bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-infection of hepatitis E virus and Plasmodium falciparum malaria: A genuine risk in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Sahra Syeda , Jahangir Abdullah , Iqbal Qasim Zafar , Mobarakai Neville , Glaser Allison , Jahangir Ahmad
Published: April 2021

Background

There is a high prevalence of malaria and viral hepatitis in South Africa. Co-infection with Plasmodium malaria (leading to cerebral malaria) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a rare phenomenon.

Case presentation

A 33-year-old African American male with no past medical history developed altered mental status on his return from Ivory Coast. His blood tests were significant for renal and liver failure and a high Plasmodium parasite burden of 33% on the blood smear. Interestingly, he also had a positive result for hepatitis E IgM. The patient was effectively treated with aggressive hydration and intravenous (IV) artesunate.

Conclusion

Our report is the first to our knowledge in the cerebral malaria literature on a patient with hepatitis E co-infection. This exciting case emphasizes the importance of considering all kinds of endemic infectious diseases when evaluating sick returning travelers presenting to the emergency department.
IFN-γ and TNF-α drive a CXCL10+ CCL2+ macrophage phenotype expanded in severe COVID-19 lungs and inflammatory diseases with tissue inflammation
Authors:   Accelerating Medicines Partnership Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (AMP RA/SLE) Consortium, Zhang Fan , Mears Joseph R. , Shakib Lorien , Beynor Jessica I. , Shanaj Sara , Korsunsky Ilya , Nathan Aparna , Donlin Laura T. , Raychaudhuri Soumya
Published: April 2021

Background

Immunosuppressive and anti-cytokine treatment may have a protective effect for patients with COVID-19. Understanding the immune cell states shared between COVID-19 and other inflammatory diseases with established therapies may help nominate immunomodulatory therapies.

Methods

To identify cellular phenotypes that may be shared across tissues affected by disparate inflammatory diseases, we developed a meta-analysis and integration pipeline that models and removes the effects of technology, tissue of origin, and donor that confound cell-type identification. Using this approach, we integrated > 300,000 single-cell transcriptomic profiles from COVID-19-affected lungs and tissues from healthy subjects and patients with five inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and interstitial lung disease. We tested the association of shared immune states with severe/inflamed status compared to healthy control using mixed-effects modeling. To define environmental factors within these tissues that shape shared macrophage phenotypes, we stimulated human blood-derived macrophages with defined combinations of inflammatory factors, emphasizing in particular antiviral interferons IFN-beta (IFN-β) and IFN-gamma (IFN-γ), and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF.

Results

We built an immune cell reference consisting of > 300,000 single-cell profiles from 125 healthy or disease-affected donors from COVID-19 and five inflammatory diseases. We observed a CXCL10+ CCL2+ inflammatory macrophage state that is shared and strikingly abundant in severe COVID-19 bronchoalveolar lavage samples, inflamed RA synovium, inflamed CD ileum, and UC colon. These cells exhibited a distinct arrangement of pro-inflammatory and interferon response genes, including elevated levels of CXCL10, CXCL9, CCL2, CCL3, GBP1, STAT1, and IL1B. Further, we found this macrophage phenotype is induced upon co-stimulation by IFN-γ and TNF-α.

Conclusions

Our integrative analysis identified immune cell states shared across inflamed tissues affected by inflammatory diseases and COVID-19. Our study supports a key role for IFN-γ together with TNF-α in driving an abundant inflammatory macrophage phenotype in severe COVID-19-affected lungs, as well as inflamed RA synovium, CD ileum, and UC colon, which may be targeted by existing immunomodulatory therapies.
Prevalence of abnormal and borderline electrocardiogram changes in 13, 079 Chinese amateur marathon runners
Authors: Wen Xu , Huang Yu-min , Shen Tong-Hui , Gong Ying-Lan , Dong Rui-qing , Xia Ling , Xie Tian-sheng
Published: April 2021

Background

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has been adopted as an important component of preparticipation cardiovascular screening. However, there are still controversies in the screening and few studies with a large sample size have reported the results of ECGs of marathon runners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of normal, borderline, and abnormal ECG changes in marathon runners.

Methods

The 12-lead ECG data of 13,079 amateur marathon runners between the ages of 18 and 35 years were included for analysis. The prevalence of ECG abnormalities among different gender groups was compared with chi-square tests.

Results

In terms of training-related changes, sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, and left ventricular high voltage were found in approximately 15, 5, and 3.28% of the participants, respectively. The incidence of right axis deviation in the marathon runners was 1.78%, which was slightly higher than the incidence of left axis deviation (0.88%). No more than 0.1% of the amateur marathon runners exhibited ST-segment depression, T wave inversion (TWI), premature ventricular contraction, pathologic Q waves, and prolonged QT interval.

Conclusions

Training-related ECG changes, including sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, and left ventricular high voltage, were common in amateur marathon runners. Most abnormal ECG changes, including ST-segment depression, TWI, premature ventricular contraction, pathologic Q waves, and prolonged QT interval, were infrequently found in amateur marathon runners. The data also suggested Chinese amateur marathon runners may have a relatively lower prevalence of ECG abnormalities than black and white runners.
Choroid plexus carcinoma in an adolescent male: a case report
Authors: Jameel Patel Zeeshan , Varma Ashish , Kumari Pooja , Vagha Keta , Vagha Jayant , Damke Sachin
Published: April 2021

Introduction/background

Although central nervous system tumors are the most common etiology of malignancies in the pediatric age group, choroid plexus carcinomas are rare, with an annual incidence rate of 0.10 per 100,000 children.

