bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract PR-11: Developing an agnostic risk prediction model for acute kidney injury in cancer patients using a machine learning algorithm from blood results data
Authors: Scanlon Lauren A. , Barrusio Jorge , Garbett Alexander
Published: March 2021

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common complication in hospital inpatients with the annual number of excess inpatient deaths associated with AKI in England estimated to be above 40,000 and the annual cost of AKI-related inpatient care around £1.02 billion. Oncology patients are a known high risk population for developing AKI. The prevalence of AKI in oncology populations is 7.5 to 9.5%, with AKI incidence associated with lower remission rates and higher mortality. To reduce the impact of this condition in cancer patients we aimed to create a model to predict AKI events before occurrence allowing intervention and prevention strategies to be put in place. We trained a Random Forest Model on 597,403 blood test results from 48,865 patients undergoing cancer treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK between January 2017 and 3rd May 2020, to identify AKI events upcoming in the next 30 days. From this model, risk levels of very low, low, medium, high and very high were assigned to the risk of an upcoming AKI event. We tested the model and risk assessment through a prospective analysis on patients’ blood tests results collected between 1st June 2020 to 31st August 2020. The trained model gave an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of 88.1% (95% confidence interval 87.8% - 88.3%) when assessing predictions per blood test for AKI occurrences within 30 days. Assigning risk levels and testing the model through prospective validation across the period 1st June to the 31st August identified 61.2% of AKI occurrences with a risk alert of `Medium' or higher, identifying 73.8% of patients with AKI event before at least one AKI occurrence. Our results demonstrate the exciting potential for using routinely collected blood test data to assign AKI risk levels allowing early intervention and preventative strategies to be put in place.

Citation Format: Lauren A. Scanlon, Jorge Barrusio, Alexander Garbett. Developing an agnostic risk prediction model for acute kidney injury in cancer patients using a machine learning algorithm from blood results data [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Diagnosis, and Imaging; 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr PR-11.
Realistic Environment Audiometric Booth: Development and Clinical Validation
Authors: Vigliano Melisa , Huarte Alicia , Borro Diego , Lasarte Unai , Manrique Rodriguez Manuel J.
Published: March 2021

Background: Technological developments to treat hearing loss with different types of hearing aids and auditory implants have improved the auditory perception of patients, particularly in highly complex listening conditions. These devices can be fitted and adapted to enhance speech perception. Audiological tests that assess hearing with and without auditory devices have traditionally taken place in sound-attenuated audiometric booths. Although the insights gained from these tests are extremely useful, they do not accurately reflect everyday listening situations, and accurate information about the potential benefits of the hearing device in real acoustic scenarios cannot be established. Consequently, it is difficult to optimize this technology since fitting cannot be customized. Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate an audiological testing method using a new development, the Realistic Environment Audiometric Booth (REAB), in clinical practice. Materials: We used specifically designed software to perform audiological tests in an 8 m2 sound-attenuated booth. The REAB was designed to conduct audiological tests in standard testing conditions and in new hearing scenarios that simulate real-life situations since sound can be emitted simultaneously or alternately 360° around the patient, along with 3D images. Methods: Prospective study in which subjects were tested randomly in the REAB and the conventional booth (CB) in free field. Results: 150 subjects were recruited, mean age 56 ± 20.7 years. Auditory outcomes for pure-tone audiometry showed a high correlation; this was also the case for speech audiometries in quiet and in noise. The outcome of the new scenarios with real-life noise was plotted, including the mean values and their confidence intervals. A decreasing trend was observed in the results obtained by the different groups, according to their hearing levels. Conclusions: We have developed and validated a new audiological testing method that enables hearing ability to be assessed in listening conditions similar to those found in real life. The REAB complements the tests performed in CBs, thereby aiding the diagnostic process by reproducing acoustic and visual scenarios that conventional tests do not offer.
Association of Cardiac Care Regionalization With Access, Treatment, and Mortality Among Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Shen Yu-Chu , Krumholz Harlan , Hsia Renee Y.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Regionalization of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems of care has been championed over the past decade. Although timely access to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to improve outcomes, no studies have determined how regionalization has affected the care and outcomes of patients. We sought to determine if STEMI regionalization is associated with changes in access, treatment, and outcomes.

Methods:

Using a difference-in-differences approach, we analyzed a statewide, administrative database of 139 494 patients with STEMI in California from 2006 to 2015 using regionalization data based on a survey of all local Emergency Medical Services agencies in the state.

Results:

For patients with STEMI, the base rate of admission to a hospital with PCI capability was 72.7%, and regionalization was associated with an increase of 5.34 percentage points (95% CI, 1.58–9.10), representing a 7.1% increase. Regionalization was also associated with a statistically significant increase of 3.54 (95% CI, 0.61–6.48) percentage points in the probability of same-day PCI, representing an increase of 7.1% from the 49.7% base rate and a 4.6% relative increase (2.97 percentage points [95% CI, 0.1–5.85]) in the probability of receiving PCI at any time during the hospitalization. There was a 1.84 percentage point decrease (95% CI, −3.31 to −0.37) in the probability of receiving fibrinolytics. For 7-day mortality, regionalization was associated with a 0.53 (95% CI, −1 to −0.06) percentage point greater reduction (representing 5.8% off the base rate of 9.1%) and a 1.75 percentage point decrease in the likelihood of all-cause 30-day readmission (95% CI, −3.39 to −0.11; representing 6.4% off the base rate of 27.4%). No differences were found in longer-term mortality.

