bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circulating inflammatory markers may mediate the relationship between low carbohydrate diet and circadian rhythm in overweight and obese women
Authors: Tavakoli Atefeh , Mirzababaei Atieh , Sajadi Forough , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: March 2021

Background

Low carbohydrate diet (LCD) can improve inflammation and obesity and also circadian rhythm disorders can lead to increased inflammation in obese individuals. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between adherence of LCD and circadian rhythm mediated by inflammatory markers including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Galectin-3 in overweight and obese women.

Methods

304 women affected by overweight and obesity were enrolled. We evaluated LCD scores by Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) of 147 items. The morning-evening questionnaire (MEQ) was applied to evaluate the circadian rhythm. Biochemical parameters such as inflammatory markers and anthropometric components were assessed.

Results

There was a negative significant correlation between adherence of LCD and circadian rhythm status. In other words, as the LCD scores increased, the odds of circadian rhythm disturbance in intermediate group and morning type persons decreased compared to evening type. It was showed that, IL-1β and Galectin-3 in intermediate and morning type groups, destroyed the significance of this relationship and may be considered as mediating markers.

Conclusion

Adherence of LCD can improve the circadian rhythm by reducing levels of inflammatory markers and may be considered as a treatment for obesity.
Deciphering potential pharmacological mechanism of Sha-Shen-Mai-Dong decoction on primary Sjogren’s syndrome
Authors: Jiang Yuepeng , Zhao Xiaoxuan , Yu Jie , Wang Qiao , Wen Chengping , Huang Lin
Published: March 2021

Background

Sha-Shen-Mai-Dong decoction (SSMD) is a classical prescription widely used in primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (pSS) therapy. This study aims to explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of SSMD on pSS.

Methods

Active components of SSMD were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Database and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology databases and targets of SSMD were predicted by Pharmmapper and STITCH database. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out to explore the function characteristics of SSMD. The expression matrix of microarray of pSS was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus and we obtained 162 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed to identify the hub targets. Principal component analysis (PCA) and molecular docking were conducted to further elucidate the possibility of SSMD for pSS.

Results

SSMD contained a total of 1056 active components, corresponding to 88 targets, among which peripheral myelin protein 2(PMP2), androgen receptor (AR) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 1(GAD1) are associated with multiple active components in SSMD and may be the core targets. Moreover, these targets were closely related to tissue pathological injury in SS, such as lacrimal gland, salivary gland and nervous system injury. GO and KEGG analysis showed that 88 targets enriched in REDOX process, transcriptional regulation and negative regulation of apoptosis process. Besides, SSMD may influence the cell proliferation, gene transcription through regulating Ras and cAMP-related signaling pathways. In addition, SSMD may show effects on immune regulation, such as macrophage differentiation, Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway and T-helper 1 in SS. Moreover, PPI network suggested that FN1, MMP-9 may be the hub targets in SSMD. Result of PCA and molecular docking analysis further determined the feasibility of SSMD in treating pSS.

Conclusion

SSMD can regulate multiple biological processes by virtue of its multiple active components, thus showing prominent advantage in the treatment of pSS. The discovery of active ingredients and targets in SSMD provides valuable resources for drug research and development for pSS.
The carbon footprint of dietary guidelines around the world: a seven country modeling study
Authors: Kovacs Brittany , Miller Lindsey , Heller Martin C. , Rose Donald
Published: March 2021

Background

Do the environmental impacts inherent in national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) vary around the world, and, if so, how? Most previous studies that consider this question focus on a single country or compare countries’ guidelines without controlling for differences in country-level consumption patterns. To address this gap, we model the carbon footprint of the dietary guidelines from seven different countries, examine the key contributors to this, and control for consumption differences between countries.

Methods

In this purposive sample, we obtained FBDG from national sources for Germany, India, the Netherlands, Oman, Thailand, Uruguay, and the United States. These were used to structure recommended diets using 6 food groups: protein foods, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and oils/fats. To determine specific quantities of individual foods within these groups, we used data on food supplies available for human consumption for each country from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s food balance sheets. The greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) used to produce the foods in these consumption patterns were linked from our own database, constructed from an exhaustive review of the life cycle assessment literature. All guidelines were scaled to a 2000-kcal diet.

Results

Daily recommended amounts of dairy foods ranged from a low of 118 ml/d for Oman to a high of 710 ml/d for the US. The GHGE associated with these two recommendations were 0.17 and 1.10 kg CO2-eq/d, respectively. The GHGE associated with the protein food recommendations ranged from 0.03 kg CO2-eq/d in India  to 1.84 kg CO2-eq/d in the US, for recommended amounts of 75 g/d and 156 g/d, respectively. Overall, US recommendations had the highest carbon footprint at 3.83 kg CO2-eq/d, 4.5 times that of the recommended diet for India, which had the smallest footprint. After controlling for country-level consumption patterns by applying the US consumption pattern to all countries, US recommendations were still the highest, 19% and 47% higher than those of the Netherlands and Germany, respectively.

