bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organic amendments with and without a synthetic nematicide for the management of Heterodera avenae in wheat
Authors: Yadav Saroj , Kanwar Rambir S. , Patil Jaydeep A.
Published: February 2021

This experiment was conducted in the screenhouse of the Department of Nematology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India, in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 during the Rabi (winter) season to evaluated organic amendments with and without nematicide for the management of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae, in wheat. Organic amendments – castor cake, neem cake, vermi compost and farmyard manure (FYM), individually or with Carbofuran 3G (25 mg pot−1) – were applied in pots 10 days before sowing. All organic amendments significantly reduced the nematode population compared to the inoculated control in both years. The higher doses of the amendments were better at controlling H. avenae than the lower dose. Among the organic amendments, neem cake significantly reduced nematode reproduction compared to other amendments. Significantly fewer cysts, 75 (kg soil)−1, were found in treatment with neem cake at 20 g (kg soil)−1 combined with nematicide. The greatest plant growth parameters were observed under castor cake at 20 g (kg soil)−1 in combination with nematicide. Combined applications of organic amendments with the synthetic nematicide were better than without nematicide.
The Adolescent: R2P at Fifteen
Authors: Luck Edward C.
Published: February 2021

This contribution by the United Nations’ first Special Adviser for the Responsibility to Protect reflects on where R2P has been and where it is going fifteen years after it was approved at the World Summit of 2005.
Responsible Veto Restraint: a Transitional Cosmopolitan Reform Measure for the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Illingworth Richard
Published: February 2021

This article examines reform to the ‘veto’ power held by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The responsibility to react to mass atrocity crimes under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) lies predominantly in the hands of the Security Council, meaning that R2P and the veto are inseparable. Veto use can obstruct the Council from meeting its R2P, reflected by the ongoing crisis in Syria, over which 16 Council draft resolutions have been vetoed to date. This article applies a transitional cosmopolitan framework to offer an informal ‘Responsible Veto Restraint’ (rvr) recommendation for veto reform. This measure provides a more effective and feasible avenue for veto reform than the recommendations of the Accountability, Coherency, and Transparency Group’s Code of Conduct and the France-Mexico Joint initiative for veto restraint. rvr can help promote R2P action through the Security Council, offering an avenue for progress towards addressing the problem of atrocity crimes.
Assessing Indonesia’s Capacity for Preventing Mass Atrocities
Authors: Nurhayati Ririn Tri
Published: February 2021

With the pervasive violations of human rights, including mass atrocities, which happened during the authoritarian New Order administration, the literature on human rights in Indonesia has often been highly critical of the regimes’ human rights record. Indonesia’s regime change in 1998 brought in a more optimistic outlook; successive regimes have shown a stronger commitment to respecting human rights. However, the government still faces challenges in protecting such rights, and in acknowledgement and resolving past gross human rights violations. Consequently, future mass atrocities may not be readily avoided. This study aims to explore Indonesia’s capacity for avoiding future atrocities by evaluating three relevant factors: the influence of the interest-based arguments of the central government elites, the extent to which the idea of ‘sovereignty as responsibility’ has spread among Indonesian governmental institutions, and the role of non-state actors. All of these factors shape Indonesia’s capacity to respond to and prevent any occurrence of mass atrocities in the future.
Excluded from Political Task: NGO s’ Marginalized Participation in China’s Accurate Poverty Alleviation Project
Authors: Yang Zheng , Zheng Hanxing , Tu Wenyan , Chen Yuzhuo
Published: February 2021

The importance of NGO s’ participation in poverty alleviation has not only been well documented by extensive studies but also confirmed by rich experience both at the international and national levels. In China, the government officially opened its resources to NGO s in combating poverty in 2005, and NGO s are expected to work as important participants in China’s accurate poverty alleviation project, which is the largest anti-poverty campaign launched by the central government since the foundation of PRC. However, empirical data in the paper shows that NGO s’ participation in this ambitious project is at best very limited. Drawing from more than 30 interviews and some other sources of data, this paper argues that it is the nature of poverty alleviation in China, which can be defined as political task, that should account for the NGO’s limited participation. To be more specific, the excessive workload assumed by the local government deprives officials’ motivation to cooperate with NGO s, excluding NGO s out of the poverty alleviation project is also a rational behavior that can avoid risks for officials. Moreover, the over-supplied financial resource also makes the participation of NGO s unnecessary. This research adds more insights to the study on NGO s in China by arguing that the state-society interaction in China is still asymmetrical.
Keeping ‘Development’ in a Multilateral Framework on Investment Facilitation for Development
Authors: Gabor Evan
Published: February 2021

