bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microcredit and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria in COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Onuka Onwuka Ifeanyi
Published: July 2021

Microcredit is a financial service whose importance is often understated. When lack of access to microcredit is exacerbated by a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, its real significance as an essential service in poverty alleviation becomes more apparent. The outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to dramatic transformations of every sector of the Nigerian society including microcredit delivery system, where formal and informal actors co-exist often in an uneasy relationship. Unfortunately, strategies for inclusive microcredit delivery before and during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking in Nigeria, fuelling the further exclusion of informal sector in microcredit governance and policy process in Nigeria. The paper reviews the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and identifies policy gaps in microcredit delivery and governance mechanism. The study also highlights the linkages between COVID-19 and microcredit in poverty alleviation with a view to catalysing increased and inclusive access to microcredit and sustainability policy in Nigeria. It is argued that acknowledging the role of microcredit in informal economy and poverty alleviation is the critical first step towards framing a sustainable microcredit policy in which primary stakeholders are involved.
Meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats: 3 cases of Pasteurella multocida infection and literature review
Authors: de Cecco Bianca S. , Carossino Mariano , Del Piero Fabio , Wakamatsu Nobuko , Mitchell Maria S. , Fowlkes Natalie W. , Langohr Ingeborg M.
Published: July 2021

Neurologic diseases are common in domestic cats, and infectious agents are suspected to be the primary cause in 30–45% of cases. Among infectious etiologies, those of bacterial origin are only sporadically characterized in the literature, with few of these reports correlating gross and histologic findings with confirmatory bacteriologic identification. Here, we describe bacterial meningitis and meningoencephalomyelitis associated with Pasteurella multocida in 3 domestic cats. Purulent exudate expanding the cerebral meninges was grossly evident in 2 of the cases. In all 3 cases, histologic changes included multifocal suppurative-to-necrosuppurative meningitis and/or meningoencephalomyelitis of variable severity. Intralesional colonies of gram-negative, short rod-shaped to coccobacillary bacteria were evident histologically in only 1 case. P. multocida was confirmed by routine bacteriologic culture in all cases. Based on our cases, we hypothesize that the upper respiratory system serves as the main portal of entry for P. multocida, leading to invasion of the central nervous system and possible systemic hematogenous dissemination. A case series of meningoencephalomyelitis associated with P. multocida infection in cats has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. We also review briefly other causes of meningoencephalomyelitis in cats.
What Does the Psychological Flexibility Model Contribute to the Relationship Between Depression and Disability in Chronic Pain? The Role of Cognitive Fusion and Pain Acceptance
Authors: Ecija Carmen , Catala Patricia , Lopez-Gomez Irene , Bedmar Dolores , Peñacoba Cecilia
Published: July 2021

This study examines the mediator role of cognitive fusion between depressive symptoms, activity avoidance and excessive persistence at different levels of pain acceptance (moderator) among fibromyalgia patients (FM). Using a sample of 231 women, multiple and moderate mediation analyses were conducted with PROCESS. Results showed that depression was positively associated with activity avoidance and excessive persistence. Furthermore, cognitive fusion and pain acceptance were found to mediate the effect of depression in both patterns. Additionally, pain acceptance was found to play a contextual role in cognitive fusion, as a moderator, between depressive symptoms and maladaptive patterns. Specifically, FM patients with high acceptance levels and low levels of depression presented the strongest associations between depression and cognitive fusion. Techniques aimed at reducing cognitive fusion, could be especially beneficial to FM women with high pain acceptance.
Why Do Election Results Change after Election Day? The “Blue Shift” in California Elections
Authors: Li Yimeng , Hyun Michelle , Alvarez R. Michael
Published: July 2021

The counting of votes in contemporary American elections is usually not completed on Election Night. There has been an increasing tendency for vote shares to shift toward Democratic candidates after Election Day in general elections, in particular, in recent U.S. elections. Leveraging important snapshots of precinct-level election returns and precinct-level demographic and political composition from Orange County, California, we conduct the first full-fledged analysis of the potential drivers of vote share shifts. Using an original large-scale post-election survey and unique snapshots of individual-level administrative records, we also provide the first analysis of the characteristics of voters whose ballots were tallied later versus earlier in the process. Far from being anomalous, our results indicate that the shifts are consistent with underlying precinct voter compositions and the order of precinct and mail ballot processing at the individual level in accordance with election administration practices. We find the same driving forces in North Carolina and Colorado, and discuss the consequences of the “Blue Shift” for public concerns about election integrity as states push policy changes regarding access to voting by mail.
Free vibration analysis of nonlocal nanobeams: a comparison of the one-dimensional nonlocal integral Timoshenko beam theory with the two-dimensional nonlocal integral elasticity theory
Authors: Danesh Hooman , Javanbakht Mahdi
Published: July 2021

