bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can research ethics codes be a conduit for justice? An examination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guidelines in Australia
Authors: Zion Deborah , Matthews Richard
Published: October 2021

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, have historically experienced research as another means of colonialization and oppression. Although there are existing frameworks, guidelines and policies in place that respond to this history, the risk of exploitation and oppression arising from research still raises challenging ethical questions. Since the 1990s the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia has developed specific sets of guidelines that govern research with these populations in an attempt to redress injustices of the past. The current guidelines: Ethical Conduct in Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Communities: Guidelines for Researchers and Stakeholders, 2018, emphasis six core values which are bound together by “spirit and integrity.” The values are reflected through respect for cultural inheritance, and genuine negotiation of partnerships between researchers, other stakeholders, and communities. We examine whether these guidelines can lead to research and research practices that redress some of the ongoing traumas of colonialization and racism. We draw upon Margaret Urban Walker’s formulation of restorative justice, based upon her “pragmatics of repair” which relies upon “voice, validation and vindication” and at its core, the restoration of relationships.
Answering Questions About the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): Analogies to Whales and Sharks Miss the Boat
Authors: DeYoung Colin G. , Kotov Roman , Krueger Robert F. , Cicero David C. , Conway Christopher C. , Eaton Nicholas R. , Forbes Miriam K. , Hallquist Michael N. , Jonas Katherine G. , Latzman Robert D. , Rodriguez-Seijas Craig , Ruggero Camilo J. , Simms Leonard J. , Waldman Irwin D. , Waszczuk Monika A. , Widiger Thomas A. , Wright Aidan G. C.
Published: October 2021

In this commentary, we discuss questions and misconceptions about the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) raised by Haeffel et al. We explain what the system classifies and why it is descriptive and atheoretical, and we highlight benefits and limitations of this approach. We clarify why the system is organized according to patterns of covariation or comorbidity among signs and symptoms of psychopathology, and we discuss how it is designed to be falsifiable and revised in a manner that is responsive to data. We refer to the body of evidence for HiTOP’s external validity and for its scientific and clinical utility. We further describe how the system is currently used in clinics. In sum, many of Haeffel et al.’s concerns about HiTOP are unwarranted, and for those concerns that reflect real current limitations of HiTOP, our consortium is working to address them, with the aim of creating a nosology that is comprehensive and useful to both scientists and clinicians.
Deprescribing Statins and Proton Pump Inhibitors in Nursing Home Residents; a Pragmatic Exploratory Study
Authors: Visser Anne G. R. , Schols Jos M. G. A. , Prevoo Mathieu A. L. M. , Janknegt Rob , Winkens Bjorn
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Polypharmacy is common in the frail nursing home population and associated with an increased risk of adverse events, unplanned hospitalizations, and increased all-cause mortality. Deprescribing using a deprescribing algorithm might reduce unnecessary polypharmacy. This exploratory study was performed to determine the effect of this implicit deprescribing algorithm in deprescribing statins and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in nursing home residents.

Method

Multicenter, longitudinal, single-arm exploratory study. All participants received the same deprescribing intervention to identify and deprescribe potentially inappropriate statins and/or PPIs. Residents across 10 nursing homes in the Netherlands were included if they used a statin and/or PPI. Residents in hospices or short-stay wards were excluded. The intervention involved a deprescribing algorithm in which nursing home physicians identified and, if possible, deprescribed potentially inappropriate statins and/or PPIs.

Results

Sixty-seven residents participated in the study. At 3 months, deprescribing was successful in 52% of the residents. Six months after the intervention, all these residents still had their medication sustainably deprescribed.

Conclusion

Based on this study, deprescribing statins and PPIs using an implicit deprescribing algorithm is possible in a considerable number of nursing home residents.
Spontaneous Closure of an Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Hole: A Literature Review
Authors: Garg Anubhav , Ballios Brian G. , Yan Peng
Published: October 2021

Purpose:

This work reviews the literature regarding spontaneous closure of idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs).

Methods:

Literature on patients with spontaneous idiopathic FTMH closure was reviewed via Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed through July 16, 2020. A total of 27 of 66 identified articles were included.

Results:

A total of 68 eyes had spontaneous closure. Of the patients, 62.7% were women and the average age was 67.5 years. Visual acuity improved from Snellen 20/78 to 20/33 post closure. The average hole diameter was 176.8 μm; the largest was 350 μm. Most were stage 2 according to Gass and of small size according to International Vitreomacular Traction Study Group (IVTS) staging. The predominant classification system in recent literature is IVTS staging. The average optical coherence tomography–observed closure time was 4.5 months.

