bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 Mandatory Lockdown Measures on Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Persons with Alzheimer's Disease in Lima,
Peru
Authors: Custodio Nilton , Malaga Marco , Montesinos Rosa , Chambergo Diego , Baca Fiorella , Castro Sheila , Carbajal Juan C. , Herrera Eder , Lira David , Diaz Monica M. , Lanata Serggio
Published: April 2023

Background:

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
worsened during the COVID-19 lockdowns, but their progression thereafter is unknown. We present
the first longitudinal study tracking them before, during, and after restrictions.

Objectives:

To describe the effect of the COVID-19 mandatory lockdowns on Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric
symptoms in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease
(AD).

Methods:

Cohort of 48 patients with amnestic MCI and 38 with AD in Lima, Peru. They received
three rounds of cognitive (RUDAS, CDR, M@T), behavioral (NPI), and functional (ADCS-ADL) assessments.
We assessed the change in score means across the time points and for each domain of NPS
and tracked the changes in individual patients.

Results:

RUDAS declined 0.9 (SD 1.0) from baseline to lockdown and 0.7 (SD 1.0) after restrictions.
M@T declined 1.0 (SD 1.5) from baseline to lockdown and 1.4 (SD 2.0) after restrictions. CDR worsened
in 72 patients (83.72%) from baseline to post-lockdown. NPI worsened by 10 (SD 8.3) from
baseline to lockdown but improved by 4.8 (SD 6.4) after restrictions. Proportionally, 81.3% of all patients
had worsened NPS during the lockdowns, but only 10.7% saw an increase thereafter. Improvement
was statistically significant for specific NPS domains except hallucinations, delusions, and appetite
changes. Anxiety, irritability, apathy, and disinhibition returned to baseline levels.

Conclusion:

Following confinement, cognition continued to decline, but NPS demonstrated either
stability or improvement. This highlights the role modifiable risk factors may have on the progression
of NPS.
Advances in Drug Discovery based on Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics
in Malaria
Authors: Srivastava Sanjeeva , Aggarwal Shalini , Karmakar Amit , Krishnakumar Sanjana , Paul Utpalendu , Singh Anjali , Banerjee Nirjhar , Laha Nehashri , Roy Ball Graham
Published: April 2023

Malaria is one of the neglected infectious diseases, and drugs are the first line of action
taken against the onset of malaria as therapeutics. The drugs can be of either natural or artificial
origin. Drug development has multiple impediments grouped under three categories, a. drug discovery
and screening, b. the drug's action on the host and the pathogen, and c. clinical trials. Drug development
takes coon’s age from discovery to the market after FDA approval. At the same time,
targeted organisms develop drug resistance quicker than drug approval, raising the requirement for
advancement in drug development. The approach to explore drug candidates using the classical
methods from natural sources, computation-based docking, mathematical and machine learningbased
high throughput in silico models or drug repurposing has been investigated and developed.
Also, drug development with information about the interaction between Plasmodium species and its
host, humans, may facilitate obtaining an efficient drug cohort for further drug discovery or repurposing
expedition. However, drugs may have side effects on the host system. Hence, machine learning
and systems-based approaches may provide a holistic view of genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic
data and their interaction with the selected drug candidates. This review comprehensively
describes the drug discovery workflows using drug and target screening methodologies, followed
by possible ways to check the binding affinity of the drug and targets using various docking software.
Discovery of Multi-functional Lead Compounds Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine for Developing Anti-depressive Agents via Virtual Screening
Authors: Jiajia Mo , Qinlong Xu , Jiaming Li , Zhaoxing Chu , Xiaodong Ma , Qihua Zhu , Guangwei He
Published: April 2023

Background:

The increasing prevalence of depression has become a global health issue. Currently
approved anti-depressive including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine
(NE), triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists
have limited effects because of their insufficient efficacy and/or slow onset of action. Developing multifunctional
antidepressants that can modulate 5-HT, DA, NE, and NMDA simultaneously can potentially
overcome the current drug defects.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore leads for the development of multi-functional anti-depressive
agents that simultaneous triple reuptake inhibitory and NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonistic activities.

Methods:

Potential leads were screened virtually from the TCMSP database based on the 3DPharmacophore
model of TRIs followed by the molecular docking into NMDA-GluN2B receptor, BBB
score, and the in silico toxicity evaluation. The biological activities of discovered leads on 5-HT, NE, and
DA reuptake and their effect on the NMDA-GluN2B receptor were evaluated via radio-labeled neurotransmitters
and competition radio-ligand binding experiment with [3H] ifenprodil, respectively. Lastly,
the antidepressant effect of these potential leads was determined in vivo through the forced swim test in
mice.

