bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is randomized trial design adapted to population health intervention research?
Authors: Giraudeau Bruno , Alberti Corinne
Published: April 2021

Randomized trials are frequently used in clinical research and considered the gold standard, but they are less common in population health intervention research (PHIR). We discuss issues that are sometimes shared and sometimes distinct between PHIR and clinical research, notably the randomization unit, design, standardization of the intervention, outcome(s) and ethical issues. In the end, both PHIR and clinical research share the common aim of assessing interventions, and randomized trials should be more widely used in PHIR, provided that how they are planned and conducted is adapted to the PHIR context.
Étude sur la transférabilité d’une intervention d’éducation en santé dans le parc HLM : une méthode de recherche à l’épreuve du transfert pour décrire autrement les fonctions-clés
Authors: Trévidy Frédérique , Torrot-Arrocet Daniela , Brunie Vanida , Makdessi Peyronnie Marie , Wolfrom Jacques , Brugidou Guillaume , Gagnayre Rémi
Published: April 2021

La transférabilité des interventions en santé est un enjeu essentiel à la réduction des inégalités sociales de santé. Mais ces interventions sont complexes et leur efficacité n’est pas garantie lors d’un transfert d’un contexte à l’autre. La description des fonctions-clés des interventions concourt à une meilleure transférabilité. Toutefois, celle-ci repose rarement sur une méthode permettant de concevoir l’intervention en situation de transfert.

Cet article explicite le processus méthodologique permettant l’identification des fonctions-clés de l’intervention en situation de transfert, et leurs déclinaisons nommées : « éléments de passation » (EP).

Nous nous sommes appuyés sur une recherche collaborative orientée par la conception (RoC) visant à concevoir une intervention d’éducation pour les locataires âgés du parc social, leur permettant de décider et d’agir pour adapter leur logement à leurs besoins.

Deux cycles de recherche sont menés au sein d’entreprises sociales pour l’habitat (ESH) avec des comités de recherche réunissant chercheurs, locataires et professionnels. Plusieurs étapes collaboratives ont été nécessaires : l’étude du contexte de l’ESH1 et la création d’une culture commune ; la formation des professionnels impliqués dans l’intervention d’éducation ; la déclinaison du modèle selon les critères de transférabilité d’ASTAIRE (outil pour l’analyse de la transferabilité des interventions en promotion de la santé) ; l’identification des variations et des éléments stables du modèle au moment du transfert vers deux autres ESH ; l’identification des fonctions-clés du modèle et de ses « éléments de passation ».

À l’épreuve du transfert, l’intervention est décrite en quatre catégories de fonctions-clés, déclinées en EP. Les EP sont des résultats issus de la RoC jugés signifiants par les acteurs de la recherche. Ce sont des phénomènes explicatifs révélant des situations à prévoir pour réussir le transfert et rendre l’intervention efficace. Ils permettent de donner sens aux fonctions-clés pour que les acteurs souhaitant transférer l’intervention dans leur contexte puissent mieux s’y préparer.
Faciliter et soutenir le retour au travail après un cancer du sein : partenariat chercheurs-acteurs dans un processus de modélisation d’une intervention
Authors: Fassier Jean-Baptiste , Rouat Sabrina , Guittard Laure , Broc Guillaume , Carretier Julien , Peron Julien , Sarnin Philippe , Fervers Béatrice , Letrilliart Laurent , Lancelot Léa , Baka Selma , Bouché Marion Lamort
Published: April 2021

Introduction :

La reprise du travail après un cancer favorise le rétablissement de la participation sociale mais se heurte à différents obstacles. Le projet FASTRACS vise à développer, implanter et évaluer une intervention pour faciliter le maintien en emploi après un cancer du sein. Le développement de l’intervention repose sur le protocole de l’Intervention Mapping. L’objectif de cet article est de décrire les contributions du partenariat chercheurs-acteurs dans le processus de modélisation de l’intervention durant les étapes du protocole de l’Intervention Mapping.

Méthodes :

Le processus de développement de l’intervention est reconstitué de façon chronologique en décrivant les méthodes mobilisées et les résultats obtenus à chaque étape du protocole grâce au partenariat chercheurs-acteurs.

Résultats :

Les membres du Comité stratégique (COS) ont été choisis par échantillonnage théorique parmi quatre catégories d’acteurs concernées. Une charte a été coécrite pour structurer durablement le partenariat. Les membres du COS ont contribué à l’échantillonnage des participants à l’enquête qualitative d’évaluation des besoins et à l’interprétation des résultats. Les objectifs de l’intervention ont été hiérarchisés selon leur importance et leur faisabilité perçues. Les chercheurs et membres du COS ont évalué les outils de l’intervention et débattu sur le modèle logique de l’intervention. Les professionnels de santé participant au COS ont facilité l’adhésion des équipes d’oncologie participant à l’intervention.