Conclusions:

On review, reported spontaneous closure rates of all idiopathic FTMH range from 3% to 15%, and no demographic subgroups are more likely to have closure. Holes ≤250 µm have higher closure rates (22.2%) than those in the range of >250 to 400 µm (13.3%) and ≥400 µm (0%). Closure is associated with favorable visual outcomes, and retinal bridging via glial cells is likely critical to closure. These determinations were based on limited numbers; prospective studies are needed to further ascertain rate, mechanism, and characteristics. IVTS staging provides reliable reporting and insight into whether FTMH can be observed before surgery.
Whole-genome landscape of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
Authors: Kogure Yasunori , Kameda Takuro , Koya Junji , Yoshimitsu Makoto , Nosaka Kisato , Yasunaga Jun-ichirou , Imaizumi Yoshitaka , Watanabe Mizuki , Saito Yuki , Ito Yuta , McClure Marni B. , Tabata Mariko , Shingaki Sumito , Yoshifuji Kota , Chiba Kenichi , Okada Ai , Kakiuchi Nobuyuki , Nannya Yasuhito , Kamiunten Ayako , Tahira Yuki , Akizuki Keiichi , Sekine Masaaki , Shide Kotaro , Hidaka Tomonori , Kubuki Yoko , Kitanaka Akira , Hidaka Michihiro , Nakano Nobuaki , Utsunomiya Atae , Sica R. Alejandro , Acuna-Villaorduna Ana , Janakiram Murali , Shah Urvi , Ramos Juan Carlos , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Takeuchi Kengo , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Miyazaki Yasushi , Matsuoka Masao , Ishitsuka Kenji , Shiraishi Yuichi , Miyano Satoru , Ogawa Seishi , Ye B. Hilda , Shimoda Kazuya , Kataoka Keisuke
Published: October 2021

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive neoplasm immunophenotypically resembling regulatory T cells, associated with human T-cell leukemia virus type-1. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 150 ATL cases to reveal the overarching landscape of genetic alterations in ATL. We discovered frequent (33%) loss-of-function alterations preferentially targeting the CIC long isoform, which were overlooked by previous exome-centric studies of various cancer types. Long but not short isoform–specific inactivation of Cic selectively increased CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in vivo. We also found recurrent (13%) 3′-truncations of REL, which induce transcriptional upregulation and generate gain-of-function proteins. More importantly, REL truncations are also common in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, especially in germinal center B-cell–like subtype (12%). In the non-coding genome, we identified recurrent mutations in regulatory elements, particularly splice sites, of several driver genes. In addition, we characterized the different mutational processes operative in clustered hypermutation sites within and outside immunoglobulin/T-cell receptor genes and identified the mutational enrichment at the binding sites of host and viral transcription factors, suggesting their activities in ATL. By combining the analyses for coding and noncoding mutations, structural variations, and copy number alterations, we discovered 56 recurrently altered driver genes, including 11 novel ones. Finally, ATL cases were classified into 2 molecular groups with distinct clinical and genetic characteristics based on the driver alteration profile. Our findings not only help to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in ATL, but also provide insights into T-cell biology and have implications for genome-wide cancer driver discovery.
Long-term participation in community-based group resistance exercises delays the transition from robustness to frailty in older adults: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Hayashi Chisato , Toyoda Hiromitsu , Ogata Soshiro , Okano Tadashi , Mashino Sonoe
Published: October 2021

Background

How community-based group resistance exercises affect the transition from robustness to frailty remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine whether the trajectory from robustness to frailty over age differed depending on the duration of participation in group exercises.

Methods

We analyzed the Kihon Checklist (KCL) score of community-dwelling elderly residents of Sumoto city, Hyogo prefecture, who participated in community-based group resistance exercises between April 2010 and December 2019. Finally, 2567 older individuals were analyzed using multilevel modeling. The explanatory variables of interest were the frailty score measured using the KCL for each individual, where 0–3, 4–7, and ≥8 points denoted robustness, pre-frailty, and frailty, respectively. We considered age, sex, systolic blood pressure, pulse, duration of participation, and change in KCL score from baseline as possible confounders. Participants were classified as follows based on the duration of participation in the exercises: <3 times, short-term participation group; 4–6 times; mid-term participation group; and 7–13 times, long-term participation group. The mean duration from the baseline physical test for the total sample was 2.35 years (SD=2.51).

Results

The participants’ mean total KCL score at baseline was 4.9±3.7. Multilevel modeling analysis revealed that the KCL scores changed by 0.82 points for each additional year of age (p<0.001) and changed by − 0.93 points for long-term participate group (p<0.001). The Estimated Marginal Means (EMM) of the KCL score was 3.98 (95%CI: 3.69, 4.28) points in the short-term participation group and was significantly worse than that of the long-term participation group at 70 years of age (p=0.001). The EMM was 4.49 (95%CI: 4.24, 4.74) at 75 years of age in the mid-term participation group and was significantly worse than that of the long-term participation group. The EMM was 3.87 (95%CI: 3.57, 4.16) in the long-term participation group and significantly better than that of the short-term (p<0.001) and mid-term (p=0.002) participation groups.

