bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Crohn Disease: A Theoretical Construct to Apply Pharmacokinetics and Guidelines to Clinical Practice
Authors: Vande Casteele Niels , Feagan Brian G , Wolf Douglas C , Pop Anca , Yassine Mohamed , Horst Sara N , Ritter Timothy E , Sandborn William J
Published: October 2020

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is the measurement of drug and antidrug antibody concentrations in individuals to guide treatment decisions. In patients with Crohn disease (CD), TDM, used either reactively or proactively, is emerging as a valuable tool for optimization of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapy. Reactive TDM is carried out in response to treatment failure, whereas proactive TDM involves the periodic monitoring of patients responding to TNF antagonist therapy to allow treatment optimization. In patients with CD, most of the available data for TDM relate to the first-to-market TNF antagonist infliximab and, to a lesser extent, to adalimumab and certolizumab pegol. Several gastroenterology associations, including the American Gastroenterology Association, have endorsed the use of reactive TDM in patients with active CD. However, fewer recommendations currently exist for the use of proactive TDM, although several new prospective randomized controlled trials evaluating proactive TDM strategies have been published. In this review, the current evidence for reactive and proactive TDM is discussed, and a proactive treatment algorithm for certolizumab pegol based on previously published threshold concentrations is proposed.
National Estimates of Financial Hardship From Medical Bills and Cost-related Medication Nonadherence in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in the United States
Authors: Nguyen Nghia H , Khera Rohan , Dulai Parambir S , Boland Brigid S , Ohno-Machado Lucila , Sandborn William J , Singh Siddharth
Published: October 2020

Background

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are associated with substantial health care needs. We estimated the national burden and patterns of financial toxicity and its association with unplanned health care utilization in adults with IBD in the United States.

Methods

Using the National Health Interview survey (2015), we identified individuals with self-reported IBD and assessed national estimates of financial toxicity across domains of financial hardship due to medical bills, cost-related medication nonadherence (CRN) and adoption of cost-reducing strategies, personal and health-related financial distress (worry about expenses), and health care affordability. We also evaluated the association of financial toxicity with emergency department (ED) utilization.

Results

Of the estimated 3.1 million adults with IBD in the United States, 23% reported financial hardships due to medical bills, 16% of patients reported CRN, and 31% reported cost-reducing behaviors. Approximately 62% of patients reported personal and/or health-related financial distress, and 10% of patients deemed health care unaffordable. Prevalence of financial toxicity was substantial even in participants with higher education, with private insurance, and belonging to middle/high-income families, highlighting underinsurance. Inflammatory bowel disease was associated with 1.6 to 2.6 times higher odds of financial toxicity across domains compared with patients without IBD. Presence of any marker of financial toxicity was associated with higher ED utilization.

Conclusions

One in 4 adults with IBD experiences financial hardship due to medical bills, and 1 in 6 adults reports cost-related medication nonadherence. These financial determinates of health—especially underinsurance—have important implications in the context of value-based care.
Prevalence of MDR organism (MDRO) carriage in children and their household members in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Authors: Singh Shweta R , Mao Bunsoth , Evdokimov Konstantin , Tan Pisey , Leab Phana , Ong Rick , Vonthanak Saphonn , Tam Clarence C , Hsu Li Yang , Turner Paul
Published: October 2020

Background

The rising incidence of infections caused by MDR organisms (MDROs) poses a significant public health threat. However, little has been reported regarding community MDRO carriage in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in Siem Reap, Cambodia comparing hospital-associated households, in which an index child (age: 2–14 years) had been hospitalized for at least 48 h in the preceding 2–4 weeks, with matched community households on the same street, in which no other child had a recent history of hospitalization. Participants were interviewed using a survey questionnaire and tested for carriage of MRSA, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) by culture followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing. We used logistic regression analysis to analyse associations between collected variables and MDRO carriage.

Results

Forty-two pairs of households including 376 participants with 376 nasal swabs and 290 stool specimens were included in final analysis. MRSA was isolated from 26 specimens (6.9%). ESBL-producing Escherichia coli was detected in 269 specimens (92.8%) whereas ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from 128 specimens (44.1%), of which 123 (42.4%) were co-colonized with ESBL-producing E. coli. Six (2.1%) specimens tested positive for CPE (4 E. coli and 2 K. pneumoniae). The prevalence ratios for MRSA, ESBL-producing E. coli and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae carriage did not differ significantly in hospital-associated households and hospitalized children compared with their counterparts.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of ESBL-E across both household types suggests that MDRO reservoirs are common in the community. Ongoing genomic analyses will help to understand the epidemiology and course of MDRO spread.
A review ofTriops granarius(Lucas, 1864)sensu lato(Notostraca: Triopsidae) of southern Africa and Madagascar, with comments on the group
Authors: Rogers D Christopher , Schwentner Martin , Dalu Tatenda , Wasserman Ryan J
Published: October 2020

