bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variations in haematological and biochemical parameters in healthy ponies
Authors: Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz , Cywinska Anna , Katarzyna Michlik-Połczyńska , Michal Czopowicz , Katarzyna Strzelec , Anna Biazik , Marta Parzeniecka-Jaworska , Mark Crisman , Lucjan Witkowski
Published: June 2020

Background
Breed specific reference ranges for selected blood parameters are recommended for proper interpretation of blood tests, but there are only few reports dealing with ponies. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blood parameters differ among ponies’ classes and to check if general normal values for equine species are applicable to ponies.
Results
All, except total protein concentration, biochemical parameter significantly (p < 0.05) differed among ponies’ classes. The most pronounced difference was noted in blood lactate concentrations, higher (p < 0.001) in the smallest ponies (class A). In all groups of ponies muscle enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase) and urea were high when compared to normal values for equine species, but triglycerides and creatinine were low. Blood lactate concentration was high in comparison with normal values for horses only in class A ponies’.
Conclusions
In healthy ponies, blood lactate concentration significantly differs between height classes. Normal values for equine species should not be directly applied to interpret the lactate, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase values in ponies.
Self-Efficacy of Direct Care Workers Providing Care to Older People in Residential Aged Care Settings: A Scoping Review Protocol
Authors: Shrestha Sumina , Alharbi Rayan Jafnan M , While Christine , Ellis Julie , Rahman Muhammad Aziz , Wells Yvonne
Published: June 2020

Background: Self-efficacy is developed through a person’s interaction with his/her physical and social environment. Self-efficacy in caring is an essential attribute of care workers to develop a positive attitude towards their clients, improve work performance, and enhance job satisfaction. Care workers’ self-efficacy may vary according to the context in which the care is being provided. Aged care is a multidimensional and challenging setting, and characteristics of aged care services are different from those of acute care services. The objective of this review is to give an overview of the self-efficacy of residential aged care workers in caring for older people and factors influencing their self-efficacy. Methods: The protocol for this review is based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer's Manual for Scoping Review. A systematic search of the literature on electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AgeLine, SCOPUS, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global will be carried out using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. This review will include studies that examined the self-efficacy of direct care workers in caring for older people living in residential aged care facilities. All primary studies irrespective of the study design will be included. Studies conducted to develop measures or studies with informal care workers or students as study participants will not be considered. Two reviewers will independently conduct title and abstract screening, full-text screening, and data charting. A third reviewer will resolve discrepancies, while the final decision for conflicting studies will be made by consensus within the review team. Descriptive statistics will be utilised to analyse the quantitative findings and the result will be presented in narrative form accompanied by tables and charts. Content analysis will be carried to analyse the qualitative findings and will be presented in narrative form supported by illustrative quotations. Discussion: This study will be an important source of knowledge to policymakers and aged care providers to understand the self-efficacy of aged care workers to support and enhance their self-efficacy and thereby improve their caring behaviours towards their clients.Scoping review registration: Joanna Briggs Institute Systematic Review Register with the title ‘A scoping review of factors influencing caring efficacy of direct care workers providing care to older people’
Contralateral Spontaneous Rupture of the Esophagus Following severe Vomiting After Non-intubated Pulmonary Wedge Resection
Authors: Liu Lei , Wu Wenbin , Gong Longbo , Zhang Miao
Published: June 2020

Background: Non-intubated thoracoscopic lung surgery has been widely applied as it is technically feasible and safe. Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus, also known as Boerhaave's syndrome (BS), is rare after chest surgery.Case Presentation: A 60-year-old female non-smoker underwent non-intubated uniportal thoracoscopic wedge resection assisted with a laryngeal mask for a solitary pulmonary nodule. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block was utilized for analgesia. The patient complained of hyperemesis followed by chest pain and acute dyspnea 6 hours after the surgery. Emergency chest x-ray revealed the right-sided hydropneumothorax. BS was confirmed by further chest tube drainage and computed tomography. The patient refused surgical intervention; therefore, conservative procedures including pleural evacuation through a naso-leakage drainage tube, antibiotics and tube feeding were administered. The healing of the esophagus was recorded 40 days later.Conclusions: Perioperative antiemetic is an indispensable item of tubeless thoracic surgery. BS should be kept in mind when the patients suffer from sudden chest distress following severe vomiting after tubeless lung surgery.
Male Breast Cancer with Ureteral Metastasis: a case report
Authors: Chen Yanbo , Wu Jiannan , Hu Tingting , Wang Juanjuan , Su Fengxi
Published: June 2020

