bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Capturing the impact of cultural differences in residency
Authors: Archibald Douglas , Eyre Alison , Szczepanik Dorota , Burns Joseph K. , Laroche Lionel
Published: February 2021

Background

Postgraduate training is a period in which residents develop both their medical competency and their professional identity in an environment of apprenticeship. As situated learning suggests, a critical dimension of such apprenticeship is the mode through which trainees can legitimately participate in the practice before they become experts, in this case physicians. One source of barriers to participation is cultural difference between learner and the clinical environment.

Objective

To assess the extent cultural differences create barriers for residents, particularly but not exclusively for international medical graduates (IMGs).

Methods

In 2014–15 a questionnaire was developed with subscales assessing areas such as sense of hierarchy, individuality versus teamwork, and risk tolerance. We refined the instrument by subjecting it to a review panel of experts in postgraduate education followed by “think aloud” sessions with residents.

Results

Piloting this instrument yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.675. When administered to a larger group of residents and faculty representing many specialties, the Impact of Cultural Differences on Residency Experiences (ICDRE) questionnaire revealed a few items for which the Canadian Medical Graduates and International Medical Graduates differed in their mean opinion. The groups were not substantially different overall, but we did observe an interesting diversity of cultural beliefs within each group.

Conclusions

We suggest that the ICDRE may be useful in identifying beliefs which may present challenges to an individual resident or in capturing trends in a resident population so that a specialty program can address the trends proactively. The instrument also provides language with which to anchor preceptors’ evaluations of residents’ professionalism and may serve as an interventional coaching tool.
Planning a holistic summative eHealth evaluation in an interdisciplinary and multi-national setting: a case study and propositions for guideline development
Authors: Jurkeviciute Monika , Enam Amia , Torres-Bonilla Johanna , Eriksson Henrik
Published: February 2021

Background

Summative eHealth evaluations frequently lack quality, which affects the generalizability of the evidence, and its use in practice and further research. To guarantee quality, a number of activities are recommended in the guidelines for evaluation planning. This study aimed to examine a case of an eHealth evaluation planning in a multi-national and interdisciplinary setting and to provide recommendations for eHealth evaluation planning guidelines.

Methods

An empirical eHealth evaluation process was developed through a case study. The empirical process was compared with selected guidelines for eHealth evaluation planning using a pattern-matching technique.

Results

Planning in the interdisciplinary and multi-national team demanded extensive negotiation and alignment to support the future use of the evidence created. The evaluation planning guidelines did not provide specific strategies for different set-ups of the evaluation teams. Further, they did not address important aspects of quality evaluation, such as feasibility analysis of the outcome measures and data collection, monitoring of data quality, and consideration of the methods and measures employed in similar evaluations.

Conclusions

Activities to prevent quality problems need to be incorporated in the guidelines for evaluation planning. Additionally, evaluators could benefit from guidance in evaluation planning related to the different set-ups of the evaluation teams.
Clinical evaluation of an interoperable clinical decision-support system for the detection of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in critically ill children
Authors: Wulff Antje , Montag Sara , Rübsamen Nicole , Dziuba Friederike , Marschollek Michael , Beerbaum Philipp , Karch André , Jack Thomas
Published: February 2021

Background

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is defined as a non-specific inflammatory process in the absence of infection. SIRS increases susceptibility for organ dysfunction, and frequently affects the clinical outcome of affected patients. We evaluated a knowledge-based, interoperable clinical decision-support system (CDSS) for SIRS detection on a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Methods

The CDSS developed retrieves routine data, previously transformed into an interoperable format, by using model-based queries and guideline- and knowledge-based rules. We evaluated the CDSS in a prospective diagnostic study from 08/2018–03/2019. 168 patients from a pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital, aged 0 to 18 years, were assessed for SIRS by the CDSS and by physicians during clinical routine. Sensitivity and specificity (when compared to the reference standard) with 95% Wald confidence intervals (CI) were estimated on the level of patients and patient-days.

Results

Sensitivity and specificity was 91.7% (95% CI 85.5–95.4%) and 54.1% (95% CI 45.4–62.5%) on patient level, and 97.5% (95% CI 95.1–98.7%) and 91.5% (95% CI 89.3–93.3%) on the level of patient-days. Physicians’ SIRS recognition during clinical routine was considerably less accurate (sensitivity of 62.0% (95% CI 56.8–66.9%)/specificity of 83.3% (95% CI 80.4–85.9%)) when measurd on the level of patient-days. Evaluation revealed valuable insights for the general design of the CDSS as well as specific rule modifications. Despite a lower than expected specificity, diagnostic accuracy was higher than the one in daily routine ratings, thus, demonstrating high potentials of using our CDSS to help to detect SIRS in clinical routine.

