bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender differences of health literacy in persons with a migration background: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chakraverty Digo , Baumeister Annika , Aldin Angela , Seven Ümran Sema , Monsef Ina , Skoetz Nicole , Woopen Christiane , Kalbe Elke
Published: July 2022

Objective

To investigate gender differences of health literacy in individuals with a migration background.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis. OVID/MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched in March 2018 and July 2020.

Setting

Studies had to provide health literacy data for adult women and men with a migration background, collected with a standardised instrument, or report results that demonstrated the collection of such data. Health literacy data were extracted from eligible studies or requested from the respective authors. Using a random-effects model, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess standardised mean differences (SMDs) of health literacy in men and women. Two researchers independently assessed risk of bias for each included study using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.

Results

Twenty-four studies were included in this systematic review. Thereof, 22 studies (8012 female and 5380 male participants) were included in the meta-analyses. In six studies, gender-specific health literacy scores were reported. The authors of additional 15 studies provided their data upon request and for one further study data were available online. Women achieved higher health literacy scores than men: SMD=0.08, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.159, p=0.04, I2=65%. Another 27 studies reported data on female participants only and could not be included due to a lack of comparable studies with male participants only. Authors of 56 other eligible studies were asked for data, but without success.

Conclusion

Men with a migration background—while being much less frequently examined—may have lower health literacy than women. As heterogeneity between studies was high and the difference became statistically insignificant when excluding studies with a high risk of bias, this result must be interpreted with caution. There is a paucity of research on the social and relational aspects of gender in relation to health literacy among people with a migration background, especially for men.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018085555.
Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
Authors: Choi Sugy , Naik Rhea , Kiszko Kamila , Neighbors Charles , D’Aunno Thomas
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to clinical practice within traditional addiction treatment programmes, including the increased use of telehealth, reduced restrictions on methadone administration (eg, increased availability of take-home doses and decreased requirements for in-person visits), reduced reliance on group counselling and less urine drug screening. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study analysing organisational-level factors that are associated with changes in clinic-level practice changes and treatment retention.

Methods and analysis

We will employ an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to study the treatment practices for opioid use disorder (OUD) patients in New York State (NYS). For the quantitative aim, we will use the Client Data System and Medicaid claims data to examine the variation in clinical practices (ie, changes in telehealth, pharmacotherapy, group vs individual counselling and urine drug screening) and retention in treatment for OUD patients across 580 outpatient clinics in NYS during the pandemic. Clinics will be categorised into quartiles based on composite rankings by calculating cross-clinic Z scores for the clinical practice change and treatment retention variables. We will apply the random-effects modelling to estimate change by clinic by introducing a fixed-effect variable for each clinic, adjusting for key individual and geographic characteristics and estimate the changes in the clinical practice changes and treatment retention. We will then employ qualitative methods and interview 200 key informants (ie, programme director, clinical supervisor, counsellor and medical director) to develop an understanding of the quantitative findings by examining organisational characteristics of programmes (n=25) representative of those that rank in the top quartile of clinical practice measures as well as programmes that performed worst on these measures (n=25).

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of NYU Langone Health (#i21-00573). Study findings will be disseminated through national and international conferences, reports and peer-reviewed publications.
Gender differences in the price elasticity of demand for waterpipe and cigarette smoking in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine: a volumetric choice experiment
Authors: Awawda Sameera , Chalak Ali , Khader Yousef , Mostafa Aya , Abla Ruba , Nakkash Rima , Jawad Mohammed , Salloum Ramzi G , Abu-Rmeileh Niveen ME
Published: July 2022

Objectives

This study assessed the extent to which the elasticity of cigarette and waterpipe tobacco products differs between men and women. We also explored the levels of substitution and complementarity in tobacco products among men and women.

Setting

The study examines tobacco elasticities in three Arab countries: Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank of Palestine.

Participants

We used data from nationally representative surveys of adults aged ≥18 years in Lebanon (n=1680), Jordan (n=1925) and Palestine (n=1679). The proportion of women was 50.0% of the sample in Lebanon and Palestine, and 44.6% in Jordan.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

A zero-inflated Poisson regression model estimated own-price and cross-price elasticities for two variations of cigarettes and five variations of waterpipe tobacco products. Elasticities were measured based on eight scenarios of prices.

Results

Demand for waterpipe tobacco products was elastic for both men and women. The cross-price elasticities in the three countries indicate the existence of substitution between cigarettes and waterpipe products and by different varieties within each of the two tobacco products. Gender differences varied across the three countries whereby higher cross-price elasticities were observed for women in Jordan and Palestine. For example, the price elasticity for discount waterpipe was −1.4 and −0.6 for women and men in Jordan, respectively.

