bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of VEPs as electrodiagnostic biomarkers of mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Yamasaki Takao
Published: March 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are characterized by early onset of visuospatial impairment along with memory impairment and disorientation. Based on these clinical features, I hypothesized that visual impairment might be a candidate biomarker for early electrodiagnosis of MCI. Therefore, I have been focusing on the application of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) as a non‐invasive, simple, and objective method for evaluating visual impairment in MCI patients. In this review, I first outline the concept of the human visual system. Second, I briefly mention the basic technology of VEPs. Then, I describe the previous VEP studies on AD and MCI. These VEP studies have reported that the lower‐level visual pathways are less likely to be involved in AD and MCI, whereas the higher‐level visual streams frequently show VEP abnormalities. Finally, I introduce my new VEP techniques for examining visual impairment in MCI. VEPs with multimodal visual stimuli (especially, optic flow motion) are useful for distinguishing MCI patients from non‐impaired individuals. It may also be feasible to discriminate the type of dementia responsible for MCI. From this review, I stress that VEPs are plausible biomarkers for the early electrodiagnosis of MCI.
Time of activity is a better predictor of the distribution of a tropical lizard than pure environmental temperatures
Authors: Caetano Gabriel H. O. , Santos Juan C. , Godinho Leandro B. , Cavalcante Vitor H. G. L. , Diele‐Viegas Luisa M. , Campelo Pedro H. , Martins Lidia F. , Oliveira Alan F. S. , Alvarenga Júlio M. , Wiederhecker Helga C. , de Novaes e Silva Verônica , Werneck Fernanda P. , Miles Donald B. , Colli Guarino R. , Sinervo Barry R.
Published: March 2020

Environmental temperatures influence ectotherms’ physiology and capacity to perform activities necessary for survival and reproduction. Time available to perform those activities is determined by thermal tolerances and environmental temperatures. Estimates of activity time might enhance our ability to predict suitable areas for species’ persistence in face of climate warming, compared to the exclusive use of environmental temperatures, without considering thermal tolerances. We compare the ability of environmental temperatures and estimates of activity time to predict the geographic distribution of a tropical lizard,Tropidurus torquatus. We compared 105 estimates of activity time, resulting from the combination of four methodological decisions: 1) how to estimate daily environmental temperature variation (modeling a sinusoid wave ranging from monthly minimum to maximum temperature, extrapolating from operative temperatures measured in field or using biophysical projections of microclimate)? 2) In which temperature range are animals considered active? 3) Should these ranges be determined from body temperatures obtained in laboratory or in field? And 4) should thermoregulation simulations be included in estimations? We show that models using estimates of activity time made with the sinusoid and biophysical methods had higher predictive accuracy than those using environmental temperatures alone. Estimates made using the central 90% of temperatures measured in a thermal gradient as the temperature range for activity also ranked higher than environmental temperatures. Thermoregulation simulations did not improve model accuracy. Precipitation ranked higher than thermally related predictors. Activity time adds important information to distribution modeling and should be considered as a predictor in studies of the distribution of ectotherms. The distribution ofT. torquatusis restricted by precipitation and by the effect of lower temperatures on their time of activity and climate warming could lead to range expansion. We provide an R package ‘Mapinguari’ with tools to generate spatial predictors based on the processes described herein.
Three‐year observation of children 12 to 35 months old with untreated intermittent exotropia
Authors: Cotter Susan A , Mohney Brian G , Chandler Danielle L , Holmes Jonathan M , Wallace David K , Melia B Michele , Wu Rui , Kraker Raymond T , Superstein Rosanne , Crouch Eric R , Paysse Evelyn A ,   the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group
Published: March 2020

Purpose

To describe the clinical course of untreated intermittent exotropia (IXT) in children 12–35 months of age followed for 3 years.

Methods

We enrolled 97 children 12–35 months of age with previously untreated IXT who had been randomly assigned to the observation arm of a randomised trial of short‐term occlusion versus observation. Participants were observed unless deterioration criteria were met at a follow‐up visit occurring at 3 months, 6 months, and 6‐month intervals thereafter for 3 years. The primary outcome was deterioration of the IXT by 3 years, defined as (1) a constant exotropia ≥10 prism dioptres (∆) at distance and near (i.e., motor deterioration) or (2) treatment prescribed despite not having met motor deterioration. The primary analysis used the Kaplan‐Meier method to determine the cumulative proportion of participants meeting deterioration by three years and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

The cumulative probability of deterioration by 3 years was 28% (95% CI = 20%–39%). Of the 24 participants meeting the primary outcome of deterioration, seven met motor deterioration and 17 were prescribed treatment without meeting motor deterioration. The cumulative probability of motor deterioration by 3 years was 10% (95% CI = 5%–19%).