Case presentation

We report the case of an adolescent male belonging to central India who had presented with a history of persistent headache, projectile vomiting, neck stiffness, and an episode of generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Neurological examination was suggestive of a space-occupying lesion. Further neuroimaging was suggestive of a large left-sided choroid plexus carcinoma, later confirmed on pathological examination. Gross total resection was achieved and followed by radiation therapy. His recovery was satisfactory without any major events despite suffering from such a malignancy with a poor prognosis.

Conclusion

In the absence of a global consensus on choroid plexus carcinoma management, our patient underwent a successful gross total resection and received postoperative radiotherapy. He made a satisfactory recovery with a further plan to review with gadolinium-enhanced neuroimaging at a later date. We conclude that, when possible, achieving gross total resection is of utmost importance.
An ensemble of the iCluster method to analyze longitudinal lncRNA expression data for psoriasis patients
Authors: Tian Suyan , Wang Chi
Published: April 2021

Background

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, inflammatory disorder of the skin with chronic inflammation and hyper-proliferation of the epidermis. Since psoriasis has genetic components and the diseased tissue of psoriasis is very easily accessible, it is natural to use high-throughput technologies to characterize psoriasis and thus seek targeted therapies. Transcriptional profiles change correspondingly after an intervention. Unlike cross-sectional gene expression data, longitudinal gene expression data can capture the dynamic changes and thus facilitate causal inference.

Methods

Using the iCluster method as a building block, an ensemble method was proposed and applied to a longitudinal gene expression dataset for psoriasis, with the objective of identifying key lncRNAs that can discriminate the responders from the non-responders to two immune treatments of psoriasis.

Results

Using support vector machine models, the leave-one-out predictive accuracy of the 20-lncRNA signature identified by this ensemble was estimated as 80%, which outperforms several competing methods. Furthermore, pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the target mRNAs of the identified lncRNAs. Of the enriched GO terms or KEGG pathways, proteasome, and protein deubiquitination is included. The ubiquitination-proteasome system is regarded as a key player in psoriasis, and a proteasome inhibitor to target ubiquitination pathway holds promises for treating psoriasis.

Conclusions

An integrative method such as iCluster for multiple data integration can be adopted directly to analyze longitudinal gene expression data, which offers more promising options for longitudinal big data analysis. A comprehensive evaluation and validation of the resulting 20-lncRNA signature is highly desirable.
Correction to: Probing 3-D electrical conductivity of the mantle using 6 years of Swarm, CryoSat-2 and observatory magnetic data and exploiting matrix Q-responses approach
Authors: Kuvshinov Alexey , Grayver Alexander , Tøfner‑Clausen Lars , Olsen Nils
Published: April 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Supracondylar rotation osteotomy of the femur influences the coronal alignment of the ankle
Authors: Konrads Christian , Ahrend Marc-Daniel , Beyer Myriam R. , Stöckle Ulrich , Ahmad Sufian S.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Osteotomies represent well-established treatment-options for the redistribution of loads and forces within and around the knee-joint. Effects of these osteotomies on the remaining planes and adjacent joints are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a distal-femoral-rotation-osteotomy on the coronal alignment of the ankle. It was hypothesized that supracondylar-external-rotation-osteotomy of the distal femur leads to a change in the coronal orientation of the ankle joint.

Methods

Long-leg standing radiographs and CT-based torsional measurements of 27 patients undergoing supracondylar-rotational-osteotomy of the femur between 2012 and 2019 were obtained and utilized for the purpose of this study. Postoperative radiographs were obtained after union at the osteotomy-site. The hip-knee-ankle-angle (HKA), the mechanical-lateral-distal-femur-angle (mLDFA), and Tibia-Plafond-Horizontal-Orientation-Angle (TPHA) around the ankle were measured. Comparison between means was performed using the Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney test.

Results

Twenty-seven patients with high femoral antetorsion (31.3° ± 4.0°) underwent supracondylar-external-rotation-osteotomy. The osteotomy led to a reduced antetorsion (17.4 ± 5.1; p < 0.001) and to a valgisation of the overall limb-alignment. The HKA decreased by 2.4° ± 1.4° (p < 0.001). The TPHA decreased by 2.6° (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Supracondylar external rotation osteotomy of the femur leads to lateralization of the weight bearing line at the knee and ankle due to valgisation of the coronal limb alignment. The mobile subtalar joint has to compensate (inversion) for the resulting valgus orientation of the ankle to ensure contact between the foot and the floor. When planning a rotational osteotomy of the lower limb, this should be appreciated – especially in patients with a preexisting valgus alignment of the lower extremities or restricted mobility in the subtalar joint.
Long-term survival achieved by repeated administration of ramucirumab after drug holidays due to proteinuria in recurrent gastric cancer
Authors: Uehata Naoyuki , Kouzu Keita , Tsujimoto Hironori , Sugasawa Hidekazu , Wakamatsu Kotaro , Kishi Yoji , Ueno Hideki
Published: April 2021

Background

The prognosis of recurrent and unresectable gastric cancer remains poor despite the development of multidisciplinary treatments. Ramucirumab (RAM) has been proven effective against unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. However, its administration is often discontinued because of adverse events, including hypertension and proteinuria. We report a patient with recurrent gastric cancer involving the paraaortic lymph node (PALN), who achieved long-term survival after repeated RAM administration following long-term drug holidays due to proteinuria.