We review the current knowledge surrounding the Triops granarius morphological species group globally, and present a revision of the southern African T. granarius forms based on collections from southern Africa and Madagascar. We also provide comparisons with other material of T. granarius from outside this region. We revise the morphological descriptions of T. numidicus (Grube, 1865) and T. namaquensis (Richters, 1886) using modern standards, and resurrect T. sakalavus  Nobili, 1905 from synonymy, using both morphological and molecular techniques. Morphological definitions focus primarily on the form of the apical portion of the thoracopod II endite. Differential diagnoses are presented for the three species, including characters that separate them from the other members with similar morphology. Furthermore, we treat T. dybowskii (Braem, 1893), T. orientalis (Tiwari, 1951), and T. mavliensis (Tiwari, 1951), which had been recently resurrected, as species inquirenda.
Structured Plurality Reconsidered
Authors: Grimau Berta
Published: October 2020

In this article, I address the question of the semantic analysis of structured plurals, that is, expressions like these children and those children, which seem to refer to pluralities of individuals divided into groups. In the first half of the article, I describe a variety of structured plural expressions and predicates they can combine with and I point out the difficulties faced by two extant approaches to the semantics of plurals: inflationary and cover-based semantics. In the second half of the article, I propose an alternative account which combines elements from both of them. The main novelty of my proposal is that, by capitalising on the background operation of certain pragmatic principles, it correctly formalises the fact that some interpretations of ambiguous sentences involving structured plurality are more accessible than others.
Uncovering two phases of early intercontinental COVID-19 transmission dynamics
Authors: Yang Jing , Li Juan , Lai Shengjie , Ruktanonchai Corrine W , Xing Weijia , Carioli Alessandra , Wang Peihan , Ruktanonchai Nick W , Li Ruiyun , Floyd Jessica R , Wang Liang , Bi Yuhai , Shi Weifeng , Tatem Andrew J
Published: October 2020

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an ongoing global crisis, but how the virus spread across the world remains poorly understood. This is of vital importance for informing current and future pandemic response strategies.

Methods

We performed two independent analyses, travel network-based epidemiological modelling and Bayesian phylogeographic inference, to investigate the intercontinental spread of COVID-19.

Results

Both approaches revealed two distinct phases of COVID-19 spread by the end of March 2020. In the first phase, COVID-19 largely circulated in China during mid-to-late January 2020 and was interrupted by containment measures in China. In the second and predominant phase extending from late February to mid-March, unrestricted movements between countries outside of China facilitated intercontinental spread, with Europe as a major source. Phylogenetic analyses also revealed that the dominant strains circulating in the USA were introduced from Europe. However, stringent restrictions on international travel across the world since late March have substantially reduced intercontinental transmission.

Conclusions

Our analyses highlight that heterogeneities in international travel have shaped the spatiotemporal characteristics of the pandemic. Unrestricted travel caused a large number of COVID-19 exportations from Europe to other continents between late February and mid-March, which facilitated the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted restrictions on international travel from countries with widespread community transmission, together with improved capacity in testing, genetic sequencing and contact tracing, can inform timely strategies for mitigating and containing ongoing and future waves of COVID-19 pandemic.
Discovery and follow-up of ASASSN-19dj: an X-ray and UV luminous TDE in an extreme post-starburst galaxy
Authors: Hinkle Jason T , Holoien T W-S , Auchettl K , Shappee B J , Neustadt J M M , Payne A V , Brown J S , Kochanek C S , Stanek K Z , Graham M J , Tucker M A , Do A , Anderson J P , Bose S , Chen P , Coulter D A , Dimitriadis G , Dong Subo , Foley R J , Huber M E , Hung T , Kilpatrick C D , Pignata G , Piro A L , Rojas-Bravo C , Siebert M R , Stalder B , Thompson Todd A , Tonry J L , Vallely P J , Wisniewski J P
Published: October 2020

We present observations of ASASSN-19dj, a nearby tidal disruption event (TDE) discovered in the post-starburst galaxy KUG 0810+227 by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) at a distance of d ≃ 98 Mpc. We observed ASASSN-19dj from −21 to 392 d relative to peak ultraviolet (UV)/optical emission using high-cadence, multiwavelength spectroscopy and photometry. From the ASAS-SN g-band data, we determine that the TDE began to brighten on 2019 February 6.8 and for the first 16 d the rise was consistent with a flux ∝t2 power law. ASASSN-19dj peaked in the UV/optical on 2019 March 6.5 (MJD = 58548.5) at a bolometric luminosity of L = (6.2 ± 0.2) × 1044 erg s−1. Initially remaining roughly constant in X-rays and slowly fading in the UV/optical, the X-ray flux increased by over an order of magnitude ∼225 d after peak, resulting from the expansion of the X-ray emitting region. The late-time X-ray emission is well fitted by a blackbody with an effective radius of ∼1 × 1012 cm and a temperature of ∼6 × 105 K. The X-ray hardness ratio becomes softer after brightening and then returns to a harder state as the X-rays fade. Analysis of Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey images reveals a nuclear outburst roughly 14.5 yr earlier with a smooth decline and a luminosity of LV ≥ 1.4 × 1043 erg s−1, although the nature of the flare is unknown. ASASSN-19dj occurred in the most extreme post-starburst galaxy yet to host a TDE, with Lick HδA = 7.67 ± 0.17 Å.
Inevitable imprints of patchy reionization on the cosmic microwave background anisotropy
Authors: Paul Sourabh , Mukherjee Suvodip , Choudhury Tirthankar Roy
Published: October 2020