Conclusions

Given the modest rate of motor deterioration over three years, watchful waiting may be a reasonable management approach in 12‐ to 35‐month‐old children with IXT. To confirm this recommendation would require a long‐term randomised trial of immediate treatment versus observation followed by deferred treatment if needed.
Relationship Between Time to Surgical Debridement and the Incidence of Infection in Patients with Open Tibial Fractures
Authors: Li Jie , Wang Qian , Lu Yao , Feng Quan , He Xiao , Li, MD Zhong , Zhang Kun
Published: March 2020

Objective

To analyze the relationship between the length from injury to first debridement (LFITFD) of open tibial fractures and perioperative infection, and explore independent risk factors related to infection.

Methods

This retrospective study focused on 215 clinical patients with open tibial fractures who were admitted from January 2012 to January 2017. According to the time from injury to the operation, the patients were categorized into four groups: LFITFD ≤ 6 h, 6 < LFITFD ≤ 12 h, 12 < LFITFD≤24 h, and (LFITFD > 24 h). Infection risk factors were screened by univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent risk factors.

Results

The infection rates of four groups were 9.2%, 9.5%, 11.1%, and 10.5% with six of 65, nine of 95, four of 36, and two of 19 patients being infected, respectively. There was no statistical significance between the four groups. The infection rates among fractures of different Gustilo–Anderson classifications were as follows. Of 62 cases of type I fractures, two were infected, and the infection rate was 3.2%. Among those with type II fractures, eight were infected, and the infection rate was 8.2%. Three of 26 cases of type IIIA fracture were infected, yielding an infection rate of 11.5%, seven of 25 cases of type III B fracture were infected (28% infection rate), and one of four cases of type III C fracture was infected (25% infection rate). There was a statistically significant difference between the five groups. Multivariate regression analysis showed that smoking, combined diabetes, surgical time, and fracture Gustilo–Anderson classification were independent risk factors for perioperative infection of open tibial fractures, and the difference in time from injury to first debridement was not related to infection.

Conclusion

The incidence of perioperative infection in patients with open tibial fractures has little to do with the time of the first debridement, which is mainly related to the level of the fracture's Gustilo–Anderson classification. At the same time, smoking is prohibited before the operation, the patient's blood glucose is managed, and the debridement operation time is minimized conducive to reducing the incidence of infection.
Scoping review of fire safety behaviors among high‐rise occupants: Implications for public health nursing
Authors: Glauberman Gary
Published: March 2020

Objective

The purpose of this review was to identify gaps in the research literature regarding high‐rise (HR) building occupant fire safety behaviors. Findings from this review will inform further development of the role of public health nurses (PHNs) in promoting population‐based strategies to enhance HR occupant fire safety.

Design and Sample

The search included peer‐reviewed English language articles published after 2001 describing fire safety behaviors among HR building occupants in the United States.

Results

Fourteen articles were included in the final review. Twelve articles reported exclusively on commercial HR building fire safety; two reported on both the residential and commercial HR building fire safety; 10 reported on events related to the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) towers. Various factors influenced HR occupants' fire safety behaviors, including knowledge about building fire safety features and emergency plans, participation in drills, and organizational emergency preparedness. People with mobility impairments required special considerations. Two theoretical models explaining HR occupants' fire safety behaviors were identified.

Conclusions

Gaps in the research literature exist regarding residential HR occupant fire safety behaviors. Further research regarding ways that PHNs are currently engaged in this important public health issue should be further explored.
The South African Financial Cycle and its Relation to Household Deleveraging
Authors: Bosch Adél , Koch Steven F.
Published: March 2020

This paper considers the extent to which South African households have deleveraged, since the global financial crisis of 2007/2008. We extend the official South African Reserve Bank business cycle methodology to date financial cycles, from which we identify the peaks and troughs of the South African financial cycle going back to 1966. Our composite financial cycle index peaks in April 1974, January 1984 and May 2007; it has bottomed out in July 1979 and February 1999. Thus, we still await the trough. We further compare and contrast the deleveraging process in the current downward phase to the experiences from previous financial cycles. We find that the average period of the financial cycle in South Africa is much longer (approximately 17.3 years) than that of the business cycle (approximately 5.8 years), and that deleveraging has not yet matched the degree of deleveraging seen in previous downward phases. Our results suggest that further deleveraging is necessary, before we can expect to turn the financial corner.
Skin capillary extraction technique based on independent component analysis and Frangi filter using videomicroscopy
Authors: Oharazawa Akihiko , Ogino Masaki , Sugahara Masaru , Tanahashi Masanori
Published: March 2020

Background

Videomicroscopy can be used to observe skin capillaries easily and non‐invasively. In this study, we develop an algorithm that can handle skin regions by combining color component separation methods as pre‐processing based on blood vessel extraction filtering.

Materials and Methods

Images of skin on the inner upper arm were acquired using videomicroscopy. An algorithm using independent component analysis (ICA) and the Frangi filter was constructed, and capillary regions were extracted. The capillary blood vessel extraction images were compared with ground truth to verify accuracy. An evaluation of the physiological responses of skin exposed to carbon dioxide (CO2) water, local heating, and methyl nicotinate was performed to test blood vessels with different mechanisms of action and layer depth.