Case presentation

A 79-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer (cT4aN2) with PALN metastasis. Seven courses of S-1 plus cisplatin (SP) achieved downstaging. A distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was performed as a conversion surgery. The pathological diagnosis was ypT3N2M0. The dissected PALN did not contain viable cancer cells. CT and positron emission tomography/CT scans revealed PALN recurrence 1 year after the surgery. S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) therapy was initiated. The recurrent PALN enlarged after seven courses of SOX therapy. Paclitaxel (PTX) plus ramucirumab (RAM) therapy was initiated as second-line chemotherapy. After three courses of PTX plus RAM therapy, a partial response was observed. PTX was discontinued because of a hematological adverse event 3.5 months after PALN recurrence. Disease progression was not observed after six courses of RAM monotherapy. However, RAM caused proteinuria and was withdrawn for 7 weeks. The recurrent PALN was enlarged on CT, and RAM monotherapy was resumed at a reduced dose of 6 mg/kg. The lesion subsequently shrank, but 4 + proteinuria occurred after three courses of RAM monotherapy. Thus, RAM was discontinued. The patient had chemotherapy-free days for 14 months until the PALN was re-enlarged to 13 mm in size. The three administrations of RAM successfully controlled PALN metastasis and proteinuria for 3 years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, even if RAM withdrawal led to disease progression, re-administration of RAM monotherapy while considering its side effects reduced the tumor size and provided long-term survival benefits.
Addressing seeming paradoxes by embracing them: small state theory and the integration of migrants
Authors: Kolnberger Thomas , Koff Harlan
Published: April 2021

This article examines the integration of migrants in Luxembourg within the framework of small state theory. Within the comparative scholarship on migration, small states are often presented as “success stories.” This research questions this assumption and empirical data presented here indicates that many contradictions exist within Luxembourg’s migrant integration model. The country’s “success” in fact does not reflect the levels of integration of migrants nationally as significant inequalities are present in Luxembourg. However, the analysis of Luxembourg presented here illustrates how small states have coherently embraced many paradoxes that are inherent to integration strategies throughout Europe with the goal of promoting peaceful coexistence.
Concurrent positive skin tests to prophylactic antibiotics and rocuronium in two patients with life-threatening anaphylaxis after induction of anesthesia
Authors: Yasuda Masako , Moriwaki Katsuyuki , Tsutsumi Yasuo M.
Published: April 2021

Background

Prophylactic antibiotics and neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) are two of the major causative agents of anaphylaxis after induction of anesthesia.

Case presentation

One female and one male patients (aged 29 and 69 years, respectively) had Ring and Messmer scale grade III anaphylaxis after administration of prophylactic antibiotics following induction of anesthesia. They showed typical hemodynamic and respiratory features of life-threatening anaphylaxis. Postoperative skin tests in these two patients were positive for antibiotics and concurrently positive for rocuronium.

Conclusions

Our present report suggests the possibility that both prophylactic antibiotics and NMBA concurrently and synergistically enhance anaphylactic reaction and the necessity to differentiate an immune mechanism from non-immune mechanisms when anesthesiologists encounter concurrent positive skin tests for both antibiotics and NMBA.
Optical coherence encryption with structured random light
Authors: Peng Deming , Huang Zhaofeng , Liu Yonglei , Chen Yahong , Wang Fei , Ponomarenko Sergey A. , Cai Yangjian
Published: April 2021

Information encryption with optical technologies has become increasingly important due to remarkable multidimensional capabilities of light fields. However, the optical encryption protocols proposed to date have been primarily based on the first-order field characteristics, which are strongly affected by interference effects and make the systems become quite unstable during light–matter interaction. Here, we introduce an alternative optical encryption protocol whereby the information is encoded into the second-order spatial coherence distribution of a structured random light beam via a generalized van Cittert–Zernike theorem. We show that the proposed approach has two key advantages over its conventional counterparts. First, the complexity of measuring the spatial coherence distribution of light enhances the encryption protocol security. Second, the relative insensitivity of the second-order statistical characteristics of light to environmental noise makes the protocol robust against the environmental fluctuations, e.g, the atmospheric turbulence. We carry out experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of the coherence-based encryption method with the aid of a fractional Fourier transform. Our results open up a promising avenue for further research into optical encryption in complex environments.
Impaired Bone Microarchitecture in Premenopausal Women With Acromegaly: The Possible Role of Wnt Signaling
Authors: Silva Paula P B , Pereira Rosa M R , Takayama Liliam , Borba Clarissa G , Duarte Felipe H , Trarbach Ericka B , Martin Regina Matsunaga , Bronstein Marcello D , Tritos Nicholas A , Jallad Raquel S
Published: April 2021

Context

Acromegaly can impair bone integrity, increasing the risk of vertebral fractures (VFs).

