bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SERIAL MEDIATION OF PERCEIVED USEFULNESS AND EWOM ADOPTION IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF GENDER
Authors: SAIDANI Amel , NECHOUD Lamia , GHIDOUCHE Faouzi , GHIDOUCHE AIT-YAHIA Kamila
Published: March 2023

Purpose – This study analyzes the adoption behavior of eWOM information from the consumer’s perspective. In virtual communities, this study examines the serial mediation of perceived usefulness and adoption of eWOM between eWOM characteristics (credibility, quality, and vivacity) and the intention to visit a tourist destination and gender as a moderator. This study makes a significant theoretical and practical contribution by the purpose of an integrative model, according to the ELM model, and by examining the moderating effect of gender. Design/Methodology/Approach – This study tests the hypothesis using an experimental scenario simulation method. Signals embedded in various components of the eWOM (stimuli/ scenarios) were used, such as interactivity with the message (Like number, comment, sharing) or the content of the message (Text, Visual, Video). The new model (based on the ELM model) was validated by PLS-SEM based on an online survey of 548 members of the virtual consumption communities where content shared is about tourism and hospitality, tourism experiences, and recommendations of Algerian tourist destinations. Findings – The results confirm that perceived usefulness and adoption are two serial mediators between the relationship between eWOM characteristics and visit intention. Finally, gender moderates the indirect effect between eWOM quality and the intention to visit. Originality of the research – This study proposes to develop an integrative model by testing the serial mediating effects of perceived usefulness and information adoption for the first time regarding the influence of the three eWOM characteristics on behavioral intention and investigates the role of gender as a moderator.
A Mini-Review of Current Activities and Future Trends in Agrivoltaics
Authors: Klokov Alexander V. , Loktionov Egor Yu. , Loktionov Yuri V. , Panchenko Vladimir Anatolevich , Sharaborova Elizaveta S.
Published: March 2023

Agrivoltaics (Agri-PV, AV) – the joint use of land for the production of agricultural products and energy – has recently been rapidly gaining popularity, as it can significantly increase income per unit of land area. In a broad sense, AV systems can include converters of not only solar, but also energy from any other local renewable source, including bioenergy. Current approach to AV represents an evolutionary development of agroecology and integrated PV power supply to the grid. That results in nearly doubled income per unit area. While AV could provide a basis for revolution in large-scale unmanned precision agriculture and smart farming which is impossible without on-site power supply, chemical fertilisation and pesticides reduction, and yield processing on-site. These approaches could change the logistics and the added value production chain in agriculture dramatically, and so, reduce its carbon footprint. Utilisation of decommissioned solar panels in AV could make the technology twice cheaper and postpone the need for bulk PV recycling. Unlike the mainstream discourse on the topic, this review feature is in focusing on the possibilities for AV to be stronger integrated into agriculture that could also help in relevant legal collisions (considered as neither rather than both components) resolution.
Insecurity and Electoral Administration in Nigeria
Authors: Atidoga Esq Daniel F. , Aduku Akubo
Published: March 2023

This study is centred on Insecurity and Electoral Administration in Nigeria. Elections are the leading mechanism for selecting governments and a cardinal feature of democratisation. The quest for fair representation, development, good governance, inclusiveness and a true sense of belonging has been the driving force for election. The conduct of credible elections remains one of the thorny and fundamental issues in a democracy. The trajectory of electoral administration in Nigeria is long and tortuous; it precedes independence and is punctuated by the elite's scheming and cunning, electoral fraud, gimmicks and violence. Nigeria has had its fair share of insecurity from diverse sources such as banditry, insurgency, recurring violent religious crises, ethnic, resource and poverty-induced militancy, and crises occasioned by the clamour for self-determination. This has left the electoral management body in a quandary and has undoubtedly imperilled the administration of elections in Nigeria and equally accentuated the temerity for a holistic approach in reversing the trend and engendering the right atmosphere for the administration of elections. This study depends mainly on secondary sources and uses qualitative means in data analysis. It is revealed in this study that violence and various degrees of interruptions have taken the front burner in the democratisation process and are one of the dangerous dimensions in electoral administration; electoral politics remains one of the remarkable principal bases of clashes, political failure and social dislocation, Elections and their administration are some of the most complicated, time-sensitive activities undertaken by any country which will be exacerbated by insecurity. Democratic elections are successful when the electorate can make informed decisions; when faith in the process is sustained; when fraud is disincentivised, detected and punished. When insecurity is whittled down, mitigated or eradicated. The need for electoral security can never be overemphasised.
Associations Between Health Behaviours, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and Gut Microbiota in a Cross-Sectional Sample of Cancer Survivors: Secondary Analysis from the Chemo-Gut Study
Authors: Deleemans Julie M. , Chleilat Faye , Reimer Raylene A. , Baydoun Mohamad , Piedalue Katherine-Ann , Lowry Dana E. , Carlson Linda E.
Published: March 2023