Conclusions

Results on the elasticity of demand for tobacco products and the existence of substitution between tobacco products reveal the higher responsiveness of men and women to changes in tobacco prices. This should be taken into consideration in tobacco control strategies particularly when reducing tobacco consumption via taxation policies.
Determinants of well-being and their interconnections in Australian general practitioners: a qualitative study
Authors: Naehrig Diana , Glozier Nick , Klinner Christiane , Acland Louise , Goodger Brendan , Hickie Ian B , Milton Alyssa
Published: July 2022

Objectives

The well-being of doctors is recognised as a major priority in healthcare, yet there is little research on how general practitioners (GPs) keep well. We aimed to address this gap by applying a positive psychology lens, and exploring what determines GPs’ well-being, as opposed to burnout and mental ill health, in Australia.

Design

Semi-structured qualitative interviews. From March to September 2021, we interviewed GPs working in numerous settings, using snowball and purposive sampling to expand recruitment across Australia. 20 GPs participated individually via Zoom. A semi-structured interview-guide provided a framework to explore well-being from a personal, organisational and systemic perspective. Recordings were transcribed verbatim, and inductive thematic analysis was performed.

Results

Eleven female and nine male GPs with diverse experience, from urban and rural settings were interviewed (mean 32 min). Determinants of well-being were underpinned by GPs’ sense of identity. This was strongly influenced by GPs seeing themselves as a distinct but often undervalued profession working in small organisations within a broader health system. Both personal finances, and funding structures emerged as important moderators of the interconnections between these themes. Enablers of well-being were mainly identified at a personal and practice level, whereas systemic determinants were consistently seen as barriers to well-being. A complex balancing act between all determinants of well-being was evidenced.

Conclusions

GPs were able to identify targets for individual and practice level interventions to improve well-being, many of which have not been evaluated. However, few systemic aspects were suggested as being able to promote well-being, but rather seen as barriers, limiting how to develop systemic interventions to enhance well-being. Finances need to be a major consideration to prioritise, promote and support GP well-being, and a sustainable primary care workforce.
Is in situ simulation in emergency medicine safe? A scoping review
Authors: Truchot Jennifer , Boucher Valérie , Li Winny , Martel Guillaume , Jouhair Eva , Raymond-Dufresne Éliane , Petrosoniak Andrew , Emond Marcel
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To provide an overview of the available evidence regarding the safety of in situ simulation (ISS) in the emergency department (ED).

Design

Scoping review.

Methods

Original articles published before March 2021 were included if they investigated the use of ISS in the field of emergency medicine.

Information sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science.

Results

A total of 4077 records were identified by our search strategy and 2476 abstracts were screened. One hundred and thirty full articles were reviewed and 81 full articles were included. Only 33 studies (40%) assessed safety-related issues, among which 11 chose a safety-related primary outcome. Latent safety threats (LSTs) assessment was conducted in 24 studies (30%) and the cancellation rate was described in 9 studies (11%). The possible negative impact of ISS on real ED patients was assessed in two studies (2.5%), through a questionnaire and not through patient outcomes.

Conclusion

Most studies use ISS for systems-based or education-based applications. Patient safety during ISS is often evaluated in the context of identifying or mitigating LSTs and rarely on the potential impact and risks to patients simultaneously receiving care in the ED. Our scoping review identified knowledge gaps related to the safe conduct of ISS in the ED, which may warrant further investigation.
Economic evaluation of tranexamic acid for the treatment of acute gastrointestinal bleeding: a cost-effectiveness analysis using data from the HALT-IT randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bazeer Nuha , Miners Alec , Roberts Ian , Shakur-Still Haleema , Jairath Vipul , Williams Jack
Published: July 2022

Objective

To perform an economic evaluation of tranexamic acid (TXA) versus no-TXA, in addition to current clinical practice, for acute gastrointestinal bleeding, using the results of the HALT-IT trial (NCT01658124), a large randomised controlled trial which included 11 937 patients.

Design

A cost-effectiveness modelling analysis, performed over a lifetime time horizon.

Setting

The analysis was performed from a UK health service perspective.

Participants

The model includes adults with acute gastrointestinal bleeding.

Outcomes measures

The model reports costs in Great British pounds in 2021 and outcomes as life years (LYs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), reported as the cost per QALY gained.

Methods

A Markov model was developed to calculate the overall costs and health outcomes of TXA administration versus no-TXA. The model used data of the treatment effectiveness from the HALT-IT trial, which showed that TXA administration for acute gastrointestinal bleeding did not reduce all-cause mortality (risk ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.16) compared with no-TXA. Data on health-related quality of life, costs and long-term mortality risks were derived from the literature. Costs and effects are discounted at 3.5% per annum.

Results

TXA was associated with marginally fewer LYs and QALYs, and lower costs, than treatment without TXA. The ICER associated with no-TXA was £1576 per LY gained and £2209 per QALY gained. No-TXA was 64% likely to be cost-effective at a £20 000 willingness-to-pay threshold, while TXA was 36% likely to be cost-effective.

