bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seven years follow-up of corneal cross-linking (CXL) in pediatric patients: Evaluation of treated and untreated eye
Authors: Simantov Iliya , Or Lior , Gazit Inbal , Dubinsky-Pertzov Biana , Zadok David , Pras Eran , Hartstein Morris , Einan Lifshitz Adi
Published: June 2021

Background:

Retrospective cohort study evaluating long term keratoconus progression amongst cross-linking (CXL) treated pediatric patients in the treated and the fellow untreated eyes.

Methods:

Data on 60 eyes of 30 patients, 18 years old or younger, who underwent CXL in at least one eye was collected and analyzed. Follow-up measurements taken from the treated and untreated eye up to 7 years after CXL treatment, were compared to baseline measurements. Parameters included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA), best-corrected spectacle visual acuity (BCSVA), manifest refraction, pachymetry, corneal tomography, and topography.

Results:

Mean age of patients was 16 ± 2.1 years. For the treated eyes, during follow-up period mean UCDVA had improved (from 0.78 ± 0.22 at baseline to 0.58 ± 0.26 logMAR at 7 years; p = 0.13), as well as mean BCSVA (from 0.23 ± 0.107 at baseline to 0.172 ± 0.05 logMAR at 7 years; p = 0.37). The mean average keratometry showed a significant flattening (from 49.95 ± 4.04 to 47.94 ± 3.3 diopters (D); p < 0.001), However there was no change in the mean maximal keratometry. The mean minimal corneal thickness (MCT) showed a significant mild reduction of 26 µm ( p = 0.006). Although statistically insignificant, the mean manifest cylinder was also reduced to 2D ( p = 0.15). During the follow-up period, eight untreated eyes (26.6%) deteriorated and underwent CXL, while only one treated eye (3.33%) required an additional CXL.

Conclusion:

CXL is a safe and efficient procedure in halting keratoconus progression in the pediatric population, the fellow eye needs to be carefully monitored but only a 25% of the patients will require CXL in that eye during a period of 7 years.
Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic among migrants: An innovative, system-level, interdisciplinary approach is needed to improve public health
Authors: Diaz Esperanza , Mamelund Svenn-Eirik , Eid Jarle , Aasen Henriette Sinding , Martin Kaarbøe Oddvar , Brokstad Rebecca Jane Cox , Gloppen Siri , Beyer Anders , Kumar Bernadette Nirmal
Published: June 2021

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are amplified among socially vulnerable groups, including international migrants, in terms of both disease transmission and outcomes and the consequences of mitigation measures. Migrants are overrepresented in COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases, hospital admissions, intensive care treatment and death statistics in all countries with available data. A syndemic approach has been suggested to understand the excess burden in vulnerable populations. However, this has not stopped the unequal burden of disease in Norway. Initially, the disease was mainly imported by Norwegians returning from skiing holidays in the Alps, and the prevalence of infection among migrants in Norway, defined as people born abroad to foreign parents, was low. Later, confirmed cases in migrants increased and have remained stable at 35–50% – more than twice the proportion of the migrant population (15%). To change this pattern, we need to understand the complex mechanisms underlying inequities in health and their relative and multiplying impacts on disease inequalities and to test the effect of counterfactual policies in order to reduce inequalities in disease burden. Yet, the current paradigm in the field of migration and health research, that is, the theories, research methods and explanatory models commonly applied, fail to fully understand the differences in health outcomes between international migrants and the host population. Here, we use the Norwegian situation as a case to explain the need for an innovative, system-level, interdisciplinary approach at a global level.
A model who looks like me: Communicating and consuming representations of disability
Authors: Foster Jordan , Pettinicchio David
Published: June 2021

Diversity in the fashion industry, it seems, is on the rise, with recent efforts poised to address the exclusion of people with disabilities. Based on a content analysis of editorials, advertising campaigns, and 213 online consumer comments between 2014 and 2019, we examine how diversity is showcased: specifically, whether images of disability serve to challenge or reinforce negative stereotypes. We find that market logics constrain the use of models with disabilities and shape their posturing in advertisements and fashion images. While consumers respond favorably to these images, demanding disability be more regularly and prominently featured, they are often responding to images that are sanitized and naïvely conceived. Nonetheless, we show how consumer feedback interacts with the production process, which in turn can challenge market logics, providing opportunities for increased representation. We shed light on how cultural representations reflect, shape, and challenge broader sociocultural norms and values.
Clinical Markers May Identify Patients at Risk for Early Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: A Prospective Study
Authors: Jurcau Anamaria , Nunkoo Vharoon Sharma
Published: June 2021

Background:

The study aims at identifying features predictive of early onset of dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Methods:

103 non-demented PD patients were evaluated on various scales at baseline and 89 patients at 3-year follow-up.

