bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Healthcare-related Charges in Women with BRCA Mutations and Breast Cancer 
Authors: Biskupiak Joseph , Unni Sudhir , Telford Claire , Yoo Minkyoung , Ye Xiangyang , Deka Rishi , Brixner Diana , Stenehjem David
Published: January 2021

BackgroundBreast cancer costs were estimated at $16.5 billion in 2010 and were higher than other cancer costs. There are limited studies on breast cancer charges and costs by BRCA mutations and receptor status. We examined overall health care and breast cancer-related charges by BRCA status (BRCAm vs. BRCAwt), receptor status (HER2+ vs. HER2-), and treatment setting (neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant). MethodsRetrospective cohort study of charge data from 1995-2014 in an academic medical center. Facilities, physician, pharmacy, and diagnosis-related charges were presented as mean and median charges with standard deviation (SD) and interquartile ranges (25%-75%). Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to assess statistically significant differences in charges between comparators. ResultsTotal median breast-cancer related charges were $65,414 for BRCAm and $54,635 for BRCAwt (p=0.19); however all-cause charges were higher for BRCAm patients ($145,066 vs. $119,119, p<0.001). HER2+ status was associated with higher median breast cancer charges ($152,159 vs. $44,087, p<0.0001) that was driven by the charges for biological agents. Patients initially seen in the neoadjuvant setting had higher mean breast cancer charges than in the adjuvant setting ($117,922 vs. $80,061, p<0.0001).ConclusionBRCA mutation status was not associated with higher breast cancer charges but HER2+ status had significantly higher charges, due to charges for biological agents. Patients who initially received neoadjuvant treatment had significantly higher overall treatment charges than adjuvant therapy patients. With the advent of novel therapies for BRCAm, the economic impact of these treatments will be important to consider relative to their survival benefits.
A Preliminary Clinical Trial to Evaluate 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab as a Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Agent in Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Lee Inki , Lim Ilhan , Byun Byung Hyun , Kim Byung Il , Choi Chang Woon , Woo Sang-Keun , Kim Kwang Il , Lee Kyo Chul , Kang Joo Hyun , Seong Min-Ki , Kim Hyun-Ah , Noh Woo Chul , Lim Sang Moo
Published: January 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the biodistribution and safety of 64Cu-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-Trastuzumab, a novel 64Cu-labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in patients with breast cancer.Methods: PET images at 1, 24, and 48 h after 296 MBq of 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab injection were obtained from seven patients with breast cancer. Both the primary tumors’ and metastatic lesions’ maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was evaluated. The mean SUVmax (SUVmean) was evaluated in the other organs, including the blood pool, liver, kidney, muscle, spleen, bladder, and the lungs, as well as the bones. Moreover, the internal radiation dosimetry was calculated using the OLINDA/EXM software. Safety was assessed based on feedback regarding adverse reactions and safety-related issues within 1 month after 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab administration.Results: 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab PET images showed that the overall SUVmean values in each organ negatively correlated with time. The liver’s average SUVmean values were measured at 5.3 ± 0.7, 4.8 ± 0.6, and 4.4 ± 0.5 on 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after injection, respectively. The average SUVmean blood values were measured at 13.1 ± 0.9, 9.1 ± 1.2, and 7.1 ± 1.9 on 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after injection, respectively. The SUVmax of HER2-positive tumors were relatively higher than HER2-negative tumors (8.6 ± 5.1 and 5.2 ± 2.8 on 48 h after injection, respectively). Tumor-to-background ratios were higher in the HER2-positive tumors than in the HER2-negative tumors. No adverse events related to 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab were reported. The calculated effective dose with a 296 MBq injection of 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab was 2.96 mSv. The highest absorbed dose was observed in the liver (0.076 mGy/MBq), followed by the spleen (0.063 mGy/MBq), kidney (0.044 mGy/MBq), and heart wall (0.044 mGy/MBq).Conclusions: 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab showed a specific uptake at the HER2-expressing tumors, thus making it a feasible and safe monitoring tool of HER2 tumor status in patients with breast cancer.Trial registration: CRIS, KCT0002790. Registered 02 February 2018, https://cris.nih.go.kr
Comparative analysis of clinical factors associated with pedicle screw pull-out during or immediately after surgery between intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography and postoperative computed tomography 
Authors: Sumiya Satoshi , Fukushima Kazuyuki , Kurosa Yoshiro , Hirai Takashi , Inose Hiroyuki , Yoshii Toshitaka , Okawa Atsushi
Published: January 2021