Discussion :

La construction du partenariat a permis de modifier les représentations des chercheurs. L’établissement de relations de confiance a nécessité du temps et de partager ses limites. Il a été difficile d’intégrer des patientes socialement défavorisées. Le recours accru à des patientes-expertes devrait être encouragé.

Conclusion :

La construction d’un partenariat de recherche collaborative entre chercheurs et acteurs nécessite du temps, des méthodes, et des financements dédiés. Cet investissement est de nature à améliorer la pertinence, l’acceptabilité, la légitimité et la pérennité des interventions développées.
Impact of implementing structured note templates on data capture for hernia surgery
Authors: Vetter Christopher David , Kim John H
Published: April 2021

Background:

Electronic medical record notes have been determined to be lacking in quality, accessibility and content. Structured note templates could provide a way to improve these aspects, particularly with regard to data availability for research and quality improvement.

Objective:

To determine whether the implementation of a standardised template for hernia documentation can improve data completeness and timeliness.

Method:

Retrospective review of clinic notes of 30 patients, 15 prior to implementation of a standardised note template and 15 after implementation of the template. The number of the 21 Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) variables which were present in the notes was recorded, as was the time that the consultation ended and the time that the note was submitted.

Results:

Mean number of variables collected prior to implementation of the template was 5.9 ± 1.6 vs. 20 ± 0.4 after implementation ( p < 0.001). In the pre-implementation group, 20% of the notes were completed after the day of the visit, while all of the notes in the post-implementation group were completed on the same day as the visit ( p = 0.367).

Conclusion:

Implementation of a structured note template resulted in significantly improved capture of specific database variables within clinical notes. Structured note templates are an effective tool to improve data capture from the clinical setting for research and quality improvement.
Small Fiber Neuropathy in Diabetes Polyneuropathy: Is It Time to Change?
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev , Vas Prashanth , Rayman Gerry
Published: April 2021

Diabetes polyneuropathy is an important complication of diabetes polyneuropathy, and its notable sequelae of foot ulceration, autonomic dysfunction, and neuropathic pain are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the major impact on quality of life and health economic costs, it remains underdiagnosed until late in its natural history, and there is lack of any intervention that can reverse its clinical progress. Assessment of small fiber neuropathy (SFN) in diabetes offers an opportunity to detect abnormalities at an early stage so that both interventional studies and preventative measures can be enacted to prevent progression to the devastating complications of foot ulceration and cardiac dysautonomic death. Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of diabetes neuropathy and its assessment. In this review, we discuss limitations of the screening methods recommended in current clinical guidelines which are based on large nerve fiber assessments. Thereafter, we discuss in detail the various methods currently available to assess small fiber structure and function and examine their individual strength and limitations. Finally, we discuss the reasons why despite the considerable body of evidence available, legislators and global experts have yet to incorporate the assessment of SFN as routine clinical surveillance in diabetes management. We hope that these insights will stimulate further discussion and be instrumental in the early adoption of these methods so as to reduce the burden of complications arising due to diabetes polyneuropathy.
The Silver Lining of COVID-19
Authors: Hansen Terissa L.
Published: April 2021

The 2020-2021 school year has been a challenging year like no other. This article shares one large, suburban school district’s experience in using data to make nimble decisions related to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), and lessons learned from that experience.
Results from the test of economic literacy in Germany and Japan: A critical discussion on the gender effect
Authors: Happ Roland , Kato Maki , Rüter Ines
Published: April 2021

University lecturers and coordinators of business and economics courses around the world are faced with the challenge that beginning students in these courses have heterogeneous entry conditions in terms of personal characteristics. This article focuses on the economic knowledge of German and Japanese beginning students in a business and economics degree programme. The German and Japanese versions of the US-American Test of Economic Literacy were used for the assessment of the economic knowledge of German ( N = 901) and Japanese ( N = 571) students. The TEL consists of 45 items in two questionnaire versions and is based on 20 globally accepted core standards of economics. The analyses in this paper are based on the total score of all 45 items of the TEL as well as the subscores for the 20 standards. A special focus of this paper is on gender-specific differences in economic knowledge. While gender has a strong effect on economic knowledge in Germany, only a small number of the core standards in Japan exhibit a difference between male and female test takers. The paper concludes by applying interpretative approaches to the different findings in both countries and suggests potential methods for further research on the gender effect in economics education.
Hashtag Wars: Political Disinformation and Discursive Struggles on Twitter Conversations During the 2018 Brazilian Presidential Campaign
Authors: Soares Felipe Bonow , Recuero Raquel
Published: April 2021