Results:

By the end of the study 43.8% of patients developed dementia. The development of dementia was linked to the baseline Mini Mental State Examination score (Pearson coefficient r = .404, p = 0.013), the presence of autonomic dysfunctions (r = −.621, p < 0.001) and insomnia (r = −.526, p = 0.001). A binary logistic regression analysis showed that the development of dementia was correlated strongly with the presence of autonomic dysfunctions (95% CI 2.60 to 52.83, p < 0.001), and insomnia (95% CI 0.60 to 0.95, p = 0.017).

Conclusion:

Patients with signs of autonomic dysfunction and insomnia are at higher risk for developing dementia and deserve closer monitoring of cognitive symptoms.
Experimental investigation on spray characteristics of Jet A-1 and alternative aviation fuels
Authors: Kumar Manish , Karmakar Srinibas , Kumar Sonu , Basu Saptarshi
Published: June 2021

Potential alternative fuels that can mitigate environmental pollution from gas turbine engines (due to steep growth in the aviation sector globally) are getting significant attention. Spray behavior plays a significant role in influencing the combustion performance of such alternative fuels. In the present study, spray characteristics of Kerosene-based fuel (Jet A-1) and alternative aviation fuels such as butyl butyrate, butanol, and their blends with Jet A-1 are investigated using an air-blast atomizer under different atomizing air-to-fuel ratios. Phase Doppler Interferometry has been employed to obtain the droplet size and velocity distribution of various fuels. A high-speed shadowgraphy technique has also been adopted to make a comparison of ligament breakup characteristics and droplet formation of these alternative biofuels with that of Jet A-1. An effort is made to understand how the variation in fuel properties (mainly viscosity) influences atomization. Due to the higher viscosity of butanol, the SMD is higher, and the droplet formation seems to be delayed compared to Jet A-1. In contrast, the lower viscosity of butyl butyrate promotes faster droplet formation. The effects of the blending of these biofuels with Jet A-1 on atomization characteristics are also compared with that of Jet A-1.
Differences Between Older Adults Who Do and Do Not Try Hearing Aids and Between Those Who Keep and Return the Devices
Authors: Humes Larry E.
Published: June 2021

The focus of this study was on the differences between older adults who complied with a clinical recommendation for hearing-aid acquisition (adherents; N = 105) and those who did not (nonadherents; N = 34) among a group of research volunteers from the community. All participants were first-time hearing-aid users. Differences between adherents and nonadherents were examined across several domains, including demographic variables, audiometric measures, measures of affect and personality, cognitive variables, hearing-aid expectations, and the perceived hearing difficulties of the older adults and their adjustments to those difficulties. It was found that the adherents differed significantly ( p < .05) from the nonadherents primarily in their perceived difficulties and reactions to them as well as their expectations for hearing aids. Importantly, the pattern of differences between the adherents and nonadherents was primarily confined to measures that could potentially be shaped by appropriate counseling and education of the older adult. In a secondary analysis, among the 105 adherents, a small group ( N = 21) returned their hearing aids for credit with 15 of them completing the outcome measures at the end of a 1-month trial period. When comparisons were made between the adherents who kept their hearing aids ( N = 84) and those who returned them, the primary differences between these two groups of adherents were in the poorer aided outcomes obtained by those who returned their devices.
A Comparison of Place-Pitch-Based Interaural Electrode Matching Methods for Bilateral Cochlear-Implant Users
Authors: Jensen Kenneth K. , Cosentino Stefano , Bernstein Joshua G. W. , Stakhovskaya Olga A. , Goupell Matthew J.
Published: June 2021

Interaural place-of-stimulation mismatch for bilateral cochlear-implant (BI-CI) listeners is often evaluated using pitch-comparison tasks that can be susceptible to procedural biases. Bias effects were compared for three sequential interaural pitch-comparison tasks in six BI-CI listeners using single-electrode direct stimulation. The reference (right ear) was a single basal, middle, or apical electrode. The comparison electrode (left ear) was chosen from one of three ranges: basal half, full array, or apical half. In Experiment 1 (discrimination), interaural pairs were chosen randomly (method of constant stimuli). In Experiment 2 (ranking), an efficient adaptive procedure rank ordered 3 reference and 6 or 11 comparison electrodes. In Experiment 3 (matching), listeners adjusted the comparison electrode to pitch match the reference. Each experiment was evaluated for testing-range bias (point of subjective equality [PSE] vs. comparison-range midpoint) and reference-electrode slope bias (PSE vs. reference electrode). Discrimination showed large biases for both metrics; matching showed a smaller but significant reference-electrode bias; ranking showed no significant biases in either dimension. Ranking and matching were also evaluated for starting-point bias (PSE vs. adaptive-track starting point), but neither showed significant effects. A response-distribution truncation model explained a nonsignificant bias for ranking but it could not fully explain the observed biases for discrimination or matching. It is concluded that (a) BI-CI interaural pitch comparisons are inconsistent across test methods; (b) biases must be evaluated in more than one dimension before accepting the results as valid; and (c) of the three methods tested, ranking was least susceptible to biases and therefore emerged as the optimal approach.
Unstable Type III Wrisberg-type Lateral Discoid Meniscus: All-inside Arthroscopic Repair
Authors: Grassi Alberto , Pizza Nicola , Macchiarola Luca , Zaffagnini Stefano
Published: June 2021

