bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multivariate analysis of factors associated with first-pass success in blind placement of a post-pyloric feeding tube: a retrospective study
Authors: Kurisawa Kohei , Yokose Masashi , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Mihara Takahiro , Takaki Shunsuke , Goto Takahisa
Published: October 2021

Background

Trans-jejunal nutrition via a post-pyloric enteral feeding tube has a low risk of aspiration or reflux; however, placement of the tube using the blind method can be difficult. Assistive devices, such as fluoroscopy or endoscopy, are useful but may not be suitable for patients with hemodynamic instability or severe respiratory failure. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with first-pass success in the blind placement of post-pyloric enteral feeding tubes in critically ill patients.

Methods

Data were obtained retrospectively from the medical records of adult patients who had a post-pyloric enteral feeding tube placed in the intensive care unit between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between first-pass success and the independent variables. For logistic regression analysis, the following 13 variables were defined as independent variables: age, sex, height, fluid balance from baseline, use of sedatives, body position during the procedure, use of cardiac assist devices, use of prokinetic agents, presence or absence of intestinal peristalsis, postoperative cardiovascular surgery, use of renal replacement therapy, serum albumin levels, and position of the greater curvature of the stomach in relation to spinal levels L1 − L2.

Results

Data obtained from 442 patients were analyzed. The first-pass success rate was 42.8% (n = 189). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the position of the greater curvature of the stomach cephalad to L1 − L2 was only associated with successful placement (odds ratio for first-pass success, 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.40 − 0.95).

Conclusions

In critically ill patients, the position of the greater curvature of the stomach caudal to L1 − L2 may be associated with a lower first-pass success rate of the blind method for post-pyloric enteral feeding tube placement. Further studies are needed to verify our results because the position of the stomach was estimated by radiographs after enteral feeding tube placement.

Trial registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000036549; April 20, 2019).
A model for the co-evolution of dynamic social networks and infectious disease dynamics
Authors: Nunner Hendrik , Buskens Vincent , Kretzschmar Mirjam
Published: October 2021

Recent research shows an increasing interest in the interplay of social networks and infectious diseases. Many studies either neglect explicit changes in health behavior or consider networks to be static, despite empirical evidence that people seek to distance themselves from diseases in social networks. We propose an adaptable steppingstone model that integrates theories of social network formation from sociology, risk perception from health psychology, and infectious diseases from epidemiology. We argue that networking behavior in the context of infectious diseases can be described as a trade-off between the benefits, efforts, and potential harm a connection creates. Agent-based simulations of a specific model case show that: (i) high (perceived) health risks create strong social distancing, thus resulting in low epidemic sizes; (ii) small changes in health behavior can be decisive for whether the outbreak of a disease turns into an epidemic or not; (iii) high benefits for social connections create more ties per agent, providing large numbers of potential transmission routes and opportunities for the disease to travel faster, and (iv) higher costs of maintaining ties with infected others reduce final size of epidemics only when benefits of indirect ties are relatively low. These findings suggest a complex interplay between social network, health behavior, and infectious disease dynamics. Furthermore, they contribute to solving the issue that neglect of explicit health behavior in models of disease spread may create mismatches between observed transmissibility and epidemic sizes of model predictions.
Dynamic Plus-Delta: an agile debriefing approach centred around variable participant, faculty and contextual factors
Authors: Kainth Ranjev
Published: October 2021

The current coronavirus pandemic has necessitated rapid intensive care infrastructure expansion with corresponding demand for training healthcare staff. At the NHS Nightingale Hospital, London, the staff underwent a training programme prior to entering the clinical environment with simulation being a core component. This paper describes the rationale for choosing an initial debriefing model which evolved overtime to consider multiple contextual factors: demands of the clinical environment, the diverse participants and their learning needs, the variable experience of faculty, and the dynamic nature of available debriefing time. The new approach, termed here as the Dynamic Plus-Delta model, blends the traditional Plus-Delta approach with specific dynamic elements which considers the unique demands of rapidly training large number of staff. We outline the core features of this model and detail specific considerations around psychological safety. This debriefing approach can be used in similar simulation intervention settings where rapid training of participants is required with multiple and varying contextual factors.
Factor structure, measurement invariance and psychometric properties of the Quality of Life Scale WHOQOL-BREF in the Ecuadorian context
Authors: Lima-Castro Sandra , Arias-Medina Paúl , Bueno-Pacheco Alexandra , Peña-Contreras Eva , Aguilar-Sizer Mónica , Cabrera-Vélez Marcela
Published: October 2021

Background

The short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) is a popular instrument used to assess quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the following psychometric properties: structural validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance across sex of the WHOQOL-BREF in a sample of Ecuadorian adults.