Results

Based on a comparison with ground truth images, a Dice coefficient of 0.82 was calculated. In examining physiological responses to stimuli on the skin, it was found that exposure to CO2 for 2 minutes significantly increased the capillary area compared with the steady state.

Conclusion

An algorithm to extract capillaries from skin images using ICA and the Frangi filter method was proposed. Results suggest that this algorithm can quantitatively analyze physiological changes in capillaries on the skin surface.
Bayesian statistics in the classroom: Introducing shrinkage with basketball statistics and the internet movie database
Authors: Berg Arthur
Published: March 2020

This article promotes Bayesian intuition by introducing the concept of shrinkage with some motivational examples involving basketball statistics of Rudy Gobert and movie rankings from the Internet Movie Database. Supplementary and fully automated R code is provided to allow students to explore shrinkage in this dataset on their own. The content is targeted at the first‐year undergraduate level. Students with prior exposure to R would most benefit from the supplementary R code.
Anchoring Utterances
Authors: Clark Herbert H.
Published: March 2020

For people to communicate with each other, they must tie, oranchor, each of their utterances to the speaker, addressees, place, time, display, and purpose of that utterance. Doing this takes coordination. Producers mustindexeach of these entities for their addressees, and addressees mustidentifyeach of the entities the producers are indexing. When people are face to face, they have a battery of resources for doing this—speech, gestures of all kinds, and interactive strategies. But when addressees are separated from producers in space, time, or worlds, as on the telephone or in print, the available resources are more limited. The problem is that research on comprehension, production, and communication has often ignored, disguised, or distorted anchoring. As a result, accounts of these processes are often incomplete, misleading, or incorrect.
The influence of the soil management systems on aboveground and seed bank weed communities in olive orchards
Authors: Carpio Antonio J. , Lora Ángel , Martín‐Consuegra Enriqueta , Sánchez‐Cuesta Rafael , Tortosa Francisco S. , Castro Jesús
Published: March 2020

The biodiversity of farmed landscapes is, in the context of agricultural intensification, a key aspect with regard to improving the sustainability of agroecosystems. Olive groves are undergoing rapid changes because of the spread of intensive farming systems, which may have negative environmental impacts. This paper reports a survey on the aboveground flora and seed banks in five olive groves located in Andalusia (Southern Spain). In this study, the following three management systems have been compared: no‐tillage, with the mowing of spontaneous weedy vegetation; no‐tillage, with the mowing of planted cover crops (Poaceae); and conventional tillage practices. Results showed that coverage and an abundance of vegetation are favored by spontaneous weedy vegetation with mowing management, while the richness of aboveground species was affected by landscape diversity and the presence of edges, which increases the richness and diversity of aboveground flora species in olive groves. Seed bank composition showed a low relationship with aboveground flora in the three cover crop management systems. The multivariate analysis performed pointed to those seed species that have a major influence on the aboveground flora communities of each of the three agricultural systems. The seed bank was clearly impoverished in terms of both abundance and species richness after the long‐term conventional tillage practices. We conclude that the intensive long‐term conventional tillage dramatically reduces weed communities in olive orchards and the subsequent ecosystem services provided by them.
Ni+ and He+ Implantation Effects on the Hardness and Microstructure of Heat-Treated X750 Superalloy
Authors: Tawfeeq Maisaa N. , Klassen Robert J.
Published: March 2020

Nickel and Helium ion implantation-induced hardening and microstructural evolution of X750 in the heat-treated (HT) and solution annealed (SA) conditions were investigated using nano-indentation hardness testing and electron microscopy (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)). Irradiation crystal damage up to ψ = 5 dpa was invoked with Ni+ implantation while He+ implantation up to CHe = 5000 appm was performed on samples the HT and SA conditions. The X750 alloy displayed generally increasing hardness with increasing Ni+ implantation damage but a perturbation in the trend occurred when ψ ≤ 0.5 dpa, and the hardness dropped by about 30% and 2% for the HT and the SA samples, respectively. TEM analysis indicated that this softening was associated with disordering and dissolution of the γ′ strengthening phase. The hardening behavior observed at higher implantation damage (ψ = 1 dpa) resulted in reformation of Al/Ti-rich regions within the microstructure phase. The hardness of the X750 increased continuously with increasing implanted He+ up to CHe = 1000 appm. This was associated with the formation of helium bubbles as observed by TEM. Slight drop in hardness in the HT condition at CHe = 5000 appm indicated that high levels of He+ implantation destabilize the γ′ precipitates as was confirmed with TEM observed disappearance of γ′ super-lattice reflections.
Beluga whale acoustic signal classification using deep learning neural network models
Authors: Zhong Ming , Castellote Manuel , Dodhia Rahul , Lavista Ferres Juan , Keogh Mandy , Brewer Arial
Published: March 2020

