bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Evacuation of Massive Intraventricular Hemorrhages Reduces Shunt Dependency: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fiorindi Alessandro , Saraceno Giorgio , Zanin Luca , Terzi di Bergamo Lodovico , Feletti Alberto , Doglietto Francesco , Fontanella Marco Maria
Published: December 2022

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is characterized by severe prognosis. The amount of intraventricular blood is the most important, disease-specific, prognostic factor, as acute complications are strictly dependent on clot formation. Although external ventricular drain (EVD) placement is the standard treatment, in the past 15 years neuroendoscopic (NE) evacuation of IVH has been advocated, but available comparative data are limited. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Included articles compare the treatment of primary and secondary IVH with NE and EVD. The meta-analysis was performed in terms of shunt dependency. Cochran's Q-test and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity in the studies. No heterogeneity was considered for p greater than 0.05 and I2 less than 20%. A random-effect model was used, with restricted maximum likelihood to estimate the heterogeneity variance. After screening 744 articles, 5 were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 303 patients presenting with primary or pure (50 patients) and secondary (253 patients) IVH, undergoing either NE (151) or EVD (152), were included in the metanalysis. The risk of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt was higher in the EVD group (relative risk: 1.93, 95% confidence interval: 1.28–2.92, p = 0.0094). The risk of VP shunt was higher in the EVD group, but the overall outcome remains poor for patients with IVH, with a moderate-to-high disability. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate more deeper both advantages and effects on the outcome of NE over EVD.
Ultra-fast water-based switch could enable sci-fi technology
Authors: Johnson-Groh Mara
Published: December 2022

Salty water might be used to make next-generation ultra-high speed computing technologies.
Interpreting the eventive copula 做 tso3 in Taiwanese Southern Min
Authors: Lien Chinfa
Published: December 2022

This paper proposes an eventive copula 做 tso3
in contrast with the stative copula 是 si7
in Taiwanese Southern
Min. The eventive copula 做 tso3
can be established on syntactic grounds. It can occur in
copular small clauses on purposive phrases c-selected by distinct types of matrix verbs. The eventive copula 做 tso3
and the stative copula
是 si7
are in
complementary distribution. Furthermore, due to its eventive nature the copula 做 tso3
is compatible with experiential and progressive
aspect markers and durative time adverbs. Nevertheless, unlike the stative copular 是 si7
, the eventive 做 tso3
cannot function as a
focus marker. In addition, the eventive copula 做 tso3
rather than its stative counterpart 是 si7
is limited to
predicational clauses only.
The revelation of ancient Chinese to semantic compositionality in discourse reporting
Authors: Nie Sicheng , Huo Yongshou
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to provide a resolution of Frege’s difficulties in the semantic composition of discourse reporting
by conducting a case study of Zuozhuan. The sample corpus involves a typical contrast between semantic
transparency and discourse reporting. As is revealed by the special wording of ancient Chinese, it should be the fact represented
by the mixed quotation that serves as the object of the reporting predicate. This leads to objectification of a fact. Hence it can
be inferred that a specific layer of meaning is picked out by a specific reporting predicate. When this inference is applied to
the case of direct speech, it follows that some layers of its pragmatic meaning contribute to the semantic meaning of the
reporting clause by being singled out as the objects of the reporting predicates. Some of them are abstract entities, like rheme
and illocution. This leads to objectification of an abstract entity. In defense of objectification, we find that the difficulties
of the compositionality principle (CP) in discourse reporting are caused by the ignorance of the hierarchical structure of
discourse and the false belief that objects must be concrete entities in the world. Objectification enables the CP to be
recursively applied from a reported clause to a reporting clause.
Functions and transmission of humour in interpreter-mediated healthcare consultations
Authors: Álvaro Aranda Cristina
Published: December 2022

This paper presents an exploratory study of humour in multilingual, multicultural healthcare interactions with an interpreter. Data are part of a dataset of healthcare encounters observed in a hospital in Madrid (Spain) for a period of five months, which included the participation of six interpreters. Four aspects were analysed: (1) who initiates humour, (2) who receives humour, (3) what the functions of humour are, and (4) how interpreters behave vis-à-vis humour occurrences. Preliminary findings indicate that humour allows patients, healthcare providers and interpreters to pursue relational and transactional goals similar to those present in monolingual healthcare interactions, such as handling negative emotions. Interpreters are active co-constructors of humour, and all participants in the triad work together towards the establishment and recognition of a humorous frame, where hierarchical relationships seem to exist. Together with linguistic and cultural differences between participants, interpreters must appropriately render background and contextual knowledge to ensure humour maintains its intended function, which emphasises the healthcare interpreter’s active role in interaction. These findings call for greater attention to research on humour, as well as specific training for interpreters to highlight its relational power and, thus, ensure successful communication in multicultural, multilingual (healthcare) settings.
Family literacy practices and their contribution to emergent literacy skills during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Cruz Joana , Mackaaij Maria , Bilimória Helena , Gandra Daniela
Published: December 2022

