bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Assessment of Plasma-Derived circ_0004771 as a Potential Biomarker in Tracking the Progression of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Xu Yanhua , Kong Shan , Qin Xinyue , Ju Shaoqing
Published: June 2020

Background: Due to the lack of specific and sensitive detection indicators, most patients with gastric cancer (GC) are already in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, resulting in a higher mortality. Therefore, it is urgent to search for effective diagnostic biomarkers with high specificity that can be applied in clinic. Methods: We screened out circ_0004771 through circRNA sequencing performed on three pairs of GC tissues and corresponding paracancerous tissues. Both exonuclease digestion assay, agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and sanger sequencing verified the potential of circ_0004771 being a biomarker. Additionally, we established quantitative real-time fluorescent Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the expression level of circ_0004771 and evaluated the methodology. What’s more, we collected plasma samples from GC patients, precancerous patients and gastritis patients, and we constructed the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to appraise its diagnostic efficacy. Meanwhile, we collected the clinicopathological data of the patients to analyze the relationship between the expression level of circ_0004771 and the pathological parameters of the patients. Results: The expression level of circ_0004771 is up-regulated both in GC tissues and cells compared to normal controls. Circ_0004771 can be served as a promising biomarker because of its stable cyclic structure and longer half-life. The expression level of plasma circ_0004771 can distinguish between GC patients and precancerous patients, GC patients and gastritis patients. The diagnostic efficiency of circ_0004771 is higher than that of CEA and CA199. Higher diagnostic efficiency can be achieved in combination diagnosis. The expression level of plasma circ_0004771 in GC patients decreased after surgery, which can track the recovery condition of patients. Besides, the downstream regulatory forecast indicates that circ_0004771 may act as miRNA sponge to regulate the progression of GC.Conclusion: Plasma circ_0004771 can be served as a less invasive tumor biomarker with high diagnostic values.
Knockdown of ZNF280A Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Promotes Cell Apoptosis of Bladder Cancer
Authors: He Long , Wang Xialu , Chen Peng , Du Cheng , Li Jinjiang
Published: June 2020

Background: ZNF280A is a member of zinc finger protein family, whose role in human cancers is little known and rarely reported. This study aimed to investigate the role of ZNF280A in bladder cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect the expression of ZNF280A in clinical samples. ZNF280A knockdown cell models were constructed by transfection of shRNA-expressing lentivirus. MTT assay and flow cytometry were performed for detecting cell proliferation, apoptosis and cycle. Wound healing and Transwell assays were operated to detect cell migration. Western blotting and Human Apoptosis Antibody Microarray were used to measure expression of related proteins. Mice xenograft model was constructed for in vivo study.Results: Our study demonstrated that ZNF280A was up-regulated in bladder cancer tissues compared with normal tissues, whose high expression was significantly correlated with advanced malignant grade. Knockdown of ZNF280A inhibited cell proliferation and cell migration, promoted cell apoptosis and G1/G2 phase arrest. The tumor growth in vivo was also proved to be inhibited by ZNF280A. Moreover, ZNF280A may promote bladder cancer through regulation of MAPK9, Cyclin D1 and PIK3CA. Conclusions: In this study, ZNF280A was shown as a potential tumor promotor and prognosis indicator for bladder cancer. Targeting ZNF280A may be a promising strategy for the development of novel bladder cancer treatment.
A Qualitative Exploration of COVID-19 through Self-reported Experiences via Digital Media
Authors: Ogunlana Michael Opeoluwa , Govender Pragashnie
Published: June 2020

Background: Research imperatives around COVID-19 require an embrace of its complexity by the inclusion of multi-dimensional perspectives such as lived experiences of persons diagnosed with the disease. This study documents the symptom trends and timelines of COVID-19 as self-reported by individuals in addition to the psychosocial sequelae associated with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.Methods: This study followed an explorative qualitative design and included curated online dairies and interviews of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Judgemental convenient sampling was used to access 28 self-reports via digital media between 05 March and 05 April 2020. Demographic details were extracted where possible and included a diversity of cases. Data were analysed thematically using inductive reasoning.Results: Reports revealed a plethora of symptoms associated with the pulmonary system like shortness of breath and cough while another group of symptoms shows extra-pulmonary affectations. The lived experience of these individuals as analysed from their self-reports generated five emergent themes followed after analysis which included (i) the variability of the severity and presentation of the disease, (ii) the 3F (fright, fight or flight) response, (iii) moral obligation and personal agency, (iv) voicing vulnerabilities and harnessing hope, (v) silencing stigma.Conclusions: COVID-19 presents with biopsychosocial affectation on the person. A multidimensional approach is required from all concerned to mitigate its effects.
Altered Metabolism of Mothers of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Control Study
Authors: Hollowood-Jones Kathryn , Adams James B. , Coleman Devon M. , Ramamoorthy Sivapriya , Melnyk Stephan , James S. Jill , Woodruff Bryan K. , Pollard Elena L. , Snozek Christine L. , Kruger Uwe , Chuah Joshua , Hahn Juergen
Published: June 2020