Over a decade after the Cook Inlet beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) was listed as endangered in 2008, the population has shown no sign of recovery. Lack of ecological knowledge limits the understanding of, and ability to manage, potential threats impeding recovery of this declining population. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, in partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, initiated a passive acoustics monitoring program in 2017 to investigate beluga seasonal occurrence by deploying a series of passive acoustic moorings. Data have been processed with semi-automated tonal detectors followed by time intensive manual validation. To reduce this labor intensive and time-consuming process, in addition to increasing the accuracy of classification results, the authors constructed an ensembled deep learning convolutional neural network model to classify beluga detections as true or false. Using a 0.5 threshold, the final model achieves 96.57% precision and 92.26% recall on testing dataset. This methodology proves to be successful at classifying beluga signals, and the framework can be easily generalized to other acoustic classification problems.
Postexercise Hypotension After Muscle Power Training Session in Older Adults With Hypertension
Authors: Machado Filho José , Machado Carlos Leonardo Figueiredo , Tanaka Hirofumi , Ferrari Rodrigo
Published: March 2020

The aim of the present study was to determine the acute effects of a muscle power training (PT) session on arterial blood pressure (BP) in older adults with hypertension. Thirteen participants (64 ± 4 years) with essential hypertension were randomly assigned to a PT session and control session without exercise. During PT, the participants performed three sets of eight repetitions at 50% of the one-repetition maximum tests. The concentric phase during each repetition was performed as fast as possible. The systolic BP (post-15 min: −1.7 ± 1.8 mmHg [p = .048; d = 0.22]; post-30 min: −3.6 ± 1.7 mmHg [p = .010; d = 0.48]; post-45 min: −3.3 ± 1.3 mmHg [p = .002; d = 0.42]; post-60 min: −3.9 ± 1.7 mmHg [p = .003; d = 0.49]) and diastolic BP (post-15 min: −1.5 ± 1.5 mmHg [p = .053; d = 0.20]; post-30 min: −2.2 ± 1.7 mmHg [p = .001; d = 0.29]; post-45 min: −2.0 ± 2.0 mmHg [p = .001; d = 0.27]; post-60 min: −2.0 ± 1.3 mmHg [p < .001; d = 0.26]) reductions were observed at all times after the PT session, compared with the preexercise and control session. PT is an effective strategy to acutely reduce BP in older patients with essential hypertension.
Endotracheal tube fixation time: a comparison of three fixation methods in a military field scenario
Authors: Epstein Danny , Strashewsky R , Furer A , Tsur A M , Chen J , Lehavi A
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Endotracheal intubation is required in many emergency, trauma and prehospital scenarios. Endotracheal tube (ETT) fixation must be stable and quick to apply to enable rapid evacuation and patient transport. This study compares performance times of three common ETT securement techniques which are practical for out-of-hospital and combat scenarios.

Methods

We compared the time required by military medics to complete ETT fixation in three techniques—fixation of a wide gauze roll wrapped twice around the head and tied twice around the ETT (GR), using a Thomas Tube Holder (TH) and using a pre-tied non-adhesive tape (PT). 300 military medics were randomised to apply one technique each on a manikin, and time to completion was recorded.

Results

300 ETTs were successfully fixated by 300 military medics. Median times to complete ETT fixation by PT and TH techniques were 24 s (IQR (19 to 31) and (IQR 20 to 33), respectively). Both were significantly shorter to apply than the GR technique, with a median time of 57 s (IQR 47 to 81), p<0.001.

Conclusions

In time critical situations such as combat, severe trauma, mass casualties and whenever rapid evacuation might improve the clinical outcome, using a faster fixation technique such as Thomas Tube Holder or a pre-tied non-adhesive tape might enable faster evacuation than the use of traditional endotracheal tube fixation techniques.
Unmet needs and opportunities for improving care for patients with advanced lung cancer on targeted therapies: a qualitative study
Authors: Al Achkar Morhaf , Marchand Lucille , Thompson Matthew , Chow Laura Q M , Revere Debra , Baldwin Laura-Mae
Published: March 2020

Objective

Lung cancer is increasingly recognised as a heterogeneous disease. Recent advances with targeted therapies for lung cancer with oncogenic mutations have greatly improved the prognosis for this subset of patients, yet little is known about their experiences. This study aimed to identify the needs and explore the healthcare experiences of these advanced patients with oncogenic mutation driven lung cancer.

Design

Qualitative interviews with patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with oncogenic alterations in anaplastic lymphoma kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor or c-ros oncogene 1.

Settings

Patients were recruited from online lung cancer support groups within the USA. Interviews were conducted remotely or in person, transcribed verbatim and analysed using an iterative inductive and deductive process.

Participants

We included 39 patients (11 males and 28 females) with a median age of 48.

