bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interfacial Characteristics of Engineered Pulp Fibre Reinforced Concretes Containing Various Pozzolans
Authors: Booya Emad , Adesina Adeyemi , Gorospe Karla , Das Sreekanta
Published: December 2020

Increasing durability threats on existing structures made with cementitious composites has prompted a need to find ways to improve the durability of new structures. One of the effective ways to improve the durability properties of cementitious composites is by the incorporation of fibres. A type of modified Kraft pulp fibres was employed in this study to improve the durability properties of cementitious composites. A microstructural investigation was also conducted to study the fibre morphology and its effect on the performance of the cementitious composites. Moreover, the durability tests in terms of water absorption and rapid chloride penetration were carried out. Overall results showed higher improvement of the durability of the cementitious composites with composites incorporated metakaolin, silica fume, and slag. This was further confirmed by microstructural analysis showing that these supplementary cementitious materials densified the cementitious matrix.
Preparation and Characterization of Nano silica Prepared by Different Precipitation Methods
Authors: Al-Abboodi Sabah M.Thahab , Al-Shaibani Eman Jabber Abed , Alrubai Enass.A.
Published: December 2020

Agricultural waste Rice husk ash (RHA) is large and massive by the output of rice milling manufacture and contains a high amount of silica. Taking into account this verdant technology is utilized to get SiO2 Nanoparticles from rice shell ash. In this research, studies on the extraction methods of Nano-silica by combustion rice shell for 2 h at 700 °C were carried out and investigated. However, the Rice shell ash was undergoing to precipitation methods and sol gel method to manufacture Nano silica. precipitation methods involve refluxing silica from Rice shell ash in boiled (1.0,2.0 N NaOH). While the sol-gel method involves calcination of RHA was treated with HCl at 700 °C for 2 h followed by chemical treatment. Results of The Infrared spectral (IR) information display the presence of hydrogen-bonded silanol group and the siloxane groups in silica. The Optical properties through UV-visible spectroscopy of the Nano silica samples show a wide bandgap value and absorption peaks located in the UV region. As well as, the particles size analysis with values of (13.02, 16.83 and 23.96 nm) for the samples (1NSiO2, 2NSiO2, and acid leaching) were obtained respectively.
Compressibility Characteristics of Soft Clays Treated by Graphene
Authors: Fattah Mohammed Y. , Al-Haddad Sinan A. , Al-Khafaji Kumail R.
Published: December 2020

It is extremely difficult to obtain a change in soil properties by incorporating graphene directly into the soft soil. Therefore, the stability of the soil or cementitious materials can be improved by treating them with graphene. Graphene is easily manufactured from pure graphite powder. Based on this aggregation, it may alter the final properties of graphene, because it completely depends on the raw chemicals and the method of building this material. The mechanical behavior of a new compound graphene was studied through consistency and compression. The soft clay used in this study is characterized with shear strength of 33.0 kPa. It is stabilized with 0.1 % of graphene with curing periods of 1 day and 7 days. It was observed that the void ratio decreased with addition of graphene under a given consolidation pressure. In addition, each of the swelling potential, the coefficient of volume compressibility and the coefficient of consolidation decrease with increasing the period of curing of graphene.
Tunable morphology and band gap alteration of CuO-ZnO nanostructures based photocathode for solar photoelectrochemical cells
Authors: Albadarin Nusayba A , Takriff Mohd Sobri , Tan Sin Tee , Shahahmadi Seyed Ahmad , Minggu Lorna Jeffery , Kadhum Abdul Amir H , Yin Wong Wai , Salehmin Mohd Nur Ikhmal , Alkhalqi Ensaf M , Hamid Muhammad Azmi Abdul , Amin Nowshad
Published: December 2020

A homogeneous CuO-ZnO nanostructure with tunable morphology and optical band structure is successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method under the different dopant mole ratios of Cu. The robust correlation between the crystallite size, surface morphology, optical band gap alteration of the synthesized CuO-ZnO and its performance in photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity are investigated and compared to the reference ZnO based photocathode. In this report, it is found that the morphology of hexagonal ZnO nanorod is changed to nanosheet and vertically align CuO-ZnO based nanograss after the Cu incorporation. This result is mainly due to the composition phase change after the excessive incorporation of Cu metal into ZnO lattice. Furthermore, the optical band gap of the sample also presented a bathochromic shifted after the Cu insertion. The measurements on PEC activity of CuO-ZnO nanostructure was performed under the irradiation of a 100 mWcm−2 Xenon light in 0.5M Na2SO4 electrolyte. Among the sample, 0 Zn:1 Cu exhibited a highest photocurrent density which is 5 fold as compared to its reference ZnO samples. This finding could be due to the highest surface active area and lowest optical energy band gap in the 0 Zn:1 Cu nanograss that eventually contributes to a high free electron density that facilitates the charge transport in the photoelectrochemical cells. This novel approach could provide an alternative to the future solar hydrogenation application.
Controllable polarization electro-optic absorption graphene modulator
Authors: He Xiaoying , Su Jiale , Rao Lan
Published: December 2020

