bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phylogenomics of the lepidopteran endoparasitoid wasp subfamily Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and related subfamilies
Authors: Jasso‐Martínez Jovana M. , Quicke Donald L. J. , Belokobylskij Sergey A. , Meza‐Lázaro Rubi Nelsi , Zaldívar‐Riverón Alejandro
Published: August 2020

Rogadinae are a cosmopolitan, species‐rich braconid wasp subfamily whose species are endoparasitoids that attack larvae of a number of lepidopteran families. Members of this subfamily are characterized by pupating within the mummified host larval skin. The subfamily contains six tribes whose relationships have only been partially clarified: Aleiodini, Betylobraconini, Clinocentrini, Rogadini, Stiropiini and Yeliconini. The limits and composition of the closely related subfamilies to the Rogadinae, Hormiinae and Lysiterminae, also remain unclear. Here, we generated ultraconserved element data to reconstruct an almost fully resolved phylogeny for the members of Rogadinae and related subfamilies. Based on our best estimate of phylogeny, we confirm the monophyly of Rogadinae including Betylobraconini, synonymize Xenolobus Fahringer and Bequartia Cameron within the species‐rich genus Aleiodes Wesmael (syn.n.) based on DNA, and synonymize Promesocentrus van Achterberg with Pilichremylus Belokobylskij (syn.n.) based on morphology. We also consistently recovered Hormiinae and Lysiterminae as not reciprocally monophyletic, and thus propose to unite their members under Hormiinae. The ancestral host preference for Rogadinae was probably attacking concealed lepidopteran larvae, with the occurrence of at least two main subsequent transitions to attack both concealed and exposed hosts, one within Rogadini and a second within Aleiodini. We highlight the importance of natural history collections as a source for conducting genomic‐based studies using techniques that allow to obtain a substantial amount of data from considerably old preserved insect specimens.
OpenStreetMap quality assessment using unsupervised machine learning methods
Authors: Jacobs Kent T. , Mitchell Scott W.
Published: August 2020

The reliability and quality of volunteered geographic information (VGI) continue to be pressing concerns. Many VGI projects lack standard geospatial data quality assurance procedures, and the reliability of contributors remains in question. Traditional approaches rely on comparing VGI to an “authoritative” or “gold standard” dataset to assess quality. This study investigates VGI quality by analysing the OpenStreetMap (OSM) database in Ottawa‐Gatineau, focusing on historical map features and contributor data to gain an understanding of how users are contributing to the database, and their ability to do so accurately. Unsupervised machine learning analyses expose a cluster of experienced contributors classified as “OSM validators/experts”, which are then further used to attribute data quality. They are identified through a combination of strong contribution loadings associated with the use and experience of advanced OSM editors, and weaker loadings associated with feature creation and frequency of contributions leading to further correction. Limitations are discussed with implications for future work.
An ethyl methanesulfonate‐induced neutral mutant‐bridging method efficiently identifies spontaneously mutated genes in rice
Authors: Hu Wei , Zhou Tianhao , Hu Gang , Wu Hong , Han Zhongmin , Xiao Jinghua , Li Xianghua , Xing Yongzhong
Published: August 2020

Spontaneous mutants are mainly obtained from tissue culture or natural occurrences in plants. The traditional strategy for identifying spontaneously mutated genes is to continuously backcross these mutants to another variety and develop a near‐isogenic F2 population for map‐based cloning or bulked segregant analysis. However, this strategy is time‐consuming. Here, we have developed a new method to efficiently accelerate the identification process. The chemical mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate was first used to treat the wild type of the spontaneous mutants to induce thousands of neutral mutations. An induced individual without any statistically significant phenotypic changes which was compared with the wild type was chosen as the neutral mutant. The spontaneous mutant was then crossed with the neutral mutant to develop a pseudo‐near‐isogenic F2 population in which only the induced neutral mutations and the causal mutation were segregated in the genome. This population ensures that the variation of the mutated trait is controlled only by the spontaneously mutated gene. Finally, after sequencing the neutral mutant and the mutant‐type DNA pool of the F2 population the spontaneous mutation will be identified quickly by bioinformatics analysis. Using this method, two spontaneously mutated genes were identified successfully. Therefore, the neutral mutant‐bridging method efficiently identifies spontaneously mutated genes in rice, and its value in other plants is discussed.
Making Sense of Coach Development Worldwide During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Callary Bettina , Brady Abbe , Kiosoglous Cameron , Clewer Pekka , Resende Rui , Mehrtens Tammy , Wilkie Matthew , Horvath Rita
Published: August 2020