Conclusion

Though inexpensive, TXA administration for patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding is unlikely to be cost-effective.
Mortality of elder financial and psychological abuse victims in rural Malaysia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Yunus Raudah Mohd , Hairi Noran N , Awang Halima B , Choo Wan Yuen , Jamaludin Siti Zaharah , Hairi Farizah , Samsuddin Jamali , Mokhtar Mohammad Mafrukhin , Fauzi Syed Mohd , Peramalah Devi , Sooryanarayana Rajini , Ismail Norliana , Ali Zainudin Mohd , Abdul Razak Inayah , Ahmad Sharifah Nor , Othman Sajaratulnisah , Awang Mahmud Awang Bulgiba
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To determine the longitudinal impact of elder financial and psychological abuse on risk of death among older Malaysians.

Design

7-year prospective cohort study. Baseline data were collected in late 2013 and respondents were followed up in June 2020.

Setting

Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Participants

1927 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 or older randomly sampled from the national census. Individuals with severe cognitive impairment were excluded.

Outcome measure

Mortality data were provided by the Malaysian National Registration Department and linked to respondents’ national identification numbers. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to examine victims’ survival periods and the impact of abuse on risk of death.

Results

Overall, 450 respondents (23.4%) died after 7 years. Among financial and psychological abuse victims, death percentage was 25.8% compared with 23.3% among those who did not experience these types of abuse. Kaplan-Meier curves showed shorter survival among abuse victims, but Cox regression found no significant impact of financial and psychological abuse on mortality risk (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.41). Among all the variables studied, only cognitive impairment led to higher mortality risk (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.69).

Conclusion

Our findings contradict prior empirical studies that supported the link between elder abuse and neglect (EAN) and mortality, even though we focused on two abuse subtypes. Results in this study are more in line with the recently emerging evidence that showed no association between EAN and mortality.
Potential new fluoroquinolone treatments for suspected bacterial keratitis
Authors: Herbert Rose , Caddick Mary , Somerville Tobi , McLean Keri , Herwitker Shakeel , Neal Timothy , Czanner Gabriela , Tuft Stephen , Kaye Stephen B
Published: July 2022

Topical fluoroquinolones (FQs) are an established treatment for suspected microbial keratitis. An increased FQ resistance in some classes of bacterial pathogens is a concern. Some recently developed FQs have an extended spectrum of activity, making them a suitable alternative for topical ophthalmic use. For example, the new generation FQs, avarofloxacin, delafloxacin, finafloxacin, lascufloxacin, nadifloxacin, levonadifloxacin, nemonoxacin and zabofloxacin have good activity against the common ophthalmic pathogens such asStaphylococcus aureus,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Streptococcus pneumoniaeand several of theEnterobacteriaceae. However, because there are no published ophthalmic break-point concentrations, the susceptibility of an isolated micro-organism to a topical FQ is extrapolated from systemic break-point data and wild type susceptibility. The purpose of this review is to compare the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the FQs licensed for topical ophthalmic use with the same parameters for new generation FQs. We performed a literature review of the FQs approved for topical treatment and the new generation FQs licensed to treat systemic infections. We then compared the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of bacterial isolates and the published concentrations that FQs achieved in the cornea and aqueous. We also considered the potential suitability of new generation FQs for topical use based on their medicinal properties. Notably, we found significant variation in the reported corneal and aqueous FQ concentrations so that reliance on the reported mean concentration may not be appropriate, and the first quartile concentration may be more clinically relevant. The provision of the MIC for the microorganism together with the achieved lower (first) quartile concentration of a FQ in the cornea could inform management decisions such as whether to continue with the prescribed antimicrobial, increase the frequency of application, use a combination of antimicrobials or change treatment.
60% Reduction of reoperations and complications for elderly patients with hip fracture through the implementation of a six-item improvement programme
Authors: Lian Tom , Brandrud Aleidis , Mariero Lars , Nordsletten Lars , Figved Wender
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Hip fractures are common, serious and costly fractures in the elderly population. Several guidelines seeking to ensure best practice have been introduced. Although our institution complied with national guidelines for early surgery of hip fractures, no assessment of other evidence-based measures existed. We wanted to assess, test, implement and measure the impact of a quality improvement (QI) programme consisting of key elements proven to be important in the treatment of hip fractures.

Methods

We formed a multidisciplinary QI team, consisting of several specialists in different fields. The QI team assessed multiple possible process measures for inclusion in the programme and selected six measurable interventions for implementation: early surgery, correct administration of prophylactic antibiotics, surgery using proven methods and expertise, a multidisciplinary patient pathway and secondary fracture prevention. The improvement process was monitored by a statistical process control chart (SPC). Complications, reoperations and mortality were compared before (n=293) and after (n=182) the intervention.