Background: Breast cancer is rare in men and there is no report of male breast cancer (MBC) with ureteral metastasis. In this study, we report a special case of MBC with ureteral metastasis. Case presentation: A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with breast cancer and lymph nodes metastasis. After surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy he was diagnosed with left arm metastasis. Then he received mass dissection and chemotherapy again. He was diagnosed with ureter metastasis because of hematuria. This patient took a Precitype gene test (immune index and PAM50) after several lines of treatment and the result indicated that this was a Luminal A subtype case, which was quite different from his immunohistochemical subtype. We adjusted his therapeutic regimen according to the genetic test but there was no obvious efficacy and he passed away five months later. Conclusions: MBC patients with urinary symptoms should be considered for the possibility of metastasis although urinary metastasis in breast cancer is rare. We still need more research and evidence of treatment recommendations for MBC.
Recurrent gastric cancer sustaining a partial response after the nivolumab discontinuation because of immune-related adverse events: a case report
Authors: Arigami Takaaki , Matsushita Daisuke , Okubo Keishi , Tanaka Takako , Sasaki Ken , Noda Masahiro , Kita Yoshiaki , Mori Shinichiro , Tsuruda Yusuke , Kurahara Hiroshi , Ohtsuka Takao
Published: June 2020

Background: The prognosis of patients with recurrent gastric cancer is extremely poor despite chemotherapy being clinically recommended as the first therapeutic strategy. Recent clinical trials have established the clinical utility of nivolumab in the third-line treatment of such patients. Remarkably, immune-related adverse events (irAE) have been focused as a promising predictor for tumor response to nivolumab. This report aims to present a long-term survivor of recurrent gastric cancer who was followed up without any treatments after the nivolumab discontinuation because of irAE.Case presentation: A 65-year-old male with stage III gastric cancer (cT4aN1M0) underwent distal gastrectomy and a partial resection of the transverse colon with D2 lymph node dissection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Owing to the final pathological stage IIIB (ypT4bN1M0), the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Nevertheless, during adjuvant chemotherapy 1-year post-surgery, computed tomography (CT) revealed lymph node swelling in station no. 9. Thus, upon diagnosis with lymph node recurrence, the patient was treated with two courses of capecitabine + oxaliplatin and three courses of ramucirumab + paclitaxel as the first- and second-line regimens, respectively. Based on these regimens, the patient had a progressive disease to chemotherapy. Consequently, we administered nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks and 240 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks after September 2018 as the third-line regimen. After four courses of nivolumab, CT revealed a significant shrinkage of the metastatic lymph node, with a 45.6% reduction. We confirmed a partial response during 11 courses of nivolumab. Since the occurrence of grade 4 diabetes mellitus after 12 courses of nivolumab, the patient was followed up without any treatment after the nivolumab discontinuation. Currently, the patient remains a partial response for 15 months since the nivolumab discontinuation and is alive for 31 months after disease recurrence.Conclusions: Acute irAE during nivolumab chemotherapy could be one of the crucial clinical factors to predict tumor suppression in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Systemic inflammation-based predictors of pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer patients: A propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Xu Ning , Li Wenliang , Huang Fengchang , Yang Jun , Wen Zhengqi , Yin Liang , Zhang Yunfei , Zhao Jingjiao , Zhou Ruize , Yang Jingyu
Published: June 2020

Background: In the management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), the relationship between systemic inflammation-based predictors and tumor response remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether these inflammatory factors can predict tumor response.Methods: Totally 205 LARC patients underwent neoadjuvant CRT and curative surgery between 2008 and 2017 were analyzed. After propensity score matching, 146 patients (73 matched pairs) were enrolled in this study. The hematological parameters were collected and their relationship with tumor response was investigated.Results: After propensity score matching, the neutrophil-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte-ratio (PLR) before CRT in good response group were significantly lower than those in poor response group, while there was no significant difference in all hematological characteristics between two groups after CRT. The cutoff values​​ of pre-CRT NLR and pre-CRT PLR were 3.10 and 198.7 after receiver operating characteristic analysis. Multivariate analysis model indicated that pre-CRT PLR was not related with tumor response, while pre-CRT NLR≥3.1 was the predictor of poor tumor response (OR=2.047, 95%CI =1.241-3.377, p=0.005). Besides, patients with NLR≥3.1 had a significantly poor tumor regression grade rates compared with patients with NLR<3.1 (p=0.036).Conclusion: The increased NLR before CRT can be regarded as a hematological factor for poor tumor response in LARC, and higher NLR also represents worse tumor regression grade.
Impact of Visceral Obesity on Chronic Obstipation, Inflammation, Immune Function and Cognitive Function Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Wan Yemin , Zhang Dan , Qian Yunzhi , Chang Shuchen , Qian Haihua
Published: June 2020