The commentary brings together the perspectives of a group of coach developers from across the globe who form a community of practice (CoP) from their involvement as “Cohort 5” in the International Council for Coaching Excellence and Nippon Sport Science University Coach Developer Academy. The CoP includes people from three types of organizations: university professors of sport coaching programs, national sport federations, and national multisport organizations’ directors of coach education. While this CoP existed prior to the pandemic, the forced isolation has created a new structure and purpose to the CoP: The authors are all making meaning of the landscape of coach development within which they work by understanding the perspectives of others who work in their domain from across the world and the similar realities that they face in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The authors outline the key themes that emerged from their weekly CoP video conference meetings to shed light on how this pandemic has changed the way they think about coach development.
Equivalency of Sleep Estimates: Comparison of Three Research-Grade Accelerometers
Authors: Plekhanova Tatiana , Rowlands Alex V. , Yates Tom , Hall Andrew , Brady Emer M. , Davies Melanie , Khunti Kamlesh , Edwardson Charlotte L.
Published: August 2020

Introduction: This study examined the equivalency of sleep estimates from Axivity, GENEActiv, and ActiGraph accelerometers worn on the nondominant and dominant wrists and with and without using a sleep log to guide the algorithm. Methods: 47 young adults wore an Axivity, GENEActiv, and ActiGraph accelerometer continuously on both wrists for 4–7 days. Sleep time, sleep window, sleep efficiency, sleep onset, and wake time were produced using the open-source software (GGIR). For each outcome, agreement between accelerometer brands, dominant and nondominant wrists, and with and without use of a sleep log, was examined using pairwise 95% equivalence tests (±10% equivalence zone) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), with 95% confidence intervals and limits of agreement. Results: All sleep outcomes were within a 10% equivalence zone irrespective of brand, wrist, or use of a sleep log. ICCs were poor to good for sleep time (ICCs ≥ .66) and sleep window (ICCs ≥ .56). Most ICCs were good to excellent for sleep efficiency (ICCs ≥ .73), sleep onset (ICCs ≥ .88), and wake time (ICCs ≥ .87). There were low levels of mean bias; however, there were wide 95% limits of agreement for sleep time, sleep window, sleep onset, and wake time outcomes. Sleep time (up to 25 min) and sleep window (up to 29 min) outcomes were higher when use of the sleep log was not used. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that sleep outcomes from the Axivity, GENEActiv, and ActiGraph, when analyzed identically, are comparable across studies with different accelerometer brands and wear protocols at a group level. However, caution is advised when comparing studies that differ on sleep log availability.
Preclinical Profile and Characterization of the Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein Inhibitor ABI-H0731
Authors: Huang Qi , Cai Dawei , Yan Ran , Li Lichun , Zong Yuhua , Guo Lida , Mercier Alexandre , Zhou Yi , Tang Ariel , Henne Kirk , Colonno Richard
Published: August 2020

ABI-H0731, a first-generation hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein inhibitor, has demonstrated effective antiviral activity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in a phase 1b clinical trial and is currently being further evaluated in phase 2 clinical trials. Here, we report the preclinical profile of ABI-H0731. In
in vitro
cell culture systems (HepG2-derived cell lines HepAD38 and HepG2-NTCP and primary human hepatocytes [PHHs]), ABI-H0731 exhibited selective inhibition of HBV DNA replication (50% effective concentration [EC
50
] from 173 nM to 307 nM).
Dismembered extravesical reimplantation of ectopic ureter in duplex kidney with incontinence
Authors: Chandna Abhishek , Kaundal Pawan , Parmar Kalpesh Mahesh , Singh Shrawan Kumar
Published: August 2020

Ectopic ureter is a rare but pertinent cause of incontinence in young women. We report a 12-year-old girl who presented with reports of incontinence since birth. She was evaluated and found to have complete duplication of the left ureter, with the upper moiety ureter opening into the vestibule of the vagina just below the external urethra meatus. She was managed surgically by dismembered extravesical reimplantation of the upper moiety ureter instead of the conventional method of common sheath reimplantation, sparing the patient a wide cystostomy and intravesical dissection. One year postsurgery, the patient is asymptomatic and dry. Dismembered reimplantation of the ectopic ureter is a simple and reproducible technique which avoids manipulation of the normal lower moiety ureter and its associated potential complications. At the same time, it ensures that the patient is dry without any adverse effect on the lower moiety or its ureter.
Non-syndromal multiple supernumerary and permanent impacted teeth in mother and her one child
Authors: Rai Anshul , Jain Anuj , Agrawal Ghanshyam Das , Agrawal Surendra
Published: August 2020

Multiple permanent impacted supernumerary teeth are rare and are most of the times associated with syndromes. The prevalence for non-syndromic multiple supernumerary teeth is less than 1%. We herein presenting a case of non-syndromic multiple supernumerary impacted teeth in a female patient and her child. The patient has three children; out of them, two had normal dentition and the youngest child had 60 teeth (35 impacted supernumerary with 25 erupted teeth). The patient herself had a total of 54 teeth. Their medical history was not significant. The systemic investigations were not suggestive of any syndrome and disease. Very few cases reported more than 30 supernumerary and impacted teeth bilaterally in both the jaws. This case report becomes unique as both mother and her child presented with more than 30 supernumerary impacted teeth.
Rare monophasic mediastinal pleural synovial sarcoma diagnosed via endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration
Authors: Aung Hnin , Tsaknis George , Walter David
Published: August 2020

