bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current Film Coating Designs for Colon-Targeted Oral Delivery
Authors: Tran Phuong H.L. , Tran Thao T.D.
Published: June 2020

Colon-targeted oral delivery has recently attracted a substantial number of studies
on both systemic and local treatments. Among approaches for colonic delivery, film coatings
have been demonstrated as effective elements of the drug delivery systems because they can
integrate multiple release strategies, such as pH-controlled release, time-controlled release
and enzyme-triggered release. Moreover, coating layer modulations, natural film materials
and nanoparticle coatings have been vigorously investigated with promising applications. This
review aims to describe the primary approaches for improving drug delivery to the colon in
the last decade. The outstanding importance of current developments in film coatings will advance
dosage form designs and lead to the development of efficient colon-targeted oral delivery
systems.
New Perspectives in the Pharmacological Potential of Naringin in Medicine
Authors: Rivoira María Angélica , Rodriguez Valeria , Talamoni Germán , Tolosa  de Talamoni Nori
Published: June 2020

Background:

Naringin (NAR) is a flavonoid enriched in several medicinal plants
and fruits. An increasing interest in this molecule has emerged because it has the potential to
contribute to alleviating many health problems.

Objective::

This review briefly describes the NAR pharmacokinetics and it mainly focuses on
the in vitro and in vivo animal studies showing NAR beneficial effects on cardiovascular,
metabolic, neurological and pulmonary disorders and cancer. The anabolic effects of NAR on
different models of bone and dental diseases are also analyzed. In addition, the evidence of
the NAR action on the gastrointestinal tract is reported as well as its influence on the microbiota
composition and activity. Finally, current research on NAR formulations and clinical applications
are discussed.

Methods:

The PubMed database was searched until 2019, using the keywords NAR, naringenin,
cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, neurological and pulmonary disorders, cancer,
bone and dental diseases, gastrointestinal tract, microbiota, NAR formulations, clinical trials.

Results:

The number of studies related to the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of NAR is
limited. Positive effects of NAR have been reported on cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, pulmonary disorders, neurodegenerative diseases,
cancer, and gastrointestinal pathologies. The current NAR formulations seem to improve
its bioavailability, which would allow its clinical applications.

Conclusion:

NAR is endowed with broad biological effects that could improve human health.
Since a scarce number of clinical studies have been performed, the NAR use requires more
investigation in order to know better their safety, efficacy, delivery, and bioavailability in
humans.
Catechins as Model Bioactive Compounds for Biomedical Applications
Authors: dos Santos Adriana N. , de L. Nascimento Tatiana R. , Gondim Brenna L. C. , Velo Marilia M. A. C. , de A. Rêgo Renaly I. , do C. Neto José R. , Machado Juliana R. , da Silva Marcos V. , de Araújo Helvia W. C. , Fonseca Maria G. , Castellano Lúcio R. C.
Published: June 2020

Research regarding polyphenols has gained prominence over the years because of their potential as
pharmacological nutrients. Most polyphenols are flavanols, commonly known as catechins, which are present in
high amounts in green tea. Catechins are promising candidates in the field of biomedicine. The health benefits of
catechins, notably their antioxidant effects, are related to their chemical structure and the total number of hydroxyl
groups. In addition, catechins possess strong activities against several pathogens, including bacteria, viruses,
parasites, and fungi. One major limitation of these compounds is low bioavailability. Catechins are poorly
absorbed by intestinal barriers. Some protective mechanisms may be required to maintain or even increase the
stability and bioavailability of these molecules within living organisms. Moreover, novel delivery systems, such
as scaffolds, fibers, sponges, and capsules, have been proposed. This review focuses on the unique structures and
bioactive properties of catechins and their role in inflammatory responses as well as provides a perspective on
their use in future human health applications.
Single-cell RNA Sequencing: In-depth Decoding of Heart Biology and Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Chen Zhongli , Wei Liang , Duru Firat , Chen Liang
Published: June 2020

Background:

The cardiac system is a combination of a complex structure, various cells,
and versatile specified functions and sophisticated regulatory mechanisms. Moreover, cardiac diseases
that encompass a wide range of endogenous conditions, remain a serious health burden worldwide.
Recent genome-wide profiling techniques have taken the lead in uncovering a new realm of cell types
and molecular programs driving physiological and pathological processes in various organs and diseases.
In particular, the emerging technique single-cell RNA sequencing dominates a breakthrough in
decoding the cell heterogeneity, phenotype transition, and developmental dynamics in cardiovascular
science.