Conclusions:

Among patients with STEMI in California from 2006 to 2015, STEMI regionalization was associated with increased access to a PCI-capable hospital, greater use of PCI, lower 7-day mortality, and lower 30-day readmissions.
Proximal Tubule-Specific Deletion of Angiotensin II Type 1a Receptors in the Kidney Attenuates Circulating and Intratubular Angiotensin II–Induced Hypertension in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
Mice
Authors: Li Xiao Chun , Leite Ana Paula Oliveira , Zheng Xiaowen , Zhao Chunling , Chen Xu , Zhang Liang , Zhou Xinchun , Rubera Isabelle , Tauc Michel , Zhuo Jia Long
Published: March 2021

The present study used a novel mouse model with proximal tubule-specific knockout of AT
1a
receptors in the kidney, PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
, to test the hypothesis that intratubular Ang II (angiotensin II) and AT
1a
receptors in the proximal tubules are required for maintaining normal blood pressure and the development of Ang II–induced hypertension. Twenty-six groups (n=6–15 per group) of adult male wild-type, global
Agtr1a
−/−
, and PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
mice were infused with Ang II (1.5 mg/kg per day, IP), or overexpressed an intracellular Ang II fusion protein in the proximal tubules for 2 weeks. Basal telemetry blood pressure were ≈15±3 mm Hg lower in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
than wild-type mice and ≈13±3 mm Hg higher than
Agtr1a
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Basal glomerular filtration was ≈23.9% higher (
P
<0.01), whereas fractional proximal tubule Na
+
reabsorption was lower in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Deletion of AT
1a
receptors in the proximal tubules augmented the pressure-natriuresis response (
P
<0.01) and natriuretic responses to salt loading or Ang III infusion (
P
<0.01). Ang II induced hypertension in wild-type, PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
and PT-
Nhe3
−/−
mice, but the pressor response was ≈16±2 mm Hg lower in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
and PT-
Nhe3
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Deletion of AT
1a
receptors or NHE3 (Na
+
/H
+
exchanger 3) in the proximal tubules attenuated ≈50% of Ang II–induced hypertension in wild-type mice (
P
<0.01), but blocked intracellular Ang II fusion protein-induced hypertension in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Taken together, the results of the present study provide new insights into the critical role of intratubular Ang II/AT
1
(AT
1a
)/NHE3 pathways in the proximal tubules in normal blood pressure control and the development of Ang II–induced hypertension.
Medullary and Hypothalamic Functional Magnetic Imaging During Acute Hypoxia in Tracing Human Peripheral Chemoreflex Responses
Authors: Gerlach Darius A. , Manuel Jorge , Hoff Alex , Kronsbein Hendrik , Hoffmann Fabian , Heusser Karsten , Ehmke Heimo , Jordan Jens , Tank Jens , Beissner Florian
Published: March 2021

Hypoxia-sensitive peripheral carotid chemoreceptors, which regulate sympathetic outflow from the brain stem, are promising antihypertensive treatment targets. However, the central nervous pathways integrating human peripheral chemoreflexes are poorly understood. We combined high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging with physiological profiling to elucidate hypothalamic and medullary responses to acute hypoxia. We exposed 12 healthy men (29.7±6.6 years) to 5 hypoxic episodes each by breathing 10% oxygen for 180 seconds followed by 90 seconds of normoxia during high-resolution subcortical functional magnetic resonance imaging. We recorded beat-by-beat finger blood pressure, ECG, and peripheral oxygen saturation (Sp
o
2
). We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging data through independent component analysis, correlation with systolic blood pressure and Sp
o
2
, and functional connectivity analysis by dual regression. On average Sp
o
2
decreased by 12±3% (
P
<0.01) during hypoxia while heart rate increased by 3±7 bpm (
P
<0.01). Systolic blood pressure was unchanged. Brain stem-centered analyses revealed 5 distinct hypoxia-responsive regions around the nucleus of the solitary tract, nucleus ambiguus/intermediate reticular nucleus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagal nerve, spinal trigeminal nucleus, and inferior olivary nucleus. Hypothalamus-centered analysis revealed 3 such regions around the arcuate nucleus, anterior hypothalamic area/lateral hypothalamic area, and paraventricular nucleus. During hypoxia, these regions showed altered functional connectivity with various medullary and hypothalamic areas. We conclude that high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals subcortical systems engaged by acute hypoxia, which likely correspond to the peripheral chemoreceptor pathway. Our methodology may have utility in studying peripheral chemoreflex contributions to cardiovascular disease and responses to peripheral chemoreceptor modulation.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.drks.de/
. Unique identifier: DRKS00013101.
Biological Pathways in Adolescent Aortic Stiffness
Authors: Zachariah Justin P. , Wang Yunfei , Newburger Jane W. , deFerranti Sarah D. , Mitchell Gary F , Vasan Ramachandran S.
Published: March 2021

Background

Aortic stiffening begins in youth and antedates future hypertension. In adults, excess weight, systemic inflammation, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, neurohormonal activation, and altered adipokines are implicated in the pathogenesis of increased aortic stiffness. In adolescents, we assessed the relations of comprehensive measures of aortic stiffness with body mass index (BMI) and related but distinct circulating biomarkers.