Background:

The Type III Wrisberg-type represents the rarest subtype of discoid meniscus. It exhibits a normal non-discoid “C”-shape with possible posterior horn hypertrophy, but meniscotibial ligaments and capsular restraints are lacking, leading to a clinical scenario of knee pain, popping, and catching due to meniscal hypermobility. Moreover, concomitant tears can be present due to repeated meniscal traumas.

Indications:

Type III Wrisberg-type lateral discoid meniscus with hypermobility, dislocation, or tear.

Technique Description:

Through standard arthroscopic portals, the meniscus is reduced in its anatomical position (if displaced). Abnormal mobility and anatomy should be noted. All-inside sutures are used in the posterior horn and body to stabilize the meniscus to the capsule and popliteus tendon. In the case of radial tears, horizontal stitches are used.

Results:

Patients are expected to return to sport approximately 4 to 5 months after the procedure with relief of pain, popping sensation, and knee locking.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic all-inside repair is an effective treatment for unstable and displaced Type III Wrisberg-type lateral discoid meniscus. However, the diagnosis can be challenging, especially without frank meniscal dislocation.
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia: what we know and do not know
Authors: Arepally Gowthami M. , Ortel Thomas L.
Published: June 2021

The development of vaccines to fight COVID-19 has been a remarkable medical achievement. However, this global immunization effort has been complicated by a rare vaccine-related outcome characterized by thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in association with platelet-activating anti–platelet factor 4 antibodies. In this Spotlight, we will discuss the recently described complication of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) occurring in response to certain COVID-19 vaccines. Although information about this clinical condition is rapidly evolving, we will summarize our current understanding of VITT.
Stigma from medication use: an under recognised burden of care
Authors: Kansra Sonal , Calvert Rachel , Jones Steve
Published: June 2021

Children with respiratory diseases take treatments for the self-management of symptoms and to maintain disease control. Often, these treatments need to be taken in social environments like school. Respiratory treatments can foster a feeling of difference and stigmatisation, which negatively impact on the quality of life and adherence to treatment. Such perceptions can lead to a less than optimal disease control, a vicious cycle leading to further social exclusion and stigma. This aspect of “burden of treatment” is poorly recognised by clinicians. Recognition of how treatments and clinical practice can contribute to stigma, can help address this burden of care.

Educational aims

To understand the meaning of the term “stigma” within the context of respiratory health conditions and how medication or treatments can contribute to stigma in children and young people.

To understand the potential impact of stigma on adherence, disease control and quality of life.

To consider strategies to manage the stigma associated with health treatments across spheres of influence.
Inflammatory bowel disease and the lung in paediatric patients
Authors: Jochmann Anja , Trachsel Daniel , Hammer Jürg
Published: June 2021

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased over the past 20 years. Pulmonary involvement in paediatric IBD is rare but may be missed since the spectrum of symptoms is broad and mimics other diseases. The most important differential diagnoses of pulmonary manifestations of IBD are infections and therapy-related side-effects. There is no gold standard to diagnose respiratory manifestations in children with IBD. Diagnostic tests should be chosen according to history and clinical presentation. Treatment of respiratory manifestations of IBD includes inhaled or oral corticosteroids and initiation or step-up of immunomodulatory IBD therapies.
In silico drug repositioning using deep learning and comprehensive similarity measures
Authors: Yi Hai-Cheng , You Zhu-Hong , Wang Lei , Su Xiao-Rui , Zhou Xi , Jiang Tong-Hai
Published: June 2021

Background

Drug repositioning, meanings finding new uses for existing drugs, which can accelerate the processing of new drugs research and development. Various computational methods have been presented to predict novel drug–disease associations for drug repositioning based on similarity measures among drugs and diseases. However, there are some known associations between drugs and diseases that previous studies not utilized.

Methods

In this work, we develop a deep gated recurrent units model to predict potential drug–disease interactions using comprehensive similarity measures and Gaussian interaction profile kernel. More specifically, the similarity measure is used to exploit discriminative feature for drugs based on their chemical fingerprints. Meanwhile, the Gaussian interactions profile kernel is employed to obtain efficient feature of diseases based on known disease-disease associations. Then, a deep gated recurrent units model is developed to predict potential drug–disease interactions.

Results

The performance of the proposed model is evaluated on two benchmark datasets under tenfold cross-validation. And to further verify the predictive ability, case studies for predicting new potential indications of drugs were carried out.