Results

Two primary theme categories emerged: patients' unmet needs and improving healthcare experiences. Unmet needs are related to patients’ desire to view their disease as a chronic illness, aspire to live a meaningful existence without financial devastation, desire for understanding along with emotional support and needing help with practical matters. Improving healthcare experiences involved patients’ desire to trust the expertise of clinical providers, receive reliable care and be treated holistically and as informed partners.

Conclusions

Patients with lung cancer with oncogenic mutations live uncharted experiences. Targeted therapy brings hope, but uncertainty is daunting. Patients grapple with the meaning and purpose of their lives while day-to-day obligations remain challenging. Healthcare teams are instrumental in their care experiences, and patients desire providers who are up-to-date on advances in the field and treat them as whole persons.
Modelling the household cost of paediatric malaria treatment in a rural county in Kenya: do non-user fee payments matter? A partial cost of illness analysis
Authors: Kodhiambo Maurice Onditi , Oyugi Julius Otieno , Amugune Beatrice Kagai
Published: March 2020

Objective

The objective of this study was to develop an econometric model for the cost of treatment of paediatric malaria from a patient perspective in a resource scarce rural setting of Homa Bay County, Kenya. We sought to investigate the main contributors as well as the contribution of non-user fee payments to the total household cost of care. Costs were measured from a patient perspective.

Design

The study was conducted as a health facility based cross sectional survey targeting paediatric patients.

Setting

The study was conducted in 13 health facilities ranging from level II to level V in Homa Bay County which is in the Eastern shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya. This is a malaria endemic area.

Participants

We enrolled 254 inpatient children (139 males and 115 females) all of whom participated up to the end of this study.

Primary outcome measure

The primary outcome measure was the cost of pediatric malaria care borne by the patient. This was measured by asking exiting caregivers to estimate the cost of various items contributing to their total expenditure on care seeking.

Results

A total of 254 respondents who consented from 13 public government health facilities were interviewed. Age, number of days spent at the health facility, being treated at a level V facility, medical officer prescribing and seeking initial treatment from a retail shop were found significant predictors of cost.

Conclusion

Higher level health facilities in Homa Bay County, where the more specialised medical workers are stationed, are more costly hence barring the poorest from obtaining quality paediatric malaria care from here. Waiving user fees alone may not be sufficient to guarantee access to care by patients due to unofficial fees and non-user fees expenditures.
Serum ionised calcium and the risk of acute respiratory failure in hospitalised patients: a single-centre cohort study in the USA
Authors: Thongprayoon Charat , Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Chewcharat Api , Mao Michael A , Kashani Kianoush B
Published: March 2020

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of acute respiratory failure in all hospitalised patients based on admission serum ionised calcium.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A tertiary referral hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Participants

All hospitalised patients who had serum ionised calcium measurement within 24 hours of hospital admission from January 2009 to December 2013. Patients who were mechanically ventilated at admission were excluded.

Predictors

Admission serum ionised calcium levels was stratified into six groups: ≤4.39, 4.40–4.59, 4.60–4.79, 4.80–4.99, 5.00–5.19 and ≥5.20 mg/dL.

Primary outcome measure

The primary outcome was the development of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation. Logistic regression analysis was fit to assess the independent risk of acute respiratory failure based on various admission serum ionised calcium, using serum ionised calcium of 5.00–5.19 mg/dL as the reference group.

Results

Of 25 709 eligible patients, with the mean serum ionised calcium of 4.8±0.4 mg/dL, acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation occurred in 2563 patients (10%). The incidence of acute respiratory failure was lowest when admission serum ionised calcium was 5.00–5.19 mg/dL, with the progressively increased risk of acute respiratory failure with decreased serum ionised calcium. In multivariate analysis with adjustment for potential confounders, the increased risk of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation was significantly associated with admission serum ionised calcium of ≤4.39 (OR 2.52; 95% CI 2.12 to 3.00), 4.40–4.59 (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.07) and 4.60–4.79 mg/dL (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.27 to 1.72), compared with serum ionised calcium of 5.00–5.19 mg/dL. The risk of acute respiratory failure was not significantly increased when serum ionised calcium was at least 4.80 mg/dL.

Conclusion

The increased risk of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation was observed when admission serum ionised calcium was lower than 4.80 mg/dL in hospitalised patients.
Protocol for a feasibility study of OnTrack: a digital system for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke
Authors: Fusari Gianpaolo , Gibbs Ella , Hoskin Lily , Dickens Daniel , Leis Melanie , Taylor Elizabeth , Jones Fiona , Darzi Ara
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Arm weakness is a common problem after stroke (affecting 450 000 people in the UK) leading to loss of independence. Repetitive activity is critical for recovery but research shows people struggle with knowing what or how much to do, and keeping track of progress. Working with more than 100 therapists (occupational therapists and physiotherapists) and patients with stroke, we codeveloped the OnTrack intervention—consisting of software for smart devices and coaching support—that has the potential to address this problem. This is a protocol to assess the feasibility of OnTrack for evaluation in a randomised control trial.

