bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a New Conceptualization of Journalistic Competency: An Analysis of U.S. Broadcasting Job Announcements
Authors: Guo Lei , Volz Yong
Published: July 2020

Journalistic competency is a constitutive element of professional values and practices in journalism. But what constitutes journalistic competency in today’s ever-changing media landscape? Existing literature lacks theoretical and empirical understandings of journalistic competency, especially in broadcasting. Drawing on Cheetham and Chivers’s competence model, we examine professional competencies as defined by broadcast media through a content analysis of 359 job announcements. Four dimensions of journalistic competency were explicated and empirically assessed: cognitive/knowledge, functional, personal/behavioral, and ethical competence.
Welcome to the Big Leagues: Exploring Rookie Sports Broadcasters’ Adjustment to New Careers
Authors: Hull Kevin , Romney Miles
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this study is to understand how effectively sports journalism programs and internship experiences are preparing graduates for careers in local TV sportscasting. This study also examines how local sports broadcasters are adjusting to the profession. Results demonstrate the value of a sports journalism education and sports media internship when graduates are attempting to land their first jobs in a local television sports department. However, despite the value shown, many local sports broadcasters, while enjoying it, are still having a difficult time in their first few years on the job.
SIOR: An Egalitarian Scientific Agora
Authors: Oliver Esther , Scharnhorst Andrea , Cabré Joan , Ionescu Vladia
Published: July 2020

The Social Impact Open Repository (SIOR) has become a unique data source at the international level in which researchers can display, quote, and store the social impact of their research results. SIOR arises from the social and political needs to know and connect with scientific projects to assess their social impact, promoting transparency of science and open-access systems. This repository has been designed to allow researchers to link their social impacts with research institutions and citizens. In short, SIOR reveals possibilities for transforming scientific research through means such as developing a qualitative tool as an egalitarian scientific agora that enables assessment of social improvements derived from social sciences and humanities (SSH) research. SIOR is a qualitative and open peer-review tool that allows citizens to comment online about an investigation’s impact on society.
Defining ‘undersizing’ in short-stem total hip arthroplasty: the importance of sufficient contact with the lateral femoral cortex
Authors: Kutzner Karl P , Freitag Tobias , Bieger Ralf
Published: July 2020

Introduction:

Undersizing is 1 of the main reasons for early implant failure. Adequate sizing in short-stem total hip arthroplasty can be challenging and, so far, lacks key decision criteria.

Methods:

We included 191 calcar-guided short stems. All patients underwent standardised digital anteroposterior imaging pre- and post-surgery and during follow-up. Preoperative planning was performed digitally. Planned stem sizes were retrospectively assessed and compared with the implanted sizes. Additionally, adequate sizing was analysed by determining whether the stem made intraoperative contact with the lateral distal femoral cortex. Implant migration was assessed by Ein-Bild-Roentgen-Analysis Femoral-Component-Analysis 5 years after surgery. Influence of different Dorr types and postoperative centrum-collum-diaphyseal angle (CCD) categories on lateral femoral cortical contact were analysed. Additionally, the Harris Hip Score (HHS) was assessed at final follow-up. Stem-revision rate was documented.

Results:

Implanted stems were at least 2 sizes smaller than those at the preoperative planning in 49 (25.7%) cases. The stem made contact with the lateral distal femoral cortex in only 130 hips (68.1%). Mean subsidence was significantly higher in the no-contact group (2.07 mm, range −7.7 to 1.7) than in the contact group (1.23 mm, range −4.5 to 1.8) at the final follow-up ( p = 0.0018). Stems at least 2 sizes smaller than those at preoperative planning showed a significantly higher prevalence of non-contact (46.9% vs. 26.8%) ( p = 0.009). Those undersized stems were more likely found in varus hips. No influence of the Dorr classification and the different CCD categories on the probability of achieving sufficient cortical contact was found. HHS showed no intergroup differences.

Conclusions:

Stems that did not make intraoperative contact with the lateral femoral cortex showed significantly increased axial migration at mid-term follow-up. Thus, the investigated criteria regarding the definition of undersizing in short-stem THA should be acknowledged. No obvious mid-term consequences were noted regarding revision rate. Long-term results are mandatory.
Peer engagement in toddlers with autism: Community implementation of dyadic and individual Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation intervention
Authors: Shire Stephanie Y , Shih Wendy , Bracaglia Suzanne , Kodjoe Maria , Kasari Connie
Published: July 2020

Center-based classroom community interventions create opportunities for young children with autism to connect with peers. Yet, there has been little examination of the peer interactions of toddlers with autism who experience core challenges in social communication and play skills that may create barriers to successful peer interactions. Classrooms of toddlers were randomized to an experimental social communication intervention including peers or to the standard individual (adult–child) social communication intervention. Both toddlers in peer and no peer conditions demonstrated significant gains in social communication and play. Toddlers with greater receptive language and combination and presymbolic play skills were most likely to demonstrate peer engagement.