Background: Health behaviors, such as diet and exercise, are actions individuals take that can potentially impact gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the gut microbiota. Little is known about how health behaviours impact GI symptoms and the gut microbiota after anti-cancer therapies. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study that investigated relationships between GI symptoms, gut microbiota, and patient-reported outcomes in adult cancer survivors. Gut microbiota was assessed from stool samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. GI symptoms and health behaviors were measured via self-report. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and correlation analyses are reported. Results: A total of 334 cancer survivors participated and a subsample of 17 provided stool samples. Most survivors rated their diet as moderately healthy (55.7%) and reported engaging in low intensity exercise (53.9%) for ≤5 hours/week (69.1%). Antibiotic use was associated with more belly pain, constipation, and diarrhea (p< .05). Survivors consuming a healthier diet had fewer symptoms of gas/bloating (p= 0.02). Better diet health was positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae abundance, and negatively with Bacteroides abundance (ps <.05). Greater exercise frequency positively correlated with abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Anaerostipes, Alistipes, and Subdoligranulum. (ps<.05). Conclusion: Results provide evidence for associations between dietary health behaviours and GI symptoms. Diet and exercise behaviours are related to certain types of bacteria, but the direction of causality is unknown. Dietary-based interventions may be optimally suited to address survivors’ GI symptoms by influencing the gut microbiota. Larger trials are needed.
Experimental Correlation of the Role of Synthesized Biochar on Thermal, Morphological, and Crystalline Properties of Coagulation Processed poly(1,4-Phenylene Sulfide) Nanocomposites
Authors: Nisa Zaib Un , Chuan Lee Kean , Guan Beh Hoe , Ahmed Faiz , Ayub Saba
Published: March 2023

This work aimed to study the thermal and crystalline properties of poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide)@carbon char nanocomposites. Coagulation-processed nanocomposites of polyphenylene sulfide were prepared using synthesized mesoporous nanocarbon of coconut shell as reinforcement. The mesoporous reinforcement was synthesized using a facile carbonization method. The investigation of the properties of nanocarbon was done by SAP, XRD, and FESEM analysis. The research was further propagated via the synthesis of nanocomposite by the addition of characterized nanofiller into poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) at five different combinations. The coagulation method was utilized for the nanocomposite formation. The obtained nanocomposite was analyzed using FTIR, TGA, DSC, and FESEM analysis. The BET surface area and average pore volume of bio-carbon prepared from coconut shell residue were calculated to be 1517 m2/g and 2.51 nm respectively. The addition of nanocarbon to poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) has led to an increase in thermal stability and crystallinity up to 6% loading of filler. The minimum achievable glass transition temperature is for 6 % doping of filler into the polymer matrix. It was established that the thermal, morphological, and crystalline properties have been tailored by synthesizing their nanocomposites with mesoporous bio-nanocarbon obtained from coconut shells. So, the loading of filler into poly (1,4-phenylene sulfide) can be optimized to enhance its thermoplastic properties for surface applications.
COVID-19 Mitigation in a K-12 School Setting: A Case Study of Avenues: The World School in New York City
Authors: Iyengar Ananya , Hanon Steve , Bruns Richard , Olsiewski Paula , Gronvall Gigi
Published: March 2023

In this case study, we describe a well-resourced private school system that implemented COVID-19 mitigation measures based on public health expert guidance as well as the lessons learned from this process. Avenues is a 10-year-old private school with campuses in NYC, São Paulo, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, as well as online, which offers education at sixteen grades: 2 early learning years, followed by a pre-kindergarten–grade 12 school. We describe the mitigation measures Avenues implemented. We compare COVID-19 case prevalence at the school to the reported case prevalence in New York City, as reported by the New York State Department of Health. We compare the school's indoor air quality (IAQ) to ambient IAQ measures reported in the literature. The school's COVID-19 transmission mitigation measures successfully reduced the prevalence of COVID-19 among its students, staff, and faculty. The school also established a consistent high level of IAQ through various ventilation mechanisms. The school received positive parent and community feedback on the policies and procedures it established, with many parents commenting on the high level of communication and trust established by the school. This successful school reopening provides useful data for school closure and reopening standards to prepare for future pandemic and epidemic events.
The environmental licensing of hydroelectrics and the interface with migratory fish and aquaculture in Brazil
Authors: Vidal Mayara Venturini , Batlouni Sergio Ricardo
Published: March 2023

