bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A population pharmacokinetic model is beneficial in quantifying hair concentrations of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir: a study of HIV-infected Zimbabwean adolescents
Authors: Ngara Bernard , Zvada Simbarashe , Chawana Tariro Dianah , Stray-Pedersen Babill , Nhachi Charles Fungai Brian , Rusakaniko Simbarashe
Published: August 2020

Background

Adolescents experience higher levels of non-adherence to HIV treatment. Drug concentration in hair promises to be reliable for assessing exposure to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Pharmacokinetic modelling can explore utility of drug in hair. We aimed at developing and validating a pharmacokinetic model based on atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) in hair and identify factors associated with variabilities in hair accumulation.

Methods

We based the study on secondary data analysis whereby data from a previous study on Zimbabwean adolescents which collected hair samples at enrolment and 3 months follow-up was used in model development. We performed model development in NONMEM (version 7.3) ADVAN 13.

Results

There is 16% / 18% of the respective ATV/r in hair as a ratio of steady-state trough plasma concentrations. At follow-up, we estimated an increase of 30% /42% of respective ATV/r in hair. We associated a unit increase in adherence score with 2% increase in hair concentration both ATV/r. Thinner participants had 54% higher while overweight had 21% lower atazanavir in hair compared to normal weight participants. Adolescents receiving care from fellow siblings had atazanavir in hair at least 54% less compared to other forms of care.

Conclusion

The determinants of increased ATV/r concentrations in hair found in our analysis are monitoring at follow up event, body mass index, and caregiver status. Measuring drug concentration in hair is feasibly accomplished and could be more accurate for monitoring ARV drugs exposure.
Low-temperature smoothing method of scalloped DRIE trench by post-dry etching process based on SF6 plasma
Authors: Park Jin Soo , Kang Dong-Hyun , Kwak Seung Min , Kim Tae Song , Park Jung Ho , Kim Tae Geun , Baek Seung-Hyub , Lee Byung Chul
Published: August 2020

Deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) is commonly used for high aspect ratio silicon micromachining. However, scalloping, which is the result of the alternating Bosch process of DRIE, can cause many problems in the subsequent process and degrade device performance. In this work, we propose a simple and effective method to smoothen the scalloping of DRIE trenches. The proposed method utilizes sidewall dry etching by reactive-ion etching (RIE) based sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) plasmas, following the DRIE process. To investigate the effect of the etch parameter on the scallop smoothing effect, the radio frequency (RF) power and gas flow are controlled. After the RIE treatment, the scallop smoothing effects were evaluated by measuring the average scallop depth under each condition. The scallop depth was reduced by 91% after implementing the scallop smoothing technique using RIE. Thus, our smoothening method based on SF6 plasmas would provide broad availabilities and applicability in silicon micromachining with the simple low-temperature process.
Anaplastic transformation of thyroid cancer in mesentery metastases presenting as intestinal perforation: a case report
Authors: Hosoda Kiyotaka , Kusama Kei , Yanagisawa Naoe , Machida Taiichi , Nishio Akihito , Nakata Shinji , Ito Ichiro , Watanabe Masahide , Sodeyama Harutsugu
Published: August 2020

Background

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a highly aggressive form of thyroid cancer associated with a very poor prognosis. Anaplastic transformation most commonly occurs in the thyroid itself or within regional lymph nodes. Here we report the case of a patient with papillary thyroid cancer, presenting with colon perforation as a result of anaplastic transformation of metastases in the mesentery tissue. There have been no previous reports of this form of anaplastic transformation.

Case presentation

A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, presenting with abdominal pain that he had been experiencing for 1 week prior to admission. The patient had a history of papillary thyroid carcinoma, for which he underwent a total thyroidectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection 6 years earlier, and subsequently received radioactive iodine therapy for postoperative recurrence in the lung 2 years later. During the present reported admission, a computed tomography scan revealed a large intra-abdominal mass infiltrating into the colon and retroperitoneum and also highlighted the pneumoperitoneum. The patient was diagnosed with generalized peritonitis as a result of colon perforation, as such, we conducted an emergency laparotomy. Intraoperative findings showed a mass affecting the ascending colon and kidney, following which, an ileostomy and biopsy were completed. Poorly differentiated spindle cells were identified in the biopsy specimens, and histopathological and immunohistochemical findings revealed the absence of thyroid carcinoma cells. The tumor was therefore believed to be a primary sarcoma. Following surgery, the patient recovered from sepsis that had arisen as a result of colon perforation, however, rapidly developed systemic metastases and died 1 month post-operation. An autopsy was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with anaplastic papillary thyroid cancer at the mesentery site of metastasis. This conclusion was reached owing to the presence of the squamous differentiation of lymph node cells, and because tumor cells were positive results for paired-box gene 8 expressions.