Background: Obesity has gained attention among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The impact of visceral obesity on chronic obstipation, inflammation, immune function and cognition after diagnosis of IBD is still unknown.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 140 IBD patients. Patients’ visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured by abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scans and were grouped according to visceral obesity. Baseline variables, chronic obstipation status, inflammation status and immune function were compared. The implications of visceral obesity on cognitive function were evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).Results: The prevalence of visceral obesity was 51% (37 out of 72) for CD patients and 26% for UC patients (18 out of 68 patients). CD patients with visceral obesity has higher incidence of chronic obstipation (81% vs. 57%, P = 0.028), higher IL-6 levels (9.3 vs. 6.0 pg/ml, P = 0.045) and lower CD4+ T cells (32.7% vs. 44.0%, P = 0.034). For UC patients, patients with visceral obesity have the tendency of higher IL-6 levels (7.2 vs. 6.0 pg/ml, P = 0.053).Conclusion: IBD patients had high risks of visceral obesity. Patients with visceral obesity had higher prevalence of chronic obstipation, higher inflammation levels, decreased immune function.
Long-Term Effect of Periodic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Manual Therapy Program in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Danazumi Musa Sani , Yakasai Abdulsalam Mohammed , Ibrahim Shehu Usman , Abubakar Mubarak Falke
Published: June 2020

Purpose of the Study: This case report describes the management of a fibromyalgia patient using Periodic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Manual Therapy (MT). Materials and Methods: A 41-year-old woman presented with a complaint of generalized body pain and fatigue which started 10 years ago. The pain was associated with mood changes and insomnia among other symptoms, and was not responsive to analgesics and traditional herbal medicine. The patient was diagnosed as having FMS. Three sets of anodal tDCS for 20 minutes each with an interval of 10 minutes between successive stimulations followed by 30 minutes of MT were administered on each treatment day. The treatment was given 2 times per week for 8 weeks, totaling 16 hours of tDCS and 8 hours of MT. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), at 1 (T1) and 2 months (T2) of intervention, and then at 4 (T3), 6 (T4) and 12 months (T5) of follow-up. Results: At 12 month follow-up (T5), outcomes indicated improvement in all symptoms (WPI=0, SS=0, FIQ=0, BPI=0, MFI-20=20, MOS=0, MASQ=38, SF-36=87, HADS=3). Conclusion: Periodic tDCS followed by MT may be used to enhance long-term remission of symptoms in a patient with FMS.
Effect of Favipiravir and an Anti-inflammatory Strategy for COVID-19
Authors: Yamamura Hitoshi , Matsuura Hiroshi , Nakagawa Junichiro , Fukuoka Hiroshi , Domi Hisaya , Chujoh Satoru
Published: June 2020

We attempted the cocktail treatment of favipiravir, steroid, and heparin for COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cocktail therapy for severe COVID-19.The treatment protocol was as follows: oral favipiravir (3600 mg on Day 1, 1600 mg from day 2 to day 14), methylprednisolone (1000 mg for 3 days), and low molecular weight (2000 IU every 12 h) or unfractionated heparin (10,000-12,000 IU/day). Thirteen patients with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation were admitted during the study period. Mean patient age was 63 (range, 46-80) years, and 69.0% were men. Only one patient required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Time from first symptom appearance to favipiravir administration was 8.7 (range, 4-13) days. The P/F ratio changed very little over the first 6 days and then gradually recovered. The Interleukin-6 peaked on Day 4 and decreased thereafter. Presepsin also peaked on Day 3, remained about the same until Day 6, and then decreased. The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 treatment with the cocktail in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 indicated that favipiravir could partially control inflammatory mediators but could not completely control them or respiratory status.
The Application of CRISPR/Cas9 System in Cervical Precancerous Lesions
Authors: Gao Chun , Wu Ping , Yu Lan , Liu Liting , Liu Hong , Tan Xiangyu , Wang Liming , Huang Xiaoyuan , Wang Hui
Published: June 2020