Methods and Results

A convenience sample of 246 adolescents (mean age, 16±2 years; 45% female, 24% Black, and 43% Hispanic) attending primary care or preventive cardiology clinics at 2 tertiary hospitals was grouped as normal weight (N=98) or excess weight (N=148, defined as BMI ≥age‐ and sex‐referenced 85th percentile). After an overnight fast, participants underwent anthropometry, noninvasive arterial tonometry, and assays for serum lipids, CRP (C‐reactive protein), glucose, insulin, renin, aldosterone, and leptin. We used multivariable linear regression to relate arterial stiffness markers (including carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity) to BMI
z
score and a biomarker panel. Carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity was higher in excess weight compared with normal weight group (5.0±0.7 versus 4.6±0.6 m/s;
P
<0.01). After multivariable adjustment, carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity was associated with BMI
z
score (0.09 [95% CI, 0.01–0.18];
P
=0.04) and with low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.26 [95% CI, 0.03–0.50];
P
=0.03).

Conclusions

Higher BMI and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with greater aortic stiffness in adolescents. Maintaining optimal BMI and lipid levels may mitigate aortic stiffness.
Outcomes of Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke in Patients Aged ≥90 Years
Authors: Fujita Kyohei , Tanaka Kanta , Yamagami Hiroshi , Yoshimoto Takeshi , Uchida Kazutaka , Morimoto Takeshi , Imamura Hirotoshi , Sakai Nobuyuki , Ohara Nobuyuki , Matsumoto Yasushi , Takeuchi Masataka , Shigeta Keigo , Toyoda Kazunori , Yoshimura Shinichi
Published: March 2021

Background and Purpose:

Outcomes in patients ≥90 years of age with stroke due to large vessel occlusion were compared between endovascular therapy (EVT) and medical management.

Methods:

Of 2420 acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion in a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry in Japan, patients aged ≥90 years with occlusion of the internal carotid artery or M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery were included. The primary effectiveness outcome was a favorable outcome at 3 months, defined as achieving a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 or return to at least the prestroke modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 72 hours after onset. Intergroup biases were adjusted by multivariable adjustment with inverse probability of treatment weighting.

Results:

A total of 150 patients (median age, 92 [interquartile range, 90–94] years; median prestroke modified Rankin Scale score, 2 [interquartile range, 0–4]) were analyzed. EVT was performed in 49 patients (32.7%; mechanical thrombectomy, n=43). The EVT group showed shorter time from onset to hospital arrival (
P
=0.03), higher Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (
P
<0.01), and a higher rate of treatment with intravenous thrombolysis (
P
<0.01) than the medical management group. The favorable outcome was seen in 28.6% of the EVT group and 6.9% of the medical management group (
P
<0.01). EVT was associated with the favorable outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 8.44 [95% CI, 1.88–37.97]). Rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage were similar between the EVT group (0.0%) and the medical management group (3.9%;
P
=0.30).

Conclusions:

Patients who underwent EVT showed better functional outcomes than those with medical management without increased symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages. Given proper patient selection, withholding EVT solely on the basis of the age of patients may not offer the best chance of good outcome.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02419794.
Re-Negotiating Interconfessional Boundaries through Intertextuality: The Unborn in the Kṯāḇā ḏ-Huddāyē of Barhebraeus (d. 1286)
Authors: Jäckel Florian
Published: March 2021

The article analyzes the Kṯāḇā ḏ-Huddāyē, a legal work of the Syriac polymath and ecclesiastic leader Barhebraeus. The intertextual strategies are assessed, such as compilation, redaction and adaption of the Huddāyē’s source material, i.e. legal compendia by al-Ghazālī, by the Ḥanafī al-Qudūrī and texts from Christian tradition. It is argued that the different normative boundaries established by these source texts and then intertextually reworked by Barhebraeus in the Huddāyē can be read as (re-)negotiation of communal identity for a Christian community in an Islamic environment. Two treatments of unborn life and pregnancy are taken as an example: the funeral prayer for the miscarried child and financial compensation in case of induced miscarriage.
Islamicate Goods in Gothic Halls: The Afterlives of Palma De Mallorca’s Islamic Past
Authors: Bauer Doron
Published: March 2021

Following the conquest of Islamic Majorca in 1229, the Christian settler-colonizers embraced a purist identity that rejected altogether the island’s Islamic past and its artistic heritage. Visually, this new identity found its expression in the form of a clean, restrained, and mathematical gothic style. Palma’s towering gothic monuments embodied an ideological attempt at cultural erasure that has shaped Mallorquin identity to the present day. However, through the interstices of collective memory and material evidence it becomes clear that Islam and the Islamicate lingered beyond the singular point of the conquest through the continuity of local artistic production, the arrival of new Muslim artisans, imports of Islamicate objects, and the survival of monuments. The result was a hierarchical aesthetic system with two axes: the first consisted of the superimposed monumental, public, and official Gothic, while the second consisted of portable and less durable Islamicate objects that circulated in the gothic halls.
Marsilius of Padua and Isaac Abravanel on Kingship: The Medieval Precedents of Republicanism Revisited
Authors: Syros Vasileios
Published: March 2021