Conclusion:

Herein, we review recent advances in single cellular studies of cardiovascular system and
summarize new insights provided by single-cell RNA sequencing in heart developmental sciences,
stem-cell researches as well as normal or disease-related working mechanisms.
Developing a Multi-target Model to Predict the Activity of Monoamine Oxidase A and B Drugs
Authors: Concu Riccardo , González-Durruthy Michael , Cordeiro Maria Natália D.S.
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are compounds largely used in the
treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease and other neuropsychiatric disorders since
they are closely related to the MAO enzymes activity. The two isoforms of the MAO enzymes, MAO-A
and MAO-B, are responsible for the degradation of monoamine neurotransmitters and due to this, relevant
efforts have been devoted to finding new compounds with more selectivity and less side effects.
One of the most used approaches is based on the use of computational approaches since they are time
and money-saving and may allow us to find a more relevant structure-activity relationship.

Objectives:

In this manuscript, we will review the most relevant computational approaches aimed at the
prediction and development of new MAO inhibitors. Subsequently, we will also introduce a new multitask
model aimed at predicting MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors.

Methods:

The QSAR multi-task model herein developed was based on the use of the linear discriminant
analysis. This model was developed gathering 5,759 compounds from the public dataset Chembl.
The molecular descriptors used was calculated using the Dragon software. Classical statistical tests
were performed to check the validity and robustness of the model.

Results:

The herein proposed model is able to correctly classify all the 5,759 compounds. All the statistical
performed tests indicated that this model is robust and reproducible.

Conclusion:

MAOIs are compounds of large interest since they are largely used in the treatment of very
serious illness. These inhibitors may lose efficacy and produce severe side effects. Due to this, the development
of selective MAO-A or MAO-B inhibitors is crucial for the treatment of these diseases and
their effects. The herein proposed multi-target QSAR model may be a relevant tool in the development
of new and more selective MAO inhibitors.
Anti-Insulin Receptor Antibodies in the Pathology and Therapy of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ashraf Arshida , Palakkott Abdulrasheed , Ayoub Mohammed Akli
Published: June 2020

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is recognized as the most common and the world’s fastest-growing
chronic disease with severe complications leading to increased mortality. Many strategies exist for the
management of DM and its control, including treatment with insulin and insulin analogs, oral hypoglycemic
therapy such as insulin secretion stimulators and insulin sensitizers, and diet and physical training.
Over the years, many types of drugs and molecules with an interesting pharmacological diversity
have been developed and proposed for their anti-diabetic potential. Such molecules target diverse key
receptors, enzymes, and regulatory/signaling proteins known to be directly or indirectly involved in the
pathophysiology of DM. Among them, insulin receptor (IR) is undoubtedly the target of choice for its
central role in insulin-mediated glucose homeostasis and its utilization by the major insulin-sensitive tissues
such as skeletal muscles, adipose tissue, and the liver. In this review, we focus on the implication
of antibodies targeting IR in the pathology of DM as well as the recent advances in the development of
IR antibodies as promising anti-diabetic drugs. The challenge still entails development of more powerful,
highly selective, and safer anti-diabetic drugs.
Neuro-AIDS: Current Status and Challenges to Antiretroviral Drug Therapy (ART) for Its Treatment
Authors: Kakad Smita P. , Kshirsagar Sanjay J.
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

The infiltration of HIV into the brain alters the functions of the nervous system known as Neuro-AIDS. It leads to neuronal defects clinically manifested by motor and cognitive dysfunctions.

Materials and Methods:

Current antiretroviral therapy can prevent viral replication but cannot cure the disease completely. HAART-Highly active antiretroviral therapy is used for the treatment of HIV infection. Challenges in neuro-AIDS therapy are as shown in the graphical abstract. One of the challenges is latent viral reservoirs like the brain; which act as a sanctuary site for viruses. Nearly ~50% of HIV patients show neuropathological signs. Nervous system related disorders, including AIDS dementia, sensory neuropathy, and myelopathy have a 25% of prevalence in patients having access to a highly active combination of antiretroviral therapy.

Results and Conclusion:

Brain is one of the viral sanctuary sites for HIV. The current need of neuro-AIDS therapy is to target the brain as a viral reservoir. Drugs should cross or bypass the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain with effective concentrations. Current research on novel drug delivery approaches may prove helpful in treating neuro-AIDS and related disorders effectively.
Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel 1,2,5-Oxadiazol-3- Carboximidamide Derivatives as Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) Inhibitors
Authors: Xia Zhifeng , Nan Yanyang , Liu Chang , Lin Guangyu , Gu Kedan , Chen Cheng , Zhao Weili , Ju Dianwen , Dong Xiaochun
Published: June 2020

Background and Objective:

Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which catalyzes the degradation of L-tryptophan (L-Trp) to N-formyl kynurenine (NFK) in the first and rate-limiting step of Kynurenine (KYN) pathway has been identified as a promising therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. The small molecule Epacadostat developed by Incyte Corp is the most advanced IDO1 inhibitor in clinical trials.