Background : The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system is becoming a promising gene therapy method. Herein, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of CRISPR/Cas9 system in cervical carcinogenesis, especially cervical precancerous lesions. Methods : In cervical cancer/pre-cancer cell lines, we transfected the CRISPR/Cas9, transcription activator–like effector nuclease (TALEN), and zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) plasmids, respectively. We used the cell apoptosis, cell viability, and colony formation assays to examine the efficiency and specificity of inhibition of cell apoptosis and growth between the different gene editing tools. Western blotting was used to estimate the related protein expression. We used xenograft formation assays to examine the ability of inhibition of cell growth in vivo. In the K14-HPV16 transgenic mice model of HPV-driven cervical carcinogenesis, we investigated the therapeutic effect by vaginal administration. Results : Compared to ZFN and TALEN, CRISPR/Cas9 has shown comparable efficiency and specificity of inhibition of cell apoptosis and growth in cervical cancer cell lines, which seem to be more pronounced in the S12 cell line derived from the low-grade cervical lesion. In xenograft formation assays, CRISPR/Cas9 could inhibit tumor formation in vivo and affects the expression of the corresponding protein. In the K14-HPV16 transgenic mice, CRISPR/Cas9 treatment caused mutations of the E7 gene and restored the expression of RB, E2F1, and CDK2, thereby reversing the cervical carcinogenesis phenotype. Conclusion : In this study, we have demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9 targeting HPV16 E7 could effectively reduce the expression of E7 protein in vitro. Additionally, it could revert the HPV-related cervical carcinogenesis in K14-HPV16 transgenic mice, which has shown great potential in clinical treatment.
The loss of flight in ant workers enabled an evolutionary redesign of the thorax for ground labour
Authors: Peeters Christian , Keller Roberto A. , Khalife Adam , Fischer Georg , Katzke Julian , Blanke Alexander , Economo Evan P.
Published: June 2020

Background

Explanations for the ecological dominance of ants generally focus on the benefits of division of labour and cooperation during foraging. However, the principal innovation of ants relative to their wasp ancestors was the evolution of a new phenotype: a wingless worker caste optimized for ground labour. Ant workers are famous for their ability to lift and carry heavy loads, but we know surprisingly little about the morphological basis of their strength. Here we examine the consequences of the universal loss of flight in ant workers on skeletomuscular adaptations in the thorax for enhanced foraging on six legs.

Results

Using X-ray microcomputed tomography and 3D segmentation, we compared winged queens and wingless workers in Euponera sikorae (subfamily Ponerinae) and Cataglyphis savignyi (subfamily Formicinae). Workers are characterized by five major changes to their thorax: i) fusion of the articulated flight thorax (queens) into a rigid box optimized to support the muscles that operate the head, legs and abdomen, ii) redesign of internal cuticular structures for better bracing and muscle attachment, iii) substantial enlargement of the neck muscles for suspending and moving the head, iv) lengthening of the external trochanter muscles, predominant for the leg actions that lift the body off the ground, v) modified angle of the petiole muscles that are key for flexion of the abdomen. We measured volumes and pennation angles for a few key muscles to assess their increased efficacy. Our comparisons of additional workers across five genera in subfamilies Dorylinae and Myrmicinae show these modifications in the wingless thorax to be consistent. In contrast, a mutillid wasp showed a different pattern of muscle adaptations as a result of the lack of wing muscles.

Conclusions

Rather than simply a subtraction of costly flight muscles, we propose the ant worker thorax evolved into a power core underlying stronger mandibles, legs, and sting. This contrasts with solitary flightless insects where the lack of central place foraging generated distinct selective pressures for rearranging the thorax. Stronger emphasis is needed on innovations of social insects as individuals at the phenotypic level to further our understanding of the evolution of social behaviours.
Intraoperative hypotension is not associated with adverse short-term postoperative outcomes after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients
Authors: Yeheyis Ephraim Teffera , Kassa Seyoum , Yeshitila Hiwot , Bekele Abebe
Published: June 2020

Background

The effect of low systolic blood pressure and its subsequent postoperative outcome during esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is not well studied.

Methods

Prospective study was conducted and data were collected on patients who underwent esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy for esophageal cancer. Intraoperative Hypotension (IOH), defined as Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) < 90 mm Hg lasting more than 5 minutes, was recorded. Patients’ 30 days post-operative composite outcome of mortality, anastomotic leak and prolonged hospital stay were analyzed as outcome variables

Result

A total of 54 patients underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer during the study period. The mean age was 54 years. Mean duration of the surgery was 208 minutes. Intraoperative mean low SBP was 80mmHg while the lowest record was 55 mmHg. IOH occurred in 51 .2 % (n=29) of patients; of these, 7.4% (n=4) had anastomotic leak (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.26-6.3; p=0.76) , mortality was 5.5% (n=3) (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.22- 9.3; p =0.7) and 33 % (n=18) had prolonged hospital stay (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.14- 1.9; p=0.34 ).Over all anastomotic leak rate was 13% (n=7). The 30 days operative mortality was 9.2% and 55 % (30) of patients had prolonged hospital stay. Multivariate analysis (logistic regression model) showed SBP < 90mmHg for more than 5 minutes was not significantly associated either with individual or composite out comes of mortality, anastomotic leak and prolonged hospital stay (AOR 1.06 ,95% CI 0.98-1.14; p=0.16)