Background: Previous research studies have demonstrated abnormalities in the metabolism of mothers of young children with autism.Method: Metabolic analysis was performed on blood samples from 30 mothers of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD-M) and from 29 mothers of young typically-developing children (TD-M). Targeted metabolic analysis focusing on the folate one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) and the transsulfuration pathway (TS) as well as broad metabolic analysis were performed. Statistical analysis of the data involved both univariate and multivariate statistical methods.Results: Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in 5 metabolites from the folate one-carbon metabolism and the transsulfuration pathway and differences in an additional 48 metabolites identified by broad metabolic analysis, including lower levels of many carnitine-conjugated molecules. Multivariate analysis with leave one-out cross validation allowed classification of samples as belonging to one of the two groups with 93% sensitivity and 97% specificity with five metabolites. Furthermore, each of these five metabolites correlated with 8-15 other metabolites indicating that there are five clusters of correlated metabolites. In fact, all but 5 of the 50 metabolites with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were associated with the five identified groups. Many of the abnormalities appear linked to low levels of folate, vitamin B12, and carnitine-conjugated molecules.Conclusions: Mothers of children with ASD have many significantly different metabolite levels compared to mothers of typically developing children at 2-5 years after birth.
Rapid Synthesis and Chemical Durability of Gd2- x Nd x Zr2O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) Sub-Micron Ceramics as Nuclear Waste Forms
Authors: Liu Kui , ZHANG Kuibao , DENG Ting , ZENG Jianjun , CHEN Daimeng , GUO Haiyan
Published: June 2020

In this work, Nd3+ was used as a surrogate and it was incorporated into Gd2Zr2O7 nanocrystalline ceramics to simulate the immobilization of trivalent actinide elements. A series of Gd2 − xNdxZr2O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) nanocrystalline powders were fabricated by solvothermal method, and then Gd2 − xNdxZr2O7 sub-microncrystalline ceramics were prepared by sintering via self-propagating chemical furnace plus quick pressing (SCF/QP). All powders are in defective fluorite structure, and Nd doping hardly change the powder grain size. After analyzing the sintered ceramics, it can be found that the transition from defective fluorite structure to pyrochlore structure occurs when x ≥ 1.5. The sample density decreases with elevated Nd content, while the grain size gradually enlarges. Besides, the normalized release rates of Nd and Zr elements in the Nd2Zr2O7 waste form are kept in low values (below 10− 5 g•m− 2•d− 1), which exhibits its excellent aqueous stability.
Patroon: Open Source Software Platform for Environmental Mass Spectrometry Based Non-target Screening
Authors: Helmus Rick , laak Thomas Ter , de Voogt Pim , Wezel Annemarie van , Schymanski Emma
Published: June 2020

Mass spectrometry based non-target analysis is increasingly adopted in environmental sciences to screen and identify numerous chemicals simultaneously in highly complex samples. However, current data processing software either lack functionality for environmental sciences, solve only part of the workflow, are not openly available and/or are restricted in input data formats. In this paper we present patRoon, a new R based open-source software platform, which provides comprehensive, fully tailoredand straightforwardnon-target analysis workflows. This platform makes the usage, evaluation and mixing of well-tested algorithms seamless by harmonizing various commonly (primarily open) software tools under a consistent interface. In addition, patRoonoffersvarious functionality and strategies tosimplify and perform automated processing of complex (environmental) data effectively.patRoon implements several effective optimization strategies to significantly reduce computational times. The ability of patRoon to perform a straightforward and effective non-target analysis was demonstrated with real-world environmental samples, showing thatpatRoonmakes comprehensive (environmental) non-target analysis readily accessible to a wider community of researchers.
Systematic Analysis of the Functions and Prognostic Values of Rna Binding Protein in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: jukun song , Liu Feng , Liu Bo , Cheng Xianlin , Yin Xinhai , Zhao Ke , Duan Xiaofeng
Published: June 2020

Background: Dysregulation of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) playsan important role in controlling processes in cancer development.However, the function of RBPs has not been thoroughly and systematically documented in head and neck cancer.We aim to explore the role of RPB in the pathogenesis of HNSC.Methods: We obtained HNSC gene expression data and corresponding clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the GEO databases, andidentified aberrantly expressed RBPs between tumors and normal tissues.Meanwhile, we performed a series of bioinformatics to explore the function and prognostic value of these RBPs.Results: A total of 249 abnormally expressed RBPs were identified, including 101 down-regulated RBPs and 148 up-regulated RBPs.Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and univariate Cox regression analysis, the fifteen RPBs were identified as hub genes. With the fifteen RPBS, the prognostic prediction model was constructed.Further analysis showed that the high-risk score of the patients expressed a better survival outcome. The prediction model was validated in another HNSC dataset, and similar findings were observed. Conclusions: Our results provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of HNSC. The fifteen RBP gene signature exhibited the predictive value of moderate HNSC prognosis, and have potential application value in clinical decision-making and individualized treatment.
Hormonal Receptors, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 and Triple Negative Immunohistochemical Typing of Women Breast Cancer in Kampala, Uganda.
Authors: Mlole Angela T , Yahaya James , Othieno Emmanuel , Kalungi Sam , Okwi Livex A
Published: June 2020

