bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene locus polymorphisms and expression levels of interleukin-1 in lumbar disc disease: a meta-analysis and immunohistochemical study
Authors: Jiang Hua , Xiao Qianyi , Zhang Ruijun , Wang Jiaqi , Meng Dihua , Zhan Xinli , Wei Qingjun
Published: October 2020

Background: To investigate the association between interleukin (IL)-1α (rs1800587), IL-1β (rs1143634) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (RN) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms, expression levels and lumbar disc disease (LDD).Methods: All relevant articles were searched from 4 databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % conﬁdence intervals (CI) were calculated to evaluate the association between IL-1 gene locus polymorphisms (rs1800587 in IL-1α, rs1143634 in IL-1β, VNTR in IL-1RN) and LDD susceptibility. Statistical analysis was conducted by Review Manager (Revman) 5.31 software. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to evaluate IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-1RN expressions in the normal and degenerated disc.Results: A total of 15 case-control studies (1455 cases and 2362 controls) were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that IL-1α rs1800587 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of LDD in overall population (T vs. C, OR=1.21, 95%CI=1.04-1.40, P=0.01). The subgroup analysis found a significant association between IL-1β rs1143634 polymorphism and LDD in Asian population (T vs. C, OR=0.61, 95%CI=0.39-0.96, P=0.03). Results of qRT-PCR and IHC demonstrated that expressions of IL-1α and IL-1-β were significantly increased in the degenerated disc. (all P<0.05 )Conclusion: IL-1α rs1800587 and IL-1β rs1143634 polymorphisms were significantly associated with LDD in overall population and in Asian population, respectively.
Policy insights for regional renewable energy deployment
Authors: Laurentis Carla De , Pearson Peter JG
Published: October 2020

Background The paper explores how regional actors engage with energy systems, flows and infrastructures in order to meet particular goals and offers a fine-tuned analysis of how differences arise, highlighting the policy-relevant insights that emerge. Methods Using a novel framework, the research performs a comparative case study analysis of three regions in Italy and two of the devolved territories of the UK, Wales and Scotland, drawing on interviews and documentary analysis.Results The paper shows that the socio-materialities of renewable energy enable a fine-tuned analysis of how institutions, governance and infrastructure can enable/constrain energy transitions and policy effectiveness at local and regional levels. The heuristic adopted highlights i) the institutions that matter for renewable energy and their varied effects on regional renewable energy deployment; ii) the range of agencies involved in strategically establishing, contesting and reproducing institutions, expectations, visions and infrastructure as renewable energy deployment unfolds at the regional level and iii) the nature and extent of infrastructure requirements for and constraints on renewable energy delivery and how they affect the regional capacity to shape infrastructure networks and facilitate renewable energy deployment. The paper shows how the regions investigated developed their institutional and governance capacity and made use of targets, energy visions and spatial planning to promote renewable energy deployment. The paper highlights that several mediating factors emerge from examining the interactions between regional physical resource endowments and energy infrastructure renewal. The analysis leads to several policy-relevant insights into what makes for renewable energy deployment. Conclusion The paper contributes to research that highlights the role of institutional variations and governance as foundations for geographical differences in the adoption of renewable energy and carries significant implications for policy thinking and implementation. It shows why and how policy-makers need to be more effective in balancing the range of goals/ interests for renewable energy deployment with the peculiarities and specificities of the regional contexts. The insights presented are useful to explain how energy choices and outcomes are shaped in particular places, how differences arise and operate in practice, and how they need to be taken into account in policy design and implementation.
The Effects of Ascorbic Acid Over Sepsis: Meta-analysis With Trial Sequential Analysis
Authors: Wang Ying , Zhuo Hui-chang , Lin Jiandong
Published: October 2020

Background: This meta-analysis is performed to evaluate the effects of AA on the mortality over sepsis patients, focusing on the courses and initiation of treatment as well as AA doses.Methods: Randomized controlled trials concerning sepsis patients treated with intravenous AA were included when searching the database. The meta-analysis was performed using the random (M-H heterogeneity) model to produce summary odds ratio with 95% CI. Trial sequential analysis was applied to evaluated the effect of random errors.Results: The included 12 trials enrolled a total of 1232 patients. Intravenously administration of AA could not lower 28-day mortality over sepsis patients (OR = 0.81; 95% CI (0.54-1.23); p = 0.326). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that when administrating AA alone, in a dose ≥ 10 g/d, or within 6 h of admission, the result may turn to positive (OR = 0.36; 95% CI (0.15-0.86); p = 0.020, OR = 0.50; 95% CI (0.27-0.92); p = 0.025, OR = 0.49; 95% CI (0.27-0.89); p = 0.019, relatively). The quality of evidence is moderate.Conclusion: IV AA may have no effects to lower mortality over sepsis patients. However, when administrating AA alone, in a dose ≥ 10 g/d, or within 6 h of admission, the result may turn to positive. Due to a moderate GRADE certainty of evidence, further studies are required to fully elaborate the effectiveness of AA during the management of the sepsis patients.PROSPERO registration number: CRD 42020170825. 24 Feb, 2020 retrospectively registered.
Nasal High Flow at 25 L/min or Expiratory Resistive Load do Not Improve Regional Lung Function in Patients with COPD: A Functional CT Imaging Study
Authors: Cohen Julien , Broche Ludovic , Machichi Mohammed , Ferretti Gilbert , Tamisier Renaud , Pépin Jean-Louis , Bayat Sam
Published: October 2020