Objective

To evaluate the impact of isolated GH/IGF-I hypersecretion on bone turnover markers, Wnt inhibitors, bone mineral density (BMD), microarchitecture, bone strength and vertebral fractures in female patients with acromegaly (Acro), compared with healthy control group (HC).

Design, setting, and patients

Cross-sectional study including 83 premenopausal women without any pituitary deficiency:18 acromegaly in remission (AcroR), 12 in group with active acromegaly (AcroA), and 53 HC. Serum procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide, β-carboxy-terminal crosslinked telopeptide of type 1 collagen, osteocalcin, sclerostin, and DKK1 were measured in blood samples. dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and vertebral fractures evaluation were also assessed simultaneously.

Main outcome and results

AcroA showed significantly lower sclerostin and higher DKK1 compared with HC. On HR-pQCT of tibia and radius, Acro showed impairment of trabecular (area and trabecular number), increased cortical porosity, and increased cortical area and cortical thickness compared with HC. The only significant correlation found with HR-pQCT parameters was a positive correlation between cortical porosity and serum DKK1 (R = 0.45, P = 0.044). Mild VFs were present in approximately 30% of patients.

Conclusions

Eugonadal women with acromegaly without any pituitary deficiency showed increased cortical BMD, impairment of trabecular bone microstructure, and increased VF. Sclerostin was not correlated with any HR-pQCT parameters; however, DKK1 was correlated with cortical porosity in tibia (P = 0.027). Additional studies are needed to clarify the role of Wnt inhibitors on bone microarchitecture impairment in acromegaly.
The Differentiation of the Crystalline Lens
Authors: Woerdeman M. W.
Published: April 2021

The first sign of lens development in the vertebrate embryo is the appearance of a thickening of the head ectoderm in the area of contact between the ectoderm and the eye vesicle (lens placode).
Lithium changes the ectodermal fate of individual frog blastomeres because it causes ectopic neural plate formation
Authors: Klein Steven L , Moody Sally A.
Published: April 2021

Amphibian blastulae that are treated with lithium (Li) develop into embryos that consist almost exclusively of head structures. This dramatic change in embryogenesis may occur either because Li selectively kills trunk progenitors or because Li causes trunk progenitors to become head progenitors. To distinguish between these possibilities, we compared the fates of individual frog blastomeres between Li-treated embryos and normal embryos using lineage tracers. The results demonstrate that Li causes ventral midline cells, which normally populate large amounts of trunk, to produce many head structures, including the brain. Examination of fluorescently labeled clones in living Li-treated gastrulae shows that: (1) the ectodermal members of the clones migrate normally, and chordamesodermal involution begins normally; (2) the chordamesoderm’s later involution is altered such that it is confined to the vegetal hemisphere; (3) accordingly, the neural plate forms in the vegetal hemisphere, circumscribing the blastopore, which normally gives rise to the cloaca; and (4) the ectodermal progeny of the ventral midline blastomeres that are near the blastopore populate the brain because they are induced by the stalled chordamesoderm to form part of the ectopic neural plate. These results demonstrate that Li, administered during a short developmental window at early cleavage stages, ultimately alters ectodermal fate because it changes the pattern of chordamesodermal involution during gastrulation, which in turn changes the site of neural plate formation.
Stresses in Human Leg Muscles in Running and Jumping Determined by Force Plate Analysis and From Published Magnetic Resonance Images
Authors: Thorpe Susannah K. S. , Li Yu , Crompton Robin H. , Alexander R. McNeill
Published: April 2021

Calculation of the stresses exerted by human muscles requires knowledge of their physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made it possible to measure PCSAs of leg muscles of healthy human subjects, which are much larger than the PCSAs of cadaveric leg muscles that have been used in previous studies. We have used published MRI data, together with our own force-plate records and films of running and jumping humans, to calculate stresses in the major groups of leg muscles. Peak stresses in the triceps surae ranged from 100 kN m−2 during take off for standing high jumps to 150 kN m−2 during running at 4 m s−1. In the quadriceps, peak stresses ranged from 190 kN m−2 during standing long jumps to 280 kN m−2 during standing high jumps. Similar stresses were calculated from published measurements of joint moments. These stresses are lower than those previously calculated from cadaveric data, but are in the range expected from physiological experiments on isolated muscles.
Deep learning in structural and functional lung image analysis
Authors: Astley Joshua R , Wild Jim M , Tahir Bilal A
Published: April 2021

The recent resurgence of deep learning (DL) has dramatically influenced the medical imaging field. Medical image analysis applications have been at the forefront of DL research efforts applied to multiple diseases and organs, including those of the lungs. The aims of this review are twofold: (i) to briefly overview DL theory as it relates to lung image analysis; (ii) to systematically review the DL research literature relating to the lung image analysis applications of segmentation, reconstruction, registration and synthesis. The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. 479 studies were initially identified from the literature search with 82 studies meeting the eligibility criteria. Segmentation was the most common lung image analysis DL application (65.9% of papers reviewed). DL has shown impressive results when applied to segmentation of the whole lung and other pulmonary structures. DL has also shown great potential for applications in image registration, reconstruction and synthesis. However, the majority of published studies have been limited to structural lung imaging with only 12.9% of reviewed studies employing functional lung imaging modalities, thus highlighting significant opportunities for further research in this field. Although the field of DL in lung image analysis is rapidly expanding, concerns over inconsistent validation and evaluation strategies, intersite generalisability, transparency of methodological detail and interpretability need to be addressed before widespread adoption in clinical lung imaging workflow.
The radiologic (CT/MRI)-pathological correlations of the salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) with hyaline degeneration and peripheral nerve invasion
Authors: Kazawa Nobukata , Shibamoto Yuta , Hirose Yasujirou , Yamashita Yoriko
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