Conclusion

The experimental results proved the proposed model is a useful tool for predicting new indications for drugs or new treatments for diseases, and can accelerate drug repositioning and related drug research and discovery.
An ego-centred approach for the evaluation of spatial effects on health in urban areas based on parametric semi-variogram models: concept and validation
Authors: Sauzet Odile , Breiding Janne H. , Zolitschka Kim A. , Breckenkamp Jürgen , Razum Oliver
Published: June 2021

Background

Neighbourhood is a complex structure but of high relevance for health. Its operationalisation remains however a challenge.The aim of this work is to present a new application of the use of semi-variograms as an approach for the evaluation of spatial effects on health. For this, we propose to estimate two parameters providing a measure of an average neighbourhood or spatial effect at city level without having to predefine any notion of physical neighbourhood.

Methods

We present the statistical method to estimate the parameters of this correlation neighbourhood by fitting an exponential model to the empirical semi-variogram at short distances. With a simulation study, we show for which sample size and sampling density the method performs well and illustrate how to use the method with data from a birth cohort using the outcome birthweight.

Results

For small sample sizes (500) the method provides reliable estimates if the density of observations is high. For larger sample sizes other parameters influencing the quality of estimates are the maximal distance at which the semi-variograms are estimated.

Conclusions

Given the complexity of spatial scales relative to neighbourhood spatial processes, our approach offers the possibility to incorporate existing approaches to the operationalisation of neighbourhood in quantitative analyses while providing a measure of the part of health inequalities which could be possibly due to unmeasured spatial exposure as well as a measure of their spatial scale.
A questionnaire to measure the quality of midwifery care in the postpartum period from women’s point of view: development and psychometric testing of MMAYpostpartum
Authors: Peters Mirjam , Kolip Petra , Schäfers Rainhild
Published: June 2021

Background

Home postpartum care is a major part of midwifery care in Germany. The user perspective plays an increasingly important role in the evaluation of health services, but there is a lack of valid and theoretically based measuring instruments, especially in midwifery care. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for measuring quality of midwifery care in the postpartum period from the perspective of women.

Methods

The following steps were taken to achieve this: (1) definition of the goals of midwifery work; (2) literature-based item development; (3) item selection based on a pre-test (n = 16); (4) item reduction and investigation of factor structure by means of explorative factor analysis (EFA; n = 133);(5) second EFA (n = 741) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 744) based on a split representative sample survey; (6) hypothesis-based testing of correlations to sociodemographic characteristics of women and to characteristics of care.

Results

Measurement of Midwifery quality postpartum (MMAYpostpartum) consists of three scales with a total of 17 items which were found to have acceptable internal consistency: Personal Control (Cronbach’s alpha = .80), Trusting Relationship (Cronbach’s alpha = .87) and Orientation and Security (Cronbach’s alpha = .78). CFA verified and confirmed three factors: CFI = .928, TLI = .914, RMSEA = 0.073.

Conclusion

MMAYpostpartum is a predominantly valid, reliable short tool for evaluating the quality of midwifery care postpartum. It can be used to evaluate midwifery care, to compare different care models and in intervention research. It thus supports the orientation of midwives’ work towards the needs of women and their families.
UGT1A1 mutation association with increased bilirubin levels and severity of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in ABO incompatible newborns of China
Authors: Yang Hui , Lin Fen , Chen Zi-kai , Zhang Lin , Xu Jia-Xin , Wu Yong-Hao , Gu Jing-Ying , Ma Yu-Bin , Li Jian-Dong , Yang Li-Ye
Published: June 2021

Background

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia causing jaundice is common in East Asian population. Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase isoenzyme (UGT1A1) glucuronidates bilirubin and converts the toxic form of bilirubin to its nontoxic form.

Method

A retrospective study was conducted to review clinical information of ABO hemolysis neonates (ABO HDN) admitted to the Department of Neonatology, referred for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, in a large general hospital of southern China from 2011 to 2017. Variation status of UGT1A1 was determined by direct sequencing or genotype assays.

Result

Sixty-nine ABO HDNs were included into the final analysis. UGT1A1 c.211 G > A mutation (UGT1A1*6, p.Arg71Gly, rs4148323) was significantly associated with the increased bilirubin level in ABO HDNs, after adjusted by age, sex and feeding method (P = 0.019 for TBIL,P = 0.02 for IBIL). Moreover, heterozygous and/or homozygous UGT1A1 mutations in the coding sequence region were significantly associated with the increased risk of developing hazardous hyperbilirubinemia (as defined by TSB > 427 umol/L) as compared those with a normal UGT1A1 genotype (ORadj = 9.16, 95%CI 1.99–42.08,P = 0.002) in the study cohort.