Conclusions

Anaplastic transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma should be considered in the diagnosis of a large mesentery mass in patients with a history of papillary carcinoma. An appropriate biopsy and paired-box gene 8 immunostaining can be useful in confirming such a diagnosis.
Debulking of giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms: a case report
Authors: Ariizumi Shun-ichi , Kotera Yoshihito , Yamashita Shingo , Omori Akiko , Kato Takaaki , Shibuya Go , Egawa Hiroto , Yamamoto Masakazu
Published: August 2020

Background

There are no previous reports of debulking of giant liver hemangioma. This report describes our experience with debulking surgery for a patient with bilateral giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms.

Case presentation

We present a case of symptomatic giant liver hemangioma in a 41-year-old woman. She presented with abdominal pain and fullness at a local hospital and underwent trans-arterial embolization (TAE). TAE was not effective, and she was not able to walk a long distance. Giant liver hemangiomas, 30 cm and 15 cm in diameter, were located in the right liver and in the left lateral section, respectively, and normal liver parenchyma with tiny liver hemangiomas was present in segment 4. The liver function was normal. However, right hemi-hepatectomy with left lateral sectionectomy was considered to be risky according to the 3DCT volumetry. Therefore, we performed right hemi-hepatectomy in order to reduce her symptoms. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 14th day after surgery. The abdominal fullness and abdominal pain disappeared immediately after surgery. The hemangiomas in the remnant liver, 15 cm in diameter, showed no change, and she is well without symptoms 7 years after surgery.

Conclusions

Debulking surgery is one of the options for bilateral giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms.
Effect of a nutrition education programme on the metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at a level 5 Hospital in Kenya: “a randomized controlled trial”
Authors: Thuita Ann Watetu. , Kiage Beatrice Nyanchama , Onyango Arnold N. , Makokha Anselimo O.
Published: August 2020

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), is a life-threatening condition of global public health concern. It worsens in the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a complex disorder characterized by co-occurrence of at least three of such factors as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. However, lifestyle interventions reduce the risk of both MetS and T2D, and nutrition education can empower individuals on the appropriate, lifestyle changes. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a nutrition education programme, with and without inclusion of peer to peer support, on MetS in T2D patients.

Methods

This was a randomized controlled trial with two intervention groups and one control. One of the intervention groups involved a nutrition education programme with peer-to-peer support (NEP); the other involved only the education program, while the control received standard care. Each group had 51 participants. The nutrition education programme was conducted for 2 h per week for 8 weeks. In addition, the NEP had weekly peer-to-peer interactions for 8 weeks. All groups had follow-up sessions for 6 months. Data on MetS risk factors as well as food intake patterns and physical activity levels were taken at baseline and at different time points during the study. Analysis of Co-variance and regression were used in the analysis.

Results

The MetS prevalence improved in the NEP (90 to 52%) and NE (86 to 69%), while it worsened in C (88 to 91%). There was improvement in the mean values of the anthropometric parameters in the NEP and NE which worsened in the control group. There was a general improvement in mean values of blood lipids, fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in all the groups, with NEP showing the greatest improvements, followed by NE, except for triglycerides and HDL where the control group had better improvement than the NE. Changes in the anthropometric and metabolic indicators mirrored the changes in food intake patterns and physical activity, where the greatest improvements occurred in the NEP.

Conclusions

Nutrition education with inclusion of peer to peer support was of clinical benefit in improving metabolic outcomes and reducing MetS in T2DM patients.

Trial registration

The study has been registered retrospectively by Pan African Clinical Trial Registry; Registration No: PACTR201910518676391.
Reliability of a Robotic Knee Testing Tool to Assess Rotational Stability of the Knee Joint in Healthy Female and Male Volunteers
Authors: Beckley Samantha , Stinton Shaun , Lesosky Maia , September Alison , Collins Malcolm , Branch Thomas , Posthumus Mike
Published: August 2020

Background

Several clinical tests exist to assess knee laxity. Although these assessments are the predominant tools of diagnosis, they are subjective and rely on the experience of the clinician. The robotic knee testing (RKT) device has been developed to quantitatively and objectively measure rotational knee laxity. The purpose of this study was primarily to determine the intra-tester reliability of rotational knee laxity and slack, the amount of rotation occurring between the two turning points of the load deformation curve, measured by the RKT device and investigate the differences between female and male measurements.

Methods

Ninety-one healthy and moderately active volunteers took part in the study, of which twenty-five participated in the reliability study. Tibial rotation was performed using a servomotor to a torque of 6 N m, while measurements of motion in all 6° of freedom were collected. Reliability measurements were collected over 5 days at similar times of the day. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) values and standard error of measurement (SEM) were determined across the load deformation curves. Linear mixed effects modelling was used to further assess the reliability of the measurement of external and internal tibial rotation using features of the curve (internal/external rotational laxity and slack). Measurements of internal/external rotational laxity and slack were compared between the sexes using the Student t test.

