bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Expression of PABPC1 Predicts Worse Survival of Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: An Tailai , Deng Lingna , Yang Zheng , Chai Cuicui , Wang Yan , Ouyang Jun , Lu Xiaofang , Zhang Changhua
Published: November 2020

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers with one of the highest mortality rates. Unfortunately, underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to GC have not been fully illuminated. PABPC1 is involved in a series of processes, such as mRNA translation, and mRNA deadenylation and decay. We performed this study to clarify the role of PABPC1 in GC. Methods: To evaluate PABPC1 expressions in GC and normal tissues, we performed bioinformatics analysis of data from TCGA. PABPC1 expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of 170 GC specimens. Associations between PABPC1 expression and clinicopathological variables were analyzed. Independent predictive factors for survival of GC patients were determined by Cox regression analysis. Results: It was revealed by bioinformatics analysis that compared with normal gastric tissues, PABPC1 expressions in GC tissues were significantly higher (P=0.002, paired) (P=3.605e^-9, unpaired). It was revealed that PABPC1 expression was significantly associated with tumor size (P=0.008), Borrmann classification (P=0.003), vessel invasion (P=0.017), depth of invasion (P=0.032), lymph node metastasis (P=0.001), and TNM stage (P=0.019). It was demonstrated through Cox regression analysis that PABPC1 expression was a predictive factor for both overall survival (OS) (P<0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P<0.001) of GC patients. Conclusions: Compared with that of normal gastric tissue, expression level of PABPC1 in GC tissue was significantly higher and PABPC1,s high expression was significantly associated with poorer survival, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic biomarker for GC.
Extratos aquosos de plantas nativas com potencial uso no manejo da murcha bacteriana do tomateiro Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith 1896) Yabuuchi et al. 1996
Authors: Silva Raquel Maria da , Santos Wemerson Silva dos , Lima Edcleyton José de , Pinto Kedma Maria Silva
Published: November 2020

O trabalho objetivou avaliar o potencial biológico de extratos vegetais no manejo de Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith 1896) Yabuuchi et al. 1996. Foram preparados extratos aquosos das folhas de oito espécies vegetais (Chrysobalanus icaco, Caesalpinia leiostachya, Ziziphus joazeiro, Sideroxylon obtusifolium, Momordica charantia, Ceasalpinea pyramidalis, Cleome hassleriana e Dysphania ambrosioides). O antibiograma foi realizado por meio da deposição de alíquotas (0,3 mL) da suspensão bacteriana (10^8 UFC) em placas de Petri. Em seguida, discos de papel filtro, foram embebidos nas concentrações de 0, 20, 40, 60 e 80 mg/mL depositados na placa e incubadas por 48 h até a avaliação. In vivo, mudas de tomateiro da cultivar TY 2006 foram transplantadas em vasos contendo solo esterilizado, já inoculadas com o fitopatógeno 10^8 UFC, neste ensaio, foi adicionado um tratamento com indutor de resistência
D-L-aminobutírico (BABA) (0,305 g i.a/1000 mL de H2O). O delineamento estatístico foi inteiramente casualizado com 11 tratamentos e quatro repetições e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tuckey (p < 0,05). No antibiograma a unidade experimental foi representada por uma placa de Petri com quatro discos. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância (ANOVA) e as médias das concentrações dos extratos a uma análise de regressão. Os extratos de melão de são caetano,
pau-ferro, catingueira, juá, erva de santa maria e quixabeira formaram halo de inibição sendo estatisticamente significativos. Em condições de casa de vegetação o extrato de quixabeira e BABA proporcionaram menor AACPD e maiores percentuais de proteções da doença reduzindo a severidade, evidenciando suas potencialidades no manejo da fitobacteriose.
Conotruncal heart defects and aortic arch anomalies in fetuses with
22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Authors: I.V. Novikova, O.M. Khurs, T.V. Demidovich et all
Published: November 2020

16 second trimester fetuses with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome have been examined at anatomic-pathological
investigation. Main cardiovascular diseases were ascending aorta hypoplasia with aortic valve stenosis (n = 6;
37.5%), truncus arteriosus (n = 5; 31.25%), tetralogy of Fallot (n = 3; 18.75%) and double-outlet right ventricle
(n = 1; 6.25%). Ventricular septal defect was present in 16 cases. Associated aortic arch anomalies included
interrupted aortic arch (n = 9; 56.25%), right aortic arch (n = 6; 37.5%), retroesophageal ring (n = 1; 6.25%)
and aberrant right subclavian arteria (n = 5; 31.25%). 5 fetuses had left ventricular outflow tract obstructive
lesions with interrupted aortic arch of type B combined with aberrant right subclavian arteria.
Prenatal diagnosis of the pronounced form of amniotic band sequence in
the I trimester of gestation
Authors: O.G. Sidorova , S.K. Kononova , S.I. Sofronova et all
Published: November 2020

