bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Income disparity, perceptions of inequality, and public tolerance
Authors: Wei Qingong
Published: September 2022

In the process of rapid transition, high income inequality and high public tolerance for inequality coexist in China. This phenomenon and its empirical and theoretical conundrum require exploration and explanation. With data from the 2013 Chinese General Social Survey, this article identifies and tests two forms of income inequality and their impacts on public tolerance. Analytical results of the mediating effect of “social context–subject perception” suggest that objective income inequality and perceived inequality have different effects on public tolerance. The statistical data consistently show that objective income inequality has no direct impact on public tolerance. But the larger the perceived inequality, the less it is tolerated. Meanwhile, actual big disparities are not accurately perceived by individuals. The existence of “perception bias” and contextual segmentation effects makes it easier for individuals to “capture” income disparity at the district and county level rather than at the provincial level, and at the current time rather than in the past. The misperception of objective inequality manifests differently among subgroups. Women and urban residents, as well as groups of medium education level, high income, and a high degree of access to information, are often more sensitive to income inequality. There is also an inverted U-shaped relationship between age and perceived income inequality. The results point to the heterogeneous effects of distribution structure and localization of individual perceptions as the key to explaining the paradox between high income inequality and high public tolerance of inequality. In other words, it is due to status-structure constraints and temporal-spatial conditions that the majority of citizens see the current income disparity as being within its tolerable limits. The implication of this study is that one should not take the public tolerance of the status quo lightly but make greater effort to optimize the localized income distribution structure.
Behaviors, Beliefs, and Recommendations to Optimize Promotion of Safe Fish Consumption Before and During Pregnancy: A Physician Survey
Authors: Ziegenfuss Jeanette Y. , Dinh Jennifer M. , McCann Patricia , Katz Abigail S. , JaKa Meghan M. , Haapala Jacob , Jones Cresta , Mello Abbey , Springer Jeremy , Kottke Thomas E.
Published: September 2022

Introduction:

Eating fish before and during pregnancy is important but care must be taken to choose fish which maximize developmental outcomes. Physicians, a trusted health information source, could provide this nuanced communication. This cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 400 family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) physicians in Minnesota was designed to understand physician behaviors and beliefs about safe fish consumption, describe barriers to physician-patient conversations about safe fish consumption generally and as part of prenatal care and to identify resources to help facilitate conversations on this topic.

Methods:

Data was collected January to April 2020. Two hundred nineteen surveys were completed (55% response rate) with 194 reporting seeing patients at least 1 day a week. Descriptive survey results from all were summarized and analyzed overall and by physician specialty. Responses to 3 open-ended questions were thematically coded to enrich the quantitative results.

Results:

While 62% of these reported discussing nutrition topics, only about one-third reported discussing with patients the benefits and about one-quarter the risks of eating fish. Despite the relative infrequency of fish discussions, almost all (>90%) respondents agreed that it is important to discuss fish consumption with people who are or may become pregnant. The largest reported barrier to these conversations was time (82%), and the most endorsed resource to overcome identified barriers was talking points (72%).

Conclusions:

Because physicians report limited time, resources that facilitate fish consumption should be succinct while serving to both nudge the message and direct clinicians and their patients to robust information.
Work-Related Factors Associated With Burnout Among Peruvian Nurses
Authors: Sucapuca Caleb , Morales-García Wilter C. , Saintila Jacksaint
Published: September 2022

Introduction:

Commonly, burnout in nurses has influenced their performance. The contribution of this study allows to broaden the knowledge of the performance-burnout relationship and identifies the work performance in nurses as a precursor of burnout.

Objective:

The study aimed to examine the factors of work performance of nursing staff that influence burnout.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional design was used and a total of 340 nurses from the department of Puno in Peru participated. Demographic, job performance, and burnout data were collected.

Results:

Job performance factors, such as counterproductive behavior, positively influenced burnout, while task and context performance negatively influenced burnout. These variables explained 28.54% of the variance of burnout among nurses.

Conclusion:

Job performance factors have a significant impact on burnout. To reduce burnout, workforce resources that motivate, engage, and monitor nurse performance must be identified individually or organizationally. There is a need to develop training that promotes the improvement of emotional skills for better performance and the reduction of professional burnout.
Decentralisation, corruption and topological reach in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Walton Grant W
Published: September 2022

Decentralisation is a key reform in the fight against corruption, particularly in developing countries. However, both scholarship and policy often fails to account for the social-spatial relations that can determine the success of decentralisation reform. This article argues that this is a critical oversight that limits our understanding of the effectiveness of decentralisation reform to address corruption. It is grounded in fieldwork conducted with 136 public servants in four subnational administrations across Papua New Guinea. Reflecting on the impact of decentralisation reform, respondents described how elites were able to direct subnational resources – sometimes for their own personal gain – by reaching across space to control subnational affairs. Anti-corruption measures were largely ineffective because they were unable to reach out to anti-corruption organisations with adequate resources and political power. These findings suggest that topological approaches to understanding power relations – approaches that stress the importance of reach across space – could help scholars and policy makers reimagine the potential for decentralisation reform to address corruption.
Measuring and mapping neighborhood opportunity: A comparison of opportunity indices in California
Authors: Brazil Noli , Wagner Jenny , Ramil Raziel
Published: September 2022