In this article, we analyze the spread of political disinformation in events of discursive struggles on Twitter, during the 2018 presidential election in Brazil. These were disputes for the hegemonic narrative between two stories based on opposed hashtags: one based on news from mainstream media and the other, based on disinformation, mostly from hyperpartisan outlets. Our goal was to understand how hyperpartisan outlets created and shaped these discursive struggles and the strategies used to spread disinformation to create an “alternative narrative” to the facts. Our case study is focused on two discursive struggles, for which we will use critical discourse analysis and social network analysis. Our findings suggest that (1) the structure of the hashtag wars was very polarized and right-wing groups had higher exposure to hyperpartisan content and disinformation, while traditional media discourse circulates more among other different ideological clusters; (2) right-wing hyperpartisan media mostly used biased framing and polarized ideological discourse structure as manipulative strategies to reframe the events and create a counter-narrative (and thus, to create the dispute); and (3) opinion leaders were major spreaders of disinformation among far-right users, as they reinforced hyperpartisan content and became key actors in the discursive struggles (and thus, reinforced the dispute).
Hidden in Plain Sight: Transactions of Moral Capital in Sick Leave Management Within the Corporate University
Authors: Jaye Chrystal , Amos Claire , Richard Lauralie , Noller Geoff
Published: April 2021

In this article, we argue that sick leave and its management within the university involves exchanges of moral capital. The circulation of moral capital supports a moral economy, in turn underpinning the political economy of the corporate university. The forms of moral capital are diverse, sometimes easily recognized as such, more often hidden in plain sight. Like other forms of capital, moral capital can be accrued, depleted, and exchanged as it is paid forward. The exchanges between employers and employees within this moral economy represent trading of moral capital over and above contractual exchanges of income and other benefits for labor. Sick leave transactions illustrate the many forms this moral capital can take: values and principles, entitlements and accruals of sick leave, bureaucratic compliance, discretion, vulnerability and deservingness, employment history, and work ethic.
Going Abroad, Friends on Board: Cross-Border Venture Capital and Syndication Strategy in China
Authors: Qiu Zhiyi , Chen Rong , Yang Ye
Published: April 2021

Cross-border venture capitals (CBVCs) are increasingly prevailing in recent decades, inter alia in emerging markets like China. The venture capital (VC) firms investing outside their home countries are faced with foreignness which is broadly regarded as liability. The primary aim of this article is to contribute to our understanding how foreignness affects VC’s strategy when entering emerging markets, particularly with respect to the foreignness originated from cultural distance. The data consist of over 5,000 CBVC deals taking place in China mainland from 1988 to 2016. Our empirical study shows that, with foreignness growing, it turns from liability into advantage in the context of CBVCs. We find an inverse U-shape relationship between foreignness and syndication, with VC firm’s reputation as the moderator. Besides, foreign VC firms establish local subsidiary when faced with foreignness, which serves as alternative to syndication. The key contribution of this article is that foreignness turns from liability into advantage in emerging markets, which exerts a curvilinear impact on the entry strategy of VC firms. This study advances the knowledge of foreignness and VC strategy, and sheds new light on entrepreneurial activities in emerging markets.
Social Media Versus Personal Experience in the Consumer’s Apprehension on Imported Food Security and Safety Dilemma
Authors: Malik Tariq H. , Choi Jae Chul
Published: April 2021

South Korea imports a large amount of agricultural and aquatic food products from China, which meets its food security. However, the import from China raises food safety questions, leading to food safety apprehension. We explored the source of the Korean consumer’s apprehension. Based on the apprehension reduction theory (ART) developed from interviews with Korean consumers in the first stage of the study, we conducted a survey to assess the social media as an indirect source of information and direct experience of the consumer in the second stage of the study. We received 504 responses, of which 1/3 of the respondents had visited China in the last year. Using FSS (Food Safety Satisfaction) as the dependent variable (1— low to 5— high), we link information from the social media vis-à-vis direct experience and made three discoveries. (a) The information quantity of social media increases the consumer’s apprehension, partially refuting the ART. (ii) FSS increased in response to information flow from the direct experience of the consumer with Chinese imported food. (c) The direct information from experience mediates the effects of indirect information (social media) on apprehension about agricultural and aquatic product imports. We made three inferences. First, information quantity and quality have separated roles in the ART. Second, social media increases the free-market style information flow, turning legitimate products to illegitimate and vice versa. Third, the collective irrationality from the information quantity needs institutional bricolage to legitimize the chaotic nature of the untamed information.
Everyday Emotional Experiences in Current and Remitted Major Depressive Disorder: An Experience-Sampling Study
Authors: Thompson Renee J. , Bailen Natasha H. , English Tammy
Published: April 2021