Background: The expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 has been reported to have invaluable prognostic role. This study aimed at determining the expression ER, PR and HER2 in women with breast cancer in Kampala, Uganda.Methods: Expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) was determined immunohistochemically. Logistic regression was performed to determine the effect of the independent factors in predicting the risk of not expressing the breast markers. A two-tailed p<0.05 was regarded to be statistically significant.Results: ER, PR and HER2 were expressed in 53.4%, 46.6% and 18.5%, respectively. Co-expression of ER and PR and triple negative breast cancer was present in 42.7% and 37.9%, respectively. Age was an independent predictor of expression of ER (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.062-0.541, p = 0.002), PR (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.129-0.968, p = 0.043).Conclusion: Majority of patients in this study had less than 50 years and the majority of them had infiltrating ductal carcinoma of no special type with grade 2. Age predicted independently the expression of both ER and PR in our study.
Pathways Leading to Prevention of Fatal and Non Fatal CVDs: An Interaction Model on 15 years Population-Based Cohort study
Authors: Shakibaei Najmeh , Hassannejad Razieh , Mohammadifard Noushin , Marateb Hamid Reza , Mansourian Marjan , Mañanas Miguel Angel , Sarrafzadegan Nizal
Published: June 2020

Background
An extensive study on cardiovascular risk factors interaction seems to be of crucial importance in order to prevent cardiovascular (CVD) events. The main focus of this study is understanding direct and indirect relationships between different CVDs risk factors.
Methods
A longitudinal data on adults aged ≥ 35 years, who were free of CVD at baseline, were used to study. The endpoints were CVD events, while their measurements were demographic, socio-economics, life-style components, laboratory findings, anthropometric measures, psychological factors, and quality of life status. A Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) was used to determine the relationships among 21 relevant factors associated with total CVD, stroke, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and fatal CVDs.
Results
In this study a total of 3161 individuals with complete information were included in the study. Total 407 CVD events were occurred during follow-up. The causal associations between 6 latent variables were identified in the causal network for fatal and non-fatal CVDs. Lipid profile influences the occurrence of CVD events as the most important, but it did so indirectly mediate through the risky behaviors and comorbidities. Lipid profile at baseline was influenced by a wide range of other protective factors, such as quality of life and healthy life style components.
Conclusions
Analyzing a causal network on risk factors reveals the flow of information in direct and indirect paths, as well as determining predictors and demonstrate the utility of integrating multi-factor data in a complex framework to identify novel candidate preventable pathways to lower risk of CVDs.
Epidemiology of Major Lower Extremity Amputations in Individuals With Diabetes in Austria, 2014-2017: A Retrospective Analysis of Health Insurance Database
Authors: Aziz Faisal , Reichardt Berthold , Sourij Caren , Dimai Hans-Peter , Reichart Daniela , Köhler Gerd , Brodmann Marianne , Sourij Harald
Published: June 2020

Background: Previous data show a high incidence of major lower extremity amputations (LEA) in Austria. Moreover, recent data on the epidemiology of major LEA are sparse in the Country. This study estimated the incidence and mortality rates of major LEA and assessed risk factors of post major LEA mortality in individuals with diabetes.Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 507,180 individuals with diabetes enrolled in the Austrian Health Insurance between 2014 and 2017 was performed. Crude and age-standardized rates of major LEA (hip, femur, knee, lower leg) were estimated by extracting their procedure codes from the database. Short- (30-day, 90-day) and long-term (1-year, 5-year) all-cause cumulative mortality after major LEA was estimated from the date of amputation till the date of death. Poisson regression was performed to compare rates by characteristics and assess the annual trend. The Cox-regression was performed to identify significant risk factors of all-cause mortality after major LEA.Results: A total of 2,165 individuals with diabetes underwent major LEA between 2014 and 2017. The mean age was amputees was 73.0 ±11.3 years, 62.7% were males, and 87.3% had a peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The overall age-standardized rate was 6.44 per 100,000 population. The rate increased with age (p<0.001) and was higher (p<0.001) in males (9.38) than females (5.66). The rate was 5.71 in 2014, 6.86 in 2015, 6.71 in 2016, and 6.66 in 2017, with an insignificant annual change of 3% (p=0.825). The cumulative 30-day mortality was 13.5%, 90-day was 22.0%, 1-year was 34.4%, and 5-year was 66.7%. Age, male sex, above-knee amputation, Charlson index, and heart failure were significantly associated with both short- and long-term mortality. Cancer, dementia, heart failure, PVD, and renal disease were only associated with long-term mortality.Conclusions: The rate of major LEA remained stable between 2014 and 2017 in Austria. Short and long-term mortality rates were considerably high after major LEA. Old age, male sex, above-knee amputations, heart failure, and Charlson Index were significant predictors of both short- and long-term mortality, whereas, comorbidities such as cancer, dementia, PVD, and renal disease were significant predictors of long-term mortality only.
Field Efficacy Evaluation of some Ethnomedicinal Plants Smoke Repellency Against Anopheles arabiensis and Aedes Aaegypt
Authors: Wendimu Abenezer , Tekalign Wondimagegnehu
Published: June 2020

Background: Plant products can either be used as an insecticide to kill larvae or adult mosquitoes or as defensive repellents against mosquito bites; depending on the type of activity they have. A present study was carried out to determine the repellence of smoke prepared from burning the plants in a traditional way in order to reduce human-mosquito. Methods: The candidate plant species (Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and Ocimum forskolin) leave was grounded and mixed together in an equal amount. The mixed plant powders were checked by the thermal expulsion and burning on the traditional stoves in the field against two important malaria vectors (Anopheles arabiensis and Aedesaegypt). A four-by-four Latin-square design was used to randomly assign treatment and control experimental huts over different nights. In the treatment and control huts, the percentage repellence of the candidate plants mixed powder smoke on mosquito was determined from mosquito catches. Results: On direct burning of the plants' powder, the highest percentage repellency for An. arabiensis (94.7%, P<0.001) and Aedesaegypt (88.4%, P<0.001) recorded. On thermal expulsion also the highest against An. arabiensis (89%, P<0.001) and against Aedesaegypt (92%, P<0.001) were recorded. The plants' mixed powder tested by both methods of application offered significant protection (>85%) against two important mosquito species and thus has the potential to be used at least as an alternative way to control mosquito infestation in an easy manner in economic level.Conclusion: The two methods of application may offer cost-efficient alternatives as additional household protection and as a helpful addition to bed nets, especially for the early part of the evening before bedtime.
Meta-analysis and indirect treatment comparison of modified FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer
Authors: Chen Jiayuan , Hua Qingling , Wang Haihong , Zhang Dejun , Zhao Lei , Yu Dandan , Pi Guoliang , Zhang Tao , Lin Zhenyu
Published: June 2020