Backed by decades of empirical research, there has been increasing acknowledgment in policy, practice and research of the importance of neighborhood opportunity in shaping well-being. This has led to the proliferation of opportunity maps in cities throughout the United States with the purpose of identifying low opportunity neighborhoods in need of investment and intervention and high opportunity neighborhoods that can offer access to resources and amenities to disadvantaged population groups. By explicitly linking investment to the identification of neighborhoods that are high or low in opportunity, opportunity indices have the potential to help transform local and regional landscapes of spatial inequality. Despite this common goal, indices rely on varying theoretical conceptualizations, data, variables, and statistical approaches. How much these opportunity definitions overlap has yet to be fully examined. In this study, we compared five approaches to measuring neighborhood opportunity in California. We found low to moderate overlap across the indices, with disagreement higher for low opportunity designations. As with any quantitative analysis, opportunity mapping is not a purely technical exercise and requires a series of subjective decisions. The only way to validate these decisions is for opportunity measures to be constructed transparently and vetted by the research community. This study is a first step in this process.
The impact of geometric and land use elements on the perceived pleasantness of urban layouts
Authors: Sousa Nuno , Monteiro João , Natividade-Jesus Eduardo , Coutinho-Rodrigues João
Published: September 2022

This article presents a model to estimate the impact of geometric and land use elements on citizens’ perception of urban layout pleasantness. An ordinal regression cumulative link mixed model with those elements as regressors is proposed and calibrated using data from an online survey. Results show that landscape building height and density of green areas are the factors that most impact the perception of pleasantness. Based on the model, a methodology to derive pleasantness mean scores for a city is also proposed and applied to a case study. The methodology allows for benchmarking the pleasantness of different cities or comparing neighborhoods within a city. It can be used both as an urban evaluation tool and a decision-aid for city expansion programs.
Virtual Interviewing in the Era of COVID‐19: A Preliminary Analysis of Otolaryngology Residency Program Costs
Authors: Yousef Andrew , Bernard Benjamin , Watson Deborah
Published: September 2022

Objective

A preliminary comparison of the program experience and costs associated with the virtual interview season during the 2020‐2021 COVID‐19 pandemic against the traditional in‐person interview process during the 2019‐2020 interview season.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Setting

Our institutional program launched an online survey via REDCap to otolaryngology programs across the country.

Methods

A 33‐item survey was sent to otolaryngology residency program directors regarding their experience and costs associated with virtual interviews during the 2020‐2021 cycle and in‐person interviews during the previous 2019‐2020 cycle. Purchasing cost and opportunity cost were calculated for each program.

Results

Twenty‐two programs sent back completed survey responses. Program responses were equally represented among all regions of the United States. In the 2020‐2021 interview season, programs received more applications (mean, 400 vs 336 the year prior, P <. 001) for a similar number of residency spots per program (3.04 in 2020‐2021 vs 3.0 2019‐2020, P =. 715). The virtual interview led to more half‐day interviews, a shorter duration of each interview, and fewer interviews completed per interview date. Purchasing cost decreased by $1940.46 (73%), and person‐hours dedicated to the interview process decreased by 52.36 with the virtual interview. Total savings per program with virtual interviews were an estimated $6941.66.

Conclusions

Virtual interviews in the setting of the COVID‐19 pandemic led to a shift in application and interview patterns and was associated with a reduction in costs for programs when compared with the in‐person interview format.
Predictors of clinical response to erenumab in patients with migraine
Authors: Lekontseva Olga , Wang Meng , Amoozegar Farnaz
Published: September 2022

Background:

Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies have emerged as efficacious preventive therapies for some, but not all patients with migraine. It is not yet fully understood what predicts treatment response.

Objective:

To identify factors associated with good or poor response to erenumab, the first available CGRP monoclonal antibody.

Methods:

A chart review of patients with migraine from a large headache center who received at least three 4-weekly doses of erenumab between 2018 and 2020 was conducted. Clinical variables were compared between erenumab responders (defined as ≥30% reduction in monthly headache or migraine days at 3 months) and non-responders via logistic regression analyses.

Results:

Among 90 enrolled patients, 62.2% were erenumab responders and 37.8% non-responders. A significantly larger proportion of non-responders were unemployed (58.8% vs. 28.6%), had complex diagnosis (chronic migraine overlapping another primary or secondary headache) (47.1% vs. 14.3%), higher monthly headache days (30 vs. 25.5) and migraine days (20 vs. 12), a higher frequency of daily headache (76.5% vs. 48.2%), and failed more preventive therapies (5.5 vs. 3). Based on logistic regressions, erenumab responsiveness did not significantly associate with duration of migraine, presence of aura, medication overuse, number of concurrent preventives, response to onabotulinumtoxinA or triptans, or certain comorbidities and substance use.