This article offers a comparative investigation of Marsilius of Padua’s and Isaac Abravanel’s ideas on kingship. It looks at how these thinkers transform the “canonical” sources of their respective traditions of political theorizing, i.e., Aristotle’s Politics and the Bible, to articulate the notion that ultimate authority rests with the citizens/people. It also examines how these two writers’ positions on kingship relate to the political realities that prevailed in late medieval Italy. Finally, it illuminates the medieval precedents of modern republicanism in the Christian and Jewish political traditions.
Chinese Students in Indonesia and the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Luli Qianqian
Published: March 2021

This article reports on the author’s initial research on the motivations of Chinese students to study in Indonesia since 2013 when President Xi Jinping proposed that Indonesia become involved in China’s “Belt and Road” Initiative. As part of the ongoing research by the Indonesian Studies Center of Fujian Normal University, this paper explores current trends and conditions of student exchanges between Indonesia and China. The primary motivation for Chinese students to study abroad has usually been to obtain a better quality of education and an international degree, something that is more encouraged under the Belt and Road Initiative. It was found, however, that the number of Chinese students studying in Indonesia has not increased significantly during the past five years. There are several structural factors hindering the successful implementation of student exchange programs. These may be directly related to students’ place of origin, the majors they choose, or the level of the degrees which they obtained.
A new name for Amphibolips kinseyi Cuesta-Porta & Pujade-Villar and a revised key to the Amphibolips ‘nassa’ species-complex from Mexico and Central America (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)
Authors: CUESTA-PORTA VÍCTOR , MELIKA GEORGE , EQUIHUA-MARTÍNEZ ARMANDO , ESTRADA-VENEGAS EDITH G. , CIBRIÁN-TOVAR DAVID , BARRERA-RUÍZ URIEL M. , SILVA SALVADOR ORDAZ , SÁNCHEZ IMELDA VIRGINIA LÓPEZ , PUJADE-VILLAR JULI
Published: March 2021

Three days before the paper “Revision of the Amphibolips species of the ‘nassa’ species-complex from Mexico and Central America (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)” was published in Zootaxa, another paper describing three new Amphibolips species from Mexico was published in ZooKeys. As a result, two different species have been described under the same name, ‘Amphibolips kinseyi’. To solve this homonymy, a new name Amphibolips comini Cuesta-Porta & Pujade-Villar, nom. nov. is proposed for replacing A. kinseyi Cuesta-Porta & Pujade-Villar, 2020, a junior homonym of A. kinseyi Nieves-Aldrey & Castillejos-Lemus, 2020. Accordingly, new keys for adults of the Amphibolips ‘nassa’ species-complex and their associated host galls, including all known species from Mexico and Central America are provided.
A review of Pseudachorutes Tullberg, 1871 (Collembola, Neanuridae) from the East Asia, with description of six new species
Authors: BABENKO ANATOLY , KUZNETSOVA NATALIA , NAKAMORI TAIZO , SHVEENKOVA YULIA
Published: March 2021

A review of the Pseudachorutes fauna of the East Asia was performed, mainly based on fresh material from forest ecosystems of the Russian Far East and some adjoining regions. Six new species of the genus, namely P. aleksandrae sp. nov., P. armatus sp. nov., P. minimus sp. nov., P. variabilis sp. nov., P. concinnus sp. nov. and P. morulifer sp. nov., are described and extensive remarks on further six congeners, i.e. P. andrei Weiner & Najt, P. hitakamiensis Tamura, P. isawaensis Tamura, P. kangchenjungae Yosii, P. longisetis Yosii and P. polychaetosus Gao & Palacios-Vargas, previously known from the studied region, are given. Pseudachorutes conicus Lee & Kim and P. sibiricus Rusek, are considered as probable junior synonyms of P. longisetis and P. andrei, respectively. Pseudachorutes boerneri Schӧtt is recorded for the first time in the eastern Palaearctic and redescribed based on materials from Yakutia, Khabarovsk Territory and Southern Primor’e. A regional key to the mentioned species and a summarizing table of diagnostic characters of all regional congeners are also provided.
Redescription of Paraclimenes gorgonicola (Bruce, 1969) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) and establishing P. franklini (Bruce, 1990) as its junior synonym
Authors: PARK JIN-HO , FRANSEN CHARLES H.J.M.
Published: March 2021

The octocoral associated species Paraclimenes gorgonicola is a deep-sea palaemonid shrimp briefly described in Bruce (1969) without illustrations. Paraclimenes franklini, the type species of the genus Paraclimenes, has been considered as a valid species and distinguished from P. gorgonicola by the presence of articulated postrostral teeth on the carapace. Paraclimenes gorgonicola is herein fully redescribed and illustrated on the basis of the type series which is deposited in Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands and recently collected specimens from shallow waters around Jejudo Island, Korea, and compared with P. franklini. It is demonstrated that both taxa are conspecific and thus P. franklini is considered to be a junior synonym of P. gorgonicola.
Redescription of Steleocoris Mayr, 1864 and Theloris Thunberg, 1783 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), two poorly known African stink bugs
Authors: DA SILVA JAQUELINE SANTANA TAVARES FERREIRA , GRAZIA JOCELIA , BARÃO KIM RIBEIRO
Published: March 2021