Salivary duct carcinoma is an aggressive tumour commonly showing local invasion and/or nerve palsy. However, their CT/MRI findings, especially, regarding T2WI, and the diffusion-weighted-image (DWI), were not well known. In this study, we correlated the CT/MRI appearance and the pathological findings containing the nerve invasion cases such as a facial nerve.

Methods:

We reviewed 14 cases of SDC (parotid = 11, submandibular = 2, minor salivary gland = 1) pathologically proven peripheral nerve involvement. Their CT findings of all patient including dynamic contrast-enhancement study､MRI (n = 9) and DWI (n = 6) were also analyzed with histopathological correlation.

Results:

On contrast-enhanced CT, the solid component was moderately enhanced. On MRI, T2WI central low signal core (n = 6) with peripheral high intensity rim (n = 5) was frequently observed except heterogeneous low and high (n = 1), diffuse low (n = 1), and high (n = 1) signal cases. The hyaline degenerative area located in the tumour core was poorly enhanced. Eleven tumours had an ill-defined margin, reflecting invasive tumour growth. On DWI, they showed high signal [the central low and peripherally high (n = 4), and diffuse (n = 1), heterogeneously high signal (n = 1)]. The mean ADC value was 1.148 ~ 0.961 x 10–3 mm2/s. With pathological correlation, the central low signal area on T2WI reflected hyaline degeneration. The sites of gross nerve involvement were revealed as tubular or branching structures on CE-CT (n = 3), and MRI (n = 1).

Conclusions:

(1) We frequently observed a central low signal area on T2WI/DWI in SDC. With histopathological correlation, it corresponded to the central hyaline degeneration with the peripheral viable tumour. 2) The gross nerve involvement might be detected as a strongly enhancement structure.
Post-COVID recovery: characteristics of chronically critically ill patients admitted to a long-term acute care hospital
Authors: Hassenpflug Meg Stearn , Jun Dale , Nelson David R. , Dolinay Tamas
Published: April 2021

Background: Survivors of COVID-19 pneumonia often suffer from chronic critical illness (CCI) and require long-term hospitalization. Long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals are vital in the care of CCI patients, but their role for patients post COVID-19 infection is not known. Barlow Respiratory Hospital (BRH) is a 105-bed, LTAC hospital network serving ventilator-dependent and medically-complex patients transferred from the ICUs of hospitals in southern California. We report patient characteristics of our first series of COVID-19 survivors admitted to the post-acute venue of an LTAC hospital.

Methods: Single-center observational descriptive report of patients recovering from acute infectious complications of COVID-19 pneumonia requiring long-term respiratory support.

Results: From 28 April to 7 September 2020, 41 patients were admitted to BRH for continued recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia. Median age: 68 [44-94] years, 25/41 (61%) male, 33/41 (80.5%) with tracheostomy, 21/41 (51.2%) on invasive mechanical ventilation, 9/41 (22%) receiving hemodialysis. All mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis interventions were initiated at the transferring hospital.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report to characterize CCI and medically complex COVID-19 patients transferred to the post-acute venue of an LTAC hospital. Patients on average spent over six weeks in the transferring hospital mostly in the ICU, are largely elderly, carry the known risk factors for COVID-19 infection, and experienced respiratory failure necessitating prolonged mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy. Our findings suggest that these patients will continue to require considerable medical interventions and treatments, including weaning from mechanical ventilation, owing to the numerous sequelae of the infection and the burden of acute-on-chronic diseases. As ICU survival rates improve, this research further emphasizes the important role of the LTAC hospital in responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Urban educated group's perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic management in Bangladesh: a qualitative exploration
Authors: Joarder Taufique , Khaled Muhammad N.B. , Joarder Mohammad A.I.
Published: April 2021

Background: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak, Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken various measures to restrict virus transmission and inform the people of the situation. However, the success of such measures largely depends on a positive public perception of the government’s ability to act decisively and the transparency of its communication. We explored public perceptions of pandemic management efforts by the Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers in this study.

Methods: As this qualitative research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, data was gathered through seven online mixed-gender focus group discussions involving 50 purposively selected clinicians and non-clinicians.

Results: The study participants concurred that, from the outset, decision-makers failed to engage the right kind of experts, which resulted in poor pandemic management that included imposing lockdown in periphery areas without arranging patient transport to the center, declaring certain hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated without preparing the facilities or the staff, and engaging private hospitals in care without allowing them to test the patients for COVID-19 infection. Several participants also commented on ineffective actions on behalf of the GoB, such as imposing home quarantine instead of institutional, corruption, miscommunication, and inadequate private sector regulation. The perception of the people regarding service providers is that they lacked responsiveness in providing treatment, with some doctors misleading the public by sharing misinformation. Service providers, on the other hand, observed that decision-makers failed to provide them with proper training, personal protective equipment, and workplace security, which has resulted in a high number of deaths among medical staff.