Conclusions:

This work may help improve selection of patients who may benefit from erenumab, but further prospective research studies are needed.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation compared to conservative management in adults with inborn errors of immunity
Authors: Cheminant Morgane , Fox Thomas A. , Alligon Mickael , Bouaziz Olivier , Neven Bénédicte , Moshous Despina , Blanche Stéphane , Guffroy Aurélien , Fieschi Claire , Malphettes Marion , Schleinitz Nicolas , Perlat Antoinette , Viallard Jean-François , Dhedin Nathalie , Sarrot-Reynauld Françoise , Durieu Isabelle , Humbert Sébastien , Fouyssac Fanny , Barlogis Vincent , Carpenter Benjamin , Hough Rachael , Laurence Arian , Marçais Ambroise , Chakraverty Ronjon , Hermine Olivier , Fischer Alain , Burns Siobhan O. , Mahlaoui Nizar , Morris Emma C. , Suarez Felipe
Published: September 2022

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is curative for severe inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), with recent data suggesting alloSCT in adulthood is safe and effective in selected patients. However, questions remain regarding the indications for and optimal timing of transplant. We retrospectively compared outcomes of transplanted vs matched nontransplanted adults with severe IEIs. Seventy-nine patients (aged ≥ 15 years) underwent alloSCT between 2008 and 2018 for IEIs such as chronic granulomatous disease (n = 20) and various combined immune deficiencies (n = 59). A cohort of nontransplanted patients from the French Centre de Référence Déficits Immunitaires Héréditaires registry was identified blindly for case-control analysis, with ≤3 matched controls per index patient, without replacement. The nontransplanted patients were matched for birth decade, age at last review greater than index patient age at alloSCT, chronic granulomatous disease or combined immune deficiencies, and autoimmune/lymphoproliferative complications. A total of 281 patients were included (79 transplanted, 202 nontransplanted). Median age at transplant was 21 years. Transplant indications were mainly lymphoproliferative disease (n = 23) or colitis (n = 15). Median follow-up was 4.8 years (interquartile range, 2.5-7.2). One-year transplant-related mortality rate was 13%. Estimated disease-free survival at 5 years was higher in transplanted patients (58% vs 33%; P = .007). Nontransplanted patients had an ongoing risk of severe events, with an increased mean cumulative number of recurrent events compared with transplanted patients. Sensitivity analyses removing patients with common variable immune deficiency and their matched transplanted patients confirm these results. AlloSCT prevents progressive morbidity associated with IEIs in adults, which may outweigh the negative impact of transplant-related mortality.
The applicability domain of EPI Suite™ for screening phytotoxins for potential to contaminate source water for drinking
Authors: Rodríguez-Leal Inés , MacLeod Matthew
Published: September 2022

Background

Toxins produced by plants constitute a potential threat to water supplies in Europe, but have not been widely considered in systematic risk assessments. One way to begin to address potential risks of phytotoxins is to conduct screening-level assessments of known phytotoxins for their potential to contaminate source water for drinking due to persistence (P) and mobility (M). Chemical properties relevant for such an assessment (octanol–water partition coefficientKOWand biodegradation half-life) can be estimated from the structure of phytotoxins with quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models found in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Estimation Program Interface (EPI Suite™) software, but predictions must be considered critically since these models have been developed using data for anthropogenic chemicals and many phytotoxins could lie outside their applicability domain.

Results

We analyzed two EPI Suite™models—KOWWIN and BIOWIN5—by evaluating the quality of property predictions for their validation sets as a function of Euclidean distancesdEto the centroid of descriptor space of the models’ training sets. We identified model-specific applicability domain boundaries as local maxima in plots of the difference between root mean square error (∆RMSE) of modeled property values of validation set compounds within and outside applicability domain boundaries defined by a continuum of possible boundaries. And, we also evaluated four generic boundaries that have been suggested in literature. The ∆RMSE between validation set compounds outside and inside applicability domain boundaries had positive values for all but one of the possible boundaries we considered, indicating that properties of chemicals withdEinside the boundaries were better predicted. With our proposed model-specific boundaries, 21% of 1586 phytotoxins produced by plants found in Switzerland were out of domain of KOWWIN, and 46% of were out of domain of BIOWIN5.

