bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of birth certificate and maternal recall of events in labor and delivery with medical records in the Iowa health in pregnancy study
Authors: Ziogas Christina , Hillyer Jenna , Saftlas Audrey F. , Spracklen Cassandra N.
Published: March 2022

Background

Epidemiological research of events related to labor and delivery frequently uses maternal interview or birth certificates as a primary method of data collection; however, the validity of these data are rarely confirmed. This study aimed to examine the validity of birth certificate data and maternal interview of maternal demographics and events related to labor and delivery with data abstracted from medical records in a US setting.

Methods

Birth certificate and maternal recall data from the Iowa Health in Pregnancy Study (IHIPS), a population-based case-control study of risk factors for preterm and small-for-gestational age births, were linked to medical record data to assess the validity of events that occurred during labor and delivery along with reported maternal demographics. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and kappa scores were calculated.

Results

Postpartum maternal recall and birth certificate data were excellent for infant characteristics (birth weight, gestational age, infant sex) and variables related to labor and delivery (mode of delivery) when compared with medical records. Birth certificate data for labor induction had low sensitivity (46.3%) and positive predictive value (18.3%) compared to medical records. Compared to maternal interview, birth certificate data also had poor agreement for smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy. Agreement between all three methods of data collection was very low for pregnancy weight gain (kappa = 0.07-0.08).

Conclusions

Maternal interview and birth certificate data can be a valid source for collecting data on infant characteristics and events that occurred during labor and delivery. However, caution should be used if solely using birth certificate data to gather data on maternal demographic and/or lifestyle factors.
Shortening of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)—from 23 to 12 items using content and Rasch analysis
Authors: Hadžibajramović Emina , Schaufeli Wilmar , De Witte Hans
Published: March 2022

Background

Burnout is related to huge costs, for both individuals and organizations and is recognized as an occupational disease or work-related disorder in many European countries. Given that burnout is a major problem it is important to measure the levels of burnout in a valid and reliable way.

The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is a newly developed self-report questionnaire to measure burnout. So far, studies concerning the psychometric properties of the original version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) including 23 items show promising results and suggest that the instrument can be used in many different settings.

For various reasons there is a need of a shorter instrument. For example, burnout questionnaires are typically included in employee surveys to evaluate psychosocial risk-factors, which according to the European Occupational Safety and Health Framework Directive, should be carried out in organizations on a regular basis. The aims of this paper are to develop a shorter version of the BAT, including only 12 items (BAT12) and to evaluate its construct validity and differential item functioning regarding age, gender and country.

Methods

Using data from representative samples of working populations in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders) a shorter version of the BAT was developed by combining quantitative (Rasch analysis) and qualitative approaches (item content analysis and expert judgements). Construct validity of the new BAT12 was evaluated by means of Rasch analysis.

Results

In an iterative procedure, deleting one item from each subscale at each step, a short version of the BAT – BAT12 was developed. The BAT12 fulfils the measurement criteria according to the Rasch model after accounting for local dependency between items within each subscale. The four subscales can be combined into a single burnout score.

Conclusion

The new BAT12 developed in the present study maintains the breath of item content of the original version of the BAT. The new BAT12 has sound psychometric properties. The scale works invariantly for older and younger, women and men and across two countries. A shorter version of the BAT is timesaving compared to the BAT23 and can be used in e.g. employee surveys.
Severe pre-operative sinus bradycardia improved by mediastinal lymph node dissection
Authors: Wei Jin , Yu Ling , Wu Nan , Tan Hongyu
Published: March 2022

Background

We report a case of bradycardia improved by surgical resection of the paratracheal lymph nodes, which has rarely been reported in the literature.

Case presentation

A 41-year-old male patient with pre-operative sinus bradycardia was diagnosed with right upper lobe adenocarcinoma. He planned to undergo VATS right upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Consultation indicated that there was no need to place a temporary pacemaker. Severe sinus bradycardia occurred during induction of anesthesia and heart rate (HR) fell significantly from 52 to 28 bpm. There was no response to atropine. Isoproterenol was administered continuously for two hours at 0.01 µg per kg per minute to keep the patient’s HR around 50 bpm. During the operation, it was noted that the right upper mediastinal lymph nodes (group R2 and R4) were calcified and very close to the vagus nerve. After resection of the lymph nodes, the patient’s HR returned to 60–68 bpm without isoproterenol. There were no post-operative complications and the patient was discharged on the 5th post-operative day. The pathological findings indicated invasive adenocarcinoma with no lymph node metastases. One month after surgery, 24-h Holter monitoring revealed sinus rhythm without bradycardia. Six months after surgery no sinus bradycardia has occurred thus far.

Conclusions

Patients with persistent sinus bradycardia pre-operation caused by vagus nerve compression deserve attention. Guidelines on placement of temporary pacemakers and intraoperative anesthesia management may be improved by additional clinical experience.
Different effects on the tonus of colon and ileum isolated from mouse by resin glycoside (pharbitin) of Pharbitidis Semen
Authors: Zhou Jian-Rong , Tokutomi Naofumi , Satou Yuusuke , Yasuda Shin , Kinoshita Hideki , Nohara Toshihiro , Yokomizo Kazumi , Ono Masateru
Published: March 2022

Background

Pharbitidis Semen (the seeds of Pharbitis nil), traditionally used as a purgative in Japan, China and Korea, contains a resin glycoside fraction named pharbitin, which is known as a purgative ingredient. Due to the complex nature of pharbitin, little is known about either the action on intestinal tension caused by resin glycoside itself or by its components.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the effects of pharbitin, the glycosidic acid fraction (pharbitic acid) and the aglycone fraction (phar-genin) generated from pharbitin on peristalsis of colon and ileum isolated from mice with the Magnus method.

