bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
Authors: Vitorino Luciano Magalhães , Yoshinari Júnior Gerson Hiroshi , Gonzaga Gabriela , Dias Isabela Faria , Pereira João Pedro Lambert , Ribeiro Isabella Marum Góes , França Alex Bacadini , Al-Zaben Faten , Koenig Harold G. , Trzesniak Clarissa
Published: May 2021

Background

Although mental distress and quality of life (QoL) impairments because of the pandemic have increased worldwide, the way that each community has been affected has varied.

Aims

This study evaluated the impact of social distancing imposed by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on Brazilians’ mental health and QoL.

Method

In this cross-sectional community-based online survey, data from 1156 community-dwelling adults were gathered between 11 May and 3 June 2020. We examined independent correlates of depression, anxiety and QoL, including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, optimism/pessimism and spiritual/religious coping. Dependent variables were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale for anxiety symptoms, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF for QoL. Correlates of depressive and anxiety disorder were estimated using logistic regression.

Results

There were high levels of depressive symptoms (41.9%) and anxiety symptoms (29.0%) in participants. Negative spiritual/religious coping was positively correlated with depressive disorder (odds ratio (OR) = 2.14 95% CI 1.63–2.80; P < 0.001) and with anxiety disorder (OR = 2.46 95% CI 1.90–3.18; P < 0.001), and associated with worse social and environmental QoL (P < 0.001). Healthcare professionals were less likely to have depressive symptoms (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.93; P < 0.001). Participants with friend/family with COVID-19 scored lower on psychological and environmental QoL (P < 0.05). Participants with a longer duration of social isolation were less likely to experience anxiety disorder (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99; P = 0.004).

Conclusions

We found high levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and low levels of QoL in Brazil, which has become a pandemic epicentre. Several characteristics were associated with negative mental health symptoms in this study. This information may contribute to local health policies in dealing with the mental health consequences of COVID-19.
Automated Identification of Patients With Immune-Related Adverse Events From Clinical Notes Using Word Embedding and Machine Learning
Authors: Gupta Samir , Belouali Anas , Shah Neil J. , Atkins Michael B. , Madhavan Subha
Published: May 2021

PURPOSE

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have substantially improved survival in patients with advanced malignancies, they are associated with a unique spectrum of side effects termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs). To ensure treatment safety, research efforts are needed to comprehensively detect and understand irAEs. Retrospective analysis of data from electronic health records can provide knowledge to characterize these toxicities. However, such information is not captured in a structured format within the electronic health record and requires manual chart review.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this work, we propose a natural language processing pipeline that can automatically annotate clinical notes and determine whether there is evidence that a patient developed an irAE. Seven hundred eighty-one cases were manually reviewed by clinicians and annotated for irAEs at the patient level. A dictionary of irAEs keywords was used to perform text reduction on clinical notes belonging to each patient; only sentences with relevant expressions were kept. Word embeddings were then used to generate vector representations over the reduced text, which served as input for the machine learning classifiers. The output of the models was presence or absence of any irAEs. Additional models were built to classify skin-related toxicities, endocrine toxicities, and colitis.

RESULTS

The model for any irAE achieved an average F1-score = 0.75 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.85. This outperformed a basic keyword filtering approach. Although the classifier of any irAEs achieved good accuracy, individual irAE classification still has room for improvement.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that patient-level annotations combined with a machine learning approach using keywords filtering and word embeddings can achieve promising accuracy in classifying irAEs in clinical notes. This model may facilitate annotation and analysis of large irAEs data sets.
Malagasy dialects in Mayotte
Authors: Serva Maurizio , Pasquini Michele
Published: May 2021

The Malagasy language is not strictly confined to Madagascar but it is also spoken in Mayotte, one of the four islands which constitute the Comoros archipelago. The inhabitants of Mayotte are, in fact, divided between two very distinct mother languages, one is Shimaore, a Bantu dialect similar to the dialects spoken in the other three islands, the other is Malagasy, an Austronesian language. In turn, Malagasy is represented by two distinct varieties, one is the Kibosy Kimaore, a name which simply means “Malagasy of Mayotte” (this name is sometimes used to indistinctly denote both varieties) and the other is the Kibosy Kiantalaotsy. It is usually stated that Kibosy Kimaore is close to the Northern Madagascar varieties, while Kibosy Kiantalaotsy is very close to Mahajanga Sakalava (Glottolog classifies Mahajanga Sakalava and Kibosy Kiantalaotsy as twin varieties). While we clearly confirm the cladistic position of Kibosy Kimaore, we find that Kibosy Kiantalaotsy is not particularly close to Mahajanga Sakalava, but it is closer to the Sakalava dialects of the South-West of Madagascar. Moreover, Kibosy Kiantalaotsy seems to be rather the result of multiple contributions from Madagascar than the offspring of a single dialect or a few dialects. Our outcome is based upon the comparison of the two Mayotte varieties with sixty different Madagascar varieties.
Remimazolam Tolerance in Long-term Benzodiazepine Users: A Case Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Yoshikawa Haruka , Hosokawa Maiko , Kashima Yuki , Oki Sayaka , Masui Kenichi
Published: May 2021

