bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
End User Evaluation of the FAIR4Health Data Curation Tool
Authors: Gencturk Mert , Teoman Alper , Alvarez-Romero Celia , Martinez-Garcia Alicia , Parra-Calderon Carlos Luis , Poblador-Plou Beatriz , Löbe Matthias , Sinaci A. Anil
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study is to build an evaluation framework for the user-centric testing of the Data Curation Tool. The tool was developed in the scope of the FAIR4Health project to make health data FAIR by transforming them from legacy formats into a Common Data Model based on HL7 FHIR. The end user evaluation framework was built by following a methodology inspired from the Delphi method. We applied a series of questionnaires to a group of experts not only in different roles and skills, but also from various parts of Europe. Overall, 26 questions were formulated for 16 participants. The results showed that the users are satisfied with the capabilities and performance of the tool. The feedbacks were considered as recommendations for technical improvement and fed back into the software development cycle of the Data Curation Tool.
Perspectives and Obstacles for Transforming Terminologies into FHIR CodeSystems Exemplified by Alpha-ID
Authors: Rajput Abdul-Mateen , Drenkhahn Cora
Published: May 2021

The terminology services, defined as part of the emerging FHIR standard, yield a promising approach to finally achieve a common handling of coding systems needed for semantic interoperability. As a precondition, legacy terminology data must be transformed into FHIR-compatible resources whereby varying source formats make a manual case-by-case solution impracticable. In this work, the practicability of using CSIRO’s Ontoserver and the related Snapper tool as support of the transformation process were evaluated by applying them to the German Alpha-ID terminology.
Deep Neural Network to Identify Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Ebrahimi Ali , Wiil Uffe Kock , Mansourvar Marjan , Naemi Amin , Andersen Kjeld , Nielsen Anette Søgaard
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an application of deep neural networks (DNN) to identify patients with Alcohol Use Disorder based on historical electronic health records. Our methodology consists of four stages including data collection, preprocessing, predictive model development, and validation. Data are collected from two sources and labeled into three classes including Normal, Hazardous, and Harmful drinkers. Moreover, problems such as imbalanced classes, noise, and categorical variables were handled. A four-layer fully-connected feedforward DNN architecture was designed and developed to predict Normal, Hazardous, and Harmful drinkers. Results show that our proposed method could successfully classify about 96%, 82%, and 89% of Normal, Hazardous, and Harmful drinkers, respectively, which is better than classical machine learning approaches.
Rare Use of National Languages in Europe for Communicating Scientific Information in Medicine
Authors: Masic Izet , Jankovic Slobodan M.
Published: May 2021

For many decades English language was dominant in international scientific communications, but during the last decade it threatens to become the only language for communicating medical science at international level. The aim of this article was to make an overview of publication practices in regard to language of publication of MEDLINE-referenced articles from European countries in year 2020. Scientific publications referenced in MEDLINE database during year 2020 were chosen for analysis. The inclusion criteria were publications affiliated with one of European countries, published in either English or national languages of those countries. The countries with less than 100.000 inhabitants were excluded from the study. Only 11 of 38 European countries had any number of medical publications in national language that were referenced in MEDLINE; the authors from twenty-seven European countries completely stopped publishing in national language at international journals. While economic strenght of a country was strongly correlated with number of international publications per 100.000 inhabitants, the correlation with international papers published in national languages was much less pronounced. Researchers from majority of European countries are publishing their studies predominantly or only in international medical journals printed in English language. Additional efforts should be made in the future to promote publishing in national languages.
Accuracy of the French Administrative Database to Describe Patients’ Medication and Primary Care Visits: A Validation Study
Authors: Payen Anaïs , Godard-Sebillotte Claire , Soula Julien , Verloop David , Defebvre Marie-Marguerite , Dambre Delphine , Beuscart Jean-Baptiste
Published: May 2021

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of the French health administrative database to describe patients’ medication and primary care visits, in the context of a transitional care intervention including an in-hospital medication reconciliation followed by a structured community follow-up by the patient’s general practitioner and pharmacist. Design: A retrospective cohort study of older persons enrolled in the transitional care intervention between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2018. Results: Only 46.1% of the community follow-up were timely billed, in the 3 months after the patient discharge. The sensitivity of the health administrative database to identify medications was 90.0%. Its positive predictive value was 50.1%. Conclusion: This study reveals that the French health administrative database was poorly reliable to identify both community follow-up and chronic medications.
Clustering Results Interpretation of Continuous Variables Using Bayesian Inference
Authors: Balabaeva Ksenia , Kovalchuk Sergey
Published: May 2021

The present study is devoted to interpretable artificial intelligence in medicine. In our previous work we proposed an approach to clustering results interpretation based on Bayesian Inference. As an application case we used clinical pathways clustering explanation. However, the approach was limited by working for only binary features. In this work, we expand the functionality of the method and adapt it for modelling posterior distributions of continuous features. To solve the task, we apply BEST algorithm to provide Bayesian t-testing and use NUTS algorithm for posterior sampling. The general results of both binary and continuous interpretation provided by the algorithm have been compared with the interpretation of two medical experts.
Clinical Relevance of Pharmacist Intervention: Development of a Named Entity Recognition Model on Unstructured Comments
Authors: Clarenne Justine , Priou Sonia , Alixe Aymeric , Martin Olivier , Mongaret Céline , Bedouch Pierrick
Published: May 2021