Conclusions

Estimates of LogKOWand biodegradation half-life of phytotoxins that lie outside the domain of applicability of the QSPR models should be viewed as extrapolations that are subject to unquantified and potentially large errors. Phytotoxins outside the domain of applicability of QSPR models should be prioritized for property measurements as a basis to expand the training sets of QSPR models and to support hazard identification for better management of drinking water quality in Europe.
Genetic analysis of yield traits in Egyptian cotton crosses (Gossypium barbdense L.) under normal conditions
Authors: Abdel-Aty M. S. , Youssef-Soad A , Yehia W. M. B. , EL-Nawsany R. T. E. , Kotb H. M. K. , Ahmed Gamal A. , Hasan Mohamed E. , Salama Ehab A. A. , Lamlom Sobhi F. , Saleh Fouad H. , Shah Adnan Noor , Abdelsalam Nader R.
Published: September 2022

To generate high-yielding cultivars with favorable fiber quality traits, cotton breeders can use information about combining ability and gene activity within a population to locate elite parents and potential F1 crosses. To this end, in the current study, twelve cotton parents (eight genotypes as female parents and four testers) and their F1 crosses obtained utilizing the linex tester mating design were evaluated for their general and specialized combining abilities (GCA and SCA, respectively) of yield traits. The findings showed that for all the investigated variables, variances owing to genotypes, parents, crosses, and parent vs cross showed extremely significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences. Additionally, throughout the course of two growing seasons, the mean squares for genotypes (parents and crosses) showed strong significance for all the variables under study. The greatest and most desired means for all the examined qualities were in the parent G.94, Pima S6, and tester G.86. The best crossings for the qualities examined were G.86 (G.89 × G.86), G.93 × Suvin, and G.86 × Suvin. The parents' Suvin, G89x G86 and TNB were shown to have the most desired general combining ability effects for seed cotton yield/plant, lint yield/plant, boll weight, number of bolls/plants, and lint index, while Suvin, G.96 and pima S6 were preferred for favored lint percentage. For seed cotton yield, lint percentage, boll weight, and number of bolls per plant per year, the cross-G.86 x (G.89 × G.86) displayed highly significant specific combining ability impacts. The crosses G.86 × Suvin, Kar x TNB, G.93 × Suvin, and G.93 × TNB for all the studied traits for each year and their combined were found to have highly significant positive heterotic effects relative to better parent, and they could be used in future cotton breeding programs for improving the studied traits.
Isolated systolic hypertension and its associated risk factors in Iranian middle age and older population: a population-based study
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Ali , Ebrahimi Hossein , Khosravi Ahmad , Emamian Mohammad Hassan , Hashemi Hassan , Fotouhi Akbar
Published: September 2022

Background

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), is the most common form of hypertension in older adults. However, the ISH prevalence is not well known in many developing countries such as Iran. This study was conducted to determine the ISH prevalence and its related risk factors in an Iranian population.

Methods

Data were obtained from the second phase of the Shahroud eye cohort study (ShECS) in 2014. ShECS is a longitudinal population-based study which the first phase had been conducted in 2009 using the stratified multistage cluster sampling design on 5190 people aged 40 to 70 years. The ISH prevalence was determined based on the eighth Joint National Commission guidelines for different demographic variables. The associated risk factors were estimated by multiple logistic regression and a two-tailed p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The ISH prevalence was 15.89% (95% CI: 14.88–16.96). It was 15.68% (14.12–17.39) and 15.87% (14.54–17.29) for men and women, respectively. The prevalence of ISH increased significantly with increasing age. The 65–70 compared to 45–69 year age group (OR = 4.21), body mass index (OR = 1.03), diabetes (OR = 1.64), retirement, compared to practitioner job (OR = 1.53), and waist to hip ratio (WHR) (OR = 9.81) were significantly associated with ISH prevalence.

Conclusions

ISH is highly prevalent among the older adult population in Iran. Given the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with ISH, it is recommended to conduct education and public health interventions to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of ISH.
Binary effects of intravascular laser irradiation of blood on motor recovery and homocysteine reduction in a case with ischemic hemiparesis: portrayed with brain perfusion images
Authors: Li Sheng-Wen A. , Lin Yen-Po , Hsieh Shih-Po , Chang Shin-Tsu
Published: September 2022

Background

Stroke is a burdensome cerebral eventthat affects many aspects of daily activities such as motion, speech, memory, vision, and cognition. Intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) is a novel therapy, going beyond conventional rehabilitation modalities, that is effective in stroke recovery. Homocysteine ​​is an important risk factor associated with stroke. However, there are few studies that examine the relationship between ILIB treatment and the level of homocysteine. In recent years, researchers use the single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan of the brain to evaluate stroke patients and patients with a neurologicdeficit. The present report investigates the clinical effect of ILIB treatment on the level of serum homocysteine, the perfusion change of impaired brain region via SPECT, and the patient’s neurologic appearance.

Casepresentation

We focus on a case of a 62-year-old man with subacute stroke accompanied with left hemiparesis and hyperhomocysteinemia, who showed dramatic improvement in muscle power, a decreasing level of homocysteine, and increased blood flow of the right cerebral after three-courseILIB treatment.

