speech and language targets; and (3) the assignment of stories by a therapist to facilitate individualized speech and language goals. In addition, Hear Me Read makes the caregiver a core partner in engagement through functionality, whereby the caregiver can record video and audio of themselves to be played back by the child.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the user experience of the Hear Me Read app through a focus group study with caregivers and their children.

METHODS

We recruited 16 participants (8 children with and without hearing loss and 8 caregivers) to participate in 1-hour focus groups. Caregivers and children interacted with the app and discussed their experiences through a semistructured group interview. We employed thematic analysis methods and analyzed the data. We used feedback from the focus group to improve the elements of the app for a larger clinical trial assessing the impact of the app on outcomes.

RESULTS

We identified three themes: default needs, specific needs, and family needs. Participants found the app to be esthetically pleasing and easy to use. The findings of this study helped us to identify usability attributes and to amend app functionalities to best fit user needs. Caregivers and children appreciated the enhancements, such as highlighting of parts of speech and caregiver reading of video playback, which were made possible by the digital format. Participants expressed that the app could be used to enhance family reading sessions and family interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this focus group study are promising for the use of educational apps designed specifically for those with hearing loss who are pursuing listening and spoken language as a communication outcome. Further investigation is needed with larger sample sizes to understand the clinical impact on relevant language and literacy outcomes in this population.
Collateral Crises of Gun Preparation and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Infodemiology Study (Preprint)
Authors: Caputi Theodore L , Ayers John W , Dredze Mark , Suplina Nicholas , Burd-Sharps Sarah
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

In the past, national emergencies in the United States have resulted in increased gun preparation (ie, purchasing new guns or removing guns from storage); in turn, these gun actions have effected increases in firearm injuries and deaths.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to assess the extent to which interest in gun preparation has increased amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic using data from Google searches related to purchasing and cleaning guns.

METHODS

We fit an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model over Google search data from January 2004 up to the week that US President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency. We used this model to forecast Google search volumes, creating a counterfactual of the number of gun preparation searches we would expect if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred, and reported observed deviations from this counterfactual.

RESULTS

Google searches related to preparing guns have surged to unprecedented levels, approximately 40% higher than previously reported spikes following the Sandy Hook, CT and Parkland, FL shootings and 158% (95% CI 73-270) greater than would be expected if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred. In absolute terms, approximately 2.1 million searches related to gun preparation were performed over just 34 days. States severely affected by COVID-19 appear to have some of the greatest increases in the number of searches.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results corroborate media reports that gun purchases are increasing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and provide more precise geographic and temporal trends. Policy makers should invest in disseminating evidence-based educational tools about gun risks and safety procedures to avert a collateral public health crisis.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Wearable Sleep Electroencephalogram Device Use in Adolescents: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Lunsford-Avery Jessica R , Keller Casey , Kollins Scott H , Krystal Andrew D , Jackson Leah , Engelhard Matthew M
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is an important life stage for the development of healthy behaviors, which have a long-lasting impact on health across the lifespan. Sleep undergoes significant changes during adolescence and is linked to physical and psychiatric health; however, sleep is rarely assessed in routine health care settings. Wearable sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) devices may represent user-friendly methods for assessing sleep among adolescents, but no studies to date have examined the feasibility and acceptability of sleep EEG wearables in this age group.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the research was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of sleep EEG wearable devices among adolescents aged 11 to 17 years.

METHODS

A total of 104 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years participated in 7 days of at-home sleep recording using a self-administered wearable sleep EEG device (Zmachine Insight+, General Sleep Corporation) as well as a wristworn actigraph. Feasibility was assessed as the number of full nights of successful recording completed by adolescents, and acceptability was measured by the wearable acceptability survey for sleep. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed separately for the sleep EEG device and wristworn actigraph.