Results

We demonstrated that pharbitin (3–30 μg/mL) concentration-dependently increased tonus of mice colon via acetylcholine receptors, its components phar-genin (1.27–12.7 μg/mL) and pharbitic acid (10–1000 μg/mL) also had the increment on colon tonus. On the other hand, ileum tension decreased in the presence of pharbitin.

Conclusions

The effects of resin glycoside of Pharbitidis Semen on colon tonus are different with those on ileum tonus isolated from mice. In the next step it is necessary to investigate details of its pharmacological mechanism.
The effect of flexible low-dose GnRH antagonist on pregnancy outcome in the fresh embryo transfer cycle of IVF-ET: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Feng Liping , Fan Ruiqi , Jiang Aifang , Jiang Junyi , Wang Qian , Sun Yujun , Qiao Pengyun , Ren Chune , Yang Tingting
Published: March 2022

Objective

To explore the practicality and effectiveness of a flexible low-dose protocol in the fresh embryo transfer cycle: reducing the total amount of antagonist by increasing the interval between administrations of Cetrotide.

Methods

A total of 211 patients with normal ovarian reserve who accepted GnRH-ant protocol for IVF-ET were selected, and they were randomized to the flexible low-dose antagonist group (test group, n = 101) or the conventional dose antagonist group (control group, n = 110). The initial dose of Cetrotide in the test group was 0.25 mg every other day, and then the dose was adjusted to 0.25 mg every day based on the subsequent luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. The dosage of Cetrotide in the control group was 0.25 mg per day. The primary outcome was the clinical pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of premature LH rise, total dosage of Cetrotide, number of oocytes retrieved, number of fertilized oocytes, number of high-quality embryos, biochemical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rate.

Results

There was no significant difference in the general condition of the two groups. There was no significant difference in the clinical pregnancy rate (51.49% vs. 48.18%, p = 0.632) or the incidence of premature LH rise (18.81% vs. 15.45%, p = 0.584) between the two groups. However, the amount of Cetrotide used in the test group was significantly lower than that in the conventional dose antagonist group (1.13 ± 0.41 vs. 1.61 ± 0.59 mg, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The flexible low-dose antagonist protocol and the conventional dose antagonist protocol were equally effective in people with a normal ovarian reserve in the fresh embryo transfer cycle of IVF-ET.
Synthesis, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface investigation and comparative DFT studies of ethyl 2-[2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazinyl]thiazole-4-carboxylate
Authors: Haroon Muhammad , Akhtar Tashfeen , Yousuf Muhammad , Tahir Muhammad Nawaz , Rasheed Lubna , Zahra Syeda Saniya , Haq Ihsan ul , Ashfaq Muhammad
Published: March 2022

The ethyl 2-[2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazinyl]thiazole-4-carboxylate (1), a thiazole ester, was synthesized by refluxing 1-(2-nitrobenzylidene)thiosemicarbazide and ethyl bromopyruvate. The compound is characterized by spectrometric, spectroscopic and single crystal (SC-XRD) techniques. Non-covalent interactions that are responsible for crystal packing are explored by Hirshfeld surface analysis. All theoretical calculations were performed by DFT quantum chemical methods using 6-311G(d,p) and cc-pVTZ basis sets and compared. Theoretical harmonic frequencies of ethyl 2-[2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazinyl]thiazole-4-carboxylate (1) were optimized. Confirmation of hydrogen bonding sites was analyzed by molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and Mulliken population analysis. The vibrational frequencies of characteristic functional groups and chemical shifts were found in good agreement with experimental assignments. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) revealed relatively small HOMO–LUMO (highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) gape, which speaks off the nearly planar geometry and extended conjugation, as compared to the substituents with no conjugation possible. It has also been observed that –NO2 substituent plays a vital role for this relatively small HOMO–LUMO gape and overall electronic properties when compared with similar thiazole carboxylates (2–6, Table 6). Ethyl 2-[2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazinyl]thiazole-4-carboxylate (1) was also evaluated for its anti-oxidant and anti-microbial activities.

Graphical Abstract
A novel and efficient CD22 CAR-T therapy induced a robust antitumor effect in relapsed/refractory leukemia patients when combined with CD19 CAR-T treatment as a sequential therapy
Authors: Zhang Yu , Li Saisai , Wang Ying , Lu Yang , Xu Yingxi , Rao Qing , Wang Huijun , Xing Haiyan , Tian Zheng , Tang Kejing , Lv Lulu , Wang Min , Wang Jianxiang
Published: March 2022

Background

CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy has achieved impressive success in relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell malignancies, but relapse due to antigen escape is increasingly appearing reported. As the expression profile of CD22 is similar to that of CD19, CD22 has become a candidate target when CD19 CAR-T therapy fails.

Methods

A novel CD22 CAR incorporating scFv derived from an HIB22 hybridoma which bound the first and second Ig-like extracellular domains of CD22 antigen was constructed. Preclinical investigation of the CD22 CAR-T therapy against B-cell malignancies was evaluated by coculturing CD22 CAR-T cells with tumor cell lines or primary blasts from patients in vitro and using a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Further clinical study of CD22/CD19 CAR-T sequential therapy was conducted in 4 R/R adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients.

Results

The novel CD22 CAR-T treatment had specific cytotoxicity to CD22 + target cells, and the survival time of mice in the CD22 CAR-T treatment group was significantly prolonged. Furthermore, it’s validated that sequential CD22/CD19 CAR-T therapy was significantly superior than single CD19 or CD22 CAR-T treatment in a relapse xenograft model. All 4 patients achieved complete remission (CR) with negative minimal residual disease (MRD), including 3 patients who had received prior CD19-related immunotherapy. The proliferation of CD19 and CD22 CAR-T cells was observed respectively in vivo, and 3 of the 4 patients experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS); 2 of these patients had grade 1 CRS and 1 had grade 3 CRS. Long term follow-up showed that 3 of the 4 (75%) patients had sustained CR for up to 1 year. Analysis of antigen expression in the relapsed patients demonstrated that loss or diminution of CD19 and CD22 expression might cause antigen escape from CAR-T surveillance.