Background No studies to date have elucidated the clinical factors associated with pedicle screw pull-out during or immediately after surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of pedicle screw pull-out by comparing intraoperative scans obtained using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) with postoperative scans obtained using computed tomography (CT). We also sought to determine the incidence of pedicle screw pull-out and identify relevant risk factors. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data for 742 pedicle screws placed in 76 consecutive patients who underwent at least triple-level posterior fixation for thoracic or lumbar spinal injury, spinal metastasis, or pyogenic spondylitis between April 2014 and July 2020. Pedicle screw pull-out distance in the axial and sagittal planes was compared between CT scans obtained 2 days postoperatively and CBCT images acquired intraoperatively. Risk factors associated with pedicle screw pull-out were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Pedicle screw pull-out was seen with 58 pedicle screws (7.8%) in 26 patients (34.2%). There were significant differences in age, number of fused segments, frequency of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), and medical history of osteoporosis for pedicle screw pull-out. Risk factors for pedicle screw pull-out were older age (odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.130) and a diagnosis of DISH (odds ratio 3.35, 95% confidence interval 1.12–10.00). Several cases suggest that use of connecting rods was an important factor in intraoperative pedicle screw pull-out. Conclusions Our findings suggest that age, number of fused segments, presence of DISH, and medical history of osteoporosis are risk factors for pedicle screw pull-out, with the greatest being older age and DISH.
Changes in hemodialysis catheter management after introduction of the end-stage renal disease prospective payment system
Authors: Roetker Nicholas S. , Guo Haifeng , Decker-Palmer Marquita , Peng Yi , Wetmore James
Published: January 2021

Background: We investigated whether implementation of the end-stage renal disease prospective payment system (ESRD PPS) was associated with changes in thrombolytic therapy use and other aspects of catheter management in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: Using quarterly, period prevalent cohorts of patients undergoing maintenance HD with a catheter in the US Renal Data System (2008-2015), we studied rates of claims for within- and outside-HD-unit thrombolytic use, and thrombus/fibrin sheath removal, and rates of delayed HD treatment after ESRD PPS implementation, January 1, 2011. Associations between PPS implementation and change in trend of rates of each outcome were assessed using covariate-adjusted Poisson regression, using a piecewise linear function for quarter-time (with breakpoint at PPS implementation). Results: Among an average of 69,428 quarterly catheter users, rates of claims for within-HD-unit thrombolytic use declined from 236.6 (Q1-2008) to 81.4 (Q4-2012) per 100 person-years ( P < 0.0001, PPS association with change in trend); rates of claims for thrombus/fibrin sheath removal procedures increased from 3.9 (Q1-2008) to 8.8 (Q3-2015) per 100 person-years ( P = 0.0001, PPS association with change in trend). Rates of delayed HD treatment increased from 1.6 (Q2-2008) to 2.3 (Q3-2015) per patient-quarter, although PPS implementation was associated with a decrease in this rising trend (1.6% increase per quarter pre-PPS, 1.2% post-PPS; P < 0.0001, change in trend). ﻿Conclusions: After PPS implementation, thrombolytic use decreased and thrombus/fibrin sheath removal increased. The increasing trend in delayed HD treatment appeared to slow after PPS implementation, but delayed sessions continued to increase year over year for unclear reasons.
Associations of poor oral health with frailty and physical functioning in the oldest old: results from two studies in England and Japan
Authors: Albani Viviana , Nishio Kennsuke , Ito Tomoka , Kotronia Eftychia , Moynihan Paula , Robinson Louise , Hanratty Barbara , Kingston Andrew , Abe Yukiko , Takayama Michiyo , Iinuma Toshimitsu , Arai Yasumichi , Ramsay Sheena E
Published: January 2021

Background: Very few studies have examined the relationship of oral health with physical functioning and frailty in the oldest old (>85 years). We examined the association of poor oral health with markers of disability, physical function and frailty in studies of oldest old in England and Japan.Methods: The Newcastle 85+ Study in England (n=853) and the Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health (TOOTH; n=542) comprise random samples of people aged >85 years. Oral health markers included tooth loss, dryness of mouth, difficulty swallowing and self-reported difficulty eating due to dental problems. Physical functioning was based on grip strength and gait speed; disability was assessed as mobility limitations. Frailty was ascertained using the Fried frailty phenotype. Cross-sectional analyses were undertaken using logistic regression.Results: In the Newcastle 85+ Study, dry mouth symptoms, difficulty swallowing, difficulty eating, and tooth loss were associated with increased risks of mobility limitations after adjustment for gender, socioeconomic position, behavioural factors and co-morbidities [odds ratios (95%CIs) were 1.76 (1.26-2.46); 2.52 (1.56-4.08); 2.89 (1.52-5.50); 2.59 (1.44-4.65) respectively]. Similar results were observed for slow gait speed. Difficulty eating was associated with weak grip strength and frailty on full adjustment. In the TOOTH Study, difficulty eating was associated with increased risks of frailty, mobility limitations and slow gait speed; and complete tooth loss was associated with increased risk of frailty.Conclusion: Different markers of poor oral health are independently associated with worse physical functioning and frailty in the oldest old age groups. Research to understand the underlying pathways is needed.
The influence of near-field fluxes on seasonal carbon dioxide enhancements: Results from the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX)
Authors: MILES NATASHA , Davis Kenneth J. , Richardson Scott J. , Lauvaux Thomas , Martins Douglas K. , Deng A.J. , Balashov Nikolay , Gurney Kevin R. , Liang Jianming , Roest Geoff , Wang Jonathan A. , Turnbull Jocelyn C.
Published: January 2021