Conclusions

We successfully evaluated an interoperable CDSS for SIRS detection in PICU. Our study demonstrated the general feasibility and potentials of the implemented algorithms but also some limitations. In the next step, the CDSS will be optimized to overcome these limitations and will be evaluated in a multi-center study.

Trial registration: NCT03661450 (ClinicalTrials.gov); registered September 7, 2018.
Polyostotic osteosarcoma associated with avian leukosis virus infection in a captive bare‐faced curassow (Crax fasciolata)
Authors: Oliveira Jefferson Bruno Soares , de Oliveira Ayisa Rodrigues , dos Santos Daniel Oliveira , de Carvalho Thaynara Parente , Moreira Larissa Giannini Alves , Tinoco Herlandes Penha , Coelho Carlyle Mendes , Coelho Hannah Luiza Gonsalves , de Paiva Zucherato Maria Clara , Marín-Gómez Sandra Yuliet , Costa Camila Siqueira , Martins Nelson R. S. , Santos Renato Lima
Published: February 2021

Background

Osteosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal bone tumor. Although it is a common tumor in the appendicular skeleton of dogs and cats, it is rarely reported in birds. Retroviruses are usually associated with solid tumor development in different avian species.

Case presentation:

This report aims to describe a case of osteosarcoma associated with the avian leukosis virus in a captive bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata). A captive adult female bare-faced curassow presented with lameness, hyporexia, and a non-ulcerative and firm tumor in the right femur. The bird was euthanized due to the poor prognosis. Histopathology revealed an infiltrative mesenchymal neoplasm consisting of spindle cells with moderate cell pleomorphism, organized in bundles and interspersed by marked deposition of the osteoid matrix, which was compatible with osteosarcoma affecting both femur and tibiotarsus, with renal metastasis. Immunohistochemistry of the primary and metastatic tumor demonstrated vimentin expression by neoplastic cells. Samples of the neoplasm, bone marrow, and spleen were processed for PCR, which enabled the demonstration of proviral avian leukosis virus (ALV) DNA.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an osteosarcoma in a bare-faced curassow with an unusual polyostotic manifestation and associated with ALV infection.
Gender modifies the effect of body mass index on lung function decline in mild-to-moderate COPD patients: a pooled analysis
Authors: Chen Wenjia , Sadatsafavi Mohsen , FitzGerald J. Mark , Lynd Larry D. , Sin Don D.
Published: February 2021

Background

Low body weight is associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is not known whether gender modifies this relationship.

Methods

We pooled data of 8686 COPD patients from 7 studies with a median length of 36-months of follow up. Using a longitudinal natural cubic spline regression model, we examined the dose–response relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in patients with GOLD 1 and 2 disease, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, smoking status, and cohort effects.

Results

There was an inverse linear relationship between BMI and the rate of FEV1 decline in GOLD Grades 1 and 2, which was modified by gender (p < 0.001). In male patients, an increase of BMI by 1 kg/m2 reduced FEV1 decline by 1.05 mL/year (95% CI 0.96, 1.14). However, in female patients, BMI status did not have a clinically meaningful impact on FEV1 decline: an increase of baseline BMI by 1 kg/m2 reduced FEV1 decline by 0.16 ml/year (95% CI 0.11, 0.21). These gender-modified relationships were similar between GOLD 1 and 2 patients, and between current and former smokers.

Conclusion

In mild to moderate COPD, higher BMI was associated with a less rapid decline of FEV1 in male patients whereas this association was minimal in females patients. This gender-specific BMI effect was independent of COPD severity and smoking status.
A signature of seven immune‐related genes predicts overall survival in male gastric cancer patients
Authors: Xu Xin , Lu Yida , Wu Youliang , Wang Mingliang , Wang Xiaodong , Wang Huizhen , Chen Bo , Li Yongxiang
Published: February 2021

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) has a high mortality rate and is one of the most fatal malignant tumours. Male sex has been proven as an independent risk factor for GC. This study aimed to identify immune-related genes (IRGs) associated with the prognosis of male GC.

Methods

RNA sequencing and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed IRGs between male GC and normal tissues were identified by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to screen survival-associated IRGs. Then, GC patients were separated into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed based on the TCGA dataset. The prognostic value of the risk signature model was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Harrell’s concordance index and calibration curves. In addition, the gene expression dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was also downloaded for external validation. The relative proportions of 22 types of infiltrating immune cells in each male GC sample were evaluated using CIBERSORT.

Results

A total of 276 differentially expressed IRGs were screened, including 189 up-regulated and 87 down-regulated genes. Subsequently, a seven-IRGs signature (LCN12, CCL21, RNASE2, CGB5, NRG4, AGTR1 and NPR3) was identified to be significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of male GC patients. Survival analysis indicated that patients in the high-risk group exhibited a poor clinical outcome. The results of multivariate analysis revealed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor. The established nomogram could be used to evaluate the prognosis of individual male GC patients. Further analysis showed that the prognostic model had excellent predictive performance in both TCGA and validated cohorts. Besides, the results of tumour-infiltrating immune cell analysis indicated that the seven-IRGs signature could reflect the status of the tumour immune microenvironment.