Results:

Two compounds were attained as potential leads after the aforementioned experiments. Further
in vitro biological evaluation identified Hit-2 as a promising lead that exerted favorable triple 5-
HT/DA/NE reuptake inhibitory activity (66.98% inhibition rate at 10 μM against hNET, 73.01% inhibition
rate at 1 μM against hDAT and 86.27% inhibition rate at 1 μM against hSERT), as well as potent
NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonistic activity (Ki=115.73 ± 3.54 nM). The antidepressant activity of Hit-
2 was confirmed through in vivo experiments

Conclusion:

Hit-2 not only simultaneously inhibited the reuptake of 5-HT, DA, and NE, and acted as an
NMDA-GluN2B receptor antagonist in vitro but also showed in vivo antidepressant activity. These findings
may serve as a structural basis for the further development of multi-functional anti-depressive agents.
Molecular Aspects of Carrageenan in the Pharmaceutical and Food
Industries
Authors: Pereira Julianne Soares , Faria Robson Xavier
Published: April 2023

Carrageenan is a gel-forming polysaccharide obtained by extracting certain species of
red algae. This substance is used in several food groups due to carrageenan's ability to replace fat
and combine easily with milk proteins to increase solubility and improve texture. Although the
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) considers carrageenan safe for consumption, this point is still
subject to intense scrutiny to investigate the potential health risks associated with human consumption.
In view of this, the objective of this review was to address the consumption of carrageenan in
the food and pharmaceutical industries and its possible toxic effects on health. One hundred and
eleven articles were related to the objective of this review. Although carrageenan is widely used for
consumption and several studies describe its beneficial effects, a large number of articles have already
been bringing possible toxic effects that it can generate in the long term.
Novel 1-H Phenyl Benzimidazole Derivatives for IBD Therapy - An in-vitro
and in-silico Approach to Evaluate its Effects on the IL-23 Mediated Inflammatory
Pathway
Authors: Vishnu V. , Krishnendu P. R. , Zachariah Subin Mary , S. K. Kanthlal
Published: April 2023

Objective:

IBD is a chronic idiopathic gut condition characterised by recurring and remitting
inflammation of the colonic mucosal epithelium. Benzimidazole is a prominent and attractive
heterocyclic compound with diverse actions. Although seven locations in the benzimidazole
nucleus can be changed with a number of chemical entities for biological activity, benzimidazole
fused with a phenyl ring has caught our interest.

Methods:

To find and optimize novel 1-H phenyl benzimidazole compounds with favorable physicochemical
features and drug-like characteristics for the treatment of IBD, in-silico studies and
in-vitro approach were being used to identify and optimize these derivatives as potent inhibitors of
IL-23 mediated inflammatory signaling pathway.

Results:

All six compounds exhibit favorable drug-like properties with good intestinal absorption
properties. Its high affinity for the target JAK and TYK, which is thought to be a key immunological
signaling cascade in the pathophysiology of IBD, is revealed by docking studies.

Conclusion:

Because of their effects on decreasing iNOS-derived NO release and IL-23-mediated
immune signaling by decreasing COX-2 and LOX activity, it's conceivable that the compounds
CS3 and CS6 are better options for the treatment of IBD based on in-vitro cell line investigations.
A Selective Electrochemical Sensing of Serotonin and Epinephrine at
Glassy Carbon Electrode Modulated with Brilliant Green: A Voltammetric
Study
Authors: Banu Rukaya , Swamy B.E. Kumara , Pandith Anup
Published: April 2023

In the present investigation, an electrochemical sensing approach based on the electropolymerization
modulation of brilliant green on a glassy carbon electrode has been introduced for rapid and sensitive
identification of serotonin (SE) and epinephrine (EP) by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric
procedures. Under adequate circumstances, the analytical variable like the pH of the supporting solution,
was maintained between the range of 6.2-8.0. Furthermore, the electro-kinetic parameter was surveyed,
and the electrode depicted the proportionality between the current intensities with the concentration of
analytes with a low detection limit (0.74×10-6 M for SE and 0.58×10-6 M for EP). The modulated sensor
portrayed the supreme electrocatalytic characteristics toward the simultaneous quantification of SE and
EP in a sample mixture.
Articular Cartilage Injury; Current Status and Future Direction
Authors: Moradi Maryam , Parvizpour Farzad , Arabpour Zohreh , Zargarzadeh Nikan , Nazari Mahnaz , Rashnavadi Heewa , Sefat Farshid , Dehghani Sanaz , Latifi Marzieh , Jafarian Arefeh
Published: April 2023