Methods

We used a sample of undergraduates (n= 987) to assess the WHOQOL-BREF original four-factor structure, a model with correlated factors, a hierarchical model, and two models resulting from the exploratory factor analysis and exploratory graph analysis. All the models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

The results of the exploratory factor analysis and exploratory graph analysis suggest that the items are organized into four factors, although differently from the original version and the orthogonality assumption is not maintained. The confirmatory factor analysis shows that the original WHOQOL-BREF structure with correlated factors presents adequate psychometric properties. However, we propose a four-factor structure that has the best psychometric properties and adequate internal consistency. The results of the measurement invariance show that strict and strong invariance is achieved between men and women. Convergent validity analysis reveals moderate correlations with self-esteem, resilience, and social support.

Conclusions

Despite the original version of the WHOQOL-BREF with correlated factors has acceptable psychometric properties in the Ecuadorian context, we propose a version with a different organization of its items, which is consistent with the findings of other investigations.
Exploring cell membrane water exchange in aquaporin-4-deficient ischemic mouse brain using diffusion-weighted MRI
Authors: Urushihata Takuya , Takuwa Hiroyuki , Takahashi Manami , Kershaw Jeff , Tachibana Yasuhiko , Nitta Nobuhiro , Shibata Sayaka , Yasui Masato , Higuchi Makoto , Obata Takayuki
Published: October 2021

Background

Aquaporin-4 is a membrane channel protein that is highly expressed in brain astrocytes and facilitates the transport of water molecules. It has been suggested that suppression of aquaporin-4 function may be an effective treatment for reducing cellular edema after cerebral infarction. It is therefore important to develop clinically applicable measurement systems to evaluate and better understand the effects of aquaporin-4 suppression on the living body.

Methods

Animal models of focal cerebral ischemia were created by surgically occluding the middle cerebral artery of wild-type and aquaporin-4 knockout mice, after which multi-b-value multi-diffusion-time diffusion-weighted imaging measurements were performed. Data were analyzed with both the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) model and a compartmental water-exchange model.

Results

ADCs were estimated for five different b value ranges. The ADC of aquaporin-4 knockout mice in the contralateral region was significantly higher than that of wild-type mice for each range. In contrast, aquaporin-4 knockout mice had significantly lower ADC than wild-type mice in ischemic tissue for each b-value range. Genotype-dependent differences in the ADC were particularly significant for the lowest ranges in normal tissue and for the highest ranges in ischemic tissue. The ADCs measured at different diffusion times were significantly different for both genotypes. Fitting of the water-exchange model to the ischemic region data found that the water-exchange time in aquaporin-4 knockout mice was approximately 2.5 times longer than that in wild-type mice.

Conclusions

Multi-b-value multi-diffusion-time diffusion-weighted imaging may be useful for in vivo research and clinical diagnosis of aquaporin-4-related diseases.
Painful ophthalmoplegia in a patient with a history of marginal zone lymphoma
Authors: Van Bogaert C. , Mathey C. , Vierasu I. , Trotta N. , Rocq L. , Wolfromm A. , De Wilde V. , Goldman S.
Published: October 2021

A 73-year-old man with a history of marginal zone lymphoma was admitted to the emergency room for diplopia and ipsilateral headache. The Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) demonstrated intense and symmetrical hypermetabolism of the cavernous sinuses, and hypermetabolic lesions diffusely in the lymph nodes and bones. The diagnosis of high-grade relapse of lymphomatous disease was made. In this context, the homogenous and symmetric lesion of the cavernous sinuses, without any other encephalic or meningeal lesions, raised the hypothesis of a paraneoplastic origin. A plausible paraneoplastic link between the neuro-ophthalmological lesion and the malignant disorder is IgG4-related disease, a condition that may be associated with lymphoma. As in our case, this diagnosis is often presumptive because histopathological confirmation is difficult to obtain.
Exploring BIS credit-to-GDP gap critiques: the Swiss case
Authors: Jokipii Terhi , Nyffeler Reto , Riederer Stéphane
Published: October 2021

A growing body of literature has highlighted two important caveats to the credit-to-GDP gap as advocated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The first relates to the approach used to normalise credit (i.e. dividing nominal credit by GDP). In this regard, critics have argued that GDP movements, that may or may not be relevant, run the risk of affecting a normalised measure of credit. The second relates to the use of the Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter to estimate the gap’s trend component. In this regard, critics have emphasised several measurement problems associated with using the HP filter. In this paper, we assess the relevance of these critiques for Switzerland. Our findings show that despite its drawbacks, the BIS gap is a reliable measure of excess credit in Switzerland. Alternatives do not provide clear advantages, rather they are considerably more complex to estimate and come with their own set of pitfalls. For policymaking purposes, the BIS gap’s signal should be complemented with narratives based on a broader set of credit metrics to ensure that an all-encompassing risk assessment is made.
A novel signal-adaptive multi-feature extraction algorithm for arrhythmia detection
Authors: Vinutha L. B. , Ramkumar P. S. , Kunabeva Rajashekar
Published: October 2021

Background

The significant features like an amplitude and intervals of electrocardiograph or P-QRS-T wave represent the functionality of the heart. Accurate extraction of these features helps in capturing characteristics of the signal helpful for the detection of cardiac abnormalities. In this paper, a novel signal folding-based algorithm is proposed to obtain detailed information about the complex morphology of signal. It explores the denoising and feature extraction of the specific ECG signals.