To develop emergent literacy skills, preschool children need to be supported by adults in a rich and stimulating
environment. During the first lockdown due to the SARS-CoV2 virus, there were several social, family, technological, and
individual barriers to promote family literacy and emergent literacy. In the present study, we aimed to provide insight on the
relationship between family literacy practices and emergent literacy skills among preschool children after the first confinement
due to COVID-19 pandemic. This study included 102 participants, which consisted of parents (90.2% mothers) and one preschool child
per parent. Results showed evidence of a higher frequency of training and teaching activities than family literacy playful
activities. There were statistically significant differences in emergent skills, according to the frequency of family playful
activities and family training and teaching activities. Results suggest that different family literacy practices are significantly
correlated to all the emergent literacy skills evaluated.
The contribution of full tone marking to oral reading fluency and comprehension in Yoruba and Ife
Authors: Roberts David , Harley Matthew , Walter Stephen L.
Published: December 2022

Orthographic depth is a key concept in literacy acquisition and can be measured separately for completeness, simplicity and
consistency. The first of these is pertinent to discussions about whether tone should be marked in African
orthographies, because a zero tone representation is relatively incomplete and deep whereas a full tone orthography is relatively
complete and shallow. We undertook a series of literacy experiments in ten Niger-Congo languages to test the extent to which full
tone marking contributes to reading and writing skills. In a within-subject design that closely follows Bird (1999b), participants orally read two full tone and two zero tone texts and also added tone accents
to unmarked versions of two of the texts. Speed, accuracy, comprehension, as well as a range of linguistic, ethno-literacy,
demographic and L2 literacy variables were tracked. The present article narrows the scope of the wider research project (Roberts & Walter 2021) to two of the languages, Yoruba and Ife, which are
linguistically similar, yet have highly dissimilar results. In Yoruba, full tone marking does not contribute to any improvement in
reading measurements, and tone writing skills are generally poor. In Ife, on the other hand, full tone marking contributes to
speed, accuracy and comprehension, and tone writing is the most accurate of all the languages. The results suggest that the social
profile of the participant and the ethno-literacy profile of the language community are more predictive of reading and writing
performance than is the linguistic profile of the language.
From a single silicon carbide detector to pixelated structure for radiation imaging camera
Authors: Zat'ko B. , Šagátová A. , Gál N. , Novák A. , Osvald J. , Boháček P. , Polansky Š. , Jakůbek J. , Kováčová E.
Published: December 2022

In this work, Schottky detectors based on a high-quality 4H-SiC epitaxial layer with a thickness of 50 µm were prepared. The Schottky contact of Ni/Au metallization with a 3 mm diameter was made. Reverse current-voltage characteristics were measured up to a voltage of 300 V with a leakage current of 40 pA at room temperature. Using an α-particle radiation source, the spectrometric characteristics of the 4H-SiC detector were tested. The best energy resolution in the FWHM (Full Width and Half Maximum) about 15 keV for 5.5 MeV α-particles was observed. Furthermore, a 4H-SiC pixel sensor (256 × 256) for the Timepix3 reading chip was prepared. The spectrometric and imaging properties of the new Timepix3 detector based on the 4H-SiC sensor were tested. The results showed high energy resolution and also high-quality X-ray imaging of the biological object.
Basic Consideration for Facial Aging: Age-Related Changes of the Bony Orbit and Orbicularis Oculi Muscle in East Asians
Authors: Okuda Itsuko , Akita Keiichi , Komemushi Takayoshi , Imaizumi Kazuhiko , Jinzaki Masahiro , Ohjimi Hiroyuki
Published: December 2022

Background

Age-related changes in the periocular areas are mainly caused by anatomic changes of the bony orbit and orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM). To achieve effective rejuvenation, it is necessary to understand the age-related aspects of these anatomic changes.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to analyze the configuration of the bony orbit and OOM with computed tomography (CT) and to evaluate the effects of aging on these structures.

Methods

A total of 220 orbits and OOMs of 110 Japanese participants (55 males, 55 females) aged 20 to 87 years were enrolled. The long diameter of the orbits, orbital ellipticity, OOM thickness, and OOM attachment to the inferior orbital rim were analyzed. These variables were statistically evaluated for their relationship with age.

Results

The long diameter of the orbit was significantly longer in those over than in those under 60 years, with a moderate and significant positive correlation between orbital ellipticity and age. OOM thickness and age showed a strong negative correlation. The degree of OOM attachment to the inferior orbital rim decreased significantly with age.

Conclusions

This study showed that age-related changes of the bony orbit in Japanese individuals tended to be the same as those in Caucasians, but there were differences in the degree of changes observed. As a new finding in the Japanese population, the OOM not only thins with aging, but also gradually loosens from the facial bone. In the elderly, only the nasal side of the OOM was attached to the bone. In clinical applications, this knowledge could contribute to the development of cosmetic surgeries.
Blowup of Dyadic MHD Models with Forward Energy Cascade
Authors: Dai Mimi
Published: December 2022

A particular type of dyadic model for the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) with dominating forward energy cascade is studied. The model includes intermittency dimension $\delta $ in the nonlinear scales. It is shown that when $\delta $ is small, positive solution with large initial data for either the dyadic MHD or the dyadic Hall MHD model develops blowup in finite time. Moreover, for a class of positive initial data with large velocity components and small magnetic field components, we prove that there exists a positive solution that blows up at a finite time.
Mutation of the polyadenylation complex subunit CstF77 reveals that mRNA 3′ end formation and HSP101 levels are critical for a robust heat stress response
Authors: Kim Minsoo , Swenson John , McLoughlin Fionn , Vierling Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