Beam theories such as the Timoshenko beam theory are in agreement with the elasticity theory. However, due to the different nonlocal averaging processes, they are expected to yield different results in their nonlocal forms. In the present work, the free vibration behavior of nonlocal nanobeams is studied using the nonlocal integral Timoshenko beam theory (NITBT) and two-dimensional nonlocal integral elasticity theory (2D-NIET) with different kernels and their results are compared. A new kernel, termed the compensated two-phase (CTP) kernel, is introduced, which entirely compensates for the boundary effects and does not suffer from the ill-posedness of previous kernels. Using the finite element method, the free vibration analysis is performed for different boundary conditions based on the first three natural frequencies. For both the NITBT and 2D-NIET with both the two-phase (TP) and CTP kernels, the nonlocal parameter has a softening effect on the natural frequencies for all the boundary conditions, without observing the paradoxical behaviors of the nonlocal differential theory. For both theories, the softening effect of the nonlocal parameter is more pronounced for the TP kernel compared to the CTP kernel. The sensitivity of the 2D-NIET to the nonlocal parameter is found to be higher than that of the NITBT. Also, the softening effects for different vibration modes are compared to each other for both theories and both kernels. The obtained results can be extended for various important beam problems with nonlocal effects and help obtain a better understanding of applicable nonlocal theories.
How ‘eye’ helped in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
Authors: Tyagi Swati , Kumar Kritika Chopra , Saluja Komal
Published: July 2021

Background:

Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited multisystemic oncologic syndrome, presenting predominantly with angiomatosis in embryologically similar neurologic tissue such as retina, cerebellum and adrenals. Retinal hemangioblastomas are the hallmark ophthalmic finding. In this case report, we describe the importance of timely diagnosis, thorough systemic examination and treatment of bilaterally asymmetrical retinal hemangioblastomas in a young adult male.

Case presentation:

A 31-year-old male presented with painless diminution of vision in both eyes, associated with eyestrain and headache. Multiple asymmetric retinal lesions and dilated feeder vessels were noted on ophthalmoscopic examination and confirmed by fluorescein angiography to be retinal hemangioblastomas. Comprehensive systemic examination revealed cerebellar hemangioblastomas and multiple pancreatic and renal cysts. Treatment of retinal lesions was done by combination therapy of argon laser photocoagulation and cryopexy, which lead to a good visual outcome. Subsequently, neurosurgical resection of cerebellar hemangioblastoma proved to be lifesaving for the patient.

Conclusion:

RHBs are the earliest, easiest and the most frequently detected manifestation of VHL. Identification of ocular manifestations play a pivotal role in early diagnosis and timely intervention in VHL syndrome, thereby significantly reducing associated morbidity and mortality. Therefore, an ophthalmologist’s role is crucial in the management of these potentially deadly tumours.
Tom O’Regan obituary
Authors: Tomaselli Keyan
Published: July 2021

This short essay pays homage to Tom O’Regan with regard to his interactions with the author.
Effects of textual enhancement and task manipulation on L2 learners’ attentional processes and grammatical knowledge development: A mixed methods study
Authors: Lee Minjin , Jung Jookyoung
Published: July 2021

This study examined the extent to which textual enhancement and task manipulation affect the learners’ attentional processing and the development of second language (L2) grammatical knowledge. A total of 73 Korean college students read an opinion news article in one of four experimental conditions: (1) textually enhanced, careful reading, (2) textually enhanced, expeditious reading, (3) textually non-enhanced, careful reading, and (4) textually non-enhanced, expeditious reading. For the enhanced conditions, the target L2 construction, i.e. the use of English participle phrases in the restrictive use, was typographically enhanced using a different color. In addition, the reading task was manipulated in terms of the speed and the manner of reading, i.e. careful reading to remember textual information as accurately as possible or expeditious reading to figure out the gist as soon as possible. While reading the article, learners’ eye-movements were recorded with an eye-tracker to measure the allocation of attentional resources as well as reading processes. In addition, stimulated recalls were collected for qualitative analysis of learners’ attentional processes. The results revealed that both textual enhancement and task manipulation had significant effects on the way participants allocated their attentional resources during reading, while it did not affect their knowledge of the target constructions as reflected in their grammaticality judgment scores.
Processing similarities between native speakers and non-balanced bilinguals
Authors: Sokolova Marina , Slabakova Roumyana
Published: July 2021

Aims and objectives:

The study investigates human sentence processing and argues that information from multiple sources is considered equally in native and non-native languages. Non-syntactic information does not overrule the parsing decisions prompted by syntactic cues.

Methodology:

The experiment used ambiguous relative clauses (RC) in a self-paced reading task with 20 native and 45 non-native adult speakers of English and Russian. The software Linger recorded participants’ answers to comprehension questions and the time they spent reading each word.