Conclusions

Our study developed a novel seven-IRGs risk signature for individualized survival prediction of male GC patients.
High frequency of the Duffy-negative genotype and absence of Plasmodium vivax infections in Ghana
Authors: Brown Charles A. , Pappoe-Ashong Prince J. , Duah Nancy , Ghansah Anita , Asmah Harry , Afari Edwin , Koram Kwadwo A.
Published: February 2021

Background

Recent studies from different malaria-endemic regions including western Africa have now shown that Plasmodium vivax can infect red blood cells (RBCs) and cause clinical disease in Duffy-negative people, though the Duffy-negative phenotype was thought to confer complete refractoriness against blood invasion with P. vivax. The actual prevalence of P. vivax in local populations in Ghana is unknown and little information is available about the distribution of Duffy genotypes. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of P. vivax in both asymptomatic and symptomatic outpatients and the distribution of Duffy genotypes in Ghana.

Methods

DNA was extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) collected from 952 subjects (845 malaria patients and 107 asymptomatic persons) from nine locations in Ghana. Plasmodium species identification was carried out by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the small-subunit (SSU) rRNA genes. For P. vivax detection, a second PCR of the central region of the Pvcsp gene was carried out. Duffy blood group genotyping was performed by allele-specific PCR to detect the presence of the FYES allele.

Results

No cases of P. vivax were detected in any of the samples by both PCR methods used. Majority of infections (542, 94.8%) in the malaria patient samples were due to P. falciparum with only 1 infection (0.0017%) due to Plasmodium malariae, and 2 infections (0.0034%) due to Plasmodium ovale. No case of mixed infection was identified. Of the samples tested for the FYES allele from all the sites, 90.5% (862/952) had the FYES allele. All positive samples were genotyped as FY*B-33/FY*B-33 (Duffy-negative homozygous) and therefore classified as Fy(a−b−).

Conclusions

No cases of P. vivax were detected by both PCRs and majority of the subjects tested carried the FYES allele. The lack of P. vivax infections observed can be attributed to the high frequency of the FYES allele that silences erythroid expression of the Duffy. These results provide insights on the host susceptibility for P. vivax infections that had not been investigated in Ghana before.
Foot progression angle estimation using a single foot-worn inertial sensor
Authors: Wouda Frank J. , Jaspar Stephan L. J. O. , Harlaar Jaap , van Beijnum Bert-Jan F. , Veltink Peter H.
Published: February 2021

Background

The foot progression angle is an important measure used to help patients reduce their knee adduction moment. Current measurement systems are either lab-bounded or do not function in all environments (e.g., magnetically distorted). This work proposes a novel approach to estimate foot progression angle using a single foot-worn inertial sensor (accelerometer and gyroscope).

Methods

The approach uses a dynamic step frame that is recalculated for the stance phase of each step to calculate the foot trajectory relative to that frame, to minimize effects of drift and to eliminate the need for a magnetometer. The foot progression angle (FPA) is then calculated as the angle between walking direction and the dynamic step frame. This approach was validated by gait measurements with five subjects walking with three gait types (normal, toe-in and toe-out).

Results

The FPA was estimated with a maximum mean error of ~ 2.6° over all gait conditions. Additionally, the proposed inertial approach can significantly differentiate between the three different gait types.

Conclusion

The proposed approach can effectively estimate differences in FPA without requiring a heading reference (magnetometer). This work enables feedback applications on FPA for patients with gait disorders that function in any environment, i.e. outside of a gait lab or in magnetically distorted environments.
Correction to: A novel ETV6-miR-429-CRKL regulatory circuitry contributes to aggressiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Guo Chunmei , Gao Chao , Zhao Dongting , Li Jiahui , Wang Jinxia , Sun Xujuan , Liu Qinlong , Hao Lihong , Greenaway Frederick T. , Tian Yuxiang , Liu Shuqing , Sun Ming-Zhong
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Does insulin resistance influence neurodegeneration in non-diabetic Alzheimer’s subjects?
Authors: Femminella Grazia Daniela , Livingston Nicholas R. , Raza Sanara , van der Doef Thalia , Frangou Eleni , Love Sharon , Busza Gail , Calsolaro Valeria , Carver Stefan , Holmes Clive , Ritchie Craig W. , Lawrence Robert M. , McFarlane Brady , Tadros George , Ridha Basil H. , Bannister Carol , Walker Zuzana , Archer Hilary , Coulthard Elizabeth , Underwood Ben , Prasanna Aparna , Koranteng Paul , Karim Salman , Junaid Kehinde , McGuinness Bernadette , Passmore Anthony Peter , Nilforooshan Ramin , Macharouthu Ajayverma , Donaldson Andrew , Thacker Simon , Russell Gregor , Malik Naghma , Mate Vandana , Knight Lucy , Kshemendran Sajeev , Tan Tricia , Holscher Christian , Harrison John , Brooks David J. , Ballard Clive , Edison Paul
Published: February 2021

Background

Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and AD brain shows impaired insulin signalling. The role of peripheral insulin resistance on AD aetiopathogenesis in non-diabetic patients is still debated. Here we evaluated the influence of insulin resistance on brain glucose metabolism, grey matter volume and white matter lesions (WMLs) in non-diabetic AD subjects.