The mediastinum is a rare site for occurrence of a primary synovial sarcoma (SS) with very few cases reported in the literature. The diagnosis so far has been achieved mainly via open surgery, with only three reported cases diagnosed via endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), however, none of those were located at the posterior mediastinum, without showing any oesophageal or endobronchial involvement. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a monophasic primary pleural mediastinal SS purely involving the posterior mediastinum without oesophageal or endobronchial component, diagnosed via EBUS-TBNA.
On the path towards universal coverage of hepatitis C treatment among people receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in Norway: a prospective cohort study from 2013 to 2017
Authors: Aas Christer Frode , Vold Jørn Henrik , Skurtveit Svetlana , Odsbu Ingvild , Chalabianloo Fatemeh , Økland Jan Magnus , Leiva Rafael Alexander Modahl , Vickerman Peter , Johansson Kjell Arne , Fadnes Lars T
Published: August 2020

Objectives

We aimed to calculate cumulative hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment coverage among individuals enrolled in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in Norway between 2013 and 2017 and to document the treatment transition to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents. Moreover, we aimed to describe adherence to DAAs in the same cohort.

Design

Prospective cohort, registry data.

Setting

Specialist healthcare service (secondary)

Participants and outcomes

This observational study was based on data from The Norwegian Prescription Database. We studied dispensed OAT and HCV treatment annually to calculate the cumulative frequency, and employed secondary sources to calculate prevalence, incidence and HCV treatment coverage from 2013 to 2017, among the OAT population. Factors associated with adherence to DAAs were identified a priori and subject to logistic regression.

Results

10 371 individuals were identified with dispensed OAT, 1475 individuals of these were identified with dispensed HCV treatment. Annual HCV treatment coverage increased from 3.5% (95% CI: 3.2 to 4.4) in 2013 to 17% (95% CI: 17 to 20) in 2017, giving a cumulative HCV coverage among OAT patients in Norway of 38.5%. A complete shift to interferon-free treatment regimens occurred, where DAAs accounting for 32% of HCV treatments in 2013 and 99% in 2017. About two-thirds of OAT patients were considered adherent to their DAA regimens across all genotypes. High level of OAT continuity was associated with improved adherence to DAAs (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1 to 2, p=0.035).

Conclusions

A large increase in HCV treatment coverage attributed by a complete shift to interferon-free regimens among the Norwegian OAT population has been demonstrated. However, treatment coverage is inadmissibly too low and a further substantial scale-up in HCV treatment is required to reach the universal targets of controlling and eliminating the HCV endemic.
Linear growth and mid-childhood cognitive outcomes in three birth cohorts of term-born children: an approach to integrating three growth models to explore critical windows
Authors: Leung Michael , Krishna Aditi , Yang Seungmi , Bassani Diego G , Roth Daniel E
Published: August 2020

Objective

To illustrate that a mediation framework can help integrate inferences from three growth models to enable a comprehensive view of the associations between growth during specific developmental windows and mid-childhood IQ.

Design

We analysed direct and indirect associations between mid-childhood IQ and length/height growth in five early-life age intervals bounded by conception, birth, early, mid and late infancy, and mid-childhood using estimates from three growth models (lifecourse, conditional change and change score) applied to three historical birth cohorts.

Participants and setting

12 088 term-born children from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP) in the USA (n=2170), the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT) in Belarus (n=8275) and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) in the Philippines (n=1643).

Primary outcome measure

Mid-childhood IQ.

Results

Our analyses revealed cross-cohort and cross-interval variations in the direct and indirect effects of foetal and early childhood physical growth on mid-childhood IQ. For example, in CPP, there was a direct association of prenatal growth with IQ that was not evident in the other cohorts, whereas in PROBIT and CLHNS, we observed that foetal and early growth-IQ associations were mediated through size in later periods.