Reionization of the cosmic neutral hydrogen by the first stars in the Universe is an inhomogeneous process, which produces spatial fluctuations in free electron density. These fluctuations lead to observable signatures in cosmological probes like the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We explore the effect of the electron density fluctuations on CMB using photon-conserving seminumerical simulations of reionization named SCRIPT. We show that the amplitude of the kinematic Sunyaev–Zeldovich (kSZ) and the B-mode polarization signal depends on the patchiness in the spatial distribution of electrons along with the dependence on mid-point and extent of the reionization history. Motivated by this finding, we provide new scaling relations for the amplitude of kSZ and the B-mode polarization signal which can capture the effects arising from the mean optical depth, width of reionization, and spatial fluctuations in the electron density arising from patchy reionization. We show that the amplitude of the kSZ and the B-mode polarization signal exhibits different dependency on the width of reionization and the patchiness of reionization, and hence a joint study of these CMB probes will be able to break the degeneracy. By combining external data sets from 21-cm measurements, the degeneracy can be further lifted by directly exploring the sizes of the ionized regions.
Secondary structure determination of conserved SARS-CoV-2 RNA elements by NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Wacker Anna , Weigand Julia E , Akabayov Sabine R , Altincekic Nadide , Bains Jasleen Kaur , Banijamali Elnaz , Binas Oliver , Castillo-Martinez Jesus , Cetiner Erhan , Ceylan Betül , Chiu Liang-Yuan , Davila-Calderon Jesse , Dhamotharan Karthikeyan , Duchardt-Ferner Elke , Ferner Jan , Frydman Lucio , Fürtig Boris , Gallego José , Grün J Tassilo , Hacker Carolin , Haddad Christina , Hähnke Martin , Hengesbach Martin , Hiller Fabian , Hohmann Katharina F , Hymon Daniel , de Jesus Vanessa , Jonker Henry , Keller Heiko , Knezic Bozana , Landgraf Tom , Löhr Frank , Luo Le , Mertinkus Klara R , Muhs Christina , Novakovic Mihajlo , Oxenfarth Andreas , Palomino-Schätzlein Martina , Petzold Katja , Peter Stephen A , Pyper Dennis J , Qureshi Nusrat S , Riad Magdalena , Richter Christian , Saxena Krishna , Schamber Tatjana , Scherf Tali , Schlagnitweit Judith , Schlundt Andreas , Schnieders Robbin , Schwalbe Harald , Simba-Lahuasi Alvaro , Sreeramulu Sridhar , Stirnal Elke , Sudakov Alexey , Tants Jan-Niklas , Tolbert Blanton S , Vögele Jennifer , Weiß Lena , Wirmer-Bartoschek Julia , Wirtz Martin Maria A , Wöhnert Jens , Zetzsche Heidi
Published: October 2020

The current pandemic situation caused by the Betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV2) highlights the need for coordinated research to combat COVID-19. A particularly important aspect is the development of medication. In addition to viral proteins, structured RNA elements represent a potent alternative as drug targets. The search for drugs that target RNA requires their high-resolution structural characterization. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a worldwide consortium of NMR researchers aims to characterize potential RNA drug targets of SCoV2. Here, we report the characterization of 15 conserved RNA elements located at the 5′ end, the ribosomal frameshift segment and the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the SCoV2 genome, their large-scale production and NMR-based secondary structure determination. The NMR data are corroborated with secondary structure probing by DMS footprinting experiments. The close agreement of NMR secondary structure determination of isolated RNA elements with DMS footprinting and NMR performed on larger RNA regions shows that the secondary structure elements fold independently. The NMR data reported here provide the basis for NMR investigations of RNA function, RNA interactions with viral and host proteins and screening campaigns to identify potential RNA binders for pharmaceutical intervention.
TENET: gene network reconstruction using transfer entropy reveals key regulatory factors from single cell transcriptomic data
Authors: Kim Junil , T. Jakobsen Simon , Natarajan Kedar N , Won Kyoung-Jae
Published: October 2020

Accurate prediction of gene regulatory rules is important towards understanding of cellular processes. Existing computational algorithms devised for bulk transcriptomics typically require a large number of time points to infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs), are applicable for a small number of genes and fail to detect potential causal relationships effectively. Here, we propose a novel approach ‘TENET’ to reconstruct GRNs from single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) datasets. Employing transfer entropy (TE) to measure the amount of causal relationships between genes, TENET predicts large-scale gene regulatory cascades/relationships from scRNAseq data. TENET showed better performance than other GRN reconstructors, in identifying key regulators from public datasets. Specifically from scRNAseq, TENET identified key transcriptional factors in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and during direct cardiomyocytes reprogramming, where other predictors failed. We further demonstrate that known target genes have significantly higher TE values, and TENET predicted higher TE genes were more influenced by the perturbation of their regulator. Using TENET, we identified and validated that Nme2 is a culture condition specific stem cell factor. These results indicate that TENET is uniquely capable of identifying key regulators from scRNAseq data.
Brain exposure of the ATM inhibitor AZD1390 in humans—a positron emission tomography study
Authors: Jucaite Aurelija , Stenkrona Per , Cselényi Zsolt , De Vita Serena , Buil-Bruna Nuria , Varnäs Katarina , Savage Alicia , Varrone Andrea , Johnström Peter , Schou Magnus , Davison Chris , Sykes Andy , Pilla Reddy Venkatesh , Hoch Matthias , Vazquez-Romero Ana , Moein Mohammad Mahdi , Halldin Christer , Merchant Melinda S , Pass Martin , Farde Lars
Published: October 2020