Methods

In total, 130 non-diabetic AD subjects underwent MRI and [18F]FDG PET scans with arterial cannula insertion for radioactivity measurement. T1 Volumetric and FLAIR sequences were acquired on a 3-T MRI scanner. These subjects also had measurement of glucose and insulin levels after a 4-h fast on the same day of the scan. Insulin resistance was calculated by the updated homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2). For [18F]FDG analysis, cerebral glucose metabolic rate (rCMRGlc) parametric images were generated using spectral analysis with arterial plasma input function.

Results

In this non-diabetic AD population, HOMA2 was negatively associated with hippocampal rCMRGlc, along with total grey matter volumes. No significant correlation was observed between HOMA2, hippocampal volume and WMLs.

Conclusions

In non-diabetic AD, peripheral insulin resistance is independently associated with reduced hippocampal glucose metabolism and with lower grey matter volume, suggesting that peripheral insulin resistance might influence AD pathology by its action on cerebral glucose metabolism and on neurodegeneration.
Could graph neural networks learn better molecular representation for drug discovery? A comparison study of descriptor-based and graph-based models
Authors: Jiang Dejun , Wu Zhenxing , Hsieh Chang-Yu , Chen Guangyong , Liao Ben , Wang Zhe , Shen Chao , Cao Dongsheng , Wu Jian , Hou Tingjun
Published: February 2021

Graph neural networks (GNN) has been considered as an attractive modelling method for molecular property prediction, and numerous studies have shown that GNN could yield more promising results than traditional descriptor-based methods. In this study, based on 11 public datasets covering various property endpoints, the predictive capacity and computational efficiency of the prediction models developed by eight machine learning (ML) algorithms, including four descriptor-based models (SVM, XGBoost, RF and DNN) and four graph-based models (GCN, GAT, MPNN and Attentive FP), were extensively tested and compared. The results demonstrate that on average the descriptor-based models outperform the graph-based models in terms of prediction accuracy and computational efficiency. SVM generally achieves the best predictions for the regression tasks. Both RF and XGBoost can achieve reliable predictions for the classification tasks, and some of the graph-based models, such as Attentive FP and GCN, can yield outstanding performance for a fraction of larger or multi-task datasets. In terms of computational cost, XGBoost and RF are the two most efficient algorithms and only need a few seconds to train a model even for a large dataset. The model interpretations by the SHAP method can effectively explore the established domain knowledge for the descriptor-based models. Finally, we explored use of these models for virtual screening (VS) towards HIV and demonstrated that different ML algorithms offer diverse VS profiles. All in all, we believe that the off-the-shelf descriptor-based models still can be directly employed to accurately predict various chemical endpoints with excellent computability and interpretability.
Nanobody Nb6 fused with porcine IgG Fc as the delivering tag to inhibit porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus replication in porcine alveolar macrophages
Authors: Zhang Lu , Wang Lizhen , Cao Shuaishuai , Lv Huanhuan , Huang Jingjing , Zhang Guixi , Tabynov Kaissar , Zhao Qin , Zhou En-Min
Published: February 2021

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a highly contagious virus that has led to enormous economic loss worldwide because of ineffective prevention and treatment. In view of their minimized size, high target specificity and affinity, nanobodies have been extensively investigated as diagnostic tools and treatments of many diseases. Previously, a PRRSV Nsp9-specific nanobody (Nb6) was identified as a PRRSV replication inhibitor. When it was fused with cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) TAT, Nb6-TAT could enter the cells for PRRSV suppression. However, delivery of molecules by CPP lack cell specificity and have a short duration of action. PRRSV has a tropism for monocyte/macrophage lineage, which expresses high levels of Fcγ receptors. Herein, we designed a nanobody containing porcine IgG Fc (Fcγ) to inhibit PRRSV replication in PRRSV permissive cells. Fcγ fused Nb6 chimeric antibody (Nb6-pFc) was assembled into a dimer with interchain disulfide bonds and expressed in aPichia pastorissystem. The results show that Nb6-pFc exhibits a well-binding ability to recombinant Nsp9 or PRRSV-encoded Nsp9 and that FcγR-mediated endocytosis of Nb6-pFc into porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) was in a dose-dependent manner. Nb6-pFc can inhibit PRRSV infection efficiently not only by binding with Nsp9 but also by upregulating proinflammatory cytokine production in PAM. Together, this study proposes the design of a porcine IgG Fc-fused nanobody that can enter PRRSV susceptible PAM via FcγR-mediated endocytosis and inhibit PRRSV replication. This research reveals that nanobody-Fcγ chimeric antibodies might be effective for the control and prevention of monocyte/macrophage lineage susceptible pathogeneses.
Clonal spread of multi-resistant Gallibacterium anatis isolates among Iranian broilers and layers
Authors: Allahghadry Toloe , Ng Duncan Y. K. , Dibaei Alireza , Bojesen Anders Miki
Published: February 2021