Heat shock protein 101 (HSP101) in plants, and bacterial and yeast orthologs, is essential for thermotolerance. To investigate thermotolerance mechanisms involving HSP101, we performed a suppressor screen in Arabidopsis thaliana of a missense HSP101 allele (hot1–4). hot1–4 plants are sensitive to acclimation heat treatments that are otherwise permissive for HSP101 null mutants, indicating that the hot1–4 protein is toxic. We report one suppressor (shot2, suppressor of hot1–4 2) has a missense mutation of a conserved residue in CLEAVAGE STIMULATION FACTOR77 (CstF77), a subunit of the polyadenylation complex critical for mRNA 3′ end maturation. We performed ribosomal RNA depletion RNA-Seq and captured transcriptional readthrough with a custom bioinformatics pipeline. Acclimation heat treatment caused transcriptional readthrough in hot1–4 shot2, with more readthrough in heat-induced genes, reducing the levels of toxic hot1–4 protein and suppressing hot1–4 heat sensitivity. Although shot2 mutants develop like the wild type in the absence of stress and survive mild heat stress, reduction of heat-induced genes and decreased HSP accumulation makes shot2 in HSP101 null and wild-type backgrounds sensitive to severe heat stress. Our study reveals the critical function of CstF77 for 3′ end formation of mRNA and the dominant role of HSP101 in dictating the outcome of severe heat stress.
Dynamics of Carbendazim-Resistance Frequency of Pathogens Associated with the Epidemic of Fusarium Head Blight
Authors: Yi Lishu , Yang Meixin , Waalwijk Cees , Xu Jin , Xu Jingsheng , Molnár Orsolya , Chen Wanquan , Feng Jie , Zhang Hao
Published: December 2022

Carbendazim resistance was detected using 4,701 Fusarium graminearum species complex isolates collected from major wheat-producing regions in China from 2018 to 2020. A total of 348 carbendazim-resistant isolates were identified. The majority of carbendazim-resistant isolates were detected in Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces. In total, 227 and 88 isolates were obtained from each of the Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces, with a high resistance frequency of 41.12 and 20.56%, respectively. The predominant resistant isolates harboring point mutations were F167Y (79.31%), followed by E198Q (16.38%) and F200Y (4.31%). Compared with F. graminearum, F. asiaticum isolates were more likely to produce carbendazim resistance. In this study, we first detected carbendazim-resistant isolates in Hebei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Hunan Provinces. In Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang, the frequency of carbendazim-resistant isolates maintained a high level, resulting in stable carbendazim-resistant populations. We also found the dynamic of carbendazim-resistance frequency in most provinces showed similar trends to the epidemic of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). Our results facilitate the understanding of the current situation of carbendazim resistance of FHB pathogens and will be helpful for fungicides selection in different wheat-producing areas in China.
High-Quality Genome and Annotation Resource of Orange Pink Rot Pathogen Trichothecium roseum Strain YXFP-22015 Isolated from Hubei, China
Authors: Zhu Lei , Wu Zhaoyuan , Fang Wei , Wang Yueying
Published: December 2022

Trichothecium roseum is widely distributed throughout the world and forms pink powdery molds on various fruits and vegetables, lowering their quality and leading to great economic losses. Due to the limited availability of high-quality genomic and annotation resources, little is known about the pathogenesis of T. roseum at the molecular level. In this study, we reported a high-quality genome assembly of strain YXFP-22015 using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) for long read sequencing and MGISEQ-2000 for short read sequencing. The genome was also well-annotated based on the combination of RNA-seq by MGISEQ-2000 and in silico prediction. Further analysis on this will contribute to a better understanding of T. roseum infection mechanisms.
Gamma Radioactivity Detection Limits and Associated Radionuclide Intakes Study in Artificial Human Urine Using Sodium-iodide and High-purity Germanium Detectors
Authors: Burn Adam G. , Haines Douglas K. , Khan Abdul J. , Torres Miguel A. , Faye Sherry A. , Costello Cynthia A. , Hoffman Timothy J. , Chu Liang T. , Bradt Clayton J. , Semkow Thomas M.
Published: December 2022

The performance of several gamma detectors was investigated for emergency urine bioassay screening of two radionuclides of concern: 131I and 137Cs. Unspiked artificial urine samples were measured for 10 min each on four different gamma detectors: 80% relative efficiency high-purity Ge detector in standard shielding, 102% low-background high-purity Ge detector equipped with top muon shield, 78% high-purity Ge well detector in standard shielding, and 4″ × 4″ NaI well detector in standard shielding. The measured gamma spectra were analyzed in two ways: (1) for the 364-keV peak region of 131I and 662-keV peak region of 137Cs and (2) for the total counts in the full energy spectrum (50-2,048 keV). The results were analyzed using the principles of signal detection theory according to the Currie’s formalism extended by a complete uncertainty propagation. This enabled calculation of the detection capability in terms of detection limit (Bq L−1) of urine, the latter referred to as minimum detectable activity. The NaI well detector had the lowest minimum detectable activities for total spectra, whereas the high-purity Ge well detector had the lowest peak minimum detectable activity values. Minimum detectable inhalation and ingestion intakes from urine bioassay were calculated from the minimum detectable activity values for urine collection 1 d, 1 wk, and 1 mo past the initial intake. The calculated intakes were compared with annual limits on intake. The results are interpreted with respect to a large-scale radiological emergency response.
Parental Participation in Preterm Infant Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Nist Marliese Dion , Robinson Audrey , Pickler Rita H.
Published: December 2022