Conclusions

In summary, the novel CD22 CAR-T therapy was validated with antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, our study demonstrated the safety and robust efficacy of sequential CD22/CD19 CAR-T therapy in xenograft models and clinical trials, especially as the salvage treatment for R/R B-ALL patients with antigen loss or in whom anti-CD19 related immunotherapy failure failed.

Trial registration:Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR): ChiCTR1900025419, Supplementarily registered 26 August, 2019.
Trial-to-trial modulation of task-order switch costs survive long inter-trial intervals
Authors: Strobach Tilo , Wendt Mike
Published: March 2022

Background

Dual-tasking procedures often involve the successive presentation of two different stimuli, requiring participants to execute two tasks in a particular order. Performance in both tasks suffers if the order of the tasks is reversed (i.e., switched) compared to the directly preceding trial. This task-order switch cost is reduced, however, if the preceding trial itself involved a task-order switch compared to a task-order repetition (Strobach in Acta Psychol 217:103328, 2021). Theoretical accounts range from assumptions of top-down implementation of a task-order control set, or passive persistence thereof, to priming based on episodic binding of tasks and temporal positions. Here, we tested these accounts by investigating whether the sequential modulation decays as a function of the inter-trial interval.

Methods and results

Task-order switch costs were reliably reduced after a task-order switch (compared to after a task-order repetition) and this reduction did not decrease over inter-trial intervals ranging from 350 ms to 1,400 ms. Also replicating previous findings, for reaction times the reduction was driven by selective slowing in task-order repeat trials, suggesting increased response caution.

Conclusions

Our results are consistent with preparatory processes of task-order control or with episodic integration of task-order information but argue against accounts assuming short-lived, decaying task-order sets.
Restoration of Tanjore paintings using segmentation and in-painting techniques
Authors: Poornapushpakala S. , Barani S. , Subramoniam M. , Vijayashree T.
Published: March 2022

India has its unique and rich cultural heritage. One such uniqueness in India is ancient paintings. Especially in South India, Tanjore paintings are very popular. These paintings are made during 1010 AD with vibrant colours, gold, silver and precious stones. These paintings are the memorabilia of the great Chola kingdom. These paintings can be seen in great Brahadeeshwara Temple walls till now. Damages to these paintings happen due to varying environmental conditions and rituals followed throughout the year. Hence, preserving these heritages could be an additional source in National Cultural Museum and cultural libraries. This paper focuses towards the restoration of such ancient painting images that can be digitized and archived for the future use of aesthete. The painting images are preprocessed using Weiner filter for removing the background noises since its PSNR value is higher than Gaussian and Median filters. The preprocessed image is then applied to restoration algorithm. Two types of restoration algorithm is attempted, image segmentation and in-painting algorithm. The degraded image was restored efficiently with in-painting algorithm than segmentation algorithm. Further research can be focused towards automatic adaptive selection of patch based on the nature of images. From the results it is observed that with in-painting algorithm the image restoration is better than the segmentation algorithm for degraded painting images.
Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY—ENJOY program for independence in dementia: a feasibility pilot randomised controlled trial study protocol
Authors: Levinger Pazit , Goh Anita M. Y. , Dunn Jeremy , Katite Josephine , Paudel Ritu , Onofrio Adrian , Batchelor Frances , Panisset Maya G. , Hill Keith D.
Published: March 2022

Background

While the underlying neuropathology of dementia is not curable, interventions and treatment, such as physical activity, can offer physical and functional gains leading to better mobility, independence and quality of life. The Seniors Exercise Park program is an evidence-based physical and social activity program using an innovative design in outdoor exercise equipment specifically designed for older people. This unique program has never been tested with older people living with dementia. This study will evaluate the feasibility of delivering the Seniors Exercise Park program for people living with mild to moderate dementia in residential aged-care. This study will identify the optimal physical activity program, evaluate the safety of equipment usage and determine optimal supervision needs. The potential physical, social, quality of life and cognitive benefits of participation in the Seniors Exercise Park program will also be examined.

Methods

This is a feasibility pilot randomised controlled design with pre-post evaluation. Adults aged ≥ 60 years who have symptoms of dementia and/or who have been diagnosed with dementia will be recruited from an aged-care facility in Melbourne. Participants allocated to the intervention group will undergo a 12-week structured supervised physical activity program using the outdoor Seniors Exercise Park equipment followed by a 12-week maintenance phase (unstructured physical activity). Participants will be assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Participants allocated to the control group will attend activities provided by the aged-care facility. A sample of 12 participants per group is the targeted sample size. Feasibility will be evaluated in terms of recruitment rate, retention, attendance, overall adherence, dropout rate, adverse events, modifications to the exercise program delivery and supervision needs. A comprehensive suite of cognitive and health-related questionnaires and physical function measures will also be collected.

Discussion

The ENJOY program for independence in dementia will determine the suitability of the Seniors Exercise Park program for people diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia. Outcomes could inform future design of dementia-friendly built environments to increase physical activity participation for residential aged-care facilities.