Background: Nasal high flow (NHF) is a non-invasive breathing therapy that is based on the delivery via a large-caliber nasal cannula of heated and humidified air at flow rates that exceed peak inspiratory flow. It is thought that positive airway pressure generated by NHF can help reduce gas trapping and improve regional lung ventilation. There are no data to confirm this hypothesis at flow rates applicable in stable COPD patients.Methods: In this study, we used non-rigid registration of CT images acquired at maximal expiration and inspiration to compute regional lung attenuation changes (ΔHU), and lung displacement (LD), indices of regional lung ventilation. Eight COPD patients were assessed at baseline (BL) and after 5 min of NHF and expiratory resistive loading (ERL).Results: ΔHU was: BL: 81.7±28.8; NHF: 77.3±28.1; ERL: 70±26.7 HU (p=0.164) and LD: 30.2±12.7; 21.9±10.1 and 20.6±5.8 mm (p=0.044) in the 3 conditions, respectively. Respiratory rate significantly decreased with both treatments (BL:17.6±2.9; NHF:13±3.6; ERL: 11.6±2.8 bpm; p<0.001) while end-expiratory volume tended to increase.Conclusions: Neither NHF at 25 L/min nor ERL significantly improve the regional lung ventilation of stable COPD patients with gas trapping, based on the registration of expiratory and inspiratory CT images. Further studies are needed to assess the potential effect of higher flow rates of NHF.Trial registration: This study was registered with https://clinicaltrials.gov/ under: NCT03821311.
Persuasive Messaging to Encourage COVID-19 Risk Reduction
Authors: Bokemper Scott , Huber Gregory , James Erin , Gerber Alan , Omer Saad
Published: October 2020

What types of public health messages are effective at changing people’s beliefs and intentions to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19? We conducted two randomized experiments that assigned respondents to read a public health message and then measured their beliefs and behavioral intentions across a wide variety of outcomes. Using both a convenience sample and a nationally representative sample of Americans, we find that a message that reframes bravery as recklessness and a message that highlights the need for everyone to take action to protect others are the most effective at increasing beliefs and intentions related to social distancing. These results provide an evidentiary basis for building effective public health campaigns to increase social distancing during flu pandemics.
Comprehensive primary health facilities are more efficient in delivering primary care: Efficiency analysis of primary healthcare facilities in Afghanistan
Authors: Farewar Farhad , Saeed Khwaja Mir Ahad , Foshanji Abo Ismael , Alawi Said Mohammad Karim , Zawoli Mohammad Yonus , Irit Sinai , Zeng Wu
Published: October 2020

Background: The Afghan health system is unique in that primary healthcare is delivered by donor-funded implementing partners, not the government. Given the wide range of implementers providing the basic package of health services, there may exist performance differences in primary healthcare. This study assessed the relative efficiency of different levels of primary healthcare services and explored its determinants in Afghanistan. Method: Data on personnel and capital expenditure (inputs) and the number of facility visits for six primary healthcare services (outputs) were obtained from national health information databases for 1,263 healthcare facilities in 31 provinces. Data envelopment analysis was used to assess the relative efficiency of three levels of primary healthcare facilities (comprehensive, basic, and sub health centers). Bivariate analysis was conducted to assess the correlation of various elements with efficiency scores. Regression models were used to identify potential factors associated with efficiency scores at the health facility level. Results: The average efficiency score of health facilities was 0.74, when pooling all 1,263 health facilities, with 102 health facilities (8.1%) having efficiency scores of 1 (100% efficient). The lowest quintile of health facilities had an average efficiency score of 0.36 while the highest quintile had a score of 0.96. On average, efficiency scores of comprehensive health centers were higher than basic and sub health centers by 0.108 and .071 respectively. In addition, the difference between efficiency scores of facilities in the highest and lowest quintiles was highest in facilities that offer fewer services, so that they have the largest room for improvement. Conclusions: Our findings show that public health facilities in Afghanistan that provide more comprehensive primary health services, use their resources more efficiently, and that smaller facilities have more room for improvement. A more integrated delivery model would help improve the efficiency in providing primary healthcare in Afghanistan.
IL-1β-mediated macrophage infiltration into the brain after peripheral tissue injury
Authors: Chen Xiang Ke , Kwan Joseph Shiu-Kwong , Wong Gordon Tin-Chun , H Kazi Md. Mahmudul , Yi Zhen-Ni , Ma Alvin Chun-Hang , Chang Raymond Chuen-Chung
Published: October 2020