The emotional experiences of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) are characterized by emotional disturbances. We examined whether these patterns characterize people with MDD in remission. Participants included individuals who had experienced at least two major depressive episodes (remitted-MDD group; n = 80), had current MDD (current-MDD group; n = 48), or were control participants ( n = 87). Participants reported their momentary affect five times per day for 14 days, from which we computed the mean (i.e., intensity), standard deviation (i.e., variability), and autocorrelation (i.e., inertia). Negative affect (NA) intensity and variability, but not inertia, differed between groups; the current-MDD group had the highest levels, the control group had the lowest, and the remitted-MDD group fell in between. Differences in NA variability held after accounting for mean NA. The only significant group difference for positive affect (PA) was that PA intensity was lower in the current-MDD group compared with the other two groups. Emotional disturbances of participants with remitted MDD appear limited to NA.
New Onset Sacroiliac Joint Pain After Transforaminal Interbody Fusion: What Are the Culprits?
Authors: Kalidindi Kalyan Kumar Varma , Bansal Kuldeep , Vishwakarma Gayatri , Chhabra Harvinder Singh
Published: April 2021

Study Design:

A retrospective case-control study.

Objective:

Only a few studies have studied the incidence of new-onset SI joint pain following lumbar spine fusion surgery. We aimed to explore the association between new-onset SI joint pain following Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) for degenerative spine disorders and changes in spinopelvic parameters.

Methods:

A retrospective review of hospital records and imaging database of a tertiary care institute was done for patients who underwent TLIF from October 2018 to October 2019. The 354 patients who satisfied the eligibility criteria were divided into 2 groups(Group A, new-onset SI joint pain group, n = 34 and Group B, normal controls, n = 320). Symptomatic relief (>70% reduction in the VAS [Visual Analogue Scale] score) after 15 minutes of SI joint injection was considered diagnostic of SI joint pain. Clinical and radiological spinopelvic parameters were compared between the 2 groups.

Results:

Patients with postoperative SI joint pain (Group A) had significantly less preoperative and postoperative lumbar lordosis (p < 0.001) compared to the other group. Most of the patients in Group A had a cephalad migration of the apex postoperatively (30/34 patients) whereas majority of patients in group B had either predominant caudal migration (44/320 patients) or no migration of the lumbar apex (272/320 patients).

Conclusions:

The preoperative and postoperative lumbar lordosis are significantly less and the postoperative pelvic tilt is significantly high in patients with new-onset SI joint pain compared to the control group. The cephalad migration of the lumbar apex is significantly associated with new-onset SI joint pain.
Does the Intradiscal Injection of Platelet Rich Plasma Have Any Beneficial Role in the Management of Lumbar Disc Disease?
Authors: Muthu Sathish , Jeyaraman Madhan , Chellamuthu Girinivasan , Jeyaraman Naveen , Jain Rashmi , Khanna Manish
Published: April 2021

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives:

We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate whether intradiscal Platelet Rich Plasma(PRP) injection has any beneficial role in the management of lumbar disc disease.

Methods:

We conducted independent and duplicate electronic database searches including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library till September 2020 for studies investigating the role of intradiscal PRP in the management of lumbar disc disease. The analysis was performed in the R platform using OpenMeta[Analyst] software.

Results:

13 studies including 2 RCTs, 5 prospective, and 6 retrospective studies involving 319 patients were included in the meta-analysis. A single-arm meta-analysis of the included studies showed a beneficial effect of the intervention in terms of pain relief outcomes like VAS score (p < 0.001), pain component of SF-36 (p = 0.003) while such improvement was not seen in functional outcome measures like ODI score (p = 0.071), the physical component of SF-36 (p = 0.130) with significant heterogeneity noted among the included studies. No structural improvement in magnetic resonance imaging was observed (p = 0.106). No additional procedure-related adverse events were noted in the included studies (p = 0.662).

Conclusion:

There is a paucity of high-quality studies to give conclusive evidence on the benefits of intradiscal PRP for lumbar disc disease. Although intradiscal PRP injection has shown some beneficial effect in controlling pain for lumbar disc disease, we could not find structural or functional improvement from the included studies. Hence, we recommend large double-blind double-arm randomized controlled studies to analyze the benefits of the intervention being analyzed.
Street Challenge Pedagogy: How Walking Down Main Street Broadens Entrepreneurship and Ecosystem Perspectives
Authors: McArdle John , Koning Alice de
Published: April 2021