Conclusion

UGT1A1 variant in coding region is actively involved in the pathogenesis of ABO hemolysis related neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Genetic assessment of UGT1A1 may be useful for clinical diagnosis of neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.
Altered spontaneous neural activity in the precuneus, middle and superior frontal gyri, and hippocampus in college students with subclinical depression
Authors: Zhang Bo , Qi Shouliang , Liu Shuang , Liu Xiaoya , Wei Xinhua , Ming Dong
Published: June 2021

Background

Subclinical depression (ScD) is a prevalent condition associated with relatively mild depressive states, and it poses a high risk of developing into major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural pathology of ScD is still largely unknown. Identifying the spontaneous neural activity involved in ScD may help clarify risk factors for MDD and explore treatment strategies for mild stages of depression.

Methods

A total of 34 ScD subjects and 40 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls were screened from 1105 college students. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state fMRI were calculated to reveal neural activity. Strict statistical strategies, including Gaussian random field (GRF), false discovery rate (FDR), and permutation test (PT) with threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE), were conducted. Based on the altered ALFF and ReHo, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) was further analyzed using a seed-based approach.

Results

The right precuneus and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) both showed significantly increased ALFF and ReHo in ScD subjects. Moreover, the left hippocampus and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) showed decreased ALFF and increased ReHo, respectively. In addition, ScD subjects showed increased RSFC between MFG and hippocampus compared to healthy controls, and significant positive correlation was found between the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score and RSFC from MFG to hippocampus in ScD group.

Conclusion

Spontaneous neural activities in the right precuneus, left MFG, SFG, and hippocampus were altered in ScD subjects. Functional alterations in these dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and default mode network regions are largely related to abnormal emotional processing in ScD, and indicate strong associations with brain impairments in MDD, which provide insight into potential pathophysiology mechanisms of subclinical depression.
Correction to: Under consent: participation of people with HIV in an Ebola vaccine trial in Canada
Authors: David Pierre-Marie , Mathiot Benjamin , Thiongane Oumy , Graham Janice E.
Published: June 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Shared clinical decision-making experiences in nursing: a qualitative study
Authors: Chung Fen-Fang , Wang Pao-Yu , Lin Shu-Chuan , Lee Yu-Hsia , Wu Hon-Yen , Lin Mei-Hsiang
Published: June 2021

Background

Shared decision making (SDM) is a patient-centered nursing concept that emphasizes the autonomy of patients. SDM is a co-operative process that involves information exchange and communication between medical staff and patients for making treatment decisions. In this study, we explored the experiences of clinical nursing staff participating in SDM.

Methods

This study adopted a qualitative research design. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 nurses at a medical center in northern Taiwan. All interview recordings were transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was performed to analyze the data.

Results

The findings yielded the following three themes covering seven categories: knowledge regarding SDM, trigger discussion and coordination, and respect of sociocultural factors.

Conclusions

The results of this study describe the experiences of clinical nursing staff participating in SDM and can be used as a reference for nursing education and nursing administrative supervisors wishing to plan and enhance professional nursing SDM in nursing education.
Costs and healthcare utilisation of patients with chronic kidney disease in Spain
Authors: Escobar Carlos , Palacios Beatriz , Aranda Unai , Capel Margarita , Sicras Antoni , Sicras Aram , Hormigo Antonio , Alcázar Roberto , Manito Nicolás , Botana Manuel
Published: June 2021

Background

Data about the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on health care costs in Spain are scarce This study was aimed to evaluate cumulative costs and healthcare utilisation in CKD in Spain.

Methods

Observational, retrospective, population-based study, which included adults who received care for CKD between 2015 and 2019. Healthcare and medication costs were summarized on a yearly basis starting from the index date (1st January 2015), and then cumulatively until 2019.

Results

We identified 44,214 patients with CKD (year 2015: age 76.4 ± 14.3 years, 49.0% women, albumin-to-creatinine ratio 362.9 ± 176.8 mg/g, estimated glomerular filtration rate 48.7 ± 13.2 mL/min/1.73 m2). During the 2015–2019 period, cumulative CKD associated costs reached 14,728.4 Euros, being cardiovascular disease hospitalizations, particularly due to heart failure and CKD, responsible for 77.1% of costs. Total medication cost accounted for 6.6% of the total cost. There was a progressive decrease in cardiovascular disease hospital costs per year (from 2741.1 Euros in 2015 to 1.971.7 Euros in 2019). This also occurred with cardiovascular and diabetic medication costs, as well as with the proportion of hospitalizations and mortality. Costs and healthcare resources use were higher in the DAPA-CKD like population, but also decreased over time.