We developed a clinical named entity recognition model to predict clinical relevance of pharmacist interventions (PIs) by identifying and labelling expressions from unstructured comments of PIs. Three labels, drug, kidney and dosage, had a great inter-annotator agreement (>60%) and could be used as reference labelization. These labels also showed a high precision (>70%) and a variable recall (50–90 %).
Investigating the Impact of Misinformation Sources on Health Issues: Implications for Public Health
Authors: Isaakidou Marianna , Zoulias Emmanouil , Diomidous Marianna
Published: May 2021

The aim of this work is to shortly provide the public with an overview about fake news and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Especially in our days, where there is a high speed of spreading news, the impact of fake news on public health is crucial and the development of valid and effective means of technology to support the provision of safe and trustworthy information about public health issues is vital. The role of informatics in health area is profoundly important and AI in public health, so people will be able to distinguish the genuine information from the fake one.
Using Computable Phenotypes in Point-of-Care Clinical Trial Recruitment
Authors: Chapman Martin , Domínguez Jesús , Fairweather Elliot , Delaney Brendan C. , Curcin Vasa
Published: May 2021

A key challenge in point-of-care clinical trial recruitment is to autonomously identify eligible patients on presentation. Similarly, the aim of computable phenotyping is to identify those individuals within a population that exhibit a certain condition. This synergy creates an opportunity to leverage phenotypes in identifying eligible patients for clinical trials. To investigate the feasibility of this approach, we use the Transform clinical trial platform and replace its archetype-based eligibility criteria mechanism with a computable phenotype execution microservice. Utilising a phenotype for acute otitis media with discharge (AOMd) created with the Phenoflow platform, we compare the performance of Transform with and without the use of phenotype-based eligibility criteria when recruiting AOMd patients. The parameters of the trial simulated are based on those of the REST clinical trial, conducted in UK primary care.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Telemedicine in the Management of Cardiovascular Diseases in Primary Health Care in Cameroon: An Interventional Study
Authors: Bediang Georges , Nganou-Gnindjio Chris Nadège , Kamga Yannick , Goethe Doualla Fred-Cyrille , Bagayoko Cheick Oumar , Nko’o Samuel
Published: May 2021

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tele-expertise (tele-ECG) in primary health care in Cameroon for the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases or risk factors. Method: It is a controlled multicenter study carried out in Cameroon’s two health facilities where tele-ECG has been implemented (intervention centers) and two other where telemedicine has been not implemented (control centers). Patients having cardiovascular risk factors or diseases received usual primary health care in the control centers. In contrast, they received usual primary health care and could perform an ECG associated with cardiologists’ remote expertise (tele-ECG) in the intervention centers. The primary outcome was to evaluate the rate of patients’ access to an ECG test and to cardiologist’ expertise. Results and Discussion: Telemedicine is effective for the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases in primary health care. It could improve healthcare providers’ clinical processes, clinical outcomes of patients and their satisfaction.
The Iranian Integrated Care Electronic Health Record
Authors: Bitaraf Ehsan , Jafarpour Maryam , Jami Vajiheh , Sarani Rad Fatemeh
Published: May 2021

E-health plays a crucial role in E-government by proposing healthcare services based on information technology. However, the way to administer these services by using E-health solutions is one of the challenging issues. One of these significant challenges is how one integrates heterogeneous healthcare information of the different point of care systems. This paper introduces the Iranian integrated care electronic health record using the information gathered from several point-of-care systems in healthcare enterprises in Iran. This service-oriented architecture has a remarkable characteristic – its accessibility to medical knowledge and medical concepts through archetypes and ontology, respectively. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran has designed and implemented this national architecture.
Using QR Code for Uniform Representation of Content in Cross-Border Exchange of ePrescriptions in the EU
Authors: Krastev Evgeniy , Kovachev Petko , Tcharaktchiev Dimitar , Abanos Simeon
Published: May 2021

This paper proposes an approach and demonstrates its application for cross-border exchange of ePrescriptions in the European Union. A business process model of the main use case for exchange of prescription content in the eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure is created and analyzed. The novelty in this approach is the proposed encoding of the basic dataset in a Quick Response (QR) code in terms of an XML scheme that is independent of clinical models or proprietary database structures. It allows to inverse the dataflow control in the chain of message exchanges between Dispenser and National Contact Points. The proposed inversion of control positions the citizen with the QR code of the prescription in the center of that chain of message exchanges between the main actors of the business process. The independent format of content representation in the QR code allows the actors in the message exchange to auto-populate data in their registers when the medicine is dispensed. Initial results are reported and reveal the advantages of embedding prescription details in QR code employing a common independent XML scheme.
Which Factors of Digitisation Bias the Work-Related Stress of Healthcare Employees? A Systematic Review
Authors: Virone Cristina , Kremer Lisanne , Breil Bernhard
Published: May 2021