The case of early prenatal diagnosis of multiple congenital malformations of the fetus caused by amniotic
bands is presented. Ultrasound examination at 13 weeks of gestation revealed exencephaly, ectopia of the heart,
fixed position of the fetus, short umbilical cord, generalized soft tissue edema, amniotic bands. A pathological
examination based on the detected amniotic fibrous bands covering the head, trunk and umbilical cord of the fetus
confirmed the diagnosis. It was identified that the fetus additionally had: anophthalmia, dysplasia of the auricles,
atresia of the auditory canals, dysplasia of the upper and lower jaws, cleft lip, agenesis of the sternum, gastroschisis,
contracture of the right elbow joint.
Estimation of costs and economic efficiency of genetic screening
in the framework of prenatal diagnostics in Russia and foreign countries:
factor analysis
Authors: G.N. Suvorov , M.V. Medvedev , S.S. Zenin et all ,
Published: November 2020

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to analyze the possible costs and economic efficiency of genetic
screening in the framework of prenatal diagnostics by identifying the key factors that cause the occurrence of
costs in this area.
Materials and methods. Analytical reviews and doctrinal sources of Australia, great Britain, Canada and
the United States are studied. Methods used: general philosophical, general scientific, private scientific, special.
Results. The key factors that cause the emergence of costs in the field of genetic screening in the framework
of prenatal diagnostics, which must be taken into account when assessing its economic efficiency, are identified.
Conclusions. It is summarized that the affordable state program of genetic screening within the framework
of prenatal diagnostics in the future will recoup the costs in terms of reducing the incidence of severe hereditary
diseases, for the treatment of which significant financial resources are spent. In other words, this approach will
reduce the long-term costs associated with late diagnosis and subsequent treatment of the child. At the same
time, the investment benefit of the widespread introduction of genetic screening technology in the framework of
prenatal diagnostics will not be immediately apparent, but in the long term it will reduce the budget burden on
the health system and lead to a General improvement of the population, which, in turn, will not only improve the
quality of life of citizens, but also make a significant contribution to the development of the national economy.
Rainfall–streamflow relationships for three chalk escarpment springs (Oxfordshire, United Kingdom): effective rainfall and groundwater recharge area computational issues
Authors: Littlewood Ian G.
Published: November 2020

Flow responses to rainfall are investigated for three small chalk springs located within about 30 km of each other. A high degree of synchronicity is shown for the spring hydrographs, which exhibit a lag of about 50 days relative to a much larger local reference catchment. Rainfall–streamflow models with six or fewer parameters, calibrated using free-to-download software, account for about 75% of the variance in daily streamflow for the reference catchment, and between about 76 and 85% for the chalk springs. Several modelling issues are discussed related to computation of the daily effective rainfall that forms the input to a Unit Hydrograph part of the model. Descriptions are given of how and why, when the recharge area used for a spring is far too small, the modelling software generates physically unrealistic effective rainfall depths much greater than the rainfall, without affecting model-fit to streamflow or the calibrated values of model parameters (except one). Reasons are suggested why it can be pragmatically acceptable for computed effective rainfall to occasionally exceed the corresponding recorded rainfall by small amounts. Wider implications of the modelling results are outlined and some suggestions for further work are made.
Study of regional heterogeneity of cloud properties during different rainfall scenarios over monsoon-dominated region
Authors: Shah Ruchita , Srivastava Rohit , Patel Jigisha
Published: November 2020

Variability in precipitation pattern is increasing even at regional scale due to advancement in global warming, which could be of higher importance in study for monsoon-dominated region such as India. Precipitation varies with region, thus the present study focuses on two types of heterogeneous regions: a region closer to the coast and an inland region. Long-term analysis over inland region shows that the high cloud fraction and low penetration of outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere may be due to the presence of thicker clouds during southwest monsoon. Further study of cloud parameters shows domination of stratiform clouds over nearby coastal region with high range specific humidity (6.67 × 10−6–1.81 × 10−2 kg/kg) and higher cloud effective radius (13.35–15.75 μm), probably due to fewer hygroscopic nuclei. Heterogeneity in rainfall may also depend on types of monsoon (viz., normal, excess and deficit) by altering cloud formation processes. During periods of low rainfall over the coast, clouds are observed at low altitude with high cloud top temperature (−0.52 ± 3.08 °C) but have low specific humidity and lower cloud effective radius, which depict mixed characteristics of stratiform and convective clouds. Thus, it has been observed that cloud characteristics depend largely on the region than on the rainfall scenario. Such studies can be useful to understand uneven rainfall patterns.
Solar-assisted membrane technology for water purification: a review
Authors: Zewdie Tsegahun Mekonnen , Habtu Nigus Gabbiye , Dutta Abhishek , Van der Bruggen Bart
Published: November 2020