Graphene, as two-dimensional material with many properties of the gate-voltage tunable Fermi-level and zero band gap, can be utilized for optical modulators by the integration with other material. In this work, an electro-optic modulator based on the fiber-surface waveguide and graphene capacitance has been proposed with the device length of 50 μm, featuring excellent controllable polarization modulation (polarization extinction ratio over 0.12 dB/μm), large modulation bandwidth of ∼40 GHz @ hBN and ∼25 GHz @ Al2O3, and energy consumption low to 11.5 pJ/bit for hBN and 4 pJ/bit for Al2O3. The polarization can be controlled by tuning the core radius from 130 nm for the TE polarized modulation with modulation efficiency over ∼2.56 dB V−1 (Al2O3) and ∼1.15 dB V−1 (hBN) to 170 nm for the TM polarized modulation efficiency up to ∼3.03 dB V−1 (Al2O3) and ∼1.3 dB/V (hBN). This work not only promotes the development of future polarization modulation technology, but also paves the way toward multifunctional fiber devices and systems.
Stencil growth of metallic nanorod: An atomistic simulation
Authors: Kateb Movaffaq
Published: December 2020

The stencil growth of nanoscale patterns using molecular dynamics simulation has been demonstrated. A comparison has been made to a film grown by identical conditions without the stencil. It is shown that in the case of nanoscale proximity between mask and substrate, patterns of the same dimension as the mask can be obtained. The results also indicate that the obtained nanorod presents a higher surface area than the corresponding thin film. It is demonstrated that nanorod surface roughness decreases by merging adjacent surface irregularity during the deposition.
Mini-review: antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors and ion channels
Authors: Hutchings Catherine J
Published: December 2020

Antibodies are now well established as therapeutics with many additional advantages over small molecules and peptides relative to their selectivity, bioavailability, half-life and effector function. Major classes of membrane-associated protein targets include G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels that are linked to a wide range of disease indications across all therapeutic areas. This mini-review summarizes the antibody target landscape for both GPCRs and ion channels as well as current progress in the respective research and development pipelines with some example case studies highlighted from clinical studies, including those being evaluated for the treatment of symptoms in COVID-19 infection.
Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Stallabrass Julian
Published: December 2020

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction presents a radical analysis of the global art scene. Contemporary art has never been so popular—but the art world is changing. Today, there is growing interest in questions over the nature and use of contemporary art, and over who controls its future. This VSI studies how new regions and nations, such as China, have leapt into astonishing prominence, overturning the old Euro-American dominance. It also examines the powerful influence of big business and the super-rich on the art world, and the reinvention of artists and museums as brands.
MSIsensor-ct: microsatellite instability detection using cfDNA sequencing data
Authors: Han Xinyin , Zhang Shuying , Zhou Daniel Cui , Wang Dongliang , He Xiaoyu , Yuan Danyang , Li Ruilin , He Jiayin , Duan Xiaohong , Wendl Michael C , Ding Li , Niu Beifang
Published: December 2020

Motivation: Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a promising biomarker for cancer prognosis and chemosensitivity. Techniques are rapidly evolving for the detection of MSI from tumor-normal paired or tumor-only sequencing data. However, tumor tissues are often insufficient, unavailable, or otherwise difficult to procure. Increasing clinical evidence indicates the enormous potential of plasma circulating cell-free DNA (cfNDA) technology as a noninvasive MSI detection approach. Results: We developed MSIsensor-ct, a bioinformatics tool based on a machine learning protocol, dedicated to detecting MSI status using cfDNA sequencing data with a potential stable MSIscore threshold of 20%. Evaluation of MSIsensor-ct on independent testing datasets with various levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and sequencing depth showed 100% accuracy within the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05% ctDNA content. MSIsensor-ct requires only BAM files as input, rendering it user-friendly and readily integrated into next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines. Availability: MSIsensor-ct is freely available at https://github.com/niu-lab/MSIsensor-ct. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Briefings in Bioinformatics online.
PStrain: an iterative microbial strains profiling algorithm for shotgun metagenomic sequencing data
Authors: Wang Shuai , Jiang Yiqi , Li Shuaicheng
Published: December 2020

Motivation

The microbial community plays an essential role in human diseases and physiological activities. The functions of microbes can differ due to strain-level differences in the genome sequences. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing allows us to profile the strains in microbial communities practically. However, current methods are underdeveloped due to the highly similar sequences among strains. We observe that strains genotypes at the same single nucleotide variant (SNV) locus can be speculated by the genotype frequencies. Also, the variants in different loci covered by the same reads can provide evidence that they reside on the same strain.

Results

These insights inspire us to design PStrain, an optimization method that utilizes genotype frequencies and the reads which cover multiple SNV loci to profile strains iteratively based on SNVs in a set of MetaPhlAn2 marker genes. Compared to the state-of-art methods, PStrain, on average, improved the performance of inferring strains abundances and genotypes by 87.75% and 59.45%, respectively. We have applied the PStrain package to the dataset with two cohorts of colorectal cancer (CRC) and found that the sequences of Bacteroides coprocola strains are significantly different between CRC and control samples, which is the first time to report the potential role of B.coprocola in the gut microbiota of CRC.