RESULTS

A total of 94.2% (98/104) of adolescents successfully recorded at least 1 night of data using the sleep EEG device (mean number of nights 5.42; SD 1.71; median 6, mode 7). A total of 81.6% (84/103) rated the comfort of the device as falling in the comfortable to mildly uncomfortable range while awake. A total of 40.8% (42/103) reported typical sleep while using the device, while 39.8% (41/103) indicated minimal to mild device-related sleep disturbances. A minority (32/104, 30.8%) indicated changes in their sleep position due to device use, and very few (11/103, 10.7%) expressed dissatisfaction with their experience with the device. A similar pattern was observed for the wristworn actigraph device.

CONCLUSIONS

Wearable sleep EEG appears to represent a feasible, acceptable method for sleep assessment among adolescents and may have utility for assessing and treating sleep disturbances at a population level. Future studies with adolescents should evaluate strategies for further improving usability of such devices, assess relationships between sleep EEG–derived metrics and health outcomes, and investigate methods for incorporating data from these devices into emerging digital interventions and applications.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03843762; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03843762
A Real-Time Eating Detection System for Capturing Eating Moments and Triggering Ecological Momentary Assessments to Obtain Further Context: System Development and Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Bin Morshed Mehrab , Kulkarni Samruddhi Shreeram , Li Richard , Saha Koustuv , Roper Leah Galante , Nachman Lama , Lu Hong , Mirabella Lucia , Srivastava Sanjeev , De Choudhury Munmun , de Barbaro Kaya , Ploetz Thomas , Abowd Gregory D
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Eating behavior has a high impact on the well-being of an individual. Such behavior involves not only when an individual is eating, but also various contextual factors such as with whom and where an individual is eating and what kind of food the individual is eating. Despite the relevance of such factors, most automated eating detection systems are not designed to capture contextual factors.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to (1) design and build a smartwatch-based eating detection system that can detect meal episodes based on dominant hand movements, (2) design ecological momentary assessment (EMA) questions to capture meal contexts upon detection of a meal by the eating detection system, and (3) validate the meal detection system that triggers EMA questions upon passive detection of meal episodes.

METHODS

The meal detection system was deployed among 28 college students at a US institution over a period of 3 weeks. The participants reported various contextual data through EMAs triggered when the eating detection system correctly detected a meal episode. The EMA questions were designed after conducting a survey study with 162 students from the same campus. Responses from EMAs were used to define exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Among the total consumed meals, 89.8% (264/294) of breakfast, 99.0% (406/410) of lunch, and 98.0% (589/601) of dinner episodes were detected by our novel meal detection system. The eating detection system showed a high accuracy by capturing 96.48% (1259/1305) of the meals consumed by the participants. The meal detection classifier showed a precision of 80%, recall of 96%, and F1 of 87.3%. We found that over 99% (1248/1259) of the detected meals were consumed with distractions. Such eating behavior is considered “unhealthy” and can lead to overeating and uncontrolled weight gain. A high proportion of meals was consumed alone (680/1259, 54.01%). Our participants self-reported 62.98% (793/1259) of their meals as healthy. Together, these results have implications for designing technologies to encourage healthy eating behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented eating detection system is the first of its kind to leverage EMAs to capture the eating context, which has strong implications for well-being research. We reflected on the contextual data gathered by our system and discussed how these insights can be used to design individual-specific interventions.
Five Lessons Learned From Randomized Controlled Trials on Mobile Health Interventions: Consensus Procedure on Practical Recommendations for Sustainable Research (Preprint)
Authors: Pach Daniel , Rogge Alizé A , Wang Jiani , Witt Claudia M
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Clinical research on mobile health (mHealth) interventions is too slow in comparison to the rapid speed of technological advances, thereby impeding sustainable research and evidence-based implementation of mHealth interventions.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to establish practical lessons from the experience of our working group, which might accelerate the development of future mHealth interventions and their evaluation by randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

METHODS

This paper is based on group and expert discussions, and focuses on the researchers’ perspectives after four RCTs on mHealth interventions for chronic pain.