Street Challenge is a community engaged, place-based, experiential learning pedagogical framework that heightens students’ understanding of the ecosystems entrepreneurs work within. Entrepreneurship courses often focus on students as future entrepreneurs, taking the perspective of business owners as independent agents. Ecosystem awareness, however, allows students to develop broader perspectives about entrepreneurs and their own goals by adding a broader context. We present an overview of several exercises and projects used to explore the facets of a business district, which we use as an example and an analogy of business or community ecosystems. Implementation of Street Challenge in different locations, courses, and modalities demonstrated that the method can be adapted and customized to fit a variety of entrepreneurship education needs and intended learning outcomes. Using local neighborhoods as tangible contexts for teaching entrepreneurship within ecosystems, as well as primary research and effective communication skills, is highly effective. Equipping students with perspectives and conceptual frameworks to address future career situations as self-employed professionals or entrepreneurs is a worthwhile endeavor in itself; with Street Challenge students also discover the value of civic engagement and a sense of agency in addressing ecosystem or community challenges.
Urinary N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide as a biomarker for cardiovascular events in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama Study
Authors: Yamasaki Keisuke , Hata Jun , Ide Tomomi , Nagata Takuya , Sakata Satoko , Yoshida Daigo , Honda Takanori , Hirakawa Yoichiro , Nakano Toshiaki , Kitazono Takanari , Tsutsui Hiroyuki , Ninomiya Toshiharu
Published: April 2021

Background

Epidemiological evidence has shown that serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations, a diagnostic biomarker for heart failure, are positively associated with cardiovascular risk. Since NT-proBNP in serum is excreted in urine, it is hypothesized that urinary NT-proBNP concentrations are correlated with serum concentrations and linked with cardiovascular risk in the general population.

Methods

A total of 3060 community-dwelling residents aged ≥ 40 years without history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were followed up for a median of 8.3 years (2007–2015). Serum and urinary concentrations of NT-proBNP at baseline were compared. The hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between NT-proBNP concentrations and the risk of developing CVD were computed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

The median values (interquartile ranges) of serum and urinary NT-proBNP concentrations at baseline were 56 (32–104) pg/mL and 20 (18–25) pg/mL, respectively. There was a strong quadratic correlation between the serum and urinary concentrations of NT-proBNP (coefficient of determination [R2] = 0.72): urinary concentrations of 20, 27, and 43 pg/mL were equivalent to serum concentrations of 55, 125, and 300 pg/mL, respectively. During the follow-up period, 170 subjects developed CVD. The age- and sex-adjusted risk of CVD increased significantly with higher urinary NT-proBNP levels (P for trend < 0.001). This association remained significant after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors (P for trend = 0.009). The multivariable-adjusted risk of developing CVD almost doubled in subjects with urinary NT-proBNP of ≥ 43 pg/mL as compared to those with urinary NT-proBNP of ≤ 19 pg/mL (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.20–3.56).

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated that urinary NT-proBNP concentrations were well-correlated with serum concentrations and were positively associated with cardiovascular risk. Given that urine sampling is noninvasive and does not require specially trained personnel, urinary NT-proBNP concentrations have the potential to be an easy and useful biomarker for detecting people at higher cardiovascular risk.
A risk assessment tool for resumption of research activities during the COVID-19 pandemic for field trials in low resource settings
Authors:   HAPIN Investigators, Simkovich Suzanne M. , Thompson Lisa M. , Clark Maggie L. , Balakrishnan Kalpana , Bussalleu Alejandra , Checkley William , Clasen Thomas , Davila-Roman Victor G. , Diaz-Artiga Anaite , Dusabimana Ephrem , Fuentes Lisa de las , Harvey Steven , Kirby Miles A. , Lovvorn Amy , McCollum Eric D. , Mollinedo Erick E. , Peel Jennifer L. , Quinn Ashlinn , Rosa Ghislaine , Underhill Lindsay J. , Williams Kendra N. , Young Bonnie N. , Rosenthal Joshua
Published: April 2021

Rationale

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has suspended many non-COVID-19 related research activities. Where restarting research activities is permitted, investigators need to evaluate the risks and benefits of resuming data collection and adapt procedures to minimize risk.

Objectives

In the context of the multicountry Household Air Pollution Intervention (HAPIN) trial conducted in rural, low-resource settings, we developed a framework to assess the risk of each trial activity and to guide protective measures. Our goal is to maximize the integrity of reseach aims while minimizing infection risk based on the latest scientific understanding of the virus.

Methods

We drew on a combination of expert consultations, risk assessment frameworks, institutional guidance and literature to develop our framework. We then systematically graded clinical, behavioral, laboratory and field environmental health research activities in four countries for both adult and child subjects using this framework. National and local government recommendations provided the minimum safety guidelines for our work.

Results

Our framework assesses risk based on staff proximity to the participant, exposure time between staff and participants, and potential viral aerosolization while performing the activity. For each activity, one of four risk levels, from minimal to unacceptable, is assigned and guidance on protective measures is provided. Those activities that can potentially aerosolize the virus are deemed the highest risk.