A 60-year-old woman with a 5-year history of anxiolytic use, a diazepam-equivalent daily dose of 15 mg, was scheduled for esophageal stent removal. She was given remimazolam (0.5 mg/kg) but remained fully alert. She only lost consciousness with propofol (40 mg). A 61-year-old man with a 1-year history of anxiolytic use, diazepam-equivalent daily dose of 20 mg, was scheduled for hand tumor resection. He was given remimazolam (0.3 mg/kg) but remained fully alert. He only lost consciousness after desflurane inhalation. In a patient with a history of long-term benzodiazepine use, anesthetic or sedative agents aside from remimazolam should be considered.
Computational Ab Initio Interaction Analyses between Neutralizing Antibody and SARS-CoV-2 Variant Spike Proteins Using the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method
Authors: Watanabe Kazuki , Watanabe Chiduru , Honma Teruki , Tian Yu-Shi , Kawashima Yusuke , Kawashita Norihito , Fukuzawa Kaori , Takagi Tatsuya
Published: May 2021

The interaction energies between the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and neutralizing antibody CC12.1 Fab were calculated using the fragment molecular orbital method. South African and Brazilian variants showed weaker interactions than the wild-type. Mutations, K417N/T and E484K, were considered to be responsible for escape from the antibody.
The diagnosis of pulmonary metastases on chest computed tomography in primary bone sarcoma and musculoskeletal soft tissue sarcoma
Authors: Saifuddin Asif , Baig Mirza Shaheer , Dalal Paras , Strauss Sandra J
Published: May 2021

The lungs are the commonest site of metastasis for primary high-grade bone and soft tissue sarcoma, but current guidelines on the management of pulmonary nodules do not specifically cater for this group of patients. The current article reviews the literature from the past 20 years that has reported the CT features of pulmonary metastases in the setting of known primary bone and soft tissue sarcoma, with emphasis on osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and trunk and extremity soft tissue sarcoma, the aim being to aid radiologists who report chest CT of musculoskeletal sarcoma patients in deciding which lesions should be considered metastatic, which lesions are indeterminate and require follow-up, and which lesions are of no concern.
Native aorto-ostial coronary lesions on CT coronary angiogram
Authors: Riley Jan Y J , Leong Kai'En , Mortensen Kristian H , Ariff Ben , Gopalan Deepa
Published: May 2021

Aorto-ostial coronary lesions (AOLs) are important to detect due to the high risk of catastrophic consequences. Unfortunately, due to the complexities of these lesions, they may be missed on invasive coronary angiography. Computed tomography coronary angiogram (CTCA) is highly sensitive and specific in detecting AOLs, and has the additional advantage of demonstrating the surrounding anatomy. CTCA is particularly useful when assessing for AOL aetiologies in addition to atherosclerotic disease, e.g.  Congenital anomalies, extrinsic Compression, Iatrogenic, Arteritis and Other, such as Thrombus, Embolism, Dissection and Spasm. This gives rise to “CIAO (TEDS)” as a proposed aide-mémoire and will form the structure of this pictorial review.
Artificial intelligence in medical imaging: implications for patient radiation safety
Authors: Seah Jarrel , Brady Zoe , Ewert Kyle , Law Meng
Published: May 2021

Artificial intelligence, including deep learning, is currently revolutionising the field of medical imaging, with far reaching implications for almost every facet of diagnostic imaging, including patient radiation safety. This paper introduces basic concepts in deep learning and provides an overview of its recent history and its application in tomographic reconstruction as well as other applications in medical imaging to reduce patient radiation dose, as well as a brief description of previous tomographic reconstruction techniques. This review also describes the commonly used deep learning techniques as applied to tomographic reconstruction and draws parallels to current reconstruction techniques. Finally, this paper reviews some of the estimated dose reductions in CT and positron emission tomography in the recent literature enabled by deep learning, as well as some of the potential problems that may be encountered such as the obscuration of pathology, and highlights the need for additional clinical reader studies from the imaging community.
Suture granuloma extending intra-abdominally, detected five months postappendectomy
Authors: Eladawi Sondos , Ragab Ahmed , Kayed Mohamed , Elsabaa Bassma , Khaled Marwa
Published: May 2021

Objective:

Suture granulomas are localised inflammatory reactions that develop at the site of retained suture material. They are a rare surgical complication that is sometimes radiologically challenging to diagnose, especially if the intra-abdominal is communicating with the anterior abdominal wall.

Methods:

The case reported here was a 22-year-old female who presented with right iliac fossa pain 5 months post-appendectomy, which turned out to be due to a suture granuloma. Ultrasonography and CT with and without contrast misdiagnosed the lesion as an abscess or less likely as neoplasm. Conclusive diagnosis was based upon histopathological examination of tissue obtained by biopsy.