A shortage of safe drinking water is one of the leading problems in the world. Even in developed countries where water treatment systems are present, safe drinking water may not be always available due to the limitations of advanced water treatment techniques and high energy costs. On the other hand, many rural communities in Asia and Africa situated in semi-arid to arid regions are without reliable access to clean drinking water. It is, therefore, important to explore how solar energy can be linked to water treatment systems for clean drinking water production. Membrane-based water purification technologies play a major role in water purification by utilization of low-cost heat sources to make the process economically and technically viable for small, medium, and large-scale applications. Solar energy can be a viable source of power for water purification facilities in the coming years. Photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors are appropriate solar energy collectors for making a solar-powered water treatment system. Solar-assisted membrane-based water purification techniques could have a viable solution to the existing problems in semi-arid and arid regions. Due to the high quality of potable water demand, studies have been carried out on solar-assisted membrane-based technologies in water purification. This review considers basic concepts, specific energy consumption, water production cost, and applications of solar-driven membrane-based water purification technologies such as reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, electrodialysis, membrane distillation, and hybrid membrane systems. This review will allow the researchers to have a wider overview of the effort made by several investigators in the area of solar-assisted membrane-based water purification technology.
Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1-Alpha, and Bacterial Plaque Composition in Periodontal Health and Disease, with or without Bruxism: A Non-Randomized Clinical Study
Authors: AKBULUT Nihat , KARATAŞ Özkan , BALCİ YUCE Hatice , AKBULUT Sibel , ALTAN Ahmet , TAŞKAN Mehmet
Published: November 2020

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the possible changes in hypoxia markers and bacterial compo-nents in patients with periodontitis and bruxism. Methods: Four study groups were created: 20 healthy individuals without bruxism (Group 1), 20 periodontitis patients without bruxism (Group 2), 20 healthy individuals with bruxism (Group 3), and 20 periodontitis patients with bruxism (Group 4). Plaque index, gingival index, and clinical attach-ment levels were recorded and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and dental plaque samples were taken. The GCF vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) levels were determined. Subgingival plaque samples were evaluated for 5 bacterial species (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Fu¬sobacterium nucleatum). Results: Compared to patients with periodontitis, plaque index, gingival index, and clinical attachment levels were significantly lower in healthy individuals. The GCF and serum levels of VEGF and HIF-1α were similar (p>0.05). The A. actinomycetemcomitans, T. denticola, and F. nucleatum counts did not differ significantly between the study groups (p>0.05). P. gingivalis counts were lowest in Group 1 and increased with both periodontitis and bruxism. T. forsythia counts were higher in Group 1 and Group 2 than in Group 3 and Group 4. The levels in Group 1 were lower than those in Group 2. Conclusion: Individuals with and without bruxism were found to be similar in terms of hypoxia in periodontal health and disease. However, one of the major oral pathogens, P. gingivalis, is af¬fected by the presence of bruxism, regardless of periodontitis.
Indole and Indoline Scaffolds in Antimicrobials: Overview, Synthesis and Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Research
Authors: Nieto Marcelo J. , Lupton Hannah K.
Published: November 2020

At present, a pandemic of antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases is an evergrowing
threat. The need for new antibiotics and ways to combat antibiotic resistance is
glaring. This review will focus on two different privileged scaffolds, the indole and the indoline,
as useful nuclei for novel antibacterial compounds. The indole, a moiety found in
numerous approved drugs for many disease states, has recently been studied for its usefulness
as a scaffold for compounds that have activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
especially against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The indoline is a
scaffold with significantly less historical studies and FDA-approved drugs and it has attracted
new interest in drug design and development. In recent years, indoline-containing
compounds have been shown to have antibacterial activity as well as activity as a resistance-
modifying agent (RMA), which act to improve the effectiveness of current antibiotic
therapies that have known resistance.
In Silico Approaches for the Prediction and Analysis of Antiviral Peptides: A Review
Authors: Charoenkwan Phasit , Anuwongcharoen Nuttapat , Nantasenamat Chanin , Hasan Md. Mehedi , Shoombuatong Watshara
Published: November 2020

In light of the growing resistance toward current antiviral drugs, efforts to discover novel and effective
antiviral therapeutic agents remain a pressing scientific effort. Antiviral peptides (AVPs) represent promising
therapeutic agents due to their extraordinary advantages in terms of potency, efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties.
The growing volume of newly discovered peptide sequences in the post-genomic era requires computational
approaches for timely and accurate identification of AVPs. Machine learning (ML) methods such as random
forest and support vector machine represent robust learning algorithms that are instrumental in successful
peptide-based drug discovery. Therefore, this review summarizes the current state-of-the-art application of ML
methods for identifying AVPs directly from the sequence information. We compare the efficiency of these methods
in terms of the underlying characteristics of the dataset used along with feature encoding methods, ML algorithms,
cross-validation methods and prediction performance. Finally, guidelines for the development of robust
AVP models are also discussed. It is anticipated that this review will serve as a useful guide for the design and
development of robust AVP and related therapeutic peptide predictors in the future.
Current Insights into the Chemistry and Antitubercular Potential of Benzimidazole and Imidazole Derivatives
Authors: Parwani Deepa , Bhattacharya Sushanta , Rathore Akash , Mallick Chaitali , Asati Vivek , Agarwal Shivangi , Rajoriya Vaibhav , Das Ratnesh , Kashaw Sushil Kumar
Published: November 2020