Conclusions

Despite our common human biology, FBDG vary tremendously from one country to the next, as do the associated carbon footprints of these guidelines. Understanding the carbon footprints of different recommendations can assist in future decision-making to incorporate environmental sustainability in dietary guidance.
Exploring mechanisms that explain how coalition groups are formed and how they work to sustain political priority for maternal and child health in Nigeria using the advocacy coalition framework
Authors: Okeke Chinyere , Manzano Ana , Obi Uche , Etiaba Enyi , Onwujekwe Obinna , Mirzoev Tolib , Uzochukwu Benjamin
Published: March 2021

Background

The unacceptably high rate of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria prompted the government to introduce a free maternal and child health (MCH) programme, which was stopped abruptly following a change in government. This triggered increased advocacy for sustaining MCH as a political priority in the country and led to the formation of advocacy coalitions. This study set out to explain the process involved in the formation of advocacy coalition groups and how they work to bring about sustained political prioritization for MCH in Nigeria. It will contribute to the understanding of the Nigerian MCH sector subsystem and will be beneficial to health policy advocates and public health researchers in Nigeria.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected using a pretested interview guide to conduct 22 in-depth interviews, while advocacy events were reviewed pro forma. The document review was analysed using the manual content analysis method, while qualitative data audiotapes were transcribed verbatim, anonymized, double-coded in MS Word using colour-coded highlights and analysed using manual thematic and framework analysis guided by the advocacy coalition framework (ACF). The ACF was used to identify the policy subsystem including the actors, their belief, coordination and resources, as well as the effects of advocacy groups on policy change. Ethics and consent approval were obtained for the study.

Results

The policy subsystem identified the actors and characterized the coalitions, and described their group formation processes and resources/strategies for engagement. The perceived deep core belief driving the MCH agenda is the right of an individual to health. The effects of advocacy groups on policy change were identified, along with the factors that enabled effectiveness, as well as constraints to coalition formation. External factors and triggers of coalition formation were identified to include high maternal mortality and withdrawal of the free MCH programme, while the contextual issues were the health system issues and the socioeconomic factors affecting the country.

Conclusion

Our findings add to an increasing body of evidence that the use of ACF is beneficial in exploring how advocacy coalitions are formed and in identifying the effects of advocacy groups on policy change.
Correction to: The relationship between armed conflict and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition status and services in northeastern Nigeria: a mixed-methods case study
Authors: Tyndall Jennifer A. , Ndiaye Khadidiatou , Weli Chinwenwo , Dejene Eskedar , Ume Nwanneamaka , Inyang Victory , Okere Christiana , Sandberg John , Waldman Ronald J.
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Correction to: Combination therapy of PKCζ and COX-2 inhibitors synergistically suppress melanoma metastasis
Authors: Zhou Ping , Qin Jiaqi , Li Yuan , Li Guoxia , Wang Yinsong , Zhang Ning , Chen Peng , Li Chunyu
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance in COVID-19: molecular interrelationship and therapeutic implications
Authors: Santos Andrey , Magro Daniéla Oliveira , Evangelista-Poderoso Rosana , Saad Mario José Abdalla
Published: March 2021

Background

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of the COVID-19 manifestations and evolution has improved over the past 10 months, but the reasons why evolution is more severe in obese and diabetic patients are not yet completely understood.

Main text

In the present review we discuss the different mechanisms that may contribute to explain the pathophysiology of COVID-19 including viral entrance, direct viral toxicity, endothelial dysfunction, thromboinflammation, dysregulation of the immune response, and the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system.

Conclusions

We show that the viral infection activates an integrated stress response, including activations of serine kinases such as PKR and PERK, which induce IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and insulin resistance. In parallel, we correlate and show the synergy of the insulin resistance of COVID-19 with this hormonal resistance of obesity and diabetes, which increase the severity of the disease. Finally, we discuss the potential beneficial effects of drugs used to treat insulin resistance and diabetes in patients with COVID-19.
Steps toward preregistration of research on research integrity
Authors: Sijtsma Klaas , Emons Wilco H. M. , Steneck Nicholas H. , Bouter Lex M.
Published: March 2021

Background

A proposal to encourage the preregistration of research on research integrity was developed and adopted as the Amsterdam Agenda at the 5th World Conference on Research Integrity (Amsterdam, 2017). This paper reports on the degree to which abstracts of the 6th World Conference in Research Integrity (Hong Kong, 2019) reported on preregistered research.

Methods

Conference registration data on participants presenting a paper or a poster at 6th WCRI were made available to the research team. Because the data set was too small for inferential statistics this report is limited to a basic description of results and some recommendations that should be considered when taking further steps to improve preregistration.