Trial registration

This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry—Registry Number ACTRN12620000733976. Registered on the 13th of July 2020.
Improving chronic disease self-management in high-risk patient populations
Authors: Patel Ashruta
Published: March 2022

Chronic diseases can be prevented, controlled, or modified through healthy behaviors, and these changes have the potential to produce major transformations in the current health care system. Innovative approaches to execute effective transitional care to reduce health care costs, decrease re-hospitalization, and improve quality care. Studies have indicated the use of health coaching as a potential method for improving self-management, with the aim of improving compliance with health behaviors and sustainable lifestyle changes. Post-discharge follow-up using appropriate transitional models can influence the likelihood of patient’s management of care at home and can help determine what re-admission prevention programs can be effective. Gathering information from patient-centered, evidence-based efforts conducted for better self-management of chronic disease and effective transition from hospital to home. Hospitals should consider using a quality improvement infrastructure that incorporates patient perceptions, mental and physical status’, transition coordination, and self-management sessions that are patient-centered for implementation to ultimately reduce the risk of re-hospitalization in patients who suffer from chronic conditions.
Therapeutic effect of intra-articular injected 3′-sialyllactose on a minipig model of rheumatoid arthritis induced by collagen
Authors: Kim Young June , Lee Ju-young , Yang Mi-jin , Cho Hyun Jin , Kim Min-young , Kim Lila , Hwang Jeong Ho
Published: March 2022

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of joint, but there is no known cure.

3′-sialyllactose (3′-SL) is an oligosaccharide that is abundant in breast milk of mammals, and has anti-inflammatory properties. However, the efficacy of 3′-SL on RA remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of 3′-SL after it was directly injected into the knee joint cavity of a RA minipig model.

Results

Minipig RA model was induced by intra-articular injection of bovine type II collagen emulsified with complete or incomplete Freund’s adjuvant into left knee joint. In clinical assessment, lameness and swelling of the hindlimb and increased knee joint width were observed in all animals. After the onset of arthritis, 3′-SL (0, 2, 10, and 50 mg/kg) was directly administered to the left knee joint cavity once a week for 4 weeks. Compared to the vehicle control group, no significant difference in macroscopic observation of the synovial pathology or the expression of inflammation-related genes (IL-1β, TNF-α, and COX2) in the synovial membrane of the knee joint was found. In microscopic observation, cell cloning of the articular cartilage was significantly reduced in proportion to the concentration of 3′-SL administered.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that intra-articular injected 3′-SL had a therapeutic effect on collagen-induced arthritis at the cellular level with potential as a medication for RA.
Association of OPRM1 with addiction: a review on drug, alcohol and smoking addiction in worldwide population
Authors: Hriatpuii Vanlal , Sema Hoikhe Priscilla , Vankhuma Chenkual , Iyer Mahalaxmi , Subramaniam Mohana Devi , Rao Krothapalli R. S. Sambasiva , Vellingiri Balachandar , Kumar Nachimuthu Senthil
Published: March 2022

Background

Drugs are chemicals which can disrupt the nerve cell functions of the brain. The present study aims to investigate the addiction related gene (OPRM1) in three types of addiction—drugs, alcohol and smoking. Pathway for the addiction was ascertained through KEGG database, and the hotspot mutations for various populations were identified from Gnomad-exomes database. In silico analyses like SIFT, Polyphen, Hope, I-mutant and mutation taster were performed to understand the amino acid substitution, protein function, stability and pathogenicity of the variants.

Main body

Addiction-related variants were found in exons 1, 2 and 3, while the exon 4 did not exhibit any addiction related variation. Among all the variants from this gene, rs1799971 (A118G) polymorphism was the most commonly studied variation for addiction in different populations worldwide. Population-wise allele and genotype frequencies, demographic and epidemiological studies have also been performed from different populations, and the possible association of these variants with addiction was evaluated.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that OPRM1 polymorphism impact as pharmacogenetic predictor of response to naltrexone and can also address the genetic predisposition related to addiction in human beings.
Increased expression of IL-37 correlates with TNF-α levels and disease stage in endometriosis patients
Authors: Ragab Dina , Abbas Ahmed , Salem Ramy
Published: March 2022

Background

IL-37 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that increases in several inflammatory diseases with the main inducing signal for its production being pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α. We aimed to assess the correlation between peritoneal fluid levels of IL-37 and TNF-α in endometriosis patients and investigate their association with disease stage. Levels of IL-37 and TNF-α were assessed in peritoneal fluid of 50 patients with endometriosis and 23 endometriosis-free females using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also assessed serum levels of IL-37 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and expression of IL-37 mRNA in peritoneal fluid cells using polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Peritoneal fluid levels of IL-37 and TNF-α were higher in endometriosis patients than in control females. Also, levels were higher in patients with late endometriosis than patients with early endometriosis. In addition, serum levels of IL-37, as well as IL-37 mRNA expression in peritoneal fluid cells, were higher in patients than controls. In endometriosis patients, peritoneal fluid levels of IL-37 positively correlated with levels of TNF-α.

Conclusion

Collectively, our results show increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-37 in endometriosis patients that correlate with levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, one of the main signals for IL-37 production.
The association between Internet addiction and sleep quality among Sohag University medical students
Authors: Mahmoud Osama Abd Alreheem , Hadad Saber , Sayed Taher Abdelraheem
Published: March 2022

Background

Internet addiction (IA) is a growing issue with multiple impacts on psychological functions, including sleep. Consequently, the present study aimed to assess the correlation between IA as well as the quality of sleep among medical students. A total of 525 students from Sohag University were included in the study. Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) was utilized in order to evaluate IA. Demographic information, university-related factors, and Internet usage patterns of the participants were documented. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was utilized so as to evaluate the quality of sleep.

Results

The prevalence of IA was 4.95% for severe addiction and 39.62% for moderate addiction. About 81.62% of subjects who suffer from IA significantly had poor quality of sleep. Young age, male gender, low academic performance, computer presence at home, Internet presence at home, using the Internet for chatting and gaming, and poor sleep quality are strong predictors of Internet addiction.