In December 2019, World Trade Organization (WTO) Members agreed that the Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development would move into a negotiating mode, previously set to begin in March 2020. Their goal is to have a concrete outcome by the WTO’s 2021 Ministerial Conference. These negotiations are an important step towards creating a multilateral framework on a specific, technical area of foreign investment – investment facilitation. This paper seeks to do two things: (1) to provide a comprehensive analysis of a potential framework by chronicling the genesis of the idea for such a framework and the discussions, discussing competing views on an investment facilitation framework and outlining the principal elements a framework; and (2) to argue that a framework should include provisions focused on facilitating sustainable investment for sustainable development. To that end, it advances suggestions for promoting sustainable investment and introduces a provision, the Recognized Sustainable Investor, that could be included in the framework to incentivize international investors to invest sustainably.
From Ignorant to Inspired: Moses in Gnostic Literature
Authors: Calaway Jared C.
Published: February 2021

One expects that ancient Gnostic sources would be hostile towards Moses as the ignorant prophet of the deficient demiurge. While some ancient Gnostic sources uphold this perspective, others indicate greater ambivalence, as they both rely upon and resist Moses’s authority. Other sources cite Moses positively and present him as a prophet of true, spiritual realities, even to the point of portraying Moses as a proto-Gnostic. This variety of attitudes, moreover, follows exegetical patterns stemming from New Testament writings, especially Matthew, and social patterns, providing an index to how Gnostics viewed themselves vis-à-vis other Christians and other Christian Gnostics.
Comparison of the Prediction of Indian Monsoon Low Pressure Systems by Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction Models
Authors: Deoras Akshay , Hunt Kieran M. R. , Turner Andrew G.
Published: February 2021

This study analyzes the prediction of Indian monsoon low pressure systems (LPSs) on an extended time scale of 15 days by models of the Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) prediction project. Using a feature-tracking algorithm, LPSs are identified in 11 S2S models during a common reforecast period of June–September 1999–2010, and then compared with 290 and 281 LPSs tracked in ERA-Interim and MERRA-2 reanalysis datasets. The results show that all S2S models underestimate the frequency of LPSs. They are able to represent transits, genesis, and lysis of LPSs; however, large biases are observed in the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration (CMA), and Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia (HMCR) models. The CMA model exhibits large LPS track position error and the intensity of LPSs is overestimated (underestimated) by most models when verified against ERA-Interim (MERRA-2). The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and Met Office models have the best ensemble spread–error relationship for the track position and intensity, whereas the HMCR model has the worst. Most S2S models are underdispersive—more so for the intensity than the position. We find the influence of errors in the LPS simulation on the pattern of total precipitation biases in all S2S models. In most models, precipitation biases increase with forecast lead time over most of the monsoon core zone. These results demonstrate the potential for S2S models at simulating LPSs, thereby giving the possibility of improved disaster preparedness and water resources planning.
The Anatomical and Clinical Significance of the Superior Laryngeal Nerve
Authors: Lu Kai‐ning , Ding Jin‐wang , Zhang Yu , Shi Jing‐jing , Zhou Li , Peng You , Shen Jie , Lu Si , Sun Si‐han , Ni Ye‐qin , Cui Huai‐rui , Luo Ding‐cun
Published: February 2021

Objective

This study summarizes the anatomical features of the superior laryngeal nerve in Chinese to enable the rapid location of the superior laryngeal nerve during an operation.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of anatomical data.

Setting

Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University.

Methods

A total of 71 embalmed human cadavers (132 heminecks) were examined over 3 months. The length and diameter of the internal and external branches of the superior laryngeal nerve and their relationships with different landmarks were recorded.

Results

The total length of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was 23.4 ± 6.9 mm. The length of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was 47.7 ± 11.0 mm. Considering the midpoint of the lower edge of the thyroid cartilage as the starting point and using that edge as a horizontal line, when the entry point is above that line, the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve can be found within 41.1 mm and at an angle of 57.2°. When the entry point is below the lower edge of the thyroid cartilage, the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve can be found within 34.0 mm and at an angle of 36.5°.

Conclusion

The superior laryngeal nerve in Chinese people has distinct anatomical characteristics. This article provides a new method of quickly locating the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve during the operation, which can reduce the probability of damaging the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.
Measuring the price of Australian water
Authors: Easton Steve , Pinder Sean
Published: February 2021

The Murray-Darling Basin is Australia’s largest river system spanning over a million square kilometres and supporting annual agricultural production in excess of $A24 billion. The market for trading in water entitlements linked to this resource seeks to ensure that water flows to its highest value use. The quality of the data produced for these markets is of paramount importance to all participants, whether it be irrigators assessing whether the price offered for their entitlement is fair or a water authority attempting to determine the impact of their intervention through buyback activity. In this paper, we highlight the problem of using median prices when reporting aggregate price levels. We demonstrate that a median-based price index reflects changes in the composition of entitlement sales each month in addition to any general change in aggregate prices. We employ the repeat-sales technique, historically used to construct house price indices, in the novel setting of water entitlement trading to overcome this distortion.