:

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), affecting millions
of people worldwide. The emergence of drug resistance is a major problem in the successful treatment
of tuberculosis. Due to the commencement of MDR-TB (multi-drug resistance) and XDR-TB (extensively
drug resistance), there is a crucial need for the development of novel anti-tubercular agents with
improved characteristics such as low toxicity, enhanced inhibitory activity and short duration of
treatment. In this direction, various heterocyclic compounds have been synthesized and screened
against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Among them, benzimidazole and imidazole containing derivatives
have been found to have potential anti-tubercular activity. The present review focuses on various
imidazole and benzimidazole derivatives (from 2015-2019) with their structure-activity relationships
in the treatment of tuberculosis.
Chemometric Comparison of Data Files Using Several Thermal Analytical Techniques for Dating Fossil Bones from Two Old Burial Sites
Authors: Tomassetti Mauro , Martini Elisabetta , Castrucci Mauro , Campanella Luigi , Coppa Alfredo
Published: November 2020

Background::

The possibility of estimating the age of fossil bones using only classic
thermogravimetry, on the basis of proper % mass loss ratio values, has been widely considered in
the past years.

Objective::

Our research has brought some innovations to the previous background, by using
chemometric methods and by processing the numerical files of whole thermogravimetric curves.
The objective of this paper is the selection, among the main thermal analysis methods available,
i.e., thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), differential thermal analysis
(DTA) and thermal dilatometry analysis (TDA), of the most suitable one, in order to evaluate the
age of fossil bones.

Methods::

Fossil bone samples from two ancient cemeteries in Sudan were analyzed using different
thermal methods (TG, DTG, DTA, and TDA). Data of whole recorded thermal curves have
been processed by PCA analysis.

Results::

A systematic comparison of several thermal analytical techniques allowed to conclude
that TG or DTG curves can provide more appropriate information to determine how old fossil
bones of different ages are, as evidenced by PCA processing of the entire file set of TG or DTG
curves.

Conclusion::

It can be concluded that the chemometric processing of TG or DTG curves data files
is the best method; however, discussing other thermal analytical curves (DTA and TDA) can
complete the information found by means of chemometric processing of whole TG and DTG
curves.
Organocatalytic Synthesis of Heterocycles: A Brief Overview Covering Recent Aspects
Authors: Sarkar Rajib , Mukhopadhyay Chhanda
Published: November 2020

The use of small organic molecules as organocatalysts in organic synthesis has been intensely
studied over the past decade. In this emerging field, considerable studies have led to the introduction
of various efficient organocatalyzed synthetic methods of carbon-carbon and carbon-
heteroatom bond formations. The use of these organocatalysts also showed environmentally benign
reaction conditions compared to the metal-catalyzed transformations. In this review, we paid
special attention to the most recent organocatalytic protocols reported for the synthesis of heterocycles.
The studies have been outlined, depending on the organocatalysts used as: (i) nitrogen-based
molecules as organocatalyst, (ii) NHCs as organocatalyst, and (iii) phosphorus-based molecules as
organocatalysts. The discussion intends to reveal the scope as well as the vitality of organocatalysis
in the area of heterocycle synthesis.
A Review of In vitro Diagnostic Kits and Their Regulation in the Indian Market
Authors: Chadha Kokila , Goswami Kritika , Bhatia Rohit , Jaggi Pawankumar , Thakkar Arti R.
Published: November 2020

The present review lays emphasis on the history, regulations, and processes involved in
the approval of In vitro Diagnostic (IVD) kits in the Indian Market. Diagnostic system or apparatus
used for diagnosis are called diagnostic kits. Some important types of kits, based on their mechanism
of actions, are (i) Immunoassay diagnostic kits; (ii) Polymerase chain reaction diagnostic
kits; (iii) Displacement polynucleotide assay employing polyether and diagnostic kits; (iv)Diagnostic
kit as well as a diagnostic method utilizing carbohydrate receptors; (v) One-step detection of matrix
metalloproteinase activity using a fluorogenic peptide probe-immobilized diagnostic kits. Previously,
as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, IVD kits were classified into notified and non-notified
category. Notified category IVDs includes in vitro Diagnostic Devices for HIV; in vitro Diagnostic
Devices for HBV; in vitro Diagnostic Devices for HCV and in vitro Blood grouping sera. Recently,
on November 1, 2017, Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) published
risk-based classification of medical devices and IVD kits on the origin of their intended use. The
guideline has been implemented with effect from January 1, 2018. As per the new guidelines, the
IVD kits have been categorized into four categories based on their level of risk, such as Class A
(low risk); Class B (low moderate risk); Class C (moderate high risk), and Class D (high risk).
Class A and B are processed and regulated through the State Licensing Authority, while C and D
are processed and regulated by the Central Licensing Authority. The new guideline is not only
limited to IVDs but also regulates the in-vivo diagnostics. New guidelines are very well aligned in
terms of regulations of western countries and are a significant and revolutionary step in regulations
of IVDs in the Indian market.
Leader-Member Exchange and Stress: The Mediating Role of Job Involvement and Role Conflict
Authors: Lawrence Ericka R. , Kacmar K. Michele
Published: November 2020