Results

Pointwise axial rotation measurements of the tibia had good reliability [ICC (2,1) 0.83–0.89], while reliability of the secondary motions ranged between poor and good [ICC (2,1) 0.31–0.89]. All SEMs were less than 0.3°. Most of the variation of the curve features were accounted for by inter-subject differences (56.2–77.8%) and showed moderate to good reliability. Comparison of the right legs of the sexes revealed that females had significantly larger amounts of internal rotation laxity (females 6.1 ± 1.3° vs males 5.6 ± 0.9°, p = 0.037), external rotation laxity (females 6.0 ± 1.6° vs males 5.0 ± 1.2°, p = 0.002) and slack (females 19.2 ± 4.2° vs males 16.6 ± 2.9°, p = 0.003). Similar results were seen within the left legs.

Conclusions

Overall, the RKT is a reliable and precise tool to assess the rotational laxity of the knee joint in healthy individuals. Finally, greater amounts of laxity and slack were also reported for females.
The actual implementation status of self-isolation among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Machida Masaki , Nakamura Itaru , Saito Reiko , Nakaya Tomoki , Hanibuchi Tomoya , Takamiya Tomoko , Odagiri Yuko , Fukushima Noritoshi , Kikuchi Hiroyuki , Amagasa Shiho , Kojima Takako , Watanabe Hidehiro , Inoue Shigeru
Published: August 2020

Background

Self-isolation is an important personal protective measure in inhibiting the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as people carry out economic and social activities amid its spread. Yet few studies have clarified the actual implementation status of self-isolation during an outbreak. This study aimed to reveal the actual implementation of self-isolation among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 outbreak and the factors inhibiting this measure.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study based on an internet survey completed by 1,226 workers (60.0% men) living in 7 prefectures (i.e., Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma) who were selected among registrants of an Internet research company, between May 12 and 17, 2020. Participants were asked whether they had experienced fever or other cold symptoms between February 17, 2020 and the date of the survey. Those who responded affirmatively were asked where they had visited (e.g., hospital, work, and shopping for groceries or necessities) to clarify whether they had left the house within 7 days after symptom onset. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to clarify the relationship between going to work within 7 days after symptom onset and both sociodemographic factors and employment-related constraints.

Results

Of the survey participants, 82 had experienced fever or other cold symptoms (6.7%). Among these participants, 51 (62.2%) went to work within 7 days after symptom onset. A mere 17.1% practiced strict self-isolation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that those living outside the metropolitan area (i.e., Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma), working as a company employee, and being unable to work from home were associated with going to work within 7 days after symptom onset.

Conclusions

The prevalence of strict self-isolation among participants who experienced cold-like symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak was extremely low, and 62.2% of these participants went to work within 7 days after symptom onset. This study highlights the need for further public awareness regarding self-isolation and countermeasures against factors that obstruct it.
Digital technology applications for contact tracing: the new promise for COVID-19 and beyond?
Authors: Owusu Priscilla N.
Published: August 2020

Among the most critical strategies in the fight against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) is the rapid tracing and notification of potentially infected persons. Several nations have implemented mobile software applications (“apps”) to alert persons exposed to the coronavirus. The expected advantages of this new technology over the traditional method of contact tracing include speed, specificity, and mass reach. Beyond its use for mitigating and containing COVID-19, digital technology can complement or even augment the traditional approach to global health program implementation. However, as with any new system, strong regulatory frameworks are necessary to ensure that individual information is not used for surveillance purposes, and user privacy will be maintained. Having safeguarded this, perhaps the global health community will witness the beginning of a new era of implementing mass health programs through the medium of digital technology.
Symptoms and probabilistic anatomical mapping of lacunar infarcts
Authors: Barow Ewgenia , Pinnschmidt Hans , Boutitie Florent , Königsberg Alina , Ebinger Martin , Endres Matthias , Fiebach Jochen B. , Fiehler Jens , Thijs Vincent , Lemmens Robin , Muir Keith W. , Nighoghossian Norbert , Pedraza Salvador , Simonsen Claus Z. , Gerloff Christian , Thomalla Götz , Cheng Bastian ,   on behalf of the WAKE-UP investigators
Published: August 2020

Background

The anatomical distribution of acute lacunar infarcts has mainly been studied for supratentorial lesions. In addition, little is known about the association with distinct stroke symptoms, not summarized as classical lacunar syndromes. We aimed to describe the spatial lesion distribution of acute supra- and infratentorial lacunar infarcts and their association with stroke symptoms in patients eligible for thrombolysis.

Methods

All patients enrolled in the WAKE-UP trial (efficacy and safety of magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]-based thrombolysis in wake-up stroke) were screened for lacunar infarcts on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The relationship between the anatomical distribution of supra- and infratentorial lacunar infarcts, their demographic characteristics and acute stroke symptoms, defined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, were correlated and compared.