Conclusion:

When reviewing the images of patients who present with post-operative surgical complications, it is crucial to consider suture granuloma as a distinct possibility. A definitive diagnosis saves the patient from undergoing unnecessary extensive surgeries and improves the patient experience.
Case report: MRI findings of acute uremic encephalopathy in a 1-year-old boy
Authors: Chotai Amar Ajay , Mitra Dipayan
Published: May 2021

We present a 1-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with a 7-day history of diarrhoea and vomiting. The initial renal function profile demonstrated a urea of 55 mmol l−1 (normal range between 5 and 20 mmol l−1), creatinine 695 micromol/L (normal range between 62–106 micromol/L) and potassium 9.1 mmol l−1 (normal range between 3.5–5.0 mmol l−1), with a profound metabolic acidosis. Upon examination, there were no significant findings, specifically no neurological abnormality.

He was prescribed back-to-back Salbutamol nebulisers, to increase the shift of extracellular potassium into the intracellular space, followed by i.v. calcium gluconate, with some improvement in potassium levels. A further 5 mmol of sodium bicarbonate was given, as well as a stat dose of 1 mg/kg furosemide, and per rectal calcium resonium. He was then commenced on an infusion with 10% dextrose with insulin.

He was subsequently found to be in urinary retention and a catheter was inserted, which drained 1700 ml.

A subsequent renal function profile, 24 hours after admission, demonstrated improvement with urea 39 mmol l−1, creatinine 300 micromol/L and potassium 3.0 mEq/L.
Impact of 18F-FDG-PET/CT on Clinical Management in Patients with Cholangiocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kiefer Lena Sophie , Sekler Julia , Gückel Brigitte , Kraus Mareen Sarah , la Fougère Christian , Nikolaou Konstantin , Bitzer Michael , Gatidis Sergios , Pfannenberg Christina
Published: May 2021

Objective:

To determine the impact of 18F-FDG-PET/CT on clinical management of patients with cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA).

Methods:

Patients with CCA undergoing clinically indicated 18F-FDG-PET/CT between 04/2013 and 08/2018 were prospectively included in a local PET/CT registry study. Intended clinical management (“non-treatment” such as watchful-waiting or additional diagnostic tests, and “palliative” or “curative treatment”) was recorded before and after PET/CT. Changes in intended management after PET/CT were analyzed.

Results:

27 patients (mean age: 60 years, IQR: 51.5–67.5 years, 56% males) with 43 PET/CT examinations were included. Intended management changed in 35/43 cases (81.4%) following PET/CT. Major changes (i.e., between “non-treatment” and “treatment” strategies or between a “curative” and “palliative” treatment goal) occurred in 27/43 (62.8%) cases. Before PET/CT, additional imaging and/or biopsy were intended in 21/43 (48.8%) and 9/43 (20.9%) cases, respectively. After PET/CT, further imaging was carried out in one case and imaging-targeted biopsy in eight cases. Although the absolute number of biopsies after PET/CT did not decrease, in only one of these eight cases biopsy had already been planned before PET/CT, whereas in the other eight cases, the originally planned biopsies were dispensable after PET/CT.

Conclusions:

18F-FDG-PET/CT significantly impacts clinical management of patients with CCA. It guides decisions on treatment strategy (especially curative vs palliative treatment goal) and on additional tests, particularly by helping referring clinicians to avoid unnecessary imaging and by guiding targeted biopsy.

Advances in knowledge:

Systematic implementation of 18F-FDG-PET/CT may enable a more appropriate and tailored treatment of patients with CCA, especially in cases of suspected recurrence.
Heterogeneity and other problems in a pooled analysis of snus use and mortality
Authors: Rodu Brad , Plurphanswat Nantaporn
Published: May 2021

A recent analysis of Swedish snus use and mortality combined eight Swedish datasets and found that exclusive Swedish male snus users have statistically significant increased mortality from all causes, cardiovascular diseases and other causes. These findings, from the Swedish Collaboration on Health Effects of Snus Use, are in sharp contrast with previous pooled results from the same group. The discrepant results may be indicative of unresolved statistical problems that haven’t been addressed by the collaboration authors in any of their studies.

The most important problem is unresolved heterogeneity among the eight cohorts, which we describe in detail, and we show how the use of the random effects method by the authors was not sufficient. We explain why the tables in the article are uninformative, and we demonstrate why the exclusion of smokers in the analysis was not validated and eliminated important information. Finally, we strongly recommend some straightforward and easily implemented corrective measures.
Risk messages relating to fertility and pregnancy: a media content analysis
Authors: Marshall Olivia , Blaylock Rebecca , Murphy Clare , Sanders Julia
Published: May 2021

Background:The UK print and online media is an important channel by which scientific research is communicated to the public. Media risk messages relating to pregnancy or fertility contribute to the context of reproductive decision making, but their fidelity to the underlying science has been questioned.

Method:We measured the volume, distribution and content of science-based risk headlines relating to pregnancy or fertility in the UK media over four months. We grouped headlines into unique stories and categorised them by exposure and outcome of interest. We selected four unique stories for closer content analysis and assessed their fidelity to the underlying science, with attention to the role of press releases.

Results:We identified 171 headlines over four months (average 43 per month), comprising 56 unique stories. The unique stories most commonly concerned maternal risk factors (n=46) and child health outcomes (n=46). Maternal health outcomes were less frequently the focus (n=20). The most common risk factors in the media coverage were maternal food and drink (n=15), maternal medication and medical interventions (n=9), and maternal health factors (n=6). Media reports were largely faithful to press releases. Where substantive deviations from the underlying scientific study were identified, these could mostly be traced back to press releases or quotes from the study’s authors. Press releases often omitted caveats which were reinstated at the media reporting stage, alongside additional expert criticism.