RESULTS

The following five lessons are presented, which are based on practical application, increase of speed, and sustainability: (1) explore stakeholder opinions, (2) develop the mHealth app and trial simultaneously, (3) minimize complexity, (4) manage necessary resources, and (5) apply behavior change techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

The five lessons developed may lead toward an agile research environment. Agility might be the key factor in the development and research process of a potentially sustainable and evidence-based mHealth intervention.
Tracking the Presence of Software as a Medical Device in US Food and Drug Administration Databases: Retrospective Data Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Ceross Aaron , Bergmann Jeroen
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Software as a medical device (SaMD) has gained the attention of medical device regulatory bodies as the prospects of standalone software for use in diagnositic and therapeutic settings have increased. However, to date, figures related to SaMD have not been made available by regulators, which limits the understanding of how prevalent these devices are and what actions should be taken to regulate them.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to empirically evaluate the market approvals and clearances related to SaMD and identify adverse incidents related to these devices.

METHODS

Using databases managed by the US medical device regulator, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), we identified the counts of SaMD registered with the FDA since 2016 through the use of product codes, mapped the path SaMD takes toward classification, and recorded adverse events.

RESULTS

SaMD does not seem to be registered at a rate dissimilar to that of other medical devices; thus, adverse events for SaMD only comprise a small portion of the total reported number.

CONCLUSIONS

Although SaMD has been identified in the literature as an area of development, our analysis suggests that this growth has been modest. These devices are overwhelmingly classified as moderate to high risk, and they take a very particular path to that classification. The digital revolution in health care is less pronounced when evidence related to SaMD is considered. In general, the addition of SaMD to the medical device market seems to mimic that of other medical devices.
Digital Technology in Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis: a systematic review. (Preprint)
Authors: De Angelis Marcello , Lavorgna Luigi , Carotenuto Antonio , Petruzzo Martina , Lanzillo Roberta , Brescia Morra Vincenzo , Moccia Marcello
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) have leveraged the use of digital technology to overcome limitations in treatment and disease monitoring.

OBJECTIVE

To review the use of digital technology in concluded and ongoing MS clinical trials.

METHODS

In March 2020, we searched for “multiple sclerosis” and “trial” on pubmed.gov and clinicaltrials.gov using “app”, “digital”, “electronic”, “internet” and “mobile” as additional search words, separately. Overall, we included thirty-five studies.

RESULTS

Digital technology is part of clinical trial interventions to deliver psychotherapy and motor rehabilitation, with exergames, e-training, and robot-assisted exercises. Also, digital technology has become increasingly used to standardise previously existing outcome measures, with automatic acquisitions, reduced inconsistencies, and improved detection of symptoms. Some trials have been developing new patient-centred outcome measures for the detection of symptoms and of treatment side effects and adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

We will discuss how digital technology has been changing MS clinical trial design, and possible future directions for MS and neurology research.
Belief in a COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory as a Predictor of Mental Health and Well-Being of Health Care Workers in Ecuador: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: Chen Xi , Zhang Stephen X , Jahanshahi Asghar Afshar , Alvarez-Risco Aldo , Dai Huiyang , Li Jizhen , Ibarra Verónica García
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, social media platforms have become active sites for the dissemination of conspiracy theories that provide alternative explanations of the cause of the pandemic, such as secret plots by powerful and malicious groups. However, the association of individuals’ beliefs in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 with mental health and well-being issues has not been investigated. This association creates an assessable channel to identify and provide assistance to people with mental health and well-being issues during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to provide the first evidence that belief in conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is a predictor of the mental health and well-being of health care workers.

METHODS

We conducted a survey of 252 health care workers in Ecuador from April 10 to May 2, 2020. We analyzed the data regarding distress and anxiety caseness with logistic regression and the data regarding life and job satisfaction with linear regression.