Results

The SPC analyses indicated increasing adherence with all interventions throughout the improvement programme, and sustainability 7 years later. The last four periods showed a stable adherence above 90%. We found 60% reduction in major complications after the implementation of the improvement programme, from 19.1% to 7.7% (HR: 0.38 (95% CI: 0.23 to 0.61, p=0.0007). The need for reoperations due to complications fell from 12.6% to 4.9% (HR: 0.37 (95% CI: 0.21 to 0.67, p=0.0054). We did not find a difference in post-operative mortality after the implementation of the QI programme (HR: 0.95 (95% CI: 0.74 to 1.2, p=0.645).

Conclusion

Our multiprofessional improvement programme achieved almost full adherence within 2 years and was sustainable 7 years later. The quality and safety of the care process were improved and led to a substantial and sustainable decrease in complications and reoperations.
Nearly half of patients with chronic tendinopathy may have a neuropathic pain component, with significant differences seen between different tendon sites: a prospective cohort of more than 300 patients
Authors: Wheeler Patrick C
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Identifying the prevalence of neuropathic pain components in patients with chronic tendinopathy conditions using the Self-Administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) questionnaire.

Methods

Patients with chronic tendinopathy and ‘tendon-like’ conditions treated within a single hospital outpatient clinic specialising in tendinopathy were identified. Pain scores, plus global function patient-reported outcome measures (5-Level version of EuroQol-5 Dimension and Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ)), were completed and compared with the S-LANSS questionnaire

Results

341 suitable patients with chronic tendinopathy and potentially similar conditions were identified. Numbers: lateral elbow tendinopathy (39), greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS; 112), patellar tendinopathy (11), non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy (40), insertional Achilles tendinopathy (39), plantar fasciopathy (100). 68% were female, with a mean age of 54.0±11.3 years and a mean symptom duration of 38.1±33.7 months.

There was a mean S-LANSS score of 11.4±6.4. Overall, 47% of patients scored 12 or greater points on S-LANSS, indicating the possible presence of neuropathic pain. The highest proportion was in patients with plantar fasciopathy (61%), the lowest in those with GTPS (33%). Weak correlations were found between the S-LANSS score and MSK-HQ score, the numerical rating scale (0–10) values for ‘average pain’ and for ‘worst pain’, but not with the MSK-HQ %health value.

Conclusion

S-LANSS identified nearly half of patients with chronic tendinopathy as possibly having a neuropathic pain component. This is of unclear clinical significance but worth further study to see if/how this may relate to treatment outcomes. These results are from a single hospital clinic dealing with patients with chronic tendinopathy, without a control group or those with shorter symptom duration. However, this reinforces the probability of neuropathic pain components in at least some patients with chronic tendinopathy.
Impact of family history of coronary artery disease on clinical outcomes in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
Authors: Li Pengyang , Jin Chengyue , Cui Can , Cai Peng , Manohar Shamita Alisa , Jin Ling , Wei Xin , Pan Su , Dixon Richard A F , Liu Qi
Published: July 2022

Family history of coronary artery disease (FHxCAD) is a critical risk factor for CAD, underscoring the contribution of genetic factors to disease pathogenesis and susceptibility. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) simulates the clinical features of and frequently coexists with CAD. However, the association between FHxCAD and TCM is unclear. Here, we retrospectively examined the impact of FHxCAD on in-hospital outcomes of patients with TCM. Using the National Inpatient Sample database (2016–2018), we identified 4733 patients admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of TCM. We compared in-hospital outcomes and complications between TCM patients with (n=646, 13.7%) and without FHxCAD (n=646) in the unmatched and in a propensity-score matched cohort (1:1 ratio). TCM with FHxCAD patients had a reduced incidence of cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury (AKI), and acute respiratory failure (ARF); lower mortality rates; shorter length of stay (LOS); and decreased total charge compared with TCM without FHxCAD patients (p<0.05). In the matched cohort, TCM with FHxCAD patients (vs TCM without FHxCAD patients) had a lower incidence of cardiogenic shock (2.2% vs 6.3%, p<0.001; OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.61), AKI (5.1% vs 8.7%, p=0.016; OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.88), and ARF (5.7% vs 12.7%, p<0.001; OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.63); decreased in-hospital mortality (<11% vs 3.1%, p=0.002; OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.57); shorter LOS (2.66±1.96 days vs 3.40±3.05 days, p<0.001); and a reduced total charge (p=0.001), respectively. FHxCAD was associated with favorable outcomes in both unmatched and propensity-matched cohorts.
Orthoses for neurological ankles
Authors: Kirker Stephen
Published: July 2022