Background: Digitisation affects our working environment. It demands new cognitive and digital skills of healthcare employees. Technostress and burnout are more likely to occur due to the additional workload. Aim: Objective is the identification of determinants affecting work related technostress. Methodology: We carried out a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement. For the identification of the digital factors, we applied an inductive content analysis based on Mayring’s theory. Results: Included studies showed the following factors to be relevant for coping with technostress: autonomy, competence, understanding of roles, time pressure, attitude, security and ergonomics. The emerging factors serve the regulation of stress in the healthcare system and contribute to better healthcare and higher occupational safety.
Motivating Developers to Use Interoperable Standards for Data in Pandemic Health Apps
Authors: Muzoora Michael Rusongoza , El-Badawi Nabil , Elsner Christian , Essenwanger Andrea , Gocke Peter , Krefting Dagmar , Poyraz Rasim Atakan , Pryss Rüdiger , Sax Ulrich , Thun Sylvia
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought along a massive increase in app development. However, most of these apps are not using interoperable data. The COMPASS project of the German COVID-19 Research Network of University Medicine (“Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM)”) tackles this issue, by offering open-source technology, best practice catalogues, and suggestions for designing interoperable pandemic health applications (https://www.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de/projekte/compass). Therefore, COMPASS conceived a framework that includes automated conformity checks as well as reference implementations for more efficient and pandemic-tailored app developments. It further aims to motivate and support developers to use interoperable standards.
Factors Related to Personal Health Data Sharing: Data Usefulness, Sensitivity and Anonymity
Authors: Helou Samar , Abou-Khalil Victoria , El Helou Elie , Kiyono Ken
Published: May 2021

Using an online survey, we examined the relationships between the perceived usefulness, sensitivity, and anonymity of personal health data and people’s willingness to share it with researchers. An analysis of 112 responses showed that people’s willingness and perceptions are related to the type of the data, their trust in the data’s anonymity, and their personal sociodemographic characteristics. In general, we found that people do not completely trust that their identities remain anonymous when sharing data anonymously with researchers. We also found that they are more willing to share personal health data with researchers if they perceive it as useful for public health research, not sensitive, and if they trust that their identity will remain anonymous after sharing it. We also found that people’s age, gender, occupation, and region of residence may be related to their perceptions regarding the sharing of personal health data.
Usage of a Web-Based Platform for Home Care Providers in the Pandemic Context
Authors: Sandulescu Virginia , Puscoci Sorin , Petre Monica , Dumitrache Minodora , Girlea Alexandru , Bota Viorel
Published: May 2021

The paper presents the usage of a platform for home care providers that integrates telemonitoring functionalities in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Grabenkämpfe
Authors: Davis Mike
Published: May 2021

Der Artikel liefert eine Analyse der US-Wahlergebnisse 2020 in den Counties des Rostgürtels, im kleinstädtischen Mittleren Westen, in den roten Vororten und im texanischen Grenzland. Mit Rekordbeteiligungen auf beiden Seiten einer ansonsten unbeweglichen Wählerschaft liefert die Wirtschaft – und nicht die Pandemie – den Schlüssel für das zweideutige Urteil über Trumps vierjährige Amtszeit.
A Magyar Honvédség csapategészségügyének telemedicinális fejlesztési lehetőségei
Authors: Matusz Márk Péter
Published: May 2021

A cikkben ismertetem a hazai civil egészségügyi ellátó intézményekben használt főbb telemedicinális eszközöket.  Azonosítom és megnevezem a működtetésük során  szerzett elsődleges  tapasztalatokat. Ezen gyakorlati  ismeretek felhasználásával összeállítom és bemutatom a  Magyar Honvédség egészségügyi szolgálatánál bevezetésre javasolt telemedicinális koncepciót. Végül a megtervezett  telemedicinális rendszer potenciális előnyeit és  rizikófaktorait is azonosítom.
ЗАКОРДОННИЙ ДОСВІД РОЗВИТКУ ЛЮДСЬКОГО КАПІТАЛУ ЯК ОСНОВИ СТАЛОГО ЕКОНОМІЧНОГО РОЗВИТКУ
Authors: Кандиба Сергій , Шараєнко Ольга
Published: May 2021

Стаття присвячена актуальним питанням закордонного досвіду розвитку людського капіталу як основи сталого економічного розвитку. Основну увагу зосереджено вивченні та систематизації особливостей процесу розвитку людського капіталу на макро-, мезо- та мікрорівнях на прикладі Сполучених штатів Америки, Словаччини та Китаю. Досліджено стан розвитку людського капіталу в Україні за Індексом розвитку людського капіталу. Здійснено інтегральну оцінку стану людського розвитку в Україні за областями й поділено їх на чотири групи. Окреслені пріоритетні напрямки інвестицій Світового банку в Україні у розрізі людського капіталу. На основі отриманих результатів дослідження визначено основні проблеми розвитку людського капіталу в Україні, подолання яких сприятиме розвитку інноваційної економіки та сталому економічному розвитку країни.
Behavior Analysis of Brand Loyalists and Brand Switcher in 5-Star Accommodation Services in Medan City
Authors: Dalimunthe Femmy Indriany
Published: May 2021