Background: Modified FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GEM-NAB) have been recommended as first-line therapies for advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) at present. Due to the lack of direct comparison, we conducted this network meta-analysis to indirectly compare the effectiveness and toxicity of modified FOLFIRINOX and GEM-NAB. Methods: The eligible retrospective studies of treatments related to modified FOLFIRINOX and GEM-NAB were searched up to 4 April 2020. We used the frequentist model to analyze the survival and toxicity data between different treatments. Pooled analysis for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR) and events of toxicity were analyzed in this study.Results: Twenty-two studies including 6351 patients were involved in this network meta-analysis. The comparisons based on OS and PFS showed that modified FOLFIRINOX and GEM-NAB had similar treatment efficacy. But GEM-NAB was more effective than modified FOLFIRINOX based on the result of ORR (RR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51-0.96). Moreover, our analysis showed a similar toxicity profile between modified FOLFIRINOX and GEM-NAB. Conclusions: Based on current evidence, modified FOLFIRINOX and GEM-NAB were similar in survival and toxicity comparisons. Many factors should be considered for the optimal treatment formulation and our meta-analysis could provide some guidance to treatment selection in the first-line setting for advanced PC.
Health care utilization for patients with stroke: A 3-year cross-sectional study of China’s two urban health insurance schemes across four cities
Authors: Yang Yong , Nicholas Stephen , Li Shuo , Huang Zhengwei , Chen Xiaoping , Ma Yong , Shi Xuefeng
Published: June 2020

Background
Stroke is a devastating disease and a major cause of death and disability worldwide. We evaluated differences in stroke patients’ health care utilization by insurance type across four cities in China.
Methods
The data were a 5% random sampling from claims data of China Urban Employees’ Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Urban Residents’ Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) from 2014 to 2016. The descriptive analyze and interaction actions were mainly conducted.
Results
We found that differences in healthcare utilization and medical expenses varied more across the four cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, than they did between the UEBMI and URBMI scheme. On average, UEBMI patients had a significantly larger number of outpatient (4.3) and inpatient (1.4) visits per year than the URBMI group (2.0 outpatient and 1.1 inpatient visits per year). UEBMI members’ average length of stay (ALOS) of 18.3 days was significantly longer than the 11 days ALOS of URBMI members. Importantly, the significant differences in healthcare utilization and healthcare expenditures were greater between cities than the average differences between UEBMI and URBMI. Beijing UEBMI outpatient (5.0) and inpatient (1.4) visits and Shanghai UEBMI outpatient (4.8) and inpatient (1.7) visits were significantly higher than Tianjin (3.4 outpatient and 1.4 inpatient visits) and Chongqing (1.8 outpatient and 1.1 inpatient visits). The divergences of UEBMI visits across the four cities were greater than the average UEBMI outpatient (4.3) and inpatient (1.4) visits. ALOS for URBMI Beijing patients (14.8 days) and Shanghai patients (27.7 days) were significantly longer than Tianjin (10.2 days) and Chongqing (10.1 days) URBMI patients. Medical costs, total OOP expenses and OOP reimbursement rates also varied more across the four cities than the average UEBMI or URBMI medical costs, total OOP expenses and reimbursement rates.
Conclusions
The health care utilization of patients with stroke varied by insurance type and city, and the differences in utilization and health care costs across cities was greater than the average difference between UEBMI and URBMI. Launching a new critical illness insurance scheme and further reforming the UEBMI and URBMI schemes would reduce these inter-city differences in health care utilization.
Genetic Variability, Heritability, Genetic advance and Divergence in Ethiopian Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] Landraces
Authors: Belay Fantaye , Fischa Kibrom
Published: June 2020

Information on genetic variability in cowpea germplasm is important for crop improvement and for efficient utilization of the existing genetic resources. Hence, the objectives of the present investigation were to estimate genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance and to identify divergent parents from distantly related clusters among Ethiopian cowpea accessions. The field experiment was carried out using 42 accessions at Abergelle Agricultural Research Center on station during the 2019 cropping season. Data were collected for 8 agronomic traits and analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p<0.01) among the accessions for the traits studied. Seed yield had higher genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) coupled with the highest genetic advance as percent of mean (100%). All the traits had moderate (68.01) to very high (99.98%) broad sense heritability. Further, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was attained for days to flowering, grain filling period, plant height, pod length, seed yield and thousand seed weight reflecting the presence of additive gene action for the expression of these traits and improvement of these traits could be done through selection. The cluster analysis based on agronomic traits revealed four distinct groups at 90% similarity level. The highest inter cluster D2 was recorded between cluster III and cluster IV (D2=133.69 units). The range of inter cluster distance was 15.25 to 133.69 units, respectively. In conclusion, the high genetic distance revealed among clusters has to be exploited via crossing and selection of the most divergent parents for future cowpea improvement program.
Clinical trials and drugs cost saving for Italian Health Service
Authors: D’Ambrosio Francesca , De Feo Gianfranco , Botti Gerardo , Capasso Arturo , Pignata Sandro , Maiolino Piera , Triassi Maria , Nardone Antonio , Perrone Franco , Piezzo Michela , Grimaldi Antonio Maria , Palazzo Ida , De Stasio Immacolata , D’Aniello Roberta , Morabito Alessandro , Pascarella Giacomo
Published: June 2020