Methods:

In this study, various amidine derivatives were individually installed as the polar capping group onto the amino ethylene side chain to replace the sulfamoylamino moiety of Epacadostat to develop novel IDO1 inhibitors. A series of novel 1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-carboximidamide derivatives were designed, prepared, and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against human IDO1 enzyme and cellular IDO1.

Results:

In vitro human IDO1 enzyme and cellular IDO1 assay results demonstrate that the inhibitory activities of compound 13a and 13b were comparable to Epacadostat, with the enzymatic IC50 values of 49.37nM and 52.12nM and cellular IC50 values of 12.34nM and 14.34nM, respectively. The anti-tumor efficacy of 13b is slightly better than Epacadosta in Lewis Lung Cancer (LLC) tumor-bearing mice model.

Conclusion:

13b is a potent IDO1 inhibitor with therapeutic potential in tumor immunotherapy.
A Pivotal Role of the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in Spinal Cord Injury: A Prospective Therapeutics Study
Authors: Samarghandian Saeed , Pourbagher-Shahri Ali Mohammad , Ashrafizadeh Milad , Khan Haroon , Forouzanfar Fatemeh , Aramjoo Hamed , Farkhondeh Tahereh
Published: June 2020

The nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway has a main role against oxidative stress and inflammation. Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) leads to the high secretion of inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, which disturbs nervous system function and regeneration. Several studies have indicated that the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway may be effective against inflammation after SCI. The experimental studies have indicated that many chemical and natural agents act as Nrf2 inducer, which inhibits the SCI progression. Thus, the finding of novel Nrf2- inducer anti-inflammatory agents may be a valuable approach in drug discovery. In the present review, we discussed the Nrf2 signal pathway and crosstalk with the NF-κB pathway and also the impact of this pathway on inflammation in animal models of SCI. Furthermore, we discussed the regulation of Nrf2 by several phytochemicals and drugs, as well as their effects on the SCI inhibition. Therefore, the current study presented a new hypothesis of the development of anti-inflammatory agents that mediate the Nrf2 signaling pathway for treating the SCI outcomes.
Treatment Modalities of Psoriasis: A Focus on Requisite for Topical Nanocarrier
Authors: Ramanunny Arya K. , Wadhwa Sheetu , Thakur Divya , Singh Sachin K. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: June 2020

Background and Objective:

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease involving cascading release
of cytokines activated by the innate and acquired immune system. The increasing prevalence rate of
psoriasis demands for more appropriate therapy. The existing chemical moiety is promising for better
therapeutic outcome, but the selection of a proper channel for administration has to be reviewed. Hence
there is a need to select the most appropriate dosage form and route of administration for improving the
curative rate of psoriasis.

Results:

A total of 108 systematic reviews of research and review articles were conducted to make the
manuscript comprehensible. The role of inflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis of the disease is discussed
for a better understanding of the selection of pharmacotherapy. The older and newer therapeutic
moiety with its mode of administration for psoriasis treatment has been discussed. With a comparative
review on topical and oral administration of first-line drugs such as methotrexate (MTX), cyclosporine
(CsA), and betamethasone, its benefits-liabilities in the selected routes were accounted for. Emphasis has
also been paid on advanced nanocarriers for dermatologic applications.

Conclusion:

For a better therapeutic outcome, proper selection of drug moiety with its appropriate administration
is the major requisite. With the advent of nanotechnology, the development of nanocarrier for
dermatologic application has been successfully demonstrated in positioning the systemically administrated
drug into topical targeted delivery. In a nutshell, to achieve successful treatment strategies towards psoriasis,
there is a need to focus on the development of stable, non-toxic nanocarrier for topical delivery. Inclusion
of the existing orally administered drug moiety into nanocarriers for topical delivery is proposed in
order to enhance therapeutics payload with reduced side effects which serves as a better treatment approach
for relief of the psoriasis condition.
New Insights to Reshape the Management of Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer - Focus on Overcoming Challenges in HER2 Status Interpretation
Authors: Rygiel Katarzyna
Published: June 2020

Approximately 20% of invasive Breast Cancers (BCs) are characterized by Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) protein overexpression or HER2 gene amplification. HER2 represents a standard diagnostic test and a predictive biomarker for the use of HER2-directed treatments in patients with BC. At present, the HER2 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay is applied for screening purposes, and the In Situ Hybridization (ISH) test serves as a confirmation, when HER2 IHC results are equivocal.

However, an accurate assessment and interpretation of the HER2 status can be complicated in many women with BC. These difficulties can be attributed to various factors such as HER2 Intratumoral Heterogeneity (ITH) and changes of HER2 in the process of BC metastatic progression or post neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (CHT). In particular, the status of biomarkers (e.g., HER2 and co-expressed Hormone Receptor (HR)) can be altered in patients with metastatic BC and such receptor changes influence the therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes.