Results

Maps of lesion distribution from 224 lacunar infarct patients (76 [33.9%] females, mean age [standard deviation] of 63.4 [11.5] years) were generated using computational image mapping methods. Median infarct volume was 0.73 ml (interquartile range [IQR] 0.37–1.15 ml). Median NIHSS sum score on hospital arrival was 4 (IQR 3–6). 165 (73.7%) patients had lacunar infarcts in the supratentorial deep white or grey matter, while 59 (26.3%) patients had infratentorial lacunar infarcts. Patients with supratentorial lacunar infarcts presented with a significantly lower occurrence of deficits in the NIHSS items gaze (p < 0.001) and dysarthria (p = 0.008), but had more often a paresis of the left arm (p = 0.009) and left leg (p = 0.068) compared to patients with infratentorial infarcts.

Conclusions

The anatomical lesion distribution of lacunar infarcts reveals a distinct pattern and supports an association of localization with different stroke symptoms.

Trial registration

NCT01525290.
Highly selective and sensitive colorimetric chemosensor based on tricarboyanine for detection of Ag+ in industrial wastewater
Authors: Zeng Xiaolong , Li Xuezhao , Sun Wen
Published: August 2020

An efficient fluorescent probe 1 based on tricarbocyanine derivative was designed and synthesized, which can detect Ag+ in real industrial wastewater. UV-Vis absorption and fluorescent emission spectra of probe 1 were carried out and indicated this probe can bind Ag+ via complexation reaction, then leading to a remarkable color change from blue to light red. Furthermore, probe 1 showed high sensitive performance and excellent selectivity toward Ag+ over other common metal ions in neutral pH. The sensing mechanism was proposed and further confirmed by 1H NMR, which demonstrate analyte-induced destruction of the π-electron system could be shorten by the disruption of the pull-push π-conjugation system in probe 1. Moreover, a test strip was prepared by filter paper immersing in probe 1 solution, which further provide its potential application for trace Ag+ detection in real industrial wastewater.

Graphical abstract
Effects of intravenous iron monotherapy for patients with iron deficient anemia undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Shin Kyun-Ho , Park Jong-Hoon , Jang Ki-Mo , Hong Seok-Ha , Han Seung-Beom
Published: August 2020

Background

Unnecessary costs and complications can be reduced by increasing hemoglobin (Hb) levels and minimizing blood transfusions in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to determine the effects of intravenous iron monotherapy before TKA on preoperative iron deficient anemia and postoperative transfusion rates.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 45 patients scheduled for TKA in the experimental group (Group I) and 221 patients who underwent TKA in 2015 and 2018 in the control group (Group C). One thousand milligrams of ferric carboxymaltose was administrated 1 month before TKA in group I. Intergroup comparison of the rate and total volume of transfusion, perioperative changes in Hb and analysis of iron metabolism variables in group I were performed. Subgroup analysis of Group I was conducted according to the response to iron monotherapy.

Results

Although Hb levels increased after intravenous iron monotherapy in Group I, postoperative transfusion rates in Groups I and C were 17.8% and 18.6%, respectively, without significant intergroup differences in the rate and total units of transfusion. Ferritin level and transferrin saturation were corrected in both subgroups of Group I. Only 17 patients (37.78%) showed response to iron monotherapy, with an Hb increase of 1.0 g/dL or more. Subgroup analysis showed lower proportions of coexisting chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease in responders.

Conclusion

IV iron monotherapy was shown to be insufficient in successfully treating preoperative iron-deficient anemia to reduce postoperative allogenic blood transfusion in patients who underwent TKA. As preoperative anemia should be managed due to the high rates of postoperative transfusion for this surgery, clinicians should consider the complex interplay among the causal factors of anemia, apart from ID, in patients with preoperative anemia who are scheduled for TKA.
Beliefs about students’ mental health issues among teachers at elementary and high schools, Hail Governorate, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kamel Ahmed , Haridi Hassan Kasim , Alblowi Thikra Mohammed , Albasher Asmaa Saleh , Alnazhah Nwayer Abdulaziz
Published: August 2020

Background

Teachers’ awareness about and attitude towards students’ with mental health issues are often affecting their practical role in proper care of students with mental health problems. This is a cross-sectional study carried out among teachers in elementary (primary and middle) and secondary schools in Hail Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The objective of the study was to assess teachers’ awareness about and attitude towards student’s mental health issues through a response to a pretested constructed, semi-structured, anonymous self-administered questionnaire included 38 items.

Results

Consenting teachers returned 2398 completed questionnaires with response rate of 60.0%. Majority of respondents possessed favorable attitudes towards students with mental health issues attained 74.7% attitude score on a scale of maximum 55 points but revealed less awareness with students’ mental health issues; they just attained 55.1% awareness score.

