bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic review of shared decision-making interventions for people living with chronic respiratory diseases
Authors: Barradell Amy C , Gerlis Charlotte , Houchen-Wolloff Linzy , Bekker Hilary L , Robertson Noelle , Singh Sally J
Published: May 2023

Objective

Shared decision-making (SDM) supports patients to make informed and value-based decisions about their care. We are developing an intervention to enable healthcare professionals to support patients’ pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) decision-making. To identify intervention components we needed to evaluate others carried out in chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). We aimed to evaluate the impact of SDM interventions on patient decision-making (primary outcome) and downstream health-related outcomes (secondary outcome).

Design

We conducted a systematic review using the risk of bias (Cochrane ROB2, ROBINS-I) and certainty of evidence (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) tools.

Data sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, CINAHL, PEDRO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal, ClinicalTrials.gov, PROSPERO, ISRCTN were search through to 11th April 2023.

Eligibility criteria

Trials evaluating SDM interventions in patients living with CRD using quantitative or mixed methods were included.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two independent reviewers extracted data, assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence. A narrative synthesis, with reference to The Making Informed Decisions Individually and Together (MIND-IT) model, was undertaken.

Results

Eight studies (n=1596 (of 17 466 citations identified)) fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Five studies included components targeting the patient, healthcare professionals and consultation process (demonstrating adherence to the MIND-IT model). All studies reported their interventions improved patient decision-making and health-related outcomes. No outcome was reported consistently across studies. Four studies had high risk of bias, three had low quality of evidence. Intervention fidelity was reported in two studies.

Conclusions

These findings suggest developing an SDM intervention including a patient decision aid, healthcare professional training, and a consultation prompt could support patient PR decisions, and health-related outcomes. Using a complex intervention development and evaluation research framework will likely lead to more robust research, and a greater understanding of service needs when integrating the intervention within practice.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020169897.
Clinical emergency care quality indicators in Africa: a scoping review and data summary
Authors: Pickering Ashley E , Malherbe Petrus , Nambuba Joan , Bills Corey B , Hynes Emilie Calvello , Rice Brian
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Emergency care services are rapidly expanding in Africa; however, development must focus on quality. The African Federation of Emergency Medicine consensus conference (AFEM-CC)-based quality indicators were published in 2018. This study sought to increase knowledge of quality through identifying all publications from Africa containing data relevant to the AFEM-CC process clinical and outcome quality indicators.

Design

We conducted searches for general quality of emergency care in Africa and for each of 28 AFEM-CC process clinical and five outcome clinical quality indicators individually in the medical and grey literature.

Data sources

PubMed (1964—2 January 2022), Embase (1947—2 January 2022) and CINAHL (1982—3 January 2022) and various forms of grey literature were queried.

Eligibility criteria

Studies published in English, addressing the African emergency care population as a whole or large subsegment of this population (eg, trauma, paediatrics), and matching AFEM-CC process quality indicator parameters exactly were included. Studies with similar, but not exact match, data were collected separately as ‘AFEM-CC quality indicators near match’.

Data extraction and synthesis

Document screening was done in duplicate by two authors, using Covidence, and conflicts were adjudicated by a third. Simple descriptive statistics were calculated.

Results

One thousand three hundred and fourteen documents were reviewed, 314 in full text. 41 studies met a priori criteria and were included, yielding 59 unique quality indicator data points. Documentation and assessment quality indicators accounted for 64% of data points identified, clinical care for 25% and outcomes for 10%. An additional 53 ‘AFEM-CC quality indicators near match’ publications were identified (38 new publications and 15 previously identified studies that contained additional ‘near match’ data), yielding 87 data points.

Conclusions

Data relevant to African emergency care facility-based quality indicators are highly limited. Future publications on emergency care in Africa should be aware of, and conform with, AFEM-CC quality indicators to strengthen understanding of quality.
Unravelling the predictors of late cancer presentation and diagnosis in Jordan: a cross-sectional study of patients with lung and colorectal cancers
Authors: Damsees Rana , Jaghbir Madi , Salam Mahmoud , Al-Omari Amal , Al-Rawashdeh Nedal
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Late presentation or diagnosis of cancer results in a poor clinical prognosis, negatively affects treatment and subsequently lowers one’s chances of survival. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with late lung and colorectal cancer presentation and diagnosis in Jordan.

Design

This correlational cross-sectional study was based on face-to-face interviews and medical chart reviews from a cancer registry database. A structured questionnaire based on a review of the literature was used.

Setting and participants

The study participants were a representative sample of adult patients with colorectal or lung cancer who visited the outpatient clinics at King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan, between January 2019 and December 2020, to get their first medical consultation.