Conclusions: The Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers should learn from their mistakes to prevent further unnecessary loss of life and long-term economic downturn. They should adopt a science-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the short term while striving to develop a more resilient health system in the long run.
RETRACTED: A low-cost in-house HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitor drug resistance test for resource-limited settings
Authors: Onwong'a Vera M. , Gachogo Rachael W. , Masika Moses M. , Jacobs Graeme B. , Onyambu Frank G.
Published: April 2021

At the request of the authors, the article titled 'A low-cost in-house HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitor drug resistance test for resource-limited settings' ([version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. F1000Research 2021, 10:260, https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.28404.1) has been retracted from F1000Research.

Since publication, it has come to the attention of the authors that the primers described in Table 1 were incorrect. As this article contains information which should not be publicly available the content of the article has been removed.  The authors apologise for this honest error, and intend to republish the article with the correct primer information. Unfortunately, Dr Graeme B. Jacobs has passed away since publication of version 1 of this article.
Editorial
Authors: Ghosh Bikramaditya
Published: April 2021

We are all homebound in a global village, owing to the novel coronavirus or Covid-19. This is indeed a special version of Ushus-Journal of Business Management. I wish safety and good health to one and all. Let almighty bless us.This issue is quite unique in terms of coverage. It covers wide variety of quantitative finance aspects.
Fat Tail Analysis on S&P 100 Stocks-before and after US President Election
Authors: Thakur Sandeep
Published: April 2021

The main aim of this paper is to determine whether the volatility in the stocks can be created by events like the US Election and whether it leads to Fat Tail in the stocks. Fat Tail analysis is a key factor in determining volatility and has been used in the economy as well as in many other fields like climate and health. Log return has been used to determine the Fat Tail. To make the work more reliable, two Presidential election periods, that of Barack Obama and Donald Trump is selected and is compared for volatility and Fat Tail. For this study, stocks from the S&P 100 are selected and observed. The results show that the US economy is not at all driven by who comes in power and when but rather by the present economic condition. Stocks showing heavy tails during the Obama presidency are primarily because the economy was under Sub Prime Crisis too.
A Study on Factors Influencing Investment Decisions of Retail Investors in VUCA World
Authors: Ramkumar Gowtham , Chitra S
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we seek to identify the factors influencing the investment decision of individual investors. Further, in the existing pandemic situation, which will cover the scope of the VUCA environment, it is important to understand the factors influencing investor’s investment decision. For this purpose, we used exploratory factor analysis to group the factors affecting an investor’s investment decision. Based on the findings, we identified four factors influencing investment preferences and the reliability of these factors are supported by strong statistical measures
БЕЗОПАСНОСТЬ ЧЕЛОВЕКА В СВЕТЕ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ КЛИМАТИЧЕСКОЙ ПОВЕСТКИ
Authors: Boyarov Evgeniy N. , Abramova Svetlana V. , Gershinkova Dinara A.
Published: April 2021

Обоснование. Представляя собой сложнейшую многофакторную систему, климат определяет существование биогеоценозов и экосистем на планете. Влияние климата на все живые организмы прямо, или косвенно через проявление различных природных процессов, заставляет учитывать климат и климатические явления при планировании и организации любых видов деятельности. Многочисленные исследования в области климатологии в интеграции с различными естественнонаучными, гуманитарными, социально-экономическими, геополитическими, информационными изысканиями выявляют множество проблемных вопросов, связанных с влиянием климатологических процессов и явлений на все сферы человеческой деятельности. Однако, следует отметить, что, несмотря на многочисленность таких исследований, вопросы влияния климата на безопасность человека находят отражение лишь в незначительном числе научных публикаций, и, в основном, косвенно. Вместе с тем, общее понимание важности изучения климатических изменений и их влияния на мировые экосистемы требует частного изучения, какое воздействие данная глобальная экологическая проблема оказывает на безопасность человека.
Цель. Выяснить, каким образом население отождествляет свою безопасность с глобальными климатическими изменениями, а также определить возможные направления дальнейшей работы по повышению уровня безопасности населения.
Материалы и методы. Теоретический анализ научных исследований проблемного поля влияния климатических изменений на безопасность человека; качественный и количественный анализ анкет 352 жителей Сахалинской области, собранных в ходе опроса, проведенного, в основном, в дистанционном формате, на онлайн площадках, а также путем рассылок на электронную почту и в социальных сетях.
Результаты. Проведенное исследование выявило степень отношения населения Сахалинской области в проблематике изменения климата, причинами которого явились недостаток осведомленности в вопросах экологической безопасности, влиянии климата на здоровье и жизнедеятельность, недостаточный уровень развития культуры безопасности.
Заключение. Таким образом, актуальными направлениями повышения уровня безопасность человека в свете современной климатической повестки в настоящее время могут стать проведения массовой научной, просветительской, образовательной работы с населением в этом направлении.
COMPARISON OF SOME LINEAR BODY MEASUREMENT TRAITS OF LOCAL AND COMMERCIAL CHICKEN BREEDS OF SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Tyasi Thobela Louis , Mashiloane Khomotso , Mokoena Kwena
Published: April 2021