In this review, we present a background on the Brazilian Federal Legislation on the environmental licensing of hydroelectric plants focusing on the procedure of the repair of environmental damage caused by dams to migratory fish. To that end, the Brazilian electrical matrix was first addressed, thus highlighting the significant contribution of the energy produced by hydroelectric projects. To better contextualize the characteristics of the legislation, separate sections concerning illustrative reports of the effects of dams on migratory fish and the current panorama of aquaculture in Brazil and in the world were included. In this review, we also present a discussion on the specific legislation concerning a mitigation measure, the “fish restocking programs,” which have the potential to promote fishing and aquaculture, but still lack a scientific basis on their effectiveness and correct application. An assessment of this historical process in Brazil indicates that different mitigation measures imposed to obtain operating licenses by hydroelectric plants vary among different hydroelectric projects and that this heterogeneity in the conditions imposed may have effects (of unknown proportions) on local fish communities. Considering the absence of a specific device foreseen in the law that requires the owner or concessionaire of dams in watercourses to provide for fish restocking programs or specific ichthyofauna conservation programs, the issue seems to depend on the discretion of the licensing agency to demand that the hydroelectric plant operators carry out the reintroduction of fish in their reservoirs. This review concludes that there are political and scientific issues to be debated and explored in order to improve public policies on this topic of extreme relevance for society.
Web-Based Monitoring Information System Project Administration (Case Study PT PJB Services)
Authors: Rizaldy Ivan Aries , Suprianto Suprianto
Published: March 2023

PT PJB Services is a company engaged in power generation to provide operation and maintenance services for power generation units. In the process of carrying out its work, monitoring is needed, which is used for the benefit of project management so that the work carried out can be completed as expected so that employees can monitor the project's progress. The objectives of this study include facilitating the process of reporting project developments through the application website, minimizing errors in inputting monitoring updates in the project development process when data synchronization is carried out and integrating monitoring in the Niaga Project Division at PT PJB Services. In the development of this research, the researcher uses the BlackBox method, where the method is focused on the functionality side, especially on the input and output of the application; where this test is carried out at the end of making the application to find out whether the application can function correctly. The results obtained in this study are that the project administration monitoring information system can facilitate reporting of project administration monitoring data when needed and can assist in processing project data development and facilitate project monitoring in making decisions on project management.
Effects of early mental state changes on physical functions in elderly patients with a history of falls
Authors: Cui Yao , Liu Bo , Qin Ming-Zhao , Liu Qian , Ye Hui
Published: March 2023

Background: Fear of falling is a potential consequence of falling in older adults. Whether such fall-related psychological concerns in turn affect physical function? Especially those who have a history of falling but have not been diagnosed with anxiety, depression or both. This study aimed to clarify the effects of early psychological changes on the physical function of order patients.
Methods: The 111 participants with falling history were divided into the poor physical function (PPF) group with SPPB≤9 and the good physical function (GPF) group with SPPB>10. Their physical function was assessed through 4-meter gait speed (4MGS), five times sit-to-stand test (FTSST), grip strength, and Timed Up and Go tests TUGT. Their mental state was assessed by the self-rating anxiety/depression scale (SAS/SDS).
Results: (1) SAS/SDS scores were negatively correlated with the SPPB score, gait speed, and maximum grip strength (males). (2) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the SPPB score was subject to such independent influence factors: cerebrovascular disease (OR =15.615; P =0.001), normal ratio of grip strength (OR =0.046; P =0.008), TUGT (OR =1.671; P <0.001), and SDS score (OR =1.155; P =0.005). (3) The area under the ROC curve was 0.699 (0.601, 0.797) for SAS score, with a sensitivity of 0.776 and a specificity of 0.547; the AUC was 0.694 (0.596, 0.792) for SDS score, with a sensitivity of 0.586 and a specificity of 0.755.
Conclusions: This study showed that the higher SAS/SDS scores corresponded to poorer physical performance. SAS/SDS scores were to some extent predictive of physical function among older adults with a history of falls.
On the bumpy road to recovery: resilience of transit ridership during COVID-19 in 15 European cities
Authors: Manout Ouassim , Bouzouina Louafi , Kourtit Karima , Nijkamp Peter
Published: March 2023

COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on the use of transit. Most European cities report a decline in transit use during 2020 and 2021. Nevertheless, not all cities report similar decline patterns or comparable resilience paths. We investigate the resilience patterns of transit use during 2020 and 2021 in 15 European cities from 11 different countries using clustering and regression analysis of data from Google Mobility Reports. Results highlight the variety of resilience patterns of transit use in these 15 cities. These patterns vary in time and space. Transit use in some cities recovered faster and more significantly than in others. Findings also suggest that changes in retail and recreational routines have the highest impact on the resilience of transit use in most cities. Changes in workplace routines are also important, but to a lesser degree. The impact of policy stringency on transit use is significant, but less consistent between the 15 cities.
JEL classification: 40, 41, 48
A Hardware Prototype Fuzzy Logic based Automatic Accident Detection system in Vehicular Adhoc Network
Authors: bhanja urmila , Mohanty Anita , Mahapatra Sudipta
Published: March 2023