BackgroundNetworks of tower-based CO2 mole fraction sensors have been deployed in and around cities across the world to quantify anthropogenic CO2 emissions from metropolitan areas. A critical aspect in these approaches is the separation of atmospheric signatures from distant sources and sinks (i.e., the background) from local emissions and biogenic fluxes. We examined CO2 enhancements compared to forested and agricultural background towers in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, as a function of season and compared them to modeled results, as a part of the Indianapolis Flux (INFLUX) project.ResultsAt the INFLUX urban tower sites, daytime growing season enhancement on a monthly timescale was up to 4.3 – 6.5 ppm, 2.6 times as large as those in the dormant season, on average. The enhancement differed significantly depending on choice of background and time of year, being 2.8 ppm higher in June and 1.8 ppm lower in August using a forested background tower compared to an agricultural background tower. A prediction based on land cover and observed CO2 fluxes showed that differences in phenology and drawdown intensities drove measured differences in enhancements. Forward modelled CO2 enhancements using fossil fuel and biogenic fluxes indicated growing season model-data mismatch of 1.1 ± 1.7 ppm for the agricultural background and 2.1 ± 0.5 ppm for the forested background, corresponding to 25 – 29 % of the modelled CO2 enhancements. The model-data total CO2 mismatch during the dormant season was low, – 0.1 ± 0.5 ppm. ConclusionsBecause growing season biogenic fluxes at the background towers are large, the urban enhancements must be disentangled from the biogenic signal, and growing season increases in CO2 enhancement could be misinterpreted as increased anthropogenic fluxes if the background ecosystem CO2 drawdown is not considered. The magnitude and timing of enhancements depend on the land cover type and net fluxes surrounding each background tower, so a simple box model is not appropriate for interpretation of these data. Quantification of the seasonality and magnitude of the biological fluxes in the study region using high-resolution and detailed biogenic models is necessary for the interpretation of tower-based urban CO2 networks for cities with significant vegetation.
Multiorgan failure with fatal outcome after stem cell tourism
Authors: Večerić-Haler Željka , Borštnar Špela , Luzar Boštjan , Jerše Maja , Kojc Nika
Published: January 2021

Background: unproven stem cell treatments may involve serious health, personal and financial considerations. Due to worldwide spread, illegal stem cell therapies have become a major public health problem. We have already witnessed numerous reports in the mass media of severe and occasionally even fatal outcomes after such therapies. However, there are only few scientifically documented cases in which the causality between stem cell therapy and side effects cannot be refuted. Case presentation: here we present a case report of a 48-years old patient with serious side effects including disseminated skin ulcers, hepatitis and cardiomyopathy with eventual fatal outcome following unproven stem cell treatment. Conclusions: the case of the patient presented here draws attention to the worst possible outcome of stem cell tourism. To effectively combat this issue, professionals and patients should be empowered with the right knowledge on possible side effects.
Adopting E-commerce Technology for SME’s (Case study in Tangerang, Indonesia)
Authors: Nadia Nadia , Tanuar Evawaty , Kurniati T Agnes
Published: January 2021

E-commerce is one of the trend technology to help a business. It can help business for the marketing, simplyfy and facilitate business steps, reach out the diﬀerent and much more potential customers. Though there are so many beneft of e-commerce, are the Small Medium Enterprise, especially Micro Enterprise able to take that opportunities? To distribute and introduce E-commerce adn it’s advantage, workshop and mentoring conducted for 31 Micro enterprise was held in Tangerang. The participant learning about e-commerce and try to implement their business using that. Participant able to adapt to e-commerce and also compare get knowladge for diﬀerent type of e-commerce on their understanding. In the usability testing, shows that the participant able to use the application and doing transaction. While the impact on the business itself still need to be explore more in future.
The Perceived Views of Principals and Supervisors towards Their Ethical Leadership in Some Selected Primary Schools of Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Alemu Birhanu Sintayehu , Abdillahi Bahar Adem
Published: January 2021

The research’s objectives were to assess the extent to which principals and supervisors practice ethical code of conduct in leading teachers in primary schools, identify differences among leaders related to their personal characteristics, and identify immoral practices leaders experience in the schools. The research participants were 120 principals, 63 supervisors, and 62 teachers selected using stratified and available sampling techniques. The quantitative data obtained through questionnaire were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the research reveal that school leaders are moderately ethical in their schools’ administration. There is no significant difference in the dimensions of ethical leadership practice with reference to positions and fields of study school leaders possess. However, there is a significant difference in experience in a leadership position and academic qualification as well as between males and females. Teachers perceive that school leaders use mainly deception, abuse, harassment of subordinates, diminished dignity of employees, and breach of the agreement. It is suggested that school leaders should have professional scaffolding and training in fostering ethical leadership behavior to lead schools successfully. Those interested may conduct more detailed research considering secondary schools.
Investigating the Use of Project-Based Learning in Enhancing Indonesian University Students’ Cultural Knowledge
Authors: Aguskin Lewinna , Maryani Maryani
Published: January 2021