Conclusions

The prevalence of IA and its impact on the quality of sleep have been found to be substantial among medical students. There is a need for programs to raise awareness towards IA as well as its impact on sleep among university medical students.
Construction and Verification of Risk Predicting Models to Evaluate the Possibility of Venous Thromboembolism After Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Cheng Xu , Zhou Lizhi , Liu Wentao , Li Yijian , Peng Mou , Wang Yinhuai
Published: March 2022

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second leading cause for death of radical prostatectomy. We aimed to establish new nomogram to predict the VTE risk after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Methods

Patients receiving RARP in our center from November 2015 to June 2021, were enrolled in study. They were randomly divided into training and testing cohorts by 8:2. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression (model A) and stepwise logistic regression (model B) were used to fit two models. The net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare predictive abilities of two new models with widely used Caprini risk assessment (CRA) model. Then, two nomograms were constructed and received internal validation.

Results

Totally, 351 patients were included. The area under ROC of model A and model B were 0.967 (95% confidence interval: 0.945–0.990) and 0.978 (95% confidence interval: 0.960–0.996), which also were assayed in the testing cohorts. Both the prediction and classification abilities of the two new models were superior to CRA model (NRI > 0, IDI > 0, p < 0.05). The C-index of Model A and Model B were 0.968 and 0.978, respectively. For clinical usefulness, the two new models offered a net benefit with threshold probability between 0.08 and 1 in decision curve analysis, suggesting the two new models predict VTE events more accurately.

Conclusions

Both two new models have good prediction accuracy and are superior to CRA model. Model A has an advantage of less variable. This easy-to-use model enables rapid clinical decision-making and early intervention in high-risk groups, which ultimately benefit patients.
Materials Nanoarchitectonics from Atom to Living Cell: A Method for Everything
Authors: Ariga Katsuhiko , Fakhrullin Rawil
Published: March 2022

Promoted understanding of nanostructures and their functions significantly rely on rapid progress of nanotechnology within a few decades. It would be a fruitful way to consider materials science through regulation of nanostructure regulations on the basis of nanotechnological accomplishments. As a post-nanotechnology concept, a new concept of nanoarchitectonics has recently emerged as a methodology to produce functional materials from nanoscale units. In this review article, we discuss the recent advances of materials nanoarchitectonics and related approaches from atom-scales to living cell sizes. The approaches on multiscale nanoarchitectonics are exemplified and discussed including atom and molecules nanoarchitectonics, supramolecular nanoarchitectonics, and nanoarchitectonics at cell-scale. Next, supracell-level nanoarchitectonics is discussed including living cell organization at designed surfaces, cell sheets and layered nanoarchitectonics, three-dimensional cell nanoarchitectonics, biofilms and bioinks, and new challenges for living cells at liquid interface. All the materials are formed with fundamental units, atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials, and therefore, the nanoarchitectonics approaches from basic units to materials can be hypothetically applied to any kind of material. Therefore, nanoarchitectonics could be a method for everything in materials science as an analogy to a theory of everything in physics.
Lewis Acid-catalyzed Decarboxylative Cyanation of Cyclic Enol Carbonates — Access to Multi-substituted β-Ketonitriles —
Authors: Yokoyama Haruki , Dokai Yoichi , Kimaru Natsuki , Saito Kodai , Yamada Tohru
Published: March 2022

A Lewis acid-catalyzed decarboxylative substitution reaction of cyclic enol carbonates with a cyanation reagent was developed to give β-ketonitriles in good yield. It is proposed that the reaction proceeds through an oxyallyl cation intermediate or its equivalent. Interestingly, cyanation selectively took place at the more hindered site of the intermediate to afford a multi-substituted β-ketonitrile. This regioselectivity was observed by the cyanation of a wide range of substrates and is discussed in terms of the reaction mechanism.
Incidentalomas in chest CT
Authors: Munden Reginald
Published: March 2022

Advances in imaging technology have dramatically increased the resolution of CT and improved detection of disease; these advances also have led to an increase in incidentalomas or incidental findings that often do not represent significant disease. Incidental findings on thoracic CT are common and can be problematic and expensive to evaluate. Thoracic imagers often are having to make recommendations for appropriate management which adds to the burden. Thoracic CT incidental findings are broad and include those of the lungs, heart, mediastinum, pleura, chest wall, thoracic soft tissues as well as the lower neck and upper abdomen. Of these, incidental pulmonary nodules have garnered the most interest over the years, but all incidentals may be proven to represent significant disease. In the USA, the American College of Radiology has generated white papers on incidentals that have proven useful. Currently, a number of investigations to utilize artificial intelligence for qualification and management of incidentals are ongoing. Likewise, the radiology/imaging community must support efforts to collaboratively address incidental findings and management concerns. As such, continued efforts to establish guidelines for appropriate identification, classification and management of incidentals is important to improve patient care and assure fiscally responsible assessment.
Επιτέλεση, μουσική και χρόνος: Μερικές σκέψεις για την ψηφιακή «ζωντανότητα»
Authors: Λαλιώτη Βασιλική
Published: March 2022

Τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες η εισαγωγή των ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών στις επιτελεστικές τέχνες – στις οποίες ανήκει και η μουσική – έχει πυροδοτήσει έντονους προβληματισμούς και αντιπαραθέσεις στο πεδίο των επιτελεστικών τεχνών (και άλλων συναφών αντικειμένων), γύρω από το ζήτημα της ζωντανότητας. Αυτές οι αντιπαραθέσεις αναπτύσσονται κυρίως γύρω από το ερώτημα, εάν η ζωντανότητα αποτελεί ένα οντολογικό χαρακτηριστικό της επιτέλεσης ή ένα στοιχείο της, το οποίο κατασκευάζεται ιστορικά και πολιτισμικά. Παρά τις σημαντικές διαφορές τους, τόσο οι οντολογικές όσο και οι φαινομενολογικές προσεγγίσεις της επιτέλεσης, αναγνωρίζουν ότι ο «πραγματικός χρόνος» είναι ένα αδιαμφισβήτητο χαρακτηριστικό κάθε ζωντανής (ψηφιακής και μη) επιτέλεσης. Αυτός ο τρόπος κατανόησης του χρόνου, ωστόσο, οδηγεί σε αντιφάσεις, οι οποίες θα μπορούσαν να ξεπεραστούν εάν στραφούμε στη διερεύνηση των τρόπων με τους οποίους η χρονικότητα των ψηφιακών τοπίων συγκροτείται μέσα από τις πραγματικές δράσεις των συμμετεχουσών σε συγκεκριμένες ψηφιακές (μουσικές) επιτελέσεις.
Οι πολιτικές και περί παιδείας ιδέες του Βενιαμίν Λεσβίου
Authors: Αδαμόπουλος Αδάμ
Published: March 2022