Gallibacterium anatis is a common cause of reproductive tract infection in chickens, which leads to reduced egg production and increased mortality. This study was undertaken to investigate prevalence of G. anatis in 12 poultry flocks originating from Iranian provinces with leading chicken production and to determine genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and the presence of major antigens of the isolates investigated. Out of the 120 chicken tracheal samples collected and tested, 84 (70%) were positive for G. anatis. Genotyping by Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis and genome sequencing revealed a total of 24 pulsotypes for 71 strains (at a 87% similarity level) and seven genome clusters comprising 21 strains (97% similarity level), respectively. The combination of the two typing methods confirmed the presence of several genotypes originating from a common ancestor affecting poultry yet also suggested that identical clones were shared among chickens within farms and between different farms. The latter finding is to our knowledge the first example of clonal presence of G. anatis in epidemiologically unrelated farms. The 21 sequenced strains were characterized against a panel of commonly used antibiotics and showed lowered sensitivity to tetracycline (76.2%) and enrofloxacin (90.5%). The widespread presence of multiresistant G. anatis isolates calls for non-antibiotic prophylactics. Three major immunogen genes, gtxA, Gab_1309 and Gab_2312 were detected in the isolates indicating these antigens likely represent effective vaccine targets. A conserved sequence of the gtxA gene across a range of epidemiologically independent strains suggests the use of GtxA for future vaccine development purposes.
Next-generation UWB antennas gadgets for human health care using SAR
Authors: Ali Aysha Maryam , Al Ghamdi Mohammed A. , Iqbal Muhammad Munwar , Khalid Shehzad , Aldabbas Hamza , Saeed Saqib
Published: February 2021

The body area network is now the most challenging and most popular network for study and research. Communication about the body has undoubtedly taken its place due to a wide variety of applications in industry, health care, and everyday life in wireless network technologies. The body area network requires such smart antennas that can provide the best benefits and reduce interference with the same channel. The discovery of this type of antenna design is at the initiative of this research. In this work, to get a good variety, the emphasis is on examining different techniques. The ultra-wide band is designed, simulated, and manufactured because the ultra-wide band offers better performance compared to narrowband antennas. To analyze the specific absorption rate, we designed a multilayer model of human head and hand in the high-frequency structure simulator. In the final stage, we simulated our antennas designed with the head and hand model to calculate the results of the specific absorption rate. The analysis of the specific absorption rate for the head and hand was calculated by placing the antennas on the designed model.
Two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in Iranian general and clinical samples
Authors: Moloodi Reza , Pourshahbaz Abbas , Mohammadkhani Parvaneh , Fata Ladan , Ghaderi Ata
Published: February 2021

Background

Studies in Western cultures have shown that perfectionism is conceptualized by two-factor higher-order model including perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. However, little is known about the construct of perfectionism in Eastern societies. Thus, we examined the two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in Iranian general and clinical samples.

Methods

We recruited a general population sample (n = 384) and patients with major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and eating disorders (n = 152) from Tehran, Iran from September 2016 to December 2017. They completed the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire, Perfectionism Inventory, and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21.

Results

The two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism showed adequate fit with data for females from the general population and clinical sample. Data for males were only available from the general population, and the model showed adequate fit with the data first after removing the Rumination scale of the perfectionistic concerns. The perfectionistic strivings dimension showed no or negative association with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, but perfectionistic concerns dimension showed positive correlation with these indices in all samples for both males and females.

Conclusions

The results support the two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in samples of Iranian females from the general population and clinical sample. However, the results were different for males from the general population. In other words, the modified two-factor higher-order model showed acceptable fit with the data for males from the general population only after removing the Rumination scale from perfectionistic concerns. These differences among males and females were discussed.
Targeted proteomics-derived biomarker profile develops a multi-protein classifier in liquid biopsies for early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from a population-based case-control study
Authors: Yang Xiaorong , Suo Chen , Zhang Tongchao , Yin Xiaolin , Man Jinyu , Yuan Ziyu , Yu Jingru , Jin Li , Chen Xingdong , Lu Ming , Ye Weimin
Published: February 2021

Background

Early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a challenge due to the lack of specific blood biomarkers. We aimed to develop a serum multi-protein signature for the early detection of ESCC.