Background: Infiltration of macrophages into the central nervous system (CNS) is involved in many neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and autism. Despite extensive studies into neuroinflammation associated macrophage infiltration into the CNS, its underlying mechanisms and pathological roles remain unclear, especially when triggered by peripheral inflammation. Methods: To further elucidate the role and mechanism of peripheral inflammation in neurological disorders, we exploited interleukin 1 beta (il1b) mutant transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) with fluorescent protein expression restricted to macrophages to track the macrophage migration under peripheral inflammation following tail amputation.Results: We found that macrophage infiltration into the brain of zebrafish embryo following peripheral tissue injury can be alleviated via genetically targeting il1b. In addition, through circulation-independent migration, macrophages infiltrate brains with evidence of increased apoptosis. We further identified the expression of camk2g1 in the brains of zebrafish with hyperactive behavior following peripheral tissue injury. This il1b-regulated protein is associated with neuropsychiatry disorders. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that peripheral tissue injury induces il1b-mediated macrophage infiltration into the brain and a hyperactive behavior.
Lung Cancer Radiotherapy: Simulation and Analysis Based on a Multi-component Mathematical Model
Authors: Hong Wen-song , Wang Shun-guan , Zhang Gang-qing
Published: October 2020

Background: Lung cancer has been one of the most deadly illnesses all over the world and radiotherapy can be an effective approach for treating lung cancer. Now, mathematical model has been extended to many biomedical fields to give a hand for analysis, evaluation, prediction and optimization. Methods: In this paper, we propose a multi-component mathematical model for simulating the lung cancer growth as well as radiotherapy treatment for lung cancer. The model is digitalized and coded for computer simulation and the model parameters are fitted with many research and clinical data to provide accordant results along with the growth of lung cancer cells in vitro. Results: Some typical radiotherapy plans such as stereotactic body radiotherapy, conventional fractional radiotherapy and accelerated hypo-fractionated radiotherapy are simulated, analyzed and discussed. The results show that our mathematical model can perform the basic work for analysis and evaluation of the radiotherapy plan. Conclusion: It will be expected that in the near future, mathematical model will be a valuable tool for optimization in personalized medical treatment.
Mesangial Cells and Glomerular Endothelial Cells Crosstalk in Rat Anti-Thy-1 Nephritis through VEGFA/VEGFAR2 and Angpt2/Tie2 pathway
Authors: zhao yinghua , Fu Bo , Chen Pu , Li Qinggang , Ouyang Qing , Zhang Chuyue , Cai Guangyan , Wu Lingling , Chen Xiangmei
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUNDMesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis is characterized by the proliferation of mesangial cells (MCs). Endothelial cells (ECs) are affected by signals from MCs, resulting in capillary proliferation, but the specific signaling pathway associated with this activity remains unclear.RESULTSIn this study, the expression of PCNA, RECA-1 and CD34 in the glomeruli increased on the 7th day after anti-Thy-1 nephritis establishment, indicating the occurrence of ECs proliferation. After coculturing MCs and ECs in vitro, we observed that activated MCs could promote ECs proliferation, migration and α-SMA expression. Moreover, activated ECs had the same effects on MCs. RT-qPCR showed that activated MCs could increasingly secrete VEGFA, and Angpt2 expression in VEGFA-activated ECs was enhanced. Considering that Angpt2-mediated inhibition of ECs surface receptor Tie2 phosphorylation causes ECs proliferation, we hypothesized that VEGFA/VEGFR2 and Angpt2/Tie2 signaling is involved in the interaction between MCs and ECs. Our results showed that blocking VEGFA or adding the Angpt2 antagonist Angpt1 to the coculture system decreased the number of EdU-positive cells，Angpt2，p-VEGFR2 and p-MAPK expression, but increased p-Tie2 in ECs. To determine whether Angpt1 could effectively alleviate the pathological changes of anti-Thy-1 nephritis, we performed Vasculotide (Angpt1 mimic peptide) treatment assays in vivo. The results confirmed that the addition of Vasculotide could effectively reduce PCNA, RECA-1 and α-SMA expression and promote p-Tie2.CONCLUSIONIn summary, the study showed that the VEGFA/VEGFR2 and Angpt2/Tie2 signaling pathway mediate interactions between MCs and ECs, providing an important theoretical basis for the treatment of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.
Antibiotic Resistant, Virulence-associated Genes, Biofilm and Efflux Pump Gene Expression and Molecular Typing of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Strains Recovered from Clinical Samples
Authors: Mirzaie Amir , Ranjbar Reza
Published: October 2020

BackgroundMultidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae strains are one of the most important life-threatening nosocomial pathogens. In the current study, antibiotic resistant, virulence-associated genes, gene expression of efflux pumps and biofilm genes as well as molecular typing of K. pneumoniae strains were investigated. A total of 505 clinical specimens were collected from hospitalized patients and K. pneumoniae strains were isolated by standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic resistant profile, prevalence of virulence associated genes, biofilm and efflux pump genes were investigated. The gene expression analysis of biofilm and efflux pump genes were analused quantitative Real Time PCR. Moreover, molecular typing of K. pneumoniae strains using Repetitive element sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) technique was also carried out. ResultsOne hundred K. pneumoniae strains out of 500 clinical samples were isolated and the highest prevalence of resistance was observed against ciprofloxacin (75%), Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (73%) and Nitrofurantoin (38%). Virulence associated genes including entB, traT and rmpA were found in 80%, 62% and 48%, respectively. Gene prevalence for biofilm association gene including mrkA, fimH and mrkD were 42% for all genes. The AcrAB, TolC and mdtK efflux pump genes were observed in 41%, 33% and 26%, respectively. In addition, most MDR strains formed biofilm, as well as, AcrAB efflux pump and mrkA biofilm gene expression was up-regulated in MDR K. pneumoniae strains and a significant statistically association was also observed between MDR strains and high expression of efflux pump and biofilm genes. In addition, the K. pneumoniae strains differentiated into 11 different genetic clusters by rep-PCR analysis. ConclusionsHigh prevalence of resistance, presence of diver’s virulence factors and high level of efflux pump and biofilm gene expression in diverse clones of K. pneumoniae strains pose an important public health issue.
Emergence of a Minor Clonal Dissemination of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Coproducing KPC-2 and IMP-4 Clone Among Pediatric Patients from China
Authors: Kong Ziyan , Liu Xuemei , Li Chenxi , Cheng Siyun , Xu Fei , Gu Bing
Published: October 2020

Background: The continuous emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has become a serious public health problem globally, especially for children, but data on CRKP infection in pediatric patients are limited. This study aimed to identify epidemiological and molecular patterns of CRKP among pediatric patients in Jiangsu province, China.Methods: CRKP were consecutively collected from the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in China from July 2018 to May 2019. Then CRKP strains were performed for further study: antimicrobial susceptibility testing, drug resistance determinants screening and homology analysis.Results: Overall, blaKPC-2 (79.8%) was the predominant carbapenemase gene, followed by blaNDM-1(14.9%), blaIMP-4 (5.3%) and blaNDM-5(4.3%). Notably, two isolates coharbored blaKPC-2 and blaIMP-4, and two isolates coharbored blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-5. MLST analysis revealed that fourteen distinct sequence types (STs) were identified, of which ST11 was the most common sequence type identified. Moreover, two novel STs, ST4854 and ST4855, were detected in this study. PFGE revealed that a predominant cluster consisting of KPC-2-producing CRKP ST11 clone isolates was identified and was distributed mainly in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and cardiac intensive care unit (CCU). Moreover, this is the first report to identify the minor clonal dissemination of CRKP ST716 coproducing KPC-2 and IMP-4 and CRKP ST1140 producing NDM-5.Conclusions: Clonal dissemination of KPC-2-producing CRKP ST11 was observed in multiple departments. Moreover, two novel STs (ST4854 and ST4855) were identified, which indicates increased diversity of CRKP strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report that identified a minor clonal dissemination of Klebsiella pneumoniae coproducing KPC-2 and IMP-4 clones among children, which represents a significant health risk to pediatric patients. Active surveillance and effective control measures are urgently needed to prevent further transmission of these strains among children.
Assessment of Gut Bacteria Profile and Antibiotic Resistance Pattern Among Psychotropic Drug Users as Compared With Apparently Healthy Controls: Comparative Cross-sectional Study 
Authors: Ali Solomon , Marame Zufan Hailu , Abera Mubarek , Gashaw Mulatu
Published: October 2020

Introduction: In the 21st century, antibiotic resistance is becoming one of the major global public health threats. Several complex factors are associated with the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Emerging evidences are indicating that drugs used for chronic illness conditions might have a contribution for antibiotic resistance either through drug-drug interactions or metabolism of the drugs by gut microbiota.Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the bacteria profile and resistance patterns of gut bacteria isolated from participants using psychotropic drugs and apparently healthy controls. Methods: Socio demographic data were collected from patients using psychotropic medications and apparently healthy persons. Clinical data was collected from patient records. Stool samples were collected from 107 patients using psychotropic medications and 107 apparently healthy controls. Gut bacteria flora were isolated as per recommended bacteria culture isolation and identification methods. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done using the disk diffusion method and Mast disks were used to identify extended-spectrum betalactamase (ESBL) and/or AmpC producing isolates. Result: A total of 245 bacterial isolates were isolated and identified. From these 124 (50.6%) bacteria were isolated from patients using Psychotropic medications. There was no bacteria profile difference between the two groups. Escherichia coli was the prevalent [100(80.6%) and 102 (84.3%)] bacteria isolated from patients using psychotropic medications and apparently healthy controls, respectively. Escherichia coli isolated from patients using psychotropic medications showed significantly higher resistance against tested amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cephalosporin (2nd, 3rd, 4th generations), Meropenem, ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline. The odds of isolating ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae [(OR=2.3, 95% C.I: (1.4-4.0)] and MDR [OR=5.4, 95% C.I:(1.5-29.8)] was higher on patients using psychotropic medications. Conclusion: The observed antibiotic resistance pattern of bacteria isolated from guts of patients using psychotropic medications was very high. The magnitude of antibiotic resistance is more pronounced among E.coli isolates.
Simultaneous Operations for Gastric Cancer and Aortic Aneurysm: A Case Report
Authors: Komarov Roman , Osminin Sergey , Chernyavsky Stanislav , Ivashov Ivan
Published: October 2020