Patients with weakness or abnormal posture of their lower leg may benefit greatly from appropriate orthoses. This paper describes the sorts of problems that can be helped in neurological practice and the range of devices commonly used, and also highlights some of the factors influencing selection. With greater understanding of their use, clinicians will feel more confident about referring patients for early orthotic assessment.
Genome-wide investigation and expression analysis of the AP2/ERF family for selection of agarwood-related genes in Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg
Authors: Xiao Meng-Jun , Feng Ya-Nan , Sun Pei-Wen , Xu Yan-Hong , Rong Mei , Liu Yang , Jiang Jie-Mei , Yu Cui-Cui , Gao Zhi-Hui , Wei Jian-He
Published: July 2022

Aquilaria sinensis is an important non-timber tree species for producing high-value agarwood, which is widely used as a traditional medicine and incense. Agarwood is the product of Aquilaria trees in response to injury and fungal infection. The APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor ( AP2/ERF) transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant stress responses and metabolite biosynthesis. In this study, 119 AsAP2/ERF genes were identified from the A. sinensis genome and divided into ERF, AP2, RAV, and Soloist subfamilies. Their conserved motif, gene structure, chromosomal localization, and subcellular localization were characterized. A stress/defense-related ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif and an EDLL motif were identified. Moreover, 11 genes that were highly expressed in the agarwood layer in response to whole-tree agarwood induction technique (Agar-Wit) treatment were chosen, and their expression levels in response to methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), or salt treatment were further analyzed using the quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Among the 11 genes, eight belonged to subgroup B-3. All 11 genes were significantly upregulated under salt treatment, while eight genes were significantly induced by both MeJA and SA. In addition, the gene clusters containing these upregulated genes on chromosomes were observed. The results obtained from this research not only provide useful information for understanding the functions of AP2/ERF genes in A. sinensis but also identify candidate genes and gene clusters to dissect their regulatory roles in agarwood formation for future research.
Tangeretin Synergizes with 5-Fluorouracil to Induce Autophagy through MicroRNA-21 in Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Bai Yang , Xiong Yao , Zhang Yuan-Yuan , Cheng Lin , Liu Hui , Xu Ke , Wu Yi-Ying , Field Jeffrey , Wang Xiao-Dong , Zhou Li-Ming
Published: July 2022

Combining innocuous natural products with cytotoxic agents may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Tangeretin is a citrus flavonoid that has antineoplastic properties, but its mechanism of action is still unknown. Here, we used a high throughput-screening (HTS) platform to screen for drugs that may synergize with tangeretin and confirmed the top hits against colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro and in vivo. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and PI3K/Akt inhibitors have come out as top hits that show a strong synergy effect with tangeretin by HTS. We further confirmed the synergistic effect of tangeretin with 5-FU against CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Since 5-FU can increase microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression and activate PI3K/Akt signaling, we addressed if tangeretin acted at this level. In 5-FU treated cells, tangeretin inhibited miR-21 induction, rescued the expression of the target PTEN, reduced Akt activation, and induced autophagy. Together, our data indicated that a natural product, such as tangeretin, can modulate miR-21 expression and that this pathway might be a potential therapeutic target for CRC. Combining tangeretin with 5-FU may be useful in the clinic, since 5-FU is the current first line drug for treating CRC.
THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A PORCINE TESCHOVIRUS INFECTIOUS cDNA CLONE TAGGED WITH iLOV FLUORESCENT PROTEIN RESCUED AS A VISIBLE MARKER VIRUS
Authors: Tsai Tung-Hsuan , Chang Chia-Yi , Wang Fun-In
Published: July 2022

Viral vectors serve as promising tools for the development of novel multivalent or multipathogen vaccines. Poliovirus (of the family Picornaviridae) vectors offer the advantages of small genome size, ease of manipulation, inherent stability in the intestinal tract, and induction of potent mucosal immunity through oral administration. Porcine teschovirus (PTV), also belonging to Picornaviridae, generally causes asymptomatic infections in pigs. PTV’s wide tissue tropism suggests that it can act as a potential vector for vaccine development; however, no infectious PTV cDNA clone has been reported yet. In this study, infectious PTV cDNA was cloned and recombinant porcine teschovirus (rPTV) was constructed with a unique XhoI site introduced into 2A, as well as substitution of the G–H loop sequence “RNNQIPQDF” of VP1 by an 8-histidine marker which helps to differentiate it from the parental PTV. Subsequently, the coding sequence of a small fluorescent protein, iLOV, was incorporated into the XhoI site to rescue the recombinant rPTV-iLOV virus, allowing for direct visualization of the viral infection. These rescued viruses were replication-competent and antigenically identical to the parental virus, but showed attenuation due to an impaired self-cleaving function caused by the insertion of iLOV into the 2A protease site, as assessed by a double reporter expressing system. This rescued recombinant virus shows potential for the development of attenuated vaccines with few safety concerns and may serve as an important tool to visually study virus–cell interactions.
C-PAK: Correcting and Completing Variable-Length Prefix-Based Abbreviated Keystrokes
Authors: Li Tianshi , Quinn Philip , Zhai Shumin
Published: July 2022