JEL Classification: Q25, G10
Exploring the Factors that Affect the Frequency of Use of Ridehailing and the Adoption of Shared Ridehailing in California
Authors: Malik Jai , Alemi Farzad , Circella Giovanni
Published: February 2021

This study explores the factors that affect the use of ridehailing services (Uber, Lyft) as well as the adoption of shared (pooled) ridehailing (UberPool, Lyft Share) using data collected in California in fall 2018 using a cross-sectional travel survey. A semi-ordered bivariate probit model is estimated using this dataset. Among other findings, the model results show that better-educated, younger individuals who currently work or work and study are more likely to use shared ridehailing services than other individuals, and in particular members of older cohorts. Being white and living in a higher-income household is associated with a higher likelihood of being a frequent user of regular ridehailing but does not have statistically significant effects on the likelihood of adopting shared ridehailing. With respect to the factors limiting the use of shared ridehailing services, it was found that the increased travel time and lack of privacy discourage the adoption of shared ridehailing. Evidence is also found that some land-use features affect the likelihood of using both types of services. While the likelihood of using both ridehailing and shared ridehailing is higher in urban areas, residents of neighborhoods with higher intersection density are found to be more likely to adopt shared ridehailing only. However, some of the land-use variables become insignificant after introducing individuals’ attitudes related to land use into the model. This is an indication of residential self-selection, and the potential risk of attributing impacts to land-use features if individual attitudes are not explicitly controlled for.
Reconstructed high-resolution forest dynamics and human impacts of the past 2300 years of the Parc national de Mont-Orford, southeastern Québec, Canada
Authors: O’Neill Sanger Claire E , St-Jacques Jeannine-Marie , Peros Matthew C , Schwartz Kayden Avery
Published: February 2021

We used a high-resolution lacustrine pollen record from Étang Fer-de-Lance (45°21′21.9′N, 72°13′35.3′W), southeastern Québec, Canada, together with microcharcoal, to infer forest dynamics and human impacts over the past 2300 years. The lake is located in the eastern sugar maple-basswood forest domain of the Northern Temperate Forest of eastern North America. We found that the pollen percentages and influxes of Fagus grandifolia (American beech) and Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) significantly declined over the past 700 years. Over the last millennium, the pollen percentages and influxes of the Picea species ( P. glauca, P. mariana, P. rubens) (white, black, and red spruce), and Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) significantly increased. We showed that these shifts in forest composition are being driven by changes in regional climate. In addition to the pollen percentage changes, the Medieval Climate Anomaly (AD 800–1300) appeared as increased pollen influxes and the Dark Ages Cold Period (AD 400–700) and Little Ice Age (AD 1400–1800) appeared as decreased pollen influxes. The signal for human modification of the landscape first appeared at ~AD 1550–1650 as increases in Ambrosia (ragweed) and Poaceae (grasses) from possible Indigenous agriculture. The signal of European settler landscape modification appeared at ~AD 1770 as the beginning of a steep, “classic” Ambrosia rise. It intensified over the subsequent 250 years as further increases in non-arboreal pollen taxa and early successional Acer (maple) species. Microcharcoal analysis showed that fire was a re-occurring event in the sugar maple-basswood domain, but had little impact on forest composition.
Clefts and Dental General Anesthesia: The South Thames Experience
Authors: Patel Maalini , Vaidyanathan Mina , Bhujel Nabina
Published: February 2021

Background:

Children with clefts have high dental needs and often require a dental general anesthesia (DGA) for the management of their dentition.

Objective:

To assess the number of children with clefts requiring a pediatric dental consultant led DGA in the South Thames Cleft Service over a 3-year period.

Design:

Data were collected retrospectively over a 36-month period.

Results:

Sixty-five children with cleft lip and/or palate required a DGA with the South Thames Cleft Service. The average age of the child was 7 years, and the average number of teeth treated under the general anesthetic was 9. Families traveled an average of 21 miles to access their child’s care, and the referral-to-treat time was on average 14 weeks.