Conclusions:Frequent science-based risk messages in the UK media frame mothers as vectors of potential harm to children, who are the focus of health outcomes. Largely, the media does not introduce misinformation, but reports press releases faithfully with additional caveats and expert commentary. Press releases fulfil an interpretative role, often omitting caveats and introducing new elements and advice to women. Their role as a bridge between scientific and lay audiences is discussed.
False-positive drug test results in patients taking psychotropic drugs. A literature review
Authors: Masternak Sebastian , Padała Olga , Karakuła-Juchnowicz Hanna
Published: May 2021

Wstęp

W literaturze można znaleźć opisy przypadków wskazujące na fałszywie dodatnie wyniki powszechnie wykonywanych testów na obecność substancji psychoaktywnych u osób przyjmujących zalecone przez lekarza leki psychotropowe. Wiarygodność przeprowadzanych testów ma ogromne znaczenie dla badanej osoby, biorąc pod uwagę zarówno aspekty kliniczne, jak i możliwe skutki prawne. Celem pracy był przegląd literatury dotyczącej fałszywie dodatnich wyników testów narkotykowych u pacjentów przyjmujących leki psychotropowe.

Materiał i metody

Dokonano przeglądu narracyjnego dostępnej literatury w języku angielskim i polskim korzystając z baz MEDLINE/PubMed oraz Google Scholar, używając słów kluczy: fałszywie dodatni wynik testu narkotykowego oraz nazw zarejestrowanych leków z grup: przeciwdepresyjnych, przeciwpsychotycznych, stabilizujących nastrój, a także używanych w leczeniu zespołu hiperkinetycznego. Wzięto pod uwagę artykułu typu przeglądowego, opisy przypadków oraz prace oryginalne z lat 1990-2019.

Wyniki

Fałszywie dodatnie wyniki testów narkotykowych odnotowano w przypadku wielu leków używanych w psychiatrii: klomipraminy, amitryptyliny, bupropionu, trazodonu, sertraliny, wenlafaksyny, hydroksyzyny, haloperidolu, sulpirydu, pernazyny, lewomepromazyny, arypiprazolu, rysperydonu, amisulprydu, kwetiapiny, lamotryginy, karbamazepiny, metylofenidatu i atomoksetyny. Dla pozostałych leków branych pod uwagę w pracy nie znaleziono takich doniesień.

Wnioski

Przy interpretacji testów narkotykowych z moczu należy zachować ostrożność, szczególnie gdy badana osoba wyraźnie zaprzecza zażywaniu substancji psychoaktywnych. W takich sytuacjach należy dokładnie przeanalizować stosowane leki i upewnić się, czy uzyskany wynik nie jest wynikiem fałszywie dodatnim. Skuteczną metodą pozwalającą potwierdzić lub wykluczyć obecność narkotyków w moczu w przypadku niejasnych wyników testów jest chromatografia gazowa. Niestety większość dostępnych w literaturze danych stanowią opisy przypadków, zasadne wydaje się być zatem przeprowadzenie badań na dużej grupie osób przyjmujących leki psychotropowe.
Etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia – the state of the art for 2021
Authors: Rybakowski Janusz
Published: May 2021

W roku 2021 mija 110 lat od wprowadzenia przez szwajcarskiego psychiatrę Manfreda Bleulera pojęcia "schizofrenia", które oznacza jedną z najpoważniejszych i najbardziej stygmatyzujących chorób psychicznych. Obecnie wiadomo, że etiopatogeneza schizofrenii jest wielo-czynnikowa, a najważniejszą koncepcją patogenetyczną od ponad 30 lat pozostaje teoria neurorozwojowa, zakładająca interakcję między predyspozycją genetyczną, a czynnikami środowiskowymi. W ostatnich latach, głównie dzięki zastosowaniu metody genome-wide association study (GWAS) zidentyfikowano wiele procesów molekularno-genetycznych zwiększających predyspozycję do schizofrenii. W artykule omówiono znaczenie ciąży i okresu okołoporodowego dla ryzyka rozwoju tej choroby. U chorych na schizofrenie już w okresie dzieciństwa i adolescencji występują zaburzenia rozwoju mózgu, których odzwiecieleniem jest m.in. osłabienie funkcji poznawczych. Trauma wczesnodziecięca stanowi czynnik ryzyka wystąpienia schizofrenii oraz jej niekorzystnego przebiegu. Prawdopodobieństwo wystąpienia pierwszego epizodu psychotycznego zwiększają czynniki społeczno-środowiskowe (m.in. migracja, mieszkanie w dużym mieście), oraz stosowanie substancji psychoaktywnych, powodujące wzrost aktywności dopaminergicznej mózgu. W artykule przedstawiono również współczesną wiedzę na temat patogenezy objawów psychotycznych, deficytowych i zaburzeń funkcji poznawczych, w kontekście zmian w zakresie układów neuroprzekaźnikowych oraz badań genetycznych i neuroobrazowych, jak również wynikające z tego implikacje terapeutyczne. Na zakończenie przedyskutowano aktualną pozycję schizofrenii w kontekście dychotymicznego podziału zaburzeń psychicznych Emila Kraepelina sformułowanego w 1899 roku.
Pre-Entry Experience, Postentry Adaptations, and Internationalization in the African Mobile Telecommunications Industry
Authors: Jahanbakht Mohammad , Mostafa Romel , Veloso Francisco
Published: May 2021