Lay Abstract

Although young children may participate in education and intervention programs that take place in classrooms or groups, there is little information about how toddlers with special needs, and specifically toddlers with autism, are engaging with their peers. This study takes place in a public center-based early intervention program for toddlers with autism. Classrooms of toddlers were randomly assigned to an individual social communication intervention or the same intervention adapted to include a peer. Children in both groups made gains in social communication and play skills. Children who had the peer intervention were more engaged with peers when an adult was present, but not when the children were unsupported. This article adds information about early skills that may be important for children to master so that they have more success when trying to interact with their peers. These skills include understanding language (referred to as “receptive language” at 12 months or more) and play skills including building and stacking (referred to as “combination play”—for example, building with blocks or completing a puzzle) and extending familiar actions to themselves, others, and figures (referred to as “presymbolic play”—for example, putting a bottle to the doll or to themselves). Understanding which skills to target can help practitioners focus their instruction to build children’s skills toward connecting with peers through play.
Numerical simulation of failure mechanism in screw anchors under static tension
Authors: Nassiri Somayeh , Chen Zhao , Lamanna Anthony , Cofer William
Published: July 2020

Concrete screw anchors under tension commonly fail in a combined (pullout and concrete breakout) mode; however, currently, there is no mechanistic model to predict the load in this mode. Finite element models of screw anchors can help understand the mechanism of the combined mode and predict the ultimate strength in this mode ( Ncomb). In this study, finite element models were developed and validated by 37 tests of screw anchors in three different diameters ( d) and two effective embedment depths ( hef) per diameter. The finite element models were used to identify the combined failure mode and to compare with the experimental load–displacement curves and Ncomb. An additional 119 simulations including variations of d, hef, and concrete compressive strength [Formula: see text] were generated. Based on the results, Ncomb was found significantly related to [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and d0.35. A prediction model for Ncomb was developed which showed an overall good fit using a total of 93 experimental data.
Investigation of fatigue behavior of centrifuged series 3000 Al with addition of 26 wt% Cu
Authors: Mehditabar Aref , Vahdat Seyed E , Rahimi Gholam-Hossein
Published: July 2020

More than 70% of mechanical parts in a wide range of engineering fields fail by fatigue. In addition, centrifugal casting is identified as the most effective casting technique for production of high performance cylindrical parts. In this regard, the present work aims to investigate the fatigue behavior of series 3000 Al with addition of 26 wt% Cu produced through horizontal centrifugal casting method. Microstructure characterizations are precisely studied using scanning transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with image analyzer software. Also, compressive behavior, hardness, coefficient of thermal expansion, and wear rate ( Wr) are measured applying Zwick Z100, Vickers hardness, DIL 805A/D, and pin-on-disc machines, respectively. The results indicate that the main intermetallic compound is Al2Cu-based particle, and a volume fraction of 31 vol.% is obtained. Besides, the compressive strength of 460 MPa, elastic modulus of 10.986 GPa, hardness of 152 HV, coefficient of thermal expansion of 1.7 × 10−5 1/°C, and wear resistance of 3.3 × 10−6 g/mm2 are measured. Finally, the four-point bending fatigue test is performed and the fatigue ratio of 0.109 at about 106 cycles to failure is obtained.
Top-down or bottom-up? The selection of shadow rapporteurs in the European Parliament
Authors: Häge Frank M , Ringe Nils
Published: July 2020

Shadow rapporteurs play an important role in developing the European Parliament’s collective policy positions and in defending them in inter-institutional negotiations. This study sheds light on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of shadow rapporteur selection. Qualitative insights from practitioner interviews and a quantitative analysis of shadow rapporteur data from the 7th European Parliament (2009–2014) indicate that the appointment process is primarily one of bottom-up self-selection by group members based on their policy interests. The party group leadership, in the form of group coordinators, plays an important coordinating role when there is competition for a shadow rapporteurship. However, the role of group coordinators is more akin to a third-party arbiter of competing demands than a mechanism of top-down control by the leadership, as suggested by principal-agent theory.
“You’ve got to have core muscles”: Cultivating hardworking bodies among white-collar women in urban China
Authors: Peng Xinyan
Published: July 2020

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork on young white-collar women training bodies after work in Shanghai, I demonstrate that core muscles serve as visual indexes of discipline and hard-work, and that women create social spaces to collectively cultivate such dispositions. The socially sanctioned value of core muscles is connected to the discourse of ‘having it all’ increasingly popular among professional women in corporate, urban China. This paper elaborates on how bodily training transposes dispositions of work ethics beyond the workplace and on women’s anxieties about their bodies at the intersection of productive and reproductive demands from the society. This paper builds on and critiques existing approaches to the body, and attends not only to the woman’s body at the intersection of production and reproduction but also to the social aspect of bodily training in spaces between home and work.
Good efficacy and safety of vedolizumab in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in a real-world scenario
Authors: Zingone Fabiana , Barberio Brigida , Compostella Federico , Girardin Giulia , D’Incà Renata , Marinelli Carla , Marsilio Ilaria , Lorenzon Greta , Savarino Edoardo Vincenzo
Published: July 2020

Background:

Data on vedolizumab (VDZ) use in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are still limited. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of VDZ in a real-life clinical scenario.