Conclusion:

Results highlight the need for DGA provision for children with clefts. Cleft centers need sufficient capacity for this service to prevent long wait times, and in view of distances traveled shared, care should be implemented with local providers.
Media coverage of the unfolding crisis of domestic terrorism in the United States, 1990–2020
Authors: Zulli Diana , Coe Kevin , Isaacs Zachary , Summers Ian
Published: February 2021

Public relations research has paid considerable attention to foreign terrorist crises but relatively little attention to domestic ones—despite the growing salience of domestic terrorism in the United States. This study content analyzes 30 years of network television news coverage of domestic terrorism to gain insight into four theoretical issues of enduring interest within the literature on news framing and crisis management: sourcing, contextualization, ideological labeling, and definitional uncertainty. Results indicate that the sources called upon to contextualize domestic terrorism have shifted over time, that ideological labels are more often applied on the right than the left, and that definitional uncertainty has increased markedly in recent years. Implications for the theory and practice of public relations and crisis management are discussed.
Activin a suppresses peripheral CD8+ T lymphocyte activity in acute-phase Kawasaki disease
Authors: Wu Qian , Weng Ruohang , Xu Yongbin , Wang Linlin , Huang Yanyan , Yang Jun
Published: February 2021

Background

Kawasaki disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology and most commonly occurs in children under 5 years old. Previous studies have found that the over-activation of lymphocytes is an important mechanism of Kawasaki disease. Activin A, also known as immunosuppressive factor P, is a multifunctional growth and transforming factor. However, whether activin A is involved in the regulation of peripheral lymphocytes activity in Kawasaki disease is unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of activin A on the activity of peripheral lymphocytes in acute-phase Kawasaki disease.

Methods

Seven patients with Kawasaki disease and seven healthy controls were studied. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. The activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells was investigated by flow cytometry. The expression of activin type IIA receptors was investigated by flow cytometry.

Results

Immune imbalance in CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes were detected in acute-phase Kawasaki disease. The expression of activin type IIA receptors on CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells was increased in acute-phase Kawasaki disease and decreased following treatment with activin A. Activin A suppressed the expression of CD25 and CD69 on CD8+ T cells and the expression of CD69 on CD19+ B cells.

Conclusions

The expression of activin type IIA receptor was increased on CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells in Kawasaki disease. Activin A suppressed the expression of CD25, CD69 and activin type IIA receptors on peripheral CD8+ T lymphocyte. Activin A plays different roles in different lymphocyte subsets and suppresses peripheral CD8+ T lymphocyte activity in acute-phase Kawasaki disease.
Risk indices predicting graft use, graft and patient survival in solid pancreas transplantation: a systematic review
Authors: Ling Jonathan E. H. , Coughlan Timothy , Polkinghorne Kevan R. , Kanellis John
Published: February 2021

Background

Risk indices such as the pancreas donor risk index (PDRI) and pre-procurement pancreas allocation suitability score (P-PASS) are utilised in solid pancreas transplantation however no review has compared all derived and validated indices in this field. We systematically reviewed all risk indices in solid pancreas transplantation to compare their predictive ability for transplant outcomes.

Methods

Medline Plus, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies deriving and externally validating risk indices in solid pancreas transplantation for the outcomes of pancreas and patient survival and donor pancreas acceptance for transplantation. Results were analysed descriptively due to limited reporting of discrimination and calibration metrics required to assess model performance.

Results

From 25 included studies, discrimination and calibration metrics were only reported in 88% and 38% of derivation studies (n = 8) and in 25% and 25% of external validation studies (n = 12) respectively. 21 risk indices were derived with mild to moderate ability to predict risk (C-statistics 0.52–0.78). Donor age, donor body mass index (BMI) and donor gender were the commonest covariates within derived risk indices. Only PDRI and P-PASS were subsequently externally validated, with variable association with post-transplant outcomes. P-PASS was not associated with pancreas graft survival.

Conclusion

Most of the risk indices derived for use in solid pancreas transplantation were not externally validated (90%). PDRI and P-PASS are the only risk indices externally validated for solid pancreas transplantation, and when validated without reclassification measures, are associated with 1-year pancreas graft survival and donor pancreas acceptance respectively. Future risk indices incorporating recipient and other covariates alongside donor risk factors may have improved predictive ability for solid pancreas transplant outcomes.
Facial tremor in patients with Parkinson’s disease: prevalence, determinants and impacts on disease progression
Authors: Ou Ruwei , Wei Qianqian , Hou Yanbing , Zhang Lingyu , Liu Kuncheng , Lin Junyu , Jiang Zheng , Zhao Bi , Cao Bei , Shang Huifang
Published: February 2021

Background

Facial (lip and jaw) tremor (FT) is associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) but few studies have been conducted to explore its clinical profile. We performed this study to investigate the prevalence and clinical correlates of FT in PD, and further to evaluate its effect on disease progression.