We study the evolution of the African mobile telecommunications industry from its effective beginning and explore the sources of ownership advantages among indigenous firms, by assembling historical qualitative and quantitative firm-level data. Our historical qualitative findings suggest that a few start-ups gained industry-specific knowledge through their pre-entry experience, directed their postentry development of capabilities toward adaptations to challenging market and operational conditions, and leveraged their adaptive capabilities to enter and compete in other African countries. Using our quantitative panel data, we show that these firms successfully internationalized across the continent. In particular, compared with other start-ups, they had higher rates of foreign entry in African countries that had relatively weaker rule of law, and greater market reach in African countries that had relatively larger low-income consumer segments. These patterns corroborate that their capabilities for overcoming the industry’s challenging market and operational conditions were their key ownership advantages. Through our triangulated analysis, we show that inherited industry knowledge provides a foundation for postentry capability development, and entrepreneurial leadership guides this process to create ownership advantages for regional internationalization.
Birds of a Feather … Enforce Social Norms? Interactions among Culture, Norms, and Strategy
Authors: Li Hongyi , Van den Steen Eric
Published: May 2021

Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? This paper investigates the interactions among corporate culture, norms, and strategy, in order to better understand this issue and related questions. It first shows, through microfoundations, how the forces that drive toward “culture as shared beliefs and preferences” also cause the emergence of social norms (when these beliefs and preferences are unobservable), with people even endogenously enforcing norms that go against their own beliefs and preferences. The latter effect may cause a disconnect between the organization’s norms and its underlying beliefs and preferences. The paper then makes predictions on the kinds of shared beliefs, preferences, and norms that are likely to emerge, and when they are most likely to emerge. It shows, for example, that social norms are more likely in attractive organizations, for behaviors that have modest personal consequences, and on dimensions along which employees depend on others’ choices to a moderate degree. Building on these insights and on the definition of “strategy as core guidance,” we finally discuss how corporate culture and strategy interact. We show, in particular, how culture is not just an input into strategy but also a direct substitute for strategy and often even a competitor. The results throw light on ways to deal with the “breakfast” issue.
O ensino de Língua Portuguesa e a noção de prática social: uma análise da Base Nacional Comum Curricular
Authors: Dos Santos Larissa Malu
Published: May 2021

As diversas tendências pedagógicas que atravessam o país, assim como as teorias relativas ao ensino de língua, procuraram alçar, a partir do século XX, perspectivas de educação que tivessem em vistas as práticas sociais dos sujeitos. Esse conceito, portanto, parece pairar de forma bastante alargada dentro do âmbito do fazer pedagógico, podendo ser possível depreendê-lo, também, da Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BRASIL, 2017). Tomando como objeto de análise a BNCC e também as tendências pedagógicas predominantes no país, o objetivo deste artigo é evidenciar a forma como conceito de prática social, embora aparentemente isomorfo, apresenta ideais formativos distintos, o que, como veremos, acaba também reverberando diretamente nas prospecções do ensino de língua portuguesa.
Produção textual, revisão e reescrita: uma proposta com bilhetes orientadores
Authors: Silva Fontenele Oscarina de Castro , Magalhães Neto Pedro Rodrigues
Published: May 2021

Este artigo discute o ensino de produção textual, mais especificamente, a importância da revisão e reescrita para o aprimoramento de um texto. O objetivo é analisar o desempenho em produção textual de alunos de 6º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública de Parnaíba-PI, quanto à realização das etapas de revisão e reescrita. Para alcançar esse objetivo, recorremos à BNCC (BRASIL, 2017), Antunes (2003;2010), Marcuschi (2008), Ruiz (2015), Serafini (2001), entre outros. Quanto à metodologia, trata-se de uma pesquisa de campo, de natureza descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa, na qual usamos bilhetes orientadores como estratégia de intervenção. Os resultados evidenciam o aumento do desempenho dos alunos na versão reescrita em relação aos aspectos de textualidade e aos elementos básicos do gênero textual.
Stronger bonds
Authors: Hart Karen
Published: May 2021

In many ways Covid has strengthened parent partnerships. Karen Hart looks at the growth in virtual communication, how this has encouraged settings to be innovative in the way that they work with families and what this means for best practice now and in the future.
Creative communication
Authors: Webster Chloe
Published: May 2021

While parents at Pebbles Childcare had always been involved and interested in their child's learning, lockdown created a new imperative for them to become more engaged. This is now supporting a stronger partnership with the setting.
Get into shape
Authors: Hewson Claire
Published: May 2021