RESULTS

Among the 252 sampled health care workers in Ecuador, 61 (24.2%) believed that the virus was developed intentionally in a lab; 82 (32.5%) experienced psychological distress, and 71 (28.2%) had anxiety disorder. Compared to health care workers who were not sure where the virus originated, those who believed the virus was developed intentionally in a lab were more likely to report psychological distress and anxiety disorder and to have lower levels of job satisfaction and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper identifies belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories as an important predictor of distress, anxiety, and job and life satisfaction among health care workers. This finding will enable mental health services to better target and provide help to mentally vulnerable health care workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Postcode based participatory disease surveillance systems : a comparison with traditional risk-based surveillance and its application in the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)
Authors: Masthi Ramesh , Jahan Afraz , Bharathi Divya , Abhilash Pradam , Kaniyarakkal Vinayak , TV Sanjay , Gowda Giriyanna , TS Ranganath , Goud Ramakrishna , Rao Shubha , Hegde Ajay
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Background: The SARS-Cov-2 infection has rapidly saturated health systems and traditional surveillance networks are finding hard to keep pace with its spread. We designed a participatory disease surveillance (PDS) system, to capture symptoms of Influenza-like illness (ILI) to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community. While data generated by these platforms can help public health organisations find community hotspots and effectively direct control measures, it has never been compared to traditional systems.

OBJECTIVE

Methods and Objectives: A completely anonymised web based PDS system, www.trackcovid-19.org was developed. We evaluated the symptomatic responses received form the PDS system to the traditional risk based surveillance carried out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike over a period of 45 days in the South Indian city of Bengaluru

METHODS

Methods and Objectives: A completely anonymised web based PDS system, www.trackcovid-19.org was developed. We evaluated the symptomatic responses received form the PDS system to the traditional risk based surveillance carried out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike over a period of 45 days in the South Indian city of Bengaluru

RESULTS

Results: The PDS system recorded 11062 entries from 106 Postal codes. A healthy response was obtained from 10863 users while 199 (1.8%) reported symptomatic. Subgroup analysis of a 14 day symptomatic window recorded 33 (0.29%) responses. Risk based surveillance was carried out covering a population of 605,284 with 209 (0.03%) individuals identified symptomatic.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusion: Web PDS platforms provide better visualisation of community infection when compared to traditional risk based surveillance systems. They are extremely useful by providing real time information in the extended battle against this pandemic. When integrated into national disease surveillance systems, they can provide long term community surveillance adding an important cost-effective layer to already available data sources.

CLINICALTRIAL
Covidom, a Telesurveillance Solution for Home Monitoring Patients With COVID-19 (Preprint)
Authors: Yordanov Youri , Dechartres Agnes , Lescure Xavier , Apra Caroline , Villie Pascaline , Marchand-Arvier Jerome , Debuc Erwan , Dinh Aurélien , Jourdain Patrick ,   On Behalf Of The AP-HP / Universities / Inserm COVID-19 Research Collaboration
Published: May 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

In a matter of months, COVID-19 has escalated from a cluster of cases in Wuhan, China, to a global pandemic. As the number of patients with COVID-19 grew, solutions for the home monitoring of infected patients became critical. This viewpoint presents a telesurveillance solution—Covidom—deployed in the greater Paris area to monitor patients with COVID-19 in their homes. The system was rapidly developed and is being used on a large scale with more than 65,000 registered patients to date. The Covidom solution combines an easy-to-use and free web application for patients (through which patients fill out short questionnaires on their health status) with a regional control center that monitors and manages alerts (triggered by questionnaire responses) from patients whose health may be deteriorating. This innovative solution could alleviate the burden of health care professionals and systems while allowing for rapid response when patients trigger an alert.
COVID-19 information exposure and its implications for employees in the health care sector: findings from an online survey (Preprint)
Authors: Bazan Paulo , Machado de Azevedo Neto Raymundo , Dias Julia , Salvatierra Vanessa , Guerra Liana , Lacerda Shirley , Amaro Jr Edson , Kozasa Elisa , Balardin Joana
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the massive delivery of rapidly changing information about the science of the disease and its implications on everyday life can place high demands on individuals' abilities to deal with all this information. Professionals working in the healthcare sector are in the spotlight of this scenario.