Data and analysis:

Mixed linear analysis performed in R checked for the effect of a matrix verb, RC length, social conventions, the native language and the language of testing on RC processing and interpretation.

Findings:

Both native and non-native speakers followed social conventions in deciding on the interpretation of the RC. However, this information never overruled the attachment decision prompted by the matrix predicate or by the length of the RC which entails certain sentence prosody.

Originality:

The study is innovative in investigating the extent to which each factor affected RC processing. It shows that social conventions enhance processing when they conspire with the structural parse prompted by linguistic cues. When they do not, syntactic information governs sentence parsing in both L1 and L2.

Significance/implications:

The study provides evidence that sentence processing uses linguistic structure as a first parsing hypothesis, which can then be adjusted to incorporate the incoming information from multiple sources.

Limitations:

The findings need further support from testing L2 learners of Russian in various socio-cultural contexts.
Depression, anxiety and stress among Swedish university students during the second and third waves of COVID-19: A cohort study
Authors: Johansson Fred , Côté Pierre , Hogg-Johnson Sheilah , Skillgate Eva
Published: July 2021

Our research group recently reported that symptom levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among Swedish university students were relatively stable during the first three months of COVID-19 and decreased slightly during the following three summer months. Since then, Sweden has faced a second and third wave of COVID-19.

Aims:

This study aims to describe the mean trajectories of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among Swedish university students before and during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

We recruited 1835 participants in September 2020, of whom 81% provided follow-ups in December 2020–January 2021 and 77% provided follow-ups in March–April 2021. The short-form Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was used to measure mental health symptoms. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the mean differences in symptom levels over the three time periods.

Results:

Compared with September, mean depression was 0.91 points of 21 higher (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–1.13) in December 2020–January 2021 and 0.66 points higher (95% CI 0.43–.88) in March–April 2021. Anxiety levels were 0.20 points higher (95% CI 0.05–0.34) in December 2020–January 2021 and 0.17 points higher (95% CI 0.02–0.33) in March–April 2021. Stress levels were 0.21 points higher (95% CI 0.00–0.41) in December 2020–January 2021 and 0.16 points lower (95% CI −0.38 to 0.05) in March–April 2021.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate relatively stable levels of mental health among Swedish university students during the second and third waves of COVID-19 compared with before the second wave. Mean depression symptom scores increased slightly, but the importance of this small increase is uncertain.
A comparative study of gasoline skeletal mechanisms under partial fuel stratification conditions using large eddy simulations
Authors: Guleria Gaurav , Lopez-Pintor Dario , Dec John E , Assanis Dimitris
Published: July 2021

Partial fuel stratification (PFS) is a low temperature combustion strategy that can alleviate high heat release rates of traditional low temperature combustion strategies by introducing compositional stratification in the combustion chamber using a split fuel injection strategy. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with large eddy simulations and reduced detailed chemistry was used to model partial fuel stratification at three different stratified conditions. The double direct injection strategy injects 80% of the total fuel mass at −300 CAD aTDC and the remaining 20% of the fuel mass is injected at three different timings of −160, −50, −35 CAD to create low, medium, and high levels of compositional stratification, respectively. The PFS simulations were validated using experiments performed at Sandia National Laboratories on a single-cylinder research engine that operates on RD5-87, a research-grade E10 gasoline. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of three different reduced chemical kinetic mechanisms, namely SKM1, SKM2, and SKM3, at the three compositional stratification levels and identify the most suitable mechanism to reproduce the experimental data. Zero-dimensional chemical kinetic simulations were also performed to further understand differences in performance of the three reduced chemical kinetic mechanisms to explain variations in CFD derived heat release profiles. The modeling results indicate that SKM3 is the most suitable mechanism for partial fuel stratification modeling of research-grade gasoline. The results also show that the autoignition event progresses from the richer to the leaner compositional regions in the combustion chamber. Notably, the leaner regions that have less mass per unit volume, can contribute disproportionately more toward heat release as there are more cells at leaner equivalence ratio ranges. Overall, this study illuminates the underlying compositional stratification phenomena that control the heat release process in PFS combustion.
Effect of Periodized Resistance Training on Skeletal Muscle During Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Trial
Authors: Dawson Jacqueline K. , Dorff Tanya B. , Tuzon Creighton , Rice Judd C. , Schroeder Edward Todd , Lane Christianne J. , Gross Mitchell E. , Dieli-Conwright Christina M.
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

Prostate cancer survivors (PCS) receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as treatment for recurrent cancer, yet ADT is associated with loss of skeletal muscle and physical function. Resistance training can counter both muscle and physical function loss; however, an understanding of the molecular responses of skeletal muscle to resistance training during ADT is still undefined. This sub-analysis of the original randomized, controlled pilot trial investigated effects of 12 weeks of periodized resistance training on mRNA expression of the anabolic genes IGF-1, myogenin, PGC-1α4 and the catabolic genes myostatin and MuRF-1 in skeletal muscle of PCS on ADT. Secondary aims investigated if changes in lean mass and physical function correlated with changes in mRNA expression.