Results

382 study participants were surveyed, with a response rate of 82.3%. Of these, 162 (42.2%) reported a late presentation and 92 (24.1%) reported a late diagnosis of cancer. The results of backward multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that female gender and not seeking a medical advice when feeling ill combined was associated with an almost three times increased likelihood of reporting a late presentation with cancer (adjusted OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.19 to 7.43). Not having health insurance and not seeking medical advice combined was also associated with late presentation (2.5, 95% CI 1.02 to 6.12). For lung cancer, Jordanians living in rural areas were 9.29 (95% CI 2.46 to 35.1) times more likely to report late diagnosis. Jordanians who did not screen for cancer in the past were 7.02 (95% CI 1.69 to 29.18) times more likely to report late diagnosis. For colorectal cancer, those having no previous knowledge about cancers or screening programmes had increased odds of reporting late diagnosis (2.30, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.97).

Conclusions

This study highlights important factors associated with the late presentation and diagnosis of colorectal and lung cancers in Jordan. Investing in national screening and early detection programmes as well as public outreach and awareness campaigns will have a significant impact on early detection to improve treatment outcomes.
Does reducing out-of-pocket costs for children’s surgical care protect families from poverty in Somaliland? A cross-sectional, national, economic evaluation modelling study
Authors: Smith Emily R , Kapoor Pranav , Concepcion Tessa , Ramirez Treasure , Mohamed Mubarak , Dahir Shukri , Cotache-Condor Cesia , Adan Ismail Edna , Rice Henry E , Shrime Mark G
Published: May 2023

Objectives

An estimated 1.7 billion children around the world do not have access to safe, affordable and timely surgical care, with the financing through out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses being one of the main barriers to care. Our study modelled the impact of reducing OOP costs related to surgical care for children in Somaliland on the risk of catastrophic expenditures and impoverishment.

Design and setting

This cross-sectional nationwide economic evaluation modelled several different approaches to reduction of paediatric OOP surgical costs in Somaliland.

Participants and outcome measures

A surgical record review of all procedures on children up to 15 years old was conducted at 15 surgically capable hospitals. We modelled two rates of OOP cost reduction (reduction of OOP proportion from 70% to 50% and from 70% to 30% reduction in OOP costs) across five wealth quintiles (poorest, poor, neutral, rich, richest) and two geographical areas (urban and rural). The outcome measures of the study are catastrophic expenditures and risk of impoverishment due to surgery. We followed the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards.

Results

We found that the risk of catastrophic and impoverishing expenditures related to OOP expenditures for paediatric surgery is high across Somaliland, but most notable in the rural areas and among the poorest quintiles. Reducing OOP expenses for surgical care to 30% would protect families in the richest wealth quintiles while minimally affecting the risk of catastrophic expenditure and impoverishment for those in the lowest wealth quintiles, particularly those in rural areas.

Conclusion

Our models suggest that the poorest communities in Somaliland lack protection against the risk of catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment, even if OOP payments are reduced to 30% of surgical costs. A comprehensive financial protection in addition to reduction of OOP costs is required to prevent risk of impoverishment in these communities.
Regulatory considerations for paediatric drug evaluation in China
Authors: Geng Ying , Li Qiang , Sun Yan-Zhe , Zhang Hao , Jiang Yong-Lin , Wang Li-Qing , Wu Yue-E , Zhao Wei , Yang Zhi-Min
Published: May 2023

The regulatory guidelines for the research and development of paediatric drugs are still evolving in China. The formulation of the guidelines started from learning and borrowing existing experience, and gradually changed to the exploration and improvement of local guidelines, which was not only in line with international standards but also had breakthroughs, innovations and Chinese characteristics. In this paper, the current setting of paediatric drug research and development in China and corresponding technical guidelines have been introduced from regulatory perspectives, and the accessibility of further improvement in regulatory strategies has also been discussed.
Undiagnosed and ‘overdiagnosed’ COPD using postbronchodilator spirometry in primary healthcare settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Perret Jennifer , Yip Sui Wah Sean , Idrose Nur Sabrina , Hancock Kerry , Abramson Michael J , Dharmage Shyamali C , Walters E Haydn , Waidyatillake Nilakshi
Published: May 2023

Background

Despite chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being a major global cause of mortality and hospitalisation, it is often undiagnosed or inaccurately diagnosed in clinical settings.

Objective

To systematically synthesise all peer-reviewed papers from primary healthcare settings that have reported data on: (1) undiagnosed COPD, that is, patients with respiratory symptoms and postbronchodilator airflow obstruction consistent with COPD, without a formal clinician’s diagnosis of COPD either documented in health records or reported by patients and (2) ‘overdiagnosed COPD’, that is, clinician’s diagnosis without postbronchodilator airflow obstruction.

Methods

Studies investigating these diagnostic metrics in patients from primary healthcare clinics (according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria) were sourced from Medline and Embase and assessed for bias (Johanna Briggs Institute tools for prevalence studies and case series). Meta-analyses of studies of adequate sample size used random effect modelling stratified by risk factor categories.