Background

The protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) mediates cellular response to DNA damage induced by radiation. ATM inhibition decreases DNA damage repair in tumor cells and affects tumor growth. AZD1390 is a novel, highly potent, selective ATM inhibitor designed to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and currently evaluated with radiotherapy in a phase I study in patients with brain malignancies. In the present study, PET was used to measure brain exposure of 11C-labeled AZD1390 after intravenous (i.v.) bolus administration in healthy subjects with an intact BBB.

Methods

AZD1390 was radiolabeled with carbon-11 and a microdose (mean injected mass 1.21 µg) was injected in 8 male subjects (21–65 y). The radioactivity concentration of [11C]AZD1390 in brain was measured using a high-resolution PET system. Radioactivity in arterial blood was measured to obtain a metabolite corrected arterial input function for quantitative image analysis. Participants were monitored by laboratory examinations, vital signs, electrocardiogram, adverse events.

Results

The brain radioactivity concentration of [11C]AZD1390 was 0.64 SUV (standard uptake value) and reached maximum 1.00% of injected dose at Tmax[brain] of 21 min (time of maximum brain radioactivity concentration) after i.v. injection. The whole brain total distribution volume was 5.20 mL*cm−3. No adverse events related to [11C]AZD1390 were reported.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that [11C]AZD1390 crosses the intact BBB and supports development of AZD1390 for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme or other brain malignancies. Moreover, it illustrates the potential of PET microdosing in predicting and guiding dose range and schedule for subsequent clinical studies.
Inflation, market structure, and innovation-driven growth with distinct cash constraints
Authors: Huang Chien-Yu , Chang Juin-Jen , Ji Lei
Published: October 2020

This article explores the effects of monetary policy (inflation) in a Schumpeterian growth model with an endogenous market structure and distinct cash (or cash-in-advance, CIA) constraints on consumption, production, and two types of R&D investment—quality-improving and variety-expanding R&D. We show that the relationship between inflation and growth is negative if quality-improving R&D (incumbent) is subject to the CIA constraint, but positive if variety-expanding R&D (entrant) is subject to the CIA constraint. Inflation has no effect on growth as consumption or production is subject to the CIA constraint. In addition, the firm size may either increase or decrease in response to inflation depending on which type of R&D is constrained by cash. With all CIA constraints properly imposed, a likely scenario in our numerical analysis shows that a rise in inflation leads the growth rate to exhibit a decrease in the short run but an increase in the long run. Moreover, our welfare analysis shows that Friedman’s rule, in general, is not socially optimal.
Evaluation of Nasopharyngeal Swab Collection Techniques for Nucleic Acid Recovery and Participant Experience: Recommendations for COVID-19 Diagnostics
Authors: Kinloch Natalie N , Shahid Aniqa , Ritchie Gordon , Dong Winnie , Lawson Tanya , Montaner Julio S G , Romney Marc G , Stefanovic Aleksandra , Matic Nancy , Brumme Chanson J , Lowe Christopher F , Brumme Zabrina L , Leung Victor
Published: October 2020

Nasopharyngeal swabs are critical to the diagnosis of respiratory infections including coronavirus disease 2019, but collection techniques vary. We compared 2 recommended nasopharyngeal swab collection techniques in adult volunteers and found that swab rotation following nasopharyngeal contact did not recover additional nucleic acid (as measured by human DNA/RNA copy number). Rotation was also less tolerable for participants. Notably, both discomfort and nucleic acid recovery were significantly higher in Asian participants, consistent with nasal anatomy differences. Our results suggest that it is unnecessary to rotate the swab in place following contact with the nasopharynx and reveal that procedural discomfort levels can differ by ethnicity.
Survey of Physical Therapists’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors Regarding Diagnostic Imaging
Authors: Rundell Sean D , Maitland Murray E , Manske Robert C , Beneck George J
Published: October 2020

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe physical therapists’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding the use of diagnostic imaging.

Methods

Physical therapists in the United States were recruited from July 2018 through May 2019 to complete a web-based, cross-sectional survey. Participants were asked about demographics, their perceived knowledge base and skills for recommending or ordering different imaging modalities, and their behaviors regarding diagnostic imaging. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants’ demographics and responses to all questions. Chi-square tests were performed to compare responses by characteristics of survey participants and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare levels of agreement.

Results

The mean age was 43 years, and of the 739 respondents, 58% (n = 417) were female. Ninety-two percent of respondents (n = 595) reported having recommended diagnostic imaging to another provider at least once. Only 11.6% (n = 75) reported having ever directly ordered diagnostic imaging. Participants’ attitudes about their knowledge base and skills for recommending or ordering plain radiographs were stronger compared with any other imaging modalities followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over other imaging techniques. Participants’ attitudes on recommending plain radiographs or MRI differed by professional education level, board-certification status, fellowship completion, and years since graduation.