Methods:

PCS on ADT (n = 17) were randomized to 12 weeks of supervised resistance training (EXE, n = 9) or home-based stretching (STRETCH, n = 8) 3 days per week. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Muscle biopsies were analyzed by RT-PCR for mRNA expression. Body composition was assessed through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and physical function through muscular strength, timed up and go, stair climb, and 400 m walk.

Results:

MuRF-1 mRNA expression was significantly greater in EXE compared to STRETCH post-intervention ( P = .005). Change in MuRF-1 mRNA expression significantly correlated with improvements in strength and physical function ( P < .05), while change in IGF-1 expression correlated with change in lean mass ( P = .015).

Conclusion:

Twelve weeks of resistance training increased mRNA expression of MuRF-1 in skeletal muscle of PCS on ADT. Elevations in resting mRNA expression of IGF-1, myogenin and PGC-1α4, and reduction in mRNA expression of myostatin that are typically expected following resistance training were not observed.
Physical Optics Radar Cross Section predictions for an anti-ship cruise missile
Authors: Touzopoulos Panagiotis , Zikidis Konstantinos C
Published: July 2021

The capability of the first strike is crucial in the modern battlefield. An important parameter is the radar signature or Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a weapon system, such as a fighter aircraft, a warship, or a missile, affecting the range at which this weapon system would be detected as a target by an enemy radar. If the attacker is detected too late, there will be minimal time for the defender to react, possibly not sufficient to counter the threat. The RCS of a weapon system is considered generally as classified information. However, it can be measured at a suitable measurement test range, if that weapon system is available. Otherwise, it can be predicted with the help of computational electromagnetics. Concerning the second approach, the following procedure was recently proposed: construction of a three-dimensional model of a target, based on available images and any relevant data, and then computation of the target RCS, with the Physical Optics approximative method. In the present approach, this procedure is applied to an anti-ship cruise missile in order to compute its RCS. Finally, the expected detection range for various naval radars is calculated.
Enhancement of blast wave parameters due to shock focusing from multiple simultaneously detonated charges
Authors: Zaghloul Amir , Remennikov Alex , Uy Brian
Published: July 2021

With the increase of terrorist attacks over the past decades, many engineering societies have started issuing design guides to calculate blast loads on structures. While such guides can be successfully used to assess blast loads due to single detonations, the effects of multiple detonations are often overlooked. In this research, the enhancement in blast parameters resulting from simultaneously detonating multiple charges is investigated, emphasising the interaction of blast waves with narrow targets. A parametric CFD study using the finite volume code Viper::Blast was performed where the number of charges, their arrangement, and the scaled stand-off distances were changed. It is found that, when detonated simultaneously, multiple charges return much higher pressure and impulse values compared to an equivalent single charge. Moreover, an arced arrangement of multiple charges is more efficient than a flat arrangement in enhancing blast wave parameters. Such enhancement is beneficial in scenarios involving demolition. Approximate methods to compute blast wave parameters from multiple simultaneously detonated spherical charges are presented in this study, where pressure and impulse from multiple charges can be computed by only knowing the parameters resulting from an equivalent single charge.
Measuring Americans’ Comfort With Research Uses of Their Social Media Data
Authors: Gilbert Sarah , Vitak Jessica , Shilton Katie
Published: July 2021

Research using online datasets from social media platforms continues to grow in prominence, but recent research suggests that platform users are sometimes uncomfortable with the ways their posts and content are used in research studies. While previous research has suggested that a variety of contextual variables may influence this discomfort, such factors have yet to be isolated and compared. In this article, we present results from a factorial vignette survey of American Facebook users. Findings reveal that researcher domain, content type, purpose of data use, and awareness of data collection all impact respondents’ comfort—measured via judgments of acceptability and concern—with diverse data uses. We provide guidance to researchers and ethics review boards about the ways that user reactions to research uses of their data can serve as a cue for identifying sensitive data types and uses.
Financial Stress, Race, and Student Debt During the Great Recession
Authors: Martin Elizabeth C. , Dwyer Rachel E.
Published: July 2021

As the onus of paying for higher education shifted from the state onto students and their families, student indebtedness grew across a wide range of households in the United States in the 2000s, especially among Black and Hispanic households. Holding student debt is a financial risk that may leave households more vulnerable to economic shocks. We study the relationship between household student loan burden and the likelihood of financial stress during the Great Recession using the unique 2007 to 2009 panel of the Survey of Consumer Finances. We find a robust positive relationship across four dimensions of student loan burden and holding constant household characteristics and previous financial stress. We find that Black and Hispanic households with higher student debt burdens experienced higher odds of financial stress relative to White households, even once accounting for prior financial stress. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering the household risk incurred in the US system of financed attainment, especially during the inevitable downturns of a capitalist economy.
A Qualitative Examination Detailing Medical Student Experiences of a Novel Competency-Based Neuroanatomy eLearning Intervention Designed to Bridge a Gap Within an Integrated Medical Curriculum
Authors: Hart Elizabeth Paige , Brueckner-Collins Jennifer , Bergden Jessica S
Published: July 2021