Conclusion

Lifecourse, conditional change and change score growth models yield complementary inferences when appropriately interpreted. Future longitudinal studies of associations of early-life growth with later outcomes would benefit from adopting a causal mediation framework to integrate inferences from multiple complementary growth models.
Protocol for a single-centre, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, superiority trial on the effects of time-restricted eating on body weight, behaviour and metabolism in individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the REStricted Eating Time (RESET) study
Authors: Quist Jonas S , Jensen Marie M , Clemmensen Kim K B , Pedersen Hanne , Bjerre Natasja , Størling Joachim , Blond Martin B , Wewer Albrechtsen Nicolai J , Holst Jens J , Torekov Signe S , Vistisen Dorte , Jørgensen Marit E , Panda Satchidananda , Brock Christina , Finlayson Graham , Færch Kristine
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on change in body weight and describe changes in behaviour and metabolism in individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

Methods and analysis

The REStricted Eating Time (RESET) study is a randomised controlled parallel-group open-label trial. 100 women and men with (1) overweight (body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg/m2) and prediabetes (glycated haemoglobin 39–47 mmol/mol); or (2) obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2) will be randomised to a control group (habitual living) or TRE (self-selected 10-hours eating window within the period from 06:00 to 20:00 in a 1:1 ratio. Testing is scheduled at baseline and after 6 weeks (mid-intervention), 3 months (post-intervention) and 6 months (follow-up). The primary outcome is change in body weight after 3 months of intervention. Secondary outcomes include changes in body composition; measures of glucose metabolism including glycaemic variability, hormones and metabolites; subjective and metabolic markers of appetite, food preferences and reward; dietary intake; physical activity, sleep, chronotype; gastric emptying, gastrointestinal transit time and motility; respiratory and glycolytic capacities; the plasma proteome and metabolome; blood pressure, resting heart rate and heart rate variability; and resting energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Motivation and feasibility will be examined based on interviews at baseline and after 3 months. After the 3-month intervention, a 3-month follow-up period and subsequent testing are scheduled to assess maintenance and longer-term effects.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (H-18059188) and the Danish Data Protection Agency. The study will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results from the study will address whether TRE is effective and feasible in improving health outcomes in individuals at risk of lifestyle-related diseases and can potentially inform the design of feasible health recommendations.

Trial registration number

NCT03854656.
Determining the optimal dose of reactive balance training after stroke: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial
Authors: Mansfield Avril , Inness Elizabeth L , Danells Cynthia J , Jagroop David , Bhatt Tanvi , Huntley Andrew H
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Falls risk poststroke is highest soon after discharge from rehabilitation. Reactive balance training (RBT) aims to improve control of reactions to prevent falling after a loss of balance. In healthy older adults, a single RBT session can lead to lasting improvements in reactive balance control and prevent falls in daily life. While increasing the dose of RBT does not appear to lead to additional benefit for healthy older adults, stroke survivors, who have more severely impaired balance control, may benefit from a higher RBT dose. Our long-term goal is to determine the optimal dose of RBT in people with subacute stroke. This assessor-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial aims to inform the design of a larger trial to address this long-term goal.

Methods and analysis

Participants (n=36) will be attending out-patient stroke rehabilitation, and will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: one, three or six RBT sessions. RBT will replace a portion of participants’ regular physiotherapy so that the total physical rehabilitation time will be the same for the three groups. Balance and balance confidence will be assessed at: (1) study enrolment; (2) out-patient rehabilitation discharge; and (3) 6 months postdischarge. Participants will report falls and physical activity for 6 months postdischarge. Pilot data will be used to plan the larger trial (ie, sample size estimate using fall rates, and which groups should be included based on between-group trends in pre-to-post training effect sizes for reactive balance control measures). Pilot data will also be used to assess the feasibility of the larger trial (ie, based on the accrual rate, outcome completion rate and feasibility of prescribing specific training doses).

Ethics and dissemination

Institutional research ethics approval has been received. Study participants will receive a lay summary of results. We will also publish our findings in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

NCT04219696; Pre results.
Efficacy and safety of high-dose Xueshuantong injection (lyophilised) in reducing the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with unstable angina: a protocol of a randomised, parallel-arm, controlled, double-blind and multicentre clinical trial based on dual antiplatelet therapy
Authors: Long Wenjie , Liao Huili , Huang Xi , Liu Qingqing , Tang Yaqing , Lu Liming , Liu Jianhong , Yuan Tianhui , Ling Yan , Hong Yu , Duan Jiao , Lin Weiji , Xian Shaoxiang , Yang Zhongqi
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Unstable angina (UA), referred to as acute coronary syndrome (ACS), causes unexpected chest pain. Xueshuantong injection (lyophilised) (XST) is a traditional Chinese herbal injection having the potential to treat ACS. However, no clinical trial has been performed in this field. This clinical trial aims to examine the efficacy and safety of XST.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised, parallel-arm, controlled, double-blind and multicentre clinical trial. A total of 1200 participants with UA will be enrolled in a 1:1 ratio, with 600 patients included in the XST treatment group and 600 with 1/20th dose in the control group. The efficacy assessment and major adverse cardiovascular events will be observed, and the frequency of angina attack, angina pectoris will be examined at the start and end of the run-in period. All adverse events will be recorded, regardless of the severity, to assess the safety of XST. The baseline characteristics of patients will be summarised and compared using the t test or non-parametric statistical test. Qualitative data will be analysed using the χ2 or Fisher exact tests, Cochran–Mantel–Hasenszel test and Wilcoxon test.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China (approval number: ZYYEC [2017] 0021). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results of this trial will be disseminated to the public through academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration

This study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/) with the ID ChiCTR1800015911.
Cohort profile: Norwegian youth study on child maltreatment (the UEVO study)
Authors: Hafstad Gertrud Sofie , Sætren Sjur Skjørshammer , Myhre Mia Cathrine , Bergerud-Wichstrøm Marianne , Augusti Else-Marie
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Exposure to childhood maltreatment is not uncommon, and is linked to both short-term and long-term health problems. Population-based surveys for adolescent samples provide excellent opportunities for addressing the substantial burden of early-life adversities, because collecting information close in time to exposure may increase accuracy of assessment. Still few large studies have been conducted, following individuals through adolescence. Therefore, the UEVO cohort was created with the aim of investigating prevalence of child maltreatment throughout childhood and adolescence, and its effects on health and functioning in a long-term perspective in a representative sample of Norwegian adolescents.

Participants

The baseline for the cohort includes a representative sample of 9240 Norwegian adolescents (response rate 86.6%) aged 12–16 years, surveyed in January and February 2019. The cohort to be followed over time comprises the 5502 adolescents who agreed to be recontacted for subsequent data collection waves.

Findings to date

The overall prevalence figures from the first wave of measurement have been published in a comprehensive national report on child maltreatment in Norway.

Future plans

A second study wave will commence in 2021, including about half of the original cohort (longitudinal), as well as a new sample starting at age 12. For participants above age 16, original survey data will be connected to national registries (pending indvidual consent), enabling the study of real-life functioning within the areas of healthcare utilisation, school drop-out, work-force participation and prescription of medication.
Protocol for a scoping review of digital health for older adults with cancer and their families
Authors: Cheng Karis Kin-Fong , Siah Rosalind Chiew-Jiat , Ream Emma , Kanesvaran Ravindran , Armes Jo
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The potential for digital medicine and healthcare in geriatric oncology settings has received much attention. This scoping review will summarise the nature and extent of the existing literature that describes and examines digital health development, implementation, evaluation, outcome and experience for older adults with cancer, their families and their healthcare providers.

Methods and analysis

Arksey and O'Malley’s six stages of scoping review methodology framework will be used. Searches will be conducted in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase via OvidSP, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus via EBSCO, Scopus and PsycINFO via OvidSP for published articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals from year 2000 onwards. In addition, we will screen databases for all prospectively registered trials. Research articles using quantitative or qualitative study design or reviews will be included if they describe or report the design, development or usability of digital health interventions in the treatment and care of patients 65 years of age or older with cancer and their families before, during and after cancer treatment. Grey literature will not be searched and included. Two investigators will independently perform the literature search, eligibility assessments and study selection. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram for the scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will be used to delineate the search decision process. For included articles, the extracted results will be synthesised both quantitatively and qualitatively and reported under key conceptual categories of this scoping review. Research gaps and opportunities will be identified and summarised.

Ethics and dissemination

Since this review will only include published data, ethics approval will not be sought. The results of the review will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. We will also engage with relevant stakeholders within research team’s networks to determine suitable approaches for dissemination.
‘There were some clues’: a qualitative study of heuristics used by parents of adolescents to make credibility judgements of online health news articles citing research
Authors: Maggio Lauren A , Krakow Melinda , Moorhead Laura L
Published: August 2020

Objective

To identify how parents judge the credibility of online health news stories with links to scientific research.

Design

This qualitative study interviewed parents who read online stories about e-cigarettes and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination published by top-tier US news organisations. Researchers asked participants to describe elements of a story that influenced their judgement about content credibility. Researchers analysed transcripts using inductive and deductive techniques. Deductive analysis drew on cognitive heuristics previously identified as being used by the public to judge online health information. Inductive analysis allowed the emergence of new heuristics, especially relating to health.

Setting

The US National Cancer Institute’s Audience Research Lab in Maryland, in August–November 2018.

Participants

Sixty-four parents with at least one child between the ages of 9 and 17 residing in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia participated. Researchers randomly assigned 31 parents to the HPV vaccination story and 33 to the e-cigarette story.

Results

Evidence of existing heuristics, including reputation, endorsement, consistency, self-confirmation, expectancy violation and persuasive intent emerged from the interviews, with participants deeming stories credible when mentioning physicians (reputation heuristic) and/or consistent with information provided by personal physicians (consistency heuristic). Participants also described making credibility judgements based on presence of statistics, links to scientific research and their general feelings about news media. In relation to presence of statistics and links, participants reported these elements increased the credibility of the news story, whereas their feelings about the news media decreased their credibility judgement.