Availabilityand implementation

https://github.com/wshuai294/PStrain.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
cytomapper: an R/Bioconductor package for visualization of highly multiplexed imaging data
Authors: Eling Nils , Damond Nicolas , Hoch Tobias , Bodenmiller Bernd
Published: December 2020

Highly multiplexed imaging technologies enable spatial profiling of dozens of biomarkers in situ. Here, we describe cytomapper, a computational tool written in R, that enables visualization of pixel- and cell-level information obtained by multiplexed imaging. To illustrate its utility, we analysed 100 images obtained by imaging mass cytometry from a cohort of type 1 diabetes patients. In addition, cytomapper includes a Shiny application that allows hierarchical gating of cells based on marker expression and visualization of selected cells in corresponding images.

Availability and implementation

The cytomapper package can be installed via https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/cytomapper.html. Code for analysis and further instructions can be found at https://github.com/BodenmillerGroup/cytomapper_publication.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Transitional Safeguarding: Transforming How Adolescents and Young Adults Are Safeguarded
Authors: Cocker Christine , Cooper Adi , Holmes Dez
Published: December 2020

This article argues for a transformation in the protection and safeguarding needs of young people during their transition between childhood and adulthood. In order to explore with local authorities how they would address some of these challenges, the authors facilitated four national workshops with principal social workers, senior and middle managers (n = 88) from approximately one-third of Local Authorities in England (n = 52) from both Children and Adult social services. Participants discussed enablers and barriers to local and regional approaches to transitional safeguarding at practice, managerial, strategic and multi-agency levels. Findings from the workshops showed many examples of commitment to improvement and change, despite funding constraints and system barriers. No single local authority had a coherent and comprehensive approach to Transitional Safeguarding. Although some partnerships had started to lead innovation, it was still too early to demonstrate any effective impact throughout all systems, including whether outcomes for young people had improved. Participants also emphasised that young people should be involved as key stakeholders in developing appropriate responses. The system changes required to improve Transitional Safeguarding practices are complex and involve a re-configuration of the ‘risk’ versus ‘rights’ paradigms that permeate societal responses to the protection of young people.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Guaifenesin, Salbutamol Sulfate and Guaifenesin Impurity (Guaiacol)
Authors: Naguib Ibrahim A , Farag Shimaa A , Zaazaa Hala E , Abdelaleem Eglal A
Published: December 2020

A simple and reliable HPLC method is developed for isocratic separation of a ternary mixture of Salbutamol Sulfate (SAL), Guaifenesin (GUI) and its impurity Guaiacol (GUA) either in pure powder or in pharmaceutical formulation. Chromatographic separation was applied on a Hypersil GOLD CN column with a mobile phase consisting of 0.05 M KH2PO4 (containing 0.1% triethylamine, pH adjusted to 3.7 by phosphoric acid): methanol (60: 40 by volume) using 0.6 mL min−1 flow rate and detection of peaks at 275 nm at 25°C with run time around 6 min. The calibration plots were linear over the concentration ranges of 0.5–20, 0.5–30 and 0.1–10 μg mL−1 for SAL, GUI and GUA, respectively. ICH guidelines were used for the validation of presented method. The obtained results were compared with the results obtained from the reported HPLC method and no significant difference was found regarding accuracy and precision.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Seroprevalence and Risk Factors Among Oligo/Asymptomatic Healthcare Workers: Estimating the Impact of Community Transmission
Authors: Costa Silvia Figueiredo , Giavina-Bianchi Pedro , Buss Lewis , Mesquita Peres Carlos Henrique , Rafael Mayra Matias , dos Santos Lanuse Garcia Neves , Bedin Anderson Aparecido , Francisco Maria Cristina Peres Braido , Satakie Fatima Mitie , Jesus Menezes Maria Aparecida , Dal Secco Ligia Maria , Rodrigues Caron Deyse Mayara , de Oliveira Allan Brum , de Faria Matheus Finardi Lima , de Aurélio Penteado Angelica Sauiuri , de Souza Izabel Oliva Marcilio , de Fatima Pereira Grazielly , Pereira Rafael , Matos Porto Ana Paula , Sanchez Espinoza Evelyn Patrícia , Mendes-Correa Maria Cassia , dos Santos Lazari Carolina , Kalil Jorge , de Moliterno Perondi Maria Beatriz , de Oliveira Bonfa Eloisa Silva Dutra , Perreira Antonio Jose , Sabino Ester , da Silva Duarte Alberto José , Segurado Aluísio Cotrim , dos Santos Vera Aparecida , Levin Anna S
Published: December 2020

We evaluated the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and risk factors among 4987 oligo/asymptomatic healthcare workers; seroprevalence was 14% and factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were lower educational level (aOR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.03–3.60), using public transport to work (aOR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.07–2.62), and working in cleaning or security (aOR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.04–4.03).
Symptomatic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Reinfection of a Healthcare Worker in a Belgian Nosocomial Outbreak Despite Primary Neutralizing Antibody Response
Authors: Selhorst Philippe , van Ierssel Sabrina H , Michiels Jo , Mariën Joachim , Bartholomeeusen Koen , Dirinck Eveline , Vandamme Sarah , Jansens Hilde , Ariën Kevin K
Published: December 2020

Background

It is currently unclear whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection will remain a rare event, only occurring in individuals who fail to mount an effective immune response, or whether it will occur more frequently when humoral immunity wanes following primary infection.