Conclusion

We found that ILIB is effective in lowering serum levels of homocysteine and facilitating cerebral circulation for the patient with subacute stroke.
Hungry for more: Australian medical students’ competence, attitudes and preferences towards nutrition education
Authors: Bredhauer Jacqueline , Cone Sam , Brown Lucy , Moseley Genevieve , Wilson Alyce , Perlstein Robyn , Ball Lauren
Published: September 2022

Background

Inadequate nutrition education in medical training is a prevailing global challenge. This study assessed Australian medical students’ self-perceived competencies in nutrition and preferences regarding nutrition education in medical training.

Methods

We conducted a national cross-sectional online survey between September 2019 and January 2020. Our survey collected sociodemographic characteristics and assessed nutrition competency according to a validated assessment tool. All Australian medical students aged over 18 were eligible to participate.

Results

One hundred ninety-five medical students representing 20 Australian medical schools completed the survey and reported moderate nutrition knowledge (17·6 ± 4.1 out of 35, 50%) and skills (29.8 ± 7.6 out of 55, 54%). Students demonstrated positive attitudes towards nutrition training/education (35·9 ± 4.0 out of 40, 90%). Most medical students (n = 148, 72%) reported they had sought some form of nutrition education outside of their degree. Students showed preference for practical, evidence-based nutrition education that is integrated in and prioritised throughout medical training.

Conclusions

Australian medical students express positive attitudes towards nutrition but report only low to moderate nutrition knowledge and skills. There is an opportunity to incorporate practical, regular nutrition learning activities into Australian medical curriculums to equip future doctors to adequately address non-communicable disease. Such initiatives are likely to be well received by students.
Identify diabetic retinopathy-related clinical concepts and their attributes using transformer-based natural language processing methods
Authors: Yu Zehao , Yang Xi , Sweeting Gianna L. , Ma Yinghan , Stolte Skylar E. , Fang Ruogu , Wu Yonghui
Published: September 2022

Background

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. If detected, DR can be treated to prevent further damage causing blindness. There is an increasing interest in developing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help detect DR using electronic health records. The lesion-related information documented in fundus image reports is a valuable resource that could help diagnoses of DR in clinical decision support systems. However, most studies for AI-based DR diagnoses are mainly based on medical images; there is limited studies to explore the lesion-related information captured in the free text image reports.

Methods

In this study, we examined two state-of-the-art transformer-based natural language processing (NLP) models, including BERT and RoBERTa, compared them with a recurrent neural network implemented using Long short-term memory (LSTM) to extract DR-related concepts from clinical narratives. We identified four different categories of DR-related clinical concepts including lesions, eye parts, laterality, and severity, developed annotation guidelines, annotated a DR-corpus of 536 image reports, and developed transformer-based NLP models for clinical concept extraction and relation extraction. We also examined the relation extraction under two settings including ‘gold-standard’ setting—where gold-standard concepts were used–and end-to-end setting.

Results

For concept extraction, the BERT model pretrained with the MIMIC III dataset achieve the best performance (0.9503 and 0.9645 for strict/lenient evaluation). For relation extraction, BERT model pretrained using general English text achieved the best strict/lenient F1-score of 0.9316. The end-to-end system, BERT_general_e2e, achieved the best strict/lenient F1-score of 0.8578 and 0.8881, respectively. Another end-to-end system based on the RoBERTa architecture, RoBERTa_general_e2e, also achieved the same performance as BERT_general_e2e in strict scores.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the efficiency of transformer-based NLP models for clinical concept extraction and relation extraction. Our results show that it’s necessary to pretrain transformer models using clinical text to optimize the performance for clinical concept extraction. Whereas, for relation extraction, transformers pretrained using general English text perform better.
Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the career competencies questionnaire for nurses: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yamada Masako , Asakura Kyoko , Takada Nozomu , Hara Yukari , Sugiyama Shoko
Published: September 2022

Background

Career competencies, which are the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for career development, have been shown to facilitate career success, fulfilling both work and life goals. In dynamically changing healthcare settings, nurses’ career competencies are key for successfully navigating their careers and improving their nursing practice abilities. However, limited studies have examined career competencies in the nursing profession. In particular, no research has been conducted on career competencies among Japanese nurses, which remains a major challenge as voluntary effort is the main factor promoting career and professional development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Career Competencies Questionnaire (CCQ-J).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study conducted between June 2020 and August 2021, the English CCQ was translated into Japanese using back and forward translation. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on separate samples. In the first step, item analysis and EFA were conducted with 276 nurses from one hospital. In the second step, CFA was conducted and concurrent validity and reliability were evaluated with 522 nurses from hospitals in the Tohoku region.

Results

Content validity was confirmed by the back-translation report, an expert panel, and a pilot test. The EFA showed that the CCQ-J consisted of a three-factor structure that explained 66.69% of the variance. The CFA revealed that all the fit indices were acceptable [chi-square value (CMIN) = 432.26, degree of freedom (df) = 153, chi-square fit statistic/degree of freedom (CMIN/df) = 2.83, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.93, adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) = 0.89, comparative fix index (CFI) = 0.96, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06]. Cronbach’s α for the 21-item CCQ-J and its subscales ranged from 0.85 to 0.95. Concurrent validity was demonstrated via the positive correlation between work engagement, life satisfaction, and the CCQ-J.