Conclusions

By applying a systematic, procedure-specific approach to risk assessment for each trial activity, we were able to protect our participants and research team and to uphold our ability to deliver on the research commitments we have made to our staff, participants, local communities, and funders. This framework can be tailored to other research studies conducted in similar settings during the current pandemic, as well as potential future outbreaks with similar transmission dynamics.

The trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT02944682 on October 26. 2016 .
Comparative diagnostic accuracy studies with an imperfect reference standard – a comparison of correction methods
Authors: Umemneku Chikere Chinyereugo M. , Wilson Kevin J. , Allen A. Joy , Vale Luke
Published: April 2021

Background

Staquet et al. and Brenner both developed correction methods to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of a binary-response index test when the reference standard is imperfect and its sensitivity and specificity are known. However, to our knowledge, no study has compared the statistical properties of these methods, despite their long application in diagnostic accuracy studies.

Aim

To compare the correction methods developed by Staquet et al. and Brenner.

Methods

Simulations techniques were employed to compare the methods under assumptions that the new test and the reference standard are conditionally independent or dependent given the true disease status of an individual. Three clinical datasets were analysed to understand the impact of using each method to inform clinical decision-making.

Results

Under the assumption of conditional independence, the Staquet et al. correction method outperforms the Brenner correction method irrespective of the prevalence of disease and whether the performance of the reference standard is better or worse than the index test. However, when the prevalence of the disease is high (> 0.9) or low (< 0.1), the Staquet et al. correction method can produce illogical results (i.e. results outside [0,1]). Under the assumption of conditional dependence; both methods failed to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the index test especially when the covariance terms between the index test and the reference standard is not close to zero.

Conclusion

When the new test and the imperfect reference standard are conditionally independent, and the sensitivity and specificity of the imperfect reference standard are known, the Staquet et al. correction method outperforms the Brenner method. However, where the prevalence of the target condition is very high or low or the two tests are conditionally dependent, other statistical methods such as latent class approaches should be considered.
Correction to: Comparative efficacy, safety and durability of dolutegravir relative to common core agents in treatment-naïve patients infected with HIV-1: an update on a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Nickel Katharina , Halfpenny Nicholas J. A. , Snedecor Sonya J. , Punekar Yogesh Suresh
Published: April 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Mapping of outdoor food and beverage advertising around primary and secondary schools in Kampala city, Uganda
Authors: Dia Oumy Erica Wie , Løvhaug Anne Lene , Rukundo Peter Milton , Torheim Liv Elin
Published: April 2021

Background

Marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages is recognized as a contributing factor to the global increase in overweight and obesity, particularly among children. Such marketing negatively affects children’s dietary preferences, food choices, purchasing requests, and consumption patterns. Given that little is known about food marketing in Africa, including in Uganda, monitoring children’s exposure to food marketing is essential to generate evidence on the problem and develop meaningful policy responses. The aim of this study was to describe the food and beverage marketing environment surrounding schools in urban and peri-urban areas of Kampala city.

Methods

Outdoor advertising around 25 randomly sampled primary and secondary schools within a radius of 250 m of each school was mapped. Information on size, setting, type, and position of the advertisements and the healthiness of the foods and beverages promoted was collected using the INFORMAS Outdoor Advertising Protocol. The occurrence of advertising was described using frequencies, median, and density per 100m2.

Results

A total of 1034 branded advertisements were identified around the schools. Of these, 86% featured unhealthy products, 7% healthy products, and 7% miscellaneous products. The most advertised products were sugar-sweetened beverages and alcoholic beverages (51 and 23%, respectively). Schools in the urban area were surrounded by more unhealthy ads than those in the peri-urban areas (median of 45 vs 24 advertisements).

Conclusion

The widespread extent of unhealthy food and beverage advertisements around primary and secondary schools highlights the need for food marketing regulation in Uganda, in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations, to ensure that young people are protected from unhealthy food marketing.
The medial tangent of the proximal tibia is a suitable extra-articular landmark in determining the tibial anteroposterior axis
Authors: Lee Hyunho , Sumino Takanobu , Suzuki Takashi , Sano Yutaka , Endo Noriyuki , Chang Yingshih , Fujimaki Hirohisa , Ryu Keinosuke , Nakanishi Kazuyoshi
Published: April 2021

Background

Tibial rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is generally determined based on intra-articular structure, and can be difficult to ascertain in some cases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the medial tangent angle of the tibia (MTAT) could be useful in determining the anteroposterior axis of the tibia.