Methods:

We retrospectively collected data of all consecutive IBD patients who started VDZ from September 2016 to December 2018 at our IBD Unit of the University Hospital of Padua and strictly followed them for 1 year. Clinical benefit (rate of clinical steroid-free remission plus clinical response), endoscopic and histological responses were evaluated over 1 year.

Results:

A total of 117 patients who started VDZ for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were included in the main analysis (69 CD patients, 48 UC patients). We obtained a clinical benefit in 68.1%, 68.1% and 59.4% of CD patients and in 68.7%, 54.2% and 54.1% of UC patients after induction, and at 30 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively. After 1 year, endoscopy response was observed in 47% of CD and 38.2% of UC patients, while the histological response was 19.6% and 23.5%, respectively. Finally, we found that 20.5% of patients needed treatment optimization, with 33.3% of them failing to respond despite this action. No deaths or serious adverse events requiring hospitalization were observed. The main cause of VDZ interruption was drug inefficacy. During the study, two patients developed new spondylarthritis, and two had a worsening of pre-existing arthralgia.

Conclusion:

Vedolizumab resulted in being effective and safe in CD as well as in UC patients.
Making success tangible: reengaging female opportunity youth in Baltimore, MD
Authors: Offiong Asari , Lewis Quiana , Powell Terrinieka W
Published: July 2020

Opportunity Youth represents over four million young people who are not in school and are unemployed. In Maryland, Baltimore City has the highest rate of youth disconnection. In spite of this, there are limited culturally relevant program models specific to the experiences of urban, African American youth. None focus on the unique needs of young women who are disconnected from school and work. In partnership with two local youth organizations, a 6-week program was co-developed and implemented to address the social and emotional needs of female opportunity youth in Baltimore. The program promoted self-efficacy, fostered a supportive network of trusted adults and increased awareness of resources. Lessons learned included the importance of program flexibility, the value of youth voice in program development, and the need to reframe how success is measured. This case study highlights a novel approach to bolstering the development of female opportunity youth.
What We Carry
Authors: Gloviczki Peter Joseph
Published: July 2020

In this autoethnography, I consider how bodies interact with the structural affordances around them. I hope this work encourages other scholars to engage the corporeal realities in their lifeworlds.
Treatment of periscapular tendinopathy with radiofrequency coblation: A case report
Authors: Tham Alexander , McLean Michael , Atherton Caroline , Millar Neal L
Published: July 2020

Overuse injuries of the tendon – ‘tendinopathy’ – account for 30%–50% of all sporting injuries and a high proportion of orthopaedic referrals from primary care physicians. Tendinopathies often have a multifactorial aetiology and injury can be due to a combination of both acute and chronic trauma which contributes to loss of tissue integrity and eventual rupture. Our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms surrounding tendon pathophysiology continues to cause difficulties in treatments beyond loading regimes which can be unsuccessful in up to 30% of cases. We describe an uncommon case of tendinopathy affecting the periscapular muscle/tendon unit in a 35-year-old female with persistent pain around the inferior posterior pole of her right scapula. Magnetic resonance imaging findings confirmed oedema of the muscles around the inferior scapular margin in keeping with enthesopathy/tendinopathy and she was treated with radiofrequency coblation to the area. This case highlights radiofrequency ablation as a surgical option should non-operative treatments fail in the rare diagnosis of periscapular tendinopathy.
Nationalism and national identity formation in Bangladesh: A colonial legacy behind the clash of language and religion
Authors: Hajjaj Bobby
Published: July 2020

The nature of identity formation is complex. The production of identity in South Asia, with its colonial past, has been largely dependent on the region’s colonial history. In this article we chart the process of political identity formation in Bangladesh. We identify the various historical causes that led to the creation of each of the two types of identity prevalent today. These two divisive identities based on language and religion, one pitted against the other, each became the central platform of each of the two major political parties, the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). This disquisition shows clear patterns of political distress that resulted in the bifurcation of these two divisive political identities that ossified by the late 20th century due chiefly to the actions of the colonial government of the Raj.
Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Research in China’s Colleges: A Review of Policy Reforms, 2000–2020
Authors: Zhu Junwen
Published: July 2020

Purpose:

This study conducts a systematic review of policy reforms for the evaluation of scientific and technological research (E-STR) in China’s colleges. In doing so, it identifies changes to past policies, as well as the objectives and realizability of the most recent policy reform.

Design/Approach/Methods:

This study systematically reviews the contexts of E-STR policy reforms in China’s colleges post 2000 using three important related policy documents from 2003, 2013, and 2020 as samples. Research findings were obtained via content analysis.

Findings:

Unlike previous attempts, the most recent policy reform has incorporated the lessons learned while introducing highly targeted measures and a monitoring mechanism. Such reform should accelerate the promotion of major original scientific research in China’s colleges, enhance the contribution of scientific research to socioeconomic development, and strengthen support for the cultivation of undergraduate talents.