The goal of this article is to present challenges in the assessment of HER2 expression and to underscore a need for the biomarker status reevaluation in patients with metastatic BC. This mini-review also provides some insights into the interpretation of equivocal HER2 status in women with metastatic BC and discusses the impact of HER2 and HR biomarker conversions on therapeutic decision-making and the patient prognosis in metastatic BC.

It is crucial to correctly interpret the HER2 biomarker status and to assess conversions of HER2 and HR in the BC metastatic lesions since timely detection of such alterations is critical to management modifications of individual patients with metastatic BC.
The Evolution of Men’s Fashion Trend on Malay Festival Costume “Baju Raya” in Malaysia (1930-2017)
Authors: Zakaria Muhammad Hisyam , Aris Asliza , Md. Nawawi Norwani , Zainuddin Nasa’ie
Published: June 2020

The evolutionary process of Malay clothes reached the highest level during the Malacca Sultanate. Tun Hassan was the first person to change the shape of the original Baju Melayu. Nowadays, the modernization process is becoming very extensive. This research aimed to analyze the evolution of the trend men's Baju Melayu in Malaysia regarding social change and transformation of new trend Baju Melayu. The theory of social changes and Malay dress principles and ethics will use. This is a qualitative research approach. This research, hopefully, would fill in the gap of knowledge and provide a vital source to future references.   
Keywords: Baju Melayu; costume; Malay festivals; men’s; social.   
eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI1.2327
Digital Health Strategies to Fight COVID-19 Worldwide: Challenges, Recommendations, and a Call for Papers
Authors: Fagherazzi Guy , Goetzinger Catherine , Rashid Mohammed Ally , Aguayo Gloria A , Huiart Laetitia
Published: June 2020

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created an urgent need for coordinated mechanisms to respond to the outbreak across health sectors, and digital health solutions have been identified as promising approaches to address this challenge. This editorial discusses the current situation regarding digital health solutions to fight COVID-19 as well as the challenges and ethical hurdles to broad and long-term implementation of these solutions. To decrease the risk of infection, telemedicine has been used as a successful health care model in both emergency and primary care. Official communication plans should promote facile and diverse channels to inform people about the pandemic and to avoid rumors and reduce threats to public health. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Google Trends analyses are highly beneficial to model pandemic trends as well as to monitor the evolution of patients’ symptoms or public reaction to the pandemic over time. However, acceptability of digital solutions may face challenges due to potential conflicts with users’ cultural, moral, and religious backgrounds. Digital tools can provide collective public health benefits; however, they may be intrusive and can erode individual freedoms or leave vulnerable populations behind. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the strong potential of various digital health solutions that have been tested during the crisis. More concerted measures should be implemented to ensure that future digital health initiatives will have a greater impact on the epidemic and meet the most strategic needs to ease the life of people who are at the forefront of the crisis.
COVID-19 Can Catalyze the Modernization of Medical Education
Authors: Chen Cathy Hsi , Mullen Alexander Joseph
Published: June 2020

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, we have witnessed true physicianship as our frontline doctors apply clinical problem-solving to an illness without a textbook algorithm. Yet, for over a century, medical education in the United States has plowed ahead with a system that prioritizes content delivery over problem-solving. As resident trainees, we are acutely aware that memorizing content is not enough. We need a preclinical system designed to steer early learners from “know” to “know how.” Education leaders have long advocated for such changes to the medical school structure. For what may be the first time, we have a real chance to effect change. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical educators have scrambled to conform curricula to social distancing mandates. The resulting online infrastructures are a rare chance for risk-averse medical institutions to modernize how we train our future physicians—starting by eliminating the traditional classroom lecture. Institutions should capitalize on new digital infrastructures and curricular flexibility to facilitate the eventual rollout of flipped classrooms—a system designed to cultivate not only knowledge acquisition but problem-solving skills and creativity. These skills are more vital than ever for modern physicians.
Information Needs of Breast Cancer Patients: Theory-Generating Meta-Synthesis (Preprint)
Authors: Lu Hongru , Xie Juan , Gerido Lynette Hammond , Cheng Ying , Chen Ya , Sun Lizhu
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer has become one of the most frequently diagnosed carcinomas and the leading cause of cancer deaths. The substantial growth in the number of breast cancer patients has put great pressure on health services. Meanwhile, the information patients need has increased and become more complicated. Therefore, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of their information needs is urgently needed to improve the quality of health care. However, previous studies related to the information needs of breast cancer patients have focused on different perspectives and have only contributed to individual results. A systematic review and synthesis of breast cancer patients’ information needs is critical.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to systematically identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing primary qualitative research on the information needs of breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Web of Science, EBSCO, Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched on February 12 and July 9, 2019, to collect relevant studies. A Google Scholar search, interpersonal network recommendations, and reference chaining were also conducted. Eligible studies included qualitative or mixed-methods studies focusing on the information needs (across the cancer continuum) of breast cancer patients or their social networks. Subsequently, a Critical Appraisals Skills Programme checklist was used to assess the quality of included research. The results, findings, and discussions were extracted. Data analysis was guided by the theory-generating meta-synthesis and grounded theory approach.