Teachers acknowledged the importance of providing training programs regarding mental health issues for teachers (73.7%) and for other school staff (76.2%), availability of psychologist in schools (81.1%), providing schools with educational materials regarding students’ mental health (78.1%), providing telephone hotline to support dealing with students’ with mental health issues (78.5%), and promoting general media to increase community awareness with mental health (84.4%).

Conclusion

The current study gives insight to policy makers about teachers’ awareness and attitude they have towards mental health issues in schools. Training programs in mental health appear to be crucial for teachers. Providing enough resources for schools to support their roles in mental health will advance healthy development in children.
Long-term effects of the terror attack in Berlin in 2016 on paranoid ideation in female emergency personnel
Authors: Wesemann Ulrich , Mahnke Manuel , Polk Sarah , Willmund Gerd
Published: August 2020

In a pilot study, female emergency personnel showed increased paranoid ideation following a terror attack. This newly designed confirmatory study aims to replicate these previously found gender-specific results and investigate the progression of effects after 2 years. Participants were exposed and unexposed emergency personnel (n = 120). Exposed female versus exposed male personnel showed higher paranoid ideation at both time points. There was a group × time interaction effect in paranoid ideation: paranoid ideation increased over time in the exposed versus the unexposed female group. The same effect was observed with exposed female emergency personnel showing a significant 2-year post-deployment increase compared with the total group including unexposed female as well as exposed and unexposed male emergency personnel. There is, as yet, no conclusive explanation for this difference. Sexual harassment in a male-dominated profession may be a vulnerability factor. Differentiated preparation and follow-up for emergency responders is recommended moving towards health-related equality.
Ethnic variations in referrals to the Leicester memory and dementia assessment service, 2010 to 2017
Authors: Wilson Andrew , Bankart John , Regen Emma , Phelps Kay , Agarwal Shona , Johnson Mark , Raghavan Raghu , Sitaram Bina , Subramaniam Hari
Published: August 2020

Background

The incidence of dementia in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups is increasing in the UK, with concern about underdiagnosis and late presentation.

Aims

By reviewing referrals to memory clinics from Leicester City we examined whether the following differed by ethnicity: the proportion with a diagnosis of dementia, type of dementia and severity at presentation.

Method

We examined referrals between 2010 and 2017: all those whose ethnicity was recorded as Black (n = 131) and a random sample of 260 Asian and 259 White British referrals. Severity of dementia was assessed by record review. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for general practice, age, gender and year of referral.

Results

A diagnosis of dementia was recorded in 193 (74.5%) White British, 96 (73.3%) Black and 160 (61.5%) Asian referrals. Compared with Asians, White British had twice the adjusted odds of a dementia diagnosis (OR = 1.99 (1.23–3.22). Of those with dementia, Alzheimer's disease was more common in White British (57.0%) than in Asian (43.8%) and Black referrals (51.0%): adjusted OR White British versus Asian 1.76 (1.11–2.77). Of those with dementia, the proportion with moderate/severe disease was highest in White British (66.8%), compared with 61.9% in Asian and 45.8% in Black groups. The adjusted OR for the White versus Black groups was 2.03 (1.10–3.72), with no significant difference between Asian and White British groups.

Conclusions

Differences in confirmed dementia suggest general practitioners have a lower threshold for referral for possible dementia in some BAME groups. Unlike other centres, we found no evidence of greater severity at presentation in Asian and Black groups.
Design and Evaluation of a Multiplexed Assay to Assess Human Immunogenicity Against Humira®
Authors: Alleyn Matthew , Closson Kristin , Gentile Adam , Gulbis Nathan , Taylor Christopher , Rhyne Paul
Published: August 2020

The use of biologic-based therapeutics has revolutionized our ability to treat complex diseases such as cancer- and autoimmune-related disorders. Biologic-based therapeutics are known to generate anti-drug immune responses or immunogenicity in clinical patients which can lead to altered pharmacokinetics, decreased drug efficacy, and unwanted adverse clinical events. Assays designed to detect and assess anti-drug immune responses are used to help monitor patients and improve drug safety. Utilizing a tiered approach, screening assays are developed first to identify patients that are potentially positive for anti-drug-specific antibodies. Patients that screen positive are subjected to additional tiers of testing that include a confirmation assay to confirm the presence of expected anti-drug-specific antibodies, a titer assay to assess relative levels of anti-drug-specific antibodies, and, depending on the drug’s mechanism of action or concerns of adverse clinical reactions, further characterization such as drug neutralization and anti-drug antibody isotyping. This tiered approach can prove to be detrimental to clinical samples from exposure to multiple cycles of testing, freeze thaws, and repeated handling by lab personnel. Multiplexing some of these assays together may streamline the characterization of anti-drug immune responses and help reduce the repeated usage of clinical samples. In this study, we combined a screening assay and anti-drug isotyping assays into one multiplexed assay using the Luminex® xMAP® Technology. The multiplexed assay was developed and validated to meet the FDA recommended guidelines for immunogenicity assessments. These results show that multiplexed assays perform comparably to industry standards. This study should encourage labs to explore the use of multiplexing immunogenicity assays to characterize anti-drug antibody responses quickly, with less repeat testing and reduced sample handling.
Fgfbp1 promotes blood-brain barrier development by regulating collagen IV deposition and maintaining Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Cottarelli Azzurra , Corada Monica , Beznoussenko Galina V. , Mironov Alexander A. , Globisch Maria A. , Biswas Saptarshi , Huang Hua , Dimberg Anna , Magnusson Peetra U. , Agalliu Dritan , Lampugnani Maria Grazia , Dejana Elisabetta
Published: August 2020