Originality/Value:

Initiated in the early part of 2000, China’s latest E-STR policy reform constitutes an important turning point in the initiative to burst the research bubble and return to the essence of innovation. It will drive China’s colleges to embark on a research path that places value on original innovation and contribution to socioeconomic development.
Correlations and Reproducibility Between Radiographic and Radial Alpha Angles in the Evaluation of Cam Morphology
Authors: Kobayashi Naomi , Sumi Kosuke , Higashihira Shota , Choe Hyonmin , Tezuka Taro , Oishi Takayuki , Yukizawa Yohei , Morita Akira , Inaba Yutaka
Published: July 2020

Background:

The alpha angle used to evaluate cam morphology can be determined on different imaging views; however, 2-dimensional (2D) imaging can present limitations in terms of the reproducibility of the radial alpha angle. Recent developments in 3-dimensional (3D) high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have allowed detailed evaluations of the radial alpha angle.

Purpose:

To determine whether there are any correlations or discrepancies between the 2D alpha angle on plain radiography and the maximum radial alpha angle on 3D MRI.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A total of 42 hips from 39 patients (19 males, 20 females) were analyzed, including 22 hips with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI; mean age, 41 years) and 20 hips with borderline developmental dysplasia of the hip (BDDH; mean age, 43 years). Radial images were reconstructed from 3D multiple echo recombined gradient echo (MERGE) MRI. Differences in the maximum radial alpha angle on MRI between hips with FAI and BDDH were evaluated. Correlations and discrepancies between the maximum radial alpha angle on MRI and alpha angles on the anteroposterior, cross-table lateral, and 45° Dunn views of radiography were also evaluated.

Results:

The maximum radial alpha angle was significantly higher for hips with FAI than for hips with BDDH. On average, the greatest alpha angle on radial MRI was higher than the alpha angle on each of the 3 radiographic views for both FAI and BDDH. The 45° Dunn view revealed the smallest discrepancy for both FAI ( P = .005) and BDDH ( P = .002). The cross-table lateral view had the highest correlation with the maximum radial alpha angle for BDDH ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

We reconfirmed the utility of the 45° Dunn view, with it presenting the best reproducibility for the maximum radial alpha angle in the evaluation of cam morphology, while the cross-table lateral view revealed the best correlation with the maximum radial alpha angle, particularly for hips with BDDH.
Plasma levels of growth differentiation factor 15 are associated with future risk of venous thromboembolism
Authors: Hansen Ellen-Sofie , Hindberg Kristian , Latysheva Nadezhda , Aukrust Pål , Ueland Thor , Hansen John-Bjarne , Brækkan Sigrid K. , Morelli Vânia M. ,   the INVENT Consortium
Published: July 2020

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a marker of inflammation and oxidative stress, has emerged as a biomarker for arterial cardiovascular disease. However, the association between GDF-15 and venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains uncertain. We therefore investigated the association between plasma GDF-15 levels and future risk of incident VTE and explored the potential of a causal association using Mendelian randomization (MR). We conducted a population-based nested case-control study comprising 416 VTE patients and 848 age- and sex-matched controls derived from the Tromsø Study. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for VTE across GDF-15 quartiles. For the MR, we used data from the International Network on Venous Thrombosis (INVENT) consortium to examine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with GDF-15 levels with genome-wide significance were related to VTE. We found that the ORs for VTE increased across GDF-15 quartiles (Ptrend = .002). Participants with GDF-15 values in the highest quartile (≥358 pg/mL) had an OR for VTE of 2.05 (95% confidence interval, 1.37-3.08) compared with those with GDF-15 in the lowest quartile (<200 pg/mL) in the age- and sex-adjusted model. ORs remained essentially the same after further adjustment for body mass index, smoking, hormone therapy, physical activity, and C-reactive protein. Similar results were obtained for provoked/unprovoked events, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. GDF-15 levels, as predicted by the SNPs, were not associated with VTE in MR. Our results indicate that high GDF-15 levels are associated with increased risk of VTE, but MR suggests that this association is not causal.
HIV antiretroviral therapy and prevention use in US blood donors: a new blood safety concern
Authors: Custer Brian , Quiner Claire , Haaland Richard , Martin Amy , Stone Mars , Reik Rita , Steele Whitney R. , Kessler Debra , Williamson Phillip C. , Anderson Steven A. , Williams Alan E. , Raymond Henry F. , McFarland Willi , Robinson William T. , Glick Sara , Sey Kwa , Melton C. David , Glynn Simone A. , Stramer Susan L. , Busch Michael P.
Published: July 2020

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection are effective tools to help end the HIV epidemic. However, their use could affect HIV transfusion-transmission risk. Three different ART/PrEP prevalence analyses in blood donors were conducted. First, blood samples from HIV-positive and a comparison group of infection-nonreactive donors were tested under blind using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for ART. Second, blood donor samples from infection-nonreactive, 18- to 45-year-old, male, first-time blood donors in 6 US locations were tested for emtricitabine and tenofovir. Third, in men who have sex with men (MSM) participating in the 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) from 5 US cities, self-reported PrEP use proximate to donation was assessed. In blind testing, no ART was detected in 300 infection-nonreactive donor samples, but in 299 HIV confirmed-infected donor samples, 46 (15.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.5% to 20.0%) had evidence of ART. Of the 1494 samples tested from first-time male donors, 9 (0.6%; 95% CI, 0.03% to 1.1%) had tenofovir and emtricitabine. In the NHBS MSM survey, 27 of 591 respondents (4.8%; 95% CI, 3.2% to 6.9%) reported donating blood in 2016 or 2017 and PrEP use within the same time frame as blood donation. Persons who are HIV positive and taking ART and persons taking PrEP to prevent HIV infection are donating blood. Both situations could lead to increased risk of HIV transfusion transmission if blood screening assays are unable to detect HIV in donations from infected donors.
The outcomes of one-stage treatment for multiple knee ligament injuries combined with extensor apparatus rupture
Authors: Zhao Daohong , Yang Zhongde , Wu Changsha , Zhong Jia , Zhou Xizong , Li Jinghua , Li Yan , Lu Yongsheng , Shen Duo
Published: July 2020