Methods

We selected 70 healthy controls, 30 precancerous patients, 60 stage I patients, 70 stage II patients and 70 stage III/IV ESCC patients from a completed ESCC case-control study in a high-risk area of China. Olink Multiplex Oncology II targeted proteomics panel was used to simultaneously detect the levels of 92 cancer-related proteins in serum using proximity extension assay.

Results

We found that 10 upregulated and 13 downregulated protein biomarkers in serum could distinguish the early-stage ESCC from healthy controls, which were validated by the significant dose-response relationships with ESCC pathological progression. Applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and backward elimination algorithm, ANXA1 (annexin A1), hK8 (kallikrein-8), hK14 (kallikrein-14), VIM (vimentin), and RSPO3 (R-spondin-3) were kept in the final model to discriminate early ESCC cases from healthy controls with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.936 (95% confidence interval: 0.899 ~ 0.973). The average accuracy rates of the five-protein classifier were 0.861 and 0.825 in training and test data by five-fold cross-validation.

Conclusions

Our study suggested that a combination of ANXA1, hK8, hK14, VIM and RSPO3 serum proteins could be considered as a potential tool for screening and early diagnosis of ESCC, especially with the establishment of a three-level hierarchical screening strategy for ESCC control.
Correction to: Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome
Authors: Rasmussen Kaare Lund , van der Plicht Johannes , La Nasa Jacopo , Ribechini Erika , Colombini Maria Perla , Delbey Thomas , Skytte Lilian , Schiavone Simone , Kjær Ulla , Grinder-Hansen Poul , Lanzillotta Lautaro Roig
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Evaluation of recent advances in recommender systems on Arabic content
Authors: Srifi Mehdi , Oussous Ahmed , Ait Lahcen Ayoub , Mouline Salma
Published: February 2021

Various recommender systems (RSs) have been developed over recent years, and many of them have concentrated on English content. Thus, the majority of RSs from the literature were compared on English content. However, the research investigations about RSs when using contents in other languages such as Arabic are minimal. The researchers still neglect the field of Arabic RSs. Therefore, we aim through this study to fill this research gap by leveraging the benefit of recent advances in the English RSs field. Our main goal is to investigate recent RSs in an Arabic context. For that, we firstly selected five state-of-the-art RSs devoted originally to English content, and then we empirically evaluated their performance on Arabic content. As a result of this work, we first build four publicly available large-scale Arabic datasets for recommendation purposes. Second, various text preprocessing techniques have been provided for preparing the constructed datasets. Third, our investigation derived well-argued conclusions about the usage of modern RSs in the Arabic context. The experimental results proved that these systems ensure high performance when applied to Arabic content.
Correction to: Dysregulated expression of the b2-adrenergic receptor insepsis
Authors: Kleyman A. , Cesar A. , Stanzani G. , Arulkumaran N. , Khaliq W. , Andreis DT. , Bollen Pinto B. , Waugh M. , Singer M.
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Performance and risk factors associated with first antibiotic treatment in two herds, raising pigs without antibiotics
Authors: Lynegaard J. C. , Larsen I. , Hansen C. F. , Nielsen J. P. , Amdi C.
Published: February 2021

Background

Antibiotic (AB) consumption in production animals has a high awareness among politicians and consumers due to the risk of selection for AB resistance among potentially zoonotic bacteria. However, AB treatment of animals is at times necessary to treat diseases and ensure the wellbeing of the animals we take into our care. Raised without antibiotics (RWA) is a concept where pigs are individually ear-tagged for tracking, and if pigs are AB treated, they lose their RWA status. At slaughter, the farmer receives an additional price for non-AB treated pigs. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for AB treatment and to investigate growth performance of pigs in two Danish RWA herds.

Results

A total of 518 pigs in herd A and 436 pigs in herd B, were individually ear-tagged and subjected to weekly investigations of AB treatment status from birth to 12 weeks of age. Bodyweight was recorded at birth, 2, 4 and 12 weeks of age. The results showed, that at 12 weeks of age, 82 of 518 liveborn pigs were AB treated in herd A and 31 of 436 liveborn pigs were AB treated in herd B. Individual pigs that required AB treatment had a reduced average daily gain from day 0 to 28 in both herds (herd A,P <  0.001; herd B,P = 0.062) and from day 0 to 84 in herd A (P <  0.001). Additionally, significant risk factors for AB treatment were identified as a low bodyweight in herd A, whereas barrows and litters with less than 19 piglets were the main risk factors in herd B.