The research investigated the use of email interview to develop the critical thinking and creativity of the university students in American culture classes. The students conducted email interview with Americans for group project and had group discussion with the Americans. Learning culture was an integral part of learning a language, which was crucial for the Englsih as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners to develop their awareness and understanding of the rich and dynamic cultural aspects of the target language. Thus, providing cultural experiences through project-based learning (PBL) would be motivating for the language learners in exploring the target culture. The data were collected from students’ open-ended online questionnaire and observation notes, which contain students’ interview result and their presentation slides. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used in analyzing the data. The findings indicate that the use of project-based approach is helpful to enhance the students’ understanding and critical thinking skills. Moreover, it is found that the students’ positive attitude has increased due to the use of PBL. They are more critical towards the cultural phenomenon since their communication skill has developed.
SOME LIMITATIONS ON THE CONTROLLABILITY OF THE REFERENT IN TURKISH DEMONSTRATIVES
Authors: BALPINAR Metin
Published: January 2021

More recent linguistic works on Turkish demonstratives have turned their attention to the concept of controllability which is one of the pragmatico-semantic parameters and which conditions the occurrence of the text-dependent (non-anaphoric) usages of bu and o in the verbal text. In this study, it is shown that Turkish has a phenomenon which cannot be purely explained in terms of this concept, and it is argued that (i) there are some limiting conditions determining the distribution of the non-anaphoric demonstratives other than this parameter in Turkish demonstrative use, (ii) the interchangeability between the antecedent noun and the co-referential noun is one of the crucial factors that are operative in the selection of the appropriate usages of the non-anaphoric bu and o, (iii) on the situation where the intended referent is within the controllable domain of the speaker, ‘bu’ is used to refer to it if the co-referential noun semantically contains the antecedent noun, and ‘o’ is used to refer to it if the antecedent noun contains the co-referential noun, (iv) on the situation where the referent is not within the controllable domain of the speaker, ‘o’ refers to it regardless of whether the co-referential noun semantically contains the antecedent noun or not, (v) time is a secondary factor conditioning whether the intended referent is within the controllable domain of the speaker or not.
Sosyal Demokrat Refah Devletlerinde Evrensel Temel Gelir: Finlandiya Örneği
Authors: Esenlikci Ahmet Cem , Engin Mehmet Ali
Published: January 2021

Esping-Andersen tarafından yapılan refah devleti sınıflandırmasında Sosyal Demokrat Refah Devletleri grubunda bulunan Finlandiya Avrupa’da evrensel temel gelir uygulamalarının öncüsü olarak görülmektedir. Finlandiya’da temel gelir uygulaması ilk kez 1971 yılında Samuli Paronen tarafından önerilmiş ve sonrasında temel gelir uygulaması ile ilgili birçok çalışma yapılmıştır. Finlandiya’da çeşitli dönemlerde yaşanan ekonomik krizler yüksek oranda ve uzun süreli işsizliğin ortaya çıkmasına sebep olmuş; işsizlik sorununun ortadan kaldırılmasında temel gelir uygulaması ön plana çıkmıştır. Juha Sipilä Hükümeti döneminde ilk kez ulusal temel gelir uygulaması tasarlanmış ve 2017-2018 yıllarını kapsayacak biçimde iki yıllık bir süre için hayata geçirilmiştir. Temel gelir uygulaması Finlandiya Sosyal Sigorta Kurumu olan Kela’dan işsizlik ücreti alan 25-58 yaş arası 2000 kişi üzerinde uygulanmıştır. Bu kişilere Kela tarafından vergilendirmeden muaf 560 Avro aylık ücret ödemesi yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, özellikle son dönemde, COVID salgını nedeni ile gündeme gelen evrensel temel gelir konusu literatürde yer alan çalışmalar ile incelenmekte ve Finlandiya uygulaması ile değerlendirilmektedir. Yapılan değerlendirmede evrensel temel gelirin istihdam ve refah açısından oldukça etkili olmasına rağmen, maliyet açısından uygulanmasının çok mümkün olmadığı sonucuna varılmıştır.
Adolescência e feminilidade no Anexo Secreto
Authors: Gomes Cândido Alberto da Costa
Published: January 2021

This paper focuses on adolescence development under difficult circumstances, the practice of a genocide. It analyses Anne Frank’s writings as forms of self-expression, according especially to Simmel and Foucault. The Secret Annex, her refuge, is a heterotopia or no place. Furthermore, this paper questions genocides as biopower since several millennia. In the context of power relations in her hideout, Anne achieves individuality, develops herself as a protagonist, and reaches her subjectivity. She interrelates the search for new femininities, political reflections and a rigorous self-criticism, leading her to continuous rethinking.
A Virtual Reality Game (The Secret Trail of Moon) for Treating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Rodrigo-Yanguas Maria , Martin-Moratinos Marina , Menendez-Garcia Angela , Gonzalez-Tardon Carlos , Royuela Ana , Blasco-Fontecilla Hilario
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 4% and 8% of children worldwide. The treatment of choice is multimodal treatment. Multimodal interventions for ADHD may be improved by incorporating new treatments, such as treatment via serious video games. The Secret Trail of Moon (TSTM) is a virtual reality serious video game that was designed for cognitive training related to core ADHD symptoms and executive dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to describe the development and usability of TSTM.