Conclusions

Parents used a constellation of heuristics to judge the credibility of online health news stories. Previously identified heuristics for online health information are also applicable in the context of health news stories. The findings have implications for initiatives in education, health communication and journalism directed towards increasing the public’s engagement with health news and their credibility judgements.
Effectiveness of mass testing for control of COVID-19: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Lopes-Júnior Luís Carlos , Bomfim Emiliana , Silveira Denise Sayuri Calheiros da , Pessanha Raphael Manhães , Schuab Sara Isabel Pimentel Carvalho , Lima Regina Aparecida Garcia
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Since March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak has been deemed a pandemic by the WHO, the SARS-CoV-2 spreading has been the focus of attention of scientists, authorities, public health agencies and communities around the world. One of the great concerns and challenges, mainly in low-income and middle-income countries, is the identification and monitoring of COVID-19 cases. The large-scale availability of testing is a fundamental aspect of COVID-19 control, but it is currently the biggest challenge faced by many countries around the world. We aimed to synthesise and critically evaluate the scientific evidence on the influence of the testing capacity for symptomatic individuals in the control of COVID-19.

Methods and analysis

A systematic review will be conducted in eight databases, such as Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, ISI-of-Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, SCOPUS, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, PsycINFO and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, from inception to 30 July 2020. No restriction regarding the language, publication date or setting will be employed. Primary outcomes will include the sensitivity as well as the specificity of the tests for COVID-19. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Methodological assessment of the studies will be evaluated by the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomised controlled trials, the MINORS for non-randomised studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort or case–control studies. Findings will be structured according to the test type and target population characteristics and focused on the primary outcomes (sensitivity and specificity). Moreover, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be performed. Pooled standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be calculated. Heterogeneity between the studies will be determined by I2statistics. Subgroup analyses will also be conducted. Publication bias will be assessed with funnel plots and Egger’s test. Heterogeneity will be explored by random effects analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated widely via peer-reviewed publication and presentations at conferences related to this field.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020182724.
Study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of levetiracetam and zonisamide versus standard treatments for epilepsy: a comparison of standard and new antiepileptic drugs (SANAD-II)
Authors: Balabanova Silviya , Taylor Claire , Sills Graeme , Burnside Girvan , Plumpton Catrin , Smith Phil E M , Appleton Richard , Leach John Paul , Johnson Michael , Baker Gus , Pirmohamed Munir , Hughes Dyfrig A , Williamson Paula R , Tudur-Smith Catrin , Marson Anthony Guy
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment. Over the past 20 years, a number of new drugs have been approved for National Health Service (NHS) use on the basis of information from short-term trials that demonstrate efficacy. These trials do not provide information about the longer term outcomes, which inform treatment policy. This trial will assess the long-term clinical and cost-effectiveness of the newer treatment levetiracetam and zonisamide.

Methods and analysis

This is a phase IV, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled clinical trial comparing new and standard treatments for patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Arm A of the trial randomised 990 patients with focal epilepsy to standard AED lamotrigine or new AED levetiracetam or zonisamide. Arm B randomised 520 patients with generalised epilepsy to standard AED sodium valproate or new AED levetiracetam. Patients are recruited from UK NHS outpatient epilepsy, general neurology and paediatric clinics. Included patients are aged 5 years or older with two or more spontaneous seizures requiring AED monotherapy, who are not previously treated with AEDs. Patients are followed up for a minimum of 2 years. The primary outcome is time to 12-month remission from seizures. Secondary outcomes include time to treatment failure (including due to inadequate seizure control or unacceptable adverse reactions); time to first seizure; time to 24-month remission; adverse reactions and quality of life. All primary analyses will be on an intention to treat basis. Separate analyses will be undertaken for each arm. Health economic analysis will be conducted from the perspective of the NHS to assess the cost-effectiveness of each AED.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial has been approved by the North West-Liverpool East REC (Ref. 12/NW/0361). The trial team will disseminate the results through scientific meetings, peer-reviewed publications and patient and public involvement.

Trial registration numbers

EudraCT 2012-001884-64; ISRCTN30294119.
Development of a computerised neurocognitive battery for children and adolescents with HIV in Botswana: study design and protocol for the Ntemoga study
Authors: Scott J Cobb , Van Pelt Amelia E , Port Allison M , Njokweni Lucky , Gur Ruben C , Moore Tyler M , Phoi Onkemetse , Tshume Ontibile , Matshaba Mogomotsi , Ruparel Kosha , Chapman Jennifer , Lowenthal Elizabeth D
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Neurodevelopmental delays and cognitive impairments are common in youth living with HIV. Unfortunately, in resource-limited settings, where HIV infection impacts millions of children, cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders commonly go undetected because of a lack of appropriate assessment instruments and local expertise. Here, we present a protocol to culturally adapt and validate the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (PennCNB) and examine its validity for detecting both advanced and subtle neurodevelopmental problems among school-aged children affected by HIV in resource-limited settings.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, observational cohort study. The venue for this study is Gaborone, Botswana, a resource-limited setting with high rates of perinatal exposure to HIV and limited neurocognitive assessment tools and expertise. We aim to validate the PennCNB in this setting by culturally adapting and then administering the adapted version of the battery to 200 HIV-infected, 200 HIV-exposed uninfected and 240 HIV-unexposed uninfected children. A series of analyses will be conducted to examine the reliability and construct validity of the PennCNB in these populations.