The knowledge about the monotypic genera Steleocoris Mayr and Theloris Thunberg is restricted to their original descriptions and subsequent nomenclatural acts. These genera are primarily distributed in South Africa and are two of the few genera of Carpocorini (Pentatomidae: Pentatominae) occurring in Africa. Here, we redescribe Steleocoris comma (Thunberg) and Theloris costata (Thunberg) and illustrate the genitalia of both sexes for the first time. Also, an occurrence map is provided based on collection labels from analyzed specimens and records available on GBIF and the web repository iNaturalist.org.
Equatorial Waves Triggering Extreme Rainfall and Floods in Southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Latos Beata , Lefort Thierry , Flatau Maria K. , Flatau Piotr J. , Permana Donaldi S. , Baranowski Dariusz B. , Paski Jaka A. I. , Makmur Erwin , Sulystyo Eko , Peyrillé Philippe , Feng Zhe , Matthews Adrian J. , Schmidt Jerome M.
Published: March 2021

On the basis of detailed analysis of a case study and long-term climatology, it is shown that equatorial waves and their interactions serve as precursors for extreme rain and flood events in the central Maritime Continent region of southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia. Meteorological conditions on 22 January 2019 leading to heavy rainfall and devastating flooding in this area are studied. It is shown that a convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW) and a convectively coupled equatorial Rossby wave (CCERW) embedded within the larger-scale envelope of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) enhanced convective phase, contributed to the onset of a mesoscale convective system that developed over the Java Sea. Low-level convergence from the CCKW forced mesoscale convective organization and orographic ascent of moist air over the slopes of southwest Sulawesi. Climatological analysis shows that 92% of December–February floods and 76% of extreme rain events in this region were immediately preceded by positive low-level westerly wind anomalies. It is estimated that both CCKWs and CCERWs propagating over Sulawesi double the chance of floods and extreme rain event development, while the probability of such hazardous events occurring during their combined activity is 8 times greater than on a random day. While the MJO is a key component shaping tropical atmospheric variability, it is shown that its usefulness as a single factor for extreme weather-driven hazard prediction is limited.
Learning from previous disasters: Potential pitfalls of epidemiological psychosocial research in the COVID-19 environment
Authors: Bell Caroline , Beaglehole Ben , Bell Romana , Tanveer Sandila , Sulaiman-Hill Ruqayya , Boden Joseph , Porter Richard
Published: March 2021

It is critical to understand the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations around the world. In this article, we highlight the key challenges associated with epidemiological psychosocial research in a disaster context and reflect on lessons learned from firsthand experience over the last decade in Christchurch, New Zealand, following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes and 2019 Mosque attacks. We make recommendations for study design to improve the quality of research evaluating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inclusion of positive outcome measures and the need to evaluate a range of cultural contexts. We hope that highlighting these areas will improve research and result in a better understanding of the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic.
Cultural Adaptation of Health Literacy Measures: Translation Validation of the Newest Vital Sign in Arabic-Speaking Parents of Children With Type 1 Diabetes in Kuwait
Authors: Al-Abdulrazzaq Dalia , Al-Taiar Abdullah , Al-Haddad Muneera , Al-Tararwa Abeer , Al-Zanati Nabeela , Al-Yousef Amna , Davidsson Lena , Al-Kandari Hessa
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility of use and reliability of the Arabic version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS-Ar) in parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

The final translated version of NVS-Ar was administered to 175 adult caregivers of children with T1D who are native Arabic speakers. The association between NVS-Ar scores for the parents/legal guardians and A1C for their children was assessed. The internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach’s α, and reliability was assessed by test-retest method.

Results

The median (interquartile range) score was 4.0 (3-5). The internal consistency of the NVS-Ar was moderate (α = .58). The intraclass correlation coefficient was .61. There was no correlation between NVS-Ar score and A1C (Spearman’s ρ = .055; P = .62). Furthermore, there was significant inverse association between adequate health literacy and optimal glycemic control among the children, which remained evident even after adjusting for the duration of T1D, age, or education of the parents/guardians. However, it lost statistical significance after adjustment for treatment regimen.

Conclusion

Study findings indicate that the NVS is unlikely to be a predictive tool for functional health literacy in Arabic settings and that there is a need to properly translate and validate other tools such as the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults or, alternatively, to develop a reliable tool.
Stimulating meditation: a pre-registered randomised controlled experiment combining a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, with brief mindfulness training
Authors: Thomas Emily M , Freeman Tom P , Poplutz Patrick , Howden Kane , Hindocha Chandni , Bloomfield Michael , Kamboj Sunjeev K
Published: March 2021

Background:

Mindfulness-meditation has a variety of benefits on well-being. However, individuals with primary attentional impairments (e.g. attention deficit disorder) or attentional symptoms secondary to anxiety, depression or addiction, may be less likely to benefit, and require additional mindfulness-augmenting strategies.