A rich environment for maths learning can include digital technologies as well as physical resources. In her continuing ICT series, Claire Hewson describes how to effectively combine the two.
Supertato to the rescue!
Authors: Harries Judith
Published: May 2021

Sue Hendra's books are full of wacky characters, rhymes, play on words and superhero silliness. Use them to develop children's listening skills, vocabulary and attention to detail.
Down to earth
Authors: Clarke Jenni
Published: May 2021

In a new series exploring the elements, Jenni Clarke invites children to collaborate and use their social skills to experiment with the properties of mud as a building material.
The discovery of the hitherto unknown male of Megaselia ochracea (Brues, 1911) (Diptera: Phoridae) after 112 years

Authors: ZUHA RAJA M. , YAP JIA-LE , DISNEY R. HENRY L.
Published: May 2021

In a recent survey of saprophagous scuttle flies in the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor of Peninsular Malaysia, Megaselia ochracea (Brues, 1911) (Diptera: Phoridae) was discovered. Examination on several adult specimens including those cultured from female M. ochracea gave the first description of its hitherto unknown male. This is also the first evidence that M. ochracea can be found outside Taiwan.Key words: scuttle fly, Phoridae, new record, saprophagous, neotype
Precompensation of 3D field distortions in remote focus two-photon microscopy
Authors: Valera Antoine M. , Neufeldt Fiona C. , Kirkby Paul A. , Mitchell John E. , Silver R. Angus
Published: May 2021

Remote focusing is widely used in 3D two-photon microscopy and 3D photostimulation because it enables fast axial scanning without moving the objective lens or specimen. However, due to the design constraints of microscope optics, remote focus units are often located in non-telecentric positions in the optical path, leading to significant depth-dependent 3D field distortions in the imaging volume. To address this limitation, we characterized 3D field distortions arising from non-telecentric remote focusing and present a method for distortion precompensation. We demonstrate its applicability for a 3D two-photon microscope that uses an acousto-optic lens (AOL) for remote focusing and scanning. We show that the distortion precompensation method improves the pointing precision of the AOL microscope to < 0.5 µm throughout the 400 × 400 × 400 µm imaging volume.
Optical system design for a hyperspectral imaging lidar using supercontinuum laser and its preliminary performance
Authors: Qian Liyong , Wu Decheng , Zhou Xiaojun , Zhong Liujun , Wei Wei , Wang Yingjian , Shi Shuo , Song Shalei , Gong Wei , Liu Dong
Published: May 2021

To meet the urgent need for surveying and mapping using remote sensing instruments, a hyperspectral imaging lidar using a supercontinuum laser is proposed. This novel lidar system can solve the problem of the mismatching of the traditional lidar retrieved elevation data and hyperspectral data obtained by passive imaging instruments. The optical design of the lidar receiving system is described, developed, and tested in this study. An off-axis parabolic mirror is used as the receiving telescope of the system, and a transmissive grating is used to split the received hyperspectral light to each detection channel. A fiber array equipped with a micro-lens is used to guide the split light to the detectors. In practice, several fibers can be coupled to one detector according to the wavelength sensitivity of different objects. A reference laser is used to monitor the possible energy jitter of each transmitted laser pulse in real time. A spectrum calibration of the receiving system is accomplished in the laboratory, and radiation calibration is applied by receiving the backscattered light reflected by a standard white board. The spectral resolution of a single fiber is approximately 3 nm. An outdoor 500-m distance experiment was carried out for green and yellow leaves in day and evening settings. During the experiment, the wavelength of the laser was 460-900 nm. The reflection spectra collected by the lidar system in day and evening were consistent, indicating that the design of the optical receiving system is reliable and can be used for airborne hyperspectral imaging lidar.
Loss-induced switching between electromagnetically induced transparency and critical coupling in a chalcogenide waveguide
Authors: Zhang Bin , Sun Yaodong , Xu Yi , Hu Guiying , Zeng Pingyang , Gao Mingqi , Xia Di , Huang Yufei , Li Zhaohui
Published: May 2021

Optical loss is generally perceived to be an adverse effect in integrated optics. Herein, in contrast, we propose a mechanism to harness the loss in a coupled

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resonators system to realize on-chip electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The increasing loss of one of the coupled resonators results in a difference in

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factor, leading to EIT generation. This optical loss-induced EIT is studied analytically using the coupled-mode theory and demonstrated experimentally in chalcogenide coupled microring resonators. By taking advantage of the chalcogenide phase change materials that feature exceptional optical property contrasts, we further demonstrate the loss-induced mechanism to realize fast and nonvolatile responses between the EIT state and the critical coupling state in a monolithically integrated chip. Our results provide a new perspective to harvest the negative loss effect of coupled resonators for tunable photonic devices, which might shed new light on the design ideology for on-chip slow-light optical components.
Ultra-sensitive silicon temperature sensor based on cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers
Authors: Ding Zuoqin , Dai Daoxin , Shi Yaocheng
Published: May 2021