Conclusion

Participation in community-based group resistance exercises prolongs the transition from robustness to frailty. The improved KCL scores at baseline in the long-term participation group remained in the robust range at 75 years of age, which suggests the importance of initiating participation before the onset of functional decline.
Deep learning for cancer type classification and driver gene identification
Authors: Zeng Zexian , Mao Chengsheng , Vo Andy , Li Xiaoyu , Nugent Janna Ore , Khan Seema A. , Clare Susan E. , Luo Yuan
Published: October 2021

Background

Genetic information is becoming more readily available and is increasingly being used to predict patient cancer types as well as their subtypes. Most classification methods thus far utilize somatic mutations as independent features for classification and are limited by study power. We aim to develop a novel method to effectively explore the landscape of genetic variants, including germline variants, and small insertions and deletions for cancer type prediction.

Results

We proposed DeepCues, a deep learning model that utilizes convolutional neural networks to unbiasedly derive features from raw cancer DNA sequencing data for disease classification and relevant gene discovery. Using raw whole-exome sequencing as features, germline variants and somatic mutations, including insertions and deletions, were interactively amalgamated for feature generation and cancer prediction. We applied DeepCues to a dataset from TCGA to classify seven different types of major cancers and obtained an overall accuracy of 77.6%. We compared DeepCues to conventional methods and demonstrated a significant overall improvement (p < 0.001). Strikingly, using DeepCues, the top 20 breast cancer relevant genes we have identified, had a 40% overlap with the top 20 known breast cancer driver genes.

Conclusion

Our results support DeepCues as a novel method to improve the representational resolution of DNA sequencings and its power in deriving features from raw sequences for cancer type prediction, as well as discovering new cancer relevant genes.
Bioinformatics screening of biomarkers related to liver cancer
Authors: Wang Ye-Cheng , Tian Zhen-Bo , Tang Xu-Qing
Published: October 2021

Background

Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor in China, with high mortality. Its occurrence and development were thoroughly studied by high-throughput expression microarray, which produced abundant data on gene expression, mRNA quantification and the clinical data of liver cancer. However, the hub genes, which can be served as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of early liver cancer, are not well screened.

Results

Here we present a new method for getting 6 key genes, aiming to diagnose and treat the early liver cancer. We firstly analyzed the different expression microarrays based on TCGA database, and a total of 1564 differentially expressed genes were obtained, of which 1400 were up-regulated and 164 were down-regulated. Furthermore, these differentially expressed genes were studied by using GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, a PPI network was constructed based on the STRING database, and 15 hub genes were obtained. Finally, 15 hub genes were verified by applying the survival analysis method on Oncomine database, and 6 key genes were ultimately identified, including PLK1, CDC20, CCNB2, BUB1, MAD2L1 and CCNA2. The robustness analysis of four independent data sets verifies the accuracy of the key gene’s classification of the data set.

Conclusions

Although there are complicated differences between cancer and normal cells in gene functions, cancer cells could be differentiated in case that a group of special genes expresses abnormally. Here we presented a new method to identify the 6 key genes for diagnosis and treatment of early liver cancer, and these key genes can help us understand the pathogenesis of liver cancer more deeply.
Evaluation of problematic screen exposure in pre-schoolers using a unique tool called “seven-in-seven screen exposure questionnaire”: cross-sectional study
Authors: Yalçin S. Songül , Tezol Özlem , Çaylan Nilgün , Erat Nergiz Meryem , Yildiz Deniz , Çiçek Şeyma , Oflu Ayşe
Published: October 2021

Background

Screen media exposure has been increasing in the preschool years. Risky aspects of screen exposure have many potential negative effects on children’s health. We aimed to evaluate problematic screen exposure in Turkish preschool children by using a unique tool called the “Seven-in-Seven Screen Exposure Questionnaire” and to investigate factors associated with problematic screen exposure.

Methods

A questionnaire form was designed including general descriptive questions in the first part. In the second part, a questionnaire we designed called the “Seven-in-Seven Screen Exposure Questionnaire” was conducted to evaluate problematic screen exposure characteristics. The questionnaire included seven items: daily screen time, viewing with parent(s), setting screen limits, screen exposure during meals and in the hour before bedtime, age of onset of screen exposure, and viewing low-quality content. The total problematic screen exposure score (range 0–13) was generated by summing scores from the seven items. Total scores are classified into two categories: low (< 7) and high (≥ 7). Logistic regression was performed to search for independent parameters associated with problematic screen exposure.

Results

One thousand two hundred forty-five mother-child pairs participated in this study. The median age of the children was 3.9 (IQR: 2.9–4.7) years and 51% were males. Overall, 280 children (22.5%) had a problematic screen exposure score of ≥7 (high). The median problematic screen exposure score was 4 (IQR: 3–6). Maternal age of < 30 years; paternal age of ≥30 years; maternal educational level of ≤12 years; the age of 24–48 months; home-based daycare; postponing eating, toileting, or sleeping while using a screen; and using touchscreen devices were found to be associated with an increased risk of having a high problematic screen exposure score.