Methods

A case of reinfection was observed in a Belgian nosocomial outbreak involving 3 patients and 2 healthcare workers. To distinguish reinfection from persistent infection and detect potential transmission clusters, whole genome sequencing was performed on nasopharyngeal swabs of all individuals including the reinfection case’s first episode. Immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin M, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) and neutralizing antibody responses were quantified in serum of all individuals, and viral infectiousness was measured in the swabs of the reinfection case.

Results

Reinfection was confirmed in a young, immunocompetent healthcare worker as viral genomes derived from the first and second episode belonged to different SARS-CoV-2 clades. The symptomatic reinfection occurred after an interval of 185 days, despite the development of an effective humoral immune response following symptomatic primary infection. The second episode, however, was milder and characterized by a fast rise in serum IgG and neutralizing antibodies. Although contact tracing and viral culture remained inconclusive, the healthcare worker formed a transmission cluster with 3 patients and showed evidence of virus replication but not of neutralizing antibodies in her nasopharyngeal swabs.

Conclusions

If this case is representative of most patients with coronavirus disease 2019, long-lived protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 after primary infection might not be likely.
Remdesivir Use in the Setting of Severe Renal Impairment: A Theoretical Concern or Real Risk?
Authors: Pettit Natasha N , Pisano Jennifer , Nguyen Cynthia T , Lew Alison K , Hazra Aniruddha , Sherer Renslow , Mullane Kathleen M
Published: December 2020

Background

Remdesivir (RDV) is US FDA approved for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but not recommended in severe renal impairment (SRI, Creatinine clearance <30mL/min or requiring renal replacement therapy). Few studies have evaluated RDV in patients with SRI.

Methods

Hospitalized patients who received RDV between 1 May 2020 and 31 October 2020 were analyzed in a retrospective chart review. We compared incident adverse events (AEs) in patients with and without SRI, including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, any reported AE, mortality, and length of stay.

Results

Of a total of 135 patients, 20 had SRI. Patients with SRI were significantly older (70 vs 54 years, P = .0001). The incidence of possible AEs was 30% among those with SRI vs 11% without (P = .06). Liver function test (LFT) elevations occurred in 10% vs 4% (P = .28), and serum creatinine (SCr) elevations in 27% vs 6% (P = .02) of patients with SRI vs without, respectively. LFT and SCr elevations were not attributed to RDV in either group.

Mortality and length of stay were consistent with historical controls.

Conclusions

RDV AEs occurred infrequently and overall were not significantly different between those with and without SRI. While more of patients with SRI experienced SCr elevations, 3 (75%) patients had acute kidney injury prior to RDV. The use of RDV in this small series of patients with SRI appeared to be relatively safe, and the potential benefit outweighed the theoretical risk of liver or renal toxicity. Additional studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Identification without assuming mean stationarity: quasi–maximum likelihood estimation of dynamic panel models with endogenous regressors
Authors: Kruiniger Hugo
Published: December 2020

Linear generalised method of moments (GMM) estimators for dynamic panel models with predetermined or endogenous regressors suffer from a weak instruments problem when the data are highly persistent. In this paper, we propose new random- and fixed-effects limited-information quasi–maximum likelihood estimators (LIQMLEs) for such models. We also discuss LIQMLEs for models that contain time-varying individual effects. Unlike system GMM estimators, the LIQMLEs do not require mean stationarity conditions for consistency. Such conditions often do not hold for the models we consider. Our LIQMLEs are based on a two-step control function approach that includes the first-stage model residuals for a predetermined or endogenous regressor in the outcome equation. The LIMLEs are more precise than nonlinear GMM estimators that are based on the original outcome equation. The LIQMLEs also compare favourably to various alternative (quasi–) maximum likelihood estimators in terms of precision, robustness, and/or ease of computation.
Artificial intelligence assessment for early detection of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction based on electrocardiographic features
Authors: Kwon Joon-myoung , Kim Kyung-Hee , Eisen Howard J , Cho Younghoon , Jeon Ki-Hyun , Lee Soo Youn , Park Jinsik , Oh Byung-Hee
Published: December 2020

Aims

Although heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a rapidly emerging global health problem, an adequate tool to screen it reliably and economically does not exist. We developed an interpretable deep learning model (DLM) using electrocardiography (ECG) and validated its performance.