Background

Multiple knee ligament injuries combined with extensor apparatus rupture are serious and complex knee injuries that are rare in clinical practice. The management is extremely challenging and controversial.

The aim of this study is to describe a patient collective with multiple knee ligament injuries combined with extensor apparatus injuries in detail and to report the mid-term outcomes of a one-stage surgical treatment regarding subjective outcome scores, complications, knee instability, and ROM.

Methods

Eleven of 425 patients with multiple knee ligament injuries combined with extensor apparatus injuries admitted to our hospital were reviewed from July 2008 to May 2017. All patients underwent one-stage repair and reconstruction of multiple knee ligaments and extensor apparatus. The Lysholm knee score and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score were adopted to evaluate the surgical effect preoperatively and at a minimum of 2 years’ follow-up. Clinical data, including range of motion and knee stability, were also recorded at the final follow-up.

Results

Ten patients were followed up with a mean time of 40 (range, 24–60) months. At the last follow-up, 8 patients had joint flexion range of motion greater than or equal to120 degrees, 2 patients had joint flexion range of motion of 100–120 degrees, and 1 patient had active knee extension limitation of 5 degrees. Stress radiographs showed that the mean differences in posterior displacement were reduced from 10.8 ± 3.0 mm preoperatively to 2.0 ± 2.5 mm at the last follow-up. There were significant improvements in stress radiographs from pre- to postoperative states for all patients with multiple knee ligament injuries. The Lysholm score ranged from 85 to 96, with a mean of 92.1 (compared with 33 before surgery, P < 0.05). The final IKDC scores were A in 2 patients (20%), B in 7 (70%), and C in 1 (10%). Nine of the 10 patients (90%) returned to their former activity level.

Conclusion

Multiple knee ligament injuries combined with extensor apparatus rupture are rare. Single-stage management of the repair and reconstruction of multiple knee ligaments and extensor apparatus with proper rehabilitation is an effective and reliable procedure to restore knee stability and function.

Level of evidence

Level IV, therapeutic case series.
No differences in cost-effectiveness and short-term functional outcomes between cemented and uncemented total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Rassir R. , Nolte P. A. , van der Lugt J. C. T. , Nelissen R. G. H. H. , Sierevelt I. N. , Verra W. C.
Published: July 2020

Background

There is an ongoing debate regarding optimal fixation of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), however cost has not been addressed as profoundly. Therefore, the current study primarily aimed to compare costs and cost-effectiveness 1 year after cemented or uncemented TKA. A secondary objective was to compare short-term functional outcomes between both groups.

Methods

A posthoc prospective observational multicenter cohort study of 60 cemented and 50 uncemented Low Contact Stress (LCS) knee systems. Outcome was evaluated using the EuroQol5D-3 L (EQ5D) index, in order to calculate quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Total costs were calculated considering direct costs within the hospital setting (inpatient cost) as well as direct and indirect costs outside the hospital. Cost-effectiveness (total costs per QALY), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) were compared between cemented and uncemented cases at 1 year after surgery. HealthBASKET project, a micro-costing approach, represents the Dutch costs and situation and was used to calculate hospital stay. (In) direct costs outside the healthcare (medical cost and productivity cost) were determined using two validated questionnaires.

Results

Median costs per QALY were similar between cemented and uncemented TKA patients (€16,269 and €17,727 respectively; p = 0.50). Median OKS (44 and 42; p = 0.79), EQ5D (0.88 and 0.90; p = 0.82) and NRS for pain (1.0 and 1.0; p = 0.48) and satisfaction (9.0 and 9.0; p = 0.15) were also comparable between both groups.

Conclusion

For this type of knee implant (LCS), inpatient hospital costs and costs after hospitalization were comparable between groups.
Long-term apical bone gain after implant placement combined with internal sinus-floor elevation without graft
Authors: Rammelsberg Peter , Pahle Julia , Büsch Christopher , Zenthöfer Andreas
Published: July 2020

Background

To assess changes in apical bone height/bone gain over up to 8 years after implant placement combined with simultaneous internal sinus-floor elevation (ISFE) without use of graft.

Methods

217 implants were placed in combination with graft-free ISFE and successfully healed in the posterior maxilla of 138 patients. Radiographs after surgery across an evaluation time of up to 8 years were analyzed. Changes in apical and marginal bone height related to the implants were measured. Differences in bone height over the study period were evaluated by use of Wilcoxon tests. To identify possible influencing factors on apical bone gain and marginal bone loss, backward linear regression variable selections and linear mixed regression models were performed.