Conclusions

The CCQ-J is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the career competencies of Japanese nurses. We hope that the findings presented in this study will contribute to a better understanding of nurses’ career competencies and their successful career and professional development in the future.
Employment status of AFROHUN-Uganda one health alumni, and facilitators and barriers to application of the one health approach: a tracer study
Authors: Ssekamatte Tonny , Mugambe Richard K. , Nalugya Aisha , Isunju John Bosco , Kalibala Patrick , Musewa Angella , Bikaako Winnie , Nattimba Milly , Tigaiza Arnold , Nakalembe Doreen , Osuret Jimmy , Wafula Solomon T. , Okech Samuel , Buregyeya Esther , Tsiouris Fatima , Michaels-Strasser Susan , Kabasa John David , Bazeyo William
Published: September 2022

Background

The One Health (OH) approach integrates multiple competencies in the prevention and control of disease outbreaks. Through a range of OH competence-based activities, the Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN) built the capacity of selected students at Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology. This study applied the Systems Theoretical Framework (STF) of career development to establish the employment status of AFROHUN-Uganda alumni, and the facilitators and barriers to application of the OH approach in their organisations.

Methods

We conducted an embedded mixed-methods study among a random sample of 182 AFROHUN-Uganda alumni of the 2013–2018 cohorts. For quantitative data, descriptive statistics were computed using Stata 14.0 statistical software. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted, and NVivo 12 Pro was used to organise data during thematic analysis.

Results

While the majority, 87.4% were or got employed after participating in the AFROHUN Uganda capacity building programme, 68.1% were employed at the time of the survey, 57.7% had worked with their current employer for at least a year, and 39% held managerial positions. The facilitators of applying the OH approach into employing organisations included being knowledgeable about OH, the presence of a multidisciplinary workforce, the nature of activities implemented, and existing partnerships and collaborations between organisations. The barriers to the application of the OH approach included limited funding, a negative attitude towards working with people from other disciplines, and limited knowledge of the One Health approach.

Conclusion

Notably, more than two-thirds of the OH alumni were employed, and more than a third held managerial position. While these findings portray a fairly good absorption rate of the OH alumni into the workforce, they also highlight the facilitators of application of the OH approach that need to be promoted as well as the barriers that need to be addressed if the application of the OH approach is to be improved within the workforce.
Developing the minimum data set of the corrosive ingestion registry system in Iran
Authors: Mahmoudvand Zahra , Shanbehzadeh Mostafa , Shafiee Mohsen , Kazemi-Arpanahi Hadi
Published: September 2022

Background

Corrosive ingestion is still a major health problem, and its outcomes are often unpredicted. The implementation of a registry system for poisoning with corrosive substances may improve the quality of patient care and might be useful to manage this type of poisoning and its complications. Therefore, our study aimed to establish a minimum data set (MDS) for corrosive ingestion.

Methods

This was an applied study performed in 2022. First, a literature review was conducted to identify the potential data items to be included in the corrosive ingestion MDS. Then, a two-round Delphi survey was performed to attain an agreement among experts regarding the MDS content, and an additional Delphi step was used for confirming the final MDS by calculating the individual item content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) and by using other statistical tests.

Results

After the literature review, 285 data items were collected and sent to a two-round Delphi survey in the form of a questionnaire. In total, 75 experts participated in the Delphi stage, CVI, kappa, and CVR calculation. Finally, the MDS of the corrosive ingestion registry system was identified in two administrative and clinical sections with 21 and 152 data items, respectively.

Conclusions

The development of an MDS, as the first and most important step towards developing the corrosive ingestion registry, can become a standard basis for data collection, reporting, and analysis of corrosive ingestion. We hope this MDS will facilitate epidemiological surveys and assist policymakers by providing higher quality data capture to guide clinical practice and improve patient-centered outcomes.
Circulating serum metabolites as predictors of dementia: a machine learning approach in a 21-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study
Authors: Machado-Fragua Marcos D. , Landré Benjamin , Chen Mathilde , Fayosse Aurore , Dugravot Aline , Kivimaki Mika , Sabia Séverine , Singh-Manoux Archana
Published: September 2022

Background

Age is the strongest risk factor for dementia and there is considerable interest in identifying scalable, blood-based biomarkers in predicting dementia. We examined the role of midlife serum metabolites using a machine learning approach and determined whether the selected metabolites improved prediction accuracy beyond the effect of age.