Conclusion

Developing national scales to monitor problematic screen use in children would be more effective than monitoring screen time alone. All of the screen use characteristics not recommended in children would be evaluated using problematic screen exposure scales. The “Seven-in-Seven Screen Exposure Questionnaire” may serve as an example for further studies.
Development of an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy program for use in combination with exercise therapy and education by patients at increased risk of chronic pain following total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Rognsvåg Turid , Lindberg Maren Falch , Lerdal Anners , Stubberud Jan , Furnes Ove , Holm Inger , Indrekvam Kari , Lau Bjørn , Rudsengen Daniil , Skou Søren T. , Badawy Mona
Published: October 2021

Background

Approximately 20% of patients experience chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Due to the growing number of TKA procedures, this will affect an increasing number of people worldwide. Catastrophic thinking, dysfunctional illness perception, poor mental health, anxiety and depression characterize these non-improvers, and indicate that these patients may need individualized treatment using a treatment approach based on the bio-psycho-social health model. The present study developed an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program to be combined with exercise therapy and education for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) at increased risk of chronic pain after TKA.

Methods

The development process followed the first two phases of the UK Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. In the development phase, the first prototype of the iCBT program was developed based on literature review, established iCBT programs and multidisciplinary workshops. The feasibility phase consisted of testing the program, interviewing users, condensing the program, and tailoring it to the patient group. A physiotherapist manual was developed and adapted to physiotherapists who will serve as mentors.

Results

The development process resulted in an iCBT program consisting of 10 modules with educational texts, videos and exercises related to relevant topics such as goalsetting, stress and pain, lifestyle, automatic thoughts, mindfulness, selective attention, worry and rumination. A physiotherapist manual was developed to guide the physiotherapists in supporting the patients through the program and to optimize adherence to the program.

Conclusions

The iCBT program is tailored to patients at risk of chronic pain following TKA, and may be useful as a supplement to surgery and/or exercise therapy. A multicentre RCT will evaluate the iCBT program in combination with an exercise therapy and education program. This novel intervention may be a valuable contribution to the treatment of OA patients at risk of chronic pain after TKA.

Trial registration

The RCT is pre-registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03771430 11/12/2018.
High density lipoproteins and oxidative stress in breast cancer
Authors: Mazzuferi Gabriele , Bacchetti Tiziana , Islam Md Obaidul , Ferretti Gianna
Published: October 2021

Breast cancer is one of the main leading causes of women death. In recent years, attention has been focused on the role of lipoproteins, alterations of cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress in the molecular mechanism of breast cancer. A role for high density lipoproteins (HDL) has been proposed, in fact, in addition to the role of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), HDL exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, modulate intracellular cholesterol homeostasis, signal transduction and proliferation. Low levels of HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) have been demonstrated in patients affected by breast cancer and it has been suggested that low levels of HDL-C could represent a risk factor of breast cancer. Contrasting results have been observed by other authors. Recent studies have demonstrated alterations of the activity of some enzymes associated to HDL surface such as Paraoxonase (PON1), Lecithin-Cholesterol Acyltransferase (LCAT) and Phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Higher levels of markers of lipid peroxidation in plasma or serum of patients have also been observed and suggest dysfunctional HDL in breast cancer patients. The review summarizes results on levels of markers of oxidative stress of plasma lipids and on alterations of enzymes associated to HDL in patients affected by breast cancer. The effects of normal and dysfunctional HDL on human breast cancer cells and molecular mechanisms potentially involved will be also reviewed.
The effect of turmeric on lipid profile, malondialdehyde, liver echogenicity and enzymes among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized double blind clinical trial
Authors: jarhahzadeh Maryam , Alavinejad Pezhman , Farsi Farnaz , Husain Durdana , Rezazadeh Afshin
Published: October 2021

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of liver transaminases elevation and a global health concern.

Purpose

This study designed to evaluate the effects of turmeric rhizomes (Curcumalonga Linn.) on liver enzymes, Lipid profiles and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with NAFLD.

Study design

Randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial.

Methods

64 cases of NAFLD randomly assigned to receive either turmeric (2 gr/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. The changes of liver transaminases, lipid profiles and MDA were measured before and after study period and compared between two groups (IRCT 2015092924262N1).