Results

The experimental study conducted using MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database ECG records with known conditions of left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome beats has been considered. Heart rate values for selected ECG records from MIT-BIH dataset and synthetic signals from ECG simulator yielded the same values and thus validate our approach.

Conclusion

The proposed algorithm determines the heart rate, percentage leakage around the peak and is capable of folding a signal very efficiently based on detected R peaks and period-dependent gate(window).
Effect of irisin on metabolic and platelet functions in type 2 diabetic rats: role of soluble receptor of advanced glycation end products (sRAGE)
Authors: Mansour Sherif W. , Hasan Mai M. , Salah Hossam E. , El-Deep Talal , Hussein Samia , El-Malkey Nanees F.
Published: October 2021

Background

Irisin is an adipomyokine with a promising potential for the treatment of metabolic disturbances and endothelial dysfunction. This study aimed to explore the effect of irisin on metabolic and platelet functions, and to explore the possible involvement of soluble receptor of advanced glycation end product (sRAGE) in the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model. Thirty-three adult male albino rats were divided into three groups: normal control, vehicle-treated T2DM group, and irisin-treated T2DM. At the end of the study period, metabolic parameters, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, and serum sRAGE were determined.

Results

Irisin significantly improved platelet function and metabolic derangements induced by T2DM and significantly increased sRAGE. sRAGE was significantly negatively associated with platelet function parameters and some glucometabolic parameters. Additionally, mean platelet volume showed a significant predictive value for the change in serum sRAGE.

Conclusions

Irisin could have a protective role against diabetes-induced platelet dysfunction by increasing sRAGE levels, indicating the potential beneficial effects of sRAGE in the type 2 diabetic rat model.
Improving Academic Performance and Retention of First-Year Biology Students through a Scalable Peer Mentorship Program
Authors: Wilton Mike , Katz Daniel , Clairmont Anthony , Gonzalez-Nino Eduardo , Foltz Kathy R. , Christoffersen Rolf E.
Published: October 2021

This study evaluates the performance of a near-peer mentoring program for first-year biology majors. The program’s intention is to improve student retention generally, and academic and soft skills more specifically. The effect of the program was investigated via ethnographic methods, a program-specific survey, and regression analyses.
Mpemba effect in an anisotropically driven granular gas
Authors: Biswas Apurba , Prasad V. V. , Rajesh R.
Published: October 2021

The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive relaxation wherein a hotter system equilibrates faster than a cooler system when quenched to a cold temperature. Even though the effect has been illustrated for isotropically driven granular gases, a prototypical system far from equilibrium, its existence requires non-stationary initial states, limiting experimental realisation. In this paper, we demonstrate the existence of the Mpemba effect in anisotropically driven granular gases, even when quenched from initial states that are stationary. Our theoretical predictions, based on kinetic theory, for the regular, inverse and strong Mpemba effects agree well with results of event-driven molecular dynamics simulations of hard discs.
Orbital selective dynamics in Fe-pnictides triggered by polarized pump pulse excitations
Authors: Adhikary Ganesh , Saha Tanusree , Rebernik Ribič Primož , Stupar Matija , Ressel Barbara , Urbančič Jurij , De Ninno Giovanni , Thamizhavel A. , Maiti Kalobaran
Published: October 2021

Quantum materials display exotic behaviours related to the interplay between temperature-driven phase transitions. Here, we study the electron dynamics in one such material, CaFe2As2, a parent Fe-based superconductor, employing time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. CaFe2As2 exhibits concomitant transition to spin density wave state and tetragonal to orthorhombic structure below 170 K. The Fermi surface of this material consists of three hole pockets

, β and

around the Γ-point and two electron pockets around the X-point. The hole pockets have d

xy
, d

yz
and d

zx
orbital symmetries. The β band constituted by d

xz
/d

yz
orbitals exhibits a gap across the magnetic phase transition. We discover that polarized pump pulses can induce excitations of electrons of a selected symmetry. More specifically, while s-polarized light (polarization vector perpendicular to the xz plane) excites electrons corresponding to all the three hole bands, p-polarized light excites electrons essentially from

,

bands which are responsible for magnetic order. Interestingly, within the magnetically ordered phase, the excitation due to the p-polarized pump pulses occur at a time scale of 50 fs, which is significantly faster than the excitation induced by s-polarized light (∼200 fs). These results suggest that the relaxation of different ordered phases occurs at different time scales and this method can be used to achieve selective excitations to disentangle complexity in the study of quantum materials.
Hepatic Artery Embolization for Palliation of Symptomatic Hypoglycemia in Patients With Hepatic Insulinoma Metastases
Authors: Linch Forrest , Thompson Scott , Fleming Chad , Vella Adrian , Andrews James
Published: October 2021

Context

Insulinoma is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor that causes hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Symptomatic hypoglycemia related to hepatic insulinoma metastases may be addressed with liver-directed therapies such as hepatic artery embolization.