Background:

A 1-year time-gap between first- and second-year neuroanatomy courses was created at our institution as a result of restructuring the curriculum from systems-based to an integrated format. Additionally, neuroanatomy hours decreased significantly (48.8%) when transitioning to an integrated curriculum, similar to other medical schools. Competency-based eLearning in medical education has shown promising results with decreasing overall learning time and improving accuracy. To date, competency-based eLearning has not yet been explored in neuroanatomy education.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to develop and assess a novel competency-based neuroanatomy eLearning intervention for second-year medical students designed to bridge a 1-year time-gap, without adding significant instructional hours, in an integrated curriculum.

Methods:

A competency-based eLearning intervention encompassing the major tracts, brainstem anatomy, and an interactive case featuring a simulated patient experience was developed in the Articulate Storyline® platform. Student usage data, single-session course evaluations, and a focus group were used to evaluate the module’s effectiveness.

Results:

Student usage data showed an average completion time of M = 2:59:25 hours which fit within the scheduled 3-hour timeframe. Students rated the module’s overall effectiveness as M = 3.65 (out of 4) on a single-session evaluation. A focus group provided qualitative feedback suggesting improvements to the eLearning module in the domains of content, mechanics, and timing.

Conclusion:

A competency-based neuroanatomy eLearning intervention shows promising initial results to bridge a 1-year educational gap within an integrated curriculum. Overall, students described this educational tool as helpful and outlined ways in which to improve this resource.
Cyberspace at the Grassroots: E-Governance and Citizen/Stakeholder Perceptions at the Local Level in Bangladesh
Authors: Zafarullah Habib , Ferdous Jannatul
Published: July 2021

Bangladesh has experimented with e-governance since the early 2000s and currently ranks among the top 10 least developed countries. The deployment of e-governance at the local level has provided benefits to the rural people, with local councils increasingly using information and communications technology (ICT) to expand community-based delivery systems and augment rural service delivery. One-stop cyber centres provide a range of services that are user-friendly, cost-effective and less time-consuming. This study focuses on five sub-districts to inquire about the range of services provided by the e-service centres there. It has recorded citizen perceptions and the level of their satisfaction and the observations of service providers about the e-service mechanism. It also identifies key challenges in service delivery. Citizen satisfaction was measured using 12 indicators, while the service provider observations focused on social issues, governance, resource and technical issues. The study found several issues requiring attention to consolidate the e-governance system in the country.
Risky Sexual Behavior and Its Association With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Stressful Life Events, and Other Psychiatric Correlates Among Women in Sex Work
Authors: Pandiyan Kasthuri , Kumar Shankar , Kota Sushmitha
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

Numerous psychiatric disorders are known to be associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB). Depression or substance use is known to be higher in those who are in sex work. Recent literature has also described the association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and RSB. However, the association between ADHD and RSB among women in sex work (WSW) is relatively unknown. In this background, this study was conducted to study the prevalence of ADHD and associated psychiatric correlates among WSW and also to study the prevalence of RSB in this population.

Methodology:

A sample of 96 women who were in sex work and consented to be the part of the study were recruited. They were later administered Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale to screen for adult ADHD symptoms, Wender Utah Rating Scale to retrospectively look into a childhood diagnosis of ADHD, MINI neuropsychiatric interview for DSM 4-TR psychiatric diagnoses, HIV Risk Behavior Scale to study RSB, Beck’s Depression Inventory to quantify depression, and Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale to quantify the presence of stressful life events.

Results:

The prevalence of Adult ADHD in the sample was 32.20 % (n = 31). Individuals with ADHD had a higher prevalence of RSB ( P = .02), comorbid depression ( P = .04), presence of stressful life events ( P = .001), and a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections ( P = .03).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of ADHD is high among WSW (32%). Risky sexual behavior in this population could be probably due to higher prevalence of associated psychiatric conditions including depression, higher presence of stressful life events, and ADHD, the association which is less understood. There is a need to replicate these findings in larger samples to study ADHD and its relationship with risky sexual behavior among WSW.
Classical Koro and Koro-Like Symptoms: Illustration from Canada
Authors: Stip Emmanuel , Nguyen Julian , Bertulies-Esposito Bastian , Tempier Adrien , Bedard Marie-Joelle , Paradis Andreanne , Javaid Syed Fahad
Published: July 2021