Methods and results

This retrospective cohort study included two hospitals. 34 103 patients who underwent echocardiography and ECG within 1 week and indicated normal left ventricular systolic function were included in this study. A DLM based on an ensemble neural network was developed using 32 671 ECGs of 20 169 patients. The internal validation included 1979 ECGs of 1979 patients. Furthermore, we conducted an external validation with 11 955 ECGs of 11 955 patients from another hospital. The endpoint was to detect HFpEF. During the internal and external validation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of a DLM using 12-lead ECG for detecting HFpEF were 0.866 (95% confidence interval 0.850–0.883) and 0.869 (0.860–0.877), respectively. In the 1412 individuals without HFpEF at initial echocardiography, patients whose DLM was defined as having a higher risk had a significantly higher chance of developing HFpEF than those in the low-risk group (33.6% vs. 8.4%, P < 0.001). Sensitivity map showed that the DLM focused on the QRS complex and T-wave.

Conclusion

The DLM demonstrated high performance for HFpEF detection using not only a 12-lead ECG but also 6- single-lead ECG. These results suggest that HFpEF can be screened using conventional ECG devices and diverse life-type ECG machines employing the DLM, thereby preventing disease progression.
Predictors of cumulative cost for patients with severe aortic stenosis referred for surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a population-based study in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Sunner Manjot , Qiu Feng , Manoragavan Ragavie , Roifman Idan , Tam Derrick Y , Fremes Stephen C , Sun Louise , Rahal Mirna , Woodward Graham , Austin Peter C , Wijeysundera Harindra C
Published: December 2020

Aims 

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has transformed severe aortic stenosis (AS) management. Our aim was understand AS cost drivers from referral to 1-year post-procedure.

Methods and results 

We identified patients referred for either TAVR/SAVR between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2018, with follow-up until 31 March 2019 in Ontario, Canada. We stratified costs into (i) a referral phase, (ii) a procedural phase from the procedure date to 60 days post-procedure, and (iii) post-procedure phase from 61 days to 1 year. Multivariable regression modelling using generalized linear models with a log link gamma distribution was used to identify cost drivers in each phase. The study cohort included 12 086 AS patients; 4832 were referred for TAVR and 7254 were referred for SAVR. The median cost for TAVR was higher than SAVR in the referral ($3593 vs. $2944) and post-procedural ($5938 vs. $3257) phases. In contrast, for the procedural phase, SAVR had a median cost of $29 756 vs. $27 907 for TAVR. Predictors of high cost in the referral phase were longer wait-time, and an urgent in-hospital procedure. In the procedural phase, procedural complications were the major drivers of higher cost. In the post-procedural phase, patient co-morbidities were the major drivers, specifically dialysis, liver disease, cancer, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion 

We identified distinct patterns of cost accumulation and modifiable drivers for SAVR compared with TAVR; these drivers may guide clinical and health policy decisions to make AS care more efficient.
Frozen elephant trunk infection: to defrost or to debranch?
Authors: Nader Joseph , Chabry Yuthiline , Nazih Houda , Caus Thierry
Published: December 2020

Infections of frozen elephant trunk hybrid prosthesis (HP) are not well documented in the literature and their management is not standardized yet. We report herein the case of a 59-year-old patient who benefited from a Thoraflex™ HP aortic arch replacement for an acute type A aortic dissection. He presented a year later with a Staphylococcus aureus infection of the proximal part of this prosthesis. We performed a replacement of the proximal compound of the HP accompanied by a complete debranching of the 3 supra-aortic vessels with an inter-carotidal retro-oesophageal bypass. As we left in situ the endovascular graft within the descending aorta, a life-long antibiotic therapy was introduced. The postoperative follow-up was uneventful, and the patient discharged home 2 weeks after his surgery. As an alternative to a more radical redo surgery with major risk, a hybrid medical and surgical treatment of infected frozen elephant trunk could be considered.
Cancer survivors present significantly lower long-term stability of orthodontic treatment: a prospective case–control study
Authors: Mitus-Kenig Maria , Derwich Marcin , Czochrowska Ewa , Pawlowska Elzbieta
Published: December 2020

Background/Objectives

The aim of the study was to compare the stability of orthodontic treatment in cancer survivors who had been treated with cytotoxic drugs with a generally healthy control group.

Materials/Methods

The study included 52 cancer survivors treated orthodontically and 52 healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and malocclusion. The weighted Peer Assessment Rating (w-PAR) index, the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) were assessed before treatment, after the treatment, and at the 3-year follow-up. Patients Satisfaction Score was assessed after the treatment and at the 3-year follow-up. A repeated analysis of variance test was used to check the statistical significance between the scores.

Results

Ideal occlusion was achieved in all patients. The mean w-PAR and ICON values were significantly reduced in both groups after the end of the orthodontic treatment with no significant differences between the groups regarding the obtained results. However, after the 3-year follow-up, only the cancer survivors’ group presented statistically significant (P < 0.001) increase of the w-PAR and ICON values comparing to the values obtained at the end of the treatment. There was no significant change in Patients’ Satisfaction Score within 3 years after treatment.

Limitations

The limited size of the study sample as well as different types of oncological diagnoses could have had an impact on the final results of the study.