Results

At the apical aspects of the implants, significant mean vertical bone gain of 2.4 mm (mesial) and 2.6 mm (distal) was observed after 6 months (p < 0.05). Radiographic analysis yielded additional bone gain of up to approximately 3.5 mm over the study period. Small initial bone height was crossed with more pronounced apical bone gain (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

If implants are placed combined with graft-free ISFE, significant vertical bone gain, especially in the first year post-op, can be expected. Smaller initial bone height is associated with a higher likelihood for greater bone gain.
ECCParaCorp: a cross-lingual parallel corpus towards cancer education, dissemination and application
Authors: Ma Hetong , Yang Feihong , Ren Jiansong , Li Ni , Dai Min , Wang Xuwen , Fang An , Li Jiao , Qian Qing , He Jie
Published: July 2020

Background

The increasing global cancer incidence corresponds to serious health impact in countries worldwide. Knowledge-powered health system in different languages would enhance clinicians’ healthcare practice, patients’ health management and public health literacy. High-quality corpus containing cancer information is the necessary foundation of cancer education. Massive non-structural information resources exist in clinical narratives, electronic health records (EHR) etc. They can only be used for training AI models after being transformed into structured corpus. However, the scarcity of multilingual cancer corpus limits the intelligent processing, such as machine translation in medical scenarios. Thus, we created the cancer specific cross-lingual corpus and open it to the public for academic use.

Methods

Aiming to build an English-Chinese cancer parallel corpus, we developed a workflow of seven steps including data retrieval, data parsing, data processing, corpus implementation, assessment verification, corpus release, and application. We applied the workflow to a cross-lingual, comprehensive and authoritative cancer information resource, PDQ (Physician Data Query). We constructed, validated and released the parallel corpus named as ECCParaCorp, made it openly accessible online.

Results

The proposed English-Chinese Cancer Parallel Corpus (ECCParaCorp) consists of 6685 aligned text pairs in Xml, Excel, Csv format, containing 5190 sentence pairs, 1083 phrase pairs and 412 word pairs, which involved information of 6 cancers including breast cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer, and 3 cancer themes containing cancer prevention, screening, and treatment. All data in the parallel corpus are online, available for users to browse and download (http://www.phoc.org.cn/ECCParaCorp/).

Conclusions

ECCParaCorp is a parallel corpus focused on cancer in a cross-lingual form, which is openly accessible. It would make up the imbalance of scarce multilingual corpus resources, bridge the gap between human readable information and machine understanding data resources, and would contribute to intelligent technology application as a preparatory data foundation e.g. cancer-related machine translation, cancer system development towards medical education, and disease-oriented knowledge extraction.
Supervised-actor-critic reinforcement learning for intelligent mechanical ventilation and sedative dosing in intensive care units
Authors: Yu Chao , Ren Guoqi , Dong Yinzhao
Published: July 2020

Background

Reinforcement learning (RL) provides a promising technique to solve complex sequential decision making problems in healthcare domains. Recent years have seen a great progress of applying RL in addressing decision-making problems in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). However, since the goal of traditional RL algorithms is to maximize a long-term reward function, exploration in the learning process may have a fatal impact on the patient. As such, a short-term goal should also be considered to keep the patient stable during the treating process.

Methods

We use a Supervised-Actor-Critic (SAC) RL algorithm to address this problem by combining the long-term goal-oriented characteristics of RL with the short-term goal of supervised learning. We evaluate the differences between SAC and traditional Actor-Critic (AC) algorithms in addressing the decision making problems of ventilation and sedative dosing in ICUs.

Results

Results show that SAC is much more efficient than the traditional AC algorithm in terms of convergence rate and data utilization.

Conclusions

The SAC algorithm not only aims to cure patients in the long term, but also reduces the degree of deviation from the strategy applied by clinical doctors and thus improves the therapeutic effect.
Associations between stressors and difficulty sleeping in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit: a cohort study
Authors: Miranda-Ackerman Roberto Carlos , Lira-Trujillo Mariana , Gollaz-Cervantez Alma Carolina , Cortés-Flores Ana Olivia , Zuloaga-Fernández del Valle Carlos José , García-González Luis Alberto , Morgan-Villela Gilberto , Barbosa-Camacho Francisco José , Pintor-Belmontes Kevin Josue , Guzmán-Ramírez Bertha Georgina , Bernal-Hernández Aldo , Fuentes-Orozco Clotilde , González-Ojeda Alejandro
Published: July 2020

Background

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) experience sleep disruption caused by a variety of conditions, such as staff activities, alarms on monitors, and overall noise. In this study, we explored the relationship between noise and other factors associated with poor sleep quality in patients.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study. We used the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire to explore sleep quality in a sample of patients admitted to the ICU of a private hospital. We measured the noise levels within each ICU three times a day. After each night during their ICU stay, patients were asked to complete a survey about sleep disturbances. These disturbances were classified as biological (such as anxiety or pain) and environmental factors (such as lighting and ICU noise).