Results

19% of the 308 presenters preregistered their research. Of the 56 usable cases, less than half provided information on the six key elements of the Amsterdam Agenda. Others provided information that invalidated their data, such as an uninformative URL. There was no discernable difference between qualitative and quantitative research.

Conclusions

Some presenters at the WCRI have preregistered their research on research integrity, but further steps are needed to increase frequency and completeness of preregistration. One approach to increase preregistration would be to make it a requirement for research presented at the World Conferences on Research Integrity.
High expression of NDRG3 in osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Chen Long , Wang Yuanzheng , Li Senlei , Zhou Wei , Sun Li
Published: March 2021

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA), as a common disease, seriously affects the quality of life of the victims, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. It has been confirmed that hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-mediated hypoxia response plays an important role in the development and progression of OA. As a member of the N-myc downstream regulatory gene families, NDRG3 has been reported to independently regulate the hypoxic response of tumour cells, but the relationship between NDRG3 and OA development has not been reported so far.

Methods

In this study, seven OA patients were admitted to Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018. The OA group included 5 patients clinically diagnosed with hip/knee OA, which required arthroplasty. The normal group included 2 patients with no previous history of OA and rheumatoid arthritis, which required amputation due to trauma or tumour. The articular cartilage samples were collected to detect the expression of HIF-1α, HIF-2α and NDRG3 using immunohistochemical (IHC), haematoxylin and eosin (HE) and toluidine blue (TB) staining.

Results

HE and TB staining indicated that the cartilage surface of the normal group was smooth and intact, with a columnar arrangement of hyaline chondrocytes, while the cartilage surface of the OA group was discontinuous, with cartilage missing and fibrous soft tissue growing into the defect site. HIF-1α staining was positive in both groups. Moreover, HIF-2α and NDRG3 staining was weakly positive in the normal group, but were uniformly and strongly positive in the OA group. The positively stained areas and integral optical density for NDRG3 were significantly greater in OA group than in the normal group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

NDRG3 might be closely related to the development and progression of OA. However, the relationship between NDRG3 and OA, which is independent of the HIF pathway, warrants further research.
President's Page: Synergies in geophysical, medical, and space imaging — The next 20 years
Authors: Lumley David
Published: March 2021

Almost exactly 20 years ago, in July 2001, I organized and chaired the first SEG Summer Research Workshop on the topic of “Synergies in Geophysical, Medical and Space Imaging” (see The Leading Edge [TLE], 21, no. 6, 599-606). At the virtual SEG Annual Meeting in October 2020, special sessions were held on “Planetary Geophysics” and “Geophysics in Medicine.” Recently, I have been asked by SEG President Maurice Nessim to help lead two task forces to advance the use of applied geophysics in both the medical and space sciences. It is therefore an excellent time to share some thoughts on the next 20 years of collaboration possibilities in these areas.
Foundation News: Pay it forward — The SEG Foundation in 2021
Authors: Burk Katie
Published: March 2021

The people of SEG are on the leading edge of geophysics and geoscience and are focused on making life safer and more fulfilling for populations in every corner of the earth. This work is accomplished by reviewing papers and abstracts, serving on grant and program committees, developing and administering student and professional activities and programs, and participating in strategic discussions for the Society. Members make much of this possible, and contributions to the SEG Foundation fund many of the programs and activities that benefit not only our professional community but communities of people around the world.
Benchmark Method for Cost Computations Across Health Care Systems: Cost of Care per Patient per Day in Breast Cancer Care
Authors: Blayney Douglas W. , Seto Tina , Hoang Nhat , Lindquist Craig , Kurian Allison W.
Published: March 2021

PURPOSE:

To estimate the value of cancer care and to compare value among episodes of care, a transparent, reproducible, and standardized cost computation methodology is needed. Charges, claims, and reimbursements are related to cost but are nontransparent and proprietary. We developed a method to measure the cost of the following phases of care: (1) initial treatment with curative intent, (2) surveillance and survivorship care, and (3) relapse and end-of-life care.

METHODS:

We combined clinical data from our electronic health record, the state cancer registry, and the Social Security Death Index. We analyzed the care of patients with breast cancer and mapped Common Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to the corresponding cost conversion factor and date in the CMS Medicare fee schedule. To account for varying duration of episodes of care, we computed a cost of care per day (CCPD) for each patient.

RESULTS:

Median CCPD for initial treatment was $29.45 in US dollars (USD), the CCPD for surveillance and survivorship care was $2.45 USD, and the CCPD for relapse care was $13.80 USD. Among the three breast cancer types (hormone receptor-positive or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]-negative, HER2-positive, and triple-negative), there was no difference in CCPD. Relapsed patients in the most expensive surveillance CCPD group had significantly shorter survival.