Linear body measurement traits are used for the estimation of body weight in animal breeding to aid livestock farmers where the weighing scale is not available. The objective of the work was to determine the effect of breed on body weight (BW) and linear body measurement traits such as wing length (WL), keel length (KL), shank circumference (SC), chest circumference (CC) and beak length (BL) of two (Hy-line Silver Brown and Potchefstroom Koekoek) layer chicken layer breeds. A total of 100 layers with 50 for each breed were randomly selected for the study at the age of 22 weeks. Pearson’s correlation and Student T-Test were used for data analysis. Correlation was employed to examine the relationship between measured traits in each breed. Correlation findings showed that BW had a highly positive statistical significant correlation (p < 0.01) with WL (r = 0.76) in Potchefstroom Koekoek breed, while BW had a negative statistical significant correlation (p < 0.05) with WL (r = -0.27) in Hy-line Silver Brown chicken layer breed.  Student T-Test results indicated that Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken layer breed was statistically (P<0.05) heavier than Hy-line Silver Brown chicken layer breed. Potchefstroom Koekoek had longer wing length and chest circumference than Hy-line Silver Brown while Hy-line Silver Brown had longer (P<0.05) keel length, shank circumference and beak length than Potchefstroom Koekoek. It is concluded that the results suggest that Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken layer breed is a weightier indigenous layer but keel length, shank circumference and beak length might require improvement. It also suggests that improvement of WL might improve BW of Potchefstroom Koekoek breed while improvement of WL might decrease BW of Hy-line Silver Brown chicken layer breed.
ПРОДУКТИВНЫЕ И НЕКОТОРЫЕ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ГЕНОФОНДНОЙ ПОРОДЫ СКОТА САЛЕРС В УСЛОВИЯХ ЗАПАДНОЙ СИБИРИ
Authors: Sheveleva Olga M. , Chasovshchikova Marina A. , Sukhanova Svetlana F.
Published: April 2021

Развитие мясного скотоводства определяется породным составом животных, поэтому изучение продуктивных качеств в период адаптации породы салерс в условиях Западной Сибири представляет научный и практический интерес.

Материал и методы. Изучены продуктивные качества и экстерьер коров породы салерс в возрасте 3, 4 и 5 лет, принадлежащих к разным эколого-географическим генерациям (от нулевой до пятой). Живая масса определялась при взвешивании животных, экстерьер изучен при измерении животных и вычислением индексов телосложения. Исследования крови – по методике В.Т. Самохина, П.Е. Петрова, И.М. Белякова и др. (1981). Исследования микросателлитной ДНК проведены по 15 локусам, экспериментальный материал обработан методом вариационной статистики (Н.А. Плохинский, 1969) с использованием программного приложения Microsoft Excel.

Результаты. Установлено, что новые эколого-географические условия не сказались отрицательно на живой массе и экстерьере животных. У коров при разведении в условиях Западной Сибири произошло уменьшение роста и ширины груди. При изучении морфологического и биохимического состава крови коров разных генераций существенных отличий по содержанию эритроцитов, лейкоцитов и гемоглобина между генерациями не выявлено. Наибольшей полиморфностью характеризовались локусы TGLA 227 и INRA 23, включающие по 10 эффективных аллелей. Уровень ожидаемой гетерозиготности обследованных локусов высокий и составляет – 0,834.

Заключение. Таким образом, разведение крупного рогатого скота породы салерс в условиях Западной Сибири не сказалось отрицательно на продуктивных и биологических особенностях животных этой породы, поэтому можно рекомендовать эту породу для более широкого разведения в Западной Сибири.
El reposicionamiento del Ecuador: competencia intraestatal y coyuntura en la administración 2017-2019
Authors: Reyes Herrera Milton , Pérez Enríquez Diego , Barreiro Santana Katalina
Published: April 2021

Este artículo analiza el reposicionamiento de Ecuador entre 2017 y 2020. Se toma en cuenta la existencia de una estructura histórica competitiva previa que permite com­prender dicha reorientación. Como introducción se revisarán las matrices de los proyectos nacionales en competencia desde perspectiva de larga duración (longue dureé), con énfasis en las dos últimas administraciones gubernamentales, sin dejar de lado el precedente histórico. El posicionamiento del presidente Moreno se analizará específicamente en su relación dinámica con lo político y económico; además de la competencia en el ámbito de las ideas. Asimismo se analizará la continuidad a nivel de dimensión interna y el reposicionamiento ecuatoriano frente al orden mundial, el cual puede ser observado a través de su diplomacia, tipo de integración, seguridad y defensa, y articulación con los grandes jugadores globales. Finalmente, a modo de conclusión, se presentará una caracterización del reposicionamiento de Ecuador en el periodo propuesto y se presen­tarán algunos de los elementos presentes a nivel estructural.
The Impact of Age Demographics on Interpreting and Applying Population-Wide Infection Fatality Rates for COVID-19
Authors: MacLeod Matthew R. , Hunter D. Gregory
Published: April 2021