Results

At the end of the study, the Turmeric group showed a significant reduction in liver enzymes (AST before 26.81 ± 10.54 after 21.19 ± 5.67, P = 0.044, ALT before 39.56 ± 22.41, after 30.51 ± 12.61, P = 0.043 and GGT before33.81 ± 17.50, after 25.62 ± 9.88, P = 0.046) compared with the placebo group. The serum levels of triglycerides, LDL, HDL and MDA had also a significant decrease among turmeric group as compared to baseline while there was no significant change in placebo group (P < 0.05). The serum cholesterol, VLDL level and sonographic grades of NAFLD had not any significant change in both groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion this study suggests that daily consumption of turmeric (and its active phenolic ingredients as curcumin) supplementation could be effective in management of NAFLD and decreasing serum level of liver transaminases.
Borehole siting and construction in rural Malawi: A sociotechnical process?
Authors: Larson Timothy , Dulanya Zuze , Mwathunga Evance
Published: October 2021

Choosing the site for a new water well in rural southern Malawi is essentially a political process with competing priorities and stakeholders. For a new well (or borehole) to be sustainably used and maintained, the relevant stakeholders must be fully engaged in the siting process and must be given meaningful responsibility for the final siting decision. However, without sound technical information, a siting decision based solely on stakeholder priorities, such as proximity to the headman’s compound or accessibility to the center of the population, may not result in a satisfactory borehole. Instead, in addition to stakeholder interests, we have used a process that includes electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a tool to guide and constrain the local decision-making process. Within the region of the crystalline-basement aquifer, ERT profiles indicate variations in weathering thickness, hence aquifer storage. In a lacustrine setting, the ERT profile delineates a zone of moderately large resistivity associated with a deposit of freshwater saturated sand. This ERT-derived technical information becomes one element in a comprehensive sociotechnical approach to the location of sustainable water resources. We use this sociotechnical approach to complete boreholes for all four villages in our project, and we have a high confidence that the villagers will be motivated to use and maintain these resources.
Microseepage through evaporite sequences — A Gulf of Suez example
Authors: Silliman Alan H. , Schrynemeeckers Rick
Published: October 2021

Salt is one of the most effective agents for trapping oil and gas. As a ductile material, it can move and deform surrounding sediments and create traps. However, effective sealing of reservoirs for movement of hydrocarbons along breaching faults or fracture swarms (i.e., macroseepage) is a different mechanism than the movement of hydrocarbons on a molecular scale along grain boundaries and microfractures as happens with microseepage. To address salt seal integrity, Forum Exploration has chosen to evaluate the applicability of passive surface geochemical surveys for mapping hydrocarbons in their onshore West Gebel El Zeit lease in part due to difficulties in seismic imaging through salt and anhydrite sequences. Two economic producing wells have been drilled in the lease, but due to compartmentalization and complexity in the area, three dry wells also have been drilled. Target formations include the Kareem Formation at approximately 2700 m and the Rudeis Formation at approximately 3000 m. The geochemical survey encompasses 100 passive geochemical modules. Passive samplers also have been deployed around two producing wells and one dry well for geochemical calibration. Calibration data indicate positive thermogenic signatures around the two producing wells in contrast to the background or baseline signature from around the dry well. The Kareem Formation calibration signature ranges from approximately C6 to C12 with the Rudeis Formation calibration signature ranging from C5 to C9. This suggests that the Rudeis calibration signature is lighter than the Kareem, in agreement with independent measurement of American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity on produced oil samples (API gravity 41° oil for the Rudeis and 35° oil for the Kareem). A postsurvey well, Fh85-8, has been drilled based on combined geochemical and seismic data results. The well is a Kareem oil discovery, with an initial production of approximately 800 barrels of oil per day. We have developed evidence in this Gulf of Suez example to show that microseepage occurs through substantial salt sequences. Consequently, ultrasensitive passive surface geochemical surveys provide a powerful tool for derisking salt plays.
Automated Extraction of Tumor Staging and Diagnosis Information From Surgical Pathology Reports
Authors: Abedian Sajjad , Sholle Evan T. , Adekkanattu Prakash M. , Cusick Marika M. , Weiner Stephanie E. , Shoag Jonathan E. , Hu Jim C. , Campion Thomas R.
Published: October 2021

PURPOSE

Typically stored as unstructured notes, surgical pathology reports contain data elements valuable to cancer research that require labor-intensive manual extraction. Although studies have described natural language processing (NLP) of surgical pathology reports to automate information extraction, efforts have focused on specific cancer subtypes rather than across multiple oncologic domains. To address this gap, we developed and evaluated an NLP method to extract tumor staging and diagnosis information across multiple cancer subtypes.

METHODS

The NLP pipeline was implemented on an open-source framework called Leo. We used a total of 555,681 surgical pathology reports of 329,076 patients to develop the pipeline and evaluated our approach on subsets of reports from patients with breast, prostate, colorectal, and randomly selected cancer subtypes.

RESULTS

Averaged across all four cancer subtypes, the NLP pipeline achieved an accuracy of 1.00 for International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes, 0.89 for T staging, 0.90 for N staging, and 0.97 for M staging. It achieved an F1 score of 1.00 for International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes, 0.88 for T staging, 0.90 for N staging, and 0.24 for M staging.