Conclusion

In patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, a systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg for greater than 5 min during surgery has no significant statistical association either with individual or composite adverse outcomes of mortality, anastomotic leak and prolonged hospital stay.
Ergogenic effect of pre-exercise chicken broth ingestion on a high-intensity cycling time-trial
Authors: Barbaresi Silvia , Blancquaert Laura , Nikolovski Zoran , de Jager Sarah , Wilson Mathew , Everaert Inge , De Baere Siegrid , Croubels Siska , De Smet Stefaan , Cable Tim , Derave Wim
Published: June 2020

Background Chicken meat extract is a popular functional food in Asia. It is rich in the bioactive compounds carnosine and anserine, two histidine-containing dipeptides (HCD). Studies suggest that acute pre-exercise ingestion of chicken extracts has important applications towards exercise performance and fatigue control, but the evidence is equivocal. This study aimed to evaluate the ergogenic potential of the pre-exercise ingestion of a homemade chicken broth (CB) vs a placebo soup on a short-lasting, high-intensity cycling exercise. Methods Fourteen men participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover intervention study. Subjects ingested either CB, thereby receiving 46.4 mg/kg body weight of HCD, or a placebo soup (similar in taste without HCD) 40min before an 8min cycling time trial (TT) was performed. Venous blood samples were collected at arrival (fasted), before exercise and at 5min recovery. Plasma HCD were measured with UPLC-MS/MS and glutathione (in red blood cells) was measured through HPLC. Capillary blood samples were collected at different timepoints before and after exercise. Results A significant improvement (p=0.033; 5.2%) of the 8min TT mean power was observed after CB supplementation compared to placebo. Post-exercise plasma carnosine (p<0.05) and anserine (p<0.001) was significantly increased after CB supplementation and not following placebo. No significant effect of CB supplementation was observed either on blood glutathione levels, nor on capillary blood analysis. Conclusions Oral CB supplementation improved the 8min TT performance albeit it did not affect the acid-base balance or oxidative status parameters. Further research should unravel the potential role and mechanisms of HCD, present in CB, in this ergogenic approach.
SYBR-Green-Based Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Discriminating Between Closely Related Angiostrongylus Cantonensis and A. Malaysisensis
Authors: Jakkul Wallop , Chaisiri Kittipong , Saralamba Naowarat , Limpanont Yanin , Dusitsittipon Sirilak , Charoennitiwat Vachirapong , Thaenkham Urusa
Published: June 2020

Background: Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a well-known pathogen causing human angiostrongyliasis eosinophilic meningitis. Humans, as accidental hosts, are infected by eating undercooked snails containing third-stage larvae. A. malaysiensis is closely related to A. cantonensis and has been described as a potential human pathogen. Recently, the two species have been reported to have overlapping distributions in the same endemic area, particularly in the Indochina region. Because of their similar morphological characteristics, misidentification often occurs, particularly of the third-stage larva in the snail intermediate host. Methods: We designed species-specific primers to mitochondrial cytochrome b, which was used as a genetic marker. SYBR-green quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was employed to quantitatively detect and identify the third-stage larvae and tissue debris in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient, and to quantify third-stage larvae in the snail Achatina fulica collected from the field.Results: The newly designed primers were highly specific and sensitive, even when using conventional PCR. SYBR green qPCR quantitatively detected around 10−4 ng of genomic DNA from one larva and facilitated the specific detection and identification of parasitic genetic material from the CSF of a patient with angiostrongyliasis. The method also estimated the number of larvae in A. fulica and revealed that the primary source of Angiostrongylus infection in the King Rama IX public park study area was A. malaysiensis; although, the two Angiostrongylus species each infected 10% of the snails. Conclusions: Our SYBR green qPCR method is a useful and inexpensive technique for parasite identification and has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect a single larva and simultaneously discriminate between A. cantonensis and A. malaysiensis. The number of larvae infecting or co-infecting the snail intermediate host can also be estimated. In future research, this qPCR method could be employed in a molecular survey of A. cantonensis and A. malaysiensis occurrence within intermediate and definitive hosts. The technique should also be applied in a study analyzing CSF specimens from patients with eosinophilic meningitis to assess the usefulness of the method for clinical diagnosis.
Wolbachia Infection in Wild Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): Implications for Transmission Modes and Host-Endosymbiont Associations
Authors: Ding Huicong , Yeo Huiqing , Puniamoorthy Nalini
Published: June 2020