Traffic jams and accidents with increasing number of vehicles on the road cause significant social and financial losses. Minor accidents on the road are handled by locals and other drivers. However, attention must be paid to the serious accidents that happen more frequently. Hence, an intelligent accident detection system is necessary to detect accident and save the life of injured. Now-a-days, vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) has been used significantly to solve the issue.
In this work, we have developed a prototype hardware VANET model for detecting accidents using fuzzy logic controller (FLC) or fuzzy logic decision support. The proposed model detects accidents and sends the messages to a central server through a low range radio (LoRa) transceiver network. The server after receiving the message from a vehicle estimates the shortest path using Dijkstra’s algorithm and send messages to a nearby ambulance to take the victim to a nearby hospital. Ambulance is also a node in the proposed VANET model.
A new set of metrics to quantify the colonization potential of riverscapes by wind-dispersed plant species
Authors: Wagner Thomas C. , Wöllner Romy
Published: March 2023

Quantifying the potential of a braided riverscape to be colonized by a plant species is important for assessing the ecological state of the river and provides an important basis for nature conservation planning and the implementation of restoration measures. Common landscape and river connectivity indices are largely unsuitable for describing the situation for the mostly wind-dispersed plant species. We aim to provide a set of comparable metrics that allows the quantification of the colonization potential of riverscapes at the patch and riverscape level. We define and describe a set of cell-based, spatially explicit measures that can easily be implemented. We demonstrate their application using two typical plant species and three riverscapes with different habitat configurations as examples. Our metrics consider shape, size and the spatial configuration of habitat patches, along with the dispersal characteristics of the respective species. The metrics provide a linear, balanced, and realistic representation of the colonization potential at the cell, patch, and riverscape levels. The results are comparable between different riverscapes and species and can easily be extended and used for further modeling. The metrics provide a valuable tool for the planning and evaluation of conservation, restoration, and reintroduction measures and close the gap between simple habitat availability analyses and large-scale terrestrial connectivity indices.
Unilateral adrenalectomy for a drug-resistant bilateral primary aldosteronism with heart failure: pathophysiology and surgical indication
Authors: Hoshi Seiji , Onagi Akifumi , Tanji Ryo , Honda-Takinami Ruriko , Matsuoka Kanako , Hata Junya , Sato Yuichi , Akaihata Hidenori , Kataoka Masao , Ogawa Soichiro , Kojima Yoshiyuki
Published: March 2023

Background: Patients with bilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) generally are treated with antihypertensive drugs, but optimal treatment for patients with complications due to refractory hypertension has not been established. In this report, we present a case with bilateral PA who presented with persistent hypertension, despite treatment with 6 drugs, and left-dominant heart failure, which was improved after unilateral adrenalectomy.
Case presentation: A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of severe left-dominant heart failure. His heart rhythm was atrial fibrillation and the left ventricle was diffusely hypertrophic and hypokinetic. Coronary arteries were normal on coronary arteriogram. Primary aldosteronism was suspected based on severe hypokalemia (2.5 mEq/L) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC; 1,410 pg/mL). Although computed tomography (CT) showed a single left cortical nodule, adrenal vein sampling (AVS) indicated bilateral PA. Early in the case, heart failure and hyperkalemia in this patient were improved by treatment with a combination of 6 antihypertensive drugs (spironolactone 25 mg/day, eplerenone 100 mg/day, azosemide 60 mg/day, tolvaptan 7.5 mg/day, enalapril 5 mg/day, and bisoprolol fumarate 10 mg/day); however, heart failure relapsed after four months of treatment. We hypothesized that hypertension caused by excess aldosterone was inducing the patient’s heart failure. In order to reduce aldosterone secretory tissue, a laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed for the left adrenal gland, given the higher level of aldosterone from the left gland compared to the right. Following surgery, the patient’s heart failure was successfully controlled despite the persistence of high PAC. Treatment with anti-hypertensive medications was reduced to two drugs (eplerenone 100 mg/day and bisoprolol fumarate 10 mg/day). In order to elucidate the mechanism of drug resistance, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were performed to assess the expression of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), a regulator of steroid synthesis in adrenal tissue. IHC and RT-PCR demonstrated that the expression of SF-1 in this patient (at both the protein and mRNA levels) was higher than that observed in unilateral PA cases that showed good responsivity to drug treatment.
Conclusions: Unilateral adrenalectomy to reduce aldosterone secretory tissue may be useful for patients with drug-refractory, bilateral PA. Elevated expression of SF-1 may be involved in drug resistance in PA.
Association of PM 2.5 level with pediatric patient visits for respiratory diseases in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Sittichai Phopthanaphon , Supapueng Orawan , Udomittipong Kanokporn , Tovichien Prakarn
Published: March 2023