CONCLUSION:

We developed a method to identify high-value oncology care—cost of care per patient per day (CCPD)—in episodes of initial, survivorship, and relapse care. The methodology can help identify positive deviants (who have developed best practices) delivering high-value care. Merging our data with claims data from third-party payers can increase the accuracy and validity of the CCPD.
Vulnerability and resilience of social engagement: Equilibrium theory
Authors: Wang Shang-Nan , Cheng Luan , Zhou Hai-Jun
Published: March 2021

Social networks of engagement sometimes dramatically collapse. A widely adopted paradigm to understand this catastrophe dynamics is the threshold model but previous work only considered the irreversibleK-core pruning process and the resulting kinetic activity patterns. Here we study the network alliance problem as a simplified model of social engagement by equilibrium statistical mechanics. Our theory reveals that the surviving kinetic alliances are out-of-equilibrium and atypical configurations which may become highly vulnerable to single-node–triggered cascading failures as they relax towards equilibrium. Our theory predicts that if the fraction of active nodes is beyond certain critical value, the equilibrium (typical) alliance configurations could be protected from cascading failures by a simple least-effort local intervention strategy. We confirm these results by extensive Monte Carlo simulations.
Ordering kinetics of canted and uniform states in nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Birdi Nishant , Banerjee Varsha , Puri Sanjay
Published: March 2021

We undertake a comprehensive Monte Carlo (MC) study of the ordering kinetics in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) in 3 dimensions

by performing deep quenches from the isotropic (T > T

c
) to the nematic (T < T

c
) phase. The inter-molecular potential between the nematogens, represented by continuous O(3) spins with inversion symmetry, is accurately mimicked by the generalised Lebwohl Lasher (GLL) model. It incorporates second- and fourth-order Legendre interactions, and their relative interaction strength is λ. For

, we observe canted morphologies with a λ-dependent angle of tilt between the neighbouring rod-like molecules. For

, the molecules align to yield uniform states. The coarsening morphologies obey generalized dynamical scaling in the two regimes, but the scaling function is not robust with respect to λ. The structure factor tail in the canted regime follows the Porod law:

, implying that the coarsening dynamics is due to the annihilation of interfacial defects. This is unexpected, as the GLL model is characterised by a continuous order parameter. The uniform regime on the other hand, exhibits the expected generalized Porod decay:

, characteristic of scattering from string defects. Finally, the domain growth obeys the Lifshitz-Allen-Cahn law:

for all values of λ. Our results for the novel canted regime are relevant for a large class of systems with orientational ordering, e.g., active matter, membranes, LC elastomers, etc. We hope that our work triggers off stimulating investigations in them.
“When It’s Outside of You”
Authors: White Stephanie
Published: March 2021

Through classroom observations and semi-structured, text-based interviews, this study analyzes the impact of a service-learning first-year composition course on students’ rhetorical knowledge. Students’ own words are used to describe their transformative experiences related to academic writing and community service. As a result of what these students called their “investment” in community organizations, they began to see writing itself as advocacy. This article explains how this commitment to writing as advocacy motivated students to develop transferrable writing knowledge.
Where Does Class Identity Belong?
Authors: Russell Alisa
Published: March 2021

This article proposes that writing instructors can present genre innovation as a strategy for asserting class (and other) identities within academic discourses. Drawing on sample student innovations of integrating emotions, expanding modes, and reconstructing audiences, this pedagogical approach seeks to value varied class identities and increase multivocality in academe.
P. Staff
Authors: Gossett Che , Hayward Eva
Published: March 2021

The following is an interview with visual performance artist P. Staff conducted by Che Gossett and Eva Hayward. In the interview Staff thinks about kinship and AIDS, “desire and dispossession,” AIDS and art, justice and ACT UP, and a trans aesthetics of refusal. How might art and art-making refuse to represent AIDS and trans? How is the imperative to represent trans and AIDS part of the violence of trans/AIDSphobia? Staff questions the progressive projects of social uplift, of well-being, and the endlessly reparative subject. Working through a “trans negativity,” Staff's work tracks the corrosive and unbinding force of sexuality that is hidden by contemporary trans and AIDS discourses.
Undetectability in a Time of Trans Visibility
Authors: Lee Christopher Joseph
Published: March 2021

The advancement of medical treatments of HIV has given rise to the term undetectability, which has become synonymous with HIV survival and the promise of an otherwise normal life. This article explores the concept of undetectability as it relates to a theory of trans visibility as protection, epitomized by Time Magazine's 2014 declaration of a “trans tipping point.” Following critiques that trans visibility offers little guarantee of safety, the author traces the emergence of the term undetectability alongside calls for and against trans recognition. The author grounds arguments about undetectability's possibilities through a critique of the documentary Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017), examining its framing as a detective story that seeks answers around Johnson's mysterious death. More specifically, the author analyzes how the murder-mystery form reinforces a carceral fantasy of individual culpability running adjacent to the privatization of HIV as a matter of personal management. The article concludes by turning to Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel's Happy Birthday, Marsha!, not just to pose a divergent narrative frame for Johnson's life but to also understand how undetectability might offer a resource in navigating the violence of exposure itself, toward a space of trans opacity.
Paradigmatic
Authors: Geary Adam M.
Published: March 2021