Background: Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterial endosymbiont found in most insect lineages. In mosquitoes, the endosymbiont’s influence on host reproduction and arboviral transmission has spurred numerous studies aimed at using Wolbachia-infection as a vector control technique. However, there exist several gaps in the literature regarding the natural Wolbachia infection across species, modes of transmission as well as the associations between various Wolbachia lineages and their hosts. This study aims to address these by exploring mosquito-Wolbachia associations and their evolutionary implications.Methods: We conducted tissue-specific PCR screening of Wolbachia infection in wild mosquitoes from Singapore using the wsp molecular marker. Tissues examined include leg, gut, and reproductive tissues. We also explored mosquito-Wolbachia associations using three methods – a tanglegram, distance-based, and event-based method, and inferred instances of vertical transmission and host shifts. Results: We screened 271 adult mosquitoes (41 species and 14 genera) for Wolbachia and found that 43.9% of all individuals harboured Wolbachia. Eight out of the 21 infected species were not previously reported. We detected Wolbachia infections predominantly in the reproductive tissues, a strong indication of vertical transmission. Despite this, Wolbachia infection rates vary widely within a mosquito host species. There was no clear signal of co-phylogeny between the mosquito hosts and the twelve putative Wolbachia strains observed in our study. Host shift events were also observed. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the mosquito-Wolbachia relationship is complex and that a combination of transmission modes and multiple evolutionary events likely explain the distribution of Wolbachia diversity observed across mosquito hosts. This has implications towards understanding Wolbachia’s diversity, ecology, and utility as a biocontrol method.
Effective Stress and Shear Strength of Moist Uniform Spheres
Authors: Toker N. Kartal , Germaine John T. , Culligan Patricia J.
Published: June 2020

In continuum soil mechanics, the mechanical behavior of an element of soil is related to the effective stress, which is a measure of the average stress transmitted through the solid matrix in the form of contact stresses. In unsaturated soils, the coexistence of water and air within the soil pore space complicates this concept because the microscopic distribution of each fluid phase in soil pores cannot be known. Because it is thus not possible to physically measure effective stress in unsaturated soils, it is often estimated through the experimentally measurable shear strength. A conceptual model based on contact shear forces was built on the contact normal force based models from the literature to link effective stress and shear strength of the continuum to total stress and microscopic pore fluid forces for the simplified case of uniform spherical particles at low water contents. The validity of both models was examined by comparing model predictions of shear strength with the results of drained triaxial compression tests performed on specimens of uniform glass spheres. Although the shear strength calculated by the new model was consistently larger than that calculated via the contact normal force models, values measured in the experiments were even larger. Nevertheless, the test results fit what the new model analytically showed: the friction angle of a soil does not change with desaturation, and introducing moisture in the form of liquid bridges at contacts is fundamentally different from applying an equivalent isotropic stress to the soil externally.
Waste of Research. Is There Any Solution? “Beginning from the Beginning” instead of “Beginning from the End”
Authors: Amirfakhryan Hamideh
Published: June 2020

There have always been challenges concerning tackling knowledge to practice. It is estimated that 85% of the investment in health research are wasted. Due to low quality, not all systematic review and meta-analysis are placed at the top of the hierarchy of evidence. Many individual clinical trials do not have the essential standards; therefore, conducting systematic reviews based on these low-quality individual studies is unreliable as they cannot be applied in healthcare decision-making and lead to resource waste. To overcome this great issue, several organizations have been worked hard to improve data extraction from only well-developed individual studies. However, it is not sufficient.

It is time to stop and look back all years behind. It is time to reconsider our efforts to make the best conclusion in order to prohibit the huge waste of energy, time, and resources. The old viewpoint “the Beginning from the End” must be replaced with the new one “the Beginning from the Beginning”.  It means, we must do all struggles to conduct clinical trials in a standard high-quality format from the beginning as much as we could. Although, it does not seem easy, it might be possible by funding a high discipline, well-respected organization that is engaged in this critical issue. The supposed organization must define standards, flexible criteria for clinical trials, and all investigators must perform clinical trials under the supervision of this organization. Providing a considerable financial resource to grant the researches of the low- and middle-income countries to do clinical trials based on the designed protocol, considering an independent, high discipline journal for publishing well-conducted clinical trials regardless of their results, teaching researchers, considering another efficient policy to rank the journals rather than “impact factor” could help achieve this far-reach goal.
Esquemas de argumentação para a interpretação da lei
Authors: Macagno Fabrizio
Published: June 2020