Methods

Five thousand three hundred seventy-four participants from the Whitehall II study, mean age 55.8 (standard deviation (SD) 6.0) years in 1997–1999 when 233 metabolites were quantified using nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics. Participants were followed for a median 21.0 (IQR 20.4, 21.7) years for clinically-diagnosed dementia (N=329). Elastic net penalized Cox regression with 100 repetitions of nested cross-validation was used to select models that improved prediction accuracy for incident dementia compared to an age-only model. Risk scores reflecting the frequency with which predictors appeared in the selected models were constructed, and their predictive accuracy was examined using Royston’s R2, Akaike’s information criterion, sensitivity, specificity, C-statistic and calibration.

Results

Sixteen of the 100 models had a better c-statistic compared to an age-only model and 15 metabolites were selected at least once in all 16 models with glucose present in all models. Five risk scores, reflecting the frequency of selection of metabolites, and a 1-SD increment in all five risk scores was associated with higher dementia risk (HR between 3.13 and 3.26). Three of these, constituted of 4, 5 and 15 metabolites, had better prediction accuracy (c-statistic from 0.788 to 0.796) compared to an age-only model (c-statistic 0.780), all p<0.05.

Conclusions

Although there was robust evidence for the role of glucose in dementia, metabolites measured in midlife made only a modest contribution to dementia prediction once age was taken into account.
METTL3 suppresses anlotinib sensitivity by regulating m6A modification of FGFR3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Jie , Li Shuai , Huang Zhexun , Cao Congyuan , Wang Anxun , He Qianting
Published: September 2022

Background

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant nucleotide modification in mRNA, but there were few studies on its role in cancer drug sensitivity and resistance. Anlotinib has been proved to have effective antitumor effects in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in our previous study. Here, we sought to investigate the treatment target of anlotinib and the function and mechanisms of m6A modification in regulating anlotinib effect in OSCC.

Methods

Anlotinib treatment in a dose-dependent manner, western blotting, qRT-PCR and cell lost-of-function assays were used to study the treatment target of anlotinib in OSCC. RNA m6A dot blot assays, the m6A MeRIP-seq and MeRIP-qPCR, RNA and protein stability assays were used to explore the m6A modification of the treatment target of anlotinib. Cell lost-of-function assays after METTL3 depletion were conducted to investigate the effect of m6A modification level on the therapeutic effect of anlotinib in OSCC. Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models and immunohistochemistry staining were performed to study the relationship of METTL3 and antitumor sensitivity of anlotinib in vivo.

Results

Anlotinib targeted FGFR3 in the treatment of OSCC and inhibited tumor cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis by inactivating the FGFR3/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. METTL3 was identified to target and modify FGFR3 m6A methylation and then decrease the stability of mRNA. METTL3 expression level was related to the anlotinib sensitivity in OSCC cells in vitro and METTL3 knockdown promoted anlotinib sensitivity of OSCC cells by inhibiting the FGFR3 expression. PDX models samples furthermore showed that METTL3 and FGFR3 levels were tightly correlated with the anlotinib efficacy in OSCC.

Conclusions

In summary, our work revealed that FGFR3 was served as the treatment target of anlotinib and METTL3-mediated FGFR3 m6A modification played a critical function in the anlotinib sensitivity in OSCC.
Left colic artery diameter is an important factor affecting anastomotic blood supply in sigmoid colon cancer or rectal cancer surgery: a pilot study
Authors: Li Bo , Wang Jianan , Yang Shaohui , Shen Jie , Li Qi , Zhu Qiqi , Cui Wei
Published: September 2022

Background

Anastomotic blood supply is vital to anastomotic healing. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of the left colic artery (LCA) on blood supply in the anastomotic area, explore the relationship between individual differences in the LCA and blood supply in the anastomotic area, and elucidate the relevant indications for LCA retention during radical resection for sigmoid or rectal cancer.

Method

Radical sigmoid or rectal cancer resection with LCA retention was performed in 40 patients with colorectal cancer who participated in this study. Systemic pressure, LCA diameter, and the distance from the root of the LCA to the root of the inferior mesenteric artery were measured and recorded. The marginal artery stump pressure in the anastomotic colon before and after the LCA clamping was measured, respectively.

Results

There is a significant difference between the marginal artery stump pressure before LCA ligation and after ligation (53.1 ± 12.38 vs 42.76 ± 12.71, p < 0.001). The anastomotic blood supply positively and linearly correlated with body mass index and systemic pressure. Receiver-operating curve analysis revealed that LCA diameter (area under the curve 0.971, cutoff 1.95 mm) was an effective predictor of LCA improving anastomosis blood supply. No relationship was found between the LCA root location and anastomotic blood supply.