Today, treatments of cartilage and osteochondral lesions are routine clinical procedures. The
avascular and hard-to-self-repair nature of cartilage tissue has posed a clinical challenge for the replacement
and reconstruction of damaged cartilage. Treatment of large articular cartilage defects is technically
difficult and complex, often accompanied by failure. Articular cartilage cannot repair itself after injury
due to a lack of blood vessels, lymph, and nerves. Various treatments for cartilage regeneration have
shown encouraging results, but unfortunately, none have been the perfect solution. New minimally invasive
and effective techniques are being developed. The development of tissue engineering technology has
created hope for articular cartilage reconstruction. This technology mainly supplies stem cells with various
sources of pluripotent and mesenchymal stem cells. This article describes the treatments in detail,
including types, grades of cartilage lesions, and immune mechanisms in cartilage injuries.
A Review of Current Research on Traditional Medicines for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal and Biliary Disorders
Authors: Vishwakarma Monika , Patel Akash , Jain Dharmendra
Published: April 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) and biliary disorders are the most commonly known health issues for people in the present time as a consequence of modern lifestyle, eating habits, stress, and many other conditions. The usage of traditional substances has been phased out over time, resulting in an increase in the occurrence of numerous diseases and a decrease in immunity. Therefore, in the current scenario, traditional medicine is increasingly being used to treat and manage diseases worldwide. Traditional medical systems of India, China, and Africa are the most frequently used today. Indian medicinal system includes the Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems of medicine. Ayurveda is the most antique system of medicine, which relies on the usage of plant-based formulations. Herbal medicines are used nowadays by up to half of the world's population. Phytomedicines isolated from plants contain a wide variety of bioactive components that can have both negative and positive effects. Many herbal plants, such as Acacia, Aloe, Carum, Rose, Funnel, etc., are proven to be effective as phytomedicines that are effective for the cure of gastrointestinal and biliary problems. The available pharmacological therapeutic drugs often have efficacy but are associated with many adverse effects. To minimize the adverse effects, the use of phytomedicines can be the best possible alternative. In this study, a review of some of the most frequently used traditional herbal medicine isolates with their proven pharmacological activity and novel drug delivery systems for the proper delivery of isolates is presented. Moreover, currently available herbal-marketed formulations are also highlighted.
Non-Isothermal Compressible Flow Model for Analyzing the Effect of High CO2 Inlet Flow Rate on Particle Size in a Supercritical Antisolvent Process
Authors: de Almeida Regiani Aparecida , Vicente de Paula Rezende Ricardo , Reitz Cardoso Flavia Aparecida , Cardozo Filho Lucio
Published: April 2023

In this work with CFD simulations, the evaluation of the supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process for producing nanoparticles from an expanded solution of ethanol/solute in carbon dioxide is reported. The influence of the solution and antisolvent flow rates on mean particle size, the flow dynamic, and the supercritical mixture's jet velocity must be well established in the literature and analyzed. The high flow rate of the anti-solvent resulted in increased mean particle sizes for all studied cases. At the lowest flow rate of CO2 examined, an increase in the solvent flow rate [0.3-1.0] ml/min initially led to a decrease of 11.2% in the mean particle diameter (MPD); however, further increasing the solvent flow rate [1.0-2.0]ml/min was an increase of 33% in this parameter. At the highest CO2 flow rate, the behavior of MPS was the opposite; it had a rise de 13.5% in MPD with an increase in solvent flow rate; further increasing the flow rate of the solvent, there was a drop of 8.6% in MPD. Significant variations in the temperature lead to large fluctuations in the particle diameters. At last, the contact zones between CO2 and ethanol were delimited, favoring the understanding of the influence of the flow patterns generated by the variation of the flow rates in the mean particle diameters.
Normal Saline vs Plasma-Lyte A Use Intra- and Post-Operatively in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Szempruch Kristen R , Martschenko Alec D , Arora Harendra , Isaak Robert S , Prasad Ravindra , Schmitz John L , Liu Chuning , Zou Fei , Rodriguez Pablo Serrano
Published: April 2023

Fluid management intra- and post-operatively for kidney transplant recipients (KTR) is essential to maintain adequate perfusion to the kidney. 0.9% normal saline (NS) is commonly used, but it can cause hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, which may result in hyperkalemia and lead to delayed graft function (DGF). Plasma-Lyte A (PA) is an alternative option that has a lower amount of chloride and a neutral pH, which may offset the risk of hyperkalemia. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of DGF in KTRs comparing NS vs PA use intra- and initially post-operatively. This single-center, retrospective cohort study in adult KTRs from January 1, 2016 to February 1, 2021 consisted of two cohorts, those receiving NS vs PA. Multi-organ transplant recipients were excluded. The primary outcome was the incidence of DGF. A total of 244 KTRs in the NS group and 263 KTRs in the PA group were included. There was no significant difference in incidence of DGF between the groups, (NS 23.4% vs PA 25.9%, p = 0.537). The logistic regression for only deceased donors were not significantly different (OR 1.369 (0.819-2.288). There was no difference in the incidence of DGF when comparing NS vs PA.
The Multifaceted Roles of Ketogenic Diets in Neurology-Brain Cancers and Other Neurologic Diseases
Authors: Binsaeedu Abdullah S. , Khalifa Moustafa , Tan-Shalaby Jocelyn
Published: April 2023