Background
High levels of PM2.5 in Bangkok are concerned. We aimed to study the association of PM2.5 level with pediatric patient visits for respiratory diseases.
Methods
This retrospective study collected hospital visits of children less than 18 years for respiratory diseases and PM2.5 level during 2018–2020. Number of hospital visits with diagnoses of upper respiratory infections (URIs), acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, pneumonia and asthmatic exacerbation were collected. We analyzed the association of weekly average of PM2.5 level with pediatric patient visits for respiratory diseases using a time-series analysis and a negative binomial model. We adjusted year, seasons, number of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases as confounders.
Results
We found a significant association between weekly average of PM2.5 level and patient visits for URIs and acute bronchitis in children less than 2 years and asthmatic exacerbation in children less than 5 years. During winter, when weekly average of PM2.5 level was above 55 µg/m3, there was 40% increase in URIs cases and 80% increase in acute bronchitis cases in children less than 2 years.
Conclusions
High level of PM2.5 was associated with number of pediatric outpatients with URI, acute bronchitis and asthmatic exacerbation. Younger age group had more significant association.
The Efficacy of Oxytocin Gel in Postmenopausal Women with Vaginal Atrophy: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Farahat Ramadan Abdelmoez , Salamah Hazem Mohamed , Mahmoud Abdelrahman , Hamouda Esraa , Hashemy Mahmoud , Hamouda Heba , Samir Ali , Chenfouh Imane , Marey Ahmed , Awad Dina M. , Farag Elsayed , Abd-Elgawad Mohamed , Eldesouky Elsayed
Published: March 2023

Background
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a common disturbing issue in the postmenopausal period. Unlike vasomotor symptoms, it has a progressive trend. Our study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxytocin gel versus placebo gel in postmenopausal women with GSM.
Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases on January 18, 2023. We used the risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes; both presented with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results
Seven studies with 631 patients were included. Regarding the maturation index, there was a statistically insignificant increase in the oxytocin arm (MD= 12.34, 95% CI (-12.52-37.19), P= 0.33). Vaginal atrophy showed a statistically significant reduction in the oxytocin group (RR= 0.32, 95% CI (0.23-0.10), P< 0.00001). For dyspareunia, vaginal pH as well as histological evaluation of vaginal atrophy, there was a statistically insignificant difference between the two groups (RR= 1.02, 95% CI (0.82 -1.27), P= 0.84), (MD= -0.74, 95% CI (-1.58-0.10), P= 0.08) and (MD= -0.38, 95% CI (-0.82-0.06), P= 0.09) respectively. There was no significant difference in the safety profile between the two groups as measured by endometrial thickness (MD= 0.00, 95% CI (-0.23-0.23), P= 0.99).
Conclusions
Although oxytocin has been proposed as a viable alternative to estrogen in the treatment of GSM, our findings show the opposite. Larger, high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm or refute our results.
PROSPERO number
CRD42022334357.
Data-Driven Control of Neuronal Networks with Population-Level Measurement
Authors: Vu Minh , Singhal Bharat , Zeng Shen , Li Jr-Shin
Published: March 2023

Controlling complex networks of nonlinear neurons is an important problem pertinent to various applications in engineering and natural sciences. While in recent years the control of neural populations with comprehensive biophysical models or simplified models, e.g., phase models, has seen notable advances, learning appropriate controls directly from data without any model assumptions remains a challenging and less developed area of research. In this paper, we address this problem by leveraging the network’s local dynamics to iteratively learn an appropriate control without constructing a global model of the system. The proposed technique can effectively regulate synchrony in a neuronal network using only one input and one noisy population-level output measurement. We provide a theoretical analysis of our approach and illustrate its robustness to system variations and its generalizability to accommodate various physical constraints, such as charge-balanced inputs.
Full Orbital Phase Curve of KELT-1b using TESS observations
Authors: Eftekhar Mohammad
Published: March 2023

We present our joint model for comprehensive phase curve analysis of the transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b using observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We developed a full model of the phase curve over the orbit of a star-planet system, which includes primary transit, secondary eclipse, thermal emission, reflection, ellipsoidal tidal distortion, and Doppler beaming. All of these are jointly fitted simultaneously to obtain the parameters from the data sets. After taking out the instrumental systematic noise, we reliably detect the secondary eclipse with a depth of 383+36−24 ppm. Its hotspot is located east of the substellar point, demonstrating heat transport from the dayside (3005+207−191K) to the nightside (< 1491+162−145K) at the altitudes probed by TESS. Our estimated geometric albedo, Ag = 0.47+0.06−0.04, suggests that KELT-1b has a high geometric albedo. Finally, our estimated amplitude of the ellipsoidal variation and Doppler beaming signal is in agreement with the predictions of the theoretical expectations.
Evaluating the performance of a plasma dual-target test developed based on sense-antisense and dual-MGB probe technique for colorectal cancer detection
Authors: Zhao Yanteng , Wang Zhijie , Yu Qiuning , Liu Xin , Liu Xue , Dong Shuling , Lv Xianping , Bai Yu , Wang Shaochi
Published: March 2023