Research examining the influence of leader-member exchange (LMX) on employee outcomes is plentiful. However, research exploring the negative consequences of high-quality LMX relationships has been limited. This research posits, tests, and then replicates a model in which role conflict and job involvement mediate the relationship between LMX and stress. Results from a sample of 418 organizational employees of a water management district indicate that both role conflict and job involvement partially mediate the relationship between LMX and stress. Additionally, both role conflict and job involvement were found to fully mediate the relationship between LMX and stress in a sample of 134 employees from a state lottery commission. Strengths, limitations, practical implications, and directions for future research also are presented.
Effects of Objective and Subjective Health Literacy on Patients’ Accurate Judgment of Health Information and Decision-Making Ability: Survey Study
Authors: Schulz Peter Johannes , Pessina Annalisa , Hartung Uwe , Petrocchi Serena
Published: November 2020

Background

Interpreting health information and acquiring health knowledge have become more important with the accumulation of scientific medical knowledge and ideals of patient autonomy. Health literacy and its tremendous success as a concept can be considered an admission that not all is well in the distribution of health knowledge. The internet makes health information much more easily accessible than ever, but it introduces its own problems, of which health disinformation is a major one.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine whether objective and subjective health literacy are independent concepts and to test which of the two was associated more strongly with accurate judgments of the quality of a medical website and with behavioral intentions beneficial to health.

Methods

A survey on depression and its treatments was conducted online (n=362). The Newest Vital Sign was employed to measure objective, performance-based health literacy, and the eHealth Literacy Scale was used to measure subjective, perception-based health literacy. Correlations, comparisons of means, linear and binary logistic regression, and mediation models were used to determine the associations.

Results

Objective and subjective health literacy were weakly associated with one another (r=0.06, P=.24). High objective health literacy levels were associated with an inclination to behave in ways that are beneficial to one’s own or others’ health (Exp[B]=2.068, P=.004) and an ability to recognize low-quality online sources of health information (β=–.4698, P=.005). The recognition also improved participants’ choice of treatment (β=–.3345, P<.001). Objective health literacy helped people to recognize misinformation on health websites and improved their judgment on their treatment for depression.

Conclusions

Self-reported, perception-based health literacy should be treated as a separate concept from objective, performance-based health literacy. Only objective health literacy appears to have the potential to prevent people from becoming victims of health disinformation.
Interpretation of Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young Genetic Variants Based on American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Criteria: Machine-Learning Model Development
Authors: Liu Yichuan , Qu Hui-Qi , Wenocur Adam S , Qu Jingchun , Chang Xiao , Glessner Joseph , Sleiman Patrick , Tian Lifeng , Hakonarson Hakon
Published: November 2020

Background

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a group of dominantly inherited monogenic diabetes, with HNF4A-MODY, GCK-MODY, and HNF1A-MODY as the three most common forms based on the causal genes. Molecular diagnosis of MODY is important for precise treatment. Although a DNA variant causing MODY can be assessed based on the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines, gene-specific assessment of disease-causing mutations is important to differentiate among MODY subtypes. As the ACMG criteria were not originally designed for machine-learning algorithms, they are not true independent variables.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop machine-learning models for interpretation of DNA variants and MODY diagnosis using the ACMG criteria.

Methods

We applied machine-learning models for interpretation of DNA variants in MODY genes defined by the ACMG criteria based on the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) and ClinVar database.

Results

With a machine-learning procedure, we found that the weight matrix of the ACMG criteria was significantly different between the three MODY genes HNF1A, HNF4A, and GCK. The models showed high predictive abilities with accuracy over 95%.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the need for applying different weights of the ACMG criteria in relation to different MODY genes for accurate functional classification. As proof of principle, we applied the ACMG criteria as feature vectors in a machine-learning model and obtained a precision-based result.
User Experience of a Chatbot Questionnaire Versus a Regular Computer Questionnaire: Prospective Comparative Study
Authors: te Pas Mariska E , Rutten Werner G M M , Bouwman R Arthur , Buise Marc P
Published: November 2020

Background

Respondent engagement of questionnaires in health care is fundamental to ensure adequate response rates for the evaluation of services and quality of care. Conventional survey designs are often perceived as dull and unengaging, resulting in negative respondent behavior. It is necessary to make completing a questionnaire attractive and motivating.