Central nervous system (CNS) blood vessels contain a functional blood-brain barrier (BBB) that is necessary for neuronal survival and activity. Although Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for BBB development, its downstream targets within the neurovasculature remain poorly understood. To identify targets of Wnt/β-catenin signaling underlying BBB maturation, we performed a microarray analysis that identified Fgfbp1 as a novel Wnt/β-catenin-regulated gene in mouse brain endothelial cells (mBECs). Fgfbp1 is expressed in the CNS endothelium and secreted into the vascular basement membrane during BBB formation. Endothelial genetic ablation of Fgfbp1 results in transient hypervascularization but delays BBB maturation in specific CNS regions as evidenced by both upregulation of Plvap and increased tracer leakage across the neurovasculature due to reduced Wnt/β-catenin activity. In addition, collagen IV deposition in the vascular basement membrane is reduced in mutant mice, leading to defective endothelial cell-pericyte interactions. Fgfbp1 is required cell-autonomously in mBECs to concentrate Wnt ligands near cell junctions and promote maturation of their barrier properties in vitro. Thus, Fgfbp1 is a critical extracellular matrix protein during BBB maturation that regulates cell-cell interactions and Wnt/β-catenin activity.
Ontologies relevant to behaviour change interventions: a method for their development
Authors: Wright Alison J. , Norris Emma , Finnerty Ailbhe N. , Marques Marta M. , Johnston Marie , Kelly Michael P. , Hastings Janna , West Robert , Michie Susan
Published: August 2020

Background: Behaviour and behaviour change are integral to many aspects of wellbeing and sustainability. However, reporting behaviour change interventions accurately and synthesising evidence about effective interventions is hindered by lacking a shared, scientific terminology to describe intervention characteristics. Ontologies are knowledge structures that provide controlled vocabularies to help unify and connect scientific fields. To date, there is no published guidance on the specific methods required to develop ontologies relevant to behaviour change. We report the creation and refinement of a method for developing ontologies that make up the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology (BCIO).

Aims: (1) To describe the development method of the BCIO and explain its rationale; (2) To provide guidance on implementing the activities within the development method.

Method and results: The method for developing ontologies relevant to behaviour change interventions was constructed by considering principles of good practice in ontology development and identifying key activities required to follow those principles. The method’s details were refined through application to developing two ontologies. The resulting ontology development method involved: (1) defining the ontology’s scope; (2) identifying key entities; (3) refining the ontology through an iterative process of literature annotation, discussion and revision; (4) expert stakeholder review; (5) testing inter-rater reliability; (6) specifying relationships between entities, and; (7) disseminating and maintaining the ontology. Guidance is provided for conducting relevant activities for each step. 

Conclusions: We have developed a detailed method for creating ontologies relevant to behaviour change interventions, together with practical guidance for each step, reflecting principles of good practice in ontology development. The most novel aspects of the method are the use of formal mechanisms for literature annotation and expert stakeholder review to develop and improve the ontology content. We suggest the mnemonic SELAR3, representing the method’s first six steps as Scope, Entities, Literature Annotation, Review, Reliability, Relationships.
Monitoring and Prediction of SLA for IoT based Cloud
Authors: Prasad Vivek Kumar , Bhavsar Madhuri D
Published: August 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing are the expertise captivating the technology. The most astonishing thing is their interdependence. IoT deals with the production of an additional amount of information that requires transmission of data, storage, and huge infrastructural processing power, posing a solemn delinquent. This is where cloud computing fits into the scenario. Cloud computing can be treated as the utility factor nowadays and can be used by pay as you go manner. As a cloud is a multi-tenant approach, and the resources will be used by multiple users. The cloud resources are required to be monitored, maintained, and configured and set-up as per the need of the end-users. This paper describes the mechanisms for monitoring by using the concept of reinforcement learning and prediction of the cloud resources, which forms the critical parts of cloud expertise in support of controlling and evolution of the IT resources and has been implemented using LSTM. The resource management system coordinates the IT resources among the cloud provider and the end users; accordingly, multiple instances can be created and managed as per the demand and availability of the support in terms of resources. The proper utilization of the resources will generate revenues to the provider and also increases the trust factor of the provider of cloud services. For experimental analysis, four parameters have been used i.e. CPU utilization, disk read/write throughput and memory utilization. The scope of this research paper is to manage the Cloud Computing resources during the peak time and avoid the conditions of the over and under-provisioning proactively.
Access Management of User and Cyber-Physical Device in DBaaS according to Indian IT Laws using Blockchain
Authors: Deep Gaurav , Sidhu Jagpreet , Mohana Rajni
Published: August 2020