When we bring together trans and HIV/AIDS, what are we trying to know, and what are we trying to do with that knowledge? In this essay the author argues that antiblack racism is the nexus for critically thinking the epidemiology of trans and HIV/AIDS, not simply black trans people's disparate suffering. Antiblackness has been paradigmatic and fundamental to the structural relations of domination and violence that have organized both group vulnerability to exposure to HIV and the ecologies of human susceptibility to illness and disease through which HIV has dispersed historically. Thus, within the public-health surveillance category “transgender,” racial disparities in HIV prevalence and incidence rates point toward the true paradigm for thinking HIV/AIDS as an epidemic and the enfoldment of trans people within it.
Kiyan Williams
Authors: Gossett Che , Hayward Eva
Published: March 2021

The following is an interview conducted by Che Gossett and Eva Hayward with Kiyan Williams, multidisciplinary artist and assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. William's visual art—sculpture and video—on blackness and ecology, dirt and displacement, brings Black trans poetics, aesthetics, and politics to bear on questions of the afterlife of slavery and plantation geographies. Their work also engages Black trans archives and historicity. Here they discuss their work Reflections on Marlon Riggs, Jesse Harris, Black trans archives, their works Meditations on the Making of America and Trash and Treasure, and their engagement with various artistic mediums.
Pose and HIV/AIDS
Authors: Stamm Laura
Published: March 2021

This article examines how the television series Pose (2018–) represents queer and trans people of color living with HIV/AIDS at the height of the crisis in 1987. While the series portrays an important part of transgender history, it also positions the AIDS crisis as something that is done and part of America's past. Despite the fact that rates of HIV infection remain at epidemic rates for trans women of color, Pose, like many other mainstream media representations, suggests that the AIDS crisis ended in 1995. The series brings trans women of color's experiences to a record number of viewers, but that representation comes with a certain cost—the cost of historicization.
On the Scene of Zoonotic Intimacies
Authors: Rosenberg Gabriel N.
Published: March 2021

COVID-19, like HIV/AIDS before it, is being allegorized as a cost of perverse intimacies with nature. This essay surveys three scenes of intimate zoonotic exchange—the jungle, the wet market, and the pork plant—and maps how each contributes to the operation of racial capitalism.
COVID-19 – exploring the implications of long-term condition type and extent of multimorbidity on years of life lost: a modelling study
Authors: Hanlon Peter , Chadwick Fergus , Shah Anoop , Wood Rachael , Minton Jon , McCartney Gerry , Fischbacher Colin , Mair Frances S. , Husmeier Dirk , Matthiopoulos Jason , McAllister David A.
Published: March 2021

Background: COVID-19 is responsible for increasing deaths globally. As most people dying with COVID-19 are older with underlying long-term conditions (LTCs), some speculate that YLL are low. We aim to estimate YLL attributable to COVID-19, before and after adjustment for number/type of LTCs, using the limited data available early in the pandemic.

Methods: We first estimated YLL from COVID-19 using WHO life tables, based on published age/sex data from COVID-19 deaths in Italy. We then used aggregate data on number/type of LTCs in a Bayesian model to estimate likely combinations of LTCs among people dying with COVID-19. We used routine UK healthcare data from Scotland and Wales to estimate life expectancy based on age/sex/these combinations of LTCs using Gompertz models from which we then estimate YLL.

Results: Using the standard WHO life tables, YLL per COVID-19 death was 14 for men and 12 for women. After adjustment for number and type of LTCs, the mean YLL was slightly lower, but remained high (11.6 and 9.4 years for men and women, respectively). The number and type of LTCs led to wide variability in the estimated YLL at a given age (e.g. at ≥80 years, YLL was >10 years for people with 0 LTCs, and <3 years for people with ≥6).