A brand is a fundamental part of the marketing strategy in influencing purchase interest. A person’s buying ability will influence a customer to choose the product they want. In addition, higher competitiveness among hotels will create more awareness to maintain customer satisfaction and turn it into customer loyalty as the main target of their marketing. In connection with achieving customer loyalty, hotels must study the factors influencing customers to become loyal or switch from the hotel brand. A brand can be measured through brand equity which consists of a set of assets and liabilities of the Brand associated with the name and symbol of the Brand that can be given to consumers. Important and measurable components in forming brand equity include brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. This study examines the variables that make the difference between loyalists and customers who switch hotel brands. The data used were taken from 42 respondents spread across the International Departure Terminal of Kualanamu Airport. The research method used is descriptive with a quantitative approach. The data were analyzed using the discriminant analysis method through the SPSS 12.0 program. And other limitations for this research are 5-Star Hotels and Chain International in Medan. Discriminant analysis shows that one factor requiring search variation distinguishes between brand loyalists and brand switchers. The Brand switching matrices show that all hotels serving consumers in Medan have low customer loyalty. The ratio between brand loyalists and brand switchers was 1:9, which means that only one person is loyal to one brand out of 10 consumers of accommodation services. The rest are types of consumers who like to switch to other brands.
Understanding the Potential of Music Learning Application as a Tool for Learning and Practicing Musical Skills
Authors: Yun Yi Tan , Thiruvarul Sinthu
Published: May 2021

This paper explores the potential of mobile applications that are developed to assist music learners in learning and practicing musical skills. Specifically, it attempts to shed light on the affordances of such mobile applications in elevating guitar skill learning among guitar players. This paper presents case studies of four guitar players who have used a mobile application namely “Yousician” to facilitate their guitar learning and practicing process. Findings of this study are drawn upon an investigation into their uses of the mobile application over a practicing period of one week. The study will also provide insights on the characteristics of such application from the music learners’ perspectives. It is also anticipated that findings from this study could contribute towards the understanding of the characteristics of mobile-based music applications that could potentially assist music learners in informal learning environments.
The Portrayal of Claustrophobic Behaviours and Events in Film
Authors: Washti Sera Juvenah , Perumal Vimala , Koo Ah-Cho
Published: May 2021

The recent outbreak of Covid-19 as a global pandemic has taken a toll on people worldwide. Based on an article from Malaysiakini, the number of calls to the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) increases significantly everyday indicating the large community who faces emotional and psychological distress during these hard times. Some have even related the situation as claustrophobic events. For creative content creators, claustrophobia can be an attractive story but requires different and complex techniques of presenting it. Therefore, in order to effectively inform amateur filmmakers on claustrophobia, this research focuses on the claustrophobic events portrayed in four nominated or award-winning films which simulates real claustrophobic events. The target audience for this research will be focused on amateur filmmakers and young content makers who are a vessel to help educate audiences on claustrophobia in a right manner. It is important to do a critical analysis on how successfully films have relayed this message to their audience with their visuals alongside with relatable stories and characters. Film has the ability to bring spotlight to claustrophobia for it is a perfect tool of education and definitely for entertainment, escaping from reality. This is supported in a Forbes article where it claims that there is an increased consumption of digital content from mobile apps to movie and music streaming due to the world’s population under lockdown. By studying how films portray the message of claustrophobia, it will help amateur film makers and short film content makers to have further information to relay their message effectively to their audience
The Green Ray By Eric Rohmer: An Attempt To Find The Real Story
Authors: Paijo Nazirull Safry , Abdul Muthalib Hassan
Published: May 2021

This paper intends to go below the surface of Eric Rohmer’s 1986 masterpiece, to discover what is really being said in the film. It is but a brief look at the film’s naturalistic approach that carries elements of philosophy while also giving it a psychological touch. It is not too difficult a task as clues to what the film is really about are scattered throughout the screenplay. Eric Rohmer alludes to cinema being an art, eschewing the visual fireworks of commercial cinema and instead explores a character’s imagination and obsession
Nitelikli Mısır Popülasyonlarında Önemli Tane Kalite Özellikleri İçin Gen Etkisi, Heterosis ve Korelasyon Analizleri
Authors: UYSAL Halil , KAHRIMAN Fatih
Published: May 2021