Background: The cost of anticancer drugs is constantly growing. The aim of this study was determine the impact in terms of anticancer drug cost reduction for Italian Health Service due to patient participation in clinical trials.Methods: We evaluated the cost of drugs administered to patients treated in clinical trials at National Cancer Institute of Naples in a four-week period. Patients with diagnosis of different cancers were considered, including adjuvant therapy and treatment for advanced disease, pharma sponsored and investigator initiated phase I, II and III clinical studies. We defined for each patient the expected standard treatment and we calculated the cost of the standard antineoplastic drugs that should be administered in clinical practice outside clinical trials. We used drug’s market price to determine cost saving value. Costs other than drugs were not included in the cost saving calculation.Results: From 23.10.2017 to 17.11.2017, 126 patients were treated in 34 pharma sponsored and investigator initiated clinical trials, by using experimental drugs provided free of charge by the sponsors, for an overall number of 152 cycles of therapy. We calculated that the cost of antineoplastic drugs if these patients would been treated with conventional therapies in clinical practice would account for 517,658 Euros, with an average of 5,487 Euros saved per patients for a period of four weeks.Conclusions: Participating in clinical trials in which investigational antineoplastic drugs are provided free of charge by the Sponsor translates in considerable cost savings, with a tangible benefit in clinical and administrative strategies to reduce drug expenditures.
Understanding the association between antidepressants and the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in older people: a self-controlled case series analysis
Authors: Xu Zhongzhi , Yang Jiannan , Lau Kui Kai , Yip Paul S.F. , Wong Ian C.K. , Zhang Qingpeng
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Given concerns about adverse outcomes for older people taking antidepressants in the literature, we investigated whether taking antidepressants elevates the risk of dementia.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based self-controlled case series analysis of older people with dementia and taking antidepressants, using territory-wide medical records of 194,507 older patients collected by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, to investigate the association between antidepressant treatment and the risk of developing dementia in older people.

RESULTS

There was a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia during the pre-drug-exposed period (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 20.42 (95% CI: 18.66-22.34)) compared to the non-drug-exposed baseline period. The IRR remained high during the drug-exposed period (IRR 8.86 (7.80-10.06)) before returning to a baseline level after washout (IRR 1.12 (0.77-1.36)).

CONCLUSIONS

The higher risk of dementia before antidepressant treatment may be related to emerging psychiatric symptoms co-occurring with dementia, which trigger medical consultations that result in a decision to begin antidepressants. Our findings do not support a causal relationship between antidepressant treatment and the risk of dementia.
Patients’ experiences of eHealth in palliative care: an integrative review.
Authors: Widberg Cecilia , Wiklund Birgitta , Klarare Anna
Published: June 2020

Background: With a growing world population, a longer life expectancy, and more deaths due to chronic diseases, the need for palliative care is increasing. E-Health involves the use of information and communication technology to provide care, and also to transmit health information through the Internet and related technologies. E-Health can be an effective way of supporting communication between patient and healthcare providers, but it is unclear to how patients regard information and communication technology (ICT) within palliative careMethods: The aim of this study was to describe patients’ experiences of eHealth in palliative care. An integrative review with a systematic literature search of six databases: Cinahl Complete; MEDLINE with Full Text; PubMed; Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; Nursing and Allied Health; and PsycINFO generated 12 scientific articles. The articles were evaluated, data extracted, analyzed and synthesized, according to the aim.Results: The results are presented in the main theme: E-health applications – promoting communication on patients’ and families’ terms, and three sub- themes: usability and feasibility of eHealth applications; symptom control and individualized care promoted through eHealth applications; and use of eHealth applications increased sense of security and patient safety. Patients described ease of use, usability and feasibility of eHealth applications. Equal and individualized care, security, better symptom management, participation through increased accessibility and increased patient safety were described.Conclusions: E-Health applications promoted equal, individualized care, and may be a tool to promote accessibility and patient participation in palliative care settings. Furthermore, care transparency increased with eHealth communication when patients and families received more information, and experiences were that patient safety and feelings of security also were promoted. At organizational and societal levels, eHealth may contribute to sustainable development and more efficient use of resources in palliative care.
Comparing Genotypic and Phenotypic Variation of Selfed and Outcrossed Progeny of Hemp
Authors: Kurtz Lauren E. , Mahoney Jonathan D. , Brand Mark H. , Lubell-Brand Jessica D.
Published: June 2020