Methods and analysis

A mixed-method, single-arm study design will be used to evaluate the feasibility of OnTrack for hospital and community use. A minimum sample of 12 participants from a stroke unit will be involved in the study for 14 weeks. During week 1, 8 and 14 participants will complete assessments relating to their arm function, arm impairment and activation. During weeks 2–13, participants will use OnTrack to track their arm movement in real time, receive motivational messages and face-to-face sessions to address problems, gain feedback on activity and receive self-management skills coaching. All equipment will be loaned to study participants. A parallel process evaluation will be conducted to assess the intervention’s fidelity, dose and reach, using a mixed-method approach. A public and patient involvement group will oversee the study and help with interpretation and dissemination of qualitative and quantitative data findings.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval granted by the National Health Service Health Research Authority, Health and Care Research Wales, and the London—Surrey Research Ethics Committee (ref. 19/LO/0881). Trial results will be submitted for publication in peer review journals, presented at international conferences and disseminated among stroke communities. The results of this trial will inform development of a definitive trial.

Trial registration number

NCT03944486.
Helicobacter pylorieradication therapy to prevent gastric cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ford Alexander Charles , Yuan Yuhong , Moayyedi Paul
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Gastric cancer is strongly associated withHelicobacter pylori(H. pylori). We conducted a previous systematic review and meta-analysis that suggested eradication therapy reduced future incidence of gastric cancer, but effect size was uncertain, and there was no reduction in gastric cancer-related mortality. We updated this meta-analysis, as more data has accumulated. We also evaluated impact of eradication therapy on future risk of gastric cancer in patients having endoscopic mucosal resection for gastric neoplasia.

Design

We searched the medical literature through February 2020 to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining effect of eradication therapy on subsequent occurrence of gastric cancer in healthyH. pylori-positive adults, and inH. pylori-positive patients with gastric neoplasia undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection. The control arm received placebo or no treatment. Follow-up was for ≥2 years. We estimated the relative risk (RR) number needed to treat (NNT), and evaluated the disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) gained from screening from the meta-analysis.

Results

We identified 10 RCTs, seven recruited 8323 healthy individuals, and three randomised 1841 patients with gastric neoplasia. In healthy individuals, eradication therapy reduced incidence of gastric cancer (RR=0.54; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.72, NNT=72), and reduced mortality from gastric cancer (RR=0.61; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92, NNT=135), but did not affect all-cause mortality. These data suggest that 8 743 815 DALYs (95% CI 5 646 173 to 11 847 456) would be gained if population screening and treatment was implemented globally. In patients with gastric neoplasia, eradication therapy also reduced incidence of future gastric cancer (RR=0.49; 95% CI 0.34 to 0.70, NNT=21). Adverse events were incompletely reported.

Conclusion

There is moderate evidence to suggest thatH. pylorieradication therapy reduces the incidence of gastric cancer in healthy individuals and patients with gastric neoplasia in East Asian countries. There also appears to be a reduction in gastric cancer-related mortality.
Difficult extubation with silicone endotracheal tubes in three dogs
Authors: Romano Marta , Portela Diego A.
Published: March 2020

Three dogs were anaesthetised for various procedures. Endotracheal intubation was achieved with cuffed silicone tubes. No difficulty was reported during the intubation in two out of the three cases, whereas in one case the tube could only be advanced a few centimetres past the glottis. Before extubation, the cuff was deflated in all cases, but the tubes could not be withdrawn past the point where the cuff was positioned within the arytenoids. Endoscopy was performed in two of the three cases and revealed no visible causes of movement hindrance. Computed tomography (CT) previously performed in one of the cases revealed that the outer surface of the tube was in contact with the tracheal wall. In all cases, the tubes could eventually be removed with lubrication and movement. These cases suggest that large silicone endotracheal tubes relative to the airway diameter may result in difficult extubation, and care should be taken with tube size selection.
A quantum chemical study of encapsulation and stabilization of gallic acid in β-cyclodextrin as a drug delivery system
Authors: Guendouzi Oukacha , Guendouzi Abdelkrim , Ouici Houari Boumediene , Brahim Houari , Boumediene Mostefa , Elkeurti Mohammed
Published: March 2020

This research paper describes the study of the inclusion complex formation of a 1:1 stoichiometry ratio of host–guest inclusion complex (X-β-CD) between gallic acid (GA), which is reported to have anti-cancer effects, and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The use of β-CD for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds can protect the drugs against conjugation and metabolic inactivation and improve the aqueous solubility for increasing their capacity to functionalize the products. The objective of this study is to give insight on the mechanism of complexation and the capability of β-CD to encapsulate GA compound (X) in gas and solution phases. We examine and compare the performances of different quantum mechanical methods, namely HF/6-31G* and density functional theory (DFT; B97D3/6-31G* functional including dispersion correction), to study the importance of the contribution of the dispersion forces and the hydrogen bonding in the mechanism of interaction. The stability of the optimized geometries of the complex was evaluated with the supermolecule method. Two modes of complexation are taken into consideration. Moreover, the inclusion complex can be confirmed using the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory, the global indices of reactivity, the electronic populations condensed natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, and the molecular docking, which examine the quality and the nature of the hydrophobic interactions during the complexation process.
Associated $$Z^\prime $$ production in the flavorful U(1) scenario for $$R_{K^{(*)}}$$
Authors: Dwivedi Siddharth , Falkowski Adam , Ghosh Dilip Kumar , Ghosh Nivedita
Published: March 2020