The ketogenic diet (KD) is currently well known in the lay media as a quick way to lose weight. However, the KD is not a new medical concept. The KD was used in the early 1900s to control seizures. However, as we developed more effective pharmacological agents, we used the KD less until it became practically obscure by the 1980s. Similar to the effects of fasting, the KD leads to the production of ketones as an alternative energy source to glucose. Therefore, the KD has many beneficial metabolic effects, such as an improved immune response, regulation of signal transduction, inflammatory pathways, and neurotransmission. There is growing evidence that KD can be used in the management of various disorders, such as mitochondrial diseases, metabolic disorders, and even cancer. From a neurological standpoint, the KD may have therapeutic benefits in multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, dementia, and stroke. The purpose of this brief narrative review is to outline the current research in the literature on the great potential of the KD as part of a comprehensive neurological treatment plan covering multiple neurological disorders such as status epilepticus, traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, neuropathies, and cancers.
Performance and Safety of a New Medical Device (Polybactum) for Reducing the Recurrence Rate of Bacterial Vaginosis: Protocol for a Multicenter, Open-Label, Noncontrolled International Clinical Trial (POLARIS Study)
Authors: Murina Filippo , Inghirami Paolo , Biriș Marius , Sîrbu Daniela , Barattini Dionisio Franco , Sbrocca Federica , Ardolino Luca Ivan , Mangrella Mario , Casolati Elena , Roșu Serban , Crișan Ciprian Doru
Published: April 2023

Background

The medical literature has reported that recurrent bacterial vaginosis (RBV) has a relapse rate of 35% within 3 months and 60% within 12 months after antibiotic administration. Products that are able to provide a barrier effect against the biofilm produced by Gardnerella vaginalis could play a role in improving the results of bacterial vaginosis (BV) treatment.

Objective

This study aims to assess the performance and safety of a medical device (Polybactum) containing polycarbophil, lauryl glucoside, and glycerides (PLGG) for reducing the rate of recurrence of BV.

Methods

The study includes women who are aged above 18 years, are willing to provide signed informed consent, have a diagnosis of BV according to the Amsel criteria, and have been affected by at least 2 episodes of RBV in the last 12 months. The trial includes 2 phases. In the first phase (according to an open-label noncontrolled design), the treatment involving PLGG is administered for 3 cycles and is followed by a 1-month period of follow-up without treatment. In the second phase, a 9-month follow-up period is envisaged. Thus, for each patient, a 10-month follow-up period without treatment is planned. The study involves 5 centers (2 in Italy and 3 in Romania). We calculated a sample size of 44 pairs to achieve a power of 80% and a 1-sided significance of 5% for detecting a difference of 0.25 between marginal proportions, in comparison with the mean recurrence rate of BV reported in the medical literature. We estimated a potential dropout rate of 20%, and thus, we decided to enroll 55 patients (1-group chi-square test).

Results

The study received ethics approval in 2016 in Romania and 1 year later in Italy. Recruitment started in September 2016. An interim analysis was performed in 2019, and full study analysis results are expected in July 2023.

Conclusions

The tested medical device involving PLGG could modify the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of BV and could improve microbiological parameters owing to the acidifying effect on vaginal pH. We believe that the findings of our study could be useful for other investigators who want to test different products against RBV using a standardized protocol and standardized procedures.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02863536; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02863536

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/42787
Factors Associated With Limited Digital Health Literacy Among Chinese Male Populations: Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Xing Zhaoquan , Ji Meng , Dong Zhaogang , Xu Xiaofei , Shan Yi
Published: April 2023

Background

eHealth resources and interventions promise to promote favorable behavior change, self-efficacy, and knowledge acquisition, thereby improving health literacy. However, individuals with limited eHealth literacy may find it difficult to identify, understand, and benefit from eHealth use. It is necessary to identify the self-assessed eHealth literacy of those who use eHealth resources to classify their eHealth literacy levels and to determine the demographic characteristics associated with higher and lower eHealth literacy skills.

Objective

This study aimed to identify notable factors closely associated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations to provide some implications for clinical practice, health education, medical research, and public health policy making.

Methods

We hypothesized that participants’ eHealth literacy status was associated with various demographic characteristics. Therefore, we elicited the following information in the questionnaire: age and education, self-assessed disease knowledge, 3 well-developed health literacy assessment tools (ie, the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, eHealth Literacy Scale, and General Health Numeracy Test), and the 6 Internal items on health beliefs and self-confidence in the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales. Using randomized sampling, we recruited survey participants from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China. After validating the data collected through a web-based questionnaire survey via wenjuanxing, we coded all valid data according to predefined coding schemes of Likert scales with different point (score) ranges. We then calculated the total scores of the subsections of the scales or the entire scale. Finally, we used logistic regression modeling to associate the scores of the eHealth Literacy Scale with the scores of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, the General Health Numeracy Test-6, and age and education to ascertain factors considerably associated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations.

Results

All data from the 543 returned questionnaires were valid according to the validation criteria. By interpreting these descriptive statistics, we found that 4 factors were significantly correlated with participants’ limited eHealth literacy: older age, lower education attainment, lower levels of all aspects of health literacy (functional, communicative, and critical), and weaker beliefs and self-confidence in internal drivers and strengths to stay healthy.