Methods

This study was performed on 103 lower limbs in 53 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty. The selection criteria for our study were based on the assumption that knees in patients undergoing THA exhibit fewer degenerative changes than knees in patients undergoing TKA. Using computed tomography images, the MTAT, comprising the medial tangent of the proximal tibia and the anteroposterior (AP) axis of the tibia, was measured on three horizontal planes: at the distal edge of the tibial tubercle (A), at 5 cm distally (B), and at 10 cm further distally (C). The tibial medial surface was grouped into three classes according to shape: valley type, flat type, and hill type. The percentage at which these shapes were observed in each group was also calculated. Measurement reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results

The angles were 45.2° (interquartile range: IR 43.0–47.7) at A, 42.7° (IR 38.7–45.9) at B, and 42.4° (IR 38.2–45.9) at C. Intra-rater reliability and inter-rater reliability was 0.982 and 0.974 at A, 0.810 and 0.411 at B, and 0.940 and 0.811 at C, respectively. Regarding the tibial medial surface, the valley type was observed in all cases at A, and the hill type was observed in the highest percentage of cases at B and C.

Conclusions

The MTAT was approximately 45° at level A, and reproducibility was the highest among the three groups. The two points forming the valley on the tibial medial surface were bony ridges. Therefore, the medial tangent of the tibia at level A could be easily determined. Because the distal edge of the tibial tubercle exists at the surgical area and the extra-articular area, it can be a suitable intraoperative, extra-articular landmark in determining the tibial AP axis, even for revision TKA.
Expression patterns of the immune checkpoint ligand CD276 in urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Aicher Wilhelm K. , Korn M. , Reitnauer L. , Maurer F. B. , Hennenlotter J. , Black P. C. , Todenhofer T. , Bedke J. , Stenzl A.
Published: April 2021

Background

CD276 is an immune checkpoint molecule. Elevated CD276 expression by urothelial carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis, but little is known about its expression across different tumor stages. We therefore investigated CD276 expression in bladder cancer (BC) cells and in tissue samples of BC stages from pT2 to pT4.

Methods

CD276 expression was explored in 4 urothelial cancer cell lines and 4 primary normal urothelial cell populations by quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot and flow cytometry. CD276 was investigated in bladder tumors from 98 patients by immunohistochemistry using a score (0–300) incorporating both, staining intensity and area of CD276 staining. Normal appearing urothelium in the bladder of the same patients served as controls.

Results

The urothelial carcinoma cell lines expressed significantly higher levels of CD276 on transcript (p < 0.006), total protein levels (p < 0.005), and on the cell surface (p < 0.02) when compared to normal urothelial cells. In pT2–T4 tumor tissue samples, CD276 was overexpressed (median score 185) when compared to corresponding healthy tissues from the same patients (median score 50; p < 0.001). No significant differences in CD276 expression were recorded in late, locally advanced ≥ pT3a tumors (median score 185) versus organ-confined < pT3a tumors (median score 190), but it was significantly lower in the normal urothelial tissue associated with ≥ pT3a tumors (median score 40) versus < pT3a tumors (median score 80; p < 0.05).

Conclusion

CD276 expression is significantly elevated in urothelial carcinoma cells in all stages but varies between individuals considerably. Reduced CD276 expression in normal urothelial cells may imply that these cells would be protected from CD276-mediated immuno therapies.
Automated segmentation and description of the internal morphology of human permanent teeth by means of micro-CT
Authors: Haberthür David , Hlushchuk Ruslan , Wolf Thomas Gerhard
Published: April 2021

High-resolution micro-computed tomography is a powerful tool to analyze and visualize the internal morphology of human permanent teeth. It is increasingly used for investigation of epidemiological questions to provide the dentist with the necessary information required for successful endodontic treatment. The aim of the present paper was to propose an image processing method to automate parts of the work needed to fully describe the internal morphology of human permanent teeth. One hundred and four human teeth were scanned on a high-resolution micro-CT scanner using an automatic specimen changer. Python code in a Jupyter notebook was used to verify and process the scans, prepare the datasets for description of the internal morphology and to measure the apical region of the tooth. The presented method offers an easy, non-destructive, rapid and efficient approach to scan, check and preview tomographic datasets of a large number of teeth. It is a helpful tool for the detailed description and characterization of the internal morphology of human permanent teeth using automated segmentation by means of micro-CT with full reproducibility and high standardization.
Antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and antioxidant potentials of methanol extract of Colocasia gigantea Hook. f. leaves: evidenced from in vivo and in vitro studies along with computer-aided approaches
Authors: Alam Safaet , Rashid Mohammad A. , Sarker Md. Moklesur Rahman , Emon Nazim Uddin , Arman Mohammad , Mohamed Isa Naina , Haque Mohammad Rashedul
Published: April 2021

Background

Colocasia gigantea, locally named as kochu is well-known due to its various healing power. This research is to investigate the antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and antioxidant possibilities of the methanol soluble extract of Colocasia gigantea.