Feminized hemp seed producers often use selfing to maintain a strain name; however, selfing may lead to inferior plants for cannabidiol (CBD) production. Using three different hemp strains as parents [Candida (CD-1), Dinamed CBD, and Abacus], two outcrosses [Candida (CD-1) × Abacus and Dinamed CBD × Candida (CD-1)] and one self-cross [Candida (CD-1) × Candida (CD-1)] were conducted to produce feminized seed. Progeny from the self-cross were significantly smaller and had less yield than outcrossed progeny. Selfed progeny were variegated and highly variable for total dry weight and floral dry weight. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) separated the three progeny populations and showed that outcrossed populations clustered closer to the maternal parent, possibly the result of a maternal effect. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most variation (74.5%) was within populations, because the progeny from all three populations are half-siblings of each other. The selfed progeny population had lower expected heterozygosity (He = 0.085) than each of the outcrossed progeny populations (He ≈ 0.10). These results suggest that selfed progeny may demonstrate inbreeding depression resulting from enhanced expression of homozygous recessive traits. It may be beneficial for feminized seed producers to use outcrossing instead of selfing to generate feminized seed for CBD production.
Precipitation of low-temperature disordered dolomite induced by extracellular polymeric substances of methanogenic ArchaeaMethanosarcina barkeri: Implications for sedimentary dolomite formation
Authors: Zhang Fangfu , Xu Huifang , Shelobolina Evgenya S. , Konishi Hiromi , Roden Eric E.
Published: June 2020

A correlation between methanogenesis and dolomite formation has been reported; however, the mechanism underlying this association is not fully understood. In this study, we conducted forced carbonate precipitation experiments at room temperature in calcite-seeded Ca/Mg carbonate solutions containing either purified non-living biomass or bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri. Purified non-living biomass and bound EPS was used so as to avoid the possible influence of the complex components of the growing microbial culture on carbonate crystallization. Our results demonstrated that non-living biomass of M. Barkeri can enhance the Mg incorporation into calcitic structure and induce the crystallization of disordered dolomite. In the presence of ~113 mg L–1 of non-living biomass, disordered dolomite with ~41 and 45 mol% of MgCO3 was precipitated in solutions with initial Mg:Ca ratios of 5:1 and 8:1, respectively. A systematic increase in the MgCO3 contents of the precipitated Ca-Mg carbonates was also observed with the increased non-living biomass concentration. Bound EPS was shown to be the component of non-living biomass that catalyzed the precipitation of disordered dolomite. At only ~25 mg L–1 of bound EPS, disordered dolomite with ~47 and 48 mol% of MgCO3 was precipitated in solutions with initial Mg:Ca ratios of 5:1 and 8:1, respectively. We propose that adsorption of bound EPS to growing carbonate surfaces through hydrogen bonding is the key to catalyzing disordered dolomite crystallization, and that this mechanism is also applicable to natural EPS-induced dolomite formation. This study provides significant insight into the formation mechanism of microbial-induced dolomite with high δ13C values.
Phase transitions in ε-FeOOH at high pressure and ambient temperature
Authors: Thompson Elizabeth C. , Davis Anne H. , Brauser Nigel M. , Liu Zhenxian , Prakapenka Vitali B. , Campbell Andrew J.
Published: June 2020

Constraining the accommodation, distribution, and circulation of hydrogen in the Earth's interior is vital to our broader understanding of the deep Earth due to the significant influence of hydrogen on the material and rheological properties of minerals. Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to the high-pressure polymorphs of FeOOH (space groups P21nm and Pnnm). These structures potentially form a hydrogen-bearing solid solution with AlOOH and phase H (MgSiO4H2) that may transport water (OH–) deep into the Earth's lower mantle. Additionally, the pyrite-type polymorph (space group Pa3 of FeOOH), and its potential dehydration have been linked to phenomena as diverse as the introduction of hydrogen into the outer core (Nishi et al. 2017), the formation of ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZs) (Liu et al. 2017), and the Great Oxidation Event (Hu et al. 2016). In this study, the high-pressure evolution of FeOOH was re-evaluated up to ~75 GPa using a combination of synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and optical absorption spectroscopy. Based on these measurements, we report three principal findings: (1) pressure-induced changes in hydrogen bonding (proton disordering or hydrogen bond symmetrization) occur at substantially lower pressures in ε-FeOOH than previously reported and are unlikely to be linked to the high-spin to low-spin transition; (2) ε-FeOOH undergoes a 10% volume collapse coincident with an isostructural Pnnm → Pnnm transition at approximately 45 GPa; and (3) a pressure-induced band gap reduction is observed in FeOOH at pressures consistent with the previously reported spin transition (40 to 50 GPa).
Why Tolbachik Diamonds Cannot be Natural
Authors: Litasov Konstantin D. , Kagi Hiroyuki , Bekker Tatyana B. , Makino Yoshiki , Hirata Takafumi , Brazhkin Vadim V.
Published: June 2020

Taking into account recent publications, we provide additional comprehensive evidence that type Ib cuboctahedral diamonds and some other microcrystalline diamonds from Kamchatka volcanic rocks and alluvial placers cannot be natural and undoubtedly represent synthetic materials, which appear in the natural rocks by anthropogenic contamination. The major arguments provided in favor of the natural origin of those diamonds can be easily disproved. They include the coexistence of diamond and deltalumite from Koryaksky volcano; coexistence with super-reduced corundum and moissanite, Mn-Ni silicide inclusions, F-Cl enrichment and F/Cl ratios, and carbon and nitrogen isotopes in Tolbachik diamonds, as well as microtwinning, Mn-Ni silicides, and other inclusions in microcrystalline diamond aggregates from other Kamchatka placers. We emphasize the importance of careful comparison of unusual minerals found in nature, which include type Ib cuboctahedral diamonds and super-reduced phase assemblages resembling industrial slags, with synthetic analogs. The cavitation model proposed for the origin of Tolbachik diamonds is also unreliable since cavitation has only been shown to cause the formation of nanosized diamonds only.
FATORES ASSOCIADOS À ESCOLHA PELO MBA EM GESTÃO DE NEGÓCIOS: UM ESTUDO DE CASO
Authors: Dos Anjos Filho Jair Pereira
Published: June 2020