Conclusions/Implications

Previous cytotoxic drug treatment significantly decreases the stability of orthodontic treatment among the cancer survivors, particularly within first 12 months after the end of the treatment.
Comprehensive sexuality education: an Argentinean experience
Authors: Cossu Paola , Brun Gabriela
Published: December 2020

We describe our experience with comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) content conducted during an EFL class at a state-run secondary school in Argentina. We first describe the legal landscape within which CSE is embedded in Argentina. Then, we discuss gender, sexuality, and CLIL. Next, we discuss the experience which aimed at problematizing CSE content, in this case gender roles, drawing on CLIL underpinnings. In doing so, we also refer to students’ reactions and include samples of their productions. Finally, we reflect upon the effectiveness of the experience and the challenges presented in terms of teaching and learning, and consider some possible implications in relation to CSE training in both initial teacher education and in continuing professional development programmes.
Effect of long-term beta-blocker treatment following myocardial infarction among stable, optimally treated patients without heart failure in the reperfusion era: a Danish, nationwide cohort study
Authors: Holt Anders , Blanche Paul , Zareini Bochra , Rajan Deepthi , El-Sheikh Mohammed , Schjerning Anne-Marie , Schou Morten , Torp-Pedersen Christian , McGettigan Patricia , Gislason Gunnar H , Lamberts Morten
Published: December 2020

Aims

We aimed to investigate the long-term cardio-protective effect associated with beta-blocker (BB) treatment in stable, optimally treated myocardial infarction (MI) patients without heart failure (HF).

Methods and results

Using nationwide registries, we included patients with first-time MI undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during admission and treated with both acetyl-salicylic acid and statins post-discharge between 2003 and 2018. Patients with prior history of MI, prior BB use, or any alternative indication or contraindication for BB treatment were excluded. Follow-up began 3 months following discharge in patients alive, free of cardiovascular (CV) events or procedures. Primary outcomes were CV death, recurrent MI, and a composite outcome of CV events. We used adjusted logistic regression and reported standardized absolute risks and differences (ARD) 3 years after MI. Overall, 30 177 stable, optimally treated MI patients were included (58% acute PCI, 26% sub-acute PCI, 16% CAG without intervention). At baseline, 82% of patients were on BB treatment (median age 61 years, 75% male) and 18% were not (median age 62 years, 68% male). BB treatment was associated with a similar risk of CV death, recurrent MI, and the composite outcome of CV events compared with no BB treatment [ARD (95% confidence intervals)] correspondingly; 0.1% (−0.3% to 0.5%), 0.2% (−0.7% to 1.2%), and 1.2% (−0.2% to 2.7%).

Conclusions

In this nationwide cohort study of stable, optimally treated MI patients without HF, we found no long-term effect of BB treatment on CV prognosis following the patients from 3 months to 3 years after MI admission.
Quantitative collagen assessment in right ventricular myectomies from patients with tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Wülfers Eike M , Greiner Joachim , Giese Max , Madl Josef , Kroll Johannes , Stiller Brigitte , Kohl Peter , Rog-Zielinska Eva A , Fürniss Hannah E
Published: December 2020

Aims

Patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) are often affected by right ventricular fibrosis, which has been associated with arrhythmias. This study aimed to assess fibrosis distribution in right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) myocardium of TOF patients to evaluate the utility of single histology-section analyses, and to explore the possibility of fibrosis quantification in unlabelled tissue by second harmonic generation imaging (SHGI) as an alternative to conventional histology-based assays.

Methods and results

We quantified fibrosis in 11 TOF RVOT samples, using a tailor-made automated image analysis method on Picrosirius red-stained sections. In a subset of samples, histology- and SHGI-based fibrosis quantification approaches were compared. Fibrosis distribution was highly heterogeneous, with significant and comparable variability between and within samples. We found that, on average, 67.8 mm2 of 10 µm thick, histologically processed tissue per patient had to be analysed for accurate fibrosis quantification. SHGI provided data faster and on live tissue, additionally enabling quantification of collagen anisotropy.

Conclusion

Given the high intra-individual heterogeneity, fibrosis quantification should not be conducted on single sections of TOF RVOT myectomies. We provide an analysis algorithm for fibrosis quantification in histological images, which enables the required extended volume analyses in these patients.
Development of vaccines at the time of COVID-19
Authors: Almond Jeffrey , Hacker Jörg , Harwood Colin , Pizza Mariagrazia , Rappuoli Rino , Ron Eliora Z , Sansonetti Philippe , Vanderslott Samantha , Wieler Lothar H
Published: December 2020