Bu araştırma nitelikli mısır popülasyonlarında verim ve bazı tane kalite özellikleri (yağ oranı, protein oranı, lisin içeriği, triptofan içeriği, oleik asit içeriği, karotenoid içeriği) kalıtımının incelenmesi ıslah programlarına uygun kaynak materyallerin belirlenmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada 4 nitelikli ebeveyn ile oluşturulan 6 farklı popülasyon materyal olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu ebeveynler kullanılarak 2015 ve 2016 yıllarında Nesil Ortalama Analizine (NAO) uygun bir tohumluk setinde yer alan 6 nesil (P1, P2, F1, F2, GM1 ve GM2) tesadüf blokları deneme desenine göre üç tekerrürlü olarak tarla denemesine alınmıştır. Çalışmada tek bitki verimi, yağ oranı, protein oranı, lisin içeriği, triptofan içeriği, oleik asit içeriği, karotenoid içeriği hakıında ölçümler yapılmıştır. Toplanan veriler Nesil Ortalama Analizine (NOA) uygun istatistik model kullanılak analiz edilmiştir. Bu analizler ile incelenen özelliklerin değişiminde rol oynayan gen etkilerinin yanı sıra ıslah çalışmaları için kaynak materyal olarak kullanılabilecek popülasyonlar belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca incelenen özellikler için heterosis ve hetebeltiosis değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Özellikler arası korelasyonlar tüm veriler üzerinden ve popülasyon düzeyinde hesaplanarak popülasyon düzeyindeki değişimler irdelenmiştir. İncelenen özelliklerin büyük kısmının eklemeli genlerin kontrolünde olduğu gözlenmiştir. Kullanılan popülasyonlar içerisinde IHO×PR ve IHP×PR popülasyonları incelenen özellikler bakımından ümitvar bulunmuştur. Ortalama heterosis ve heterobeltiosis değerleri, incelenen özelliklerden tek bitki verimi ve karotenoid içeriği için pozitif yönde, diğer özelliklerin ise negatif yönde bulunmuştur. Bazı ailelerde verim ile birlikte tane kalite özelliklerinin geliştirilebileceği anlaşılmıştır.
Öncel ve çıktılarıyla akademisyenlerde örgütsel adalet algısı: Türkiye’de yapılmış çalışmaların sistematik analizi
Authors: TÜLÜBAŞ Tijen
Published: May 2021

Sistematik literatür analizi, belirli bir konu üzerine önceden yapılmış araştırmaların taranması, incelenmesi ve sentezlenmesi sonucu konu ile ilgili bütüncül ve eleştirel sonuçlar ortaya koyan ve bu yönüyle literatüre ve uygulayıcılara katkıda bulunabilecek bir araştırma yöntemi olarak kabul görmektedir. Bu yöntemle gerçekleştirilmiş mevcut çalışma, özellikle örgütsel adalet algısının çeşitli örgütsel değişkenlerle ilişkilerini son yirmi yılda Türkiye’de akademisyenlerin örgütsel adalet algısı üzerine yapılmış araştırmalar üzerinden irdelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Örgütsel adalet, işgörenlerin, örgüt işleyişinde kendilerine ne derece adaletli davranıldığı ile ilgili algı ve inançlarını ifade etmektedir. Örgütün amaçlarına ulaşmasında önemli etkileri olan pek çok olumlu-olumsuz örgütsel davranışla ilişkilendirilen örgütsel adalet algısının özellikle akademisyenler gibi eğitim düzeyi yüksek işgörenlerin çalıştığı örgütlerde çok daha önemli etkileri olabildiği düşünülmektedir. Ülkemizde akademisyenlerin adalet algısını araştıran çalışmalar olmakla birlikte, bu çalışmaların bulgularını bütüncül olarak ortaya koyan sistematik bir araştırmaya rastlanmamıştır. Bu boşluğu doldurarak alanyazına katkısı olabileceği düşünülen bu araştırmaya akademisyenlerde örgütsel adalet algısını bağımlı, bağımsız ve/veya aracı değişken olarak incelemiş ve 2000-2020 yılları arasında hakemli dergilerde yayınlanmış toplam 23 çalışma dâhil edilmiştir. Analiz sürecinde akademisyenlerin adalet algı düzeyi ve demografik değişkenlerle ilişkisine yönelik veriler ile örgütsel adalet algısının öncelleri ve çıktılarına yönelik bulgular sentezlenmiştir. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular ışığında Türkiye’de akademide örgütsel adalet algısının mevcut durumuna yönelik bir çerçeve çizilmiş, belirsizlikler ve eksiklikler belirtilmiş, ayrıca gelecek araştırmalara yön verebilecek önerilerde bulunulmuştur.
Simulation of the Electrochemical Impedance in a Three-Dimensional, Complex Microstructure of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode and Its Application in the Microstructure Characterization
Authors: Goel Vishwas , Cox Dalton , Barnett Scott A. , Thornton Katsuyo
Published: May 2021