Improving keystroke savings is a long-term goal of text input research. We present a study into the design space of an abbreviated style of text input called
C-PAK
(Correcting and completing variable-length Prefix-based Abbreviated Keystrokes) for text entry on mobile devices. Given a variable length and potentially inaccurate input string (e.g., “li g t m”), C-PAK aims to expand it into a complete phrase (e.g., “looks good to me”). We develop a C-PAK prototype keyboard,
PhraseWriter
, based on a current state-of-the-art mobile keyboard consisting of 1.3 million
n
-grams and 164,000 words. Using computational simulations on a large dataset of realistic input text, we found that, in comparison to conventional single-word suggestions, PhraseWriter improves the maximum keystroke savings rate by 6.7% (from 46.3% to 49.4,), reduces the word error rate by 14.7%, and is particularly advantageous for common phrases. We conducted a lab study of novice user behavior and performance which found that users could quickly utilize the C-PAK style abbreviations implemented in PhraseWriter, achieving a higher keystroke savings rate than forward suggestions (25% vs. 16%). Furthermore, they intuitively and successfully abbreviated more with common phrases. However, users had a lower overall text entry rate due to their limited experience with the system (28.5 words per minute vs. 37.7). We outline future technical directions to improve C-PAK over the PhraseWriter baseline, and further opportunities to study the perceptual, cognitive, and physical action trade-offs that underlie the learning curve of C-PAK systems.
Surprises from Intravital Imaging of the Innate Immune Response
Authors: Mihlan Michael , Safaiyan Shima , Stecher Manuel , Paterson Neil , Lämmermann Tim
Published: July 2022

Successful immune responses depend on the spatiotemporal coordination of immune cell migration, interactions, and effector functions in lymphoid and parenchymal tissues. Real-time intravital microscopy has revolutionized our understanding of the dynamic behavior of many immune cell types in the living tissues of several species. Observing immune cells in their native environment has revealed many unanticipated facets of their biology, which were not expected from experiments outside a living organism. Here we highlight both classic and more recent examples of surprising discoveries that critically relied on the use of live in vivo imaging. In particular, we focus on five major cell types of the innate immune response (macrophages, microglia, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and mast cells), and how studying their dynamics in mouse tissues has helped us advance our current knowledge of immune cell–mediated tissue homeostasis, host defense, and inflammation.
(Digital Presentation) Pre-Lithiation of Silicon Anodes By Thermal Evaporation of Lithium for Boosting Energy Density of Lithium Ion Cells
Authors: Adhitama Egy , Brandao Frederico Dias , Dienwiebel Iris , Bela Marlena Maria , Gomez Martin Aurora , Javed Atif , Stan Marian , Winter Martin , Placke Tobias
Published: July 2022

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) do not only dominate the small format battery market for portable electronic devices, but have also been successfully implemented as the technology of choice for electric vehicles. However, for successful consumer acceptance and broad market penetration of electric vehicles, further improvements of LIBs in terms of energy density and cost along are required. The practically usable energy density of LIB cells is reduced by parasitic side reactions including electrolyte decomposition and formation of the “solid electrolyte interphase” (SEI) at the surface of the anode, as this process is related to the consumption of active lithium. Especially high-capacity silicon-based anodes suffer from ongoing lithium loss and rapid capacity fading.

Pre-lithiation is considered as a highly appealing technique to compensate for active lithium losses and, therefore, to increase the practical energy density. A critical parameter for a pre-lithiation strategy is to establish a technique for achieving lithiation of the active storage material at the most uniform lateral and in-depth distributions possible. Despite extensive exploration of various pre-lithiation techniques, controlling the lithium amount precisely while keeping an even lithium distribution remains challenging.

Here, we report the thermal evaporation of lithium metal as a novel pre-lithiation technique for silicon anodes that allows both, i.e., a precise control of the degree of pre-lithiation and a homogeneous deposition at the electrode surface. Silicon | Lithium metal interface and SEI characterization show that this approach enables the preserved Li to be consumed for the formation of a pre-formed SEI and creates moderate mechanical cracks by volume changes. The highly uniform Li on thin-film Si is beneficial for increasing capacity retention and significantly suppressing active lithium losses. The phase changes are evaluated and the terms dry-state and wet-state pre-lithiation (without/with electrolyte) are revisited. Finally, a series of electrochemical methods are also validated to allow a direct correlation of active lithium losses with the pre-formed SEI formation and improved electrochemical performance of silicon anodes.