Results

Of 26 eligible articles, 21 cross-sectional studies investigated 3959 cases of spirometry-defined COPD (with or without symptoms), and 5 peer-reviewed COPD case series investigated 7381 patients. The prevalence of spirometry-confirmed COPD without a diagnosis documented in their health records was 14%–26% in studies of symptomatic smokers (N=3). 1 in 4 patients taking inhaled therapies (25% (95% CI 22% to 28%), N=2) and 1 in 6 smokers irrespective of symptoms (16% (95% CI 14% to 18%), N=6) fulfilled diagnostic spirometry criteria but did not report receiving a COPD-related diagnosis. In an adequately powered series of COPD cases documented in primary healthcare records (N=4), only between 50% and 75% of subjects had any airflow obstruction on postbronchodilator spirometry performed by study researchers, therefore, COPD was clinically ‘overdiagnosed’ in 25%–50% of subjects.

Discussion

Although data were heterogeneous and of modest quality, undiagnosed COPD was common in primary healthcare, especially for symptomatic smokers and patients treated with inhaled therapies. In contrast, frequent COPD ‘overdiagnosis’ may represent treatment of asthma/reversible component or another medical diagnosis.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022295832.
Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study
Authors: Grenville Jack , Granell Raquel , Dodd James
Published: May 2023

Background

Decreased adult lung function is associated with subsequent impairment in cognition. A similar relationship in early life could be of great policy importance, since childhood cognitive ability determines key adult outcomes, including socioeconomic status and mortality. We aimed to expand the very limited data available on this relationship in children, and hypothesised that reduced lung function would be longitudinally associated with decreased cognitive ability.

Methods

Lung function was measured at age 8 (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC); % predicted), and cognitive ability was measured at ages 8 (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third edition) and 15 (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Potential confounders were identified as preterm birth, birth weight, breastfeeding duration, prenatal maternal smoking, childhood environmental tobacco smoke exposure, socioeconomic status and prenatal/childhood air pollution exposure. Univariable and multivariable linear models (n range=2332–6672) were fitted to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of lung function with cognitive ability, and change in cognitive ability between ages 8 and 15.

Results

In univariate analyses, both FEV1and FVC at age 8 were associated with cognitive ability at both ages, but after adjustment, only FVC was associated with full-scale IQ (FSIQ) at ages 8 (β=0.09 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.12; p<0.001)) and 15 (β=0.06 (0.03 to 0.10; p=0.001)). We did not find evidence of an association between either lung function parameter and interval change in standardised FSIQ.

Discussion

Reduced FVC, but not FEV1, is independently associated with decreased cognitive ability in children. This low-magnitude association attenuates between ages 8 and 15, while no association is evident with longitudinal change in cognitive ability. Our results support a link between FVC and cognition across the life course, possibly due to shared genetic or environmental risk, rather than causation.
ROCK STUDY in CF: sustained anti-inflammatory effects of lumacaftor–ivacaftor in sputum and peripheral blood samples of adult patients with cystic fibrosis—an observational study
Authors: Arooj Parniya , Morrissy David V , McCarthy Yvonne , Vagg Tamara , McCarthy Mairead , Fleming Claire , Daly Mary , Eustace Joseph A , Murphy Desmond M , Plant B J
Published: May 2023

Background

Previous studies showed that the combination of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) corrector and potentiator, lumacaftor–ivacaftor (LUMA–IVA) provides meaningful clinical benefits in patients with cystic fibrosis who are homozygous for the Phe508delCFTRmutation. However, little is known about the effect of LUMA–IVA on Proinflammatory Cytokines (PICs).

Objectives

To investigate the impact of LUMA–IVACFTRmodulation on circulatory and airway cytokines before and after 12 months of LUMA–IVA treatment in a real-world setting.

Methods

We assessed both plasma and sputum PICs, as well as standard clinical outcomes including Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) %predicted, Body Mass Index (BMI), sweat chloride and pulmonary exacerbations at baseline and prospectively for one year post commencement of LUMA–IVA in 44 patients with cystic fibrosis aged 16 years and older homozygous for the Phe508delCFTRmutation.

Results

Significant reduction in plasma cytokines including interleukin (IL)-8 (p<0.05), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α (p<0.001), IL-1ß (p<0.001) levels were observed while plasma IL-6 showed no significant change (p=0.599) post-LUMA–IVA therapy. Significant reduction in sputum IL-6 (p<0.05), IL-8 (p<0.01), IL-1ß (p<0.001) and TNF-α (p<0.001) levels were observed after LUMA–IVA therapy. No significant change was noted in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels in both plasma and sputum (p=0.305) and (p=0.585) respectively. Clinically significant improvements in FEV1%predicted (mean+3.38%, p=0.002), BMI (mean+0.8 kg/m2, p<0.001), sweat chloride (mean −19 mmol/L, p<0.001), as well as reduction in intravenous antibiotics usage (mean −0.73, p<0.001) and hospitalisation (mean −0.38, p=0.002) were observed after initiation of LUMA–IVA therapy.