Koro syndrome has been colorfully described as a pathological distortion of one’s body image of the genital organ. In Koro, body image dysphoria is characterized by severe anxiety related to the delusional idea that one’s genitals will shrink and retract into one’s abdomen, eventually leading to death. This syndrome was first reported in South East Asia, where endemics have been described, but it has also sporadically occurred globally. We present a systematic literature review on Koro syndrome and report 7 cases from Canada. A search review with PubMed and Google Scholar resulted in 504 entries. Sixty-seven manuscripts were eventually selected following a thorough elimination process. The resultant literature underscored the cultural diversity that underlay the reported cases. Various aspects of Koro have been examined (eg, etiological, clinical, diagnostic, and cultural aspects). It has stimulated substantial scholarly debate, discussions, correspondences, and arguments from anthropological, psychiatric, psychological, and biological perspectives. In our series, it seems that Koro could have been misattributed here. The primary concern was not with penile retraction of the cases. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a series of cases is documented from North America where the syndrome is often ignored. We highlight the potential differences between the classical Koro syndrome and a collection of beliefs related to the perception or delusion of penile retraction in other codable psychiatric disorders, Koro-like syndrome. Understanding Koro syndrome beyond geographic boundaries is in line with our collected case reports of Koro from outside Asia.
Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of Patients Presenting With Erectile Dysfunction: Experience From a Tertiary Care Centre of North India
Authors: Tripathi Adarsh , Kumar Dhirendra , Kar Sujita Kumar , Dalal P. K. , Nischal Anil
Published: July 2021

Background:

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common psychosexual disorders in clinical practice, and it results in significant distress, interpersonal impairments, poor quality of life, and marital disharmony. However, there is limited research on ED in India. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients presenting with ED.

Method:

Cross-sectional evaluation of patients with ED presenting to the psychosexual outpatient department (OPD) of psychiatry department in a tertiary care hospital was done on structured clinical pro forma, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, International Index of Erectile Function-5, Arizona Sexual Experience, Hamilton rating scale for depression, and Hamilton rating scale for anxiety.

Results:

The sample included 102 patients. The mean age was 33.38 years. The majority of the patients were married (81.4%), Hindu (82.4%), residing in a rural area (60.8%), and belonging to a nuclear family (62.7%). The majority of the patients had a moderate level of ED (50%) followed by mild-to-moderate ED (26.5%) and severe ED (23.5%). Premature ejaculation (46.1%) and depression (28.4%) were the most common sexual and psychiatric comorbidities. Obesity was common (62.7%), and only a minority had other metabolic dysfunction, namely dyslipidemia (7.8%), diabetes (5.9%), and hypertension (4.9%). Tobacco dependence and alcohol dependence were present in 37.3% and 6.9% cases, respectively.

Conclusion:

Young adults with moderate-to-severe ED were present for treatment at a tertiary center. Comorbidities of other sexual disorders, psychiatric disorders, and substance use are commonly encountered in such patients. Promotion of early help-seeking should be encouraged. Clinicians should thoroughly assess even the young patients for other sexual, psychiatric, and medical comorbidities.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Non-Surgical and Surgical Treatment Modalities in the Management of Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Egbunah Uchenna Patrick , Adekunle Adegbayi Adeola , Adeyemo Wasiu Lanre
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To answer the question, “how effective are nonsurgical treatment modalities compared to any form of surgical intervention (with or without adjunct treatments) in the management of oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC)?” Data Sources: We conducted systematic searches for Randomized Controlled Trials and Controlled Clinical Trials in PubMed, Cochrane, Ovid Medline, and OpenGrey databases. The US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were also searched for ongoing and past studies. Identified studies were retrieved and assessed for relevance. Review Methods: The primary outcomes assessed in the trials had to include any combination of overall survival, disease-free survival, locoregional control, and recurrence. While secondary outcomes considered were complications of treatment, participants’ satisfaction, costs to participants and health services, and quality of life. Results: Only 5 studies met all inclusion criteria and were selected for qualitative analysis. One compared radiotherapy with surgery, 2 compared chemoradiotherapy with surgery, and 2 compared chemoradiotherapy with transoral robotic surgery. Conclusion: Based on results from this review, surgery is the mainstay of OPC management. However, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a viable alternative in patients with unresectable disease or disease difficult to access due to location, patients with advanced disease intolerant of surgery, and in patients who do not consent to surgery.
Evaluation of Prolonged Versus Continuous Infusions of Piperacillin/Tazobactam During Shortages of Small Volume Parenteral Solutions
Authors: Tschumper Emily , Dupuis Kaitlyn , McCrory Kim , Pitts Wes
Published: July 2021