Conclusions

By applying logistic regression modeling, we ascertained 4 factors that were significantly correlated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations. These relevant factors identified can inform stakeholders engaging in clinical practice, health education, medical research, and health policy making.
A Digital Telehealth System to Compute Myasthenia Gravis Core Examination Metrics: Exploratory Cohort Study
Authors: Garbey Marc , Joerger Guillaume , Lesport Quentin , Girma Helen , McNett Sienna , Abu-Rub Mohammad , Kaminski Henry
Published: April 2023

Background

Telemedicine practice for neurological diseases has grown significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine offers an opportunity to assess digitalization of examinations and enhances access to modern computer vision and artificial intelligence processing to annotate and quantify examinations in a consistent and reproducible manner. The Myasthenia Gravis Core Examination (MG-CE) has been recommended for the telemedicine evaluation of patients with myasthenia gravis.

Objective

We aimed to assess the ability to take accurate and robust measurements during the examination, which would allow improvement in workflow efficiency by making the data acquisition and analytics fully automatic and thereby limit the potential for observation bias.

Methods

We used Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) videos of patients with myasthenia gravis undergoing the MG-CE. The core examination tests required 2 broad categories of processing. First, computer vision algorithms were used to analyze videos with a focus on eye or body motions. Second, for the assessment of examinations involving vocalization, a different category of signal processing methods was required. In this way, we provide an algorithm toolbox to assist clinicians with the MG-CE. We used a data set of 6 patients recorded during 2 sessions.

Results

Digitalization and control of quality of the core examination are advantageous and let the medical examiner concentrate on the patient instead of managing the logistics of the test. This approach showed the possibility of standardized data acquisition during telehealth sessions and provided real-time feedback on the quality of the metrics the medical doctor is assessing. Overall, our new telehealth platform showed submillimeter accuracy for ptosis and eye motion. In addition, the method showed good results in monitoring muscle weakness, demonstrating that continuous analysis is likely superior to pre-exercise and postexercise subjective assessment.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the ability to objectively quantitate the MG-CE. Our results indicate that the MG-CE should be revisited to consider some of the new metrics that our algorithm identified. We provide a proof of concept involving the MG-CE, but the method and tools developed can be applied to many neurological disorders and have great potential to improve clinical care.
COVID-19 Testing Practices, Preventive Behaviors, and Factors Associated With Test Positivity: Population-Based Statewide Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: Kanyangarara Mufaro , Daguise Virginie , Gual-Gonzalez Lídia , Litwin Alain H , Korte Jeffrey , Ross Connor , Nolan Melissa S ,   SC STRONG Project Team
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged public health efforts globally. Timely population-based surveillance is crucial to support public health programs and policies to limit the spread of COVID-19. The South Carolina (SC) Sampling and Testing Representative Outreach for Novel Coronavirus Guidance (SC STRONG) statewide initiative was established to estimate population-level prevalence and immunity and characterize the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 using community testing and online surveys.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aimed to leverage the survey data collected as part of the initiative to understand risk perceptions, testing practices, and preventive behaviors and identify risk factors for COVID-19 test positivity in SC over time.

METHODS

Probability proportionate to size cluster random sampling was used to select SC residents to participate in testing for COVID-19 infection and antibodies and to complete an online survey. This paper focuses on data from the online surveys completed between November 2020 and June 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to describe risk perceptions, attitudes and behaviors, and associated changes over time. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with self-reported COVID-19 test positivity.

RESULTS

Among the 7170 online survey respondents, 58.7% (4213/7170) self-reported ever testing for COVID-19. The most commonly cited barriers to testing were inconvenient dates, time, and location, as well as discomfort. Overall, 18.7% (790/7170) of respondents reported a history of COVID-19 test positivity. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that individuals who were aged 50 years or older, self-identified as Black/African American, were obese, and were employed as frontline health care workers or nursing home staff were more likely to self-report COVID-19 test positivity. By contrast, there was a decreased likelihood of test positivity among respondents who were concerned about the burden of COVID-19 in their community and about being infected.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to remove testing barriers should be implemented to improve access. Our findings provide insights on statewide testing patterns, adoption of prevention behaviors, and risk factors for infection and may inform public health strategies to curb transmission.
Factors Associated With Limited Digital Health Literacy Among Chinese Male Populations: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)
Authors: Xing Zhaoquan , Ji Meng , Dong Zhaogang , Xu Xiaofei , Shan Yi
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

eHealth resources and interventions promise to promote favorable behavior change, self-efficacy, and knowledge acquisition, thereby improving health literacy. However, individuals with limited eHealth literacy may find it difficult to identify, understand, and benefit from eHealth use. It is necessary to identify the self-assessed eHealth literacy of those who use eHealth resources to classify their eHealth literacy levels and to determine the demographic characteristics associated with higher and lower eHealth literacy skills.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify notable factors closely associated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations to provide some implications for clinical practice, health education, medical research, and public health policy making.