METHODS

The usability study included 37 children and adolescents who tested TSTM during the early usability stage (preinclusion) of a randomized controlled clinical trial for testing the effectiveness of TSTM. Chi-square tests were performed to compare patients with ADHD (ADHD combined subtype vs inattentive subtype) and to compare frequent and infrequent video game players in the second study. We used SPSS version 20 for Macintosh (IBM Corporation).

RESULTS

A total of 31/37 (86%) and 30/37 (83%) of participants liked playing TSTM and wanted to continue playing TSTM, respectively. Further, 5/37 (14%) of participants reported that they experienced either perceived dizziness or virtual reality motion sickness. We found no statistically significant differences after comparing the ADHD combined subtype to the inattentive subtype and frequent video game players to infrequent video game players.

CONCLUSIONS

Serious video games, such as TSTM, may complement the current multimodal approach for treating ADHD.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04355065; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04355065
Efficacy of a symptom self-management program with virtual reality device on inpatients post-acute myocardial infarction: A pilot randomized controlled trial (Preprint)
Authors: Klainin-Yobas Piyanee , KOH Karen Wei Ling , AMBHORE Anand Adinath , CHAI Ping , Lau Ying
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. AMI is associated with poorer quality of life and other psychological symptoms (such as stress, depression and anxiety). Effective psychosocial interventions are essential to help patients post-AMI manage with the psychological symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to test the efficacy of a newly-developed symptom self-management program on health outcomes among inpatients post-AMI

METHODS

A pilot randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial was utilized. A convenient sample of 90 was recruited from a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Adult inpatients with stable post-AMI were randomly assigned to the following three groups: IManage-VR, IManage-FF or control group. The IManage-VR and IManage-FF groups received standard care and a symptom self-management program through virtual-reality device or face-to-face method respectively. Two researchers delivered the interventions and assisted with relaxation practice. The control group received only standard care. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires and physiological instruments. Data analyses included univariate statistics, analysis of variance and repeated measure analysis of variance.

RESULTS

A total of 90 participants were recruited with 30 in each group. Results indicated that participants in the IManage-VR and IManage-FF group had significantly greater relaxation levels (Partial η2 = 0.11, 0.16), lower objective stress (Partial η2 =0.14, 0.06), and greater knowledge (Partial η2 = 0.62, 0.75) than those of the control group. The two intervention groups had lower subjective stress (Partial η2 = 0.04), depression (Partial η2 = 0.01), and anxiety (Partial η2 = 0.03) than the control but such differences did not achieve statistical significance. Furthermore, most participants (>90%) in the IManage-VR and IManage-FF groups reported that they were satisfied with the programs and they provided positive comments on the contents, educational materials and relaxation practice.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study supports the potential benefits and feasibility of the IManage-VR and IManage-FF interventions on stress, perceived relaxation, knowledge and patient satisfaction. Findings contribute to the current literature on psychosocial interventions for AMI where psychosocial educational materials could be added into the current cardiac rehabilitation programs. Future RCTs with multi-centered sites and larger sample size are required to further test the intervention.

CLINICALTRIAL

This study has been registered with International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial. Registration Number: ISRCTN61027816. http://www.controlled-trials.com/ ISRCTN61027816.
Local Differential Privacy in the Medical Domain to Protect Sensitive Information: Algorithm Development and Real-World Validation (Preprint)
Authors: Sung MinDong , Cha Dongchul , Park Yu Rang
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Privacy is of increasing interest in the present big data era, particularly the privacy of medical data. Specifically, differential privacy has emerged as the standard method for preservation of privacy during data analysis and publishing.

OBJECTIVE

Using machine learning techniques, we applied differential privacy to medical data with diverse parameters and checked the feasibility of our algorithms with synthetic data as well as the balance between data privacy and utility.

METHODS

All data were normalized to a range between –1 and 1, and the bounded Laplacian method was applied to prevent the generation of out-of-bound values after applying the differential privacy algorithm. To preserve the cardinality of the categorical variables, we performed postprocessing via discretization. The algorithm was evaluated using both synthetic and real-world data (from the eICU Collaborative Research Database). We evaluated the difference between the original data and the perturbated data using misclassification rates and the mean squared error for categorical data and continuous data, respectively. Further, we compared the performance of classification models that predict in-hospital mortality using real-world data.