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the second highest cause of morbidity among malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and fifth in overall cancer statistics. Diseases of the cardiovascular system are the leading cause of death in the world. Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AAA) is the most common type of vascular aneurysms, while in 75% of the cases it is asymptomatic. The risk of rupture of AAA increases progressively depending on its diameter and the age of the patient.Case presentation: A 56-year-old male patient underwent treatment with complaints of pain and discomfort in the epigastric region, general weakness, difficulty in passing food through the esophagus. The neoplasm extends to the esophagus up to 17-20 mm (pT3N3aM0 R0 stage IIIB TNM 8). The aortic diameter at the level of the renal arteries is 18 mm; lower than the main renal arteries, an expansion of up to 60 mm is visualized; the length of aneurysm is 105 mm extending to the bifurcation. A gastrectomy with a resection of the lower thoracic esophagus and application of a manual double-row Roux-en -Y esophagojejunal anastomosis with cholecystectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy. Longitudinal aneurysmectomy. Thrombectomy. The proximal anastomosis between the aorta and the synthetic linear prosthesis of 18 ×9 ×9 mm in the end-to-end type was formed by a continuous winding suture with the "Prolene" 5-0 thread. The end-to-end distal anastomosis of the prosthesis and aorta branch was formed by continuous winding suture with the "Prolene" 6-0 thread. The postoperative period proceeded without features and complications. On the 7th day after the surgery, the patient was discharged home in satisfactory condition.Conclusions: Performing a simultaneous operation allowed the patient to undergo rehabilitation after the treatment of two diseases during one hospitalization and, in the shortest possible time, to proceed to the next stage of gastric cancer treatment - chemotherapy, thereby improving the prognosis of life expectancy. Also one-stage surgical treatment of concomitant AAA and gastric cancer is well tolerated and can avoid financial costs, and patient anxiety involved in a second operation.
Identification of Candidate Biomarkers Associated With the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Endometrial Cancer ：A Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies
Authors: Wei Changqiang , Huang Le , Deng Lingjie , Lin Huisi , Pan Weicheng , Pang Lihong
Published: October 2020

BackgroundEndometrial cancer (EC) is a common malignancy tumor that seriously threatens the wellbeing and health of women. This study aimed to map the hub genes and potential pathways that may be involved in EC.MethodsIn our study, three gene expression profiles of GEO and EC data from the TCGA database were analyzed. We performed WGCNA, and Cox regression analyses to screen hub genes and further validated them by using HPA, KM plots, and other databases. We also studied the methylation level by UCSC Xena and mutation of hub genes using Cbioportal .ResultsWe identified 363 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (146 upregulated and 217 downregulated genes) . Pathway analysis revealed that hub genes are mainly related to cell cycle, DNA damage response, EMT, hormone ER, RAS/MAPK, and PI3K/AKT. Finally, we identified five hub genes that are related to the progression and prognosis of EC and screened several relevant small-molecule drugs.ConclusionsMTHFD2, KIF4A, TPX2, RPS6KA6, and SIX1 were identified as candidate biomarkers for further basic and clinical research on endometrial cancer.
­CT-Guided Oxygen-Ozone Intradiscal Injection Therapy for Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniations (Hansen Type II) in Dogs
Authors: Dezhban Farkhondeh Fahim , Masoudifard Majid , Dehghan Mohammad Mehdi , Molazem Mohammad , Bahonar Alireza , Ezzati Amir , Ezati Morteza
Published: October 2020

Background: The study aims to investigate the treatment of thoracolumbar herniated intervertebral discs (IVD) in dogs using Oxygen-Ozone (O2-O3) intradiscal injection and assess the results using MRI which achieve more accurate details and procedures. Results: All indices were improved after the treatment, while, three were statistically significant at P<0.5. All 3 dogs returned to their normal life after this study. Conclusions: Intradiscal O2-O3 injection reduces the size of the herniated disc via disc shrinkage and decreasing the pressure of herniated part on the spinal cord.
Diagnostic Value of Next-Generation Sequencing to Detect Periprosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Yin Han , Xu Duliang , Wang Dawei
Published: October 2020