Conclusions

Between 2015 and 2019, costs of patients with CKD in Spain were high, with cardiovascular hospitalizations as the key determinant. Medication costs were responsible for only a small proportion of total CKD costs. Improving CKD management, particularly with the use of cardiovascular and renal protective medications may be helpful to reduce CKD burden.
Liquid biopsy for therapy monitoring in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Nagasaka Misako , Uddin Mohammed Hafiz , Al-Hallak Mohammed Najeeb , Rahman Sarah , Balasubramanian Suresh , Sukari Ammar , Azmi Asfar S.
Published: June 2021

Liquid biopsy is now considered a valuable diagnostic tool for advanced metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In NSCLC, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has been shown to increase the chances of identifying the presence of targetable mutations and has been adopted by many clinicians owing to its low risk. Serial monitoring of ctDNA may also help assess the treatment response or for monitoring relapse. As the presence of detectable plasma ctDNA post-surgery likely indicates residual tumor burden, studies have been performed to quantify plasma ctDNA to assess minimal residual disease (MRD) in early-stage resected NSCLC. Most data on utilizing liquid biopsy for monitoring MRD in early-stage NSCLC are from small-scale studies using ctDNA. Here, we review the recent research on liquid biopsy in NSCLC, not limited to ctDNA, and focus on novel methods such as micro RNAs (miRNA) and long non-coding (lncRNA).
Correction to: Molecular mechanics and dynamic simulations of well-known Kabuki syndrome-associated KDM6A variants reveal putative mechanisms of dysfunction
Authors: Chi Young-In , Stodola Timothy J. , De Assuncao Thiago M. , Leverence Elise N. , Tripathi Swarnendu , Dsouza Nikita R. , Mathison Angela J. , Basel Donald G. , Volkman Brian F. , Smith Brian C. , Lomberk Gwen , Zimmermann Michael T. , Urrutia Raul
Published: June 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Serum TNFα levels at 24 h after certolizumab pegol predict effectiveness at week 12 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from TSUBAME study
Authors: Miyazaki Yusuke , Nakano Kazuhisa , Nakayamada Shingo , Kubo Satoshi , Iwata Shigeru , Hanami Kentaro , Fukuyo Shunsuke , Miyagawa Ippei , Yamaguchi Ayako , Kawabe Akio , Saito Kazuyoshi , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: June 2021

Objective

To estimate the relationship between serum TNFα, IL-6, and serum CZP levels and the clinical response to CZP in RA patients in the TSUBAME study.

Methods

One hundred patients with RA who received CZP were enrolled and multiple clinical parameters, serum TNFα, IL-6, and CZP levels, were assessed at 0, 24, and 48 h and 12 weeks after first administration of CZP.

Results

The CZP therapy significantly improved the DAS28(ESR) at 12 weeks. Serum TNFα and IL-6 levels significantly decreased from baseline at 24 h after the first administration of CZP. Serum TNFα levels at baseline were not related to clinical parameters at baseline and improvement in DAS28(ESR) at week 12 of the CZP therapy. However, serum levels of CZP at 24 h were strongly and negatively correlated with TNFα levels at 24 h, which were negatively correlated with improved rate in DAS28(ESR) at week 12. Only serum levels of TNFα, but not IL-6, at 24 h had a negative correlation with achievement of DAS28(ESR)<2.6 at week 12 by the multivariate analysis (odds ratio 0.01, 95% confidence interval 0.04e−2–0.22,p< 0.01). A receiver operating characteristic analysis was conducted to estimate the achievement of DAS28(ESR)<2.6 at week 12 after the CZP therapy and cut-off value of 0.76 pg/ml for serum levels of TNFα at 24 h was yielded (area under the curve=0.75). DAS28(ESR)<2.6 was achieved at week 12 significantly more patients with lower serum TNF levels (≦0.76 pg/ml) at 24 h than those with higher TNF levels.

Conclusions

CZP was highly effective in RA patients who had low serum TNFα levels at 24 h after the initial administration of CZP. Therefore, we propose that serum TNFα levels at 24 h could serve as a biomarker predicting effectiveness to CZP at week 12 in patients with RA.

Trial registration

Clinical trial registration number:UMIN ID:000022831
Using social media for sub-event detection during disasters
Authors: Belcastro Loris , Marozzo Fabrizio , Talia Domenico , Trunfio Paolo , Branda Francesco , Palpanas Themis , Imran Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Social media platforms have become fundamental tools for sharing information during natural disasters or catastrophic events. This paper presents SEDOM-DD (Sub-Events Detection on sOcial Media During Disasters), a new method that analyzes user posts to discover sub-events that occurred after a disaster (e.g., collapsed buildings, broken gas pipes, floods). SEDOM-DD has been evaluated with datasets of different sizes that contain real posts from social media related to different natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods and hurricanes). Starting from such data, we generated synthetic datasets with different features, such as different percentages of relevant posts and/or geotagged posts. Experiments performed on both real and synthetic datasets showed that SEDOM-DD is able to identify sub-events with high accuracy. For example, with a percentage of relevant posts of 80% and geotagged posts of 15%, our method detects the sub-events and their areas with an accuracy of 85%, revealing the high accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Acute-onset paraplegia as an unexpected complication under general anesthesia in supine position during abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair: a case report
Authors: Morio Atsushi , Miyoshi Hirotsugu , Saeki Noboru , Toyota Yukari , Tsutsumi Yasuo M.
Published: June 2021

Background

Acute onset paraplegia after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a rare but well-known complication. We here show a 79-year-old woman with paraplegia caused by static and dynamic spinal cord insult not by ischemia after EVAR.