Background
Detecting colorectal cancer (CRC) via blood-based methylation tests shows good patient compliance and convenience, but some use to fail due to the low abundance of plasma cfDNA fragments. To address this issue, we designed this study to identify potential markers and enhance their performance to detect CRCs using sense-antisense and dual-MGB probe (SADMP) technique.
Methods
The study was conducted in three steps: identifying eligible methylation markers in our discovery set, developing assay using the sense-antisense and dual-MGB probe (SADMP) technique, and evaluating the test performance for CRC detection in training and validation cohorts.
Results
Findings of the discovery step indicated that adenoma and cancer samples exhibited similar methylation profiles and both had lower methylation levels than normal samples. Hypermethylated NTMT1 and MAP3K14-AS1 were recognized as the most promising candidate markers. The SADMP technique showed an ability to improve methylation signals by 2-fold than single-strand and single-MGB probe techniques. The MethyDT test, incorporating the SADMP technique, obtained an average sensitivity of 84.47% for CRC detection, higher than any single target alone, and without significant attenuation in specificity (average specificities of 91.81% for NTMT1 and 96.93% for MAP3K14-AS1 vs. 89.76% for MethyDT). For early (I-II) and late- (III-IV) stage CRC, the sensitivities were 82.61% and 88.64%, respectively. Meanwhile, the test performance was independent of patient age and gender.
Conclusion
The MethyDT test incorporating the SADMP technique exhibits a higher sensitivity to perceive methylation signals and may serve as a promising noninvasive tool for CRC detection.
Prediction of distant metastasis and specific survival prediction of small intestine cancer patients with metastasis: a population-based study
Authors: Xu Jinyi , Yao Zhiyi , Liao Guoliang , OuYang Xi , Mao Shengxun , Cao Jiaqing , Lai Bin
Published: March 2023

Background: Small intestine cancer (SIC) is a rarely found gastrointestinal malignancy, however early diagnosis of SIC is difficult as patients often present poor prognoses due to distant metastasis (DM) of the tumor by the time of diagnosis. Although nomograms for SIC have been developed, there are no relevant studies on the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of DM in patients with SIC.
Methods: The data of patients diagnosed with SIC between 2010 and 2015 was extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. All patients were randomly assigned into the training and validation sets (7:3). Independent risk factors for DM in SIC patients were then determined by univariate and multifactor logistic regression analysis. In addition, independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with DM were analyzed by univariate and multifactor Cox regression analysis, respectively. We then constructed the corresponding three nomograms and assessed the clinical efficacy of the nomograms by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curves.
Result: The entire cohort consisted of 6773 SIC patients, of whom 1327 had DM at diagnosis. The results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that T-stage, N-stage, tumor collaborative stage (CS) extension and histological type acted as independent risk factors for DM in patients with SIC. The results of multifactorial Cox regression analysis indicated that age, sex, histological type, N stage and tumor CS extension were independent predictors of OS; sex, histological type, N stage and tumor CS extension served as independent predictors of CSS. The results of ROC curves, DCA, calibration curves, and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves in the training and validation sets further confirmed the excellent accuracy of the three nomograms in predicting DM and prognosis in SIC patients.
Conclusion: This study constructed and validated nomograms for predicting DM in SIC patients as well as OS and CSS in patients with DM, which appear to function, as excellent tools to aid the physicians make more rational and personalized clinical decisions.
Evaluation of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine residents’ diagnostic accuracy in lung ultrasound interpretation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study at two public teaching hospitals
Authors: Kifle Bethel , Abicho Temesgen Beyene , Zewdu Tigist , Tesfaye Birhanu , Kebede Sofia
Published: March 2023