Background We herein compared the diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing (NGS), bacterial culture, and serological biomarkers to detect periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after joint replacement. Methods According to the diagnostic criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society, 35 patients who underwent joint revision surgery were divided into infection (15 cases) and non-infection (20 cases) groups, and were routinely examined preoperatively for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and D-dimer levels. All patients underwent arthrocentesis preoperatively. Synovial fluid was used for white blood cell count, white blood cell classification, bacterial culture, and NGS. Furthermore, we calculated the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for ESR, CRP, PCT, IL-6, and D-dimer. Data were assessed by comparing diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results Fourteen patients showed positive results by NGS and seven showed positive bacterial culture results in the infection group; further, 18 showed negative results by NGS in the non-infection group. The AUC of ESR, D-dimer, CRP, IL-6, and PCT was 0.667, 0.572, 0.827, 0.767, and 0.808, respectively. The accuracy of NGS, bacterial culture, CRP, IL-6, and PCT was 0.91, 0.74, 0.77, 0.74, and 0.83, respectively. When comparing NGS with CRP, IL-6, PCT, and bacterial culture, differences in overall test results and those in sensitivity were statistically significant, and compared with CRP, differences in specificity were also statistically significant. In comparison with IL-6, PCT, and bacterial culture, the specificity of NGS was statistically insignificant. Conclusions Our results indicate that NGS is highly effective for diagnosing PJI.
Novel Hybrid Molecules Based on triazole-β-lactam as Potential Biological Agents
Authors: Shiri Pezhman
Published: October 2020

:

Triazole ring is a cyclic scaffold containing three heteroatoms of nitrogen. They display a
broad variety of biological activities. The uncatalyzed/catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions are a chemical
reaction between a 1,3-dipole and a dipolarophile to achieve 1,2,3-triazoles.

:

The hybrid approach is an innovative and powerful synthetic tool for the synthesis of two or more distinct
entities in one molecule with novel biological activities. Owing to the high potential of β-lactams
to display noticeable biological properties, these compounds have been one of the important ingredients
in hybrid molecules. The four-membered lactams have been recognized as a part of penicillin.
There are various synthetic protocols for the synthesis of β-lactams. Staudinger reaction of the Schiff
bases with diphenylketenes is a successful and famous strategy for the synthesis of these products.

:

Even though, the number of heterocyclic compounds is limited, plenty of hybrids based on heterocyclic
compounds can be designed and prepared. The synthesis of hybrid products of triazole-β-lactam
has proved to be highly challenging. The current review article outlines the diversity and creativity in
the elegant synthesis of triazole-β-lactam hybrids as potential biological agents. Molecules including
isatin, ferrocene, bile acid, chalcone, and etc were attached to β-lactam with triazole linker, as well.
Let's Get Physical! Optimizing Nashville CWWTP Primary Influent Baffles with CFD and Physical Modeling
Authors:   Brown and Caldwell, Mayhaus Eric , Barnett John ,   Metro Water Services
Published: October 2020

For most construction projects in the water/wastewater field, the first time the design can be validated and shown to actually work is after construction and start-up. It’s not too often that there is an opportunity to prove modeling with real-world results BEFORE improvements are constructed. What better way to see design translate from paper to real-life performance than to build a scale model and run multiple flow trials? This paper presents a case study for the design of primary settling tanks (PST) influent baffles at the Nashville Central WWTP (CWWTP by utilizing hydraulic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and validating results with physical modeling. Physical model results helped gain the plant operations and maintenance (O&M) trust in validating the design and provide the best solution for improvements.
Menopozal dönemin Meleis’in Geçiş Teorisi’ne göre incelenmesi
Authors: OZTURK EYİMAYA Aslıhan , TEZEL Ayfer
Published: October 2020

İnsan hayatında büyüme ve gelişmenin normal akışı içinde pek çok geçiş dönemi vardır. Kadın hayatındaki gelişimsel evrelerin en önemlilerinden biri olan ve üreme çağından, üreme yeteneğinin kaybolduğu döneme geçiş olarak tanımlanan evreye menopozal dönem denir. Bu dönemde kadının hayatında sadece biyolojik değişimler olmaz, aynı zamanda sosyal ve psikolojik değişimler de meydana gelir. Menopozal dönemde başarılı bir geçişin sağlanması için teoriler rehberliğinde girişimlerin planlanması ve uygulanması daha etkili sağlık çıktılarına ulaşmada önemlidir. Meleis Geçiş Teorisi’ni açıklarken çeşitli geçişler yaşayan bireylere yardım etmenin, bireylerin gelişimsel, durumsal, sağlık/hastalık ve kurumsal geçişlerde desteklenmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Sağlık profesyonelleri geçiş sürecinde birey, aile ve toplumu desteklemeli, semptomları iyileştirmeli, sağlığı geliştirmeli ve öz bakım aktivitelerini destekleyerek geçiş ile baş etmeye yardım etmelidir. Yaşanan geçiş sürecini anlamak, bireyin ihtiyaçlarını ve karşılaşabileceği riskleri belirlemek ve iyilik halini yükseltmeye yönelik etkili girişimler planlamak için teoriler kullanılması başarıya ulaşmayı kolaylaştıracaktır. Bu derlemede menopozal dönemdeki kadınların menopozal geçişlerinin Meleis’in Geçiş Teorisine göre incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
On study of antenna-radome system near-field measurements with a spherical scanner
Authors: Kirpanev A. V. , Kirpanev N. A. , Shubnikov V. V.
Published: October 2020