RESULTS

The misclassification rate of categorical variables ranged between 0.49 and 0.85 when the value of ε was 0.1, and it converged to 0 as ε increased. When ε was between 102 and 103, the misclassification rate rapidly dropped to 0. Similarly, the mean squared error of the continuous variables decreased as ε increased. The performance of the model developed from perturbed data converged to that of the model developed from original data as ε increased. In particular, the accuracy of a random forest model developed from the original data was 0.801, and this value ranged from 0.757 to 0.81 when ε was 10-1 and 104, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We applied local differential privacy to medical domain data, which are diverse and high dimensional. Higher noise may offer enhanced privacy, but it simultaneously hinders utility. We should choose an appropriate degree of noise for data perturbation to balance privacy and utility depending on specific situations.
Digital Interventions on Healthy Lifestyle Management: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Chatterjee Ayan , Prinz Andreas , Gerdes Martin , Martinez Santiago
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Digital interventions have tremendous potential to improve well-being and health care conveyance by improving adequacy, proficiency, availability, and personalization. They have gained acknowledgment in interventions for the management of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, we are reviewing existing conceptual frameworks, digital intervention approaches, and associated methods to identify the impact of digital intervention on adopting a healthier lifestyle.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the impact of digital interventions on weight management in maintaining a healthy lifestyle (eg, regular physical activity, healthy habits, and proper dietary patterns).

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review to search the scientific databases (Nature, SpringerLink, Elsevier, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed) that included digital interventions on healthy lifestyle, focusing on preventing obesity and being overweight as a prime objective. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2020 were included. We used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and a framework for an evidence-based systematic review. Furthermore, we improved the review process by adopting the Rayyan tool and the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles.

RESULTS

Our initial searches identified 780 potential studies through electronic and manual searches; however, 107 articles in the final stage were cited following the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified methods for a successful digital intervention to promote a healthy lifestyle are self-monitoring, self-motivation, goal setting, personalized feedback, participant engagement, psychological empowerment, persuasion, digital literacy, efficacy, and credibility. In this study, we identified existing conceptual frameworks for digital interventions, different approaches to provide digital interventions, associated methods, and execution challenges and their impact on the promotion of healthy lifestyle management.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic literature review selected intervention principles (rules), theories, design features, ways to determine efficient interventions, and weaknesses in healthy lifestyle management from established digital intervention approaches. The results help us understand how digital interventions influence lifestyle management and overcome the existing shortcomings. It serves as a basis for further research with a focus on designing, developing, testing, and evaluating the generation of personalized lifestyle recommendations as a part of digital health interventions.
Factors affecting the satisfaction of importers and exporters on e-tax payment procedures at Ho Chi Minh City’s customs department
Authors: Aquino Perfecto G. , Jalagat Revenio C. , Le Doan Hoan , Thanh Ha Hoan Thin
Published: January 2021

The dramatic impact of E-commerce being the trend insofar as modern governance and management operations of most service agencies and entitites in most countries which in effect hastens the delivery of services for local and international clientele-customers. This study focuses on the service delivery in VietNam with the launching of its electronic tax payments both for its exporters and importers taking place in Ho Chi Minh City VietNam.
This study analyzes the factors affecting the satisfaction of importers and exporters on the quality of electronic tax payment services at the HCM city Customs Department, through the survey of 347 enterprises participating in electronic tax payment services. Research results show that there are 6 factors that affect the satisfaction of enterprises on the quality of electronic tax payment service: Trust; Sympathy; Service capabilities; Tangible Media; Transparency and Coordinate Implementation. In particular, Trust  has the strongest impact and Transparency has the lowest impact. Key recommendations suggest thatv actions and plans for improvement should be undertaken taking into consideration the above-mentioned six factors in delivering its E-Tax Payment system to stakeholders.
Análisis esfuerzo-deformación de concreto reforzado con fibras metálicas y polímeros
Authors: Campoy Bencomo Noe Abimael , Chavez Alegria Omar , Rojas González Eduardo , Gaxiola Camacho José Ramón , Millán Almaraz Jesús Roberto , de la Rosa Hernández Divya
Published: January 2021

Los concretos reforzados con fibras o polímeros (FRC, por sus siglas en inglés) son utilizados en pavimentos de aeropuertos, autopistas, tableros de puentes y pisos industriales. En este sentido, propiedades tales como la resistencia a la tensión, flexión, fatiga, al impacto, la capacidad de inhibir o evitar grietas, y la absorción de energía, se mejoran sustancialmente con el uso de mezclas de FRC. En esta investigación, se analiza el comportamiento del módulo de ruptura del concreto y su resistencia a la compresión considerando mezclas con diferentes porcentajes (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, y 1.50%) de fibra o polímero incorporado a los especímenes con base en cuatro tipos comerciales de estos: (1) fibra de acero ondulada, (2) fibra de acero con gancho en los extremos, (3) fibra de sintético trefilada, y (4) fibra de sintético ondulada. Con base en los resultados de esta investigación, no se observan incrementos significativos en la resistencia. Incluso, con altas proporciones de fibra, se tuvo un decremento en la trabajabilidad y en el revenimiento de la mezcla, los cuales fueron de cero para mezclas superiores al 1% de contenido de fibras o polímeros. También, se demuestra que la fibra con el mejor comportamiento es la de acero con gancho en los extremos. Por último, se documenta que el desempeño de las fibras se ve afectado por el tamaño de agregados, la granulometría completa, la relación grava/arena, y el revenimiento.
LITERATION WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS ABOUT THE HAZARD OF COVID-19 AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE MIND AND MENTAL PATTERN OF CHILDREN
Authors: Septia Emil , Laila Aruna , Rahmat Wahyudi
Published: January 2021