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affects the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and its members in multiple ways. As the CAF manages its own healthcare system for its members, it must consider the impact of COVID-19 not only on the operational effectiveness of its workforce but also on its healthcare operations. Furthermore, given that the CAF has deployed task forces in support of other government departments, including into long-term care facilities that are experiencing outbreaks, it is important for the CAF to maintain situational awareness of the outbreak in the Canadian population generally. In providing analytical support to the CAF on these questions, we focused on establishing the applicability of estimates of COVID-19 infection fatality rates (IFRs) from the literature to the CAF and to the Canadian public. This paper explores how the age-dependent effects of COVID-19 must be taken into account when comparing estimates based on countries with very different age profiles, such as China and Italy. Furthermore, it explores how varying age structures within a country (e.g., within a subnational jurisdiction, or within a given working population) should affect how analysts apply estimates of IFR to scenarios involving those specific populations.
The Running Intersection Relaxation of the Multilinear Polytope
Authors: Del Pia Alberto , Khajavirad Aida
Published: April 2021

The multilinear polytope of a hypergraph is the convex hull of a set of binary points satisfying a collection of multilinear equations. We introduce the running intersection inequalities, a new class of facet-defining inequalities for the multilinear polytope. Accordingly, we define a new polyhedral relaxation of the multilinear polytope, referred to as the running intersection relaxation, and identify conditions under which this relaxation is tight. Namely, we show that for kite-free beta-acyclic hypergraphs, a class that lies between gamma-acyclic and beta-acyclic hypergraphs, the running intersection relaxation coincides with the multilinear polytope and it admits a polynomial size extended formulation.
Por uma formação inventiva antiespecista
Authors: Mello Ana Luiza Gonçalves Dias , Dias Rosimeri De Oliveira
Published: April 2021

A proposta deste artigo é a de visibilizar de que maneiras a formação inventiva pode forçar o pensamento a problematizar o especismo e forjar brechas para produzir modos outros de ver e de se relacionar com os animais não humanos. Para tanto, este trabalho é tecido no encontro entre duas professoras que optam por práticas inventivas em seus territórios de trabalho – formação de professores e ensino de ciências na educação básica. Na discussão, problematizamos o especismo no cotidiano da sala de aula, seus dispositivos, suas enunciações e suas invisibilidades, por meio de diários de campo e de atividades didáticas usuais na educação básica. Contudo, apontamos saídas e modos autogestionários dos trabalhos junto com jovens e crianças de uma escola pública de periferia urbana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, especialmente no que tange a práticas que nos posicionam no presente e em luta por uma formação inventiva antiespecista.
Poder, assujeitamento, subjetivação
Authors: Karsenti Bruno
Published: April 2021

Versão do texto originalmente publicado na revista Futur Antérieur, numéro 10 : 1992/2, sob o título Pouvoir, assujettissement, subjectivation. Republicado na Entre-là em 14 de março de 2013 e disponível em: http://xn--entre-l-fwa.net/pouvoir-assujettissement-subjectivation-par-bruno-karsenti/ . Último acesso: 01/10/2019.Tradução: Sandra Raquel Santos de Oliveira, Larissa de Moura Cavalcante e Maria Cândida Santos e Moura. Supervisão: Manoel Carlos Cavalcanti de Mendonça Filho. Desenvolvido como atividade do GEPEC/UFS, coordenado por Marcelo de Almeida Ferreri.Obs sobre a tradução: ao final das páginas, encontram-se as notas das tradutoras. Ao final do texto, as notas originais do autor, em que as páginas indicadas correspondem às publicações francesas).
Medicalização, bioeconomia e processos de subjetivação: algumas considerações sobre a governamentalidade neoliberal no mercado de saúde
Authors: Lemos Flávia Cristina Silveira , Galindo Dolores , Rodrigues Renata Vilela
Published: April 2021

Neste ensaio, de natureza teórica, discutimos a medicalização da vida, em sua faceta neoliberal, e como esta se efetua em práticas que visam potencializar processos de subjetivação conduzem à formação de biocidadãos empreendedores de si e endividados. Para tal, as reflexões se pautam por contribuições de Michel Foucault e por contribuições recentes a respeito da bioeconomia e processos de subjetivação. Argumentamos que em confluência com as reflexões sobre biocapital e capital vivo, o governo da vida medicalizada requer uma dimensão produtiva e de capitalização subjetiva necessária à engrenagem neoliberal.
Como conchas à beira-mar: fragmentos de vida
Authors: Souza Maria Kamila Vilela de , Machado Leila A. Domingues
Published: April 2021

Andamos pela cidade, tomamos um café na varanda, conhecemos vidas que a sociedade tentou apagar. Vidas marcadas por internações manicomiais e que foram durante muitos anos caladas. Durante encontros semanais em uma casa na cidade de Cariacica – ES, conversamos com alguns senhores e em alguns momentos escutamos histórias de vida, geralmente narrativas fragmentadas feitas de vestígios e, nesse trabalho, contamo-las: são nossas conchas. Amadoramente fotografamos pedaços, restos e expressões. Compomo-nos junto, nos misturamos e sentimos. Aqui são apresentadas poucas palavras que narram vidas, que narram histórias, que narram o cotidiano. Habitamos essa casa, mas também caminhamos, pois entendemos a cidade como lugar de potência, de criação e de desconstrução – somos andarilhos da beira da praia. Sim, a praia, mais precisamente a água nos acompanhará nesse percurso. As ondas nos guiam, o mar nos fortalece, a areia nos tira do conforto.