Objective

The aim of this study is to compare the user experience of a chatbot questionnaire, which mimics intelligent conversation, with a regular computer questionnaire.

Methods

The research took place at the preoperative outpatient clinic. Patients completed both the standard computer questionnaire and the new chatbot questionnaire. Afterward, patients gave their feedback on both questionnaires by the User Experience Questionnaire, which consists of 26 terms to score.

Results

The mean age of the 40 included patients (25 [63%] women) was 49 (SD 18-79) years; 46.73% (486/1040) of all terms were scored positive for the chatbot. Patients preferred the computer for 7.98% (83/1040) of the terms and for 47.88% (498/1040) of the terms there were no differences. Completion (mean time) of the computer questionnaire took 9.00 minutes by men (SD 2.72) and 7.72 minutes by women (SD 2.60; P=.148). For the chatbot, completion by men took 8.33 minutes (SD 2.99) and by women 7.36 minutes (SD 2.61; P=.287).

Conclusions

Patients preferred the chatbot questionnaire over the computer questionnaire. Time to completion of both questionnaires did not differ, though the chatbot questionnaire on a tablet felt more rapid compared to the computer questionnaire. This is an important finding because it could lead to higher response rates and to qualitatively better responses in future questionnaires.
A Nutrition Intervention to Promote the Consumption of Pulse-Based Foods in Childcare Centers: Protocol for a Multimethod Study
Authors: Haileslassie Hiwot Abebe , Ramikie Renee , Vatanparast Hassan , Ramdath D Dan , Froehlich Chow Amanda , Shand Phyllis , Engler-Stringer Rachel , Lieffers Jessica RL , Hood-Niefer Shannon , Henry Carol
Published: November 2020

Background

Plant-based foods, including pulses (dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas), have gained worldwide attention owing to their health and environmental benefits. Despite high production, the consumption of pulses is low in Canada. Behavior change interventions systematically designed to promote the consumption of pulse-based foods are scarce.

Objective

We describe the utilization of intervention mapping (IM) in the development of a multicomponent nutrition intervention aimed at promoting consumption of pulse-based foods among preschool children in childcare centers in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Methods

The Pulse Discovery Toolkit intervention was developed following the six steps of the IM protocol. Decisions at each step were either based upon literature review, expert consultation, pretesting, or a combination of these. Following the initial phase of the study, which focused on intervention development, phases II and III of the study were concerned with pilot testing and roll-out of the intervention, respectively. In total, one, two, and four childcare centers participated in phases I, II, and III, respectively. A multimethod approach was designed to evaluate the intervention during pilot testing and roll-out.

Results

The application of IM steps 1 to 3 in phase I resulted in the creation of performance objectives at different levels, including at the individual level (preschool children), and the social and environmental levels (parents, early childhood educators, and cooks). These objectives were then used to create a matrix of objectives matching the constructs of the social cognitive theory while taking Piaget cognitive development into consideration. This step was followed by defining program components, implementation, adoption, and evaluation strategies, which were utilized in phases II and III. Data have been collected from 2015 to 2018 and analyzed. The results will be reported elsewhere.

Conclusions

The IM protocol provided a rigorous framework for the development of a multicomponent evidence-based intervention to promote pulse-based foods in childcare centers.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/22775
Extraction of Family History Information From Clinical Notes: Deep Learning and Heuristics Approach
Authors: Silva João Figueira , Almeida João Rafael , Matos Sérgio
Published: November 2020

Background

Electronic health records store large amounts of patient clinical data. Despite efforts to structure patient data, clinical notes containing rich patient information remain stored as free text, greatly limiting its exploitation. This includes family history, which is highly relevant for applications such as diagnosis and prognosis.

Objective

This study aims to develop automatic strategies for annotating family history information in clinical notes, focusing not only on the extraction of relevant entities such as family members and disease mentions but also on the extraction of relations between the identified entities.

Methods

This study extends a previous contribution for the 2019 track on family history extraction from national natural language processing clinical challenges by improving a previously developed rule-based engine, using deep learning (DL) approaches for the extraction of entities from clinical notes, and combining both approaches in a hybrid end-to-end system capable of successfully extracting family member and observation entities and the relations between those entities. Furthermore, this study analyzes the impact of factors such as the use of external resources and different types of embeddings in the performance of DL models.