Objective

This work aimed to determine the safety and effectiveness of bland hepatic artery embolization (HAE) for palliation of symptomatic hypoglycemia in patients with hepatic insulinoma metastases refractory to medical management.

Methods

An institutional review board–approved retrospective review was undertaken of all patients with a tissue (n = 18) or imaging (n = 2) diagnosis of hepatic insulinoma metastases and symptomatic hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia refractory to medical management who underwent bland HAE at a single center between January 1, 1998 and November 1, 2020. Twenty patients (10 women, 10 men; mean age, 56 years; range, 18-84 years) were identified who individually underwent 1 (n = 7), 2 (n = 5), 3 (n = 5), 4 (n = 2), or 5 (n = 1) HAEs, for an overall total of 45 HAEs. Post-HAE hypoglycemia recurrence was defined as onset of adrenergic symptoms (eg, sweating, weakness, tremor), neuroglycopenic symptoms (eg, confusion, loss of consciousness), and/or documented serum glucose of less than 50 mg/dL, in the absence of an alternative explanation. Median time to first hypoglycemia recurrence, hypoglycemia-free survival (HFS), and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

Before HAE, all patients experienced adrenergic or neuroglycopenic symptoms alleviated by glucose intake, and 60% (n = 12) of patients had documented serum glucose of less than 50 mg/dL within 1 week of the first treatment. Median post-HAE follow-up was 9.4 months (mean, 26 months; range, 0.1-190 months). Postprocedural hypoglycemic symptom relief after the first HAE was reported in 100% (n = 20) of patients before discharge or at follow-up. Post-HAE hypoglycemia recurrence occurred in 60% (n = 12) of patients with a median time to first hypoglycemia recurrence of 2 months (mean, 14 months; range, 0.2-60 months). After the first HAE, median HFS was 14.5 months, and median OS was 16 months. One patient experienced labile postprocedure blood glucose levels requiring intensive care unit admission for intravenous dextrose. Otherwise, no major procedure-related complications occurred.

Conclusion

Bland HAE is a safe, effective, and repeatable procedure for palliation of symptomatic hypoglycemia in patients with hepatic insulinoma metastases refractory to medical management.
Oncoplastic Breast-Conserving Surgery for Synchronous Multicentric and Multifocal Tumors: Is It Oncologically Safe? A Retrospective Matched-Cohort Analysis
Authors: De Lorenzi Francesca , Borelli Francesco , Pagan Eleonora , Bagnardi Vincenzo , Peradze Nickolas , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara Alicia , Leonardi Cristina , Mazzarol Giovanni , Favia Giorgio , Corso Giovanni , Montagna Emilia , Rietjens Mario , Veronesi Paolo
Published: October 2021

Background

Oncoplastic surgery is a well-established approach that combines breast-conserving treatment for breast cancer and plastic surgery techniques. Although this approach already has been described for multicentric and multifocal tumors, no long-term oncologic follow-up evaluation and no comparison with patients undergoing mastectomy have been published. This study aimed to evaluate whether oncoplastic surgery is a safe and reliable treatment for managing invasive primary multicentric and multifocal breast cancer.

Methods

The study compared a consecutive series of 100 patients with multicentric or multifocal tumors who had undergone oncoplastic surgery (study group) with 100 patients who had multicentric or multifocal tumors and had undergone mastectomy (control group) during a prolonged period. The end points evaluated were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of local recurrence (CI-L), regional recurrence (CI-R), and distant recurrence (CI-D), all measured from the date of surgery.

Results

The OS and DFS were similar between the two groups. The incidence of local events was higher in the oncoplastic group, whereas the incidence of regional events was slightly higher in the mastectomy group. These differences were not statistically significant. The cumulative incidence of distant events was similar between the two groups.