Case presentation

The patient underwent EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurism under general anesthesia in the supine position. She had a medical history of lumbar canal stenosis. After the surgery, we recognized severe paraplegia and sensory disorder of lower limbs. Although the possibility of spinal cord ischemia was considered at that time, postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed burst fracture of vertebra and compressed spinal cord.

Conclusions

Patients with spinal canal stenosis can cause extrinsic spinal cord injury even with weak external forces. Thus, even after EVAR, it is important to consider extrinsic factors as the cause of paraplegia.
Evaluating implementation of the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guidelines: the TRUST process for rating journal policies, procedures, and practices
Authors: Mayo-Wilson Evan , Grant Sean , Supplee Lauren , Kianersi Sina , Amin Afsah , DeHaven Alex , Mellor David
Published: June 2021

Background

The Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines describe modular standards that journals can adopt to promote open science. The TOP Factor is a metric to describe the extent to which journals have adopted the TOP Guidelines in their policies. Systematic methods and rating instruments are needed to calculate the TOP Factor. Moreover, implementation of these open science policies depends on journal procedures and practices, for which TOP provides no standards or rating instruments.

Methods

We describe a process for assessing journal policies, procedures, and practices according to the TOP Guidelines. We developed this process as part of the Transparency of Research Underpinning Social Intervention Tiers (TRUST) Initiative to advance open science in the social intervention research ecosystem. We also provide new instruments for rating journal instructions to authors (policies), manuscript submission systems (procedures), and published articles (practices) according to standards in the TOP Guidelines. In addition, we describe how to determine the TOP Factor score for a journal, calculate reliability of journal ratings, and assess coherence among a journal’s policies, procedures, and practices. As a demonstration of this process, we describe a protocol for studying approximately 345 influential journals that have published research used to inform evidence-based policy.

Discussion

The TRUST Process includes systematic methods and rating instruments for assessing and facilitating implementation of the TOP Guidelines by journals across disciplines. Our study of journals publishing influential social intervention research will provide a comprehensive account of whether these journals have policies, procedures, and practices that are consistent with standards for open science and thereby facilitate the publication of trustworthy findings to inform evidence-based policy. Through this demonstration, we expect to identify ways to refine the TOP Guidelines and the TOP Factor. Refinements could include: improving templates for adoption in journal instructions to authors, manuscript submission systems, and published articles; revising explanatory guidance intended to enhance the use, understanding, and dissemination of the TOP Guidelines; and clarifying the distinctions among different levels of implementation.

Research materials are available on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/txyr3/.
Impact of metal oxide nanoparticles on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.): a physiological perspective
Authors: SINGH BRAR Ravinderdeep , KUMAR Avneesh , KAUR Simranjeet , SAHA Sandip , KUMAR Anuj , KUMAR Sandeep
Published: June 2021

Cotton production substantiated a crucial part in the escalating economic development of many countries. To realize the increasing global demand for cotton, the emphasis should be laid on to improve cotton fiber growth and production. The bioengineered transgenic cotton proved expedient in resolving inadequacies of conventional cotton, but still required improvements to encounter heightened demand of textile industries. One possible solution pertaining to this has been provided by nanoscience in the form of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles. These metal oxide nanoparticles have easy access to the various parts of cotton plants through its transportation system, and thus significantly influence several parameters relative to the growth and production of cotton fiber. This review summarizes the distribution and accumulation of metal oxide nanoparticles in cotton plant and its impact on different plant growth-promoting factors, which resulted in the improved cotton yields.