Methods

A retrospective, cross-sectional (n = 2224) and longitudinal (n = 674) study was conducted. The presence of FT was based on a ≥ 1 score in the United PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) item 20A. Group comparisons were conducted, followed by a forward binary logistic regression analysis. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on the propensity score and weighted or unweighted Cox regression models were used to explore the impact of FT on five clinical milestones including death, UPDRS III 11-point increase, Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage reaching 3, dyskinesia development, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment 3-point decrease.

Results

FT was presented in 403 patients (18.1%), which showed increasing trends with disease duration and H&Y score. Age (P < 0.001), female (P < 0.001), disease duration (P = 0.001), speech (P = 0.011), rigidity (P = 0.026), rest tremor on limbs (P < 0.001), kinetic tremor on hands (P < 0.001), and axial symptoms (P = 0.013) were independent factors associated with FT. Both unweighted and weighted Cox regression models indicated that baseline FT and FT as the initial symptom were not associated with the five outcomes.

Conclusions

Our study suggested that FT was not uncommon and provided a deeper insight into the characteristics of FT in PD. The predict value of FT on long-term progronis of PD may need future longer follwe-up study.
The long‐term outcome of neuropsychological function is favorable in patients with non‐malignancy related anti-GABABR encephalitis: a case series
Authors: Ji Caihong , Wu Dengchang , Chen Zhongqin , Wang Kang
Published: February 2021

Background

Anti-GABABR encephalitis is a rare type of autoimmune encephalitis, which often presents with memory impairments, behavioral changes and seizures. This case series describes the neuropsychological function recovery pattern in five adult patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis.

Case presentation

We recruited five patients with clinically confirmed anti-GABABR encephalitis without any accompanying malignancy. Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted on each patient. All the five patients were evaluated in the chronic phase. Five age and gender matched healthy adults were recruited as control group. Our study demonstrated that the neuropsychological function of the patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis was no different with respect to the control group during the chronic phase (more than 6 months after onset). Moreover, one patients with neuropsychological evaluation at acute (within 2 months after onset of symptoms), post-acute (2 to 6 months after onset) and chronic phases respectively, presented neuropsychological function recovered as early as in the post-acute phase and only showed cognition impairment in the acute phase.

Conclusions

The results of this retrospective study indicate a favorable long-term neuropsychological function outcome in adult patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis, despite severe memory deficits occurring during the acute phase. These findings improve our understanding related to the prognosis of neuropsychological function in anti-GABABR encephalitis.
Testosterone and occupational burnout in professional male firefighters
Authors: Vinnikov Denis , Romanova Zhanna , Kapanova Gulnara , Raushanova Aizhan , Kalmakhanov Sundetgali , Zhigalin Alexander
Published: February 2021

Background

Very little is known about the biologic predictors of the occupational burnout in firefighters. The aim of this study was to characterize testosterone profile of active firefighters and quantify its association with three domains of the occupational burnout.

Methods

We enrolled 100 firefighters (median age 28 (interquartile range (IQR) 9.8) years with 5 (IQR 9) years in service) of three fire departments in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Demographics, smoking status, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and burnout scores of Maslach Burnout Inventory were assessed using a questionnaire, while total blood testosterone was measured in venous blood. Logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of blood testosterone with each burnout domain in the adjusted for confounders models.

Results

The median blood testosterone level was 14 (IQR 3.5) nmol/l and was only predicted by age (beta − 0.14, p < 0.01, 79% power). There were no differences in blood testosterone levels between occupational groups (Group 1 (firefighters), 14.6 (IQR 3.4); Group 2 (fire truck drivers), 14.7 (IQR 5.6); Group 3 (shift commanders, division heads, department managers and engineers), 14 (IQR 4.1) nmol/l, Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.32) or departments. Testosterone could not predict EX or CY, but had a negative association with PE score reflecting more burnout (odds ratio 1.18 (95% confidence interval 1.01;1.38)), adjusted for age, mental component of HRQL and education.

Conclusions

Firefighters with higher testosterone may develop burnout in PE earlier, and this should be considered for proper work placement within the rescue system.
Multiple drug resistance bacterial isolates and associated factors among urinary stone patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Kasew Desie , Eshetie Setegn , Diress Abeje , Tegegne Zerubabiel , Moges Feleke
Published: February 2021

Background

The urinary stone and urinary tract infection (UTI) are invariably associated and are frequent causes of morbidity. Date on burden of UTI among urinary stone patients is lacking in Ethiopia. This study was aimed to assess bacterial profile, antimicrobial susceptibility and associated factors among urinary stone patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.