Conclusion

The results suggests that in order to reduce AB treatments particular attention should be addressed to smaller pigs and barrows in RWA herds. In these two Danish RWA herds from this study it was possible for 64 and 68% pigs to reach 12 weeks of life without any AB treatments.
Costly children: the motivations for parental investment in children in a low fertility context
Authors: Gauthier Anne H. , de Jong Petra W.
Published: February 2021

While the literature has documented a general increase in parental investment in children, both in terms of financial and time investment, the motives for this increase remain unclear. This paper aims at shedding light on these motives by examining parents’ own narratives of their parenting experiences from the vantage point of three theoretical perspectives. In doing so, the paper brings side-by-side the goal of providing children with human and social capital to improve their future labour market prospects, the pressures on parents to conform to new societal standards of good and intensive parenting, and the experience of parenting as part of self-development. The data come from a qualitative study of middle-income parents in Canada and the USA. The results provide some support for each of these perspectives, while also revealing how they jointly help explain parents’ large investment in their children as well as the tensions and contradictions that come with it.
Evaluating context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention on lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration in Northern Ghana using the RE-AIM framework
Authors: Manyeh Alfred Kwesi , Chirwa Tobias , Ramaswamy Rohit , Baiden Frank , Ibisomi Latifat
Published: February 2021

Background

Over a decade of implementing a global strategy to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in Ghana through mass drug administration, the disease is still being transmitted in 11 districts out of an initial 98 endemic districts identified in 2000. A context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention was implemented in the Bole District of Northern Ghana after an initial needs assessment to improve the lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration towards eliminating the disease. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the process and impact of the lymphatic filariasis context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention in the Bole District of Northern Ghana.

Method

A cross-sectional mixed methods study using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework to evaluate the context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention was employed. Quantitative secondary data was extracted from the neglected tropical diseases database. A community survey was conducted with 446 randomly selected participants. Qualitative data were collected from 42 purposively selected health workers, chiefs/opinion leaders and community drug distributors in the study area.

Results

The evaluation findings showed an improvement in social mobilisation and sensitisation, knowledge about lymphatic filariasis and mass drug administration process, willingness to ingest the medication and adherence to the direct observation treatment strategy. We observed an increase in coverage ranging from 0.1 to 12.3% after implementing the intervention at the sub-district level and reducing self-reported adverse drug reaction. The level of reach, effectiveness and adoption at the district, sub-district and individual participants’ level suggest that the context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention is feasible to implement in lymphatic filariasis hotspot districts based on initial context-specific needs assessment.

Conclusion

The study provided the groundwork for future application of the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the implementation of context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention to improve lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration towards eliminating the disease as a public health problem.
Efficacy of neurofeedback as a treatment modality for children in the autistic spectrum
Authors: Mekkawy L.
Published: February 2021

Background

Neurofeedback (NFB) has been conceded as a convenient measure for both identifying and remodeling neural pliability of brain cells; it is a mean through which participants can have voluntary control on their brain waves being expressed on the EEG. Forty-two autistic children received a NFB therapy aiming at improving their cognitive abilities.

Results

NFB succeeded to decrease children’s high theta/beta ratio by inhibiting theta activity and intensifying beta activity over different sessions. Following therapy, the children’s cognitive functions were found to show comparative improvement compared to pre-treatment assessment on a range of different tasks. Auxiliary improvements were found in their social, thought and attention domains.

Conclusion

These findings propose a basic cognitive function impairment in autism spectrum disorder that can be reduced through specific NFB treatment.
Guidelines for otorhinolaryngologists and head neck surgeons in coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
Authors: Juvekar Meenesh , Sarkar Baisali
Published: February 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 was first identified in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province, in December 2019. India has witnessed a massive surge of coronavirus cases.

Main text

This study details the measures to be taken by the clinicians involved in doing otorhinolaryngology and head neck surgery in light of the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. All COVID-positive patients should be admitted in a separate COVID ward, and patients should be screened for COVID-19 before admission. Only emergent ENT surgeries should be done in an operating room having a negative pressure environment with high-frequency air changes, and all staff must wear personal protective equipment. The anesthetist intubates the patient while the surgical team waits outside the operation theater post-intubation for 21 min. For otology surgery, double draping of the microscope should be done; for rhinology surgery, concept of negative-pressure otolaryngology viral isolation drape (NOVID) system should be used. Smoke evacuation system is set up inside the tent to evacuate any smoke produced during the surgery. Tracheostomy should be done at least after 10 days of mechanical ventilation with cuffed, non-fenestrated tracheal tube inserted through the tracheal window, and a separate closed suction system is used for suctioning. After the surgery is completed, disposal of PPE kit needs to be done according to local guidelines. After completion of the surgery, the full anesthesia unit should be disinfected for 2 h with 12 % hydrogen peroxide. Chlorine-containing disinfectant (2000 mg/L) is used to clean the floor of the operation theater and clean all the reusable medical equipment. Ultra-low volume 20 to 30 mL/m of 3% hydrogen peroxide is used to fumigate the OT for 2 h.