Purpose:

To identify factors associated with parental participation in the feeding care of hospitalized preterm infants and determine associations between parental participation in feeding and infant neurobehavioral outcomes.

Study Design and Methods:

Secondary analysis of data collected during a larger study of preterm infants. Parental participation in gavage and oral feeding was measured as a proportion of all feeding opportunities. Neurobehavioral outcomes were measured using a neurobehavioral assessment and feeding milestones. Other data were collected from the electronic health record.

Results:

Parental participation in feeding was low. There were associations between parental participation in gavage feeding and infant sex, insurance type, maternal race, infant gestational age at birth, and birthweight. There were associations between parental participation in oral feeding and infant sex, insurance type, maternal race, and study group. Greater parental participation in feeding was associated with earlier achievement of some feeding milestones.

Clinical Implications:

Parental participation in feeding can decrease the time required for infants to achieve feeding milestones, possibly leading to decreased length of hospitalization. Nurses should encourage parents to participate in caregiving for their preterm infants. Interventions are needed to remove barriers to parental participation in caregiving.
A New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Method for 2 Tissue Suppression: Double Tissue Suppression With Multiecho Acquisition and Single Inversion Time Combining High-Intensity Reduction (DOMUST-HIRE)
Authors: Sakoda Kazuya , Baba Shogo , Nakazono Rena , Maekawa Yui , Kuroki Yuta
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) method is one of the most important magnetic resonance imaging techniques for the brain, and the high-intensity reduction (HIRE) method is an imaging technique to obtain cerebrospinal fluid suppression images by subtracting long echo time images from short echo time images. In contrast, the double inversion recovery technique suppresses 2 types of tissue signals with different T1 values by applying 2 inversion recovery pulses with different inversion times. However, the double inversion recovery method requires the setting of 2 inversion times in a sequence; thus, its use is limited to relatively high-specification equipment. Here, we propose a new sequence called double tissue suppression with multiecho acquisition and single inversion time combining high-intensity reduction (DOMUST-HIRE) that suppresses the 2 tissues by adding single inversion recovery pulses to a sequence based on the HIRE method.

Methods

In this small clinical study, we performed physical evaluation by imaging a subject's head with FLAIR and DOMUST-HIRE method.

Results

The DOMUST-HIRE method can increase the contrast ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio between white matter (WM) and gray matter, whereas the signal-to-noise ratio between WM and gray matter decreased than with FLAIR method.

Conclusions

The DOMUST-HIRE method can be used to suppress WM and cerebrospinal fluid signals.
Relative Impact of Pain and Disease Activity on Improvements in Fatigue
Authors: Fautrel Bruno , Wu Jianmin , Wang Duzhe , Haladyj Ewa , van de Laar Mart A. F. J. , Takeuchi Tsutomu
Published: December 2022

Background/Objective

Fatigue is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed the relative impact of pain and disease activity on improvements in fatigue in 2 phase 3 baricitinib clinical trials.

Methods

RA-BEAM (NCT01710358) and RA-BEACON (NCT01721044) were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in adults with moderate to severe RA. RA-BEAM assessed baricitinib + methotrexate (MTX) and adalimumab + MTX in patients with prior inadequate response/intolerance (IR) to MTX (MTX-IR). RA-BEACON assessed patients with IR to ≥1 biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD-IR). Measures included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue scale, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for RA, and pain visual analog scale (VAS). Analyses were implemented separately for each study.

Results

Significant improvements were seen in disease activity and pain, which were greater with baricitinib versus adalimumab. A statistically significant improvement was seen in fatigue with both active treatments versus placebo. Moderate correlations were observed between improvements in disease activity and fatigue and between improvements in pain and fatigue in both MTX-IR and bDMARD-IR patients. Reductions in pain (≥50%) and remission or low disease activity (CDAI ≤10) had significant associations with fatigue improvement at week 24. In mediation analysis, improvements in fatigue attributable to CDAI and pain VAS in MTX-IR patients were 31% and 52%, respectively, for baricitinib, and 30% and 47%, respectively, for adalimumab. In bDMARD-IR patients, improvement in fatigue was attributed 48% to CDAI and 48% to pain VAS.

Conclusions

In both MTX-IR and bDMARD-IR patients, a large proportion of improvements in fatigue across treatment arms were accounted for by improvements in pain and disease activity.
Deep learning application to automatic classification of pharmacist interventions
Authors: Alkanj Ahmad , Godet Julien , Johns Erin , Gourieux Bénédicte , Michel Bruno
Published: December 2022

Background

Pharmacist Interventions (PIs) are actions proposed by pharmacists during the prescription review process to address non-optimal drug use. PIs must be triggered by drug-related problems (DRP) but can also be recommendations for better prescribing and administration practices. PIs are produced daily text documents and messages forwarded to prescribers. Although they could be used retrospectively to build on safeguards for preventing DRP, the reuse of the PIs data is under-exploited.