O presente artigo tem como principal objetivo entender quais são os fatores que influenciaram na escolha de uma instituição de ensino pelos alunos de Gestão de Negócios –Educação à Distância [EAD]. Baseado no desenvolvimento que ocorre diariamente e nas exigências que o mercado de trabalho vem requerendo, os profissionais precisam estar cada vez mais capacitados para ocupar determinadas funções e, com isso, o mercado educacional no nível de especialização cresce substancialmente. Dentre as Universidades que oferecem esses cursos, a instituição A (nome fictício) busca através de seu corpo acadêmico de excelência em conjunto com a tecnologia de transmissão ao vivo de suas aulas, alcançar um número cada vez maior de estudantes, o que vem acontecendo com a elaboração de novos cursos de especialização e a expansão de turmas dos cursos que já tem seu espaço no mercado. Utilizando-se de pesquisa descritiva, com a necessidade da quantificação das características, utilizou-se como ferramenta para obtenção dos resultados, questionários respondidos pela internet. Os principais fatores positivos (aqueles que tiveram maior poder de influência) apontados na pesquisa como determinantes na escolha da instituição, foram a Marca da universidade e a Qualidade do ensino. Além disso, fatores negativos (que não obtiveram grande impacto influenciador), estão relacionados a Satisfação dos Concluintes conhecidos e também a Realização de Outro Curso na Universidade.
The brazilian bibliometrics and the diffusion of innovations model
Authors: Ruben Urbizagastegui-Alvarado , Cristina Restrepo-Arango
Published: June 2020

Applies the diffusion of innovations model proposed by Rogers (1963) to the producers of published literature on “metrics” in Brazil from the 70s to December 2018. Therefore, it collects the works published in the form of Academic articles, book chapters, papers presented at congresses, letters to the editor and publishers disseminated by Brazilian authors who dealt with some aspects of metric studies (bibliometrics, scientometrics, informetrics, etc.). The authors of these works were classified, according to the categories established by Rogers (2003) of innovators, initial adopters, early majority, late adopters and laggards. To categorize the authors, according to the adoption of the innovation, the year of publication of the first work of each author was taken into account. 9,715 different authors were found who published 6,180 documents, of which the innovative adopters are 248 authors (2.55%); the initial adopters are 1,327 authors (13.65%); early majority adopters are 3,018 authors (31.06%); late-adopters are 3,630 authors (37.36%); and Urbizagastegui-Alvarado, Ruben; Restrepo-Arango, Cristina (2020). La bibliometría brasileña y el modelo y el modelo de difusión de innovaciones (preprint). Ciência da informação. Disponibilizado em EmeRI - Emerging Research Information, http://www.emeri.org. DOI: 10.21452/15188353202000001. laggards are 1,492 authors (15.36%). In conclusion, the percentages of the categories of diffusion of innovations of Brazilian metrics are close to the values proposed by Rogers.
Philippe Claudel’in Bay Linh ve Torunu Romanında Zamanötesi ve Uzamötesi Anlatı
Authors: ÇAĞLAKPINAR Bülent
Published: June 2020

Bu çalışmanın bütüncesi çağdaş Fransız romancı Philippe Claudel’in göç, sürgün, travma ve arkadaşlık temalarının işlendiği Bay Linh ve Torunu romanından oluşur. Adı geçen eser bebek torunu hariç ailesinin tamamını kaybeden yaşlı bir adamın dilini bile bilmediği bir yere göç etmesini ve burada yaşadıklarını konu edinir. Torunu için hayata tutunmaya devam eden Bay Linh’in yaşadıkları hikâye dışı üçüncü tekil anlatıcı tarafından aktarılır. Baş kahramanın yaşam izlencesinden yola çıkarak gerçek ve kurmaca ilişkisi romanda “gizlenen” ve “gösterilen” ikilisi üzerinden irdelenir. Anlatıcının romanın sonuna kadar anahtar ögelerden birini gizleyerek oluşturduğu beklenmedik son, okuyucunun bilincinde metnin yeniden anlamlandırma sürecine başlamasına zemin hazırlar. Bununla birlikte hikâye evreninin kesin olmayan zaman ve yer belirteçlerinden oluşturulduğu eser, olayların bir yere ya da bir zamana indirgenmeden ortak bir bilince hitap etmesine imkân sağlar. Karakter isimlerinin sınırlı kullanımı da bu durumu destekler. Söz konusu zamansal ve uzamsal çerçevenin belirsiz bırakılması anlatının zamanötesi ve uzamötesi bir yapıya bürünerek belirli bir kesimin değil ortak bir belleğin gerçekliğini yansıtan bir roman olarak değerlendirilmesini sağlar. Bu çalışmada Bay Linh ve Torunu romanının anlatı evrenine ışık tutmak ve roman kurgusunu ortaya koymak için eser, anlatıbilim, gerçeklik etkisi bakış açıları ve kurmaca kuramları ışığında ele alınır. Makalede anlatıcının güvenilmezliği, kurmacanın gerçeklik özelliği ve anlatının zamansal/uzamsal çerçevesinin anonimleşmesi konularının incelenmesi amaçlanır. Belirtilen ögelerin üzerinde durulduğu incelemede metod olarak “olası dünyalar” ve “gerçeklik etkisi” temel alınır. Nitel bir araştırma kapsamında yazılı dökümanların analizi yöntemi izlenerek yorumlayıcı bir çalışma ortaya konulur.
Translation of Ambiguous Words by Translation Trainees
Authors: MERGEN Filiz , YETKİN-KARAKOÇ Nihal
Published: June 2020