Background: Point of Care ultrasound is defined as a goal-directed ultrasound exam performed by the treating physician to answer a well-defined question relevant to the immediate care of a patient. Currently, lung ultrasound is increasingly used in critically ill patients as an alternative to bedside chest radiography. Point of care ultrasound is a mandatory training for emergency and critical care physicians but there are no published papers on the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound performed by emergency medicine residents. This study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of emergency medicine residents’ chest ultrasound interpretation at two public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study targeting senior emergency residents in two hospitals in comparison with radiologists. The study was conducted from June 2022 to August 2022 by using a structured questionnaire. There were a total of 70 emergency residents at these hospitals. The completed data was coded, manually checked, and exported to SPSS version 25 for data analysis.
Results:60 emergency and critical care medicine residents were enrolled in this study among which 28 (46.7%) were from Addis Ababa University and 32 (53.3%) were from St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College. The overall accuracy in the interpretation of chest ultrasound was low. The sensitivity of residents in detecting normal chest ultrasounds was 95%. Most residents correctly identified pneumothorax at 96.7% and the lowest rate of interpretation was lung metastasis at 5%. There is a moderate agreement between emergency residents and radiologists (kappa 0.4). There is no factor identified that has a significant association with the outcome of interpreting chest ultrasound scans.
Conclusion: The skills of residents in interpreting chest ultrasound results are low regardless of the prevalence of the condition in the emergency room or the relative clinical importance of the condition. Poor sensitivity results with misinterpretations were common.
Recommendation: we recommend the need for continuous training and assessment of the residents on lung ultrasound scanning. Further studies should be done, to fill the gaps and improve the quality of teaching.
BISCIT: Biliary Interventions in critically ill patients with Secondary Sclerosing Cholangitis – a study protocol for a multicenter, randomized, controlled parallel group trial
Authors: Stahl Klaus , Klein Friederike , Voigtlaender Torsten , Großhennig Anika , Book Thorsten , Müller Tobias , Kuellmer Armin , Weigt Jochen , Dechene Alexander , Wedi Edris , Kandulski Arne , Lange Christian M. , Holzwart Dennis , von Witzendorff Dorothee , Ringe Kristina I. , Wedemeyer Heiner , Heidrich Benjamin
Published: March 2023

Background:
Progress of cholangitis to cholangiosepsis is a frequent observation in patients with secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SSC-CIP). Adequate biliary drainage may reduce episodes of cholangiosepsis and therefore stabilize liver function and improve survival. The primary objective of the BISCIT study is to demonstrate that scheduled biliary interventions will reduce incidence of cholangiosepsis, liver transplantation or death in patients with SSC-CIP.
Methods:
A total of 104 patients will be randomized at ten study sites. Patients with SSC-CIP, confirmed by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography (ERC), will be randomized 1:1 either in the intervention group which will be treated with scheduled biliary interventions (i.e. therapeutic ERC) every 8 weeks for 6 months or in the control group which will receive standard of care. The randomization will be stratified by center. The composite primary efficacy endpoint is defined as (1) occurrence of death, (2) necessity of liver transplantation or (3) occurrence of cholangiosepsis within 6 months following randomization.
Discussion:
Prospective evaluation of endoscopic treatment procedures is urgently needed to establish an evidence-based therapeutic treatment algorithm in SSC-CIP. A positive trial result could change the current standard of care for patients with SSC-CIP. The results of this study will be disseminated through presentations at international congresses, workshops, and peer-reviewed publications.
Trial registration:
The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05396755, date of registration: May 31 2022, last update: May 31 2022).
Trial Status
The current version of the study protocol described in the manuscript is Version 1.0, February 23rd 2022. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05396755, date of registration: May 31 2022, last update: May 31 2022). No patient has yet been recruited. Approximate end of recruitment will be May 2025.
A systematic review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents and young people with disabilities aged 15-29 years
Authors: Leung Xing Yu , Kavanagh Anne , Quang Que Tien , Shields Marissa , Aitken Zoe
Published: March 2023

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the psychological burden on young people around the world and may have disproportionately large impacts for young people with disabilities. This review aims to systematically review the quantitative evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people with disabilities and evaluate the quality of included studies.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted using 5 electronic databases. The quality of the studies was assessed using the SIGN risk of bias assessment tool. A narrative synthesis was performed to synthesize the results of included studies.
Results
The initial search yielded 1935 studies, of which two met the eligibility criteria, one longitudinal study and one cross-sectional study, both assessed to be of low quality. In the cross-sectional study, young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities self-reported an increase in mental health symptoms. The longitudinal study found no evidence of a change in mental health symptoms from pre-pandemic to during the pandemic among young people with autism spectrum disorder, although these individuals reported negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their emotional or mental health.
Conclusions
The findings of this review provide some weak evidence of a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people with disabilities. Importantly, the findings highlight the lack of research in this area. More research is needed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young disabled people, in order for governments to develop emergency preparedness plans to safeguard the well-being of this population.
Transcriptional changes in specific subsets of Drosophila neurons following inhibition of the serotonin transporter
Authors: Bonanno Shivan L. , Krantz David E.
Published: March 2023