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful technique for material characterization and diagnosis of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) as it enables separation of different phenomena such as bulk diffusion and surface reaction that occur simultaneously in the SOFC. In this work, we simulate the electrochemical impedance in an experimentally determined, three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of a mixed ion-electron conducting (MIEC) SOFC cathode. We determine the impedance response by solving the mass conservation equation in the cathode under the conditions of an AC load across the cathode’s thickness and surface reaction at the pore/solid interface. Our simulation results reveal a need for modifying the Adler-Lane-Steele model, which is widely used for fitting the impedance behavior of a MIEC cathode, to account for the difference in the oscillation amplitudes of the oxygen vacancy concentration at the pore/solid interface and within the solid bulk. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the effective tortuosity is dependent on the frequency of the applied AC load as well as the material properties, and thus the prevalent practice of treating tortuosity as a constant for a given cathode should be revised. Finally, we propose a method of determining the aforementioned dependence of tortuosity on material properties and frequency by using the EIS data.
Analysis of the Prognostic Value and Potential Molecular Mechanisms of TREM-1 Overexpression in Papillary Thyroid Cancer via Bioinformatics Methods
Authors: Xie Zhenyu , Li Xin , He Yuzhen , Wu Song , Wang Shiyue , Sun Jianjian , He Yuchen , Lun Yu , Xin Shijie , Zhang Jian
Published: May 2021

Background

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) has been reported as a biomarker in many cancers. However, the biological function of TREM-1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains unknown.

Methods

We obtained TREM-1 expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Enrichment analysis of coexpressed genes and TREM-1 methylation analysis were performed via LinkedOmics. The correlations between TREM-1 and immune infiltrates were investigated via ESTIMATE, TIMER and TISIDB. We analyzed the association of TREM-1 expression with pan-cancer overall survival via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA).

Results

TREM-1 has lower methylation levels and higher expression levels in PTC tissues compared to normal tissues. TREM-1 expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis, advanced T classification, advanced N classification, and an increased incidence of BRCA2 and BRAF mutations. Genes coexpressed with TREM-1 primarily participate in immune-related pathways. TREM-1 expression is positively correlated with immune infiltration, tumor progression and poor overall survival across cancers.

Conclusions

TREM-1 is a good prognostic and diagnostic biomarker in PTC. TREM-1 may promote thyroid cancer progression through immune-related pathways. Methylation may act as an upstream regulator of TREM-1 expression and biological function. Additionally, TREM-1 has broad prognostic value in a pan-cancer cohort.
Effect of COVID-19 on Male Reproductive System – A Systematic Review
Authors: He Yanfei , Wang Jie , Ren Junlin , Zhao Yubo , Chen Jing , Chen Xuejiao
Published: May 2021

Background

Angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2), a receptor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to enter host cells, is widely expressed in testes and prostate tissues. The testis and prostate produce semen. At present, there are contradictory reports about whether SARS-CoV-2 can exist in the semen of infected men.

Objective

To provide a comprehensive overview of the topic of whether COVID-19 can impact on male reproductive system.

Methods

We reviewed the relevant publications on the possible impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on male reproductive system and summarized the latest and most important research results so far. Literature published in English from December 2019 to January 31, 2021 regarding the existence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen, testis, and prostatic fluid and the effects of COVID-19 on male reproductive were included.

Results

We identified 28 related studies, only one of which reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen. The study found that the semen quality of patients with moderate infection was lower than that of patients with mild infection and healthy controls. The impaired semen quality may be related to fever and inflammation. Pathological analysis of the testis/epididymis showed that SARS-CoV-2 viral particles were positive in 10 testicular samples, and the spermatogenic function of the testis was impaired. All 94 expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Conclusion

The likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 in the semen of COVID-19 patients is very small, and semen should rarely be regarded as a carrier of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. However, COVID-19 may cause testicular spermatogenic dysfunction via immune or inflammatory reactions. Long-term follow-up is needed for COVID-19 male patients and fetuses conceived during the father’s infection period.
Liver and Kidney Function Biomarkers, Blood Cell Traits and Risk of Severe COVID-19: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Wang Kai , Qu Minghan , Ding Lin , Shi Xian , Wang Chaolong , Cheng Shanshan , Hao Xingjie
Published: May 2021

The pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed an enormous threat to human health. According to observational studies, abnormal liver and kidney functions and blood cell traits were associated with severe COVID-19, yet the causal risk factors for COVID-19 severity and the underlying mechanism remained elusive. We performed Mendelian randomization analyses to assess the potential causal role of eight liver function biomarkers, one kidney function biomarker, and 14 hematological traits on COVID-19 severity using genetic association summary statistics from Europeans. Our findings showed that albumin, direct bilirubin, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin are casually associated with the risk of severe COVID-19. Notably, lymphocyte count and mean corpuscular hemoglobin had an independent effect on severe COVID-19 risk. These causal evidences provide insights into directions for the risk stratification of individuals with abnormal liver function or blood cell indices and motivate more studies to unveil the roles of these abnormalities in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
Aspects of the Tumor Microenvironment Involved in Immune Resistance and Drug Resistance
Authors: Khalaf Khalil , Hana Doris , Chou Jadzia Tin-Tsen , Singh Chandpreet , Mackiewicz Andrzej , Kaczmarek Mariusz
Published: May 2021