METHODS

We hypothesized that participants’ eHealth literacy status was associated with various demographic characteristics. Therefore, we elicited the following information in the questionnaire: age and education, self-assessed disease knowledge, 3 well-developed health literacy assessment tools (ie, the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, eHealth Literacy Scale, and General Health Numeracy Test), and the 6 Internal items on health beliefs and self-confidence in the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales. Using randomized sampling, we recruited survey participants from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China. After validating the data collected through a web-based questionnaire survey via wenjuanxing, we coded all valid data according to predefined coding schemes of Likert scales with different point (score) ranges. We then calculated the total scores of the subsections of the scales or the entire scale. Finally, we used logistic regression modeling to associate the scores of the eHealth Literacy Scale with the scores of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, the General Health Numeracy Test-6, and age and education to ascertain factors considerably associated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations.

RESULTS

All data from the 543 returned questionnaires were valid according to the validation criteria. By interpreting these descriptive statistics, we found that 4 factors were significantly correlated with participants’ limited eHealth literacy: older age, lower education attainment, lower levels of all aspects of health literacy (functional, communicative, and critical), and weaker beliefs and self-confidence in internal drivers and strengths to stay healthy.

CONCLUSIONS

By applying logistic regression modeling, we ascertained 4 factors that were significantly correlated with limited eHealth literacy among Chinese male populations. These relevant factors identified can inform stakeholders engaging in clinical practice, health education, medical research, and health policy making.
Empowering Researchers to Query Medical Data and Biospecimens by Ensuring Appropriate Usability of a Feasibility Tool: Evaluation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Schüttler Christina , Zerlik Maria , Gruendner Julian , Köhler Thomas , Rosenau Lorenz , Prokosch Hans-Ulrich , Sedlmayr Brita
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

The Aligning Biobanking and Data Integration Centers Efficiently project aims to harmonize technologies and governance structures of German university hospitals and their biobanks to facilitate searching for patient data and biospecimens. The central element will be a feasibility tool for researchers to query the availability of samples and data to determine the feasibility of their study project.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the study were as follows: an evaluation of the overall user interface usability of the feasibility tool, the identification of critical usability issues, comprehensibility of the underlying ontology operability, and analysis of user feedback on additional functionalities. From these, recommendations for quality-of-use optimization, focusing on more intuitive usability, were derived.

METHODS

To achieve the study goal, an exploratory usability test consisting of 2 main parts was conducted. In the first part, the thinking aloud method (test participants express their thoughts aloud throughout their use of the tool) was complemented by a quantitative questionnaire. In the second part, the interview method was combined with supplementary mock-ups to collect users’ opinions on possible additional features.

RESULTS

The study cohort rated global usability of the feasibility tool based on the System Usability Scale with a good score of 81.25. The tasks assigned posed certain challenges. No participant was able to solve all tasks correctly. A detailed analysis showed that this was mostly because of minor issues. This impression was confirmed by the recorded statements, which described the tool as intuitive and user friendly. The feedback also provided useful insights regarding which critical usability problems occur and need to be addressed promptly.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that the prototype of the Aligning Biobanking and Data Integration Centers Efficiently feasibility tool is headed in the right direction. Nevertheless, we see potential for optimization primarily in the display of the search functions, the unambiguous distinguishability of criteria, and the visibility of their associated classification system. Overall, it can be stated that the combination of different tools used to evaluate the feasibility tool provided a comprehensive picture of its usability.
Data-Driven Identification of Unusual Prescribing Behavior: Analysis and Use of an Interactive Data Tool Using 6 Months of Primary Care Data From 6500 Practices in England (Preprint)
Authors: Hopcroft Lisa EM , Massey Jon , Curtis Helen J , Mackenna Brian , Croker Richard , Brown Andrew D , O'Dwyer Thomas , Macdonald Orla , Evans David , Inglesby Peter , Bacon Sebastian CJ , Goldacre Ben , Walker Alex J
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Approaches to addressing unwarranted variation in health care service delivery have traditionally relied on the prospective identification of activities and outcomes, based on a hypothesis, with subsequent reporting against defined measures. Practice-level prescribing data in England are made publicly available by the National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority for all general practices. There is an opportunity to adopt a more data-driven approach to capture variability and identify outliers by applying hypothesis-free, data-driven algorithms to national data sets.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and apply a hypothesis-free algorithm to identify unusual prescribing behavior in primary care data at multiple administrative levels in the NHS in England and to visualize these results using organization-specific interactive dashboards, thereby demonstrating proof of concept for prioritization approaches.

METHODS

Here we report a new data-driven approach to quantify how “unusual” the prescribing rates of a particular chemical within an organization are as compared to peer organizations, over a period of 6 months (June-December 2021). This is followed by a ranking to identify which chemicals are the most notable outliers in each organization. These outlying chemicals are calculated for all practices, primary care networks, clinical commissioning groups, and sustainability and transformation partnerships in England. Our results are presented via organization-specific interactive dashboards, the iterative development of which has been informed by user feedback.