Conclusions

COVID-19 is a newly discovered infectious disease. Measures need to be taken to prevent transmission and attain a plateau and decline in the disease. Otorhinolaryngologists and head neck surgeons are at high risk of this infection. This review summarizes the protocol for otorhinolaryngologists and head neck surgeons caring for patients in this current scenario. Protocols need to be strictly followed to prevent the spread of this disease.
A Unique and Scalable Model for Increasing Research Engagement, STEM Persistence, and Entry into Doctoral Programs
Authors: Sellami Nadia , Toven-Lindsey Brit , Levis-Fitzgerald Marc , Barber Paul H. , Hasson Tama
Published: February 2021

Participation in the University of California, Los Angeles Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS) program has a positive effect on closing gaps in research participation, graduation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors, and enrollment into graduate and professional doctoral degree programs for underrepresented minority (URM) students. Hence, PEERS could serve as a model for other institutions looking for cost-effective ways to promote URM student success.
An iterative fast sweeping method for the eikonal equation in 2D anisotropic media on unstructured triangular meshes
Authors: Zhang Qingyu , Ma Xiao , Nie Yufeng
Published: February 2021

Computation of traveltimes and raypaths is important for anisotropic tomography inversions. The eikonal-equation-based method outperforms traditional ray methods by producing more accurate results. However, most existing eikonal solvers are formulated on structured regular meshes, which are no longer accurate for models with the presence of irregular topography and subsurface interfaces. To solve the eikonal equation in vertically transversely isotropic (VTI) or tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) models with irregular geometry, we have formulated a new iterative fast sweeping method (FSM) on unstructured triangular meshes. The fixed-point iteration is implemented to capture the high-order nonlinear terms therein, and an FSM on unstructured triangular meshes is implemented to solve the resulting elliptically anisotropic eikonal equation at every iteration. We test the new algorithm for direct arrivals and reflected arrivals, and then we use the calculated traveltimes to track the raypath in VTI/TTI media. Numerical tests demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the new method for models with rough topography and subsurface interface.
Could health-improving interventions address the growing unemployment crisis?
Authors: Butler Joseph
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented rates of unemployment. Poorer mental health is a cause and a consequence of unemployment, and job seekers with poorer mental health remain unemployed for longer. The review in this month's Cochrane Corner aimed to evaluate the effects of health-improving interventions on job seeker's re-employment rates. This commentary critically evaluates the review and explores the relevance of its findings.
The challenges and necessity of situating ‘illness narratives’ in recovery and mental health treatment
Authors: Khan Nagina , Tracy Derek K.
Published: February 2021

In mental health services, recovery constitutes a guiding principle that is endorsed in professional medical guidelines and has become central to mental health policies across the world. However, for many clinicians, it can be a challenge to effectively embed recovery concepts into professionally directed treatment of disease without distortion, and ostensibly away from what matters to those who use the services. We discuss the evolving and multifaceted concept of ‘recovery’, including illness narratives to frame our discussion. We demonstrate how integration between a person-directed management of illness and a professionally directed treatment of disease can converge, resulting in positive outcomes for people with mental illness.
August Winnig: From Proletariat to Workerdom, in the Name of the People
Authors: Hake Sabine
Published: February 2021

In the social imaginaries that sustained Nazi ideology from the 1920s through the 1930s, Arbeitertum, translated here as “workerdom,” played a key role in integrating socialist positions into the discourse of the Volksgemeinschaft. Workerdom proved essential for translating the class-based identifications associated with the proletariat into the race-based categories that redefined the people, and hence the workers, in line with antisemitic thought. The writings of the prolific but largely forgotten August Winnig (1878–1956) can be used to reconstruct how workerdom came to provide an emotional blueprint, an identificatory model, and a compensatory fantasy in the reimagining of class, folk, and nation. The influential Vom Proletariat zum Arbeitertum (1930), as well as select autobiographical and fictional works by Winnig, are used to uncover these continuities through the political emotions, dispositions, and identifications that can properly be called populist. In the larger context of worker’s literature, conservative revolution, and völkisch thought, the Nazi discourse of workerdom not only confirms the close connection between political emotion and populist (un)reason but also opens up new ways to understand the continued attractions of populism as a particular kind of politics of emotion based on the dream of the people.
World Literature and Socialist Internationalism in the Weimar Republic: Five Theses
Authors: Schaub Christoph
Published: February 2021

Largely overlooked in the booming scholarship on world literature, literary globalization, and transnational modernism, a world literature of socialist internationalism was imagined, written, theorized, and practiced in the aftermath of World War I, representing the first attempt to actualize the idea of world literature under the auspices of a social and political mass movement. This article develops and illustrates five theses about this internationalist world literature. It thereby sketches aspects of the history of internationalist world literature in Germany between 1918 and 1933 and formulates historical, historiographical, poetological, and literary and cultural theoretical interventions into the field of world literature studies. In particular, the article develops the notions of the transnational literary counterpublic and of realist modernism while tracing ideas about transnational class literatures and nonnormative imaginaries of the proletariat.