Methods

An institution based cross sectional study was conducted. Basic sociodemographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Bacterial identification of uropathogens and drug susceptibility testing were done following standard microbiological techniques. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version-23. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify possible associated risk factors. Results with P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 300 urinary stone patients were enrolled. Of these, 153 (51%) were male and 261(87%) were urban residents. The overall prevalence of urinary tract infection was 49 (16.3%) (95% CI 12–21%). A high level of resistance was observed to ampicillin, penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole while majority of isolates were most sensitive to nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin. Multi-drug resistant isolates were 16/49 (32.7%), 75% of them being Enterobacteriaceae isolates. More than one-third 9/26 (34.6%) of Gram-negative isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Being female, history of urinary tract infection and history of drug use were the independent risk factors.

Conclusion

Most of the bacterial isolates from urinary stone patients were resistant to ampicillin, penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. E. coli and K. pneumoniae were the most common extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing isolates. Sex, history of urinary tract infection and previous drug use were found to be risk factors. Routine diagnosis of urinary stone patients for urinary tract infection should be promoted and further researches are encouraged.
Exploring graduate occupational and physical therapy students’ approaches to studying, self-efficacy, and positive mental health
Authors: DaLomba Elaina , Mansur Saji , Bonsaksen Tore , Greer Mary Jan
Published: February 2021

Background

Occupational and physical therapy academic programs are rigorous. Increased rates of student anxiety and depression may impact learning. Data on student study skills, self-efficacy, and mental health is limited. This study explored relationships between students’ self-efficacy, mental health factors, and approaches to studying.

Method

A cross-sectional study was designed. Seventy-three students completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students-Short Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Mental Health Continuum-Short Form. Associations between predictors (education program, general self-efficacy and mental health) and ratings on the study approach scales were analyzed with multiple linear regression.

Results

Multiple regression models revealed associations between higher self-efficacy and higher ratings on the deep (β = 0.49,p <  0.01) and strategic (β = 0.34,p <  0.05) scales, and lower ratings on the surface scale (β = − 0.29, p <  0.01). Compared to OT students, PT students had higher surface approach ratings (β = − 0.36,p <  0.001). Poorer mental health scores were associated with higher surface approach ratings (β = − 0.41,p < 0.001).

Conclusions

To support productive study strategies among occupational and physical therapy students it may be useful to promote their general self-efficacy and positive mental health.
Following the science? Comparison of methodological and reporting quality of covid-19 and other research from the first wave of the pandemic
Authors: Quinn Terence J. , Burton Jennifer K. , Carter Ben , Cooper Nicola , Dwan Kerry , Field Ryan , Freeman Suzanne C. , Geue Claudia , Hsieh Ping-Hsuan , McGill Kris , Nevill Clareece R. , Rana Dikshyanta , Sutton Alex , Rowan Martin Taylor , Xin Yiqiao
Published: February 2021

Background

Following the initial identification of the 2019 coronavirus disease (covid-19), the subsequent months saw substantial increases in published biomedical research. Concerns have been raised in both scientific and lay press around the quality of some of this research. We assessed clinical research from major clinical journals, comparing methodological and reporting quality of covid-19 papers published in the first wave (here defined as December 2019 to May 2020 inclusive) of the viral pandemic with non-covid papers published at the same time.

Methods

We reviewed research publications (print and online) fromThe BMJ,Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA),The Lancet, andNew England Journal of Medicine, from first publication of a covid-19 research paper (February 2020) to May 2020 inclusive. Paired reviewers were randomly allocated to extract data on methodological quality (risk of bias) and reporting quality (adherence to reporting guidance) from each paper using validated assessment tools. A random 10% of papers were assessed by a third, independent rater. Overall methodological quality for each paper was rated high, low or unclear. Reporting quality was described as percentage of total items reported.

Results

From 168 research papers, 165 were eligible, including 54 (33%) papers with a covid-19 focus. For methodological quality, 18 (33%) covid-19 papers and 83 (73%) non-covid papers were rated as low risk of bias, OR 6.32 (95%CI 2.85 to 14.00). The difference in quality was maintained after adjusting for publication date, results, funding, study design, journal and raters (OR 6.09 (95%CI 2.09 to 17.72)). For reporting quality, adherence to reporting guidelines was poorer for covid-19 papers, mean percentage of total items reported 72% (95%CI:66 to 77) for covid-19 papers and 84% (95%CI:81 to 87) for non-covid.