The flavorful $$Z^\prime $$Z′ model with its couplings restricted to the left-handed second generation leptons and third generation quarks can potentially resolve the observed anomalies in $$R_K$$RK and $$R_{K^*}$$RK∗. After examining the current limits on this model from various low-energy processes, we probe this scenario at 14 TeV high-luminosity run of the LHC using two complementary channels: one governed by the coupling of $$Z'$$Z′ to b-quarks and the other to muons. We also discuss the implications of the latest LHC high mass resonance searches in the dimuon channel on the model parameter space of our interest.
Elastic electron scattering by halocarbon radicals in the independent atom model approach
Authors: Demes Sándor , Kelemen Vladimir , Remeta Eugene
Published: March 2020

In order to study the elastic scattering of electrons by CFn (n = 1 − 4) molecular targets the independent atom model (IAM) is used with the optical potential (OP) method. The scattering cross sections were calculated in two approximations of the model – the IAM approach is used for the differential, while the Additivity Rule (IAM-AR) is used for the integral cross sections. The amplitudes of electron scattering by the carbon and fluorine atoms of the target molecules are calculated from the corresponding phase shifts, using the real and complex optical potential method. The parameter-free real part of the OP is calculated from the corresponding atomic characteristics – nuclear charge, electron density and static dipole polarizability. The differential and integral cross sections are calculated at equilibrium internuclear distances of the CFn molecules. They were compared with the available experimental data and with other theoretical results. A good overall agreement was observed while comparing our integral cross sections with the measured data. The level of the agreement however strongly depends on the target molecule, and a good consistency is observed typically above certain collision energies: from 10 eV in case of CF2, above 15-20 eV for CF3 and from 40 eV in case of CF4. Similar tendencies were found in case of the differential cross sections for a wide range of scattering angles at collision energies above 10 eV in case of CF2, above 15–20 eV for CF3, while in case of CF4 – above 20 eV.

Graphical abstract
Calculation of Masses of Di-Mesons Consisting of a Pair of Heavy Mesons
Authors: Alavijeh P. Sadeghi , Tazimi N. , Monemzadeh M.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we study four-quark states as di-hadronic molecular states. For this purpose, we apply the Nikiforov–Uvarov method to solve the Schrödinger equation in the presence of the Woods–Saxon plus Coulomb-type potential and we obtain the binding energies and masses of heavy di-mesons. We calculate the root mean square (r.m.s) radius and the wave function for some observed tetraquarks.
Sasaki–Ricci flow equation on five-dimensional Sasaki–Einstein space Yp,q
Authors: Visinescu Mihai
Published: March 2020

We analyze the transverse Kähler–Ricci flow equation on Sasaki-Einstein space [Formula: see text]. Explicit solutions are produced representing new five-dimensional Sasaki structures. Solutions which do not modify the transverse metric preserve the Sasaki–Einstein feature of the contact structure. If the transverse metric is altered, the deformed metrics remain Sasaki, but not Einstein.
Average transverse expansion velocities and global freeze-out temperatures in central Cu + Cu, Au + Au, and Pb + Pb collisions at high energies at RHIC and LHC
Authors: Olimov Khusniddin K. , Kanokova Shakhnoza Z. , Olimov Kosim , Gulamov Kadyr G. , Yuldashev Bekhzod S. , Lutpullaev Sagdulla L. , Umarov Farkhod Y.
Published: March 2020