Results

The approaches developed were evaluated in a first task regarding entity extraction and in a second task concerning relation extraction. The proposed DL approach improved observation extraction, obtaining F1 scores of 0.8688 and 0.7907 in the training and test sets, respectively. However, DL approaches have limitations in the extraction of family members. The rule-based engine was adjusted to have higher generalizing capability and achieved family member extraction F1 scores of 0.8823 and 0.8092 in the training and test sets, respectively. The resulting hybrid system obtained F1 scores of 0.8743 and 0.7979 in the training and test sets, respectively. For the second task, the original evaluator was adjusted to perform a more exact evaluation than the original one, and the hybrid system obtained F1 scores of 0.6480 and 0.5082 in the training and test sets, respectively.

Conclusions

We evaluated the impact of several factors on the performance of DL models, and we present an end-to-end system for extracting family history information from clinical notes, which can help in the structuring and reuse of this type of information. The final hybrid solution is provided in a publicly available code repository.
Mobile-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Negative Symptoms: Open Single-Arm Trial With Schizophrenia Patients
Authors: Granholm Eric , Holden Jason , Dwyer Kristen , Mikhael Tanya , Link Peter , Depp Colin
Published: November 2020

Background

Negative symptoms are an important unmet treatment need for schizophrenia. This study is a preliminary, open, single-arm trial of a novel hybrid intervention called mobile-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for negative symptoms (mCBTn).

Objective

The primary aim was to test whether mCBTn was feasible and could reduce severity of the target mechanism, defeatist performance attitudes, which are associated with experiential negative symptoms and poor functioning in schizophrenia.

Methods

Participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N=31) who met prospective criteria for persistent negative symptoms were enrolled. The blended intervention combines weekly in-person group therapy with a smartphone app called CBT2go. The app extended therapy group skills, including recovery goal setting, thought challenging, scheduling of pleasurable activities and social interactions, and pleasure-savoring interventions to modify defeatist attitudes and improve experiential negative symptoms.

Results

Retention was excellent (87% at 18 weeks), and severity of defeatist attitudes and experiential negative symptoms declined significantly in the mCBTn intervention with large effect sizes.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that mCBTn is a feasible and potentially effective treatment for experiential negative symptoms, if confirmed in a larger randomized controlled trial. The findings also provide support for the defeatist attitude model of experiential negative symptoms and suggest that blended technology-supported interventions such as mCBTn can strengthen and shorten intensive psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03179696; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03179696
Effect of a Text Messaging–Based Educational Intervention on Cesarean Section Rates Among Pregnant Women in China: Quasirandomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Su Yanfang , Heitner Jesse , Yuan Changzheng , Si Yafei , Wang Dan , Zhou Zhiying , Zhou Zhongliang
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

Consensus exists that appropriate regional cesarean rates should not exceed 15% of births, but China’s cesarean rate exceeds 50% in some areas, prompting numerous calls for its reduction. At present, China’s 2016 two-child policy has heightened the implications of national cesarean section trends.

OBJECTIVE

This study leveraged pervasive cellular phone access amongst Chinese citizens to test the effect of a low-cost and scalable prenatal advice program on cesarean section rates.

METHODS

Participants were pregnant women presenting for antenatal care at a clinic in Xi’an, China. Assignment was quasirandomized and utilized factorial assignment based on the expecting mother’s birthday. Participants were assigned to one of the following four groups, with each receiving a different set of messages: (1) a comparison group that received only a few “basic” messages, (2) a group receiving messages primarily regarding care seeking, (3) a group receiving messages primarily regarding good home prenatal practices, and (4) a group receiving text messages of all groups. Messages were delivered throughout pregnancy and were tailored to each woman’s gestational week. The main outcome was the rates of cesarean delivery reported in the intervention arms. Data analysts were blinded to treatment assignment.

RESULTS

In total, 2115 women completed the trial and corresponding follow-up surveys. In the unadjusted analysis, the group receiving all texts was associated with an odds ratio of 0.77 (P=.06), though neither the care seeking nor good home prenatal practice set yielded a relevant impact. Adjusting for potentially confounding covariates showed that the group with all texts sent together was associated with an odds ratio of 0.67 (P=.01). Notably, previous cesarean section evoked an odds ratio of 11.78 (P<.001), highlighting that having a cesarean section predicts future cesarean section in a subsequent pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Sending pregnant women in rural China short informational messages with integrated advice regarding both care-seeking and good home prenatal practices appears to reduce women’s likelihood of undergoing cesarean section. Reducing clear medical indications for cesarean section seems to be the strongest potential pathway of the effect. Cesarean section based on only maternal request did not seem to occur regularly in our study population. Preventing unnecessary cesarean section at present may have a long-term impact on future cesarean section rates.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02037087; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02037087.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-011016
Effectiveness of Telemedicine Solutions for the Management of Patients With Diabetes: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Laursen Sisse , Hangaard Stine , Udsen Flemming , Vestergaard Peter , Hejlesen Ole
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine is often suggested as a promising approach to support patients with diabetes. However, the effectiveness of diabetes-related telemedicine interventions in regard to patient-related outcomes requires further evaluation. Previous systematic reviews describing the effectiveness of telemedicine in diabetes management focus on a specific type of telemedicine, a specific type of diabetes, specific comparators, or specific outcomes. Moreover, the rapid development within telemedicine emphasizes the need for a new review.