In December 2019, a working group of the European Academy of Microbiology assembled to discuss various aspects of vaccines and vaccinations. The meeting was organised by Jörg Hacker and Eliora Z. Ron and took place in the offices of the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina). Several important issues were addressed and a major part of the discussion focused on the need to develop new vaccines, especially to protect against pathogens that constitute a pandemic threat. Following the rapid and unpredicted spread of COVID-19 in the first seven months of 2020, the need to develop vaccines for pandemic viruses rapidly has been clearly established. Thus, this paper will concentrate on points that were highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and lessons learnt therefrom.
Review of How Genetic Research on Segmental Progeroid Syndromes Has Documented Genomic Instability as a Hallmark of Aging But Let Us Now PursueAntigeroid Syndromes!
Authors: Martin George M , Hisama Fuki M , Oshima Junko
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this early contribution to the new Fellows Forum of this pioneering journal for what is now called Geroscience is to provide an example of how the author’s interest in using the emerging tools of human genetics has led to strong support for one of the hallmarks of aging—Genomic Instability. We shall also briefly review our emerging interests in the genetic analysis of what we have called Antigeroid Syndromes. While there has been significant progress in that direction via genetic studies of centenarians, the search for genetic pathways that make individuals unusually resistant or resilient to the ravages of specific geriatric disorders has been comparatively neglected. We refer to these disorders as Unimodal Antigeroid Syndromes. It is our hope that our young colleagues will consider research efforts in that direction.
On the stress dependence of the elastic tensor
Authors: Maitra Matthew , Al-Attar David
Published: December 2020

The dependence of the elastic tensor on the equilibrium stress is investigated theoretically. Using ideas from finite elasticity, it is first shown that both the equilibrium stress and elastic tensor are given uniquely in terms of the equilibrium deformation gradient relative to a fixed choice of reference body. Inversion of the relation between the deformation gradient and stress might, therefore, be expected to lead neatly to the desired expression for the elastic tensor. Unfortunately, the deformation gradient can only be recovered from the stress up to a choice of rotation matrix. Hence it is not possible in general to express the elastic tensor as a unique function of the equilibrium stress. By considering material symmetries, though, it is shown that the degree of non-uniqueness can sometimes be reduced, and in some cases even removed entirely. These results are illustrated through a range numerical calculations, and we also obtain linearized relations applicable to small perturbations in equilibrium stress. Finally, we make a comparison with previous studies before considering implications for geophysical forward- and inverse-modelling.
Mortality Experiences for Women in Riverine Areas of the Niger Delta and Utilization of Maternal Health Services
Authors: Onalu Chinyere , Agwu Prince , Gobo Blessing , Okoye Uzoma
Published: December 2020

Developing countries grapple with poor maternal health outcomes, and the Niger Delta is no exception. Discourses in the Niger Delta have been dominated by oil resource, with suboptimal attention paid to health outcomes in the region. This study investigated barriers to utilization of maternal health care services in the Okrika local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Data were sourced through focus group discussions organized for 21 health care professionals and 24 mothers residing in the area. Analysis was done thematically, relying on relevant qualitative analytical tools. Poor income, ignorance, absence of social support, religion and culture, and health care system inefficiencies were the barriers associated with utilization of maternal health care services. It was clear that maternal health outcomes and the state of health care generally in the Niger Delta do not reflect the enormous resources generated from oil that is plentiful in the region. Results point to an evident need for social work expertise to mitigate these barriers in view of improving health outcomes in the region.
Use of Prolonged Exposure Therapy in Discharge Planning
Authors: Costa Micaela Baxter
Published: December 2020

Social workers are more than just discharge planners within a hospital setting. In fact, licensed social workers are credentialed to provide therapeutic interventions such as counseling to enhance the discharge planning process. This case study narrative examines prolonged exposure therapy (PE) as an intervention for the discharge of a female veteran psychiatrically hospitalized for one year. The methodology was selected in response to the dearth of research regarding the psychotherapeutic use of PE during the discharge planning process. The veteran in this study experienced both guilt and shame related to her psychiatric hospitalization and was avoidant of her discharge. There is a scarcity of research that examines the impact of distorted beliefs associated with a prolonged hospital stay and the psychotherapeutic approaches within discharge planning in either the medical or psychiatric hospital settings. This article attempts to fill in the gaps in research by specifically reviewing the use of PE to reduce distorted thoughts of guilt and shame because of the fear of returning home posthospitalization.
Crohn’s Disease Is Associated With Activation of Circulating Innate Lymphoid Cells
Authors: Mazzurana Luca , Bonfiglio Ferdinando , Forkel Marianne , D’Amato Mauro , Halfvarson Jonas , Mjösberg Jenny
Published: December 2020

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with disturbed mucosal innate lymphoid cell (ILC) composition, which is correlated to the degree of intestinal inflammation. However, it remains unclear whether circulating ILCs are dysregulated in patients with IBD.

Methods

Blood samples from 53 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 43 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 45 healthy control subjects (HC) were analyzed by flow cytometry for markers of ILC subsets (ILC1, ILC2, and ILC precursors [ILCp]) and selected IBD-relevant proteins, as predicted by previous genome-wide association studies. A dimensionality reduction approach to analyzing the data was used to characterize circulating ILCs.

Results

The frequency of ILCp expressing the ILC3 activation markers NKp44 and CD56 was increased in CD versus HC and UC (NKp44) or in CD versus HC (CD56), whereas the CD45RA+ ILCp were reduced in CD versus UC. Furthermore, the activation marker HLA-DR was increased on ILC1 and ILC2 in CD versus HC. Interestingly, the IBD-related protein SLAMF1 was upregulated on ILC2 from both CD and UC samples as compared with HC samples. In active CD, SLAMF1+ ILC2 frequency was negatively correlated with disease severity (Harvey-Bradshaw index). The characterization of SLAMF1+ ILC2 revealed a higher expression of the ILC2 markers CRTH2, CD161, and GATA3 as compared with SLAMF1- ILC2.