An ultra-sensitive temperature sensor without sacrificing detection range is demonstrated on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform using cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers (MZIs). The sensitivity enhancement is achieved by tailoring the geometric parameters of the two MZIs to have similar free spectral ranges (FSRs) but quite different sensitivities. The proposed sensor only needs single lithography for the sensing unit, without introducing negative thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) materials. The measured sensitivity is 1753.7 pm/°C from 27°C to 67°C, which is higher than any reported results on a silicon platform and about 21.9 times larger than conventional all-silicon temperature sensors.
Sugar inhibits brassinosteroid signaling by enhancing BIN2 phosphorylation of BZR1
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Sun Ying , Jiang Xue , Wang Wenfei , Wang Zhi-Yong
Published: May 2021

Sugar, light, and hormones are major signals regulating plant growth and development, however, the interactions among these signals are not fully understood at the molecular level. Recent studies showed that sugar promotes hypocotyl elongation by activating the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway after shifting Arabidopsis seedlings from light to extended darkness. Here, we show that sugar inhibits BR signaling in Arabidopsis seedlings grown under light. BR induction of hypocotyl elongation in seedlings grown under light is inhibited by increasing concentration of sucrose. The sugar inhibition of BR response is correlated with decreased effect of BR on the dephosphorylation of BZR1, the master transcription factor of the BR signaling pathway. This sugar effect is independent of the sugar sensors Hexokinase 1 (HXK1) and Target of Rapamycin (TOR), but requires the GSK3-like kinase Brassinosteroid-Insensitive 2 (BIN2), which is stabilized by sugar. Our study uncovers an inhibitory effect of sugar on BR signaling in plants grown under light, in contrast to its promotive effect in the dark. Such light-dependent sugar-BR crosstalk apparently contributes to optimal growth responses to photosynthate availability according to light-dark conditions.
Evaluation of two communication tools, slideshow and theater, to improve participants’ understanding of a clinical trial in the informed consent procedure on Pemba Island, Tanzania
Authors: Palmeirim Marta S. , Mohammed Ulfat A. , Ross Amanda , Ame Shaali M. , Ali Said M , Keiser Jennifer
Published: May 2021

Background

Clinical trial participants are required to sign an informed consent form (ICF). However, information is lacking on the most effective methods to convey trial relevant information prior to inviting participants to sign the ICF, being particularly pertinent in low-income countries. A previous study on Pemba Island, Tanzania, found that a verbal information session (IS) was significantly better than providing an ICF alone. However, knowledge gaps remained. Building on these findings, we investigated the effect of adding a slideshow or a theater to the IS in the informed consent procedure of an anthelminthic clinical trial.

Methodology/principal findings

A total of 604 caregivers were randomized into the control group that only received an ICF (n = 150) or an ICF plus one of three intervention strategies: (i) verbal IS (n = 135), (ii) verbal IS with a slideshow (n = 174) or (iii) verbal IS followed by a theater (n = 145). All modes of information covered the same key messages. Participants’ understanding was assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The mean score of caregivers in the control group (ICF only) was 4.41 (standard deviation = 1.47). Caregivers attending the IS alone were more knowledgeable than those in the control group (estimated difference in mean scores: 2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.95 to 2.86, p < 0.01). However, there was no evidence of an improvement compared to the IS only when participants attended a slideshow (0.09, 95% CI -0.53 to 0.35, p = 0.68) or a theater (0.28, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.82, p = 0.32). Three out of 10 key messages remained largely misunderstood, regardless of the mode of information group.

Conclusions/significance

Our study confirmed that, in this setting, an ICF alone was not sufficient to convey clinical trial-related information. An IS was beneficial, however, additional theater and slideshows did not further improve understanding. Future research should explore methods to improve communication between study teams and participants for different key messages, study types and settings.
Prognostic value of pre-treatment systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with endometrial cancer
Authors: Matsubara Sho , Mabuchi Seiji , Takeda Yoshinori , Kawahara Naoki , Kobayashi Hiroshi
Published: May 2021

Background

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), which is calculated using absolute platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, has recently attracted attentions as a prognostic indicator in patients with solid malignancies. In the current study, we retrospectively investigated the prognostic significance of pre-treatment SII among patients with endometrial cancer.

Method

Endometrial cancer patients treated at Nara medical university hospital between 2008 and 2018 were included in the current study. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to find the optimal SII cut-off values for 3-years progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Then, the predictive abilities of SII and its superiority over neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were investigated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the OS and PFS rates, and log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for PFS and OS.

Result

A total of 442 patients were included in the current study. The cut-off value of SII for predicting PFS and OS were defined by ROC analysis as 931 and 910, respectively. Univariate analyses showed that elevated SII was associated with significantly shorter survival (p <0.001 for both PFS and OS). Cox regression analyses revealed that an advanced FIGO stage (p <0.001 for both PFS and OS) and an elevated SII (p = 0.014 for PFS, p = 0.011 for OS) are the independent prognostic factors for survival. When SII was compared with NLR and PLR, SII showed greater area under curve for predicting survival.