Conclusion

It is common for physical therapists to recommend imaging, but few have directly ordered imaging. Most survey participants believed that they have an adequate knowledge base and skills for recommending and ordering plain radiographs and MRI.

Impact

These results can serve as a benchmark for future comparison as policies and educations evolve. Understanding physical therapists’ attitudes, knowledge, and use of diagnostic imaging is important to inform research, policy, and education.
DETERMINATION OF 226RA IN URINE USING TRIPLE QUADRUPOLE INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY
Authors: Xiao Ge , Liu Yongzhong , Jones Robert L
Published: October 2020

Measuring 226Ra in urine at low levels is critical for both biomonitoring and radiological emergency response. Here we report a new analytical method to quantify 226Ra, as developed and validated by a simple dilute-and-shoot procedure, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry detection using ‘No Gas MS-MS’ mode. The method provides rapid and accurate results for 226Ra with a limit of detection (LOD) down to 0.007 ng/l (0.26 Bq/l). This LOD is well below the recommended action levels for 226Ra detection in children and pregnant women (C/P) set by the Clinical Decision Guide (NCRP Report #161). Results for 226Ra obtained by this method are within ±7.0% of the target values of standard reference materials spiked in the urine.
Evaluation of methane production manipulated by level of intake in growing cattle and corn oil in finishing cattle
Authors: Winders Tommy M , Boyd Bradley M , Hilscher F Henry , Stowell Rick R , Fernando Samodha C , Erickson Galen E
Published: October 2020

Growing crossbred steers [n = 80, initial body weight (BW) = 274 kg, SD = 21] were used to evaluate the effect of ad libitum and limit-fed intakes on methane (CH4) production. Two treatments with four pens per treatment (10 steers per pen) were evaluated in a randomized block designed experiment, with BW as a blocking factor. Treatments included feeding the same diet at ad libitum intake or limit fed at 75% of ad libitum intakes. Diet consisted of 45% alfalfa, 30% sorghum silage, 22% modified distillers grains plus solubles, and supplement at 3% on a dry matter (DM) basis. This trial was followed by a finishing trial (n = 80; initial BW = 369 kg; SD = 25) to evaluate the effects of dietary corn oil on CH4 production. Two treatments with four pens per treatment (10 steers per pen) were used in a randomized complete block designed experiment. Cattle were rerandomized and blocked by BW within the previous treatment. Treatments consisted of a control diet (CON) containing 66% corn, 15% wet distillers grains plus solubles, 15% corn silage, and 4% supplement (DM basis). Corn oil treatment (OIL) displaced 3% corn by adding corn oil. Methane was collected in two pen-scale chambers by collecting air samples continuously from pens by rotating every 6 min with an ambient sample taken between pen measurements. Steers fed ad libitum had greater DM intake (DMI) by design and greater average daily gain (ADG; P < 0.01) compared to limit-fed cattle; however, feed efficiency was not different between treatments (P = 0.40). Cattle fed ad libitum produced 156 g/d of CH4, which was greater (P < 0.01) than limit-fed cattle (126 g per steer daily). In the finishing trial, BW, gains, and carcass traits were not impacted by treatment (P ≥ 0.14). Feed efficiency (P = 0.02) improved because intakes decreased (P = 0.02) by feeding OIL compared to CON. Daily CH4 production was less (P = 0.03) for OIL-fed cattle (115 g per steer daily) compared to CON-fed cattle (132 g per steer daily). Methane was reduced (P < 0.01) by 17% for OIL-fed cattle compared to CON-fed cattle when expressed as grams of CH4 per kilogram of ADG. Feeding corn oil at 3% of diet DM reduced enteric CH4 production (grams per day) by 15%, which was only partially explained by a 3% decrease in DMI. Overall, a decrease in CH4 was observed when intake is limited in growing cattle and when corn oil is added in finishing diets.
Participation of Ghanaian pregnant women in an antimalarial drug trial: willingness, experiences and perceptions
Authors: Osarfo Joseph , Adjei Rose O , Magnussen Pascal , Tagbor Harry K
Published: October 2020

Background

With increasing orientation towards including pregnant women in clinical trials, investigators must conduct culturally acceptable research to aid recruitment and retention. There is limited information on experiences and meanings that pregnant women make of trial participation in Africa. This study reports experiences and perceptions of Ghanaian pregnant women regarding their participation in a clinical trial.

Methods

From October to December 2012, 45 in-depth interviews were conducted among pregnant women and their male partners regarding their experiences and perceptions of clinical trial processes as part of an antimalarial drug safety and efficacy trial in pregnant women in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Analysis was by predetermined themes and inductive analysis.

Results

Familiarity with the disease studied in the trial and trust in health workers favoured participation with the latter underlying acceptance of study drugs in the absence of symptoms. Adverse drug events were perceived as intrinsic sickness exhibited on the path to wellness. There were no cultural barriers to blood sampling during home visits but hospital-based sampling was preferred. Home visits were linked to participants having HIV infection.