Conclusions

To the authors’ knowledge, the current study provides the best available evidence suggesting that the oncoplastic approach is a safe and reliable treatment for managing invasive multifocal and multicentric breast cancers.
Adrenal venous sampling in the diagnostic workup of primary aldosteronism
Authors: Betz Matthias Johannes , Zech Christoph Johannes
Published: October 2021

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the primary cause of secondary hypertension. The prevalence of PA has probably been underestimated in the past and recent studies suggest that PA could be present in up to 10% of patients suffering from hypertension. Aldosterone excess in PA can be caused by unilateral adrenal disease, usually adrenal adenoma, or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. Differentiation between unilateral and bilateral disease is clinically important as the former can effectively be treated by removal of the affected adrenal. CT or MRI cannot reliably distinguish unilateral from bilateral disease. Therefore, adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is an important step of the diagnostic work-up in patients with PA. Current guidelines recommend PA in virtually all patients with biochemically diagnosed PA who would undergo adrenal surgery if unilateral PA was diagnosed. In this narrative review, we give an overview of the current technique used for AVS with a focus on the experience with this technique at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
Spectrum of MR imaging findings of sinonasal mucormycosis in post COVID-19 patients
Authors: Kondapavuluri Sushen Kumar , Anchala Varun Kumar reddy , Bandlapalli Shohyle , Gorantla Rajani , Danaboyina Ankamma Rao , Kondapavuluri Benod Kumar , Mandalapu Satyanarayana
Published: October 2021

During rapid spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) globally, ever since WHO declared COVID-19 as pandemic, there have been various patterns of disease in terms of diagnosis, management and complications. Secondary infections are reportedly common in hospitalized and severely ill COVID-19 patients among which fungal being 10 times more common. Mucormycosis is amongst the most lethal form of Zygormycosis occurring in post COVID-19 patients. A varied patterns of disease involvement and spectrum of imaging features are observed in patients with mucormycosis in post COVID-19 patients. MRI has better efficacy than CT in detecting early invasion of mucormycosis. The goal of this review is to familiarize radiologists about the MR imaging spectrum of mucormycosis in post COVID-19 patients with potential diagnostic pitfalls in CT.

Advances in knowledge:

Radiological findings of mucormycosis in post COVID-19 patients show varied patterns of disease involvement and spectrum of imaging features. One should not solely rely on CT imaging to detect the extent of disease. MRI helps in early and accurate detection of invasion into adjacent structures and so helpful in early intervention.
Reaction and Learning Evaluation of a Non-immersive Virtual Reality Application for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Rosli Muhamad Irfan , Embi Zarina , Abdullah Junaidi , Samsudin Mohd Ali , Zainal Abidin Mohamad Izani , Abdullah Norra
Published: October 2021

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech, and nonverbal communication, in addition to repetitive or restrictive behaviours. For decades, children with ASD have been familiarising themselves with information and communication technologies (ICT) in their training and diagnosis. One of the ICT areas, namely non-immersive virtual reality (NIVR), has become a noticeable tool to help ASD children in their social training. It provides extensive virtual interaction, a safe environment, and is affordable. An NIVR application is developed to assist the intervention on ASD children. However, the whole experiences of the training need to be validated to conclude its effectiveness.  

Methods: A case study was employed as the research method. An evaluation of NIVR application using multiple sources of evidence was guided by Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation (KME) which was executed via questionnaires, pre- and post-test. The main objectives of this research were to evaluate level 1 and 2 of KME. The target for Level 1 is to assess the reactions to the NIVR application. Level 2 is to gauge the knowledge, confidence, or mindset of participants. Level 2 covers the evaluation prior to the training (pre-test) and after the training (post-test).  

Results: On average the ASD children had good experiences and were able to improve their social skills with the NIVR application. Therefore, the combination of serious game, analytics and specific VR type provides good data assessment, facilitate comfortable training, and can be an effective intervention for children with ASD. 

Conclusion: The positive trend on both levels shows that the application has a good potential to be used in ASD training. The results could be improved in a higher number of participants. Currently, only a limited number of research participants could be obtained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lived Lives at Fort Dunree: a rural Irish community perspective
Authors: Cleary Eimear , Malone Kevin M. , Corry Collete , Sheridan Anne , Kelleher Cecily C. , Lane Abbie , McGuiness Seamus
Published: October 2021

Background:  Elevated suicide rates have alarmed policy makers and communities. In these circumstances, the value of understanding more about communities and their potential role in suicide intervention is becoming more apparent. This study involved evaluating feedback from individuals with and without previous suicidal thinking who participated in an arts-science rural community-based intervention project around suicide in County Donegal, Ireland (Lived Lives at Fort Dunree).

Methods:  A combined quantitative and qualitative questionnaire was used to evaluate individual and community responses to the Lived Lives project.

Results:  Participants (n = 83), with and without a mental health history and previous suicidal ideation, reported they believed Lived Lives could have potential to help suicide-bereaved families, people with mental illness and people with suicidal thinking.  Qualitative results suggested its’ suitability for specific groups affected by suicide.