Conclusions: Deaths from COVID-19 represent a substantial burden in terms of per-person YLL, more than a decade, even after adjusting for the typical number and type of LTCs found in people dying of COVID-19. The extent of multimorbidity heavily influences the estimated YLL at a given age. More comprehensive and standardised collection of data (including LTC type, severity, and potential confounders such as socioeconomic-deprivation and care-home status) is needed to optimise YLL estimates for specific populations, and to understand the global burden of COVID-19, and guide policy-making and interventions.
Automated Workplace for Operational Duty Shift of Crisis Management Center (CMC) of EMERCOM of Russia
Authors: Popov A.
Published: March 2021

The process and expected results of implementation and development of automated workplace (AWP) for the administrator (AWP- Administrator) of the operational duty shift (ODS) for the Crisis Management Center (CMC) of EMERCOM of Russia have been considered. The structure, functions and basic operations of interaction with the "AWP- Administrator" of CMC ODS, which is an AWP in the database management system (DBMS) of ODS AWP - "ODS AWP DBMS" and provides the automation of CMC ODS AWP user technical support, database (DB) structure formation, enhancement of existing and development of new CMC ODS AWP. Have been justified the prospects of EMERCOM of Russia’s CMC ODS "ARM – Administrator" implementation for organization of the process of CMC ODS AWP user technical support, “ODS AWP DBMS” information updating, enhancement of existing and development of the new CMC ODS AWP.
Sleep disorders in older adults
Authors: Marin Eric , Tomatsu Shizuka , Khoury Rita , Grossberg George T
Published: March 2021

Early treatment of these complex disorders can greatly improve patients’ quality of life.
Multirow Intersection Cuts Based on the Infinity Norm
Authors: Xavier Álinson S. , Fukasawa Ricardo , Poirrier Laurent
Published: March 2021

When generating multirow intersection cuts for mixed-integer linear optimization problems, an important practical question is deciding which intersection cuts to use. Even when restricted to cuts that are facet defining for the corner relaxation, the number of potential candidates is still very large, especially for instances of large size. In this paper, we introduce a subset of intersection cuts based on the infinity norm that is very small, works for relaxations having arbitrary number of rows and, unlike many subclasses studied in the literature, takes into account the entire data from the simplex tableau. We describe an algorithm for generating these inequalities and run extensive computational experiments in order to evaluate their practical effectiveness in real-world instances. We conclude that this subset of inequalities yields, in terms of gap closure, around 50% of the benefits of using all valid inequalities for the corner relaxation simultaneously, but at a small fraction of the computational cost, and with a very small number of cuts.

Summary of Contribution: Cutting planes are one of the most important techniques used by modern mixed-integer linear programming solvers when solving a variety of challenging operations research problems. The paper advances the state of the art on general-purpose multirow intersection cuts by proposing a practical and computationally friendly method to generate them.
Watchers, Watched, and Watching in the Digital Age: Reconceptualization of Information Technology Monitoring as Complex Action Nets
Authors: Zorina Aljona , Bélanger France , Kumar Nanda , Clegg Stewart
Published: March 2021

Despite increasing studies of information technology (IT) monitoring, our understanding of how IT-mediates relations between the watcher and watched remains limited in two areas. First, either traditional actor-centric frameworks assuming predefined watcher-watched relationships (e.g., panopticon or synopticon) are adopted or monitoring actors are removed to focus on data flows (e.g., dataveillance, assemblages, panspectron). Second, IT monitoring research predominantly assumes IT artifacts to be stable, bounded, designed objects, with prescribed uses which provides an oversimplified view of actor relationships. To redress these limitations, a conceptual framework of veillance applicable to a variety of possible IT or non-IT-mediated relationships between watcher and watched is developed. Using the framework, we conduct a conceptual review of the literature, identifying IT-enabled monitoring and transformations of actors, goals, mechanisms and foci and develop an action net model of IT veillance where IT artifacts are theorized as equivocal, distributable and open for diverse use, open to edits and contributions by unbounded sets of heterogenous actors characterized by diverse goals and capabilities. The action net of IT veillance is defined as a flexible decentralized interconnected web shaped by multidirectional watcher-watched relationships, enabling multiple dynamic goals and foci. Cumulative contributions by heterogenous participants organize and manipulate the net, having an impact through influencing dispositions, visibilities and the inclusion/exclusion of self and others. The model makes three important theoretical contributions to our understanding of IT monitoring of watchers and watched and their relationships. We discuss implications and avenues for future studies on IT veillance.
The cost-effectiveness of computer navigation in primary total knee replacement: a scoping review
Authors: Trieu Jason , Schilling Chris , Dowsey Michelle M. , Choong Peter F.
Published: March 2021