Conclusion

This study contributes knowledge on sociocultural matters underpinning pregnant women's decisions regarding trial participation in an era of increasing drug trials involving pregnant women.
Paecilomyces niveus as a Wound-Infecting Pathogen of Citrus: Oranges and Clementines
Authors: Wang Tristan W. , Hodge Kathie T.
Published: October 2020

Paecilomyces niveus is a heat-resistant mold that can spoil fruit products including orange juice, potentially introducing the regulated mycotoxin patulin. The authors hypothesize this fungus may enter orange juice through infected fruits. This study confirms P. niveus can be a wound-infecting pathogen of both oranges and clementines.
Using Medical Big Data to Develop Personalized Medicine for Dry Eye Disease
Authors: Inomata Takenori , Sung Jaemyoung , Nakamura Masahiro , Iwagami Masao , Okumura Yuichi , Iwata Nanami , Midorikawa-Inomata Akie , Fujimoto Keiichi , Eguchi Atsuko , Nagino Ken , Fujio Kenta , Miura Maria , Shokirova Hurramhon , Murakami Akira
Published: October 2020

Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic, multifactorial ocular surface disorder with multiple etiologies that results in tear film instability. Globally, the prevalence of DED is expected to increase with an aging society and daily use of digital devices. Unfortunately, the medical field is currently unprepared to meet the medical needs of patients with DED. Noninvasive, reliable, and readily reproducible biomarkers have not yet been identified, and the current mainstay treatment for DED relies on symptom alleviation using eye drops with no effective preventative therapies available. Medical big data analyses, mining information from multiomics studies and mobile health applications, may offer a solution for managing chronic conditions such as DED. Omics-based data on individual physiologic status may be leveraged to prevent high-risk diseases, accurately diagnose illness, and improve patient prognosis. Mobile health applications enable the portable collection of real-world medical data and biosignals through personal devices. Together, these data lay a robust foundation for personalized treatments for various ocular surface diseases and other pathologies that currently lack the components of precision medicine. To fully implement personalized and precision medicine, traditional aggregate medical data should not be applied directly to individuals without adjustments for personal etiology, phenotype, presentation, and symptoms.
Cost-utility Analysis of Rotavirus Vaccines Including the Latest Evidence and Data as of June 2020 in Japan
Authors: Kurosawa Teruyoshi , Watanabe Hiroshi , Takahashi Kenzo
Published: October 2020

Background:

In several health economic analyses of rotavirus vaccines in Japan, all were not cost-effective from the healthcare payer perspective (HPP) but generally cost-effective from the societal perspective (SP). However, few studies have incorporated clinically significant factors of vaccine herd immunity, convulsions with gastroenteritis, encephalopathies, nosocomial infections, death, and intussusception as a vaccine side effect. A cost-utility analysis incorporating these were conducted.

Methods:

We used Bakir’s decision-tree model and data in Japan with 94% coverage rate, 5-year time horizon, and 2% discount. We compared the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) with a willingness-to-pay of Japanese Yen (JPY) 5 million from HPP and SP. Scenario 1 examined items based on existing research; scenario 2 additionally examined the above-mentioned items. In scenario 2, break-even prices were determined, and one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results:

In scenario 1, the ICER was JPY 6,057,281 from the HPP and dominant from the SP. In scenario 2, it was JPY 3,713,488 from the HPP. From the HPP in scenario 2, break-even prices were JPY 34,227 for an ICER of JPY 5 million and JPY 17,798 for cost-saving. One-way sensitivity analysis showed ICERs fluctuated widely with ambulatory visits and vaccination costs. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, ICERs of 54.8% were less than the willingness-to-pay. In scenario 2, from the SP, vaccines were dominant.

Conclusion:

From the HPP in scenario 2, the vaccines were cost-effective. In the sensitivity analyses, ICERs also improved from the HPP over previous studies. Herd immunity for ambulatory visits contributed most to the decline.
Unintended consequences of COVID-19 safety measures on patients with chronic knee pain forced to defer joint replacement surgery
Authors: Cisternas Alvaro F. , Ramachandran Roshni , Yaksh Tony L. , Nahama Alexis
Published: October 2020

In recent months, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American College of Surgeons and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended the delay of nonemergency procedures until the public health crisis is resolved. Deferring elective joint replacement surgeries for an unknown period is likely to decrease the incidence of infection with SARS-CoV-2 but is likely to have detrimental effects in individuals suffering from chronic knee pain. These detrimental effects extend beyond the discomfort of osteoarthritis (OA) and the inconvenience of rescheduling surgery. Disabling pain is a driving factor for individuals to seek medical intervention, including pharmacological palliative treatment and surgical procedures. The need for surgical intervention due to chronic pain as for knee and hip replacement is now put on hold indefinitely because access to surgical care has been limited. Although a moderate delay in surgical intervention may not produce a significant progression of OA within the knee, it could lead to muscle wasting due to immobility and exacerbate comorbidities, making rehabilitation more challenging. Importantly, it will have an impact on comorbidities driven by OA severity, notably decreased quality of life and depression. These patients with unremitting pain become increasingly susceptible to substance use disorders including opioids, alcohol, as well as prescription and illegal drugs. Appreciation of this downstream crisis created by delayed surgical correction requires aggressive consideration of nonsurgical, nonopiate supported interventions to reduce the morbidity associated with these delays brought upon by the currently restricted access to joint repair.
Isolated Frontosphenoidal Craniosynostosis: The Alder Hey Experience and a Novel Algorithm to Aid Diagnosis
Authors: Hennedige Anusha , Bridle Robyn , Richardson David , Duncan Christian , Parks Christopher , Sinha Ajay , Ellenbogen Jonathan
Published: October 2020