The experimental invariant transverse momentum [Formula: see text] spectra of the charged pions and kaons, protons and antiprotons, produced at midrapidity in central (0–10%) Au[Formula: see text]Au collisions at [Formula: see text], central (0–10%) Cu[Formula: see text]Cu collisions at [Formula: see text], central (0–10%) Au[Formula: see text]Au collisions at [Formula: see text], and central (0–5%) Pb[Formula: see text]Pb collisions at [Formula: see text], measured by BRAHMS, STAR and ALICE collaborations, were analyzed using three different transverse expansion (blast-wave) models: Siemens–Rasmussen blast-wave model, Simple transverse flow model, and Simplified (hydro-inspired) blast-wave model of Schnedermann et al. Combined (simultaneous) minimum [Formula: see text] fits of the experimental invariant [Formula: see text] spectra of the charged pions and kaons, protons and antiprotons with the above three model functions were conducted, using the identical selected optimal fitting ranges in [Formula: see text] in each studied collision system, and the values of the average transverse expansion velocity [Formula: see text] and global kinetic freeze-out temperature [Formula: see text] and their dependencies on the collision system [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were extracted. The combined (simultaneous) fits using Hagedorn formula with the (embedded) simple transverse flow describe well the experimental invariant [Formula: see text] spectra of the charged pions, kaons, protons and antiprotons in the whole measured range in region [Formula: see text] in the analyzed central heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC, reproducing qualitatively well all the established dependencies of the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on the collision system [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The obtained results were compared with those of the previous analyses of high energy heavy ion collisions.
Building a Credit Scoring Model Based on Data Mining Approaches
Authors: Nalić Jasmina , Martinovic Goran
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, one of the biggest challenges in banking sector, certainly, is assessment of the client’s creditworthiness. In order to improve the decision-making process and risk management, banks resort to using data mining techniques for hidden patterns recognition within a wide data. The main objective of this study is to build a high-performance customized credit scoring model. The model named Reliable client is based on Bank’s real dataset and originally built by applying four different classification algorithms: decision tree (DT), naive Bayes (NB), generalized linear model (GLM) and support vector machine (SVM). Since it showed the greatest results, but also seemed as the most appropriate algorithm, the adopted model is based on GLM algorithm. The results of this model are presented based on many performance measures that showed great predictive confidence and accuracy, but we also demonstrated significant impact of data pre-processing on model performance. Statistical analysis of the model identified the most significant parameters on the model outcome. In the end, created credit scoring model was evaluated using another set of real data of the same Bank.
INFLUENCE OF ASYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE ON MALARIA TRANSMISSION: A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR A LOW-TRANSMISSION AREA CASE
Authors: BULAI IULIA MARTINA , DEPICKÈRE STÉPHANIE , SANCHES VITOR HIRATA
Published: March 2020

Malaria remains a primary parasitic disease in the tropical world, generating high morbidity and mortality in human populations. Recently, community surveys showed a high proportion of asymptomatic cases, which are characterized by a low parasitemia and a lack of malaria symptoms. Until now, the asymptomatic population is not treated for malaria and thus remains infective for a long time. In this paper, we introduce a four-dimensional mathematical model to study the influence of asymptomatic people on malaria transmission in low-transmission areas, specifically using data from Brazil. The equilibrium points of the system are calculated, and their stability is analyzed. Via numerical simulations, more in-depth analyzes of the space of some crucial parameters on the asymptomatic population are done, such as the per capita recovery rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic people, the ratio of the density of mosquitoes to that of humans, the mortality rate of mosquitoes and the probability of undergoing asymptomatic infection upon an infectious mosquito bite. Our results indicate that the disease-free equilibrium is inside the stability region if asymptomatic people are treated and/or the ratio of the density of mosquitoes to that of humans is decreased and/or the mortality rate of mosquitoes is increased.
Social Media Enhances Consumer Behaviour During e-Transactions: An Empirical Evidence from Bahrain
Authors: ALShaer Dalal Saad , Hamdan Allam , Razzaque Anjum
Published: March 2020

This study aims to investigate the role of social media on consumer behaviour in the restaurants industry of Bahrain. The objectives of this research were to assess importance of social media as a marketing tool for Bahrain’s restaurants for influencing consumer purchase decision-making. Such an objective was reached by the scholars who randomly collected data from 224 respondents in Bahrain, who use social media, using a survey instrument. The findings of the descriptive analysis revealed that social media affects consumers’ decision-making, such that the consumers use the social media to study new products, services, and particularly new brands. Also, ongoing consumer discussions reveal how social media exposes the pros and cons of products, services, and brands, so consumers are comfortable with their online decisions, since they can select broads before settling on what is the best price, quality, etc. Moreover, the social media speeds the spread of information unlike any other mass media; ensuring that new knowledge reaches consumers, hence enhancing competition among retailers in the restaurant industry. This study concludes that social media plays a vital role in promoting consumer welfare and decision-making.
Practical Challenges and Recommendations of Filter Methods for Feature Selection
Authors: Rajab Mohammed , Wang Dennis
Published: March 2020

Feature selection, the process of identifying relevant features to be incorporated into a proposed model, is one of the significant steps of the learning process. It removes noise from the data to increase the learning performance while reducing the computational complexity. The literature review indicated that most previous studies had focused on improving the overall classifier performance or reducing costs associated with training time during building of the classifiers. However, in this era of big data, there is an urgent need to deal with more complex issues that makes feature selection, especially using filter-based methods, more challenging; this in terms of dimensionality, data structures, data format, domain experts’ availability, data sparsity, and result discrepancies, among others. Filter methods identify the informative features of a given dataset to establish various predictive models using mathematical models. This paper takes a new route in an attempt to pinpoint recent practical challenges associated with filter methods and discusses potential areas of development to yield better performance. Several practical recommendations, based on recent studies, are made to overcome the identified challenges and make the feature selection process simpler and more efficient.