Ethics and dissemination

This project received ethical approval from local and university Institutional Review Boards and involved extensive input from local stakeholders. If successful, the proposed tools will provide practical screening and streamlined, comprehensive assessments that could be implemented in resource-limited settings to identify children with cognitive deficits within programmes focused on the care and treatment of children affected by HIV. The utility of such assessments could also extend beyond children affected by HIV, increasing general access to paediatric cognitive assessments in resource-limited settings.
Prognosis in metastatic lung cancer: vitamin D deficiency and depression—a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: McFarland Daniel C , Fernbach Madalyn , Breitbart William S , Nelson Christian
Published: August 2020

Background

Depression and vitamin D deficiency are common in patients with lung cancer and have prognostic implications in cancer settings. However, their relationship and concomitant survival implications have not been evaluated in patients with metastatic lung cancer specifically. We hypothesised that vitamin D deficiency would be associated with depression and inferior cancer-related survival in patients receiving therapies for stage IV lung cancer.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional analysis of vitamin D, depression and lung cancer characteristics. Vitamin D levels were stratified by level (no deficiency ≥30 units, mild deficiency 20 to 29 units and moderate-to-severe <20 units). Depression was measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D). Survival estimations were made using Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analyses.

Results

Vitamin D deficiency was evident in almost half of the sample (n=98) and was associated with significant depression (HADS-D ≥8) (χ2=4.35, p<0.001) even when controlling for age, sex and inflammation (β=-0.21, p=0.03). Vitamin D deficiency and depression were associated with worse survival and showed evidence of an interaction effect (HR 1.5, p=0.04).

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression in patients with metastatic lung cancer. Depression modulates the survival implications of vitamin D deficiency in this population. The role of vitamin D deficiency in cancer-related depression warrants further investigation since both are amenable to treatment. Psychological and nutritional prognostic considerations may help inform treatment paradigms that enhance quality of life and survival.
Evidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Authors: von Biela Vanessa R. , Bowen Lizabeth , McCormick Stephen D. , Carey Michael P. , Donnelly Daniel S. , Waters Shannon , Regish Amy M. , Laske Sarah M. , Brown Randy J. , Larson Sean , Zuray Stanley , Zimmerman Christian E.
Published: August 2020

Migrating adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are sensitive to warm water (>18 °C), with a range of consequences from decreased spawning success to early mortality. We examined the proportion of Yukon River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) exhibiting evidence of heat stress to assess the potential that high temperatures contribute to freshwater adult mortality in a northern Pacific salmon population. Water temperatures greater than 18 °C have occurred almost annually in the Yukon River and correspond with low population abundance since the 1990s. Using gene transcription products and heat shock protein 70 biomarkers validated by field experiment, we identified heat stress in half of Chinook salmon examined (54%, n = 477) across three mainstem locations and three tributaries in 2016–2017. Biomarkers tracked wide variation in water temperature (14–23 °C) within a tributary. The proportion of salmon with heat stress differed between years at four of the six locations, with more prevalent heat stress in the warmer year. This work demonstrates that warming water temperatures are currently affecting northern populations of Pacific salmon.
Restoring trust: COVID-19 and the future of long-term care in Canada
Authors: Estabrooks Carole A. , Straus Sharon E. , Flood Colleen M. , Keefe Janice , Armstrong Pat , Donner Gail J. , Boscart Véronique , Ducharme Francine , Silvius James L. , Wolfson Michael C.
Published: August 2020

The Royal Society of Canada Task Force on COVID-19 was formed in April 2020 to provide evidence-informed perspectives on major societal challenges in response to and recovery from COVID-19. The Task Force established a series of working groups to rapidly develop policy briefings, with the objective of supporting policy makers with evidence to inform their decisions. This paper reports the findings of the COVID-19 Long-Term Care (LTC) working group addressing a preferred future for LTC in Canada, with a specific focus on COVID-19 and the LTC workforce. First, the report addresses the research context and policy environment in Canada’s LTC sector before COVID-19 and then summarizes the existing knowledge base for integrated solutions to challenges that exist in the LTC sector. Second, the report outlines vulnerabilities exposed because of COVID-19, including deficiencies in the LTC sector that contributed to the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis. This section focuses especially on the characteristics of older adults living in nursing homes, their caregivers, and the physical environment of nursing homes as important contributors to the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the report articulates principles for action and nine recommendations for action to help solve the workforce crisis in nursing homes.
Bounds on very weakly interacting ultra light scalar and pseudoscalar dark matter from quantum gravity
Authors: Calmet Xavier , Kuipers Folkert
Published: August 2020