Unilateral synostotic frontal plagiocephaly is most commonly due to a premature fusion of the frontoparietal suture. However, the coronal ring comprises of major and minor sutures and these sutures in isolation or in combination can result in similar clinical presentations which can make diagnosis challenging and result in a delay in referral to a craniofacial surgeon for timely management. Isolated frontosphenoidal craniosynostosis is a rare clinical entity with only 49 cases reported in the English literature to date. The authors present our series of 4 patients to add to this cohort of patients and describe key characteristics to distinguish frontoparietal from isolated frontosphenoidal synostosis and introduce a means of differentiating these 2 diagnoses from posterior deformational plagiocephaly and unilateral lambdoid synostosis. All previous case reports have been diagnosed after radiological imaging but the authors have devised a novel algorithm to aid the clinician in diagnosis of craniosynostosis before any radiological imaging.
The Effect of Gum Chewing on Abdominal Pain and Nausea Caused by Polyethylene Glycol Solution Used for Intestinal Cleansing Before Colonoscopy
Authors: Aydin Sayilan Aylin , Seyhan AK Ezgi , Temiz Zeynep , Öztekin Seher Deniz , Colak Sevgi , Pirti Okay
Published: October 2020

Gum chewing is known to have a positive effect on intestinal motility. Most studies have examined its effect on ileus, but there has been no discussion of the effects of polyethylene glycol used in preparation for colonoscopy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gum chewing on abdominal pain and nausea caused by polyethylene glycol solution used for intestinal cleansing before colonoscopy. The study was planned as a single-center, randomized, controlled experimental study. The research sample was determined using power analysis (n= 60). Consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomized into the experimental and control groups. Patients in the gum group chewed mint-flavored sugar-free gum for 20 minutes every 2 hours until the start of colonoscopy after consuming 2 L of polyethylene glycol solution. Patients in the control group drank only polyethylene glycol solution. Examination of precolonoscopy pain and nausea revealed a statistically significant difference in the gum chewing group (p< .05). Patients using sugar-free gum experienced statistically significant fewer problems after colonoscopy. Gum chewing had a positive effect on abdominal pain and nausea. There are no drawbacks to presolution chewing, and it may be recommended for patients.
Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Quality of Life After Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Ustundag Hulya , Gul Asiye , Ozkaya Birgul , Zengin Neriman
Published: October 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate healthy lifestyle behaviors and the quality of life of obese individuals in 3–12 months after sleeve gastrectomy. The study is a descriptive design and was conducted at the obesity surgery outpatient clinic of a government hospital between May and December 2017. The study sample included 172 patients agreeing to participate. Data were gathered with a questionnaire composed of questions about sociodemographic features, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II), and the WHO Quality of Life BREF-TR (WHOQOL-BREF-TR). The total HPLP II score was above average; participants had the highest and lowest scores for the subscales spiritual growth and physical activity, respectively. The total score for the WHOQOL-BREF-TR was above average. The highest and lowest scores were obtained for the subscales psychological health and social relations, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the scores for HPLP II and its subscales and the scores for WHOQOL-BREF-TR. Promotion of health and a healthy lifestyle need to be an integral part of health services provided for patients after sleeve gastrectomy.
Creativity in temporal social networks: how divergent thinking is impacted by one’s choice of peers
Authors: Baten Raiyan Abdul , Bagley Daryl , Tenesaca Ashely , Clark Famous , Bagrow James P. , Ghoshal Gourab , Hoque Ehsan
Published: October 2020

Creativity is viewed as one of the most important skills in the context of future-of-work. In this paper, we explore how the dynamic (self-organizing) nature of social networks impacts the fostering of creative ideas. We run six trials (
N
= 288) of a web-based experiment involving divergent ideation tasks. We find that network connections gradually adapt to individual creative performances, as the participants predominantly seek to follow high-performing peers for creative inspirations. We unearth both opportunities and bottlenecks afforded by such self-organization. While exposure to high-performing peers is associated with better creative performances of the followers, we see a counter-effect that choosing to follow the same peers introduces semantic similarities in the followers’ ideas. We formulate an agent-based simulation model to capture these intuitions in a tractable manner, and experiment with corner cases of various simulation parameters to assess the generality of the findings. Our findings may help design large-scale interventions to improve the creative aptitude of people interacting in a social network.
Estimating international trade status of countries from global liner shipping networks
Authors: Xu Mengqiao , Pan Qian , Xia Haoxiang , Masuda Naoki
Published: October 2020