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and ever-changing “rogue organ” composed of its own blood supply, lymphatic and nervous systems, stroma, immune cells and extracellular matrix (ECM). These complex components, utilizing both benign and malignant cells, nurture the harsh, immunosuppressive and nutrient-deficient environment necessary for tumor cell growth, proliferation and phenotypic flexibility and variation. An important aspect of the TME is cellular crosstalk and cell-to-ECM communication. This interaction induces the release of soluble factors responsible for immune evasion and ECM remodeling, which further contribute to therapy resistance. Other aspects are the presence of exosomes contributed by both malignant and benign cells, circulating deregulated microRNAs and TME-specific metabolic patterns which further potentiate the progression and/or resistance to therapy. In addition to biochemical signaling, specific TME characteristics such as the hypoxic environment, metabolic derangements, and abnormal mechanical forces have been implicated in the development of treatment resistance. In this review, we will provide an overview of tumor microenvironmental composition, structure, and features that influence immune suppression and contribute to treatment resistance.
Immunometabolism: Towards a Better Understanding the Mechanism of Parasitic Infection and Immunity
Authors: Chen Jing-yue , Zhou Ji-kai , Pan Wei
Published: May 2021

As a relatively successful pathogen, several parasites can establish long-term infection in host. This “harmonious symbiosis” status relies on the “precise” manipulation of host immunity and metabolism, however, the underlying mechanism is still largely elusive. Immunometabolism is an emerging crossed subject in recent years. It mainly discusses the regulatory mechanism of metabolic changes on reprogramming the key transcriptional and post-transcriptional events related to immune cell activation and effect, which provides a novel insight for understanding how parasites regulate the infection and immunity in hosts. The present study reviewed the current research progress on metabolic reprogramming mechanism exploited by parasites to modulate the function in various immune cells, highlighting the future exploitation of key metabolites or metabolic events to clarify the underlying mechanism of anti-parasite immunity and design novel intervention strategies against parasitic infection.
The Effect of Anti-seizure Medications on the Propagation of Epileptic Activity: A Review
Authors: Khateb Mohamed , Bosak Noam , Herskovitz Moshe
Published: May 2021

The propagation of epileptiform events is a highly interesting phenomenon from the pathophysiological point of view, as it involves several mechanisms of recruitment of neural networks. Extensive in vivo and in vitro research has been performed, suggesting that multiple networks as well as cellular candidate mechanisms govern this process, including the co-existence of wave propagation, coupled oscillator dynamics, and more. The clinical importance of seizure propagation stems mainly from the fact that the epileptic manifestations cannot be attributed solely to the activity in the seizure focus itself, but rather to the propagation of epileptic activity to other brain structures. Propagation, especially when causing secondary generalizations, poses a risk to patients due to recurrent falls, traumatic injuries, and poor neurological outcome. Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) affect propagation in diverse ways and with different potencies. Importantly, for drug-resistant patients, targeting seizure propagation may improve the quality of life even without a major reduction in simple focal events. Motivated by the extensive impact of this phenomenon, we sought to review the literature regarding the propagation of epileptic activity and specifically the effect of commonly used ASMs on it. Based on this body of knowledge, we propose a novel classification of ASMs into three main categories: major, minor, and intermediate efficacy in reducing the propagation of epileptiform activity.
Altered Gut Microbiota in a Fragile X Syndrome Mouse Model
Authors: Altimiras Francisco , Garcia José Antonio , Palacios-García Ismael , Hurley Michael J. , Deacon Robert , González Bernardo , Cogram Patricia
Published: May 2021

The human gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the human digestive system. Several studies have related gut microbiome variants to metabolic, immune and nervous system disorders. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder considered the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and the leading monogenetic cause of autism. The role of the gut microbiome in FXS remains largely unexplored. Here, we report the results of a gut microbiome analysis using a FXS mouse model and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. We identified alterations in the fmr1 KO2 gut microbiome associated with different bacterial species, including those in the genera Akkermansia, Sutterella, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, Odoribacter, Turicibacter, Flexispira, Bacteroides, and Oscillospira. Several gut bacterial metabolic pathways were significantly altered in fmr1 KO2 mice, including menaquinone degradation, catechol degradation, vitamin B6 biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and nucleotide metabolism. Several of these metabolic pathways, including catechol degradation, nucleotide metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis, were previously reported to be altered in children and adults with autism. The present study reports a potential association of the gut microbiome with FXS, thereby opening new possibilities for exploring reliable treatments and non-invasive biomarkers.
Association of Preoperative NANOG-Positive Circulating Tumor Cell Levels With Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lei Yongrong , Wang Xishu , Sun Heng , Fu Yuna , Tian Yichen , Yang Ludi , Wang Jianhua , Xia Feng
Published: May 2021

Background

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been proposed as fundamental causes for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CTCs isolated from patients with HCC illustrate a unique Nanog expression profile analysis. The aim of this study was to enhance the prediction of recurrence and prognosis of the CTC phenotype in patients with HCC by combining Nanog expression into a combined forecasting model.