Objective

The objective of this work is to train a deep learning algorithm able to automatically categorize PIs to value this large amount of data.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted at the University Hospital of Strasbourg. PIs data was collected over the year 2017. Data from the first six months of 2017 was labelled by two pharmacists, who manually assigned one of the 29 possible classes from the French Society of Clinical Pharmacy classification. A deep neural network classifier was trained to learn to automatically predict the class of PIs from the processed text data.

Results

27,699 labelled PIs were used to train and evaluate a classifier. The accuracy of the prediction calculated on the validation dataset was 78.0%. We predicted classes for the PIs collected in the second half of 2017. Of the 4,460 predictions checked manually, 67 required corrections. These verified data was concatenated with the original dataset to create an extended dataset to re-train the neural network. The accuracy achieved was 81.0 %, showing that the prediction process can be further improved as the amount of data increases.

Conclusions

PIs classification is beneficial for assessing and improving pharmaceutical care practice. Here we report a high-performance automatic classification of PIs based on deep learning that could find a place in highlighting the clinical relevance of the drug prescription review performed daily by hospital pharmacists.
Perception and knowledge of artificial intelligence in healthcare, therapy and diagnostics: A population-representative survey
Authors: Wittal Cornelius G. , Hammer Doerte , Klein Farina , Rittchen Joachim
Published: December 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) is understood as a system’s ability to correctly interpret and learn from data, and to achieve specific goals and tasks through flexible adaptation to those learnings. Despite a broad range of available applications for artificial intelligence in medicine, healthcare professionals are reluctant to implement AI-powered devices. Data on the perception of medical AI in the German general public are currently rare. Therefore, two online surveys were conducted in 2021 in Germany to assess knowledge and perception of artificial intelligence in general and in medicine, including the handling of data in medicine. A total of 1,001 and 1,000 adults, respectively, participated in the surveys. The survey results stress the need to improve education and perception of medical AI applications by increasing awareness, highlighting the potentials, and ensuring compliance with guidelines and regulations to handle data protection. This survey provides first insights into this relevant topic within the German population.
Cost-effectiveness analysis comparing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy with antidepressant treatment in patients with treatment-resistant depression in Japan
Authors: Noda Yoshihiro , Miyashita Chiaki , Komatsu Yoko , Kito Shinsuke , Mimura Masaru
Published: December 2022

Background

In Japan, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) became covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI) in 2019. While the usefulness of rTMS for TRD has been established, the cost-effectiveness of rTMS versus antidepressants has not been thoroughly analyzed in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rTMS for TRD under the NHI system.

Methods

Cost-effectiveness of rTMS versus antidepressants was analyzed using a microsimulation model to compare the direct costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in patients with moderate to severe depression who had failed one or more antidepressants over their lifetime. Model inputs of clinical parameters and the utility were derived from published literature. Cost parameters were estimated from the Japanese Claim Database. In addition, the robustness of the analysis results was evaluated using sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis.

Results

The analysis estimated that rTMS increased effectiveness by 0.101QALYs and total cost by ¥94,370 ($689) compared with antidepressant medications. As a result, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of rTMS was estimated to be ¥935,984 ($6,832)/QALY. In the sensitivity and scenario analyses, ICER did not exceed ¥5 million ($36,496)/QALY as the reference value of the Japanese public cost-effectiveness evaluation system.

Limitations

For the portion of the rTMS for which data were not available under the NHI system in Japan, foreign data and estimates were extrapolated.

Conclusions

rTMS showed the potential to be a cost-effective treatment strategy for TRD compared with antidepressants under the NHI system in Japan.
Common predators and factors influencing their abundance inAnopheles funestusaquatic habitats in rural south-eastern Tanzania
Authors: Mahenge Herieth H. , Muyaga Letus L. , Nkya Joel D. , Kifungo Khamis S. , Kahamba Najat F. , Ngowo Halfan S. , Kaindoa Emmanuel W.
Published: December 2022

Background

The role that larval predators play in regulating the population of malaria vectors remains relatively unknown. This study aimed to investigate the common predators that co-exist withAnopheles funestusgroup larvae and evaluate factors that influence their abundance in rural south-eastern Tanzania.

Methods

Mosquito larvae and predators were sampled concurrently using standard dipper (350 ml) or 10 L bucket in nine villages in southern Tanzania. Predators were identified using standard identification keys. All positive habitats were geo-located and their physical features characterized. Water physicochemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature were also recorded.