Computing on the cloud has changed the working of mankind in every manner, from storing to fetching every information on the cloud. To protect data on the cloud various access procedures and policies are used such as authentication and authorization. Authentication means the intended user is access data on the cloud and authorization means the user is accessing only that data for which he is allowed. The intended user now also includes Cyber-Physical Devices. Cyber-Physical Devices share data between them, fetch data from cloud. Cloud data is managed by employees of cloud Companies. Persons sitting on the cloud managing companies data is always doubtful as so many insider attacks have happened in the past affecting the company Image in the market. Data Related to Cyber-Physical Space may come under Insider attack. Companies managing user data are also liable to protect user data from any type of attack under various sections of the Indian IT act. Work in this paper has proposed blockchain as a possible solution to track the activities of employees managing cloud. Employee authentication and authorization are managed through the blockchain server. User authentication related data is stored in blockchain. Authorization rules are written in any Role/Attribute-based access language. These authorization rules stores the data related to user requests allowed access to data in blockchain. Proposed work will help cloud companies to have better control over their employee’s activities, thus help in preventing insider attack on User and Cyber-Physical Devices.
Internet of Vehicles over Vanets: Smart and Secure Communication using IoT
Authors: Kumar Sumit , Singh Jaspreet
Published: August 2020

The new age of the Internet of Things (IoT) is motivating the advancement of traditional Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) into the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). This paper is an overview of smart and secure communications to reduce traffic congestion using IoT based VANETs, known as IoV networks. Studies and observations made in this paper suggest that the practice of combining IoT and VANET for a secure combination has rarely practiced. IoV uses real-time data communication between vehicles to everything (V2X) using wireless communication devices based on fog/edge computing; therefore, it has considered as an application of Cyber-physical systems (CPS). Various modes of V2X communication with their connecting technologies also discussed. This paper delivers a detailed introduction to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) with current applications, discusses the architecture of IoV based on currently existing communication technologies and routing protocols, presenting different issues in detail, provides several open research challenges and the trade-off between security and privacy in the area of IoV has reviewed. From the analysis of previous work in the IoV network, we concluded the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning concept is a beneficial step toward the future of IoV model.
NEEF: A Novel Energy Efficient Fuzzy Logic based Clustering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Dwivedi Anshu Kumar , Sharma A. K.
Published: August 2020

The uttermost requirement of the wireless sensor network is prolonged lifetime. Unequal energy degeneration in clustered sensor nodes lead to the premature death of sensor nodes resulting in a lessened lifetime. Most of the proposed protocols primarily choose cluster head on the basis of a random number, which is somewhat discriminating as some nodes which are eligible candidates for cluster head role may be skipped because of this randomness. To rule out this issue, we propose a deterministic novel energy efficient fuzzy logic based clustering protocol (NEEF) which considers primary and secondary factors in fuzzy logic system while selecting cluster heads. After selection of cluster heads, non-cluster head nodes use fuzzy logic for prudent selection of their cluster head for cluster formation. NEEF is simulated and compared with two recent state of the art protocols, namely SCHFTL and DFCR under two scenarios. Simulation results unveil better performance by balancing the load and improvement in terms of stability period, packets forwarded to the base station, improved average energy and extended lifetime.
Performance Analysis of Video On-demand and Live Video Streaming using Cloud based Services
Authors: Patel Ujas , Tanwar Sudeep , Nair Anuja
Published: August 2020

The advent of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has brought a revolutionary change coined as a mixture of information, communication, computation, and control. With applications in smart grid, health monitoring, automatic avionics, distributed robotics, etc., CPS is currently an area of attention among the academia and industry. The advancement of mobile communications and embedded technology has made it possible to build large scale CPS consisting of the interconnection of mobile phones. These devices collect information about the surrounding environment at any time anywhere basis through real-time video capture. Video streaming has proven to be a massive industry that is growing rapidly playing an important role in everyday life. Customer-driven approach wanting best experience with quality has to be the core offering of contemporary scenario. Video streaming is categorized into Video-On-Demand Streaming (VoDS) and Live Video Streaming (LVS) showing the current state-of-art opportunities. Many diverse applications of video streaming are military video surveillance using drones, live sports match player face recognition, on-demand video characters recognition, movie summarization like identifying parts of the movie which are viewed many times by different users, movie and series recognition, motion detection, gesture recognition, image segmentation, etc. This paper introduces an approach to develop video analysis on VoD and LVS using cloud-based services and analyzes the impact of Quality of Experience (QoE), cost, and bandwidth on the cloud. To achieve the best user experience for video streaming and video analysis, Content Delivery Network (CDN) offers the best QoE at various analyzed locations using various cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) CloudFront, Google Cloud CDN, Azure CDN, Akamai CDN, etc.
Internal Tax Control in the Organization
Authors: Parasotskaya N.
Published: August 2020