Methods

The antidiarrheal investigation was performed by using in vivo castor oil-induced diarrheal method whereas in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant investigation have been implemented by disc diffusion and DPPH scavenging method respectively. Moreover, in silico studies were followed by molecular docking analysis of several secondary metabolites that were appraised with Schrödinger-Maestro v11.1 and Biovia Discovery Studio.

Results

The induction of plant extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, b.w, p.o) has minimized the castor oil mediated diarrhea by 16.96% (p < 0.01) and 38.89% (p < 0.001) respectively compared to control group. The methanol extract of C. gigantea showed mild sensitivity against almost all the tested strains but it shows high consistency of phenolic content and yielded 67.68 μg/mL of IC50 value in the DPPH test. In the PASS prediction, selected isolated compounds have demonstrated significant antidiarrheal and antimicrobial activity following the Lipinski drug rules which have ascertained efficacy with the compounds in molecular docking study.

Conclusion

The results of this scientific research reflects that the methanol soluble extract of C. gigantea is safe and may provide possibilities of alleviation of diarrhea along with being a potential wellspring of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents which can be considered as an alternate source for exploration of new medicinal products in near future.
Measuring health care experiences that matter to Indigenous people in Australia with cancer: identifying critical gaps in existing tools
Authors: Green Monica , Cunningham Joan , Anderson Kate , Griffiths Kalinda , Garvey Gail
Published: April 2021

Background

Measurement of patients’ healthcare experiences is increasingly used as an indicator of quality of care, but there are concerns that existing measures omit information that is meaningful to patients and that results may not be used systematically to inform service improvement. Further, current approaches may be inadequate for some population groups, such as Indigenous people in Australia, whose healthcare experience is impacted by the context of colonisation and discordance between Indigenous understandings of health and the Western biomedical health system. This study aimed to assess the extent to which existing patient experience measures used in Australia collect information about critical aspects of cancer care, as previously identified by Indigenous people affected by cancer and their health care providers.

Methods

A two-stage process was used to examine the adequacy of existing patient experience measures for Indigenous people in Australia: (1) relevant tools and measures were identified and assessed, and four measures selected as suitable comparators; (2) comparators were examined in detail and mapped against topics identified in earlier research as important to Indigenous people with cancer. Gaps in topic coverage in comparators were identified.

Results

No comparators completely captured the critical aspects of cancer care identified by Indigenous people affected by cancer and their health care providers. The number of topics ‘partially’ captured by the four comparators ranged from 4 to 7 out of 9. While most topics were partially covered, the lack of questions around culture and cultural safety was notable.

Conclusions

Existing tools are likely to miss key aspects of Indigenous peoples’ experiences of cancer care in Australia. Failure to adequately assess care experiences related to cultural safety may compromise efforts to improve health outcomes. Addressing gaps requires development of experience measures that are strengths-based, reflect an Indigenous worldview and measure aspects of experience relevant to Indigenous people.
Structural barriers to knowledge transfer and exchange among men and women in low-, middle- and high-income countries: an international cross-sectional study with vaccine researchers in 44 countries
Authors: El-Halabi Soha , McCabe Ronan , Forsberg Birger C. , Elling Devy L. , El-Khatib Ziad
Published: April 2021

Background

Globally, women constitute 30% of researchers. Despite an increasing proportion of women in research, they are still less likely to have international collaborations. Literature on barriers to knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) between men and women remains limited. This study aimed to assess perceived gender barriers to KTE activities in vaccination-related research in low-, middle- and high-income countries.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional data assessment from a self-administered questionnaire distributed to researchers in the field of vaccination research. The administered questionnaire was developed and validated by WHO and McMaster University. Descriptive statistics were carried out. Structural factors of KTE were assessed using 12 statements measured with a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). An index ranging from 12 to 60 points was created to assess structural factors of KTE, with higher score indicating fewer perceived barriers. Multivariable linear regression modelling was applied to examine the association between KTE barriers and gender.

Results

A total of 158 researchers were included in the analysis. Regardless of gender and country of affiliation, researchers experienced challenges with respect to KTE activities; particularly factors related to the availability of human and financial resources and level of technical expertise among their target audience. We were also able to identify perceived facilitators among men and women, such as the presence of structures that link researchers and target audiences, the investment of target audiences in KTE efforts and the presence of stable contacts among target audiences. Our linear regression analysis showed that women perceived more barriers than men (R2 = 0.014; B = −1.069; 95% CI −4.035; 1.897).

Conclusions

Men and women shared common perspectives on barriers to KTE. KTE activities could be strengthened by improving structural efforts to reduce gender differences and increase collaborations between researchers and their target audience.