RESULTS

We developed interactive dashboards for every practice (n=6476) in England, highlighting the unusual prescribing of 2369 chemicals (dashboards are also provided for 42 sustainability and transformation partnerships, 106 clinical commissioning groups, and 1257 primary care networks). User feedback and internal review of case studies demonstrate that our methodology identifies prescribing behavior that sometimes warrants further investigation or is a known issue.

CONCLUSIONS

Data-driven approaches have the potential to overcome existing biases with regard to the planning and execution of audits, interventions, and policy making within NHS organizations, potentially revealing new targets for improved health care service delivery. We present our dashboards as a proof of concept for generating candidate lists to aid expert users in their interpretation of prescribing data and prioritize further investigations and qualitative research in terms of potential targets for improved performance.
Developing and Evaluating an AI-Based Computer-Aided Diagnosis System for Retinal Disease: Diagnostic Study for Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (Preprint)
Authors: Yoon Jeewoo , Han Jinyoung , Ko Junseo , Choi Seong , Park Ji In , Hwang Joon Seo , Han Jeong Mo , Hwang Daniel Duck-Jin
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Although previous research has made substantial progress in developing high-performance artificial intelligence (AI)–based computer-aided diagnosis (AI-CAD) systems in various medical domains, little attention has been paid to developing and evaluating AI-CAD system in ophthalmology, particularly for diagnosing retinal diseases using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images.

OBJECTIVE

This diagnostic study aimed to determine the usefulness of a proposed AI-CAD system in assisting ophthalmologists with the diagnosis of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), which is known to be difficult to diagnose, using OCT images.

METHODS

For the training and evaluation of the proposed deep learning model, 1693 OCT images were collected and annotated. The data set included 929 and 764 cases of acute and chronic CSC, respectively. In total, 66 ophthalmologists (2 groups: 36 retina and 30 nonretina specialists) participated in the observer performance test. To evaluate the deep learning algorithm used in the proposed AI-CAD system, the training, validation, and test sets were split in an 8:1:1 ratio. Further, 100 randomly sampled OCT images from the test set were used for the observer performance test, and the participants were instructed to select a CSC subtype for each of these images. Each image was provided under different conditions: (1) without AI assistance, (2) with AI assistance with a probability score, and (3) with AI assistance with a probability score and visual evidence heatmap. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to measure the diagnostic performance of the model and ophthalmologists.

RESULTS

The proposed system achieved a high detection performance (99% of the area under the curve) for CSC, outperforming the 66 ophthalmologists who participated in the observer performance test. In both groups, ophthalmologists with the support of AI assistance with a probability score and visual evidence heatmap achieved the highest mean diagnostic performance compared with that of those subjected to other conditions (without AI assistance or with AI assistance with a probability score). Nonretina specialists achieved expert-level diagnostic performance with the support of the proposed AI-CAD system.

CONCLUSIONS

Our proposed AI-CAD system improved the diagnosis of CSC by ophthalmologists, which may support decision-making regarding retinal disease detection and alleviate the workload of ophthalmologists.
COVID-19 Omicron infections in a peritoneal dialysis center, China (Preprint)
Authors: Chen Xiuling , Li Pengli Li , Liu Wenshu , Zhou Qin , Li Yan , Zhang Rongjia , Peng Zehua , Li Xiaoling , Wang Junru , Chen Jin , Li Guisen
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

In December 2022, an outbreak of the COVID-19 Omicron variant occurred in China, resulting in widespread population transmission. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, as a predisposed group, faced significant risks.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes and risk factors in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients infected with COVID-19.

METHODS

Demographic and clinical characteristics of 341 PD patients were recorded at admission. Both binary logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to evaluate potential risk factors for infection and mortality.

RESULTS

COVID-19 was confirmed in 260 (76.2%) patients. Among infected patients, 57 (16.7%) were hospitalized and 11 (4.2%) patients died. Old age (odds ratio [OR] 1.042, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.010-1.075, p=.01), dyspnea (OR 6.113, 95% CI 2.268-16.475, p<.001), use of systemic glucocorticoids (OR 5.830, 95% CI 1.164-29.201, p= .03), baseline hyponatremia (OR 3.096, 95% CI 1.125-8.517, p=.03), and baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (OR 1.089, 95% CI 1.011-1.173, p=.02) were associated with hospitalization. Patients with a higher Charlson comorbidity index score (OR 2.143, 95% CI 1.094-4.198, p=.03), weight loss (OR 9.168, 95% CI 1.604-52.399, p= .01), and baseline hyponatremia (OR 19.345, 95% CI 2.229-167.862, p=.007) were more likely to die compared to survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