The paper presents a research technique for studying an antenna-radome system based on nearfield measurements with a most common «roll over azimuth» spherical scanner. It is based on the relationship between the components of the plane wave spectrum and the spherical wave coefficients, in terms of which the radiation fields of the tested antenna and the antenna-radome system are represented. Expressions for the plane wave spectrum components at the pole of the spherical measurement surface are given. To assess the effect of the radome on the antenna characteristics, it is proposed to use the spectral vector characteristic of the radome passage. Methods for estimating the dielectric constant of the radome by determining the transmission coefficient of its wall at various points on the surface are proposed. It is shown that the use of a weakly directional antenna in the study of the radome characteristics simplifies the task, since the transmission coefficient is determined using the components of the electric field strengths in spherical coordinates.
Idea Lab:
Authors: Connery Dianne , O'Connor Meaghan , Pierre-Louis Elizabeth , Kuscma Jason , Butnariu Melania , Serbanuta Claudia
Published: October 2020

The Idea Lab within JLOE is a space to center the voices of library practitioners, with a focus on emerging practices and experimental approaches. This inaugural Idea Lab is dedicated to the creative and inspiring ways that libraries are connecting with their communities - either virtually or socially-distantly - while prioritizing health and safety for customers and for library workers.

The worldwide shut down of physical library locations brought public attention to what the library community has long known–that public libraries are a last refuge for the most vulnerable members of our communities. Many libraries quickly and successfully pivoted to digital services and virtual programming, all the while understanding that these services don’t meet the needs of some of our most regular customers. People who rely on public libraries for a human connection with a staff person or another customer, internet access, a cool space on a hot day, or something as simple as a water fountain.

So how have libraries responded to this urgent need to recreate our outreach and engagement strategies when our buildings are off limits and human connections are necessarily distanced by six feet or mediated through a screen?

At the District of Columbia Public Library, we’re building on a foundation of strong partnerships to stay connected, deliver programs, and provide updates about library services. This looks like conducting virtual outreach through partners like the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington and their Clubhouse in Your House initiative and other community organizations. We’re also developing downloadable kits that partners can use to lead their own programming while taking advantage of library resources. We’re putting together programming packages and book giveaways that we can deliver to a central location - like DC Housing Authority or a summer meals distribution site - for a partner to distribute to their constituents. We know that there are critical gaps that we aren’t able to safely support right now. But I’ve never been more proud of the ingenuity and compassion of my team, my library, and of libraries around the world.
Use of the patientMpower App With Home-Based Spirometry to Monitor the Symptoms and Impact of Fibrotic Lung Conditions: Longitudinal Observational Study
Authors: Edwards Colin , Costello Eamonn , Cassidy Nicola , Vick Bill , Russell Anne-Marie
Published: October 2020

Background

Daily home-based spirometry in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been shown to be feasible and clinically informative. The patientMpower app facilitates home-based spirometry along with home-based monitoring of IPF-related symptoms. The patientMpower app can be downloaded to the user’s mobile phone or tablet device, enabling the recording of objective and subjective data.

Objective

The aim of this paper is to report on the 1-year experience of using patientMpower with home-based spirometry by 36 participants with self-reported pulmonary fibrosis (PF) treated with usual care.

Methods

Self-selecting participants enrolled in this community-based participatory research program through a patient advocacy group in their country: Irish Lung Fibrosis Association in Ireland and PF Warriors in the United States. Disease severity was comparable with a baseline mean predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) of 64% and 62% in the Irish and US participants, respectively. Both groups of participants were allocated to identical, in-country, open-label, single-group observational studies and were provided with a Bluetooth-active Spirobank Smart spirometer integrated directly with patientMpower. Data collected via patientMpower included seated FVC (daily), breathlessness grade (modified Medical Research Council scale score), step count, medication adherence, and symptoms and impact of IPF on daily life, which were measured by a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scale that was specifically developed for IPF. Longitudinal patient-reported data on oximetry and oxygen consumption were also collected.

Results

A large majority of the 36 participants reported that their experience using patientMpower was positive, and they wanted to continue its use after the initial 6-week observation. Out of 36 participants, 21 (58%) recorded home-based spirometry without prompting for ≥180 days, and 9 (25%) participants continued with recording home-based spirometry for ≥360 days.

Conclusions

The patientMpower app with associated Bluetooth-connected devices (eg, spirometer and pulse oximeter) offers an acceptable and accessible approach to collecting patient-reported objective and subjective data in fibrotic lung conditions.
Twitter Discussions and Emotions About the COVID-19 Pandemic: Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Xue Jia , Chen Junxiang , Hu Ran , Chen Chen , Zheng Chengda , Su Yue , Zhu Tingshao
Published: October 2020

Background

It is important to measure the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter is an important data source for infodemiology studies involving public response monitoring.

Objective

The objective of this study is to examine COVID-19–related discussions, concerns, and sentiments using tweets posted by Twitter users.

Methods

We analyzed 4 million Twitter messages related to the COVID-19 pandemic using a list of 20 hashtags (eg, “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” “quarantine”) from March 7 to April 21, 2020. We used a machine learning approach, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), to identify popular unigrams and bigrams, salient topics and themes, and sentiments in the collected tweets.