Literacy is very important for parents during a pandemic like today. Parental policy in observing information is highly demanded to understand whether the news obtained actually happened or was just a lie. Knowledge to understand related information with covid-19 really helps parents to organize the mindset and mental patterns of children. Because the information that is growing related to Covid-19 is very damaging to the mind and mental health of children. This happens because the child indirectly hears the danger of Covid-19 from people who are there surroundings, as well as from electronic media so. As a result, the child will feel afraid, because it is not accompanied by a clear explanation to the child about what he hears. For this reason, parental knowledge literacy plays a very important role in the development of children's thinking and mental patterns. The results of this workshop can be seen that the importance of linguistic literacy that needs to be known and controlled by the community, especially parents, to avoid the dangers of the Covid-19 outbreak and can affect the formation of children's thinking and mental patterns.
THE APPLICATION OF KIND OF CLASSROOM TEACHING CONTEXTUAL LEARNING ( CTL) THROUGH THE USE OF GOOGLE CLASSROOM FOR A PANDEMIC COVID 19 ECONOMICS TEACHER IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAMAN SISWA PADANG
Authors: Rahmania Meri
Published: January 2021

One of the media learning and an evaluation tool required teachers in the pendemi covid 19 this is google application that can be used classroom teachers in free in the learning process in the tissues .Google is a series of classroom produktivtas tools from google gmail are free , drive , and docs , made available to users google apps for education .Designed to help teachers or classroom teachers make and collect duty without using paper , including a feature to save time teachers like the ability to make a copy google docs automatically for each student .Classroom can also make folder drive for any task and each student , that they were still regularly .The desire to achieve in doing this is to provide humbling experience for teachers in using google online class which is very useful in the classroom covid 19 this pandemic
The Significant and Arguments for the Renewal of Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah
Authors: Rasyidi Aprizal Sulthon
Published: January 2021

The phenomenon of massive industrialisation has caused a number of critical and complex issues in social, cultural and ecological sectors. The most obvious one has been environmental degradation which is also related to the problem of entrenched ignorance. This certainly requires Muslims to immediately come up with solutions to these problems within the framework of Islamic thought. Unfortunately, Muslims have been considered inept and slow. Indeed, the orientation of thought in the Islamic world has been thus far dominated by the power of textualism, namely legal-formal interpretation with the dominance of linguistic approach. This article aims to critically diagnose and evaluate the problem of domination of the Islamic legal interpretation, especially in context of the conceptualisation of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. It is essential, since Muslim scholars initially have deemed maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah as a suitable solution to overcome textualism, yet it is still restrained by the supremacy of textualism. Consequently, its function is limited to mere method of legislation. Studies on maqāṣid textualism in the context of environmental degradation are non-existent. In order to fill the gap of this study, this article argues that maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah must be transformed. The main reason in supporting this argument is that maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah is an intellectual and historical product which is open to reconstruction. In addition, as an axiological discourse, it continuously evolves. Thus, this shows that the profane nature of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah  seems not immune to change
Colonización rectal por Enterobacterales productores de múltiples carbapenemasas: Reporte de un caso de coproducción
Authors: Josa-Montero Diego , Yusef-Mejía Soad , Julián Forero Alex , Leal Rafael , Rojas Julieth , Esparza Germán
Published: January 2021

El constante aumento de Enterobacterales productores de carbapenemasas (CPE) se constituye en un problema de salud pública a nivel mundial, por el impacto generado en la mortalidad de los pacientes. El tracto gastrointestinal es el principal reservorio de este tipo de microorganismos, por lo cual, la colonización rectal se convierte en un importante factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de posteriores infecciones. Una de las estrategias de vigilancia epidemiológica activa, es la búsqueda de pacientes colonizados, a través de cultivos de tamización para detectar estos microrganismos multirresistentes. Reportamos el caso de un paciente, con historia de sepsis de origen pulmonar, colonizado por Klebsiella pneumoniae con coproducción de carbapenemasas NDM + KPC y Escherichia coli con carbapenemasa NDM. Este hallazgo es cada vez más frecuente, lo cual implica un reto en su detección y diagnóstico. Se describen características del paciente, procedimientos realizados y hallazgos microbiológicos.
Notabilidad urbana, poder y evergetismo en la Guatemala colonial: el caso del capitán mulato Juan de Fuentes
Authors: Bonnefoy Baptiste
Published: January 2021