Aims:

To determine whether a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, acutely increases subjective and behavioural indices of mindfulness, and augments brief mindfulness training.

Methods:

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 (drug: placebo, modafinil) × 2 (strategy: mindfulness, relaxation control) experiment was conducted. Seventy-nine meditation-naïve participants were assigned to: placebo–relaxation, placebo–mindfulness, modafinil–relaxation or modafinil–mindfulness. Pre-drug, post-drug and post-strategy state mindfulness, affect and autonomic activity, along with post-strategy sustained attention and mind-wandering were assessed within a single lab session. After the session, participants were instructed to practice their assigned behavioural strategy daily for one week, with no further drug administration, after which, follow-up measures were taken.

Results:

As predicted, modafinil acutely increased state mindfulness and improved sustained attention. Differential acute strategy effects were found following mindfulness on autonomic activity but not state mindfulness. There were no strategy or drug effects on mind-wandering. However, exploratory analyses indicated that participants receiving modafinil engaged in more strategy practice across strategy conditions during follow-up.

Conclusions:

Modafinil acutely mimicked the effects of brief mindfulness training on state mindfulness but did not enhance the effects of this training. Limitations of the current study, and recommendations for future research examining modafinil as an adjunct to mindfulness- (or relaxation-) based treatments are discussed.
Context is Everything: Environment and Education Intersections in the Rise and Fall of Iran’s Nature Schools
Authors: Burns Edgar A. , Manouchehri Bahar
Published: March 2021

This study of the rise and fall of nature schools across Iran in 2014–2019 shows the environmental and educational context of modernization during and before the Iranian Islamic Republic commenced in 1979. The account provides the historical and cultural context for understanding the nature school movement. Ecologist Hossein Vahabzadeh’s environmental entrepreneurship establishing nature schools strategically fitted these to institutional patterns of Iranian society. The later change of heart by the government, delicensing nature schools, curtailed an environmental education success story. Key discursive threads in Iranian culture, society and governance moulded the rise and course of the nature schools education initiative. Multiple intersecting causes identified continue in environmental education developments in the national education system. This outline of the social and cultural shaping of nature schools provides a basis for future scholarship to tell a fuller account. It identifies the nature school movement’s complexity, seeing beyond simple terms of good, bad or failed.
Making Public Involvement in Research More Inclusive of People With Complex Speech and Motor Disorders: The I-ASC Project
Authors: Jayes Mark , Moulam Liz , Meredith Stuart , Whittle Helen , Lynch Yvonne , Goldbart Juliet , Judge Simon , Webb Edward , Meads David , Hemsley Bronwyn , Murray Janice
Published: March 2021

In this study, we aimed to identify processes that enabled the involvement of a person with complex speech and motor disorders and the parent of a young person with these disorders as co-researchers in a U.K. research project. Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews explored participants’ experiences and perceptions of public involvement (PI). Sixteen participants were recruited, with representation from (a) the interdisciplinary project team; (b) academics engaged in discrete project activities; (c) individuals providing organizational and operational project support; and (d) the project’s two advisory groups. Data were analyzed using Framework Analysis. Five themes were generated: (a) the challenge of defining the co-researcher role; (b) power relations in PI; (c) resources used to enable PI; (d) perceived benefits of PI; and (e) facilitators of successful PI. Our findings provide new evidence about how inclusive research teams can support people with complex speech and motor disorders to contribute meaningfully to co-produced research.
Circulating cell-free DNA, peripheral lymphocyte subsets alterations and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in assessment of COVID-19 severity
Authors: Hammad Reham , Eldosoky Mona Abd EL Rahman , Fouad Shaimaa Hani , Elgendy Abdelaleem , Tawfeik Amany M , Alboraie Mohamed , Abdelmaksoud Mariam Fathy
Published: March 2021

Cell destruction results in plasma accumulation of cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Dynamic changes in circulating lymphocytes are features of COVID-19. We aimed to investigate if cfDNA level can serve in stratification of COVID-19 patients, and if cfDNA level is associated with alterations in lymphocyte subsets and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). This cross-sectional comparative study enrolled 64 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Patients were subdivided to severe and non-severe groups. Plasma cfDNA concentration was determined by real-time quantitative PCR. Lymphocyte subsets were assessed by flow cytometry. There was significant increase in cfDNA among severe cases when compared with non-severe cases. cfDNA showed positive correlation with NLR and inverse correlation with T cell percentage. cfDNA positively correlated with ferritin and C-reactive protein. The output data of performed ROC curves to differentiate severe from non-severe cases revealed that cfDNA at cut-off ≥17.31 ng/µl and AUC of 0.96 yielded (93%) sensitivity and (73%) specificity. In summary, excessive release of cfDNA can serve as sensitive COVID-19 severity predictor. There is an association between cfDNA up-regulation and NLR up-regulation and T cell percentage down-regulation. cfDNA level can be used in stratification and personalized monitoring strategies in COVID-19 patients.
Digital transformation at Murano Glass: Challenges and new directions
Authors: Vaia Giovanni , Oshri Ilan
Published: March 2021