Maritime shipping is a backbone of international trade and, thus, the world economy. Cargo-loaded vessels travel from one country's port to another via an underlying port-to-port transport network, contributing to international trade values of countries en route. We hypothesize that ports that involve trans-shipment activities serve as a third-party broker to mediate trade between two foreign countries and contribute to the corresponding country's status in international trade. We test this hypothesis using a port-level dataset of global liner shipping services. We propose two indices that quantify the importance of countries in the global liner shipping network and show that they explain a large amount of variation in individual countries' international trade values and related measures. These results support a long-standing view in maritime economics, which has yet to be directly tested, that countries that are strongly integrated into the global maritime transportation network have enhanced access to global markets and trade opportunities.
Adaptation of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase enzyme in an extremophile fish
Authors: White Lewis J. , Sutton Gemma , Shechonge Asilatu , Day Julia J. , Dasmahapatra Kanchon K. , Pownall Mary E.
Published: October 2020

Tetrapods and fish have adapted distinct carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (CPS) enzymes to initiate the ornithine urea cycle during the detoxification of nitrogenous wastes. We report evidence that in the ureotelic subgenus of extremophile fishOreochromis Alcolapia, CPS III has undergone convergent evolution and adapted its substrate affinity to ammonia, which is typical of terrestrial vertebrate CPS I. Unusually, unlike in other vertebrates, the expression of CPS III inAlcolapiais localized to the skeletal muscle and is activated in the myogenic lineage during early embryonic development with expression remaining in mature fish. We propose that adaptation inAlcolapiaincluded both convergent evolution of CPS function to that of terrestrial vertebrates, as well as changes in development mechanisms redirectingCPS IIIgene expression to the skeletal muscle.
Optimizing Global Navigation Satellite Systems network real-time kinematic infrastructure for homogeneous positioning performance from the perspective of tropospheric effects
Authors: Yu Chen , Penna Nigel T. , Li Zhenhong
Published: October 2020

Real-time centimetre-level precise positioning from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is critical for activities including landslide, glacier and coastal erosion monitoring, flood modelling, precision agriculture, intelligent transport systems, autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things. This may be achieved via the real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS approach, which uses a single receiver and a network of continuously operating GNSS reference stations (CORS). However, existing CORS networks have often been established simply by attempting regular spacing or in clusters around cities, with little consideration of weather, climate and topography effects, which influence the GNSS tropospheric delay, a substantial GNSS positional error and which prevents homogeneous RTK accuracy attainment. Here, we develop a framework towards optimizing the design of CORS ground infrastructure, such that tropospheric delay errors reduce to 1.5 mm worth of precipitable water vapour (PWV) globally. We obtain average optimal station spacings of 52 km in local summer and 70 km in local winter, inversely related to the atmospheric PWV variation, with denser networks typically required in the tropics and in mountainous areas. We also consider local CORS network infrastructure case studies, showing how after network modification interpolated PWV errors can be reduced from around 2.7 to 1.4 mm.
Hydrodynamics of a bordered collar as a countermeasure against pier scouring
Authors: Ferraro Domenico , Fenocchi Andrea , Gaudio Roberto
Published: October 2020

An experimental campaign on long-term clear-water scour at bridge piers with different configurations was performed in a laboratory to investigate the effects of different countermeasures. Tests were performed in a flume with a movable sediment bed for an unprotected cylindrical pier, a cylindrical pier with a standard collar and a cylindrical pier with a bordered collar. The scoured beds at the equilibrium stage were acquired through the photogrammetry technique and the efficiencies of the tested countermeasures were measured. Results showed a reduction in the maximum scour depth as well as in the scour hole volume with respect to the unprotected pier. The maximum scour depth was reduced by 59.63% with the standard collar and by 63.51% with the bordered collar. The scoured volume was reduced by 43.80% with the standard collar and by 60.00% with the bordered collar. The three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations were solved numerically to reproduce the hydrodynamics of the experiments. The volume of fluid technique was used to reproduce the free surface. For each test, the results of the simulations were analysed to investigate the flow field around the pier both at the initial (flat-bed) and at the equilibrium stages, highlighting the changes in the velocity field owing to the presence of the standard collar and of the bordered collar.
A fully coupled hybrid lattice Boltzmann and finite difference method-based study of transient electrokinetic flows
Authors: Basu Himadri Sekhar , Bahga Supreet Singh , Kondaraju Sasidhar
Published: October 2020

Transient electrokinetic (EK) flows involve the transport of conductivity gradients developed as a result of mixing of ionic species in the fluid, which in turn is affected by the electric field applied across the channel. The presence of three different coupled equations with corresponding different time scales makes it difficult to model the problem using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The present work aims to develop a hybrid LBM and finite difference method (FDM)-based model which can be used to study the electro-osmotic flows (EOFs) and the onset of EK instabilities using an Ohmic model, where fluid and conductivity transport are solved using LBM and the electric field is solved using FDM. The model developed will be used to simulate three different problems: (i) EOF with varying zeta-potential on the wall, (ii) similitude in EOF, and (iii) EK instabilities due to the presence of conductivity gradients. Problems (i) and (ii) will be compared with the analytical results and problem (iii) will be compared with the simulations of a spectral method-based numerical model. The results obtained from the present simulations will show that the developed model is capable of studying transient EK flows and of predicting the onset of instability.