Discussion:  The evaluation of the Lived Lives project indicated that supervised, “safe-space” community intervention projects around suicide have inherent value with positive impacts for bereaved individuals and communities, including those who have experienced suicidal feelings. Future research should explore the transferability of these findings to other communities, and at-risk groups.
Stop codon readthrough contexts influence reporter expression differentially depending on the presence of an IRES
Authors: Yordanova Martina M. , Loughran Gary , Atkins John F. , Baranov Pavel V.
Published: October 2021

Background: Previously we reported the discovery of stop codon readthrough in AMD1 mRNA followed by ribosome stalling at the end of a conserved Open Reading Frame (ORF) that we termed AMD1. To explain the severe suppression of reporters fused to AMD1 tail we proposed a mechanism invoking ribosome queueing. To test this hypothesis, we placed the reporter stop codon in the context of readthrough permissive sequences in a dual reporter vector with downstream reporter expression driven by the EMCV IRES. In accordance with our hypothesis, we observed a striking disproportional reduction of upstream reporter activity in response to increased readthrough levels.

Methods: We employ dual luciferase assays, western blotting and RT-qPCR to explore the effects of test sequences downstream to the reporter stop codon on its expression in dual and monocistronic reporter vectors.

Results:  With the dual reporter system, the disproportionate reduction of upstream reporter activity is not specific to AMD1 tail and occurs as long as the readthrough stop codon context is present at the end of the reporter’s ORF. In a monocistronic vector without an IRES, the test sequences had distinct effects which were reflective of their properties e.g. AMD1 tail inhibitory effect. We further show with RT-qPCR that the EMCV IRES driven expression of a reporter is an accurate proxy of reporter RNA levels. 

Conclusions: While our findings provide little new information regarding the functional role of AMD1 tail, they raise caution for the use of viral IRES elements in expression vectors for studying mechanisms of mRNA translation. These findings may also be pertinent to the natural properties of read through permissive sequences and of IRES elements, though these require a separate investigation.
Date of introduction and epidemiologic patterns of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Mogadishu, Somalia: estimates from transmission modelling of satellite-based excess mortality data in 2020
Authors: Koltai Mihaly , Warsame Abdihamid , Bashiir Farah , Freemantle Terri , Reeve Chris , Williams Chris , Jit Mark , Flasche Stefan , Davies Nicholas G. ,   CMMID COVID-19 working group, Aweis Ahmed , Ahmed Mohamed , Dalmar Abdirisak , Checchi Francesco
Published: October 2021

Background: In countries with weak surveillance systems, confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths are likely to underestimate the pandemic’s death toll. Many countries also have incomplete vital registration systems, hampering excess mortality estimation. Here, we fitted a dynamic transmission model to satellite imagery data of cemeteries in Mogadishu, Somalia during 2020 to estimate the date of introduction and other epidemiologic parameters of the early spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in this low-income, crisis-affected setting.

Methods: We performed Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) fitting with an age-structured compartmental COVID-19 model to provide median estimates and credible intervals for the date of introduction, the basic reproduction number (R0) and the effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) up to August 2020.

Results: Under the assumption that excess deaths in Mogadishu March-August 2020 were attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infections, we arrived at median estimates of November-December 2019 for the date of introduction and low R0 estimates (1.4-1.7) reflecting the slow and early rise and long plateau of excess deaths. The date of introduction, the amount of external seeding, the infection fatality rate (IFR) and the effectiveness of NPIs are correlated parameters and not separately identifiable in a narrow range from deaths data. Nevertheless, to obtain introduction dates no earlier than November 2019 a higher population-wide IFR (≥0.7%) had to be assumed than obtained by applying age-specific IFRs from high-income countries to Somalia’s age structure.

Conclusions: Model fitting of excess mortality data across a range of plausible values of the IFR and the amount of external seeding suggests an early SARS-CoV-2 introduction event may have occurred in Somalia in November-December 2019. Transmissibility in the first epidemic wave was estimated to be lower than in European settings. Alternatively, there was another, unidentified source of sustained excess mortality in Mogadishu from March to August 2020.
Assessment of Intellectual Capital in the Innovative Development of the Corporate Sector of the Economy
Authors: Morkovkin D. , Kolosova E. , Semkina N.
Published: October 2021