Results

A total of 85 previously identifiedAn. funestusaquatic habitats were sampled for larvae and potential predators. A total of 8,295 predators were sampled. Of these Coenagrionidae 57.7% (n=4785), Corixidae 12.8% (n=1,060), Notonectidae 9.9% (n=822), Aeshnidae 4.9% (n=405), Amphibian 4.5% (n=370), Dytiscidae 3.8% (n=313) were common. A total of 5,260 mosquito larvae were sampled, wherebyAnopheles funestusgroup were 60.3% (n= 3,170),Culexspp. 24.3% (n= 1,279),An. gambie s.l. 8.3% (n= 438) and other anophelines 7.1% (n= 373). Permanent and aquatic habitats larger than 100m2were positively associated withAn. funestusgroup larvae (P<0.05) and predator abundance (P<0.05). Habitats with submerged vegetation were negative associated withAn. funestusgroup larvae (P<0.05). Only dissolved oxygen (DO) was positively and significantly affect the abundance ofAn. funestusgroup larvae (P<0.05). While predators abundance were not impacted by all physicochemical parameters.

Conclusion

Six potential predator families were common in aquatic habitats ofAn. funestuslarvae group. Additional studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of different predators on larval density and adult fitness traits. Interventions leveraging the interaction between mosquitoes and predators can be established to disrupt the transmission potential and survival of theAn. funestusmosquitoes.
MILAN’S FORGOTTEN EPIDEMIC OF SUMMER 1629, A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE LAST GREAT PLAGUE: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE POSSIBLE CAUSE
Authors: Galli Massimo , Oreni Letizia , Ridolfo Anna Lisa , Formenti Angelo , Luconi Ester , Boracchi Patrizia , Antinori Spinello , Biganzoli Elia , Vaglienti Folco
Published: December 2022

An epidemic not attributable to plague caused thousands of deaths in Milan in the summer of 1629, a time of war and famine that immediately preceded the even more fatal Great Plague of 1630, which is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people. The 5,993 deaths of 1629 recorded in theLiber Mortuorumof Milan (a city with an estimated population of 130,000 inhabitants at the time) were 45.7% more than the average number recorded between 1601 and 1628. Mortality peaked in July, and 49% of the deaths were attributed to acute fever without a rash or any organ involvement. These deaths involved 1,627 males and 1,334 females, and occurred at a median age 40 years (range 0-95). In this paper, we discuss the possible cause of the epidemic, which may have been an outbreak of typhoid fever.
To test or not? Xpert MTB/RIF as an alternative to smear microscopy to guide line probe assay testing for drug-resistant tuberculosis
Authors: Pillay S , de Vos M , Sohn H , Ghebrekristos Y , Dolby T , Warren RM , Theron G
Published: December 2022

Background

Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) revolutionised tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, however, laboratory decision making on whether widely-used reflex drug susceptibility assays (MTBDRplus, MTBDRsl) are done on specimens is often based on smear microscopy status.

Method

We performed receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses using sputum bacterial load measures [smear microscopy grade, Xpert semi-quantitation category and minimum cycle threshold (CTmin) values] for the classification of “likely non-actionable” (not resistant or susceptible) line probe assays results. We evaluated the actionable-to-non-actionable result ratio and pay-offs with missed isoniazid and fluoroquinolone resistance compared to if LPAs were done universally.

Findings

Smear-negatives were more likely than smear-positives to generate a non-actionable MTBDRplus[23% (133/559) vs. 4% (15/381)] or MTBDRsl[39% (220/559) vs. 12% (47/381)] result, however, excluding smear-negatives would result in missed rapid diagnoses [e.g., only 51% (273/537) of LPA-diagnosable isoniazid resistance detected if smear-negatives omitted]. Within smear-negatives, testing ≥ “medium” specimens had a high ratio of actionable-to-non-actionable results (12.8 or a 4-fold improvement vs. test all for MTBDRplus, 4.5 or 3-fold improvement for MTBDRsl), which would capture 64% (168/264) and 77% (34/44) of LPA-detectable resistance. If CTminwere used, greater resolution and higher ratios offset against fewer missed resistant cases were obtained.

Conclusion

Routinely-generated Xpert quantitative information permits identification of smear-negatives in whom the ratio of actionable-to-non-actionable LPA results may prove acceptably high to laboratories depending on their local contexts. Xpert CTminor, if unavailable, semiquantitation category should be used to guide reflex DST; permitting the rational expansion of direct DST to certain paucibacillary specimens.
Efficacy of PD-(L)1 blockade monotherapy compared to PD-(L)1 blockade plus chemotherapy in first-line PD-L1-positive advanced lung adenocarcinomas: A cohort study
Authors: Elkrief Arielle , Victor Alessi Joao M. , Ricciuti Biagio , Brown Samantha , Rizvi Hira , Preeshagul Isabel R. , Wang Xinan , Pecci Federica , Federico Alessandro Di , Lamberti Giuseppe , Egger Jacklynn V. , Chaft Jamie E. , Rudin Charles M. , Riely Gregory J. , Kris Mark G. , Ladanyi Marc , Chen Yuan , Hellmann Matthew D. , Shen Ronglai , Awad Mark M. , Schoenfeld Adam J.
Published: December 2022

Background

Single-agent PD-(L)1 blockade (IO) alone or in combination with chemotherapy (Chemotherapy-IO) are approved first-line therapies in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) with PD-L1 expression ≥1%. These regimens have not been compared prospectively. The primary objective was to compare first-line efficacies of single-agent IO to Chemotherapy-IO in patients with advanced LUADs. Secondary objectives were to explore if clinical, pathologic, and genomic features were associated with differential response to Chemotherapy-IO vs IO.