RESULTS

Three themes, 19 categories, and 55 concepts emerged: (1) incentives (physical abnormality, inquiry from others, subjective norm, and problems during appointments); (2) types of information needs (prevention, etiology, diagnosis, clinical manifestation, treatment, prognosis, impact and resumption of normal life, scientific research, and social assistance); (3) moderating variables (attitudes, health literacy, demographic characteristics, disease status, as well as political and cultural environment). The studies revealed that the information needs of breast cancer patients were triggered by different incentives. Subsequently, the patients sought a variety of information among different stages of the cancer journey. Five types of variables were also found to moderate the formation of information needs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to a thorough model of information needs among breast cancer patients and provides practical suggestions for health and information professionals.
Understanding the Dimensions of Medical Crowdfunding: A Visual Analytics Approach (Preprint)
Authors: Ren Jie , Raghupathi Viju , Raghupathi Wullianallur
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Medical crowdfunding has emerged as a growing field for fundraising opportunities. Some environmental trends have driven the emergence of campaigns to raise funds for medical care. These trends include lack of medical insurance, economic backlash following the 2008 financial collapse, and shortcomings of health care regulations.

OBJECTIVE

Research regarding crowdfunding campaign use, reasons, and effects on the provision of medical care and individual relationships in health systems is limited. This study aimed to explore the nature and dimensions of the phenomenon of medical crowdfunding using a visual analytics approach and data crawled from the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform in 2019. We aimed to explore and identify the factors that contribute to a successful campaign.

METHODS

This data-driven study used a visual analytics approach. It focused on descriptive analytics to obtain a panoramic insight into medical projects funded through the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform.

RESULTS

This study highlighted the relevance of positioning the campaign for fundraising. In terms of motivating donors, it appears that people are typically more generous in contributing to campaigns for children rather than those for adults. The results emphasized the differing dynamics that a picture posted in the campaign brings to the potential for medical crowdfunding. In terms of donor’s motivation, the results show that a picture depicting the pediatric patient by himself or herself is the most effective. In addition, a picture depicting the current medical condition of the patient as severe is more effective than one depicting relative normalcy in the condition. This study also drew attention to the optimum length of the title. Finally, an interesting trend in the trajectory of donations is that the average amount of a donation decreases with an increase in the number of donors. This indicates that the first donors tend to be the most generous.

CONCLUSIONS

This study examines the relationship between social media, the characteristics of a campaign, and the potential for fundraising. Its analysis of medical crowdfunding campaigns across the states offers a window into the status of the country’s health care affordability. This study shows the nurturing role that social media can play in the domain of medical crowdfunding. In addition, it discusses the drivers of a successful fundraising campaign with respect to the GoFundMe platform.
Precision Assessment of COVID-19 Phenotypes Using Large-Scale Clinic Visit Audio Recordings: Harnessing the Power of Patient Voice (Preprint)
Authors: Barr Paul J , Ryan James , Jacobson Nicholas C
Published: June 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

COVID-19 cases are exponentially increasing worldwide; however, its clinical phenotype remains unclear. Natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning approaches may yield key methods to rapidly identify individuals at a high risk of COVID-19 and to understand key symptoms upon clinical manifestation and presentation. Data on such symptoms may not be accurately synthesized into patient records owing to the pressing need to treat patients in overburdened health care settings. In this scenario, clinicians may focus on documenting widely reported symptoms that indicate a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, albeit at the expense of infrequently reported symptoms. While NLP solutions can play a key role in generating clinical phenotypes of COVID-19, they are limited by the resulting limitations in data from electronic health records (EHRs). A comprehensive record of clinic visits is required—audio recordings may be the answer. A recording of clinic visits represents a more comprehensive record of patient-reported symptoms. If done at scale, a combination of data from the EHR and recordings of clinic visits can be used to power NLP and machine learning models, thus rapidly generating a clinical phenotype of COVID-19. We propose the generation of a pipeline extending from audio or video recordings of clinic visits to establish a model that factors in clinical symptoms and predict COVID-19 incidence. With vast amounts of available data, we believe that a prediction model can be rapidly developed to promote the accurate screening of individuals at a high risk of COVID-19 and to identify patient characteristics that predict a greater risk of a more severe infection. If clinical encounters are recorded and our NLP model is adequately refined, benchtop virologic findings would be better informed. While clinic visit recordings are not the panacea for this pandemic, they are a low-cost option with many potential benefits, which have recently begun to be explored.
A Blockchain-Based Consent Platform for Active Assisted Living: Modeling Study and Conceptual Framework (Preprint)
Authors: Velmovitsky Pedro Elkind , Miranda Pedro Augusto Da Silva E Souza , Vaillancourt Hélène , Donovska Tania , Teague Jennifer , Morita Plinio Pelegrini
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Recent advancements in active assisted living (AAL) technologies allow older adults to age well in place. However, sensing technologies increase the complexity of data collection points, making it difficult for users to consent to data collection. One possible solution for improving transparency in the consent management process is the use of blockchain, an immutable and timestamped ledger.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide a conceptual framework based on technology aimed at mitigating trust issues in the consent management process.