Results

Popular unigrams included “virus,” “lockdown,” and “quarantine.” Popular bigrams included “COVID-19,” “stay home,” “corona virus,” “social distancing,” and “new cases.” We identified 13 discussion topics and categorized them into 5 different themes: (1) public health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, (2) social stigma associated with COVID-19, (3) COVID-19 news, cases, and deaths, (4) COVID-19 in the United States, and (5) COVID-19 in the rest of the world. Across all identified topics, the dominant sentiments for the spread of COVID-19 were anticipation that measures can be taken, followed by mixed feelings of trust, anger, and fear related to different topics. The public tweets revealed a significant feeling of fear when people discussed new COVID-19 cases and deaths compared to other topics.

Conclusions

This study showed that Twitter data and machine learning approaches can be leveraged for an infodemiology study, enabling research into evolving public discussions and sentiments during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation rapidly evolves, several topics are consistently dominant on Twitter, such as confirmed cases and death rates, preventive measures, health authorities and government policies, COVID-19 stigma, and negative psychological reactions (eg, fear). Real-time monitoring and assessment of Twitter discussions and concerns could provide useful data for public health emergency responses and planning. Pandemic-related fear, stigma, and mental health concerns are already evident and may continue to influence public trust when a second wave of COVID-19 occurs or there is a new surge of the current pandemic.
Acceptance of a Virtual Reality Headset Designed for Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Questionnaire Study
Authors: Mascret Nicolas , Delbes Lisa , Voron Amélie , Temprado Jean-Jacques , Montagne Gilles
Published: October 2020

Background

Falls are a common phenomenon among people aged 65 and older and affect older adults’ health, quality of life, and autonomy. Technology-based intervention programs are designed to prevent the occurrence of falls and their effectiveness often surpasses that of more conventional programs. However, to be effective, these programs must first be accepted by seniors.

Objective

Based on the technology acceptance model, this study aimed to examine the acceptance among older adults before a first use of a virtual reality headset (VRH) used in an intervention program designed to prevent falls.

Methods

A sample of 271 French older adults (mean age 73.69 years, SD 6.37 years) voluntarily and anonymously filled out a questionnaire containing the focal constructs (perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use, intention to use, fall-related self-efficacy, and self-avoidance goals) adapted to the VRH, which was designed to prevent falls.

Results

The results of the structural equation modeling analysis showed that intention to use the VRH was positively predicted by perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness of the VRH was also negatively predicted by fall-related self-efficacy (ie, the perceived level of confidence of an individual when performing daily activities without falling) and positively predicted by self-avoidance goals (ie, participating in a physical activity to avoid physical regression).

Conclusions

A better understanding of the initial acceptance among older adults of this VRH is the first step to involving older adults in intervention programs designed to prevent falls using this kind of device.
Capturing the Impact of Patient Portals Based on the Quadruple Aim and Benefits Evaluation Frameworks: Scoping Review
Authors: Avdagovska Melita , Menon Devidas , Stafinski Tania
Published: October 2020

Background

Despite extensive and continuing research in the area of patient portals, measuring the impact of patient portals remains a convoluted process.

Objective

This study aims to explore what is known about patient portal evaluations and to provide recommendations for future endeavors. The focus is on mapping the measures used to assess the impact of patient portals on the dimensions of the Quadruple Aim (QA) framework and the Canada Health Infoway’s Benefits Evaluation (BE) framework.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted using the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley. Reporting was guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for scoping reviews. A systematic and comprehensive search was conducted using the Ovid platform, and the following databases were searched: Ovid MEDLINE (R) ALL (including epub ahead of print, in-process, and other nonindexed citations), EMBASE, and PsycINFO. CINAHL on the EBSCO platform and Web of Science were searched for studies published between March 2015 and June 2020. A systematic gray literature search was conducted using the Google search engine. Extracted data were tabulated based on a coding template developed to categorize the literature into themes and areas of interest.

Results

A total of 96 studies were included for data extraction. The studies were categorized based on the QA dimensions, with strict adherence to the definitions for each dimension. From the patients’ perspective, it was determined that most evaluations focused on benefits and barriers to access, access to test results, medication adherence, condition management, medical notes, and secure messaging. From the population perspective, the evaluations focused on the increase in population outreach, decrease in disparities related to access to care services, and improvement in quality of care. From the health care workforce perspective, the evaluations focused on the impact of patients accessing medical records, impact on workflow, impact of bidirectional secure messaging, and virtual care. From the health system perspective, the evaluations focused on decreases in no-show appointments, impact on office visits and telephone calls, impact on admission and readmission rates and emergency department visits, and impact on health care use. Overall, 77 peer-reviewed studies were mapped on the expanded version of the BE framework. The mapping was performed using subdimensions to create a more precise representation of the areas that are currently explored when studying patient portals. Most of the studies evaluated more than one subdimension.

Conclusions

The QA and BE frameworks provide guidance in identifying gaps in the current literature by providing a way to show how an impact was assessed. This study highlights the need to appropriately plan how the impact will be assessed and how the findings will be translated into effective adaptations.