Conclusion

The SII is an independent prognostic factor in endometrial cancer patients, allowing more precise survival estimation than PLR or NLR.
Evaluating changes in workplace culture: Effectiveness of a caregiver-friendly workplace program in a public post-secondary educational institution
Authors: Dardas Anastassios , Williams Allison , Wang Li
Published: May 2021

Background

Workplace experience, defined as the evaluation of the work environment and performance, and a characteristic of workplace culture, can influence an employee’s work-life balance. Most carer-employees, who combine paid full-time work and informal caregiving responsibilities, struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Programs are designed to improve the work experience, and ultimately, the work-life balance of carer-employees. The purpose of this study is to identify changes in workplace culture through the examination of the efficacy of a caregiver-friendly workplace program on workplace experience. First, we identify whether awareness of a caregiver-friendly workplace program directly increases the amount of work support received and, in turn, improves workplace experience. Second, we will examine if significant differences in the amount of work support received translates into an improved workplace experience for carer-employees over time.

Methods

Two university-wide online surveys were conducted separately; time 1 (T1) during the summer of 2015, and time 2 (T2), in the summer of 2017. In each survey, nearly 7000 employees received the invitation to participate with a response rate ranging 10% (T1) to 12% (T2). Respondents were asked about their sociodemographic characteristics, caregiving responsibilities (if applicable), awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program, types of work support received, and work experience. Reliability analyses was conducted for three scales: awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program; work support, and; workplace experience. Proportional T-tests were used to examine the difference amongst the intervention scales over time. Structural equation modeling (SEM), via path analysis, was used to investigate the causal indirect (awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program to work support to workplace experience) relationship that define the workplace culture.

Results

No significant changes in workplace culture were found over time. However, awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace programs is shown to positively impact the amount of support received, which sequentially improves workplace experience, and ultimately workplace culture. This therefore suggests that the implementation of caregiver-friendly workplace programs is potentially effective.

Conclusions

Results suggest that amount of support received, and workplace experience would be better reassessed via a longer time period (i.e., 5 yr. window), and improved support for managers and supervisors is needed to supplement relationships with their employees.
Synergistic effects of Cu-doped ZnO nanoantibiotic against Gram-positive bacterial strains
Authors: Khalid Awais , Ahmad Pervaiz , Alharthi Abdulrahman I. , Muhammad Saleh , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal , Din Israf Ud , Alotaibi Mshari A. , Khan Abdulhameed
Published: May 2021

A viable hydrothermal technique has been explored for the synthesis of copper doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles (Cu-doped ZnO-NPs) based on the precursor’s mixture of Copper-II chloride dihydrate (CuCl2.2H2O), Zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and potassium hydroxide (KOH). X-ray diffraction (XRD) reported the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the synthesized Cu-doped ZnO-NPs. The surface morphology is checked via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), whereas, the elemental compositions of the samples were confirmed by Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The as-obtained ZnO-NPs and Cu-doped ZnO-NPs were then tested for their antibacterial activity against clinical isolates of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) bacteria via agar well diffusion method. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) for Cu-doped ZnO-NPs was found to be 24 and 19 mm against S. Aureus and S. pyogenes, and 18 and 11 mm against E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. The synthesized Cu-doped ZnO-NPs can thus be found as a potential nano antibiotic against Gram-positive multi-drug resistant bacterial strains.
Structural features and phylogenetic implications of Cicadellidae subfamily and two new mitogenomes leafhoppers
Authors: Chen Xiaoxiao , Yuan Zhouwei , Li Can , Dietrich Christopher H. , Song Yuehua
Published: May 2021

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences facilitate species identification and analyses of phylogenetic relationships. However, the available data are limited to the diverse and widespread insect family Cicadellidae. This study analyzes and summarizes the complete mitochondrial genome structure characteristics of 11 leafhopper subfamilies and two newly sequenced Typhlocybinae species, Empoascanara wengangensis and E. gracilis. Moreover, using 13PCGs and rRNA data to analyze the nucleotide diversity, evolution rate, and the phylogenetic relationship between the subfamilies of 56 species, verifying the taxonomic status analysis of E. wengangensis and E. gracilis. The analysis results show that the genome structures of the subfamilies and the newly sequenced two species are very similar, and the size of the CR region is significantly related to the repeat unit. However, in the entire AT-skews and CG-skews, the AT-skews of other subfamilies are all positive, and CG-skews are negative, while Empoascini of Typhlocybinae and Ledrinae are the opposite. Furthermore, among 13PCGs, the AT-skews of 13 species are all negative while CG-skews are positive, which from Empoascini in Typhlocybinae, Idiocerinae, Cicadellinae, Ledrinae, and Evacanthinae. Phylogenetic analysis shows that ML and PB analysis produce almost consistent topologies between different data sets and models, and some relationships are highly supported and remain unchanged. Mileewinae is a monophyletic group and is a sister group with Typhlocybinae, and the sister group of Evacanthinae is Ledrinae + Cicadellinae. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the two newly sequenced species with other species of Typhlocybinae, which was separated from other subfamilies, and all Erythroneurini insects gathered together. However, E. gracilis grouped into a single group, not grouped with species of the same genus (Empoascanara). This result does not match the traditional classification, and other nuclear genes or transcriptome genes may be needed to verify the result. Nucleotide diversity analysis shows that nad4 and nad5 may be evaluated as potential DNA markers defining the Cicadellidae insect species.