CONCLUSION

The NLP pipeline was developed to extract tumor staging and diagnosis information across multiple cancer subtypes to support the research enterprise in our institution. Although it was not possible to demonstrate generalizability of our NLP pipeline to other institutions, other institutions may find value in adopting a similar NLP approach—and reusing code available at GitHub—to support the oncology research enterprise with elements extracted from surgical pathology reports.
Klein-Gordon oscillator under a linear central potential induced by Lorentz symmetry violation
Authors: Ahmed Faizuddin
Published: October 2021

The Klein-Gordon oscillator under Lorentz symmetry violation determined by the tensor

out of the Standard Model Extension (SME) is analyzed. We introduce angular frequency of the oscillator with a Klein-Gordon particle by replacing the momentum vector

in the wave equation. We choose the scenario of Lorentz symmetry violation with the field configuration of a constant magnetic field

along the z-direction and a cylindrical electric field

along the radial direction. We then solved the wave equation and obtained the bound state solutions of the modified Klein-Gordon oscillator. We see that the angular frequency of oscillator depends on the quantum numbers of the system

which shows a quantum effect and on Lorentz symmetry breaking parameters.
Positional information as a universal predictor of freezing
Authors: Das Tamoghna , Tlusty Tsvi
Published: October 2021

Variation of positional information, measured by the two-body excess entropy

, is studied across the liquid-solid equilibrium transition in a simple two-dimensional system. Analysis reveals a master relation between

and the freezing temperature T
1, from which a scaling law is extracted,

. Theoretical and practical implications of the observed universality are discussed.
Thermal history of alfalfa leafcutting bees affects nesting and diapause incidence
Authors: Earls Kayla N. , Porter Monique S. , Rinehart Joseph P. , Greenlee Kendra J.
Published: October 2021

Variable spring temperatures may expose developing insects to sublethal conditions, resulting in long-term consequences. The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, overwinters as a prepupa inside a brood cell, resuming development in spring. During these immobile stages of development, bees must tolerate unfavorable temperatures. In this study, we tested how exposure to low temperature stress during development affects subsequent reproduction and characteristics of the F1 generation. Developing male and female M. rotundata were exposed to either constant (6°C) or fluctuating (1 h day−1 at 20°C) low temperature stress for 1 week, during the pupal stage, to mimic a spring cold snap. Treated adults were marked and released into field cages, and reproductive output was compared with that of untreated control bees. Exposure to low temperatures during the pupal stage had mixed effects on reproduction and offspring characteristics. Females treated with fluctuating low temperatures were more likely to nest compared with control bees or those exposed to constant low temperature stress. Sublethal effects may have contributed to low nesting rates of bees exposed to constant low temperatures. Females from that group that were able to nest had fewer, larger offspring with high viability, suggesting a trade-off. Interestingly, offspring of bees exposed to fluctuating low temperatures were more likely to enter diapause, indicating that thermal history of parents, even during development, is an important factor in diapause determination.
Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer of Patients with Prior Pelvic Irradiation
Authors: Yamada Shigeru , Takiyama Hirotoshi , Isozaki Yuka , Shinoto Makoto , Ebner Daniel K. , Koto Masashi , Tsuji Hiroshi , Miyauchi Hideaki , Sekimoto Mitsugu , Ueno Hideki , Itabashi Michio , Ikeda Masataka , Matsubara Hisahiro ,   for the Working Group on Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer
Published: October 2021

Background

This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for salvage of previously X-ray-irradiated (XRT) locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC).

Methods

Between September 2005 and December 2017, 77 patients with LRRC were treated with CIRT re-irradiation. All the patients had received prior XRT with a median dose of 50.0 Gy (range 20–74 Gy), principally for neoadjuvant or adjuvant recurrence prophylaxis in 34 patients and for recurrence in 43 patients. The total CIRT dose of 70.4 Gy (RBE) (gray relative biologic effectiveness) was administered in 16 fixed fractions during 4 weeks (4.4 Gy [RBE] per fraction).

Results

All the patients completed the scheduled treatment course. None of the patients received resection after CIRT. Acute grade 3 toxicities occurred for eight patients (10 %), including five grade 3 pelvic infections (2 involving pain and 1 involving neuropathy). Late grade 3 toxicities occurred for 16 patients (21 %): 13 with late grade 3 pelvic infections, 9 with gastrointestinal toxicity, 1 with skin toxicity, 2 with pain, and 4 with neuropathy. No grade 4+ toxicity was noted. The overall local control rates (infield + out-of-field recurrence) were 69 % at 3 years and 62 % at 5 years. In the planning target volume (PTV), the infield recurrence rates were 90 % and 87 % respectively. The control rates for regional recurrence were 85 % at 3 years and 81 % at 5 years. The median overall survival time was 47 months. The survival rates were 61 % at 3 years and 38 % at 5 years.