The article considers the need to organize internal tax control, criteria for evaluating its eff ectiveness, and defines its regulatory framework. Special attention is paid to tax control as a factor of economic security, the prospects for the development of the internal tax control system in the organization and the assessment of its eff ectiveness are noted.
Does the Freedom of Information Act Foil the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Intent to Keep Investigations Confidential?
Authors: Coleman Braiden , Merkley Kenneth , Miller Brian , Pacelli Joseph
Published: August 2020

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a long-standing policy to keep formal investigations confidential. In this study, we examine the extent to which compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides investors with information about ongoing SEC investigations. We exploit a unique empirical setting whereby the SEC denies FOIA requests because of ongoing enforcement proceedings (hereafter, exemption denials). We find that exemption denials predict a substantial number of ongoing and future SEC investigations. Exemption denials are also associated with significant negative future abnormal returns, which is consistent with exemption denials providing a noisy public signal that allows certain sophisticated investors to earn future abnormal returns. Overall, our findings suggest that information transparency laws such as FOIA have the potential to limit the SEC’s ability to maintain effective and confidential investigations.

This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting.
Studying the Incubation of a New Product Market Through Realized and Alternative Histories
Authors: Engler Daniel , Cattani Gino , Porac Joe
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we contribute to the literature on new market emergence by implementing a “history-friendly” simulation of the incubation period encompassing the decision processes that took place within General Motors (GM), Chrysler, and Ford during the design and development of the first U.S. minivan. Our work offers a “middle ground” alternative methodology for unpacking the “black box” of market incubation processes. Our middle ground approach is useful for exploring the complex interdependencies among four general mechanisms that shape market incubation: environmental shocks that open up new technological possibilities, firm-level capabilities that allow firms to differentially take advantage of these possibilities, various incentives (e.g., product cannibalization, rivalry) that influence a firm’s willingness to exploit new possibilities, and managerial beliefs about the viability of these possibilities. Complex nonlinear interdependencies exist among these mechanisms, and historical contingencies affect the way in which they interact. We identify important historical contingencies within and across GM, Ford, and Chrysler in their precommercialization managerial decisions prior to Chrysler’s introduction of the Voyager and Caravan in 1983. We use the historical details of actual market incubation to calibrate the simulation and develop plausible alternative (both near and hypothetical) histories of that incubation. Understanding why Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors made their respective product commercialization choices not only pertains to automotive history, but can also illuminate the complexities inherent in market incubation processes.
A UK-wide analysis of trait emotional intelligence in occupational therapists
Authors: McKenna Jacqueline , Webb Jo Anne , Weinberg Ashley
Published: August 2020

Background/aims

Emotional intelligence enables recognition, understanding and management of emotions of self and others, supporting development of communication, relationship building and engagement skills. The application of emotional intelligence supports technical and non-technical competence, facilitating confidence, leadership and capability in the workplace. This study profiles trait emotional intelligence in a sample of UK occupational therapists and explores its relationships with a range of demographic and self-rated job satisfaction variables.

Methods

A UK-wide online survey of occupational therapists was carried out, which included the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Short Form). A total of 808 participants responded. Three main analyses investigated differences between the occupational sample and wider population, the subgroups (gender and work role), as well as the relationships between emotional intelligence and demographic and job satisfaction variables.

Results

Analyses highlighted that occupational therapists scored higher than the population norms for global emotional intelligence and on each of the four subfactors. Within the study sample, a significant gender difference was observed for emotionality (lower among men); self-control was significantly correlated with age and years since qualification. Increased satisfaction in the job scores were consistently and strongly associated with emotional intelligence scores. Salary band was positively associated with emotional intelligence.

Conclusions:

The findings consider the potential impact of emotional intelligence levels on performance and leadership, vital in today's climate of emerging practice and less traditional roles for occupational therapists. This study has shown that occupational therapists scored higher than the population norms for Global emotional intelligence and on each of the four emotional intelligence subfactors. Emotional intelligence abilities are associated with perceived competence of the occupational therapist, with implications for job satisfaction and wellbeing. Understanding and using the emotions of self and others to inform thinking and behaviour undoubtedly influences practitioner effectiveness. Future research is required to extrapolate the influence of Trait Emotional Intelligence upon professional abilities, increasing understanding of emotional intelligence and its impact upon effective occupational therapy practice.