Background: In 2017, a national drug shortage of small volume solutions significantly affected the preparation of intravenous antibiotics. In response, a continuous infusion administration protocol for piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) was implemented. Objective: To compare the outcomes of continuous to prolonged infusions of PIP/TAZ in the setting of drug shortages. Methods: This study is a single-center, retrospective cohort study in a community hospital of patients 18 years and older who received intravenous PIP/TAZ through 2 different dosing strategies of intravenous antibiotics from December 2016 to January 2018. Data were collected for 2 months on patients receiving prolonged infusions of PIP/TAZ prior to November 2017 and for 2 months on patients receiving continuous infusions of PIP/TAZ after November 2017. Results: A total of 90 patients who received PIP/TAZ via either prolonged (n = 47) or continuous infusion (n = 43) were evaluated. There were no differences between the groups in mortality (3 vs 2 deaths, P = 1.00), length of therapy (6 ± 4 vs 6 ± 3 days, P = .86), or length of stay (9 ± 7 vs 8 ± 6 days, P = .47). Additionally, no differences were noted between incidences of thrombocytopenia ( P = .41), Clostridioides difficile infection ( P = .48), acute renal failure ( P = 1.00), seizures ( P = 1.0), or 30-day readmission rates ( P = .27). Conclusions: Administration of continuous infusion PIP/TAZ appears to be a viable mitigation strategy during small volume fluid shortages. Future cost-effectiveness studies may provide information on the financial impact of continuous infusions during costly drug shortages.
A neural network-based method for polypharmacy side effects prediction
Authors: Masumshah Raziyeh , Aghdam Rosa , Eslahchi Changiz
Published: July 2021

Background

Polypharmacy is a type of treatment that involves the concurrent use of multiple medications. Drugs may interact when they are used simultaneously. So, understanding and mitigating polypharmacy side effects are critical for patient safety and health. Since the known polypharmacy side effects are rare and they are not detected in clinical trials, computational methods are developed to model polypharmacy side effects.

Results

We propose a neural network-based method for polypharmacy side effects prediction (NNPS) by using novel feature vectors based on mono side effects, and drug–protein interaction information. The proposed method is fast and efficient which allows the investigation of large numbers of polypharmacy side effects. Our novelty is defining new feature vectors for drugs and combining them with a neural network architecture to apply for the context of polypharmacy side effects prediction. We compare NNPS on a benchmark dataset to predict 964 polypharmacy side effects against 5 well-established methods and show that NNPS achieves better results than the results of all 5 methods in terms of accuracy, complexity, and running time speed. NNPS outperforms about 9.2% in Area Under the Receiver-Operating Characteristic, 12.8% in Area Under the Precision–Recall Curve, 8.6% in F-score, 10.3% in Accuracy, and 18.7% in Matthews Correlation Coefficient with 5-fold cross-validation against the best algorithm among other well-established methods (Decagon method). Also, the running time of the Decagon method which is 15 days for one fold of cross-validation is reduced to 8 h by the NNPS method.

Conclusions

The performance of NNPS is benchmarked against 5 well-known methods, Decagon, Concatenated drug features, Deep Walk, DEDICOM, and RESCAL, for 964 polypharmacy side effects. We adopt the 5-fold cross-validation for 50 iterations and use the average of the results to assess the performance of the NNPS method. The evaluation of the NNPS against five well-known methods, in terms of accuracy, complexity, and running time speed shows the performance of the presented method for an essential and challenging problem in pharmacology. Datasets and code for NNPS algorithm are freely accessible at https://github.com/raziyehmasumshah/NNPS.
A consensus and saturated genetic map provides insight into genome anchoring, synteny of Solanaceae and leaf- and fruit-related QTLs in wolfberry (Lycium Linn.)
Authors: Zhao Jianhua , Li Haoxia , Xu Yuhui , Yin Yue , Huang Ting , Zhang Bo , Wang Yajun , Li Yanlong , Cao Youlong , An Wei
Published: July 2021

Background

Lycium Linn. (Solanaceae) is a genus of economically important plants producing fruits and leaves with high nutritional value and medicinal benefits. However, genetic analysis of this plant and molecular breeding for quality improvement are limited by the lack of sufficient molecular markers.

Results

In this study, two parental strains, ‘Ningqi No. 1’ (Lycium barbarum L.) and ‘Yunnan Gouqi’ (Lycium yunnanense Kuang et A.M. Lu), and 200 F1 hybrid individuals were resequenced for genetic analysis. In total, 8,507 well-selected SNPs were developed, and a high-density genetic map (NY map) was constructed with a total genetic distance of 2,122.24 cM. A consensus genetic map was established by integrating the NY map and a previously published genetic map (NC map) containing 15,240 SNPs, with a total genetic distance of 3,058.19 cM and an average map distance of 0.21 cM. The 12 pseudochromosomes of the Lycium reference genome were anchored using this consensus genetic map, with an anchoring rate of 64.3%. Moreover, weak collinearities between the consensus map and the pepper, potato, and tomato genomes were observed. Twenty-five stable QTLs were identified for leaf- and fruit-related phenotypes, including fruit weight, fruit longitude, leaf length, the fruit index, and the leaf index; these stable QTLs were mapped to four different linkage groups, with LOD scores ranging from 2.51 to 19.37 and amounts of phenotypic variance explained from 6.2% to 51.9%. Finally, 82 out of 188 predicted genes underlying stable QTLs for fruit-related traits were differentially expressed according to RNA-seq analysis.