In 1949, Giovanni Murano decided to build a business from the art of glass manufacturing, leveraging the knowledge and skills available in the universally known cradle of glassmaking art, Venetian Lagoon, Italy. The company specialised in the production of glass bottles. Over the years, the company expanded and set up global footprints, positioning itself as market leader in medical glass products. The expansion into new regions required the use of advanced digital tools that will monitor performance and improve productivity across numerous dispersed manufacturing sites. It was a sweltering day in July 2019, Giuseppe stood next to the air-conditioning system, just 20 m from the overheated production line. It magnified the intensity of output as he explained the innovative ideas he had for the company: ‘Digital technologies are changing our society and working life and we need to use them to change the way Murano Glass operates and competes’. He described the implementation of an application that enabled remote assistance with augmented reality and a peer-assistance platform to connect employees all over the world. It would unite a geographically dispersed team and streamline connectivity. Despite his enthusiasm for the initiative, however, the budget for digital projects had shrunk and management support was lacking. His ideas for digital transformation were not progressing as he had hoped. Giuseppe wondered what was going wrong in Murano Glass’s digital transformation journey.
A new perspective on hanzi: Based upon  the multi-dialectical analysis of the Four  Ways of Writing
Authors: Jeon Guk-jo
Published: March 2021

This work is, most of all, designed to wrestle with taken-for-granted explanations as to how hanzi is composed and in what ways the composition the Four Ways of Writing (四書) can be analysed. Beginning with posing a self-reflective question on the academic identities of us, the hanzi civilisation researchers, and looking for a possible answer to it within the context of an Eagletonian conceptualisation of human animality or creatureliness, the work then methodologises the multi-dialectical analysis by virtue of méta-linguistique, transduction, and abstraction concreté. The full-scale analysis of the Four Ways of Writing comes next, taking four steps: first, synthesising the existing definitions, explanations and interpretations of them; second, abstracting the synthesis up to the multi-dialectical analysis; third, introducing a topology of the Four Ways of Writing; and fourth, analysing characters related to and expanding from two radical characters of 門 and 刀 with the aid of a dynamics of trialectics between the form, sound and meaning. Resting upon all the analyses performed, the work suggests the following conclusion. Amongst hanzi’s main characteristics is morphographicality (表形性), still the most distinctive within the analytical framework of the Four Ways of Writing. It is the very form of hanzi, as a matter of fact, that also turns out to be multi-dialectical: first, that which constitutes writing as the character trialectically related with both the sound and meaning; second, that which characterises writing as écriture of the dialectical relationship between human beings and nature; and last, that which dialectically elucidates who we are and what we are capable of.
Genome-wide interference of ZNF423 with B-lineage transcriptional circuitries in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Iglesias Pablo , Puller Ann-Christin , Seoane Marcos , Spohn Michael , Raasch Sabine , Klokow Marianne , Müller Jürgen , Burkhardt Lia , Indenbirken Daniela , Horstmann Martin A.
Published: March 2021

Aberrant expression of the transcriptional modulator and early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1) antagonist ZNF423 has been implicated in B-cell leukemogenesis, but its impact on transcriptional circuitries in lymphopoiesis has not been elucidated in a comprehensive manner. Herein, in silico analyses of multiple expression data sets on 1354 acute leukemia samples revealed a widespread presence of ZNF423 in various subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Average expression of ZNF423 was highest in ETV6-RUNX1, B-other, and TCF3-PBX1 ALL followed by BCR-ABL, hyperdiploid ALL, and KMT2A-rearranged ALL. In a KMT2A-AFF1 pro-B ALL model, a CRISPR-Cas9–mediated genetic ablation of ZNF423 decreased cell viability and significantly prolonged survival of mice upon xenotransplantation. For the first time, we characterized the genome-wide binding pattern of ZNF423, its impact on the chromatin landscape, and differential gene activities in a B-lineage context. In general, chromatin-bound ZNF423 was associated with a depletion of activating histone marks. At the transcriptional level, EBF1-dependent transactivation was disrupted by ZNF423, whereas repressive and pioneering activities of EBF1 were not discernibly impeded. Unexpectedly, we identified an enrichment of ZNF423 at canonical EBF1-binding sites also in the absence of EBF1, which was indicative of intrinsic EBF1-independent ZNF423 activities. A genome-wide motif search at EBF1 target gene loci revealed that EBF1 and ZNF423 co-regulated genes often contain SMAD1/SMAD4-binding motifs as exemplified by the TGFB1 promoter, which was repressed by ZNF423 outcompeting EBF1 by depending on its ability to bind EBF1 consensus sites and to interact with EBF1 or SMADs. Overall, these findings underscore the wide scope of ZNF423 activities that interfere with B-cell lymphopoiesis and contribute to leukemogenesis.
Gene co-expression analysis of tomato seed maturation reveals tissue-specific regulatory networks and hubs associated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance and seed vigour
Authors: Bizouerne Elise , Buitink Julia , Vu Benoît Ly , Vu Joseph Ly , Esteban Eddi , Pasha Asher , Provart Nicholas , Verdier Jérôme , Leprince Olivier
Published: March 2021

Background

During maturation seeds acquire several physiological traits to enable them to survive drying and disseminate the species. Few studies have addressed the regulatory networks controlling acquisition of these traits at the tissue level particularly in endospermic seeds such as tomato, which matures in a fully hydrated environment and does not undergo maturation drying. Using temporal RNA-seq analyses of the different seed tissues during maturation, gene network and trait-based correlations were used to explore the transcriptome signatures associated with desiccation tolerance, longevity, germination under water stress and dormancy.