METHODS

The consent management process was modeled using established methodologies to obtain a mapping of trust issues. This mapping was then used to develop a conceptual framework based on previous monitoring and surveillance architectures for connected devices.

RESULTS

In this paper, we present a model that maps trust issues in the informed consent process; a conceptual framework capable of providing all the necessary underlining technologies, components, and functionalities required to develop applications capable of managing the process of informed consent for AAL, powered by blockchain technology to ensure transparency; and a diagram showing an instantiation of the framework with entities comprising the participants in the blockchain network, suggesting possible technologies that can be used.

CONCLUSIONS

Our conceptual framework provides all the components and technologies that are required to enhance the informed consent process. Blockchain technology can help overcome several privacy challenges and mitigate trust issues that are currently present in the consent management process of data collection involving AAL technologies.
Federated Learning on Clinical Benchmark Data: Performance Assessment (Preprint)
Authors: Lee Geun Hyeong , Shin Soo-Yong
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Federated learning (FL) is a newly proposed machine-learning method that uses a decentralized dataset. Since data transfer is not necessary for the learning process in FL, there is a significant advantage in protecting personal privacy. Therefore, many studies are being actively conducted in the applications of FL for diverse areas.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and performance of FL using three benchmark datasets, including a clinical benchmark dataset.

METHODS

To evaluate FL in a realistic setting, we implemented FL using a client-server architecture with Python. The implemented client-server version of the FL software was deployed to Amazon Web Services. Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST), Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III (MIMIC-III), and electrocardiogram (ECG) datasets were used to evaluate the performance of FL. To test FL in a realistic setting, the MNIST dataset was split into 10 different clients, with one digit for each client. In addition, we conducted four different experiments according to basic, imbalanced, skewed, and a combination of imbalanced and skewed data distributions. We also compared the performance of FL to that of the state-of-the-art method with respect to in-hospital mortality using the MIMIC-III dataset. Likewise, we conducted experiments comparing basic and imbalanced data distributions using MIMIC-III and ECG data.

RESULTS

FL on the basic MNIST dataset with 10 clients achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.997 and an F1-score of 0.946. The experiment with the imbalanced MNIST dataset achieved an AUROC of 0.995 and an F1-score of 0.921. The experiment with the skewed MNIST dataset achieved an AUROC of 0.992 and an F1-score of 0.905. Finally, the combined imbalanced and skewed experiment achieved an AUROC of 0.990 and an F1-score of 0.891. The basic FL on in-hospital mortality using MIMIC-III data achieved an AUROC of 0.850 and an F1-score of 0.944, while the experiment with the imbalanced MIMIC-III dataset achieved an AUROC of 0.850 and an F1-score of 0.943. For ECG classification, the basic FL achieved an AUROC of 0.938 and an F1-score of 0.807, and the imbalanced ECG dataset achieved an AUROC of 0.943 and an F1-score of 0.807.

CONCLUSIONS

FL demonstrated comparative performance on different benchmark datasets. In addition, FL demonstrated reliable performance in cases where the distribution was imbalanced, skewed, and extreme, reflecting the real-life scenario in which data distributions from various hospitals are different. FL can achieve high performance while maintaining privacy protection because there is no requirement to centralize the data.
Current Status and Future Challenges of Sleep Monitoring Systems: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Pan Qiang , Brulin Damien , Campo Eric
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Sleep is essential for human health. Considerable effort has been put into academic and industrial research and in the development of wireless body area networks for sleep monitoring in terms of nonintrusiveness, portability, and autonomy. With the help of rapid advances in smart sensing and communication technologies, various sleep monitoring systems (hereafter, sleep monitoring systems) have been developed with advantages such as being low cost, accessible, discreet, contactless, unmanned, and suitable for long-term monitoring.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to review current research in sleep monitoring to serve as a reference for researchers and to provide insights for future work. Specific selection criteria were chosen to include articles in which sleep monitoring systems or devices are covered.