Despite additional costs associated with the use of computer navigation technology in total knee replacement (TKR), its impact on quality-adjusted life years following surgery has not been demonstrated. Cost-effectiveness evaluations require a balanced assessment of both quality and cost metrics. This review sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of computer navigation, identify barriers to translation, and suggest directions for further investigation. A systematic search of the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry, PubMed, and Embase was undertaken. Cost-effectiveness analyses of computer navigation in primary total knee replacement were identified. Only primary studies of cost-effectiveness analyses published in the English language from the year 2000 onwards were included. Studies that reported secondary data were excluded from the analysis. Four publications met the inclusion criteria. Estimated gains in quality-adjusted life years attributed to reductions in revision surgery were 0.0148 to 0.0164 over 10 years, and 0.0192 (95% CI –0.002 to 0.0473) over 15 years. Cost estimates ranged from 952 kr (US $90, 2020) per case at 250 TKRs/year, to $1,920 US per case at 25 TKRs/year. The estimated probability of meeting local cost-effectiveness thresholds was 54% in the United States and 92% in the United Kingdom. These data were not available for Norway. The cost-effectiveness of computer navigation in current practice settings remains uncertain, with the use of this technology associated with marginal increased quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at additional cost. Existing analyses demonstrated a number of limitations which restrict the potential for translation to practice and policy settings. Further research evaluating the impact of computer navigation on QALYs following primary TKR is required to inform contemporary cost-effectiveness evaluations.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:173-180. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200073
The case for an academic discipline of medical device science
Authors: Lübbeke Anne , Smith James A. , Prieto-Alhambra Daniel , Carr Andrew J.
Published: March 2021

Medical devices are a very important but largely under-recognized and fragmented component of healthcare. The limited regulation of the past and the lack of systematic rigorous evaluation of devices leading to numerous high-profile failures will now be replaced by stricter legal requirements and more transparent evaluation processes. This constitutes an unprecedented opportunity, but it also uncovers urgent needs in landscaping, methodology development, and independent comprehensive assessment of device risks and benefits for individual patients and society, especially in the context of increasingly complex devices. We argue that an academic discipline of ‘medical device science’ is well placed to lead and coordinate the efforts necessary to achieve much needed improvement in the medical device sector. Orthopaedics and traumatology could contribute and benefit considerably as one of the medical specialties with the highest use of medical devices.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:160-163. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200094
Litigations in trauma and orthopaedic surgery: analysis and outcomes of medicolegal claims during the last 10 years in the United Kingdom National Health Service
Authors: Majeed Haroon
Published: March 2021

This study analyses the outcomes of litigation claims in trauma and orthopaedic surgery between 2008/2009 and 2018/2019. Utilizing a formal request to the NHS Resolution under the Freedom of Information Act, the data related to claims against orthopaedic surgery were obtained. A total of 8548 claims were analysed and re-grouped to perform a meaningful analysis for the type of claims and the type of injuries. The total pay-out cost for the settled claims was over £1.2 billion. The most common types of claims were related to mismanagement (39.0%), diagnostic issues (17.6%), perioperative issues (15.9%) and alleged incompetence (10.2%). The most common primary causes for claims were patients’ dissatisfaction (52.2%), damage to the limbs (19.0%) and neurological injuries (9.2%). The highest amounts of damages paid out were related to patients’ dissatisfaction (37.7%), burns and bruising (31.0%), neurological injuries (24.5%) and damage to the limbs (22.3%). The number of claims and the pay-out cost were found to be steadily increasing; however, there was a slightly declining trend observed during the last two years. The cost of litigation continues to have a significant financial impact on the NHS. The recent declining trend is encouraging; however, surgeons need to take consistent diligent steps to avoid preventable causes that lead to litigation claims. The proposed change in the coding system of claims in the NHS Resolution will not only help to formulate a clear classification system but will also improve the learning from previous experience.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:152-159. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200100
Extensor mechanism failure in total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Ng Jimmy , Balcells-Nolla Pau , James Peter J. , Bloch Benjamin V.
Published: March 2021

Extensor mechanism failure in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can present as quadriceps tendon rupture, patella fracture or patella tendon rupture. Component malrotation, excessive joint line elevation and previous lateral release are some of the risk factors contributing to extensor mechanism failure in TKA. Partial quadriceps tendon rupture and undisplaced patella fracture with intact extensor mechanism function can be treated conservatively. Extensor mechanism failure in TKA with disruption of the extensor mechanism function should be treated operatively as it is associated with poor function and extensor lag. It is recommended that acute repair of patella or quadriceps tendon rupture are augmented due to the high risk of re-rupture. Chronic ruptures of the extensor mechanism must be reconstructed as repair has a high failure rate. Reconstruction can be performed using autograft, allograft or synthetic graft.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:181-188. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200119
Clinical frailty and its effect on the septuagenarian population after emergency laparotomy
Authors: Alder L , Mercer SJ , Carter NC , Toh SK , Knight BC
Published: March 2021

Introduction

The UK has an ageing population with an increased prevalence of frailty in the over 70s. Emergency laparotomy for acute intra-abdominal pathology is increasingly offered to this population. This can challenge decision making and information given to patients should not only be based on mortality outcomes but on relative expected quality of life and change to frailty syndromes.

Materials and methods

This was a single site National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA)-based retrospective cohort audit for consecutive cases in the septuagenarian population assessing mortality, length of stay outcome and subjective postoperative functioning. Follow-up was conducted between one and two years postoperatively to determine this.