The existing global integration and the current trends in the development of the world leaders of innovative entrepreneurship show that the most promising way of development of the Russian economy is the formation of an innovative corporate sector that has effectively established the reproduction of full-cycle innovations. In modern economic conditions, it is the intellectual capital of corporations that is the basis of the innovation economy, and therefore the core of the knowledge economy. However, at present, innovation activity in the Russian Federation is not the main factor in the growth of the national economy. Over the past few years, the state leadership has been paying great attention to issues related to the state of the scientific and technical sphere, as well as to the formation of an effective innovation policy in Russia. The necessity of implementing the results of scientific research in various industries of the Russian Federation is noted. The article evaluates the innovative activity of Russian companies, highlights their strengths and weaknesses, and shows the role of intellectual capital in the innovative development of the Russian economy using the example of the oil and gas industry. The priority value of the corporate research and design complex (on the example of Rosneft) in the reproduction of the company's intellectual capital as a basic unit for making any scientific and technical decisions and producing organizational and managerial innovations in the production areas of economic activity is determined and justified. The study highlights the current problems and promising directions for the development of corporate intellectual capital in basic industries as a key factor in the innovative transformation of the real sector of the Russian economy.
Logistic Solutions for the Organization of Combined Cargo Transportation
Authors: Procenko I. , Merkur'ev G. , Bahmet'ev N.
Published: October 2021

The article is devoted to the organization of combined cargo transportation in the activities of logistic operators on the Russian market. The paper considers features of the organization of combined cargo transportation and the related directions and tasks of the logistic services development in the modern market. Methodological tools of the research: analysis of the statistical sources of information reflecting the specifics, delivery schemes and problems in the organization of combined cargo transportation. The authors, conducting a study of the functioning, one of the largest 3 PL operators providing logistic services for the combined cargo transportation, identified problems in this process. This allowed to develop and offer a tool for improving this process, which reduces not only time costs, but also improves the quality of logistic service for the client.
Doble coraje, las pioneras de la traducción.
Authors: Tomassini Valentina
Published: October 2021

En muchas teorías traductológicas se ha evidenciado un paralelismo entre el estatus del texto traducido, considerado inferior a la obra original, y el de las mujeres, subestimadas tanto en la sociedad como en la literatura. Por lo tanto, en las últimas décadas, la perspectiva de género se ha ocupado de rescatar el trabajo de las traductoras y de de-construir una teoría que no había incorporado a las mujeres en el proceso de estudio del fenómeno y en la reflexión crítica. En concreto, en este artículo pretendemos dar una muestra de la innovación que las mujeres han aportado en este campo y de las estrategias que han llevado a cabo para subrayar su identidad en el texto. Debido a la centralidad del mundo anglonorteamericano en las especulaciones de género sobre traducción, nuestro recorrido se fundamenta sobre todo en el trabajo de las investigadoras y traductoras canadienses, para luego abrirse a un breve estado de la cuestión acerca de la recepción que su pensamiento ha tenido en el contexto español.
Entre lenguajes: la poesía digital de María Mencía.
Authors: de Gregorio Robledo Yolanda
Published: October 2021

Las mujeres han estado presentes en la literatura digital desde sus inicios, aunque como ya señaló Hayles, no se ha reconocido suficientemente ni su presencia ni sus aportaciones. Por ello, este artículo se centra en una de las grandes y primeras poetas digitales con el objetivo de dar a conocer a una de las mujeres que dentro del mundo anglosajón revolucionó la poesía digital, la española afincada en Londres, María Mencía. Mostraremos cómo su obra se caracteriza por el estudio del lenguaje y la importancia del multilingüismo. Para ello se presentarán tres de sus obras más representativas, en concreto: Birds Singing Other Birds’ Song (2001), The Poem that Crossed the Atlantic (2015) y su última obra, Invisibles Voices: Women Victims of the Colombian Conflict. Se explicará el proceso de creación, la aportación de cada una de esas obras al campo de la literatura digital, en concreto la importancia que le da a su obra como transnacional y multilingüe. Finalmente, se resumirá los aspectos más importantes de la poética de María Mencía, cómo inició su obra centrándose en la materialidad del lenguaje y cómo ha ido evolucionado para transformarse cada vez más en una poesía multilingüista y comprometida socialmente.
Mujer y deporte en el aula de italiano LS: la historia de Ana Carmona Ruiz.
Authors: Fabrotta Simona
Published: October 2021

La relación de las mujeres con el deporte está mediada por muchos factores que todavía hoy en día impiden que sea tan libre y natural como debería. Las socializaciones de género desde los primeros años de vida indican el deporte como una actividad preferentemente masculina. Esta situación se reproduce en la escuela y sigue vigente en la edad adulta debido a diversos condicionamientos sociales. La visibilidad de las mujeres deportistas es también muy limitada: hay una enorme falta de referentes históricos y contemporáneos y eso se traduce en una presencia escasa o nula de deportistas en los libros de texto. Por estas razones, se ha decidido realizar en el curso de Italiano B2 del Centro de Idiomas de la Fundación Universidad de Málaga un texto sobre la figura de la histórica futbolista malagueña Ana Carmona Ruiz, en colaboración con la página Enciclopedia delle donne (www.enciclopediadelledonne. it). La actividad cumple el doble objetivo de reflexionar sobre las dificultades de aquellas mujeres que deciden emprender una carrera deportiva y de recuperar una figura de la historia local para darla a conocer al público italiano.
Sobrepeso e obesidade em universitários: prevalências e fatores associados
Authors: Barros Gerleison Ribeiro , Santos Sueyla Ferreira da Silva dos , Andaki Alynne Christian Ribeiro , Sousa Thiago Ferreira de
Published: October 2021