Older PD patients with dyspnea, in receipt of glucocorticoid therapy, and baseline hyponatremia had a higher risk of hospitalization. Charlson comorbidity index score, weight loss, and baseline hyponatremia were associated with mortality.
Asset Portfolio Risk Management Study-Empirical Analysis Based on VaR Model
Authors: ZHONG Yi
Published: April 2023

This research paper is based on an empirical analysis of portfolio risk management using the value-at-risk (VaR) model. First, the theoretical foundations of portfolio management are introduced, including portfolio theory, asset pricing models, risk management theory and methods, and VaR models. Then the research methodology is described, including data sources and processing, VaR model construction, and risk metric calculation and interpretation. The empirical results section shows the risk analysis and source identification of asset portfolios, the estimation of VaR model parameters and confidence intervals, and the results of VaR calculations and risk measures at different confidence levels. Finally, the results are discussed and analyzed, including the interpretation and comparison of the risk measure results and the advantages and disadvantages of the VaR model. The paper also provides practical risk management recommendations and decision support for investors based on the results of the study. Limitations of the study and future research directions are also discussed. Overall, insights into portfolio risk management using VaR models are provided and a useful reference for researchers and investors interested in this area.
Factors Influencing Students’ Participation in Scientific Research: Case Study at Pedagogical Universities in Vietnam
Authors: Khoa Cao Tien , Linh Nguyen Quang , Bich Nguyen Thi , Quyet Nguyen Van
Published: April 2023

Students’ scientific research receives a lot of attention from universities and colleges. However, getting students to participate in research is not easy at all. As a result, the purpose of this research is to identify the factors that influence students’ participation in scientific research. The study was conducted for students at pedagogical universities in Vietnam. The study employed a quantitative approach and a survey sample of 298 students. Cronbach’s Alpha and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were used in the study to test and develop the scales. Furthermore, Multiple Linear Regression is used to determine the factors influencing students’ participation in scientific research. According to the findings of the study, three groups of factors influencing students’ participation in scientific research include internal factors, external factors, and student characteristics. The external factors have the greatest influence, while the internal factors have the least influence on students’ participation in scientific research.
Morphometric analysis of the Ekole River as a consequence of climate change: A case study in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Authors: Erebi Jonathan Lisa , Nicholas Digha Opaminola
Published: April 2023

The effect of climate change on the morphometric features of the Ekole River in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, is investigated in this study. The study employs morphometric analysis, which includes area, perimeter, mean stream length, drainage density, stream frequency, and basin length, as well as other factors like elongation ratio, form factor, shape factor, relief ratio, and density, with the assistance of the Shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) and ArcGIS software. The Ekole River has an area of 83.76 km2 and a perimeter of 100.75 km, according to the findings. The average stream length was 0.41 km, and the average bifurcation ratio was 2.15. The drainage density was 2.28 km/km2 and the stream frequency was 5.56. The elogation ratio, form factor, shape factor, and relief ratio were also determined to be 0.20, 0.32 km/km, 3.14, and 3.11, respectively. These findings reveal that the Ekole River has a comparatively low discharge density and a dendritic drainage structure. The elongation ratio, form factor, and relief ratio, on the other hand, indicate that the basin of the river is comparatively elongated and narrow, with low relief. The present condition of the Ekole River is thought to be the result of climate change, which has impacted the river's hydrological processes. Finally, this research sheds light on the effects of climate change on the Ekole River and its morphometric features. Climate change has changed the river's hydrological processes and affected its morphometric parameters, according to the results.
The Illusion of a Marshall Plan for Africa
Authors: Nechad Abdelhamid , Bahha Meryem , Rhalma Mohammed
Published: April 2023

On Tuesday May 28th, 2013, the billionaire and philanthropist Mr. Bill Gates attended a Q&A session at the University of New South Wales. During the session, a lady asked him: “Mr. Gates, Dead Aid, a book by Dambisa Moyo, illustrates that giving more aid to Africa over the course of the years did not alleviate poverty, instead it kept the economy crippled with governments asking for more aid. This fluke made a cycle of aid giving which resulted in nothing productive and it has not been used to solve the immediate problems and the money is not being used to make businesses sustainable in Africa. What’s the foundation’s view in this regard?” To which Mr. Gates responded “Books like that are promoting evil”. Mr. Gates’ sound bite sheds light upon aid as a topic of controversy: in his creed, aid is humane, virtuous and will do the global poor a world of good while anti-aid literature is evil. From Tibor Mende and his famous book "From aid to the re-colonization" (bestseller in the 70s) to Dambisa Moyo and her book "Dead Aid", the issue of assistance to poor countries has been much talked about. Between the fifteen billion dollars transferred to Europe under the Marshall Plan and the thousand billion dollars sucked up by the sub-Saharan Africa since independence, we have come to understand that a poorly-designed assistance automatically produces state-aid recipients. In this paper we will endeavor to weigh the geopolitical and geo-economic impacts of aid and demonstrate why aid, presumably an altruistic deed for the benefit of the poor and the needy, has sparked such a hot debate.