Results

Some 153 patients were identified throughout the single site NELA database. Median age was 79 years with a ratio of 1.7 men to women. Median rate of all-cause mortality was 35.3% at the median follow-up of 19 months. Median time from admission to death was 120 days. Of those who had died by the time of follow-up, significant preoperative indicators included clinical frailty scale (p < 0.0001), preoperative P-POSSUM (mortality). At follow-up, 35% responded to a quality of life follow-up. This revealed a decline in mid-term physical functioning, lower energy, higher fatigue and reduction in social functioning. There was also an increase in pre- and postoperative clinical frailty scale score.

Conclusion

In the septuagenarian-plus population it is important to consider not only risk stratification with mortality scoring (P-POSSUM or NELA-adjusted risk), but to take into account frailty. Postoperative rehabilitation and careful recovery is paramount. Where possible, during the counselling and consent for emergency laparotomy, significant postoperative long-term deterioration in physical, emotional and social function should be considered.
Solution-processed WS2 and its doping in PEDOT:PSS for tailoring hole injection in near ultraviolet organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Wang Honghang , Li Dongliang , Yuan Yongfang , Chi Feng , Liu Liming , Wang Lihui , Lu Zongliu , Lin Zhidong , Zhang Xiaowen
Published: March 2021

Solution-processed ethanol tungsten disulfide and its doping in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (

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D
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T

:

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+

W
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2

) for tailoring hole injection in near ultraviolet organic light-emitting diodes (NUV OLEDs) are investigated in detail. Raman spectrum, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, x-ray/ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy measurements show that

W
S

2

and its composites have superior film morphology and exceptional electronic properties. Using 2-(4-biphenyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole as the emitter and

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D
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T

:

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+

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as the hole injection layer, the NUV OLED produces short-wavelength emission peaking at 404 nm and full-width at half-maximum of 53 nm. The device also gives maximum radiance of

4.7

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/

c
m

2

and external quantum efficiency of 2.1%, which are superior to counterparts using

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2

, UV-ozone-treated

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2

, and PEDOT:PSS. The hole injection ability is enhanced by using

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S

2

, UV-ozone-treated

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S

2

, PEDOT:PSS, and

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:

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+

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2

in this order. The robust hole injection contributes to carrier balance and accounts for high device performance of the fabricated NUV OLEDs. Our results pave an alternative approach for advancing OLEDs and accelerating

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S

2

applications.
Burden of soil-transmitted helminth infection in pregnant refugees and migrants on the Thailand-Myanmar border: Results from a retrospective cohort
Authors: Brummaier Tobias , Tun Nay Win , Min Aung Myat , Gilder Mary Ellen , Archasuksan Laypaw , Proux Stephane , Kiestra Douwe , Charunwatthana Prakaykaew , Utzinger Jürg , Paris Daniel H. , Nacher Mathieu , Simpson Julie A. , Nosten Francois , McGready Rose
Published: March 2021

Background

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. While many STH infections are asymptomatic, vulnerable populations such as pregnant women face repercussions such as aggravation of maternal anaemia. However, data on prevalence and the effect of STH infections in pregnancy are limited. The aim of this analysis was to describe the burden of STH infections within and between populations of pregnant women from a local refugee camp to a mobile migrant population, and to explore possible associations between STH infection and pregnancy outcomes.

Methodology

This is a retrospective review of records from pregnant refugee and migrant women who attended Shoklo Malaria Research Unit antenatal care (ANC) clinics along the Thailand-Myanmar border between July 2013 and December 2017. Inclusion was based on provision of a stool sample during routine antenatal screening. A semi-quantitative formalin concentration method was employed for examination of faecal samples. The associations between STH mono-infections and maternal anaemia and pregnancy outcomes (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, and small for gestational age) were estimated using regression analysis.

Principal findings

Overall, 12,742 pregnant women were included, of whom 2,702 (21.2%) had a confirmed infection with either Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, or a combination of these. The occurrence of STH infections in the refugee population (30.8%; 1,246/4,041) was higher than in the migrant population (16.7%; 1,456/8,701). A. lumbricoides was the predominant STH species in refugees and hookworm in migrants. A. lumbricoides and hookworm infection were associated with maternal anaemia at the first ANC consultation with adjusted odds ratios of 1.37 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.72) and 1.65 (95% CI 1.19–2.24), respectively. Pregnant women with A. lumbricoides infection were less likely to miscarry when compared to women with negative stool samples (adjusted hazard ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.48–0.84). STH infections were not significantly associated with stillbirth, preterm birth or being born too small for gestational age. One in five pregnant women in this cohort had STH infection. Association of STH infection with maternal anaemia, in particular in the event of late ANC enrolment, underlines the importance of early detection and treatment of STH infection. A potential protective effect of A. lumbricoides infection on miscarriage needs confirmation in prospective studies.