Η διατριβή έχει ως αντικείμενο τις πολιτικές και παιδαγωγικές απόψεις ενός από τους σημαντικούς εκπροσώπους του Νεοελληνικού Διαφωτισμού, του Βενιαμίν Λεσβίου. Ο Βενιαμίν προσπαθεί να οργανώσει ένα ολοκληρωμένο φιλοσοφικό σύστημα μέσα από τα δύο κορυφαία έργα του, το Στοιχεία της Μεταφυσικής και το Στοιχεία Ηθικής. Στον χώρο της πολιτικής φιλοσοφίας και των παιδαγωγικών αρχών του, ο φιλόσοφος διαπνέεται από τα ιδεώδη ενός ανθρωπισμού που εδράζει στην πεποίθηση ότι η λογικότητα του ανθρώπου είναι ικανή να καλλιεργηθεί και να δημιουργήσει τον κοινωνικό άνθρωπο που τον χαρακτηρίζει η αρετή. Βαθύς μελετητής των πολιτευμάτων προκρίνει τη φιλελεύθερη δημοκρατία και τάσσεται υπέρ της αντίστασης των λαών για την απόκτηση της ελευθερίας τους, της ορατής δηλαδή πολιτικής εκδήλωσης του αναφαίρετου αυτεξουσίου του ανθρώπου. Η παιδεία, από την άλλη, είναι προσανατολισμένη στα ίδια ιδανικά της πολιτικής, δηλαδή στην ευδαιμονία και την ηθική, ενώ το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα που προτείνει θεμελιώνεται στη νέα φιλοσοφία και στις φυσικές επιστήμες. Η αγωγή του νέου ανθρώπου είναι αντιαυταρχική και προσεγγίζεται με έμφαση στον ρόλο του γονέα και του δασκάλου. Ο βίος και η πολιτεία του Λεσβίου φανερώνει με τον πιο έμπρακτο τρόπο τη θέλησή του να μην ξεφύγει από τις θεωρητικές αρχές του. Σταθερός υποστηρικτής της νέας φιλοσοφίας και της ελευθερίας του ανθρώπου, δε διστάζει να αφήσει την έδρα της διδασκαλίας και να μεταμορφωθεί σε φλογερό κήρυκα του Αγώνα και να προσφέρει τις υπηρεσίες του στο επαναστατημένο έθνος.
Διερεύνηση επιπολασμού λοιμωδών νοσημάτων/ηπατίτιδων σε εργαζομένους σε οργανισμούς τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης στο πλαίσιο επίβλεψης υγείας εργαζομένων ανάλογα με την ειδικότητα εργασίας
Authors: Πανταζή Ευγενία
Published: March 2022