Results

During maturation, 15,173 differentially expressed genes were detected, forming a gene network representing 21 expression modules, with 3 being specific to seed coat and embryo and 5 to the endosperm. A gene-trait significance measure identified a common gene module between endosperm and embryo associated with desiccation tolerance and conserved with non-endospermic seeds. In addition to genes involved in protection such LEA and HSP and ABA response, the module included antioxidant and repair genes. Dormancy was released concomitantly with the increase in longevity throughout fruit ripening until 14 days after the red fruit stage. This was paralleled by an increase in SlDOG1–2 and PROCERA transcripts. The progressive increase in seed vigour was captured by three gene modules, one in common between embryo and endosperm and two tissue-specific. The common module was enriched with genes associated with mRNA processing in chloroplast and mitochondria (including penta- and tetratricopeptide repeat-containing proteins) and post-transcriptional regulation, as well several flowering genes. The embryo-specific module contained homologues of ABI4 and CHOTTO1 as hub genes associated with seed vigour, whereas the endosperm-specific module revealed a diverse set of processes that were related to genome stability, defence against pathogens and ABA/GA response genes.

Conclusion

The spatio-temporal co-expression atlas of tomato seed maturation will serve as a valuable resource for the in-depth understanding of the dynamics of gene expression associated with the acquisition of seed vigour at the tissue level.
The relationship between the expression of Ki-67 and the prognosis of osteosarcoma
Authors: Zeng Ming , Zhou Jian , Wen Lifang , Zhu Yanshan , Luo Yingquan , Wang Wanchun
Published: March 2021

Background

A number of studies have linked positive Ki-67 expression with the prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS) patients. However, the results have been conflicting. To address this controversy, we conducted an analysis using a meta-analysis and a TCGA dataset to estimate the value of Ki-67 expression in the prognosis of OS.

Methods

A comprehensive search for relevant papers was conducted using NCBI PubMed, Embase, Springer, ISI Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI regardless of the publication year. The associations between Ki-67 expression and the clinical features and main prognostic outcomes of OS were measured. The TCGA dataset was also analyzed. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidential intervals (CIs) were utilized for statistical analysis.

Results

Overall, a total of 12 studies with 500 cases were included, and the results indicated that the expression of Ki-67 was significantly associated with Enneking stage (OR = 6.88, 95% CI: 2.92–16.22, p < 0.05), distant metastasis (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.51–6.12, p < 0.05) and overall survival (OR = 8.82, 95% CI: 4.68–16.65, p < 0.05) in OS patients. Additionally, we observed no significant heterogeneity among all retrieved studies. Associations between Ki-67 expression and overall survival and disease-free survival of sarcoma were confirmed using the TCGA and Kaplan-Meier plotter datasets.

Conclusion

The present study strongly suggests that positive Ki-67 expression was associated with Enneking stage, distant metastasis, and overall survival of OS, and it may be used as a potential biomarker to predict prognosis and guide clinical therapy for OS.
Knowledge, socio-cognitive perceptions and the practice of hand hygiene and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of UK university students
Authors: Barrett Christine , Cheung Kei Long
Published: March 2021

Background

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and hand hygiene have been the primary means of reducing transmission in the absence of effective treatments or vaccines, but understanding of their determinants is limited. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and socio-cognitive perceptions, and their associations with such protective behaviours, in UK university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey of 293 students was undertaken on 13 May 2020. Survey questions addressed demographics, knowledge of the disease and effectiveness of the protective measures, risk perception, socio-cognitive perceptions (e.g. attitude, social support, and self-efficacy), habit, time factors and trust, as well as the hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest associations of potential determinants with behaviour.

Results

Participants reported high levels of social distancing with 88.9% answering “Mostly” or “Always” for every activity, but only 42.0% reporting the same for all hand hygiene activities. Knowledge of the effectiveness of each activity in preventing transmission was high, with 90.7% and 93.5% respectively identifying at least 7 of 8 hand hygiene or 9 of 10 social distancing activities correctly. Habit (β = 0.39, p = 0.001) and time factors (β = 0.28, p = 0.001) were the greatest contributors to unique variance in hand hygiene behaviour, followed by ethnicity (β = − 0.13, p = 0.014) and risk perception (β = 0.13, p = 0.016). For social distancing behaviour, the determinants were self-efficacy (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), perceived advantages (β = 0.15, p = 0.022), trust in policy (β = 0.14, p = 0.026) and gender (β = − 0.14, p = 0.016). Regression models explained 40% hand hygiene and 25% social distancing variance.

Conclusions

This study indicated that communications about effectiveness of hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours had been effective in terms of knowledge acquisition. However, in the light of likely second waves of COVID-19, attention to maintaining social distancing behaviour and improving hand hygiene behaviour may need to address more difficult areas of changing habits, overcoming time factors and building trust, as well as interventions to increase self-efficacy and address risk perception concerns.