Este artículo examina las posibilidades y las limitaciones de las élites de color en Santiago de Guatemala entre finales del siglo XVII y principios del siglo XVIII. Para ello, estudia en detalle el caso del capitán y maestro dorador mulato Juan de Fuentes (1662-1722). El objetivo es dar cuenta de las prácticas y las estrategias de las élites de color para construir su notabilidad urbana. Este artículo muestra cómo las cofradías, las milicias y los gremios formaban un sistema y constituían las diferentes etapas de una notabilidad codificada, de la cual los libres de color no estaban necesariamente excluidos.
Sobre ojos que aún cerrados permiten ver: la representación simbólica del monacato femenino de reglas estrictas en el Barroco novohispano y sus dádivas de honor
Authors: Rodríguez Sánchez Nathaly
Published: January 2021

En el texto se busca descifrar el significado que tenían los ojos cerrados con los que se retrataba en la Nueva España, en especial en el siglo XVIII, a las religiosas que profesaban votos en órdenes estrictas. Con tal objetivo, partimos vislumbrando la concepción que el catolicismo tenía sobre la espiritualidad femenina durante el Barroco. Exploramos entonces la cultura monástica de las monjas descalzas y la lectura que se hacía de ellas como sujetos de vida espiritual de perfección. En medio de una sociedad estamental como la novohispana, tal imaginario proveía insumos para el honor familiar. Sobre esa base ubicamos la paradoja en la que se situaban estas monjas, una tramitada por los retratos de ojos cerrados: muertas para el mundo, pero reproductoras de su orden social.
Potential for leadless left bundle branch pacing for cardiac resynchronization: a case report
Authors: Elliott Mark , Sidhu Baldeep , Jarrett-Smith Lucy , Mehta Vishal , Gould Justin , Lee Angela , Niederer Steven , Rinaldi Christopher
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Left bundle branch pacing is a recently described form of
conduction system pacing which can correct left-bundle branch block and
deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The WiSE-CRT system
delivers leadless endocardial pacing and can improve symptoms and left
ventricular remodelling in CRT non-responders. Case Report: We describe
the case of a 57 year old male who underwent implantation of the
WiSE-CRT system after failed conventional CRT. Pacing the left bundle
during implant achieved superior electrical resynchronization and
equivalent hemodynamic response compared to pacing the lateral wall.
Conclusion: This case demonstrates the potential for leadless left
bundle branch pacing.
Severe hemolysis and vasoclusive crisis due to COVID-19 infection in a Sickle Cell Disease patient improved after Red Blood Cells exchange
Authors: Okar Lina , Rezek Mohamad , Gamil Amna , Mulkandathil Yahya , yassin mohamed
Published: January 2021

As the clinical course of COVID-19 infection in SCD patients is not
clear, close monitoring is essential. We emphasize that RBC exchange
should be offered early to avoid possible deterioration. We present a
case of COVID-19 infection in a SCD patient causing severe hemolysis,
that improved after RBC exchange.
Cytometric analysis of T cell phenotype using cytokine profiling for improved manufacturing of an EBV-specific T cell therapy.
Authors: Cooper Rachel , Kowalczuk Aleksandra , Wilkie Gwen , Vickers Mark , Campbell John , Turner Marc , Fraser Alasdair
Published: January 2021

Adoptive immunotherapy using Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-specific T cells
is a potentially curative treatment for patients with EBV-related
malignancies where other clinical options have proved ineffective. We
describe improved GMP-compliant culture and analysis processes for
conventional lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL)-driven EBV-specific T cell
manufacture, and describe an improved phenotyping approach for analyzing
T cell products. We optimized the current LCL-mediated clinical
manufacture of EBV-specific T cells to establish an improved process
using xenoprotein-free GMP-compliant reagents throughout, and compared
resulting products with our previous banked T cell clinical therapy. We
assessed effects of changes to LCL: T cell ratio in T cell expansion,
and developed a robust flow cytometric marker panel covering T cell
memory, activation, differentiation and intracellular cytokine release
to characterize T cells more effectively. These data were analyzed using
t-Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) algorithm. The optimized
GMP-compliant process resulted in reduced cell processing time and
improved retention and expansion of central memory T cells.
Multi-parameter flow cytometry determined the optimal protocol for LCL
stimulation and expansion of T cells and demonstrated that cytokine
profiling using IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ was able to determine the
differentiation status of T cells throughout culture and in the final
product. We show that fully GMP-compliant closed-process culture of
LCL-mediated EBV-specific T cells is feasible and profiling of T cells
through cytokine expression gives improved characterization of start
material, in-process culture conditions and final product. Visualization
of the complex multi-parameter flow cytometric data can be simplified
using t-SNE analysis.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in COVID-19: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Beckers Eline , Chouvel Pascale , Cassetto Valérie , Mustin Vincent
Published: January 2021

This report describes the case of a 53-year-old man with SARS-CoV-2
infection and occurrence of complete unilateral sensorineural hearing
loss, adding new evidence to the association between COVID-19 and
hearing loss. Whether this is the result of endothelial cell dysfunction
in the cochlea or central auditory pathways remains unclear.