METHODS

This review investigates the use of various common sensors in the hardware implementation of current sleep monitoring systems as well as the types of parameters collected, their position in the body, the possible description of sleep phases, and the advantages and drawbacks. In addition, the data processing algorithms and software used in different studies on sleep monitoring systems and their results are presented. This review was not only limited to the study of laboratory research but also investigated the various popular commercial products available for sleep monitoring, presenting their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. In particular, we categorized existing research on sleep monitoring systems based on how the sensor is used, including the number and type of sensors, and the preferred position in the body. In addition to focusing on a specific system, issues concerning sleep monitoring systems such as privacy, economic, and social impact are also included. Finally, we presented an original sleep monitoring system solution developed in our laboratory.

RESULTS

By retrieving a large number of articles and abstracts, we found that hotspot techniques such as big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data mining have not been widely applied to the sleep monitoring research area. Accelerometers are the most commonly used sensor in sleep monitoring systems. Most commercial sleep monitoring products cannot provide performance evaluation based on gold standard polysomnography.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining hotspot techniques such as big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data mining with sleep monitoring may be a promising research approach and will attract more researchers in the future. Balancing user acceptance and monitoring performance is the biggest challenge in sleep monitoring system research.
A Surgical Anesthesia Information Management System Based on a Browser/Server 3-Tier Data Structure: Design Study (Preprint)
Authors: Zhou Yejian , Zhang Huidong , Yu Songyang , Patterson Diana
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

All major hospitals have a good network environment and provide basic hardware support for the operation of surgical anesthesia information systems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a flexible and automated intelligent surgical anesthesia management system.

OBJECTIVE

Based on an analysis of the actual needs of the system, this paper establishes a surgical anesthesia information system based on a browser/server (BS) 3-layer architecture data structure and describes the system development environment, the use of technical methods, and the functions realized by the surgical anesthesia information system.

METHODS

According to the actual needs of the surgical anesthesia information system, a PowerBuilder (PB) system front-end database development tool and Oracle 10g database management system were used to establish a surgical anesthesia information system based on a BS 3-tier system data structure, including a user management module, an anesthesia management module, and a surgical management module. The user operation was implemented by the program client. The client sends the transaction request to the database server. The database server returns the calculated data to the client, and finally, the client sorts the data. The system clarifies the object-oriented access rights of different roles (anesthetist, operating room nurse, and system administrator), the 3-layer BS structural features, and other related points; it then divides it into a user management module, an anesthesia management module (according to different system functions), and 3 parts of the surgical management module.

RESULTS

Through the surgical anesthesia information management system, the anesthesiologist can complete the entire anesthesia procedure, including preoperative anesthesia preparation, anesthesia scheduling, and intraoperative recording. The operating room nurse can conveniently arrange the operation and record the surgical care record, cost entry, surgical execution, and postoperative registration.

CONCLUSIONS

The system realized the standardized management of the surgical anesthesia process, improved anesthesia efficiency, realized the electronic storage of surgical anesthesia information, shared the surgical anesthesia information, and recorded and tracked the management of high plant consumables, which enhanced the hospital information construction.
It's a Fine Line Between Influence and Collaboration
Authors: Richard Dominic
Published: June 2020

This essay explores the idea that some authors engage with their predecessors in such a way that the expression of that influence in their subsequent work cannot be considered as mere ‘influence’ but rather as a sort of collaboration. In order to explain this distinction, it is important to understand the meaning and connotations of the term ‘influence’, and to acknowledge how it shapes the interaction between artists and their predecessors and how, in turn, it shapes our own reading of these relationships and interactions. In order to support this idea and give an example of this distinction, this essay presents the case of James Joyce’s collaborative interaction with Dante. It sketches how this relationship has been interpreted from early biographical works to more contemporary critical writing and supports that in a sense Dante is more of a collaborator than an influence on Joyce.
“Living big in a loft”
Authors: Hoyos Twomey Alex
Published: June 2020

In the early 1960s, the cast-iron loft district below Houston Street in Lower Manhattan was on the verge of demolition. Artists seeking large, inexpensive spaces to live and work in began moving into vacant industrial lofts, developing a community and new collaborative sites of performance and display that offered an alternative to the mainstream art world. By the end of the 1970s, the neighbourhood now known as “SoHo” was home to an increasingly affluent population living in co-operatively owned loft buildings, while alternative art spaces were closing to make way for commercial galleries and upscale boutiques. This paper explores the dramatic, artist-led transformation of SoHo by focusing on three texts from 1970: the inaugural show at the influential alternative art space 112 Greene Street; an LP recorded by jazz musician Ornette Coleman in his Prince Street loft; and an article from Life magazine that introduced loft living to a wider audience. 1970 is significant as the year in which the underground community of the 1960s became increasingly visible and professional, in an effort to secure the future of the neighbourhood for artists. By exploring the ways in which the space of the loft is articulated in each text, I attempt to understand the contradictory role played by artists in the development of SoHo, who were complicit in the rapid gentrification of the neighbourhood, while simultaneously conceptualising a swathe of genuinely radical collaborative practices that continue to be inspirational to artistic communities today.
“It was one’s body feeling, not one’s mind”
Authors: Leung Chloe
Published: June 2020