Graphical abstract

Metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles have easy access to the various parts of cotton plant through its transportation system, and thus significantly influence its growth parameters, and hence the production of cotton fiber. This review summarizes the distribution and accumulation of metal oxide nanoparticles in cotton plants, and its impact on different plant growth promoting factors.
A secure and highly efficient first-order masking scheme for AES linear operations
Authors: Ming Jingdian , Zhou Yongbin , Li Huizhong , Zhang Qian
Published: June 2021

Due to its provable security and remarkable device-independence, masking has been widely accepted as a noteworthy algorithmic-level countermeasure against side-channel attacks. However, relatively high cost of masking severely limits its applicability. Considering the high tackling complexity of non-linear operations, most masked AES implementations focus on the security and cost reduction of masked S-boxes. In this paper, we focus on linear operations, which seems to be underestimated, on the contrary. Specifically, we discover some security flaws and redundant processes in popular first-order masked AES linear operations, and pinpoint the underlying root causes. Then we propose a provably secure and highly efficient masking scheme for AES linear operations. In order to show its practical implications, we replace the linear operations of state-of-the-art first-order AES masking schemes with our proposal, while keeping their original non-linear operations unchanged. We implement four newly combined masking schemes on an Intel Core i7-4790 CPU, and the results show they are roughly 20% faster than those original ones. Then we select one masked implementation named RSMv2 due to its popularity, and investigate its security and efficiency on an AVR ATMega163 processor and four different FPGA devices. The results show that no exploitable first-order side-channel leakages are detected. Moreover, compared with original masked AES implementations, our combined approach is nearly 25% faster on the AVR processor, and at least 70% more efficient on four FPGA devices.
Purification and modification of neem gum for enhancement of its suspending property
Authors: Kalaskar Mohan G. , Mutha Rakesh E. , Tatiya Anilkumar U. , Firke Sandip D. , Surana Sanjay J. , Dhoka Komal A. , Heda Komal
Published: June 2021

Background

The present study aimed to purify and modify the neem gum (NG) to evaluate its dispersing ability in a pharmaceutical suspension formulation. The modification was carried out to cross-link the sugars as carbamate in the presence of calcium chloride to improve the suspending property. Physiochemical properties such as pH, solubility, swelling index and ash value were performed before investigating the dispersing potential. The suspending potential of neem gum was studied in its different forms such as purified and modified gum in paracetamol suspension and was compared with sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) being used as standard at a concentration range of 0.25–1% (w/v). The test suspensions were evaluated for the redispersibility, flowability, sedimentation volume (%) and stability study for 3 months.

Result

The redispersibility of modified neem gum (MNG) was found equal to CMC at a higher concentration. The flowability and apparent sedimentation of test suspending agents and CMC were found in the order of NG > MNG > CMC. It showed a positive correlation with the viscosity of suspension formulations. All the test paracetamol suspension formulations were found stable in the stability study.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study showed that as an alternate suspending agent, modified cross-linked neem gum could be used.
President's Page: The fourth digital revolution: SEG's plan for digitalization
Authors: Abriel Bill
Published: June 2021

A fourth digital revolution of applied geophysics is upon us — the “big data” era. Three prior digital revolutions in the past 50 years have provided new and more powerful tools, expanded markets, and redefined what it takes to be a successful applied geophysicist. The present digital revolution can do the same and be a benefit to the profession. To meet this challenge, SEG is adapting its business, products, and services.
Silver linings: how mental health activists can help us navigate wicked problems
Authors: Armstrong Neil , Pratt-Boyden Keira
Published: June 2021

This article explores how ‘wicked problems’ such as climate change might force psychiatry to rethink some of its fundamental ideas and ways of working, including clinical boundaries, understandings of psychopathology and ways of organising. We use ethnographic evidence to explore how mental health service ‘survivor’ activists are already rethinking some of these issues by therapeutically orienting themselves towards social problems and collective understandings of well-being, rejecting ‘treatment as usual’ approaches to distress. In this way we provide an example of the potential of activists to help psychiatry negotiate the climate crisis.
Moving Beyond 3+3: The Future of Clinical Trial Design
Authors: Kurzrock Razelle , Lin Chia-Chi , Wu Tsung-Che , Hobbs Brian P. , Pestana Roberto Carmagnani , Hong David S.
Published: June 2021

Misgivings have been raised about the operating characteristics of the canonical 3+3 dose-escalation phase I clinical trial design. Yet, the traditional 3+3 design is still the most commonly used. Although it has been implied that adhering to this design is due to a stubborn reluctance to adopt change despite other designs performing better in hypothetical computer-generated simulation models, the continued adherence to 3+3 dose-escalation phase I strategies is more likely because these designs perform the best in the real world, pinpointing the correct dose and important side effects with an acceptable degree of precision. Beyond statistical simulations, there are little data to refute the supposed shortcomings ascribed to the 3+3 method. Even so, to address the unique nuances of gene- and immune-targeted compounds, a variety of inventive phase 1 trial designs have been suggested. Strategies for developing these therapies have launched first-in-human studies devised to acquire a breadth of patient data that far exceed the size of a typical phase I design and blur the distinction between dose selection and efficacy evaluation. Recent phase I trials of promising cancer therapies assessed objective tumor response and durability at various doses and schedules as well as incorporated multiple expansion cohorts spanning a variety of histology or biomarker-defined tumor subtypes, sometimes resulting in U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval after phase I. This article reviews recent innovations in phase I design from the perspective of multiple stakeholders and provides recommendations for future trials.