Figure 1
miR-214-3p Protects and Restores the Myocardial Tissue of Rat Myocardial Infarction Model by Targeting PTEN
Authors: Cheng Yuan , He Qing , Jin Tao , Li Na
Published: July 2022

Myocardial infarction (MI), which results in myocardial cell dysfunction and irreversible loss, is one of the most serious health threats today. This study was started with rats, by which the consequence of miRNA expression dysregulation to the occurrence and progression of cardiovascular diseases was explored. We first conducted miRNA sequencing on the myocardial tissues separately from myocardial infarction treatment and sham operation treatment to clarify those differently expressed miRNAs; then, our experiment of functional verification of those key miRNAs was initiated so as to dig out the molecular mechanism behind the miRNA’s regulation in myocardial infarction. And it turned out that there were 32 upregulated miRNAs and 16 downregulated miRNAs according to our comparison from the myocardial infarction model group to the sham operation group; of all those upregulated, alteration in miR-214-3p expression was the most conspicuous. Overexpression of miR-214-3p greatly alleviated myocardial infarct area and ameliorated myocardial tissue structure, even reducing myocardial fibrosis and the devastation in the tissues. On the molecular level, miR-214-3p overexpression brought down both the apoptosis rate and cleaved caspase 3 expression. Besides that, we verified that PTEN is the target gene of miR-214-3p through a dual-luciferase assay. A cotransfection of miR-214-3p and PTEN brought about an obvious elevation in the myocardial infarct area, tissue damage, and fibrosis, even in the aspect of cellular apoptosis than a mere transfection of miR-214-3p. All the results above verified miR-214-3p′s effects in protecting myocardial tissues and reducing the infarct area, and it was reasonable to assume that those functions of miR-214-3p came into effect by targeting PTEN, which was then justified by the inversion to miR-214-3p′s protection via PTEN overexpression.
Full Diacritization of the Arabic Text to Improve Screen Readers for the Visually Impaired
Authors: Abuali Batool , Kurdy Mohamad-Bassam
Published: July 2022

This paper aims to find the relationship between the full diacritization of the Arabic text and the quality of the speech synthesized in screen readers and presents a new methodology to develop screen readers for the visually impaired, focusing on preprocessing and diacritization of the text before converting it to audio. First, the actual need for our proposal was measured by conducting a MOS (Mean Opinion Score) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of the speech synthesized before and after full diacritization in the NVDA (https://www.nvda-ar.org/) screen reader. Then, an e-reader was built by integrating two models: the first one is for automatic Arabic diacritization (depending on Shakkala), and the second is a TTS model (depending on Tacotron). The quality of our proposed system was measured in terms of (1) pronunciation and (2) intelligibility, in which our system outperformed the commercial screen readers, NVDA and IBSAR (https://www.sakhr.com), as it recorded 60.67%, 17.67%, and 21.67% as correct, incorrect, and partially correct, respectively, for the isolated word test, and 84% correct results for the homograph test, and 78.50% and 93% correct results, respectively, for the DRT and DMRT tests.
Econometric Analysis of Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism Scenery Based on Spatial Data Analysis
Authors: Liu Shihui , Gao Bing
Published: July 2022

Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) shows that there is a significant spatial autocorrelation of tourism development in China, which is manifested by the aggregation of spatial distribution. The results of the great likelihood estimation of the spatial lag model show that the parameters ρ of both the total tourism income model and the domestic income model are significantly positive, indicating that the spatial linkage between agricultural and rural tourism income is very strong and the spillover effect of agricultural and rural tourism is larger than that of overall tourism. Tourism superstructure facilities, human resources, and tourism infrastructure are statistically significant and are important influencing factors for overall tourism and agricultural and rural tourism development. And the overall fit of agricultural and rural tourism model is poor. The findings of the study better grasp how to make rural tourism make a greater contribution to the regional economy of Chengdu and maximize its positive role, and put forward relevant countermeasure suggestions, which will provide theoretical guidance and decision-making reference for relevant departments on how to better play the economic effect of tourism, and will also have a realistic reference role on how to develop rural tourism in western cities of China.
Correlation of Platelet Function with Postpartum Hemorrhage and Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Gestational Hypertension Complicated with Diabetes
Authors: Li Nan , Liu Yang , Yun Anqi , Song Shurong
Published: July 2022

Objective. This study was aimed at investigating the correlation of platelet function with postpartum hemorrhage and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in gestational hypertension patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods. A total of 93 patients with gestational hypertension complicated with diabetes treated from March 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the research group, and 56 healthy pregnant women during the same period were selected as the control group. Platelet function-related indicators (platelet count (PLT), platelet volume distribution width (PDW), and mean platelet volume (MPV)) were compared between the two groups. The patients were divided into a severe group (

n
=
13

), mild group (

n
=
28

), and nonbleeding group (

n
=
52

) according to the severity of postpartum hemorrhage, and the value of combined detection of platelet function-related indicators on the severity of postpartum hemorrhage was evaluated and analyzed. According to the occurrence of VTE, the patients were divided into a VTE group and non-VTE group to analyze the predictive value of combined detection of platelet function-related indicators for VTE occurrence in patients. Results. The PLT value of the study group was lower than that of the control group, while the PDW and MPV values were higher than those of the control group (all