Conclusion

Carbon-ion re-irradiation of previously X-ray-irradiated locally recurrent rectal cancer appears to be safe and effective, providing good local control and survival advantage without unacceptable morbidity.
Case Report: Cyclophosphamide in COVID-19 – when an absolute contraindication is an absolute necessity
Authors: Bołtuć Kamila , Bielejewska Ada , Coloma-Millar Alejandro , Dziugieł Robert , Bociek Arkadiusz , Perkowska-Ptasińska Agnieszka , Jaroszyński Andrzej
Published: October 2021

Background: Despite many studies on COVID-19, our knowledge of it remains incomplete. In some cases, treating SARS-CoV-2 infection concomitant with other diseases can be particularly challenging, as finding an appropriate treatment may involve some risks.

Case presentation: A 34-year-old SARS-CoV-2 positive patient admitted due to fever, dyspnoea, haemoptysis and pneumonia, developed alveolar haemorrhage and acute kidney injury. Due to his severe state, abnormalities in laboratory tests and rapidly progressing loss of kidney function, kidney biopsy, as well as antibody panel were carried out, in which perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) were found with a high titer (>200; N: <1:20). The results of kidney biopsy, combined with clinical manifestation and laboratory findings prompted the diagnosis of rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis (RPGN) in the course of p-ANCA vasculitis. Initial treatment consisted of heamodialyses, remdesivir, plasmaphereses, intravenous immunoglobulins, antibiotics, corticosteroids and nadroparin. Once the haemorrhage had subsided, kidney function had been partially retrieved and heamodialyses had no longer been necessary, cyclophosphamide treatment was initiated, despite being contraindicated in COVID-19 according to its summary of product characteristics. Immunotherapy is still continued. The patient has already received a total of 2.4g of cyclophosphamide (4 cycles of 600mg each every three weeks). Pulmonary and radiological regression, as well as improvement of renal parameters have been achieved.       

Conclusions: We suspect that cyclophosphamide, the drug of choice in p-ANCA vasculitis, could be a potential factor providing regression of the radiological changes in the lungs and it could have prevented the patient from developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. COVID-19 diagnosis should not exclude searching for other diseases which can have a similar course. When treating a patient in a life-threatening condition, a departure from trying to find the perfect timing of cyclophosphamide delivery should be considered, as delaying it could cause potentially greater harm.
Investigating the impact of university image on international students’ participation behavior: An empirical study
Authors: Manzoor Shamima Raihan , Malarvizhi Chinnasamy Agamudai Nambi , Al-Mahmud Abdullah , Mahdee Junainah
Published: October 2021

Background: The competition among higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world coupled with the rising mobility of international postgraduate students has created challenges for universities to maintain their competitive advantage. There is continuous emphasis from higher education administrators and governments on internationalization and creating global prominence in this sector. As an emerging hub in southeast Asia, Malaysia is no exception to this. Realizing this need for internationalization, this study has attempted to analyze the impact of university image as a higher-order formative construct on international students' participation behavior as a multidimensional construct.

Methods: The sample of this study comprised 150 international students from public and private HEIs in Malaysia. The study focused on this group of students as their participation in university life and face-to-face interactions with university personnel have been significantly affected due to the restrictions on global travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was employed to select the respondents. A structured questionnaire based on a seven-point Likert scale was used to collect the responses. The hypothesized relationships of this cross-sectional study were examined using partial least square-based structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Results: The results showed that all the four hypotheses developed in relation to the dimensions of participation behavior were supported. This research outcome has evidenced that university image can influence international students’ participation behavior such as information seeking, and information sharing behavior that can be perceived as positive behavioral outcomes towards their respective HEIs.

Conclusions: Since the present study was conducted in one country, future studies may reproduce this in other southeast Asian countries. While cross-validation to local students lies outside the scope of this study, this empirically tested behavior model offers practical implications for universities, particularly in this uncertain period where HEIs are going through tremendous challenges to uphold their strong rapport with international students.
A pilot study assessing the uptake of core outcome sets in health technology assessments
Authors: Cox Peter , R. Williamson Paula , Dodd Susanna
Published: October 2021

Objective: Core outcome sets (COS) are an agreed standardised collection of outcomes created with representation from all key stakeholders (such as patients, clinicians, researchers), which should be reported as a minimum for all trials in that corresponding clinical area. There has been little research investigating the use of core outcomes in Health technology assessments (HTAs) and none in non-oncology HTAs. This study aimed to assess the similarity between COS and HTA outcomes.

Methods: Ten COS published between 2015 and 2019 were selected, with patient participation taken as a proxy measure for a high quality COS. The INAHTA database was used as a source to identify relevant HTAs, which were accessed through the hyperlinks provided. Outcomes selected for these assessments were categorised as either a specific, partial or no match compared to the COS. An additional cohort of non-oncology HTAs published between 2019 and 2021 were identified from the NICE website and compared against a relevant COS.