The Russian ballet was celebrated amongst the Bloomsbury group in the early twentieth-century. Throughout 1910s-1930s, Virginia Woolf enjoyed Russian ballets such as Petrushka, Le Spectre de la Rose and Scheherazade staged by Michel Fokine and Sergei Diaghilev. The expressivity of the dancing body rectifies words which, as Woolf delineates in “Craftsmanship,” are dishonest in articulating emotions (Selected Essays 85). This paper thus divulges an oppositional thinking that belies Woolf’s modernist aesthetics – a compulsion to give words to emotions that should be left unsaid. In To the Lighthouse (1928), this “silence” is communicated in the dancing gestures that populate the novel. Juxtaposing the context of Woolf’s attendance at the ballet with her concurrent composition of Lighthouse, I shall argue that the aesthetic convergence between Woolf’s prose and the Russian ballet is not a coincidence – that Woolf very much had the ballet in mind when she wrote. Woolf’s and the Russian ballet’s shared aesthetics however, do not characterise this paper as a study of influence the Russian ballet had on Woolf. Rather, Woolf involuntarily deploys the language of dance/ballet in articulating ineffable emotions. I will offer a close reading that scrutinizes the underexplored physical gestures of Mr and Mrs Ramsay with a perspective of dance. In projecting emotions, Woolf’s novel sketches a reciprocal network between the dancing body and the mind. I conclude by suggesting that the communicational lapses do not sentence the failure of but sustain human kinship. By extension, the Russian balletic presentation of the dancing body will also reanimate the mind-body conundrum that has haunted academia for centuries.
Figs and kippers
Authors: Chilton Paul
Published: June 2020

This article aims to connect three topics: Brexit, Boris and the decay of democracy. What connects this trio is talk, talk, talk. Language and politics are tightly and necessarily intertwined. Indeed, as the Greeks thought, language is intertwined with democracy itself. The twenty-first century has brought unprecedented complexity to human ways of communication, and yet the old rhetorical tricks and oratorical stunts, first described and practised in the ancient world, are still capable of turning heads. As we learn more about how human language works in social and political settings, we can see even more clearly a few of the factors that enable lying politicians to acquire power. But we are still far from drawing practical lessons that could be relevant to our current political crisis.
Using morphometrics to reappraise old collections: The study case of the Congo Basin Middle Stone Age bifacial industry
Authors: Mesfin Isis , Leplongeon Alice , Pleurdeau David , Borel Antony
Published: June 2020

Despite its strategic location within the continent, Central Africa is rarely integrated into the reconstruction of population dynamics during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of Africa, especially in terms of the emergence, diffusion and behavioural patterns of Homo sapiens. However, hundreds of sites have been discovered in Central Africa during the 20th century and attributed to the Lupemban, one of the main MSA technological complexes of the region. This complex is mainly characterised by typological criteria based on the numerous bifacial pieces found in the Congo Basin and interpreted as an adaption to the rainforest environment. Most of these Lupemban assemblages have not been studied for decades and thus it is particularly difficult to assess their diversity. This paper presents a detailed combined morphometrical approach (linear measurements and indices, Log Shape Ratio, Elliptic Fourier Analysis) to take a fresh and rigorous look at the Lupemban bifacial tools. We discuss the comparison of different morphometrical approaches to deal with “old” collections for which contexts, particularly chronological ones, are partially missing. We present the results of this approach on three assemblages of bifacial pieces gathered in the 1930s and late 1960s. We quantify their variability and discuss not only their homogeneity but also the variation of a Lupemban hallmark, namely the “Lupemban point”.
Editorial
Authors: Hall-Lew Lauren
Published: June 2020

Welcome to the first issue of Volume 6 of Lifespans & Styles: Undergraduate Papers in Sociolinguistics. This issue includes three papers that continue the journal’s mission of showcasing excellence in undergraduate research in sociolinguistics. What’s more, even though these papers were all researched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, all stand as excellent examples of the kind of sociolinguistic research that can be done during a period of lockdown and social distancing: one is an analysis of a television show (Greene), one is an analysis of films and a television serial (Chan), and one is an analysis of a pre-existing linguistic corpus (Titheridge). These add to a number of papers in L&S that exemplify the kind of sociolinguistic research projects that are possible without face-to-face data collection.