P
<
0.05

). The PLT value increased with the aggravation of postpartum hemorrhage, while the PDW and MPV values decreased with the aggravation of postpartum hemorrhage among the three groups with different severities of postpartum hemorrhage (all

P
<
0.05

). The area under the curve (AUC) of PLT, PDW, and MPV combination to evaluate the severity of postpartum hemorrhage in patients with gestational hypertension combined with diabetes was greater than that of PLT alone and PDW alone (both

P
<
0.05

). The PLT value was negatively correlated with the severity of postpartum hemorrhage, while PDW and MPV values were positively correlated with the severity of postpartum hemorrhage (both

P
<
0.05

). According to the occurrence of VTE, patients were divided into the VTE group (

n
=
10

) and non-VTE group (

n
=
83

). The PLT value of the VTE group was higher than that of the non-VTE group, while the PDW and MPV values were lower than those of the non-VTE group (all

P
<
0.05

). The AUC of PLT, PDW, and MPV combination to predict the occurrence of VTE in patients with gestational hypertension combined with diabetes was greater than that of each index alone (all

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Patients with gestational hypertension complicated with diabetes had abnormal platelet function, and the platelet function was related to postpartum hemorrhage and VTE.
Experimental Study on the Mechanical Mechanism of Arch-Chord-Coupled Antisliding Structure
Authors: Hu Guoping , Xia Yingzhi , Zheng Mingxin , Li Hui , Ruan Xiaoxue
Published: July 2022

Arch-chord-coupled antisliding structure is a new type of structure composed of multiple small-diameter piles for strengthening small- and medium-sized landslides, especially suitable for the reinforcement of slopes that are sensitive to deformation. In order to further explore the mechanical properties of the antisliding structure, physical model tests under four cases were carried out to study the deformation and stress characteristics of the structure under different types, and the optimal structural type was determined. The displacement test results show that even if there is no crown beam at the top of the piles, all the piles can deform in coordination, and when the number of rear piles is large, all the piles can basically deform synchronously. The test results of the bending moment of the pile body show that the crown beam has a great influence on the extreme value of the bending moment of each pile. For the structural type with more piles arranged in the rear row, the standard deviation of the extreme value of the bending moment of the pile body before and after adding the crown beam decreases from 2.0 to 1.03; the presence of crown beams effectively adjusts the internal force of each pile. The comprehensive analysis results show that the arch-chord-coupled antisliding structure with more piles in the rear row is the best.
Reform and Practice of College Japanese Test Mode Using Big Data Analysis
Authors: Huo Ruixin
Published: July 2022

With the acceleration of economic globalization, the demand for Japanese professionals is also increasing. In view of this situation, this paper puts forward a set of college Japanese test systems. A college Japanese teaching model based on big data is established, and an improved clustering algorithm is proposed by comparing correlation analysis and data mining techniques. Aiming at the phenomenon that ACA (ant colony algorithm) cannot guarantee that all data objects are acquired and collected by ants and the same data object can be accessed repeatedly, this paper puts forward some corresponding improvements. The clustering results show that the clustering accuracy of the algorithm is 80%. This proves the rationality and feasibility of dynamically evaluating students’ achievements based on clustering algorithm, and it is of great significance to introduce data mining into the teaching environment.
Reducing Requirements Ambiguity via Gamification: Comparison with Traditional Techniques
Authors: Dar Hafsa Shareef , Imtiaz Salma , Lali Muhammad IkramUllah
Published: July 2022

Requirements elicitation is one of the most significant activities of requirements engineering (RE) process. Poorly specified requirements can lead to a failed project. Various elicitation techniques are used to elicit requirements from the users and other stakeholders, each having its own pros and cons. Lack of user engagement, less user involvement, textual nature of the requirements, time taking process are some of the major problems that make it difficult to perform elicitation via traditional techniques. Moreover, these problems further create other challenges such as ambiguity, inconsistency, and incompleteness in requirements. Currently, researchers have focused on reducing ambiguity in requirements with the help of different techniques such as natural language processing techniques, requirement templates, and formal methods; however, these techniques work on reducing ambiguity during specification or from specified requirements. One of the “young’ and exciting way of engaging users in requirements elicitation of a system is “Gamification’, which helps in user engagement into the system. We intend to discover how gamification helps in reducing ambiguity by engaging stakeholders in an interactive manner. In this review study, we have reviewed traditional techniques used to detect and reduce requirements ambiguity. On the contrary, we have also presented the significance of gamification in requirements elicitation and the popular but effective game elements used in similar systems. Furthermore, this study highlights the significance of using gamification in requirements elicitation, which is beneficial to software development team as well as the users involved in the system.