Ambiguity has attracted the attention of researchers from many disciplines. With the aim of providing a perspective from translation, this psycholinguistic study investigated ambiguity in the translation performance of late bilinguals from English (L2) into Turkish (L1). We employed an oral translation task in which the participants (N= 51) translated 30 ambiguous words, (polysemes and homonyms) in contextualized sentences. First, we investigated whether word frequency affects the participants’ translation accuracy. We found no significant difference between high and low frequency words, which is attributable to the proficiency of the participants, and the facilitating role of sentential context. Secondly, we aimed to explore whether the nature of the ambiguous words made any difference to the participants’ translation performance. The results showed that polysemous words were translated with greater accuracy than homonymous words, in line with the data in the literature regarding the differences in the representation and processing of polysemy and homonymy.
Batman Kıraathaneleri
Authors: HEKİMOĞLU Gülsüm
Published: June 2020

Bu çalışmada burjuva deneyiminin dışında yer alan diğer kamusal alan tecrübeleriyle ilgilenilmektedir. Bu kapsamda Batman kıraathaneleri söz konusu aksiyomla incelenmiştir. Tükiye’nin Güneydoğu’sunda yer alan Batman, sınıra yakınlığı ve iç dinamikleri nedeniyle oldukça heterojen bir toplumsal yapıya sahiptir. Batman; mahallerinde, sokaklarında ve meydanlarında oldukça uğrak mekânlar olarak beliren kıraathaneleriyle, sosyolojik olarak ilgi çekici konumdadır. Nitel araştırma yöntemi kapsamındaki çalışmada Batman’daki 13 kişiyle mülakatlar yapılmıştır. Saha araştırması sonunda araştırmanın amacına bağlı olarak toplanan veriler betimsel analiz tekniğine başvurularak değerlendirilmiştir. İstanbul ve Kahire gibi Ortadoğu’nun en büyük şehirlerindeki kahvehaneler ve kıraathaneler nasıl ki, her şeyden önce bir sohbet mekânı olarak kurgulanmışsa Batman’daki durum da bundan farksızdır. Ancak saha araştırması sonunda sadece sohbet mekânı olmaları dışında bu yerlerin, Batman’daki sosyal, ideolojik ve kültürel değişim üzerinde önemli bir rol oynadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. İncelenen kıraathanelerin fonksiyonu, katılımcılarının ona yüklediği anlamla birlikte ‘görünürlük ve yalıtılmışlık’ paradoksuyla açıklanabilir. Bu yerler, arkadaşlarla sosyalleşmek için kullanıldığı gibi, görece küçük olan ve herkesin birbirini tanıdığı şehrin gözetim gücünden kaçmanın da yollarından biri durumundadır. Şehrin en işlek caddelerindeki oldukça esnek oturma planlarıyla ve özellikle göz tacizleriyle kadının kent hakkını tayin eden bu mekânlar bir yandan da kentteki patriarkal hegemonyanın izdüşümleridir. Bir şekilde dışlama üzerinden biçimlenen işleyiş içinde, erişilebilirlik ve eşitlik sekteye uğramıştır. Kabul edilen resmi görüşe ve yaşam biçimlerine ayak direyen katılımcılar, buralarda görünür olamamıştır. Lakin tüm dışlama mekanizmalarına rağmen ortak yaşamla ilgili müşretek sorunlara, günlük yaşam tecrübelerine, bir aradalığa, dinlemeye, eylemeye ve dayanışmaya yer veren bu mekânlar toplumsalın alanı olan kamusal alanın mikro dünyalarına kapı aralanan yolaklar olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır.
15 Temmuz Darbe Girişimi Sonrasında Demokratik Bilincin Kutsal Bileşenleri
Authors: DEMİRHAN Yılmaz , ÖZTÜRK Musa
Published: June 2020

Bu çalışma, 15 Temmuz 2016 tarihinde ordu içerisindeki FETÖ mensuplarınca gerçekleştirilen darbe kalkışmasının bastırılmasından sonra kamu düzeninin yeniden tesisi ve demokratik düzenin tahkimi amacıyla devletin bazı araçlardan nasıl yararlandığını açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çerçevede önce Türkiye’de demokratikleşme süreci ve bu süreci kesintiye uğratan darbe ve darbe girişimleri hakkında bilgi verilmiştir. Daha sonra 15 Temmuz kalkışması ardından hükümetin dinî, askerî ve toplumsal alandan özenle seçtiği bazı sembol, simge, ritüeller etrafında yeni bir kolektif bilinç inşa edilme çabasına dikkat çekilmektedir. Çalışmada, sosyolojik araştırmalarda yaygın olarak kullanılan kuramsal yaklaşımlardan biri olan sembolik etkileşimci bakış açısından yararlanılmıştır.