OBJECTIVE

In this survey study, our aim was to quickly assess estimates about the sources, type and volume of information these individuals receive, and their feelings related to information processing demands during the pandemic.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional questionnaire survey was distributed to employees of a major healthcare provider in São Paulo, Brazil, between April 3-10 2020. Quantitative data were assessed with descriptive statistical analysis. Data from open-ended questions were assessed with word cloud graphs.

RESULTS

A total of 2646 respondents were included in the analysis. Most participants (44.3%) reported having had access to excessive, or close to excessive information about the new coronavirus and 67.6% reported an increase in the average time spent on social media per day (mean increase of 2.46 hours, standard deviation of 4.35 hours). When asked how frequently they consider it is easy to determine the reliability of information, sometimes’ corresponded to 43.2% of the answers in contrast to 14.6% responding ‘always’. Participant's responses on possible signs of information overload associated with the pandemic indicated that: 31% always or almost everyday felt stressed about the amount of information they had to follow. Among the total of respondents, 80.0% reported experiencing at least one symptom such as headache, eye twitching, restlessness or sleeping difficulty. Participants showing a more negative information–processing style regarding dealing with a lot of information also reported a higher proportion of symptoms than participants that have a positive information-processing style. Similarly, participants that increased their social media access reported higher proportion of symptoms than participants that decreased their social media access during the pandemic. 45.5% respondents reported deliberately reducing their exposure to information about COVID-19. The most common reported reasons for this behavior change were information repetition (77.6%) and fatigue (59.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our survey provides a description of the ways in which individuals consume COVID-19 related information during the pandemic, and suggests that excessive information exposure and high processing demands may impose psychological distress.
Chemo-prophylaxis of COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine: a study of health care workers attitude, adherence to regime and toxicities/side effects (Preprint)
Authors: Bhattacharyya Debajyoti , Raizada Neeraj , Nagappa Bharathnag , Tomar Arvind , Maurya Prateek , Chaudhary Ashok , George Mini , Katiyal Deepty , Rajora Srishti , Kashyap Nikky
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

There are apprehensions among healthcare worker (HCWs) about COVID-19. The HCWs have been given hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) chemo-prophylaxis for seven weeks as per Government of India guidelines.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the apprehensions among HCWs about COVID-19 and to document accessibility, adherence and side effects related to HCQ prophylaxis in HCWs.

METHODS

A longitudinal follow up study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. HCQ was given in the dose of 400 mg twice on day one, and then 400 mg weekly for seven weeks. 391 HCWs were interviewed using semi structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

62.2% HCWs expressed perceived danger posted by COVID-19 infection. Doctors (54%) showed least acceptance and paramedics (88%) showed highest acceptance to chemo-prophylaxis. 17.5% participants developed at least one of the side effects to HCQ. Females and nursing profession were significantly associated with adverse effects. Common side effects were gastro-intestinal symptoms, headache and abnormal mood change. Most of these were mild, not requiring any intervention. Gender, professions and perceived threat of COVID-19 were significantly associated with acceptance and adherence to HCQ prophylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS

Two third of HCWs had perceived danger due to COVID-19. Three fourth of the HCWs accepted chemo-prophylaxis and four out of five who accepted had complete adherence to prophylaxis schedule. One out of five had developed at least one of side effects; however, most of these were mild not requiring any intervention.
EVALUACIÓN DE LA CITOGENOTOXICIDAD DE UNA CERVEZA ELABORADA INDUSTRIALMENTE Y UNA CERVEZA DE ELABORACIÓN ARTESANAL
Authors: Rosas-Cipriano Arturo , Flores-Maya Saúl , Barrera-Escorcia Héctor , Gómez-Arroyo Sandra , Alarcón-Herrera Norberto , Ruíz Cabrera Agustín
Published: May 2020