Subjects, Materials, and Methods

We collected 320 blood samples from 160 patients with HCC cancer before surgery and used CanPatrol™ CTC enrichment technology and in situ hybridization (ISH) to enrich and detect CTCs and CSCs. Nanog expression in all CTCs was also determined. In addition, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to study the expression of Nanog, E-Cadherin, and N-Cadherin in liver cancer tissues and to conduct clinical correlation studies.

Results

The numbers of EpCAM mRNA+ CTCs and Nanog mRNA+ CTCs were strongly correlated with postoperative HCC recurrence (CTC number (P = 0.03), the total number of mixed CTCS (P = 0.02), and Nanog> 6.7 (P = 0.001), with Nanog > 6.7 (P = 0.0003, HR = 2.33) being the most crucial marker. There are significant differences in the expression of Nanog on different types of CTC: most Epithelial CTCs do not express Nanog, while most of Mixed CTC and Mesenchymal CTC express Nanog, and their positive rates are 38.7%, 66.7%, and 88.7%, respectively, (P=0.0001). Moreover, both CTC (≤/> 13.3) and Nanog (≤/>6.7) expression were significantly correlated with BCLC stage, vascular invasion, tumor size, and Hbv-DNA (all P < 0.05). In the young group and the old group, patients with higher Nanog expression had a higher recurrence rate. (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The number of Nanog-positive cells showed positive correlation with the poor prognosis of HCC patients. The detection and analysis of CTC markers (EpCAM and CK8, 18, CD45 Vimentin,Twist and 19) and CSCs markers (NANOG) are of great value in the evaluation of tumor progression.
Molecular and Clinical Characterization of UBE2S in Glioma as a Biomarker for Poor Prognosis and Resistance to Chemo-Radiotherapy
Authors: Hu Li , Cheng Xingbo , Binder Zev , Han Zhibin , Yin Yibo , O’Rourke Donald M. , Wang Sida , Feng Yumeng , Weng Changjiang , Wu Anhua , Lin Zhiguo
Published: May 2021

Glioblastoma is the most common and lethal brain cancer globally. Clinically, this cancer has heterogenous molecular and clinical characteristics. Studies have shown that UBE2S is highly expressed in many cancers. But its expression profile in glioma, and the correlation with clinical outcomes is unknown. RNA sequencing data of glioma samples was downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 114 cases of glioma tissue samples (WHO grades II-IV) were used to conduct protein expression assays. The molecular and biological characteristics of UBE2S, and its prognostic value were analyzed. The results showed that high UBE2S expression was associated with a higher grade of glioma and PTEN mutations. In addition, UBE2S affected the degree of malignancy of glioma and the development of chemo-radiotherapy resistance. It was also found to be an independent predictor of worse survival of LGG patients. Furthermore, we identified five UBE2S ubiquitination sites and found that UBE2S was associated with Akt phosphorylation in malignant glioblastoma. The results also revealed that UBE2S expression was negatively correlated with 1p19q loss and IDH1 mutation; positively correlated with epidermal growth factor receptor amplification and PTEN mutation. This study demonstrates that UBE2S expression strongly correlates with glioma malignancy and resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. It is also a crucial biomarker of poor prognosis.
Revisiting Surgical Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Microvascular Invasion
Authors: Zhang Er-lei , Cheng Qi , Huang Zhi-yong , Dong Wei
Published: May 2021

Although liver resection (LR) and liver transplantation (LT) are widely considered as potentially curative therapies for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, there is still high risk of tumor recurrence in majority of HCC patients. Previous studies demonstrated that the presence of microvascular invasion (MVI), which was defined as the presence of tumor emboli within the vessels adjacent to HCC, was one of the key factors of early HCC recurrence and poor surgical outcomes after LR or LT. In this review, we evaluated the impact of current MVI status on surgical outcomes after curative therapies and aimed to explore the surgical strategies for HCC based on different MVI status with evidence from pathological examination. Surgical outcomes of HCC patients with MVI have been described as a varied range after curative therapies due to a broad spectrum of current definitions for MVI. Therefore, an international consensus on the validated definition of MVI in HCC is urgently needed to provide a more consistent evaluation and reliable prediction of surgical outcomes for HCC patients after curative treatments. We concluded that MVI should be further sub-classified into MI (microvessel invasion) and MPVI (microscopic portal vein invasion); for HCC patients with MPVI, local R0 resection with a narrow or wide surgical margin will get the same surgical results. However, for HCC patients with MI, local surgical resection with a wide and negative surgical margin will get better surgical outcomes. Nowadays, MVI status can only be reliably confirmed by histopathologic evaluation of surgical specimens, limiting its clinical application. Taken together, preoperative assessment of MVI is of utmost significance for selecting a reasonable surgical modality and greatly improving the surgical outcomes of HCC patients, especially in those with liver cirrhosis.