OBJECTIVE

The present review has a broad scope with an eye to performing an updated and exhaustive review within the field. The review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of existing telemedicine solutions versus any comparator without the use of telemedicine on diabetes-related outcomes among adult patients with diabetes.

METHODS

The review will consider studies that include adult subjects with a diagnosis of diabetes (type 1, 2, or gestational), studies that evaluate various types of telemedicine interventions, and randomized controlled trials comparing a telemedicine intervention to any control that does not include telemedicine. Peer-reviewed full-text papers in English, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish will be considered. A thorough search will be performed in the PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases. Data extraction will include details about the populations, study methods, interventions, and outcomes of significance based on the review objective.

RESULTS

The results of the review are expected to provide an estimate of the treatment effect. The studies will be pooled via statistical meta-analysis and supplemented with narrative comparisons when necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

The review is important as it will inform clinicians and investigators about the effect of various telemedicine solutions within the field of diabetes.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

DERR1-10.2196/22062
Correction: Excessive Smartphone Use and Self-Esteem Among Adults With Internet Gaming Disorder: Quantitative Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: Kim Hyunmin , Choi In Young , Kim Dai-Jin
Published: November 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

Smartphone overuse can harm individual health and well-being. Although several studies have explored the relationship between problematic or excessive smartphone use and mental health, much less is known about effects on self-esteem, which is essential in having a healthy life, among adults with mental health disorders, including internet gaming disorder. Furthermore, given that smartphone usage differs by gender, little is known about gender differences in the relationship between smartphone overuse and self-esteem. The objective of this study was to assess self-esteem among individuals with mental health disorders and explore the relationship with excessive smartphone use. Participants were selected based on their responses to the internet gaming disorder assessment, which includes 9 items developed based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria, from among a Korean cohort of smartphone users aged 20-40 years, resulting in a sample of 189 participants (men:120, women: 69). The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Korean smartphone addiction proneness scale were utilized to assess the outcome self-esteem with excessive smartphone use as the primary independent variable. Guided by the Bowlby attachment theory and prior studies, we selected several covariates. Generalized linear regression analyses, as well as subgroup analyses by gender, were performed. Among adults with internet gaming disorder, the average Korean smartphone addiction proneness scale score was significantly higher in women than that in men (41.30 vs. 37.94; P=.001), and excessive smartphone use was significantly more prevalent in women than it was in men (30.43% vs. 20.83%; P=.02). Our findings from the generalized linear regression analyses indicated that an increase in Korean smartphone addiction proneness scale score had a negative relationship with self-esteem among those with internet gaming disorder (β=–0.18, P=.001). Furthermore, our interaction models showed that, among those with internet gaming disorder, more men than women had lower self-esteem associated with an increase in Korean smartphone addiction proneness scale score and a high degree of smartphone overuse (β=–0.19, P=.004; β=–3.73, P<.001). Excessive smartphone use was found to be adversely associated with self-esteem among young and middle-aged adults with internet gaming disorder; notably, more men than women were negatively influenced (regarding self-esteem) by smartphone overuse. Based on our findings, more efforts should be made to reduce excessive or problematic smartphone use by considering developing public health interventions or policy, particularly among those with mental health disorders such as internet gaming disorder.
Design process for serious activities inspired by play and games: a problem solving with a board game from disengamement and gamification processes (Preprint)
Authors: Goria Stéphane , Dupet Louise , Négroni Maëva , Sega Gabriel , Arnoux Philippe , Collet Charlotte , Vermandel Maximilien , Frochot Céline
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

most serious games and other game-based tools are designed as digital games or escape games. They are designed for learning or sometimes in the field of medicine as an aid to care. However, they can also be seen as an aid to research, in our case, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of imaging techniques for cancer detection.

OBJECTIVE

we present a case study of action research on the design of a serious board game intended to consider the advantages and weaknesses of a diagnostic method in a different ways. The goal was to better understand the principles of designing a tool using game or play.

METHODS

we explicitly implemented another process than gamification to develop a structure reminiscent of the game to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of different imaging techniques from the point of view of the respondents (in this case specialists not directly involved in the project). Based on this feedback and the scientific literature on this subject, we detail the main categories of games and games developed for serious use in order to understand their differences. Concerning the cancer research part to which game contributes, our method is based on questions asked to experts and practitioners of this specialty.

RESULTS

an expert point of view translation tool in the form of a game has been realized to apprehend a research in a different way.

CONCLUSIONS

we show with the help of a diagram, some possible design paths leading to this type of design result including two hidden dimensions to consider (the awareness of the game or play by the "player" and his role as a contributor or recipient).