Conclusion

This real-world study demonstrates that LUMA–IVA has significant and sustained beneficial effects on both circulatory and airway inflammation. Our findings suggest that LUMA–IVA may improve inflammatory responses, which could potentially contribute to improved standard clinical outcomes.
Effect of CD274 (PD-L1) overexpression on survival outcomes in 10 specific cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Park Ji Hyun , Luchini Claudio , Nottegar Alessia , Tizaoui Kalthoum , Koyanagi Ai , Ogino Shuji , Shin Jae Il , Lim Beom Jin , Smith Lee
Published: May 2023

Aim

The prognostic role of CD274 (programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)) overexpression has been examined in many studies. However, the results are controversial and conflicting. The present study aims to investigate the potential role of CD274 (PD-L1) immunohistochemical overexpression as a prognostic marker in malignant tumours.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science from inception to December 2021 to identify potentially eligible studies. The pooled HRs with 95% CIs were calculated to identify the association between CD274 (PD-L1) overexpression and overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival, disease-free survival, recurrence-free survival and progression-free survival in 10 lethal malignant tumours. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also analysed.

Results

The study included 57 322 patients from 250 eligible studies (241 articles). The meta-analysis by tumour type using multivariate HR revealed worse OS in non-small cell lung cancer (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.68), hepatocellular carcinoma (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.74), pancreatic cancer (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.02), renal cell carcinoma (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.14) and colorectal cancer (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.88). Estimated HRs showed associations between CD274 (PD-L1) overexpression and worse prognosis across different types of tumours in various survival endpoints, but no inverse correlation was identified. The heterogeneity for most of the pooled results was high.

Conclusions

This large meta-analysis suggests that CD274 (PD-L1) overexpression is a potential biomarker for multiple types of cancers. However, further studies are needed to reduce high heterogeneity.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022296801.
Cross-cohort analysis identified an immune checkpoint-based signature to predict the clinical outcomes of neuroblastoma
Authors: Zeng Liang , Xu Hui , Li Shu-Hua , Xu Shuo-Yu , Chen Kai , Qin Liang-Jun , Miao Lei , Wang Fang , Deng Ling , Wang Feng-Hua , Li Le , Fu Sha , Liu Na , Wang Ran , Li Ying-Qing , Wang Hai-Yun
Published: May 2023

Background

Neuroblastoma (NB) places a substantial health burden on families worldwide. This study aimed to develop an immune checkpoint-based signature (ICS) based on the expression of immune checkpoints to better assess patient survival risk and potentially guide patient selection for immunotherapy of NB.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry integrated with digital pathology was used to determine the expression levels of 9 immune checkpoints in 212 tumor tissues used as the discovery set. The GSE85047 dataset (n=272) was used as a validation set in this study. In the discovery set, the ICS was constructed using a random forest algorithm and confirmed in the validation set to predict overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). Kaplan-Meier curves with a log-rank test were drawn to compare the survival differences. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to calculate the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

Seven immune checkpoints, including PD-L1, B7-H3, IDO1, VISTA, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing-3 (TIM-3), inducible costimulatory molecule (ICOS) and costimulatory molecule 40 (OX40), were identified as abnormally expressed in NB in the discovery set. OX40, B7-H3, ICOS and TIM-3 were eventually selected for the ICS model in the discovery set, and 89 patients with high risk had an inferior OS (HR 15.91, 95% CI 8.87 to 28.55, p<0.001) and EFS (HR 4.30, 95% CI 2.80 to 6.62, p<0.001). Furthermore, the prognostic value of the ICS was confirmed in the validation set (p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that age and the ICS were independent risk factors for OS in the discovery set (HR 6.17, 95% CI 1.78 to 21.29 and HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.25, respectively). Furthermore, nomogram A combining the ICS and age demonstrated significantly better prognostic value than age alone in predicting the patients’ 1-year, 3-year and 5-year OS in the discovery set (1 year: AUC, 0.891 (95% CI 0.797 to 0.985) vs 0.675 (95% CI 0.592 to 0.758); 3 years: 0.875 (95% CI 0.817 to 0.933) vs 0.701 (95% CI 0.645 to 0.758); 5 years: 0.898 (95% CI 0.851 to 0.940) vs 0.724 (95% CI 0.673 to 0.775), respectively), which was confirmed in the validation set.

Conclusions

We propose an ICS that significantly differentiates between low-risk and high-risk patients, which might add prognostic value to age and provide clues for immunotherapy in NB.
Improved outcomes for spinal versus general anesthesia for hip fracture surgery: a retrospective cohort study of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
Authors: Weinstein Eliana R , Boyer Richard B , White Robert S , Weinberg Roniel Y , Lurie Jacob M , Salvatierra Nicolas , Tedore Tiffany R
Published: May 2023

Background

There is a lack of consensus in the literature as to whether anesthetic modality influences perioperative complications in hip fracture surgery. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of spinal anesthesia compared with general anesthesia on postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent hip fracture surgery using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP).

Methods

We used the ACS NSQIP to identify patients aged 50 and older who received either spinal or general anesthesia for hip fracture surgery from 2016 to 2019. Propensity-score matching was performed to control for clinically relevant covariates. The primary outcome of interest was the combined incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) or death within 30 days. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, hospital length of stay and operative time.