Στην Ελλάδα ο δήμος αποτελεί πρωτοβάθμιο Οργανισμό Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης(ΟΤΑ). Σε άλλες χώρες οι α΄ βάθμιοι ΟΤΑ αναφέρονται αδιακρίτως ωςκοινότητες (π.χ. γαλλική commune, ιταλική comune, γερμανικήGemeinde/Kommune κλπ).Η εδαφική περιφέρεια κάθε Δήμου που συνιστάται με το Πρόγραμμα«Καλλικράτης» αποτελείται από τις εδαφικές περιφέρειες των συνενούμενωνΟΤΑ. Οι δήμοι και οι κοινότητες, που συνενώθηκαν με το ν.2539/1997,αποτελούν τοπικές κοινότητες του νέου δήμου που δημιουργήθηκε με τιςδιατάξεις του ν.3852/2010, εφόσον έχουν πληθυσμό μέχρι 2.000 κατοίκους καιδημοτικές κοινότητες, εφόσον έχουν πληθυσμό μεγαλύτερο από 2.000κατοίκους.Οι εργαζόμενοι στις δημοτικές υπηρεσίες καθαριότητας αποτελούν ένανπληθυσμό έκθεσης σε διαφόρους επαγγελματικούς κινδύνους. Ένας από αυτούςείναι και οι ιογενείς παράγοντες της ηπατίτιδας και συγκεκριμένα των τύπωνA, B και C (HAV, HBV και HCV).Στην Ελλάδα, παρ’ όλο που ο δείκτης λοίμωξηςαπό ηπατίτιδα Α και Β έχει μειωθεί τα τελευταία χρόνια, η μόλυνση απόηπατίτιδα Β και C συσχετίζεται ακόμη με υψηλούς δείκτες νοσηρότητας, καθώςαποτελεί αιτία της χρόνιας ηπατίτιδας, της κίρρωσης του ήπατος και τουηπατοκυτταρικού καρκίνου.Ειδικότερα οι επαγγελματίες στον τομέα της καθαριότητας και συλλογήςαπορριμμάτων θεωρούνται ομάδα υψηλού κινδύνου μόλυνσης από αιματογενώςμεταδιδόμενα νοσήματα, όπως η ηπατίτιδα Β καιC, αφού οι ίδιοι είναιεκτεθειμένοι στον κίνδυνο άμεσης επαφής τους μέσω του δέρματος ή τωνβλεννογόνων μεμβρανών σε αίμα από μολυσμένες βελόνες, σύριγγες,προφυλακτικά ή άλλου είδους αιχμηρά αντικείμενα. Μέχρι στιγμής, ο ιός τηςηπατίτιδας Α θεωρείται νόσος που μεταδίδεται από μολυσμένα κόπρανα μέσωτης κατάποσής τους από το νερό ή το φαγητό και συνεπώς, δραστηριότητεςόπως το κάπνισμα, η κατάποση νερού ή φαγητού κατά τη διάρκεια εργασίαςυψηλής επικινδυνότητας απαγορεύονται.Αναφορικά με τη πλειονότητα των μελετών που έχουν δημοσιευθεί μέχρισήμερα, δεν υπάρχει μία σαφής εικόνα της συσχέτισης μεταξύ του ιού τηςηπατίτιδας και της επαγγελματικής του απόκτησης μέσω του χώρου εργασίαςκαι πόσο μάλλον στον τομέα καθαρισμού και διαχείρισης απορριμμάτων.Συνεπώς, είναι αναγκαία η εκτίμηση του επιπολασμού των λοιμώξεων από τηνόσο της ηπατίτιδας στους εργαζόμενους στην καθαριότητα, λαμβάνονταςπαράλληλα υπόψη τις συγκριτικές μετρήσεις με άλλες ομάδες ελέγχου σεπαρόμοια εργασιακά περιβάλλοντα.Η έρευνα αυτή διενεργήθηκε προκειμένου να μελετηθεί ο αριθμός των ήδηυπαρχόντων ασθενών διαγνωσμένων ή μη, των 3 τύπων ηπατίτιδας ( Α, Β και C), σε δημοτικούς υπαλλήλους από τυχαία επιλεγμένους δήμους του νομούΑττικής και να ταυτοποιηθούν οι παράγοντες κινδύνου ως προς τον συσχετισμότους με τις διάφορες θέσεις εργασίας, διαχωρισμένες σε υψηλής και χαμηλής έκθεσης στους υπό μελέτη παράγοντες κινδύνου.
Τα σύνορα ως χώρος αλληλεπίδρασης με το υποκείμενο της αναγκαστικής μετακίνησης
Authors: Πολιτάκη Αλεξάνδρα
Published: March 2022

Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή επιχειρείται η ανάλυση της σύγχρονης έννοιας των συνόρων σε συνάρτηση µε τη μετανάστευση και τις προσφυγικές ροές προς την Ευρώπη κατά τη διάρκεια των τελευταίων χρόνων. Κρίσιµο ρόλο διαδραματίζει η έννοια του υποκειμένου της αναγκαστικής μετακίνησης (µετανάστη/µετανάστρια και τον/την πρόσφυγα).Η μαζική εισροή αιτούντων άσυλο στην Ευρώπη η οποία καταγράφηκε το διάστηµα 2015-2016 θα µπορούσε να εκληφθεί ως έκφραση του πολυπαραγοντικού φαινοµένου της µετακίνησης των πληθυσµών σε σχέση µε τον ευρωπαϊκό χώρο, ή και ως συνισταµένη πολυπαραγοντικών φαινοµένων εξωτερικών του ευρωπαϊκού χώρου (όπως ο πόλεµος στη Συρία και η γενικότερη αποσταθεροποίηση της περιοχής). Και στις δύο προσεγγίσεις, η έξαρση του φαινοµένου χαρακτηρίστηκε ως «κρίση». Καθώς η µαζικότητα των εισερχοµένων σε αναγκαστική µετακίνηση πληθυσµών που καταγράφηκε στην Ευρώπη ήταν η µεγαλύτερη µετά τον Β΄ Παγκόσµιο Πόλεµο και εν καιρώ ειρήνης, το φαινόµενο απέκτησε έναν ιδιάζοντα και µοναδικό χαρακτήρα. Η αντίδραση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και τα προβλήµατα που προέκυψαν ανέδειξαν µια νέα σηµασιοδότηση των συνόρων μέσα από την οποία η Ευρώπη θα µπορούσε να γίνει κατανοητή ως µια «Γη Συνόρων (Borderland)», σύµφωνα µε τη διατύπωση του Ετιέν Μπαλιµπάρ. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, ως ένας «εναλλακτικός χώρος», ενιαίος πολιτικά αλλά όχι ομοιογενής, όπου τον κεντρικό ρόλο διαδραµατίζουν τρεις παράγοντες: η κυριαρχία, τα σύνορα και η συνταγµατικότητα.Η συζήτηση περί συνόρων τοποθετείται µέσα στις παγκόσμιες διαδικασίες και εκλαµβάνει τη µετακίνηση ως κοινωνικό φαινόµενο και οι µεταναστευτικές κινήσεις και εµπειρίες εξετάζονται ως οι νέοι πλέον στρατηγικοί χώροι για την παραγωγή της υποκειµενικότητας, λειτουργώντας ταυτόχρονα ως κριτική στα νεοκλασικά θεωρητικά µοντέλα. Η Ευρώπη ως χώρος συνόρων, η πολυμορφία και η πολυσημία τους, η αποδυνάμωσή τους και η απο-εδαφοποίηση στο πλαίσιο της παγκοσµιοποίησης, τα ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα ως ιδέα και ταυτότητα στην έννοια του ευρωπαίου πολίτη είναι έννοιες κλειδιά οι οποίες εξετάζονται στο πλαίσιο της διαλεκτικής χώρου-πολιτικής. Οι πολλαπλές μορφές της κρίσης που πυροδότησε η αναγκαστική μετακίνηση των πληθυσμών κατά την περίοδο μελέτης µέσα στο σύγχρονο και εξαιρετικά σύνθετο πολιτικό ευρωπαϊκό πλαίσιο και το κίνημα αλληλεγγύης στο αντίποδα του ελέγχου του χώρου από το κράτος αποτελούν επίσης πυλώνες ανάλυσης.Η περίπτωση της Ελλάδας εξετάζεται διεξοδικά και κυρίως μέσα στο πλέγμα μαζικές ροές-αλλαγή στο καθεστώς διέλευσης, καθώς η «Ευρώπη-φρούριο» και η Μεσόγειος ως η πλέον θανατηφόρα οδός για τους πληθυσμούς σε αναγκαστική μετακίνηση είναι παράμετροι που άλλαξαν τη φυσιογνωμία του ευρωπαϊκού χώρου. Μαζί εξετάζονται το πρόγραμμα μετεγκατάστασης και το φαινόμενο της δευτερογενούς μετακίνησης ως προς τον ενεργητικό χαρακτήρα του υποκειμένου της μετακίνησης. Τέλος εξετάζονται τα Hotspots και Refugee Camps ως διαχειριστική επιλογή σε σχέση με τον χώρο αλλά και ως χωρική απόκλιση από τον ευρωπαϊκό κανόνα, µιας σχέσης διαταραχής στο πλαίσιο της σχέσης χώρος-υποκείµενο µετακίνησης-κυριαρχία.
CYP2C19 polymorphism and coronary in-stent restenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pintaningrum Yusra , . Vitriyaturrida , Dewi Ivana Purnama , Putra Hendy Bhaskara Perdana , Mappangara Idar , Amir Muzakkir , Yusuf Irawan , Bukhari Agussalim
Published: March 2022