RESUMO:Neste artigo demonstra-se como os esquemas argumentativos (esquemas que representam argumentos refutáveis, combinados com perguntas críticas correspondentes), podem ser usados para representar a estrutura lógica dos vários tipos de argumentos reconhecidos como fundamentais na interpretação da lei por Tarello (1980). Defende-se que o processo de interpretação da lei tem uma estrutura argumentativa distinta na qual a conclusão, nomeadamente o significado disputável ou questionado atribuído a uma fonte jurídica, é uma afirmação que necessita ser respaldada por argumentos refutáveis a favor ou contra. Esta transformação de argumentos de interpretação numa estrutura de esquemas argumentativos é analisada em detalhe em dois argumentos, o argumento psicológico e o argumento a contrario. A natureza refutável de cada esquema é demonstrada por meio de questões críticas que identificam as condições padrão para a aceitação de argumentos interpretativos e fornecem um método para avaliar a força ou a fraqueza de um determinado argumento.  ABSTRACT:In this paper, the logical structures of the interpretative arguments summarizing the various interpretative canons considered fundamental by Tarello (1980) are represented by argumentation schemes, namely patterns of defeasible arguments combined with their corresponding critical questions. The process of statutory interpretation is shown to have a specific argumentative structure where the conclusion corresponds to the disputed or questionable meaning attributed to a legal source and needs to be supported and attacked through defeasible arguments. This translation of interpretative arguments into argumentation schemes is illustrated in detail considering two specific arguments, the psychological and the a contrario arguments. The defeasibility conditions of each scheme are summarized in a set of critical questions, which identify the default conditions for accepting interpretative arguments and provide a method for evaluating a given argument as weak or strong.
Reforma Trabalhista: tentativa de clausura hermenêutica na nova redação do art. 8º da CLT
Authors: Serau Júnior Marco Aurélio , Brito Laura Souza Lima e
Published: June 2020

RESUMO:O presente artigo realiza um cotejo das alterações hermenêuticas contidas na reforma da CLT com as mudanças da teoria do direito do último século para demonstrar que os caminhos tomados pela CLT reformada estão na contramão da ciência jurídica. Para tanto, foram verificados (i) a localização do Direito do Trabalho na ciência jurídica; (ii) o alcance da separação entre direito público e direito privado na atualidade; (iii) o perfil legalista e positivista da CLT reformada; e (iv) o papel do Poder Judiciário na efetivação de direitos sociais fundamentais. Conclui-se pela inadequação da alteração inserida no artigo 8º da CLT, que pretende promover uma clausura hermenêutica no âmbito do Direito do TrabalhoABSTRACT:This article makes a confrontation of the hermeneutic changes contained in the labor reform bill and the changes in theory of law of the last century to demonstrate that the paths taken in said reform are contradictory to the Legal Sciences. Therefore, we verified (i) the location of Labor Law in the legal sciences; (ii) the scope of the separation between public law and private law at the present; (iii) the legalist and positivist profile of the reformed Labor Bill; and (iv) the role of the Judiciary in the implementation of fundamental social rights. It is concluded by the inadequacy of the amendment inserted in article 8 of the CLT, which intends to promote a hermeneutical closure in the scope of Labor Law.
Editorial da seção especial "Terceirização e Reforma Trabalhista"
Authors: Basualdo Victoria , Silva Sayonara Grillo Coutinho Leonardo da , Carelli Rodrigo Da Lacerda
Published: June 2020

RESUMO: Editorial da seção especial "Terceirização e Reforma Trabaalhista"ABSTRACT:Editorial (Introduction to the Special Issue "Tercerização e Reforma Trabalhista")
AHŞAP MALZEMELERİN ISLANABİLİRLİK ÖZELLİĞİ ÜZERİNE ISIL İŞLEM UYGULAMASININ ETKİSİ
Authors: KILINÇARSLAN Şemsettin , ŞİMŞEK Yasemin
Published: June 2020

Ahşap malzeme yapılarda kullanılan en eski yapı malzemelerinden biridir ve birçok alanda kullanılmaktadır. Ancak bu malzemenin hidrofilik bir malzeme olması kullanım alanını sınırlandırmaktadır. Bu nedenle geliştirilmiş birçok odun modifikasyon yöntemleri bulunmaktadır. Bu odun modifikasyon yöntemlerinden biri de ahşap malzemenin ısıl işleme tabi tutulmasıdır. Ahşap malzemenin ısıl işleme tabi tutulması çevre dostu bir ağaç koruma yöntemi olmasından dolayı büyük ilgi görmektedir. Isıl işleme tabi tutulmamış ahşap malzeme hidrofiliktir. Ancak ısıl işleme tabi tutulduktan sonra ahşap malzeme hidrofobik özellik kazanmakta ve biyolojik saldırılara karşı daha dirençli hale gelmektedir. Ayrıca, ısıl işlem görmemiş malzemeye kıyasla boyutsal olarak daha kararlı hale gelmektedir. Isıl işlem, farklı ağaç türlerinden elde edilen odunlar üzerinde farklı etkiler oluşturmaktadır. Isıl işlem görmüş ahşabın ıslanma özelliklerinin incelenmesi, ahşap malzemenin hidrofobiklik özelliği üzerine ısıl işlem etkilerinin incelenmesinde iyi bir göstergedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, ısıl işlem görmüş Sedir ve Iroko ağaç türünün dinamik ıslatma özelliklerini incelemektir. Çalışmada elde edilen veriler ısıl işlem uygulanmış örneklerin temas açısı değerlerinin kontrol örneklerine göre daha yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Dolayısıyla, ısıl işlem uygulamasının ağaç malzemenin ıslanabilirlik özelliğini azalttığı söylenebilmektedir.
TÜRKİYE’DEKİ GÜNCEL BİYOKÜTLE POTANSİYELİNİN BELİRLENMESİ VE YAKILMASIYLA ENERJİ ÜRETİMİ İYİ BİR ALTERNATİF OLAN BİYOKÜTLE ATIKLAR İÇİN SEKTÖREL AÇIDAN VE TOPLAM YANMA ENERJİ DEĞERLERİNİN HESAPLANMASI
Authors: GÜREL Barış
Published: June 2020