Results

Among the 40 527 patients aged 50 and over who received either spinal or general anesthesia for hip fracture surgery from 2016 to 2019, 7358 spinal anesthesia cases were matched to general anesthesia cases. General anesthesia was associated with a higher incidence of combined 30-day stroke, MI or death compared with spinal anesthesia (OR 1.219 (95% CI 1.076 to 1.381); p=0.002). General anesthesia was also associated with a higher frequency of 30-day mortality (OR 1.276 (95% CI 1.099 to 1.481); p=0.001) and longer operative time (64.73 vs 60.28 min; p<0.001). Spinal anesthesia had a longer average hospital length of stay (6.29 vs 5.73 days; p=0.001).

Conclusion

Our propensity-matched analysis suggests that spinal anesthesia as compared with general anesthesia is associated with lower postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.
Efficacy of metyrapone for symptoms of adrenocortical carcinoma
Authors: Okuda Yuka , Kuriyama Toshiyuki , Kawamata Tomoyuki
Published: May 2023

Elevated cortisol by adrenocortical carcinoma leads to a variety of symptoms. We report on the efficacy of metyrapone in treatment of a variety of distressing symptoms caused by elevated cortisol in a patient who refused advanced treatment for adrenocortical carcinoma.
Quantum-enhanced receiver for quadrature phase shift keying using conjugated homodyne detection
Authors: Wu Tianyi , Ran Yang , Zhou Zichao , Guo Chang , Li Kai , Dong Chen
Published: May 2023

Coherent detection (homodyne detection/heterodyne detection) and single photon detection are commonly applied in classical communication and quantum communication/receiver respectively. In this paper, we firstly propose a quantum-enhanced receiver based on conjugated homodyne detection, which is consisted of two classical balanced homodyne detectors, for discrimination among quadrature-phase-modulated weak coherent states. Our detection part works as a photon counter in every single-shot measurement during the process of detection and feedback, which could help our quantum-enhanced receiver surpass the standard quantum limit when an optimized detection threshold τ from 0.05 to 0.3 is selected. Moreover, our proposed quantum-enhanced receiver with conjugated homodyne detectors can obtain the same low error probability as conventional quantum-enhanced receivers (with its superconducting nanowire single photon detectors’ detection efficiency 60% for pulse separation $M=8$
M
=
8
and 70% for $M=12$
M
=
12
under the same adaptive feedback countermeasures.) Meanwhile, our scheme of the quantum-enhanced receiver gains its incomparable advantages on room-temperature working condition and low cost due to the application of conjugated homodyne detectors. As far as we concerned, this is the first time to explore the performance of the quantum-enhanced receiver with commercial homodyne detectors. And the analysis in this paper may pave the way to reduce the cost of the quantum-enhanced receiver and make it more adaptable for long-distance optical communication systems.
Unsupervised Learning-based Approach for Contextual Understanding of Web Material Around a New Domain of Algorithmic Government
Authors: Gupta Rajan , Pal Saibal K.
Published: May 2023

Grasping the contextual nuances is fundamental for efficacious learning in a novel discipline through internet-based research. Such comprehension significantly augments the decision-making process by promoting well-grounded and informed choices. And with advent of machine learning approaches, it becomes even more fast and robust to enable collaboration between machine algorithms and humans. However, human expertise still holds the key for new domain, which has been proposed in this study as a key step in unsupervised learning approach of
k
-means clustering technique. Domain search term and context terms for the new domain are added to the clustering technique, and the relevance of the resultant groups has been tested. Context setting helps to analyse and understand the content of documents and other sources of information. For a new domain like algorithmic government, which does not have many documents on the web, it was found that contextual learning was up to 40% more relevant than the normal learning approach. The qualitative aspect of the clusters was found much better by the experts than quantitative aspect due to availability of lesser number of search documents. It was found that scientific research also supports the groups formed during contextual learning approach. This approach should help government to better understand and respond to the needs and concerns of their citizens by deriving better data insights in more quickly and to make more informed, evidence-based decisions that are sensitive to the needs and values of different communities and stakeholders. And thus, many stakeholders in the new domain can use this approach for exploration, research, policy formulation, strategizing, implementing, and testing of the various learned concepts. A total of 15 search engines were used in the experimental settings with thousands of web crawling being done using the Carrot
2
engine. Text embedding was done using bag-of-word technique, and
k
-means clustering was implemented for producing 25 clusters across the two types of learnings.
Rigidity of Superdense Coding
Authors: Nayak Ashwin , Yuen Henry
Published: May 2023

The famous superdense coding protocol of Bennett and Wiesner demonstrates that it is possible to communicate two bits of classical information by sending only one qubit and using a shared EPR pair. Our first result is that an arbitrary protocol for achieving this task (where there are no assumptions on the sender’s encoding operations or the dimension of the shared entangled state) is locally equivalent to the canonical Bennett-Wiesner protocol. In other words, the superdense coding task is
rigid
. In particular, we show that the sender and receiver only use additional entanglement (beyond the EPR pair) as a source of classical randomness.