The transcriptional effects of SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs remain unclear, in part due to the heterogeneity of postsynaptic cells, which may respond differently to changes in serotonergic signaling. Relatively simple model systems such as Drosophila afford more tractable microcircuits in which to investigate these changes in specific cell types. Here, we focus on the mushroom body, an insect brain structure heavily innervated by serotonin and comprised of multiple different but related subtypes of Kenyon cells. We use fluorescence activated cell sorting of Kenyon cells, followed by either or bulk or single cell RNA sequencing to explore the transcriptomic response of these cells to SERT inhibition. We compared the effects of two different Drosophila Serotonin Transporter (dSERT) mutant alleles as well as feeding the SSRI citalapram to adult flies. We find that the genetic architecture associated with one of the mutants contributed to significant artefactual changes in expression. Comparison of differential expression caused by loss of SERT during development versus aged, adult flies, suggests that changes in serotonergic signaling may have relatively stronger effects during development, consistent with behavioral studies in mice. Overall, our experiments revealed limited transcriptomic changes in Kenyon cells, but suggest that different subtypes may respond differently to SERT loss-of-function. Further work exploring the effects of SERT loss-of-function in other Drosophila circuits may be used help to elucidate how SSRIs differentially affect a variety of different neuronal subtypes both during development and in adults.
Anoikis-related Genes in Breast Cancer Patients: Reliable Biomarker of Prognosis
Authors: Tang Mingzheng , Rong Yao , Zhang Guiqian , Wu Zhihang , Li Xiaofeng , Dong Fengyuan , Liu Songhua , Zhang Yan , Pan Haibang , Tao Pengxian , Cai Hui
Published: March 2023

Background Brest cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women and the second most frequent type of newly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Second, anoikis, a specific programmed death brought on by a cell's lack of contact with the extracellular matrix, is crucial for the spread of cancer. The impact of anoikis on BC patients' prognoses, however, is still unknown.
Method Via the TCGA and GEO databases, we gathered patient transcriptome and clinical group data for this investigation. The classification of subtypes A and B, subtype survival analysis, and pathway analysis were performed using anoikis-related genes (ARGs). the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), multivariate Cox regression analysis, and tumor microenvironment were used to evaluate the immune microenvironment (TME). Ultimately, ten ARGs relevant to prognosis were collected, and prognostic models were created. In order to characterize the correlation of ARGS, we also performed single cell data analysis. Finally, we used real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze the associations between the 10 prognostic ARGS and BC cells.
Results By using Kaplan-Meier (KM) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, we were able to identify ten ARGS (YAP1, PIK3R1, BAK1, PHLDA2, EDA2R, LAMB3, CD24, SLC2A1, CDC25C, and SLC39A6) as BC prognosis-related ARGS. These characteristics of the high-risk group of ARGS were linked to a poor prognosis in BC patients. KEGG functional analysis revealed that the immunological state of these high- and low-risk groups was different. By building a carcinogenesis model of risk score, risk score was found to be an independent prognostic factor. YAP1, PIK3R1, BAK1, PHLDA2, EDA2R, CD24, SLC2A1, and CDC25C were all strongly expressed in BC cells, according to the results of the RT-PCR analysis. were poorly expressed in SLC39A6 and LAMB3BC cells, but were strongly expressed in BC cells. The outcomes agreed with our earlier analysis of differential expression.
Conclusion ARGS markers can be used as BC biomarkers for risk stratification and survival prediction in BC patients. Besides, ARGs can be used as stratification factors for individualized and precise treatment of BC patients.
Systematic manipulation of experimenter’s nonverbal behaviors for the investigation of placebo effects
Authors: Daniali Hojjat , Ruben Mollie A. , Flaten Magne A.
Published: March 2023

Objective

Nonverbal behaviors (NBs) and characteristics of healthcare providers affect pain reports and placebo effects in patients/participants. However, as it is difficult to systematically control NBs in interactions, little experimental research has examined the impact of NBs of experimenters on pain and placebo effects. This study protocol reports a systematic manipulation of experimenters’ NBs to investigate its effects on placebo effects.

Methods

We propose an experiment in which videotaped experimenters (VEs) guide participants through a pain stimulation and a placebo treatment. The VEs express one positively enhanced NB and keep their other NBs neutral. Participants will be randomized to four groups in which they will be exposed to either the positive facial expressions (+ FE), tone of voice (+ TV), body movement (+ BM), or neither positive nor negative behaviors (i.e., neutral control condition; NC) of the VEs. As a pilot investigation and manipulation check, twenty-one coders (15 Norwegian and six US psychology students) viewed the videos and rated the degree of NBs of smiling, eye contact, gestures, positivity in tone of voice, and impressions of dominance, positivity, and expressivity from each NB. The manipulated NBs were shown to have high construct validity and reliability. Moreover, both + BM and + FE were rated as more dominant than + TV and the NC. +FE and + BM were rated as the most positive and expressive, respectively.

Expected results

Transmitting the desired NBs to patients by VEs can be challenging. However, it’s expected that + FE will have the largest placebo effects.

General Discussion

NB training can help to further control the NBs of experimenters or healthcare providers to examine their impact on important patient and participant outcomes. Researchers who wish to experimentally manipulate medically important impressions, should consider varying degrees of facial expressions, tone of voice, and body movement.