Conclusions

Across various measures, we have demonstrated that covid-19 research from the first wave of the pandemic was potentially of lower quality than contemporaneous non-covid research. While some differences may be an inevitable consequence of conducting research during a viral pandemic, poor reporting should not be accepted.
Beta-blocker therapy in patients with COPD: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis with multiple treatment comparison
Authors: Gulea Claudia , Zakeri Rosita , Alderman Vanessa , Morgan Alexander , Ross Jack , Quint Jennifer K.
Published: February 2021

Background

Beta-blockers are associated with reduced mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease but are often under prescribed in those with concomitant COPD, due to concerns regarding respiratory side-effects. We investigated the effects of beta-blockers on outcomes in patients with COPD and explored within-class differences between different agents.

Methods

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Medline for observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of beta-blocker exposure versus no exposure or placebo, in patients with COPD, with and without cardiovascular indications. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association of beta-blocker therapy with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD), and a network meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of individual beta-blockers on FEV1. Mortality, all-cause hospitalization, and quality of life outcomes were narratively synthesized.

Results

We included 23 observational studies and 14 RCTs. In pooled observational data, beta-blocker therapy was associated with an overall reduced risk of AECOPD versus no therapy (HR 0.77, 95%CI 0.70 to 0.85). Among individual beta-blockers, only propranolol was associated with a relative reduction in FEV1 versus placebo, among 199 patients evaluated in RCTs. Narrative syntheses on mortality, all-cause hospitalization and quality of life outcomes indicated a high degree of heterogeneity in study design and patient characteristics but suggested no detrimental effects of beta-blocker therapy on these outcomes.

Conclusion

The class effect of beta-blockers remains generally positive in patients with COPD. Reduced rates of AECOPD, mortality, and improved quality of life were identified in observational studies, while propranolol was the only agent associated with a deterioration of lung function in RCTs.
Cost-effectiveness of paclitaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab versus docetaxel, cisplatin and trastuzumab in new adjuvant therapy of breast cancer in china
Authors: Xu Qiaoping , Yuanyuan Li , Jiejing Zhu , Jian Liu , Qingyu Li , Lingya Chen , Ying Luo , Changchen Shi , Yangling Li , Wei Yan
Published: February 2021

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in China. Amplification of the Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) gene is present and overexpressed in 18–20% of breast cancers and historically has been associated with inferior disease-related outcomes. There has been increasing interest in de-escalation of therapy for low-risk disease. This study analyzes the cost-effectiveness of Doxorubicin/ Cyclophosphamide/ Paclitaxel/ Trastuzumab (AC-TH) and Docetaxel/Carboplatin/Trastuzumab(TCH) from payer perspective over a 5 year time horizon.

Methods

A half-cycle corrected Markov model was built to simulate the process of breast cancer events and death occurred in both AC-TH and TCH armed patients. Cost data came from studies based on a Chinese hospital. One-way sensitivity analyses as well as second-order Monte Carlo and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.The transition probabilities and utilities were extracted from published literature, and deterministic sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

We identified 41 breast cancer patients at Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, among whom 15 (60%) had a partial response for AC-TH treatment and 13 (81.25%) had a partial response for TCH treatment.No cardiac toxicity was observed. Hematologic grade 3 or 4 toxicities were observed in 1 of 28 patients.Nonhematologic grade 3 or 4 toxicities with a reverse pattern were observed in 6 of 29 patients. The mean QALY gain per patient compared with TCH was 0.25 with AC-TH, while the incremental costs were $US13,142. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of AC-TH versus TCH was $US 52,565 per QALY gained.

Conclusions

This study concluded that TCH neoadjuvant chemotherapy was feasible and active in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer patients in terms of the pathological complete response, complete response, and partial response rates and manageable toxicities.
Correction to: Differential neurovirulence of Usutu viruslineages in mice and neuronal cells
Authors: Clé Marion , Constant Orianne , Barthelemy Jonathan , Desmetz Caroline , Martin Marie France , Lapeyre Lina , Cadar Daniel , Savini Giovanni , Teodori Liana , Monaco Federica , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , Saiz Juan-Carlos , Gonzales Gaëlle , Lecollinet Sylvie , Beck Cécile , Gosselet Fabien , Van de Perre Philippe , Foulongne Vincent , Salinas Sara , Simonin Yannick
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Overlap time is an independent risk factor of radiation pneumonitis for patients treated with simultaneous EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy
Authors: Jia Wenxiao , Gao Qianqian , Wang Min , Li Ji , Jing Wang , Yu Jinming , Zhu Hui
Published: February 2021

Background

The exact rate and relevant risk factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) for non-small-cell cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with the combination of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and thoracic radiotherapy have not been reported. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the rate and risk factors of RP for EGFR-positive NSCLC patients simultaneously treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI and TRT.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively evaluated NSCLC patients simultaneously treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy between January 2012 and December 2019 at Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong, China. RP was diagnosed via computed tomography and was classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0. The risk factors of RP were identified using uni- and multivariate analyses.