Beer is a complex beverage, due to the extended variety of dissolved constituents which interact with each other and may change rapidly from the moment of exposure to the environment. Much has been said about the impact on human health on the consumption of beer; excessive intake can lead to health problems, on the contrary with the moderate intake can significantly reduce DNA damage. The importance of short-term tests for carcinogens and mutagens (micronucleus test) is feasible to be applied in risk analysis and quality control of commercial alcohol beverages. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects in vivo of two different types of beers using Vicia fabamicronucleus test. Faba beans were used (Vicia faba var. minor) that were exposed for 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours to the chemical composition of a mass-produced beer and craft beer. The cytogenotoxic effect from the beers was evaluated in root meristematic cells. Cycloheximide (5 ug/ml), 3.6% ethanol (v/v) and 7.5% (v/v) were used as positive controls. Data were applied by analysis of variance with individual comparisons (Dunnett’s test) with a significance criterion of p< 0.05. The results allowed toestablishing that treatments for the mitotic index and the frequency of micronuclei in meristematic cells had significant differences compared to the negative control. In conclusion, the chemical components of these alcoholic beverages and acetaldehyde derived from metabolized ethanol by the root neristematic cells of V.fabadid not induce high frequencies of micronuclei, in other words, they were slightly genotoxic and mildly toxic by decreasing or increasing of cell division on root meristem cells of V. faba.
COMPORTAMIENTO DE IGUANA VERDE (IGUANA IGUANA) LINNAEUS, 1758 EN LA UMA REPTILARIO CIPACTLI, PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO, MÉXICO
Authors: Hernández-Mendoza María Del Carmen , Vázquez-López Horacio
Published: May 2020

El creciente desarrollo de la mancha urbana en bahía de banderas ubicado en Puerto Vallarta.
Jalisco, ha incrementado la perdida de hábitats para la fauna silvestre que habita en la zona, la
destrucción de estos lugares ha influido de manera significativa en el desarrollo de muchas especies
de la zona entre ellos de la iguana verde, lo que ha ido modificando su comportamiento tanto
alimentario como reproductivo, por ello el objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar los
parámetros conductuales de la iguana verde. Como resultados se obtuvo que las iguanas dedican la
mayor parte de su tiempo a perchar y alimentarse; como principal fuente de alimentación se
encontró que las iguanas tienen preferencia hacía las especies de gramíneas, y se describió el
comportamiento de cortejo y copula, la importancia de realizar estudios de ámbito etológico es
brindar la información necesaria para la conservación de la especie y su manejo en vida silvestre y
cautiverio.
La plasticidad del hepatocito y su relevancia en la fisiología y la patología hepática
Authors: Ríos-López Diana G. , Aranda-López Yuli , Sosa-Garrocho Marcela , Macías-Silva Marina
Published: May 2020

El hígado es uno de los principales órganos encargados de mantener la homeostasis en vertebrados,  además de poseer una gran capacidad regenerativa. El hígado está constituido por diversos tipos celulares que de forma coordinada contribuyen para que el órgano funcione eficientemente. Los hepatocitos representan el tipo celular principal de este órgano y llevan a cabo la mayoría de sus actividades; además, constituyen una población heterogénea de células epiteliales con funciones especializadas en el metabolismo. El fenotipo de los hepatocitos está controlado por diferentes vías de señalización, como la vía del TGFβ/Smads, la ruta Hippo/YAP-TAZ y la vía Wnt/β-catenina, entre otras. Los hepatocitos son células que se encuentran normalmente en un estado quiescente, aunque cuentan con una plasticidad intrínseca que se manifiesta en respuesta a diversos daños en el hígado; así, estas células reactivan su capacidad proliferativa o cambian su fenotipo a través de procesos celulares como la transdiferenciación o la transformación, para contribuir a mantener la homeostasis del órgano en condiciones saludables o desarrollar diversas  patologías.