We also investigate several questions about higher-dimensional superdense coding, where the goal is to communicate one of
d
2
possible messages by sending a
d
-dimensional quantum state, for general dimensions 
d
. Unlike the
d
=2 case (i.e., sending a single qubit), there can be inequivalent superdense coding protocols for higher 
d
. We present concrete constructions of inequivalent protocols, based on constructions of inequivalent orthogonal unitary bases for all
d
> 2. Finally, we analyze the performance of superdense coding protocols where the encoding operators are independently sampled from the Haar measure on the unitary group. Our analysis involves bounding the distinguishability of random maximally entangled states, which may be of independent interest.
It Takes Two: Using Co-creation to Facilitate Child-Robot Co-regulation
Authors: Ligthart Mike E. U. , Neerincx Mark A. , Hindriks Koen V.
Published: May 2023

While interacting with a social robot, children have a need to express themselves and have their expressions acknowledged by the robot—a need that is often unaddressed by the robot, due to its limitations in understanding the expressions of children. To keep the child-robot interaction manageable, the robot takes control, undermining children’s ability to co-regulate the interaction. Co-regulation is important for having a fulfilling social interaction. We developed a co-creation activity that aims to facilitate more co-regulation. Children are enabled to create sound effects, gestures, and light animations for the robot to use during their conversation. A crucial additional feature is that children are able to coordinate their involvement of the co-creation process. Results from a user study (n= 59 school children, 7–11 years old) showed that the co-creation activity successfully facilitated co-regulation by improving children’s agency. It also positively affected the acceptance of the robot. We furthermore identified five distinct profiles detailing the different needs and motivations children have for the level of involvement they chose during the co-creation process.
Non-clairvoyant Scheduling with Predictions
Authors: Im Sungjin , Kumar Ravi , Qaem Mahshid Montazer , Purohit Manish
Published: May 2023

In the single-machine
non-clairvoyant
scheduling problem, the goal is to minimize the total completion time of jobs whose processing times are
unknown
a priori
. We revisit this well-studied problem and consider the question of how to effectively use (possibly erroneous) predictions of the processing times. We study this question from ground zero by first asking what constitutes a good prediction; we then propose a new measure to gauge prediction quality and design scheduling algorithms with strong guarantees under this measure. Our approach to derive a prediction error measure based on natural desiderata could find applications for other online problems.
Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Taj Soonh , Mujtaba Ghulam , Daudpota Sher Muhammad , Mughal Muhammad Hussain
Published: May 2023

Research on Speech Emotion Recognition is becoming more mature day by day, and a lot of research is being carried out on Speech Emotion Recognition in resource-rich languages like English, German, French, and Chinese. Urdu is among the top 10 languages spoken worldwide. Despite its importance, few studies have worked on Urdu Speech emotion as Urdu is recognized as a resource-poor language. The Urdu language lacks publicly available datasets, and for this reason, few researchers have worked on Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition. To the best of our knowledge, no review has been found on Urdu Speech Emotion recognition. This study is the first systematic literature review on Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition, and the primary goal of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of the literature on Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition which includes the datasets, features, pre-processing, approaches, performance metrics, and validation methods used for Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition. This study also highlights the challenges and future directions for Urdu Speech Emotion Recognition.
Detection of C-Reactive Protein Using a Flexible Biosensor with Improved Bending Life
Authors: Takaloo Saeed , Zand Mahdi Moghimi , Kalantar Mahsa , Rezayan Ali Hossein
Published: May 2023

It is well known that regular monitoring of C-reactive protein is beneficial for the self-management of chronic diseases. Herein, a novel tattoo biosensor for regular measurement of C-reactive protein is presented. An innovative approach is presented to boost the life cycle of flexible biosensors in bending tests. Carbon nanotubes were deposited on the biosensor’s surface using electrophoretic methods. To assess suspension stability, a zeta potential measurement was performed. Optimized parameters of the electrophoretic procedure were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy imaging. This study shows that carbon nanotube coating increases the biosensor life-cycle by ten times (from 10 to 160 cycles). Using atomic force microscopy, the immobilization of a recognition element (aptamer) on the biosensor’s surface was verified. Furthermore, the biosensor’s performance was characterized using two electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy). The biosensor achieved a detection range of 0.02 − 0.8 ng ml−1. The sensor selectivity was examined with a solution of bovine serum albumin, immunoglobin E, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α. Finally, we carried out a test with the biosensor on spiked human serum samples to confirm that our proposed flexible biosensor can successfully monitor C-reactive protein levels in a range of clinical samples.
Flexible Electrochemical Sensor for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection by Employing WO3/g-C3N4 Nanostructures
Authors: Mohammad Akbar , Asseri Amer H. , Khan Mohammad Imran , Yoon Taeho
Published: May 2023