In this paper we consider very weakly interacting and ultra light scalar and pseudoscalar dark matter candidates. We show that quantum gravity has important implications for such models and that the masses of the singlet scalar and pseudoscalar fields must be heavier than $$3\times 10^{-3}$$3×10-3 eV. However, if they are gauged, their masses could be much lighter and as light as $$10^{-22}\, \mathrm{eV}$$10-22eV. The existence of new gauge forces in the dark matter sector can thus be probed by atomic clocks or quantum sensors experiments.
Quantum state sharing with mixing state from six-qubit entangled pure one
Authors: Zhang Zhanjun , Yuan Hao , Xie Chuanmei , Ye Biaoliang
Published: August 2020

In this paper the possibility of using mixing entangled states as quantum channel to accomplish quantum state sharing (QSTS) is considered. As a preliminary study, an efficient tripartite QSTS scheme is put forward by utilizing a mixing entangled state, which is a derivative of a six-qubit entangled pure state under a two-qubit confusion. Some specific discussions about the QSTS scheme are made, including the issues of the scheme determinacy, the sharer symmetry, the scheme security and the essential role of quantum channel as well as the current experimental feasibility.
Design of a Novel Topology of Transformer-Less Cuk Inverter for Isolated Load Applications
Authors: Narmadha A. P. , Sait H. Habeebullah
Published: August 2020

This paper presents a new topology of single-stage inverter to generate quality sinusoidal output waveform without any additional boosting components. The proposed inverter is a combination of back-to-back two Cuk converters and hence, it is named as a cuk inverter. As per the inductor value, it can operate in continuous and discontinuous current mode. The sinusoidal output voltage can be raised or lowered with different duty ratio based on the load requirement. This Cuk inverter reduces the filter requirement in the output circuit. Further, to show the advantage of the proposed topology, a comparative study is carried out with conventional and recent converters in terms of number of switches, LC components and applications. The performance of the proposed topology is analyzed with MATLAB/Simulink tool and implemented as hardware to validate the simulated results.
An Improved Faster R-CNN for UAV-Based Catenary Support Device Inspection
Authors: Liu Jiahao , Wang Zhipeng , Wu Yunpeng , Qin Yong , Cao Xianbin , Huang Yonghui
Published: August 2020

The catenary support device inspection is of crucial importance for ensuring safety and reliability of railway systems. At present, visual detection tasks of catenary support devices defect are performed by trained personnel based on the images taken periodically by industrial cameras installed on inspection vehicle in a limited period of time at midnight. However, the inspection mean is inappropriate for low efficiency and high cost. This paper presents a novel network based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images for catenary support device inspection and focuses on small object detection and the imbalanced dataset. With regards to the first aspect, based on a pyramid network structure, the improved Faster R-CNN consists of a top-down-top feature pyramid fusion structure, which heavily fuses high-level semantic information and low-level detail information. The feature map fusions of three different pooling scales are employed for improving detection accuracy of predicted bounding boxes. With regards to the second, we copy and paste the small proportion objects of dataset for avoiding category imbalance. Finally, quantitative and qualitative evaluations illustrate that the improved Faster-RCNN achieves better performance over the classic methods, yet remains convenient and efficient.
Almost contact Hom-Lie algebras and Sasakian Hom-Lie algebras
Authors: Peyghan E. , Nourmohammadifar L.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we consider Hom-Lie groups and introduce left invariant almost contact structures on them (almost contact Hom-Lie algebras). On such Hom-Lie groups, we construct the almost contact metrics and the contact forms. We give the notion of normal almost contact Hom-Lie algebras and describe [Formula: see text]-contact and Sasakian structures on Hom-Lie algebras. Also, we study some of their properties. In addition, it is shown that any Sasakian Hom-Lie algebra is a [Formula: see text]-contact Hom-Lie algebra. Finally, we present examples of Sasakian Hom-Lie algebras and in particular, we show that the skew symmetric matrix [Formula: see text] carries a Sasakian structure.
On perfect annihilator graphs of commutative rings
Authors: Ebrahimi Sh. , Tehranian A. , Nikandish R.
Published: August 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with identity, and let [Formula: see text] be the set of zero-divisors of [Formula: see text]. The annihilator graph of [Formula: see text] is defined as the graph [Formula: see text] with the vertex set [Formula: see text], and two distinct vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study the perfectness of annihilator graphs of a vast range of rings. Indeed, it is shown that if [Formula: see text] is reduced with finitely many minimal primes or nonreduced, then [Formula: see text] is perfect.