O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar entre homens e mulheres universitários de Minas Gerais, as prevalências de sobrepeso e obesidade e suas associações com atividade física e tempo sentado. Este estudo transversal estimou por meio das medidas referidas da massa corporal e estatura, o índice de massa corporal (IMC) e analisou o sobrepeso (IMC: 25,0 a 29,9 kg/m2) e a obesidade (IMC: ≥30,0 kg/m2). As variáveis independentes foram a atividade física e o tempo sentado, e as variáveis de controle foram sociodemográficas, de vínculo com a universidade e comportamentais, analisadas em três modelos. As associações foram estimadas via Odds Ratio (OR) por meio da Regressão Logística Multinomial. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Participaram 1.105 universitários, sendo 61,6% de mulheres. A média etária foi de 21,25 (desvio padrão = 4,1) anos para as mulheres e para os homens foi de 21,83 (desvio padrão = 4,2) anos. As prevalências de sobrepeso e obesidade foram, respectivamente, 27,5% e 6,9% em homens e 15,5% e 8,0% em mulheres. O tempo sentado associou-se à obesidade em homens, independente apenas das características sociodemográficas (OR = 3,54; IC95%: 1,04 – 12,12) e dos atributos sociodemográficos mais as características de vínculo com a universidade (OR = 3,48; IC95%: 1,01 – 11,99). Com o ajuste para os comportamentos alimentares não houve associação (OR = 3,49; IC95%: 0,99 – 12,23). Para as mulheres não foram observadas associações significativas. Conclui-se que a prevalência de sobrepeso foi elevada em homens. Os homens universitários com elevado tempo sentado apresentaram mais chances de serem obesos.
ANALISIS PERBANDINGAN KINERJA KEUANGAN BUS DAN UUS ANTARA SEBELUM DAN SELAMA PANDEMI COVID-19
Authors: Asmirawati Asmirawati , Kurniati Mia
Published: October 2021

This study aims to analyze the financial performance of Islamic commercial banks and Islamic business units between before and during the pandemic. This study uses an analysis of the soundness of banks known as CAMEL, which is proxied into the ratio of CAR, NPF, ROA, BOPO and FDR. This study uses a quantitative method by using a comparative approach that compares the similarities or differences of two or more properties and objects studied in a certain frame of mind. This study uses monthly financial reports in 2019-2020. The population of this research is Islamic commercial banks and Islamic business units that issue monthly financial reports. The statistical method used is the descriptive statistical test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results show significant differences in the CAR ratio of Islamic commercial banks, NPF of Islamic commercial banks and Islamic business units, BOPO of Islamic business units, and FDR of Islamic commercial banks. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between before and during the pandemic for the ROA of Islamic commercial banks and Islamic business units, BOPO of Islamic commercial banks, and FDR of Islamic business units.
COVID vaccination: What's next?
Authors: Heffernan Catherine
Published: October 2021

Dr Catherine Heffernan looks at the story so far, and what the future holds for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
Authors: Winter George
Published: October 2021

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that are of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Influenza vaccination 2021/22: why is it important?
Authors: Duncan Deborah
Published: October 2021

Each year during the months of September–March we vaccinate against influenza which is caused by the RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (influenza viruses) ( National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2020 ). There are two main types that cause a significant infection – influenza A and influenza B. Influenza A usually causes a more severe illness ( Public Health Agency (PHA), 2021 ). Influenza can be a mild self-limiting infection but in some at risk groups it can lead to increased morbidity or mortality. The World Health Organization (2021) recommends which viruses need to be included in influenza vaccines for the northern hemisphere flu seasons. Last year was the biggest NHS influenza vaccination programme ever, with a low incidence of recorded episodes of flu ( Public Health England (PHE) et al, 2021a ). This low level of cases of influenza is thought to be due to social-distancing, mask wearing, and increased handwashing ( Rubin, 2021 ). The reduction could also be due to the increased influenza vaccination rates, which reached a record high in 2020–2021 ( Jones, 2020 ; PHE et al, 2021b ). It is unclear what impact influenza will have this year. Nurses in general practice need to encourage all the preventative measures at their disposal.
Understanding the surge in respiratory syncytial virus this winter
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: October 2021

There has been an unusual rise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases this summer as everybody started mixing again after COVID-19 restrictions relaxed and children went back to school. This article will discuss the virus in further detail with regards to how it presents, why there has been a surge, what the current situation is in the UK, and what the complications of the virus are.