This paper describes the fabrication of WO3/g-C3N4 and use of a flexible carbon cloth (CC)-based nonenzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The WO3/g-C3N4 was prepared using a hydrothermal method and characterized using various techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Further, the electrodes were fabricated using CC as a flexible and conductive support and was modified with different samples of WO3/g-C3N4 nanostructures (1-WO3/g-C3N4 and 2-WO3/g-C3N4). The electrochemical investigations revealed that the 1-WO3/g-C3N4/CC, and 2-WO3/g-C3N4/CC modified electrodes have strong electrocatalytic activity than WO3 towards the detection of H2O2, which can be attributed to the surface properties, conductivity and resultant interactions of WO3 and g-C3N4 in WO3/g-C3N4. Furthermore, the 1-WO3/g-C3N4/CC, and 2-WO3/g-C3N4/CC demonstrated a sensitivity of 78 μA mM−1 cm−2 and 59 μA mM−1 cm−2, respectively, and were used to measure the concentration of H2O2 in the range of 0.003–0.03 mM. In addition, the LOD of the 1-WO3/g-C3N4/CC, and 2-WO3/g-C3N4/CC was estimated for the sensor as 2.07 μM and 2.53 μM, respectively. These findings suggest that the WO3/g-C3N4 with high conductivity and stability has a promising future in the development of electrochemical sensors.
Ultrasensitive and Selective Electrochemical Sensor Based on Yttrium Benzenetricarboxylate Porous Coordination Polymer (Y-BTC) for Detection of Pb2+ from Bio-Analytes
Authors: Patil Shubham S. , Deore Kamlesh B. , Narwade Vijaykiran N. , Peng Wen Ping , Hianik Tibor , Shirsat Mahendra D.
Published: May 2023

Due to industrialization, the presence of heavy metal ions in various sources of drinking water causes damage to the ecosystem. Determination of heavy metal ions is still arduous due to their toxicity and carcinogenic behavior to humankind. The present investigation deals with the development of a novel ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of lead (Pb2+) from pesticide and fruit core. Repetitive laboratory-scale aqueous samples have been tested to validate all sensing parameters, it exhibited highly selective behaviour towards Pb2+. Hydrothermally synthesized Yttrium Benzenetricarboxylate (Y-BTC) has been characterized by means of structural, morphological, electrochemical and spectroscopic characterizations and utilized as a sensing material. Y-BTC Sensor’s differential pulse behavior shows affinity towards Pb2+, a detailed sensing mechanism further illustrated by XPS studies, DLS measurements, deformation studies by photoluminescence spectra, and charge transfer resistance obtained from EIS data. The developed Y-BTC sensor showcased an excellent picomolar detection limit of 1 pM. Reliability of developed sensor was confirmed by evaluation of sensitivity (4.4 μA M−1), selectivity (towards Pb2+), repeatability and reproducibility. The proposed sensor would play a vital role in monitoring human health in the upcoming days.
Acupuncture Alleviates CUMS-Induced Depression-Like Behaviors by Restoring Prefrontal Cortex Neuroplasticity
Authors: Li Peng , Huang Wenya , Chen Yiping , Aslam Muhammad Shahzad , Cheng Wenjing , Huang Yang , Chen Wenjie , Huang Yanxun , Wu Xinnan , Yan Yining , Shen Junliang , Tong Tao , Huang Shuqiong , Meng Xianjun
Published: May 2023