Results

We interviewed 71 patients; 62% were men (mean age 54.46 years) and the mean length of stay was 8 days. Biological factors affected 36% and environmental factors affected 20% of the patients. The most common biological factor was anxiety symptoms, which affected 28% of the patients, and the most common environmental factor was noise, which affected 32.4%. The overall mean recorded noise level was 62.45 dB. Based on the patients’ responses, the environmental factors had a larger effect on patients’ sleep quality than biological factors. Patients who stayed more than 5 days reported less sleep disturbance. Patients younger than 55 years were more affected by environmental and biological factors than were those older than 55 years.

Conclusions

Patient quality of sleep in the ICU is associated with environmental factors such as noise and artificial lighting, as well as biological factors related to anxiety and pain. The noise level in the ICU is twice that recommended by international guides. Given the stronger influence of environmental factors, the use of earplugs or sleeping masks is recommended. The longer the hospital stay, the less these factors seem to affect patients’ sleep quality.
Two susceptible HLA-DRB1 alleles for multiple sclerosis differentially regulate anti-JC virus antibody serostatus along with fingolimod
Authors: Watanabe Mitsuru , Nakamura Yuri , Isobe Noriko , Tanaka Masami , Sakoda Ayako , Hayashi Fumie , Kawano Yuji , Yamasaki Ryo , Matsushita Takuya , Kira Jun-ichi
Published: July 2020

Background

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) caused by JC virus (JCV) is a rare but serious complication of some disease-modifying drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Japanese MS patients treated with fingolimod were reported to be 10 times more likely to develop PML than equivalent patients in other countries. The strongest susceptibility human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles for MS are distinct between races (DRB1*15:01 for Caucasians and DRB1*04:05 and DRB1*15:01 for Japanese); therefore, we investigated whether HLA class II alleles modulate anti-JCV antibody serostatus in Japanese MS patients with and without fingolimod.

Methods

We enrolled 128 Japanese patients with MS, in whom 64 (50%) were under fingolimod treatment at sampling, and examined the relationship between HLA class II alleles and anti-JCV antibody serostatus. Serum anti-JCV antibody positivity and index were measured using a second-generation two-step assay and HLA-DRB1 and -DPB1 alleles were genotyped.

Results

HLA-DRB1*15 carriers had a lower frequency of anti-JCV antibody positivity (57% vs 78%, p = 0.015), and lower antibody index (median 0.42 vs 1.97, p = 0.037) than non-carriers. Among patients without HLA-DRB1*15, DRB1*04 carriers had a higher seropositivity rate than non-carriers (84% vs 54%, p = 0.030), and DPB1*04:02 carriers had a higher anti-JCV antibody index than non-carriers (3.20 vs 1.34, p = 0.008) although anti-JCV antibody-positivity rates did not differ. Patients treated with fingolimod had a higher antibody index than other patients (1.46 vs 0.64, p = 0.039) and treatment period had a positive correlation with antibody index (p = 0.018). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age was positively associated, and HLA-DRB1*15 was negatively associated with anti-JCV antibody positivity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, p = 0.006, and OR = 0.37, p = 0.028, respectively). Excluding HLA-DRB1*15-carriers, DRB1*04 was an independent risk factor for the presence of anti-JCV antibody (OR = 5.50, p = 0.023).

Conclusions

HLA-DRB1*15 is associated with low anti-JCV antibody positive rate and low JCV antibody index, and in the absence of DRB1*15, DRB1*04 carriers are associated with a high antibody positive rate in Japanese, suggesting the effects of two susceptible HLA-DRB1 alleles on anti-JCV antibody serostatus differ.
Reduction of Salmonella contamination on the surface of chicken skin using bacteriophage
Authors: Atterbury Robert Joseph , Gigante Adriano Marcelo , Rubio Lozano María de la Salud , Méndez Medina Ruben Danilo , Robinson Gareth , Alloush Habib , Barrow Paul Andrew , Allen Vivien Mary
Published: July 2020

Background

Enteric infections caused by Salmonella spp. remain a major public health burden worldwide. Chickens are known to be a major reservoir for this zoonotic pathogen. The presence of Salmonella in poultry farms and abattoirs is associated with financial costs of treatment and a serious risk to human health. The use of bacteriophages as a biocontrol is one possible intervention by which Salmonella colonization of chickens could be reduced. In a prior study, phages Eϕ151 and Tϕ7 significantly reduced broiler chicken caecal colonization by S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium respectively.

Methods

Salmonella-free Ross broiler chickens were orally infected with S. Enteritidis P125109 or S. Typhimurium 4/74. After 7 days of infection, the animals were euthanased, and 25cm2 sections of skin were collected. The skin samples were sprayed with a phage suspension of either Eϕ151 (S. Enteritidis), Tϕ7 phage suspension (S. Typhimurium) or SM buffer (Control). After incubation, the number of surviving Salmonellas was determined by direct plating and Most Probable Number (MPN). To determine the rate of reduction of Salmonella numbers on the skin surface, a bioluminescent S. Typhimurium DT104 strain was cultured, spread on sections of chicken breast skin, and after spraying with a Tϕ11 phage suspension, skin samples were monitored using photon counting for up to 24 h.