Results

Of the 67 patients included, 44.78% (30/67) developed grade ≥ 2 RP. Grade ≥ 2 RP occurred within a median of 3.48 (range 1.07–13.6) months. The EGFR-TKI icotinib, ipsilateral lung V30 > 34%, and overlap time of > 20 days between EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy were identified to be independent predictive factors of grade ≥ 2 RP.

Conclusions

Grade ≥ 2 RP is highly frequent in NSCLC patients simultaneous treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy. Icotinib, ipsilateral lung V30 ≤ 34%, and overlap time of ≤ 20 days for EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy will be helpful to lower the risk of RP in these patients. The addition of thoracic radiotherapy should be cautious, and the treatment strategies can be optimized to reduce the rate of RP for patients treat with simultaneous EGFR-TKI and thoracic radiotherapy.
Correction to: GPR68 deletion impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation and passive avoidance behavior
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Lin Mike T. , Zha Xiang-ming
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Protocol for the development of a repository of individual participant data from randomised controlled trials conducted in adult care homes (the Virtual International Care Homes Trials Archive (VICHTA))
Authors: Irvine Lisa , Burton Jennifer Kirsty , Ali Myzoon , Quinn Terence J. , Goodman Claire
Published: February 2021

Background

Approximately 418,000 people live in care homes in the UK, yet accessible, robust data on care home populations and organisation are lacking. This hampers our ability to plan, allocate resources or prevent risk. Large randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in care homes offer a potential solution. The value of detailed data on residents’ demographics, outcomes and contextual information captured in RCTs has yet to be fully realised. Irrespective of the intervention tested, much of the trial data collected overlaps in terms of structured assessments and descriptive information. Given the time and costs required to prospectively collect data in these populations, pooling anonymised RCT data into a structured repository offers benefit; secondary analyses of pooled RCT data can improve understanding of this under-researched population and enhance the future trial design. This protocol describes the creation of a project-specific repository of individual participant data (IPD) from trials conducted in care homes and subsequent expansion into a legacy dataset for wider use, to address the need for accurate, high-quality IPD on this vulnerable population.

Methods

Informed by scoping of relevant literature, the principal investigators of RCTs conducted in adult care homes in the UK since 2010 will be invited to contribute trial IPD. Contributing trialists will form a Steering Committee who will oversee data sharing and remain gatekeepers of their own trial’s data. IPD will be cleaned and standardised in consultation with the Steering Committee for accuracy. Planned analyses include a comparison of pooled IPD with point estimates from administrative sources, to assess generalisability of RCT data to the wider care home population. We will also identify key resident characteristics and outcomes from within the trial repository, which will inform the development of a national minimum dataset for care homes. Following project completion, management will migrate to the Virtual Trials Archives, forming a legacy dataset which will be expanded to include international RCTs, and will be accessible to the wider research community for analyses.

Discussion

Analysis of pooled IPD has the potential to inform and direct future practice, research and policy at low cost, enhancing the value of existing data and reducing research waste. We aim to create a permanent archive for care home trial data and welcome the contribution of emerging trial datasets.
Extraction socket grafting using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2-clinical implications and histological observations
Authors: Durge Khushboo Jeevan , Baliga Vidya Sudhindra , Sridhar Shilpa Bangalore , Dhadse Prasad Vijayrao , Ragit Gayatri Chandrakant
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Rehabilitation of edentulous ridges to promote the insertion of dental implants has been the key indicator for retaining osseous structures since tooth extraction. Recombinant Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2(rhBMP-2) is exploited for bone augmentation due to its osteoinductive capacity. The objective of the study to determine the effectiveness of bone induction for implant placement by rhBMP-2 delivered on beta-tricalcium phosphate graft (β-TCP) and PRF following tooth extraction.

Results

Minimal changes in the width of the crestal bone relative to baseline values were found three months after socket grafting. A bone loss in the mesiodistal and buccolingual aspects of 0.6 ± 0.13 mm and 0.5 ± 0.13 mm was found, respectively. While drilling before the implant placement, the bone's clinical hardness evaluated through tactile was analogous to drilling into spruce or white pine wood. Total radiographic bone filling was seen in 3 months and no additional augmentation was needed during implant placement. Besides, histology shows no residual graft of bone particles. Therefore, the data from this study demonstrated that the novel combination of rhBMP-2 + β-TCP mixed with PRF has an effect on de novo bone formation and can be recommended for socket grafting before implant placement.