Results: Six hundred and fifty-one HTAs were matched to the ten COS areas, of which 119 were reviewed. Of a possible 1318 core outcome matches, there were 562 (43%) matches, 413 (31%) specific and 149 (11%) partial. NICE HTA matches against corresponding COS ranged from 44% to 100%, with a total of 78% (73/94) matches, 57 (61%) specific and 16 (17%) partial.

Conclusion: Further work is required to promote the awareness and implementation of COS within HTAs. Improved uptake across NICE HTAs is encouraging, demonstrating acceptance of COS by HTA producers.
The benefits of mindfulness in mental healthcare professionals
Authors: Watson Tayler , Walker Owen , Cann Robin , Varghese Ashwin K
Published: October 2021

Background: Burnout is a widely reported syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lowered sense of accomplishment. Mindfulness practices have been shown to be useful in lowering distress and burnout in clinical and non-clinical cohorts. Our aim was to explore the potential personal and occupational benefits of a structured mindfulness intervention on a cohort of mental health professionals. A mixed-methods approach was utilised in order to enhance the exploratory power of the study. Methods: We conducted a pilot study involving healthcare practitioners employed at a community outpatient mental health clinic. As a pilot, we relied on a single group and implemented a quasi-experimental, simultaneous mixed methods design by incorporating both quantitative pre- and post- testing alongside written qualitative post-test responses. Results: Analysis of the data demonstrated a significant difference between overall mindfulness when comparing post-test (mean=140.8, standard deviation=18.9) with pre-test data (mean=128.3, standard deviation=28.6). Participants also showed a statistically significant difference in three of the subscales: observation, describing, and non-reactivity. A moderate effect size was seen for each of the above differences.  Analysis of the qualitative data revealed a range of potential themes which may be used to explain the differences exhibited across participants’ personal and professional lives, which can be grouped into two thematic overarching groups: emotional reactivity and listening/communicating. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study indicate that a structured, six-week mindfulness program has the potential to benefit clinicians, personally by reducing emotional reactivity and professionally by promoting deep listening and communication.
Measuring Brand Favorability Using Large-Scale Social Media Data
Authors: Zhang Kunpeng , Moe Wendy
Published: October 2021

For decades, brand managers have monitored brand health with the use of consumer surveys, which have been refined to address issues related to sampling bias, response bias, leading questions, etc. However, with the advance of Web 2.0 and the internet, consumers have turned to social media to express their opinions on a variety of topics and, subsequently, have generated an extremely large amount of interaction data with brands. Analyzing these publicly available data to measure brand health has attracted great research attention. In this study, we focus on developing a method to measure brand favorability while accounting for the measure biases exhibited by social media posters. Specifically, we propose a probabilistic graphical model–based collective inference framework and implement a block-based Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling technique to obtain an adjusted brand favorability measure that is correlated with traditional survey-based measures used by brands. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our model, we evaluate it using more than 3,300 brands and about 205 million unique users that interact with those brands collected through Facebook. Our model performs very well, providing brand managers with a new method to more accurately measure consumer opinions toward the brand using social media data.
Experiencias iniciales del desarrollo y su relación con los procesos de aprendizaje en la adolescencia
Authors: Martínez-Fernández J. Reinaldo , Ciraso-Calí Anna , De la Barrera María Laura , García-Ravidá Laura Betiana , Quesada-Pallarès Carla
Published: October 2021

INTRODUCCIÓN. En este estudio, se revisan una serie de aportaciones acerca de las experiencias iniciales del desarrollo y, de manera exploratoria, se relacionan los datos de esas experiencias con los patrones de aprendizaje que se observan en la adolescencia. El objetivo fue explorar las relaciones entre algunas variables concernientes con el embarazo, el parto, y la crianza con los patrones de aprendizaje, el esfuerzo y el rendimiento académico al inicio de la secundaria. MÉTODO. Participan 42 estudiantes de 1. er curso de educación secundaria y sus madres. Son un total de 19 niñas (45.2%) y 23 niños (54.8%) con una edad media de 12 años (SD= 0.50). Los estudiantes respondieron al Inventario de Patrones de Aprendizaje (ILP) y las madres/familias completaron una ficha retrospectiva acerca de las variables asociadas al embarazo, parto y crianza. RESULTADOS. Los resultados señalan relaciones significativas entre las experiencias consideradas problemáticas durante el embarazo y la crianza; y estas explican una importante proporción de la varianza del patrón no dirigido (el más inadecuado) al inicio de la secundaria. Por su parte, los patrones más adaptativos (dirigido a los significados o a la aplicación) correlacionan de manera significativa positiva con el esfuerzo y el rendimiento académico. CONCLUSIÓN. Los datos señalan la relevancia de que desde el comienzo de la educación primaria se obtenga la más exhaustiva información individual acerca de la experiencia de embarazo, parto y crianza que parece influir en el desarrollo. Igualmente, información relativa a la estructura y el ambiente familiar que permita plantear acciones de resiliencia desde la más temprana edad.