Results

The median levels of Salmonella reduction following phage treatment were 1.38 log10 MPN (Enteritidis) and 1.83 log10 MPN (Typhimurium) per skin section. Treatment reductions were significant when compared with Salmonella recovery from control skin sections treated with buffer (p < 0.0001). Additionally, significant reduction in light intensity was observed within 1 min of phage Tϕ11 spraying onto the skin contaminated with a bioluminescent Salmonella recombinant strain, compared with buffer-treated controls (p < 0.01), implying that some lysis of Salmonella was occurring on the skin surface.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that phages may be used on the surface of chicken skin as biocontrol agents against Salmonella infected broiler chicken carcasses. The rate of bioluminescence reduction shown by the recombinant Salmonella strain used supported the hypothesis that at least some of the reduction observed was due to lysis occurred on the skin surface.
Optimization of isolation and transfection conditions of maize endosperm protoplasts
Authors: Hu Yufeng , Song Dalin , Gao Lei , Ajayo Babatope Samuel , Wang Yongbin , Huang Huanhuan , Zhang Junjie , Liu Hanmei , Liu Yinghong , Yu Guowu , Liu Yongjian , Li Yangping , Huang Yubi
Published: July 2020

Background

Endosperm-trait related genes are associated with grain yield or quality in maize. There are vast numbers of these genes whose functions and regulations are still unknown. The biolistic system, which is often used for transient gene expression, is expensive and involves complex protocol. Besides, it cannot be used for simultaneous analysis of multiple genes. Moreover, the biolistic system has little physiological relevance when compared to cell-specific based system. Plant protoplasts are efficient cell-based systems which allow quick and simultaneous transient analysis of multiple genes. Typically, PEG-calcium mediated transfection of protoplast is simple and cost-effective. Notably, starch granules in cereal endosperm may diminish protoplast yield and integrity, if the isolation and transfection conditions are not accurately measured. Prior to this study, no PEG-calcium mediated endosperm protoplast system has been reported for cereal crop, perhaps, because endosperm cells accumulate starch grains.

Results

Here, we showed the uniqueness of maize endosperm-protoplast system (EPS) in conducting endosperm cell-based experiments. By using response surface designs, we established optimized conditions for the isolation and PEG-calcium mediated transfection of maize endosperm protoplasts. The optimized conditions of 1% cellulase, 0.75% macerozyme and 0.4 M mannitol enzymolysis solution for 6 h showed that more than 80% protoplasts remained viable after re-suspension in 1 ml MMG. The EPS was used to express GFP protein, analyze the subcellular location of ZmBT1, characterize the interaction of O2 and PBF1 by bimolecular fluorescent complementation (BiFC), and simultaneously analyze the regulation of ZmBt1 expression by ZmMYB14.

Conclusions

The described optimized conditions proved efficient for reasonable yield of viable protoplasts from maize endosperm, and utility of the protoplast in rapid analysis of endosperm-trait related genes. The development of the optimized protoplast isolation and transfection conditions, allow the exploitation of the functional advantages of protoplast system over biolistic system in conducting endosperm-based studies (particularly, in transient analysis of genes and gene regulation networks, associated with the accumulation of endosperm storage products). Such analyses will be invaluable in characterizing endosperm-trait related genes whose functions have not been identified. Thus, the EPS will benefit the research of cereal grain yield and quality improvement.
A two-step registration-classification approach to automated segmentation of multimodal images for high-throughput greenhouse plant phenotyping
Authors: Henke Michael , Junker Astrid , Neumann Kerstin , Altmann Thomas , Gladilin Evgeny
Published: July 2020

Background

Automated segmentation of large amount of image data is one of the major bottlenecks in high-throughput plant phenotyping. Dynamic optical appearance of developing plants, inhomogeneous scene illumination, shadows and reflections in plant and background regions complicate automated segmentation of unimodal plant images. To overcome the problem of ambiguous color information in unimodal data, images of different modalities can be combined to a virtual multispectral cube. However, due to motion artefacts caused by the relocation of plants between photochambers the alignment of multimodal images is often compromised by blurring artifacts.

Results

Here, we present an approach to automated segmentation of greenhouse plant images which is based on co-registration of fluorescence (FLU) and of visible light (VIS) camera images followed by subsequent separation of plant and marginal background regions using different species- and camera view-tailored classification models. Our experimental results including a direct comparison with manually segmented ground truth data show that images of different plant types acquired at different developmental stages from different camera views can be automatically segmented with the average accuracy of $$93\%$$

93
%

($$SD=5\%$$

S
D
=
5
%

) using our two-step registration-classification approach.

Conclusion

Automated segmentation of arbitrary greenhouse images exhibiting highly variable optical plant and background appearance represents a challenging task to data classification techniques that rely on detection of invariances. To overcome the limitation of unimodal image analysis, a two-step registration-classification approach to combined analysis of fluorescent and visible light images was developed. Our experimental results show that this algorithmic approach enables accurate segmentation of different FLU/VIS plant images suitable for application in fully automated high-throughput manner.