Conclusions

In line with the systemic nature of CD inflammation, our findings point toward the activation of ILCs in the blood of patients with CD. Furthermore, in active CD, circulating SLAMF1+ ILC2 are increased in patients with less active disease, introducing SLAMF1+ ILC2 as interesting therapeutic targets deserving further exploration.
Initiation of an inter-hospital extracorporeal membrane oxygenation transfer programme for critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019: bringing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support to peripheral hospitals
Authors: Schmiady Martin O , Hofmann Michael , Sromicki Juri , Halbe Maximilian , van Tilburg Koen , Aser Raed , Mestres Carlos A , Maisano Francesco , Ferrari Enrico
Published: December 2020

OBJECTIVES

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a resource-intensive, highly specialized and expensive therapy that is often reserved for high-volume centres. In recent years, we established an inter-hospital ECMO transfer programme that enables ECMO implants in peripheral hospitals. During the pandemic, the programme was expanded to include ECMO support in selected critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

METHODS

This retrospective single-centre study reports the technical details and challenges encountered during our initial experience with ECMO implants in peripheral hospitals for patients with COVID-19.

RESULTS

During March and April 2020, our team at the University Hospital of Zurich performed 3 out-of-centre ECMO implants at different peripheral hospitals. The implants were performed without any complications. The patients were transported by ambulance or helicopter. Good preparation and selection of the required supplies are the keys to success. The implant should be performed by a well-trained, seasoned ECMO team, because options are limited in most peripheral hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

Out-of-centre ECMO implants in well-selected patients with COVID-19 is feasible and safe if a well-established organization is available and if the implantation is done by an experienced and regularly trained team.
High-temperature structure detection in ferromagnets
Authors: Cao Yuan , Neykov Matey , Liu Han
Published: December 2020

This paper studies structure detection problems in high-temperature ferromagnetic (positive interaction only) Ising models. The goal is to distinguish whether the underlying graph is empty, i.e., the model consists of independent Rademacher variables, vs. the alternative that the underlying graph contains a subgraph of a certain structure. We give matching upper and lower minimax bounds under which testing this problem is possible/impossible, respectively. Our results reveal that a key quantity called graph arboricity drives the testability of the problem. On the computational front, under a conjecture of the computational hardness of sparse principal component analysis, we prove that, unless the signal is strong enough, there are no polynomial time tests which are capable of testing this problem. In order to prove this result, we exhibit a way to give sharp inequalities for the even moments of sums of i.i.d. Rademacher random variables which may be of independent interest.
CON: Carbapenems are NOT necessary for all infections caused by ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales
Authors: Rodríguez-Baño Jesús , Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez Belén , Pascual Alvaro
Published: December 2020

Carbapenems are considered the drugs of choice for the treatment of serious infections caused by ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales. However, because of the dramatic increase in carbapenem-resistant organisms worldwide, finding alternatives to carbapenems is a must. The potential options include β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, temocillin, cephamycins and some non-β-lactam drugs. The most controversial is piperacillin/tazobactam; the results of the MERINO trial are challenged because the isolates of patients with worse outcomes were frequently not susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam when studied by reference methods, and also because the drug was not administered in extended infusion. Other potential options are briefly discussed. We conclude that carbapenems are not necessary for all patients with infections caused by ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales.
Information blocking remains prevalent at the start of 21st Century Cures Act: results from a survey of health information exchange organizations
Authors: Everson Jordan , Patel Vaishali , Adler-Milstein Julia
Published: December 2020

Objective

Recent policy making aims to prevent health systems, lectronic health record (EHR) vendors, and others from blocking the electronic sharing of patient data necessary for clinical care. We sought to assess the prevalence of information blocking prior to enforcement of these rules.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a national survey of health information exchange organizations (HIEs) to measure the prevalence of information blocking behaviors observed by these third-party entities. Eighty-nine of 106 HIEs (84%) meeting the inclusion criteria responded.

Results

The majority (55%) of HIEs reported that EHR vendors at least sometimes engage in information blocking, while 30% of HIEs reported the same for health systems. The most common type of information blocking behavior EHR vendors engaged in was setting unreasonably high prices, which 42% of HIEs reported routinely observing. The most common type of information blocking behavior health systems engaged in was refusing to share information, which 14% of HIEs reported routinely observing. Reported levels of vendor information blocking was correlated with regional competition among vendors and information blocking was concentrated in some geographic regions.

Discussion

Our findings are consistent with early reports, revealing persistently high levels of information blocking and important variation by actor, type of behavior, and geography. These trends reflect the observations and experiences of HIEs and their potential biases. Nevertheless, these data serve as a baseline against which to measure the impact of new regulations and to inform policy makers about the most common types of information blocking behaviors.

Conclusion

Enforcement aimed at reducing information blocking should consider variation in prevalence and how to most effectively target efforts.