Methods

This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study. Inclusion criteria were patients with advanced LUADs with tumor PD-L1 ≥1% treated with first-line Chemotherapy-IO or IO. To compare the first-line efficacies of single-agent IO to Chemotherapy-IO, we conducted inverse probability weighted (IPW) Cox proportional hazards models using estimated propensity scores.

Results

The cohort analyzed included 874 patients. Relative to IO, Chemotherapy-IO was associated with improved ORR (44% vs 35%, p=0.005) and PFS in patients with tumor PD-L1≥1% (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.0.61-0.92, p=0.005) or PD-L1≥50% (ORR 55% vs38%, p<0.001; PFS HR 0.74 95%CI 0.56-0.97, p=0.032). Using propensity-adjusted analyses, only never smokers in the PD-L1 ≥50% subgroup derived a differential survival benefit from Chemotherapy-IO vs IO (p=0.03). Among patients with very high tumor PD-L1 expression (≥90%) there were no differences in outcome between treatment groups. No genomic factors conferred differential survival benefit to Chemotherapy-IO vs IO.

Conclusions

While the addition of chemotherapy to PD-(L)1 blockade increases the probability of initial response, never-smokers with tumor PD-L1 ≥50% comprise the only population identified that derived an apparent survival benefit with treatment intensification.
Patterns of orthopedic and trauma admissions to a tertiary teaching and referral health facility in Kenya: Chart review
Authors: Omondi Maxwell Philip , Mwangi Joseph Cege , Sitati Fred Chuma , Onga’ngo’ Herbert
Published: December 2022

Tertiary hospitals in resource-limited countries treat patients referred but in most cases are the first level of care for the vast majority of patients. As a result, the tertiary facility effectively functions as a primary health care facility. The urban phenomenon of widespread self-referral is associated with low rates of formal referral from peripheral health facilities.

Study Objective

To determine the patterns of orthopaedic and trauma admissions to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Methodology

This was descriptive study design. Sample size was 905 patient charts for 2021

Findings

The mean age was 33.8 years (SD 16.5) with range of 1 - 93 years. Majority 66.3% were between 25 – 64 years with those above 65 years being 40 (4.4%). Children 0-14 years comprised 10.9% of the admissions. Of the 905 admissions, 80.7% were accident and trauma-related admissions while 17.1% were non-trauma related admissions. About 50.1% were facility referrals while 49.9% were walk-ins. Majority of admissions were through Accident and Emergency Department 78.1%, Corporate Outpatient Care 14.9% and Clinic 7.0%. About 78.7% were emergency admissions while 20.8% were elective admissions. Approximately admissions 48.5% were due to Road Traffic Accidents, 20.9% due to falls and non-trauma related conditions represented 17.1%. Close to 44.8% were casual workers and 20.2% unemployed. Education level was also reviewed with 34.0% having primary education and 35.0% having secondary education. A significant proportion of female admissions (33.2%) were due to non-trauma conditions as compared to male admissions (12.8%) (p<0.001). Aadmissions for those aged 25 – 64 years were 3.5 more likely to have emergency admission as compared to those aged 0 – 14 years. Male were 65.1% less likely to have elective admissions compared to female (p<0.001). Those unemployed were 3.9 more likely to have emergency admission compared to businessmen/women. Vast majority (89.2%) of admissions were within Nairobi Metropolitan region
Ring-finger protein 34 facilitates nervous necrosis virus evading antiviral innate immunity by targeting TBK1 and IRF3 for ubiquitination and degradation
Authors: Zhang Wanwan , Chen Leshi , Yao Lan , Jia Peng , Xiang Yangxi , Yi Meisheng , Jia Kuntong
Published: December 2022

Ubiquitination, as one of the most prevalent posttranslational modifications of proteins, enables a tight control on host immune responses. Many viruses hijack the host ubiquitin system to regulate host antiviral responses for their survival. Here, we found that fish pathogen nervous necrosis virus (NNV) recruited an E3 ubiquitin ligase ring finger protein 34 (RNF34) to inhibit RLRs-mediated interferons (IFN) response via ubiquitinating TBK1 and IRF3. Ectopic expression of RNF34 greatly enhances NNV replication and prevents IFN production, while deficiency of RNF34 led to the opposite effect. Furthermore, RNF34 targets TBK1 and IRF3 via its RING domain. Of note, the interactions between RNF34 and TBK1 or IRF3 were conserved in different fish species. Mechanically, RNF34 promote K27-linked ubiquitination and degradation of TBK1 and IRF3, which in turn diminishing TBK1-induced translocation of IRF3 from cytoplasm to nucleus. Ultimately, NNV capsid protein (CP) was found directly bind with RNF34 and this interaction was conserved in different fishes, and CP induced TBK1 and IRF3 degradation and IFN suppression was depended on RNF34. Our finding demonstrated a novel mechanism by which NNV CP evaded host innate immunity via RNF34, and provided a potential drug target for the control of NNV infection.