Purpose. To explore the therapeutic efficiency of acupuncture and the related molecular mechanism of neural plasticity in depression. Methods. Chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-) induced rats were established for the depression animal model. There were a total of four rat groups, including the control group, the CUMS group, the CUMS+acupuncture group, and the CUMS+fluoxetine group. The acupuncture group and the fluoxetine group were given a 3-week treatment after the modeling intervention. The researcher performed the open-field, elevated plus maze, and sucrose preference tests to evaluate depressive behaviors. The number of nerve cells, dendrites’ length, and the prefrontal cortex’s spine density were detected using Golgi staining. The prefrontal cortex expression, such as BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ protein, was detected using the western blot and RT-PCR. Results. Acupuncture could alleviate depressive-like behaviors and promote the recovery of the neural plasticity functions in the prefrontal cortex, showing the increasing cell numbers, prolonging the length of the dendrites, and enhancing the spine density. The neural plasticity-related proteins in the prefrontal cortex, including BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ, were all downregulated in the CUMS-induced group; however, these effects could be partly reversed after being treated by acupuncture and fluoxetine (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Acupuncture can ameliorate depressive-like behaviors by promoting the recovery of neural plasticity functions and neural plasticity-related protein upregulation in the prefrontal cortex of CUMS-induced depressed rats. Our study provides new insights into the antidepressant approach, and further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of acupuncture involved in depression treatment.
An Inflammation-Associated Prognosis Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Adenylate Uridylate- (AU-) Rich Element Genes
Authors: Song Li , Su Xiangzheng , Lu Yao , Hua Dongliang , Gao Ziren
Published: May 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a typical inflammation-driven cancer and ranks sixth in the incidence rate worldwide. The role of adenylate uridylate- (AU-) rich element genes (AREGs) in HCC remains unclear. HCC-related datasets were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed AREGs (DE-AREGs) between HCC samples and healthy controls were identified. The univariate Cox and LASSO analyses were performed to determine the prognostic genes. Furthermore, a signature and corresponding nomogram were configured for the clinical prediction of HCC. The potential signature-related biological significance was explored using functional and pathway enrichment analysis. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis was also performed. Finally, the expression of prognostic genes was verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A total of 189 DE-AREGs between normal and HCC samples were identified, wherein CENPA, TXNRD1, RABIF, UGT2B15, and SERPINE1 were selected to generate an AREG-related signature. Moreover, the prognostic accuracy of the AREG-related signature was also confirmed. Functional analysis indicated that the high-risk score was related to various functions and pathways. Inflammation and immune-related analyses indicated that the difference of T cell and B cell receptor abundance, microvascular endothelial cells (MVE), lymphatic endothelial cells (lye), pericytes, stromal cells, and the six immune checkpoints was statistically significant between the different risk groups. Similarly, RT-qPCR outcomes of these signature genes were also significant. In conclusion, an inflammation-associated signature based on five DE-AREGs was constructed, which could act as a prognostic indicator of patients with HCC.
Severe Malaria with a Rare Tetrad of Blackwater Fever, Acute Renal Failure, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy, and Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis
Authors: Hanif Hira , Shrestha Biraj , Munankami Salina , Shrestha Manish , Poudel Bidhya , Reddy Roopika , Jaleel Syed , Powell Debra
Published: May 2023

Background. Blackwater fever (BWF) is a severe clinical syndrome occurring as a complication of malarial infection characterized by intravascular hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, and acute renal failure in people exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and, to some extent, in people who were exposed to medications like quinine and mefloquine. The exact pathogenesis of classic BWF remains unclear. The mechanism leading to damage to the red blood cells (RBCs) can be immunologic nonimmunologic, leading to massive intravascular hemolysis. Case Presentation. We present a case of classic blackwater fever in a 24-year-old otherwise previously healthy male without any history of antimalarial prophylaxis use, returning from recent travel to Sierra Leone. He was detected to have P. falciparum malaria in the peripheral smear test. He was treated with artemether/lumefantrine combination therapy. Unfortunately, his presentation was complicated by renal failure and was managed with plasmapheresis and renal replacement therapy. Conclusion. Malaria continues to be a parasitic disease that can have devastating effects and continues to be a challenge globally. Although cases of malaria in the United States are rare and cases of severe malaria, mainly attributed to P. falciparum, are even more uncommon. Care should be taken to retain a high level of suspicion to consider the diagnosis, especially in returning travelers from endemic areas.
Secondary Migration Trend Based on Basin Modeling: A Case Study of the Cambrian Petroleum System in the Tarim Basin
Authors: Yue Yong , Li Bin , Wei Peng , Zhang Xin , Zhang Kun , Suju Yang , Qingqi Xu
Published: May 2023

Secondary hydrocarbon migration is an important aspect of oil-gas accumulation research. While previous studies have relied on geological and fluid geochemical characteristics to predict migration direction, these results are often limited by the number of samples. In recent years, basin simulation has emerged as a valuable tool in hydrocarbon migration research due to its extensive algorithms and adaptable modeling capabilities. It has obvious technical advantages especially for resource evaluation in areas with a lower exploration degree and scarce data. The deep oil and gas in the Cambrian petroleum system in the Tarim Basin is a deep hydrocarbon challenging area in China. There has been no breakthrough in exploration due to the large burial depth (

generally
>
6000
 
m

) and the long accumulation and transformation processes. Therefore, predicting the secondary migration of Cambrian oil and gas has become the key to solving this problem. In this study, first, the thermal evolution of the Lower Cambrian source rocks in the Tarim Basin was recovered, and the three thermal evolution models were developed. The secondary migration process of the Cambrian petroleum system was restored using the geologic model of the source rocks and paleotectonic evolution and the latest fluid potential information. By comparing the simulation results, four secondary migration models of the ultradeep oil-gas migration and accumulation were developed: multisource, multiphase, multidirectional accumulation; multisource, multiphase, single-directional accumulation; single-source, multiphase, multidirectional accumulation; and single-source, multiphase, single-directional accumulation. The fluid potential simulation results indicate that the Cambrian oil and gas have salient inheritance characteristics. The dominant migration channels in the uplift and slope are beneficial to oil-gas migration and accumulation, and the Katake uplift and the west Bachu uplift have multisource charging accumulation. The east Bachu uplift and the Tabei uplift are oil-gas accumulation zones that are beneficial to the lower petroleum system due to the continuous charging of a single petroleum system. This fluid potential simulation provides a new solution for studying the secondary migration of deep oil and gas. It provides an important reference for studying hydrocarbon accumulation in deep and ultradeep areas.