Background: In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a major drawback in coronary stenting. The association between the CYP2C19 loss of function (LOF) gene and the prevalence of ISR after coronary stenting remains controversial. Previous studies have produced conflicting results and have been limited by their small population sizes. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between the presence of the CYP2C19 LOF gene and the prevalence of ISR.

Methods: A systematic online database search was performed until April 2021. The primary outcome was ISR and assessed using OR with 95% CI. Publication bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. I2 was applied to examine heterogeneities among the studies.

Results: A total of 284 patients (four non-randomized controlled trial studies) were included in this study. Two hundred and six patients had wild-type genotypes, while 78 patients had the LOF genotype. Among the 78 patients with the LOF gene, 40 patients had an ISR. Meanwhile, of the 206 patients with a wild-type gene, 69 patients had an ISR. The LOF gene was associated with a higher risk of ISR (OR 95% CI = 2.84 [1.54–5.24], p = 0.0008). A major limitation in our study was the small number of previous studies and small sample sizes.

Conclusions: Patients with LOF genes, regardless of the allele variation, treated with clopidogrel, had a higher risk of developing ISR after coronary stenting.
Digital onboarding in finance: a novel model and related cybersecurity risks
Authors: García Miren Karmele , Venegas Eliseo ,   SOTER, Aguilera Esther , Panizo José Manuel , Kelly Charlotte , Serrano Diego
Published: March 2022

Over the last few years, the financial sector has undergone a digital revolution that has had a severe impact on different related areas such as, the entities, the cybersecurity of systems, regulations and, of course, customers. SOTER project takes the challenge providing a complete set of tools to enhance the cybersecurity levels by implementing, in addition to non-technological tools, an innovative onboarding process has been implemented with the goals of increasing security, improving the user experience and integrity in the sector, and facilitating the customer entry into the digital marketplace by combining a set of breakthrough technologies. The cybersecurity research plays a crucial role in the conception and implementation of the onboarding process and for this kind of processes it has to be studied as an individual area by itself, as it is necessary to analyze the possible threats that can affect them, their origin and the solution(s) that can be taken to address them. Therefore, the SOTER project presents a fully digital onboarding process, innovative, adaptable to both current and future market needs and to possible changes in regulation, based on the most advanced technologies available today, and above all guaranteeing the cybersecurity of both entities and end users.
A living mapping review for COVID-19 funded research projects: one year update
Authors: Norton Alice , Bucher Adrian , Antonio Emilia , Advani Nicole , Johnston Cathryn , Grund Henrike , Mburu Sheila , Clegg Emma , Gollish Marguerite , Sahota Sara , Jabin Nusrat , Scott Laura , Boily-Larouche Genevieve , Lay A. Morgan , Carson Gail , Tufet Bayona Marta
Published: March 2022

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in an unprecedented research response, demonstrating exceptional examples of rapid research and collaboration. There is however a need for greater coordination, with limited resources and the shifting global nature of the pandemic resulting in a proliferation of research projects underpowered and unable to achieve their aims.

Methods: The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) and Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R), two funder coordination groups have collaborated to develop a live database of funded research projects across the world relating to COVID-19. Drawing data continually from their members and further global funding bodies, as of 15th July 2021 the database contains 12,419 projects, funded by 255 funders, taking place across 149 countries representing an investment of at least $4.9 billion. To our knowledge it is one of the most comprehensive databases. The database is aligned to the World Health Organisation and GloPID-R Global Research Roadmap: 2019 Novel Coronavirus. It is being used by the WHO, governments and multi-lateral policy makers, research funders and researchers.

This living mapping review aims to supplement the database by providing an open accessible and frequently updated resource summarising the characteristics of the COVID-19 funded research portfolio. Both descriptive and thematic analysis will be presented and updated frequently to aid interpretation of the global COVID-19 funded research portfolio.

Results: In this version five analysis we provide an updated detailed descriptive analysis of the database (three months after version four) and focus our thematic analysis on research gaps, research areas in need of coordination, study populations and research locations (with a focus on resource-limited countries).

Conclusions: As the global funding response to COVID-19 plateaus, this living mapping review helps both funders and researchers to prioritise resources to areas where there is continued unmet research need.