Author Summary

Ubiquitination plays an essential role in the regulation of innate immune responses to pathogens. NNV, a kind of RNA virus, is the causal agent of a highly destructive disease in a variety of marine and freshwater fish. Previous study reported NNV could hijack the ubiquitin system to manipulate the host’s immune responses, however, how NNV utilizes ubiquitination to facilitate its own replication is not well understood. Here, we identified a novel distinct role of E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF34 as an IFN antagonist to promote NNV infection. Nervous necrosis virus capsid protein utilized RNF34 to target TBK1 and IRF3 for K27 and K48-linked ubiquitination degradation. Importantly, the interactions between RNF34 and CP, TBK1 or IRF3 are conserved in different fishes, suggesting it is a general immune evasion strategy exploited by NNV to target the IFN response via RNF34.
Extraction and validation of patient housing and food insecurity status in a large electronic health records database using selective prediction and active learning
Authors: Swaminathan Akshay , Kumar Wasan M , Lopez Ivan , Tran Edward , Srivastava Ujwal , Wang William , Clary Max K , van Deursen Willemijn H , Shaw Jonathan G , Gevaert Olivier , Chen Jonathan H
Published: December 2022

Objective

Information on patient social determinants of health is frequently recorded in unstructured clinical notes, making it inaccessible for researchers and policymakers. We aimed to extract and validate food and housing insecurity status on a large electronic health record-derived patient cohort by combining selective prediction and active learning.

Materials and Methods

Manually labeled charts selected via active learning were used to train L1-regularized logistic regression models to identify the presence of food insecurity (N=372, 42% event rate) and housing insecurity (N=559, 36% event rate) in clinical notes. In addition to validating predictions against labeled data, we further validated predictions on an additional unlabeled dataset through associative studies with demographic, clinical, and environmental variables with known associations with food and housing insecurity.

Results

The food insecurity model had AUC=0.83, sensitivity=0.90, PPV=0.90, and undetermined rate=0.59 (n=149); the housing insecurity model had AUC=0.81, sensitivity=0.50, PPV=1, and undetermined rate=0.65 (n=224). Out of 4,337 unlabeled patients, the 395 (9%) patients predicted to have food insecurity were more likely to be Hispanic/Latino (48% vs 24%, p<0.001) and have diabetes (34% vs 12%), hypertension (43% vs 11%), and heart disease (12% vs 0.7%) (p<0.001 for all).

Discussion

Selective prediction and active learning can facilitate efficient labeling of social determinants of health from unstructured EHR data to identify vulnerable populations and targets for healthcare system and policy intervention.

Conclusion

Machine learning can be used to extract high-fidelity information on patient food and housing insecurity status.
Scoping Review of Methods and Annotated Datasets Used to Predict Gender and Age of Twitter Users
Authors: O’Connor Karen , Golder Su , Weissenbacher Davy , Klein Ari , Magge Arjun , Gonzalez-Hernandez Graciela
Published: December 2022

Real World Data (RWD) has been identified as a key information source in health and social science research. An important, and readily available source of RWD is social media. Identifying the gender and age of the authors of social media posts is necessary for assessing the representativeness of the sample by these key demographics and enables researchers to study subgroups and disparities. However, deciphering the age and gender of social media users can be challenging. We present a scoping review of the literature and summarize the automated methods used to predict age and gender of Twitter users. We used a systematic search method to identify relevant literature, of which 74 met our inclusion criteria. We found that although methods to extract age and gender evolved over time to utilize deep neural networks, many still relied on more traditional machine learning methods. Gender prediction has achieved higher reported performance, while prediction of age performance lags, particularly for more granular age groups. However, the heterogeneous nature of the studies and the lack of consistent performance measures made it impossible to quantitively synthesize results. We found evidence that data bias is a prevalent problem and discuss suggestions to minimize it for future studies.
Estimation of intrafamilial DNA contamination in family trio genome sequencing using deviation from Mendelian inheritance
Authors: Yoon Christopher J. , Kim Su Yeon , Nam Chang Hyun , Lee Junehawk , Park Jung Woo , Mun Jihyeob , Park Seongyeol , Lee Soyoung , Yi Boram , Min Kyoung Il , Wiley Brian , Bolton Kelly L. , Lee Jeong Ho , Kim Eunjoon , Yoo Hee Jeong , Jun Jong Kwan , Choi Ji Seon , Griffith Malachi , Griffith Obi L. , Ju Young Seok
Published: December 2022

With the increasing number of sequencing projects involving families, quality control tools optimized for family genome sequencing are needed. However, accurately quantifying contamination in a DNA mixture is particularly difficult when genetically related family members are the sources. We developed TrioMix, a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) framework based on Mendel's law of inheritance, to quantify DNA mixture between family members in genome sequencing data of parent–offspring trios. TrioMix can accurately deconvolute any intrafamilial DNA contamination, including parent–offspring, sibling–sibling, parent–parent, and even multiple familial sources. In addition, TrioMix can be applied to detect genomic abnormalities that deviate from Mendelian inheritance patterns, such as uniparental disomy (UPD) and chimerism. A genome-wide depth and variant allele frequency plot generated by TrioMix facilitates tracing the origin of Mendelian inheritance deviations. We showed that TrioMix could accurately deconvolute genomes in both simulated and real data sets.