Conclusion

Preserving the LCA is effective in improving blood supply in the anastomotic area, and larger LCA diameters result in a better blood supply to the anastomotic area.
Impact of parental chromosomal polymorphisms on the incidence of congenital anomalies and perinatal complications in a cohort of newborns conceived after ICSI + PGT-A
Authors: Rodriguez Freddy , Cruz Maria , Requena Antonio
Published: September 2022

Background

To assess the association between chromosomal polymorphisms (CPM) with congenital anomalies and perinatal complications in a cohort of newborns from couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), trophectoderm biopsy, and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

Methods

A retrospective cohort of singletons conceived after ICSI, trophectoderm biopsy, and PGT-A cycles performed at IVIRMA clinics in Spain over 4 years was involved in the study. Newborns were classified according to the parental karyotype analysis: Group I: non-carriers, Group II: CPM carriers. Couples with chromosomal anomalies and instances when both partners were CPM carriers were excluded from the study. The groups were compared for several perinatal complications.

Results

There was a significant decrease in the number of NB with complications in the carrier group compared to the non-carriers (19.7% vs 31.9%, p = 0.0406). There were no statistical differences among the two groups regarding congenital anomalies, preterm birth, alterations in birth length and weight, cranial perimeter, Apgar test score, or sex ratio (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Chromosomal polymorphisms appear to have no adverse effects on congenital anomalies or perinatal complications on newborns from ICSI + PGT-A cycles.
False gene and chromosome losses in genome assemblies caused by GC content variation and repeats
Authors: Kim Juwan , Lee Chul , Ko Byung June , Yoo Dong Ahn , Won Sohyoung , Phillippy Adam M. , Fedrigo Olivier , Zhang Guojie , Howe Kerstin , Wood Jonathan , Durbin Richard , Formenti Giulio , Brown Samara , Cantin Lindsey , Mello Claudio V. , Cho Seoae , Rhie Arang , Kim Heebal , Jarvis Erich D.
Published: September 2022

Background

Many short-read genome assemblies have been found to be incomplete and contain mis-assemblies. The Vertebrate Genomes Project has been producing new reference genome assemblies with an emphasis on being as complete and error-free as possible, which requires utilizing long reads, long-range scaffolding data, new assembly algorithms, and manual curation. A more thorough evaluation of the recent references relative to prior assemblies can provide a detailed overview of the types and magnitude of improvements.

Results

Here we evaluate new vertebrate genome references relative to the previous assemblies for the same species and, in two cases, the same individuals, including a mammal (platypus), two birds (zebra finch, Anna’s hummingbird), and a fish (climbing perch). We find that up to 11% of genomic sequence is entirely missing in the previous assemblies. In the Vertebrate Genomes Project zebra finch assembly, we identify eight new GC- and repeat-rich micro-chromosomes with high gene density. The impact of missing sequences is biased towards GC-rich 5′-proximal promoters and 5′ exon regions of protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs. Between 26 and 60% of genes include structural or sequence errors that could lead to misunderstanding of their function when using the previous genome assemblies.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal novel regulatory landscapes and protein coding sequences that have been greatly underestimated in previous assemblies and are now present in the Vertebrate Genomes Project reference genomes.
Optimal@NRW: optimized acute care of nursing home residents using an intersectoral telemedical cooperation network — study protocol for a stepped-wedge trial
Authors: Brücken David , Unterkofler Jenny , Pauge Sophie , Bienzeisler Jonas , Hübel Christian , Zechbauer Sebastian , Rossaint Rolf , Greiner Wolfgang , Aufenberg Birthe , Röhrig Rainer , Bollheimer Leo Cornelius ,   Optimal@NRW Research Group, Stingl Julia , Ziefle Martina , Offermann Julia , Erdmann Pia , Eisert Albrecht , Koech Lea , Wilhelmy Saskia , Steinfeld Judith , Groß Dominik , Follmann Andreas , Czaplik Michael , Pollmanns Johannes , Krafft Thomas , Böbel Simone , Neuerer Maresa , Brokmann Jörg Christian
Published: September 2022

Background

Increasing life expectancy is associated with a growing number of people living in nursing homes, while the availability of outpatient medical care, especially from family doctors, is stagnating in this sector. Consequently, numerous and often avoidable, low-threshold hospitalizations of nursing home residents are observed. This results in unnecessary use of resources such as emergency services and emergency rooms as well as in potential health risks to the nursing home residents related to hospitalization. This study aims to improve this healthcare gap by implementing an intersectoral telemedicine approach.

Methods

Twenty-five nursing homes are participating and provided with telemedical equipment to perform teleconsultations. Additionally, an early warning system and a digital patient record system are implemented. Telephysicians based at RWTH Aachen University Hospital are ready to support the nursing homes around the clock if the family doctor or an emergency service practice is not available in time. Mobile non-physician practice assistants from the telemedicine centre can be dispatched to perform delegable medical activities. General practitioners and the medical emergency practices also have access to the telemedical infrastructure and the non-physician practice assistants.

Discussion

Optimal@NRW adds a telemedicine component to standard care — combining elements of outpatient and inpatient health care as well as emergency service practices — to enable timely medical consultation for nursing home residents in case of the development of an acute medical condition. In addition to optimized medical care, the goal is to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. The intersectoral approach allows for the appropriate use of resources to match the individually needed medical treatment.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT04879537. Registered on May 10, 2021