Conclusions

A chromosome-level assembly can provide a foundation for further functional genomics research for wolfberry. The genomic regions of these stably expressed QTLs could be used as targets for further fine mapping and development of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS). The present study provided valuable information on saturated SNP markers and reliable QTLs for map-based cloning of functional genes related to yield and morphological traits in Lycium spp.
Metabolome and transcriptome profiling provide insights into green apple peel reveals light- and UV-B-responsive pathway in anthocyanins accumulation
Authors: Ding Ruirui , Che Xingkai , Shen Zhen , Zhang Yuanhu
Published: July 2021

Background

In nature, green apple are associated with the accumulation of chlorophyll, while red apple varieties are associated with anthocyanins accumulation. Notably, in this study, the green skin color apple variety ‘white winter pearmain’ treated with ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exhibited red skins and marked anthocyanin accumulation, while visible light could not. But there are few reports on the biosynthesis difference of anthocyanins in green apple by visible light and UV-B-treatment. Here, we explored the difference of metabolites and genes expression level in green apple by transcriptomic and metabolic.

Results

The metabolic analysis revealed that there were 152 and 178 significantly changed metabolites in the visible light and UV-B-treated green apple, respectively, compared to the control, and flavone, flavonol, and anthocyanin were the most significantly increased; and transcriptomic analysis showed that 37,110 and 37,709 differentially expressed genes, including 382 and 475 transcription factors (TFs) were detected in light and UV-B-treatment fruit, respectively. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) results confirmed changes in the expression levels of genes encoding metabolites involved in the flavonoid synthesis pathways. The flavonoid metabolic flux in the UV-B treatment increased the accumulation of cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3, 5-diglucoside compared to under the light-treatment. Furthermore, we performed qRT-PCR analysis of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes and predicted the gene of MD00G1134400 (a UDP glucose-flavonoid 3–0-glucosyltransferase) may be a candidate gene for anthocyanins accumulation and highly expressed in UV-B-treatment fruit. Expression profiles of several transcription factors of the families MYB, bHLH, NAC were highly correlated with the content of the anthocyanin.

Conclusions

The composition and contents of anthocyanins in green apple in UV-B-treatment very greatly. A series of metabolites and candidate genes were revealed through combined analysis of metabolome and transcriptome. These results provide an important data for dissecting candidate genes and molecular basis governing green apple color formation in response to visible light and UV-B light.
Comparative metabolomics analysis of different sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) tissues reveals a tissue-specific accumulation of metabolites
Authors: Dossou Senouwa Segla Koffi , Xu Fangtao , Cui Xianghua , Sheng Chen , Zhou Rong , You Jun , Tozo Koffi , Wang Linhai
Published: July 2021

Background

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) leaves, flowers, especially seeds are used in traditional medicine to prevent or cure various diseases. Its seed’s market is expanding. However, the other tissues are still underexploited due to the lack of information related to metabolites distribution and variability in the plant. Herein, the metabolite profiles of five sesame tissues (leaves, fresh seeds, white and purple flowers, and fresh carpels) have been investigated using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)-based widely targeted metabolomics analysis platform.

Results

In total, 776 metabolites belonging to diverse classes were qualitatively and quantitatively identified. The different tissues exhibited obvious differences in metabolites composition. The majority of flavonoids predominantly accumulated in flowers. Amino acids and derivatives, and lipids were identified predominantly in fresh seeds followed by flowers. Many metabolites, including quinones, coumarins, tannins, vitamins, terpenoids and some bioactive phenolic acids (acteoside, isoacteoside, verbascoside, plantamajoside, etc.) accumulated mostly in leaves. Lignans were principally detected in seeds. 238 key significantly differential metabolites were filtered out. KEGG annotation and enrichment analyses of the differential metabolites revealed that flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acids biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were the main differently regulated pathways. In addition to the tissue-specific accumulation of metabolites, we noticed a cooperative relationship between leaves, fresh carpels, and developing seeds in terms of metabolites transfer. Delphinidin-3-O-(6ʺ-O-p-coumaroyl)glucoside and most of the flavonols were up-regulated in the purple flowers indicating they might be responsible for the purple coloration.

Conclusion

This study revealed that the metabolic processes in the sesame tissues are differently regulated. It offers valuable resources for investigating gene-metabolites interactions in sesame tissues and examining metabolic transports during seed development in sesame. Furthermore, our findings provide crucial knowledge that will facilitate sesame biomass valorization.