Türkiye’nin hızla gelişen ekonomisinden ve yüksek nüfus artışından dolayı; Türkiye’deki elektrik enerjisi tüketimi 2018 yılında bir önceki yıla göre %2,2 artarak 304,2 milyar kWh, elektrik üretimi ise bir önceki yıla göre %2,2 oranında artarak 304,8 milyar kWh olarak gerçekleşmiştir. 2019 yılı Eylül ayı sonu itibarıyla Türkiye’nin kurulu gücü 90.720 MW'a ulaşmıştır. 2019 yılı Eylül ayı sonu itibarıyla kurulu gücümüzün kaynaklara göre dağılımı; yüzde 31,4’ü hidrolik enerji, yüzde 28,6’sı doğal gaz, yüzde 22,4’ü kömür, yüzde 8,1’i rüzgâr, yüzde 6,2’si güneş, yüzde 1,6’sı jeotermal ve yüzde 1,7’si ise diğer kaynaklar şeklindedir. Enerji ihtiyacımızın günden güne artmasına rağmen, Türkiye birincil enerji talebinin %76’sını ithalat yoluyla karşılamaktadır. Enerji ihtiyacımızın kendi öz kaynaklarımız ile karşılanması durumunda hem ülke ekonomimizin dışa bağımlılığının azaltılması hem de maliyetlerin azaltılması sağlanabilecektir. Türkiye’nin biyokütle atık potansiyelinin yaklaşık 8,6 milyon ton eşdeğer petrol (MTEP) ve üretilebilecek biyogaz miktarının ise 1,5-2 MTEP olduğu tahmin edilmektedir. Yerli enerji kaynaklarımızdan biri olan biyokütle Türkiye açısından önemli bir potansiyele sahiptir ve bu anlamda biyokütle odaklı enerji politikalarının geliştirilmesinin Türkiye’de sürdürülebilir, yerli, ucuz ve temiz enerji eldesin de ciddi anlamda kazançlar sağlayacağı aşikardır. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’deki güncel atık biyokütle potansiyeli belirlenmiş ve atıkların yakılması suretiyle elde edilecek enerji miktarları atık bazında hesaplanmıştır. Türkiye’de ki hayvansal, tarımsal, kentsel organik, kereste, endüstriyel odun üretimi, ahşap bazlı panel ve arıtma çamuru atık miktarları belirlenmiş ve yakılarak kullanılması enerji üretimi açısından iyi bir alternatif olan atıkların yanma enerji değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Sonuç olarak Türkiye’deki toplam biyokütle atıkların yanma enerji değeri 2018 yılında 184,647 PJ’dür. Ayrıca, potansiyeli en fazla atık olan tavuk atıklarının temiz ve verimli yakılması için gerekli olan teknolojilerin geliştirilmesi ve altyapının oluşturulmasının Türkiye’de hem sürdürülebilir hem de temiz/ucuz enerji eldesi için önem arz edeceği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Leveraging Walking Performance to Understand Work Fatigue Among Young Adults: Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Yan Xinghui , Rau Pei-Luen Patrick , Zhong Runting
Published: June 2020

Background

Work fatigue negatively impacts personal health in the long term. Prior research has indicated the possibility of leveraging both walking parameters and perceptual measures to assess a person’s fatigue status. However, an effective and ubiquitous approach to assessing work fatigue in young adults remains unexplored.

Objective

The goals of this paper were to (1) explore how walking rhythms and multiple streams of data, including reaction time, self-reports, and an activity diary, reflect work-induced fatigue in the lab setting; (2) identify the relationship between objective performance and subjective perception in indicating fatigue status and fatigability; and (3) propose a mobile-based assessment for work-induced fatigue that uses multiple measurements.

Methods

We conducted a 2-day in-lab study to measure participants’ fatigue status using multiple measurements, including the stair climb test (SCT), the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and the reaction time test. Both the SCT and the 6MWT were conducted at different points in time and under 2 conditions (measurement time, including prior to and after work, and pace, including normal and fast). Participants reported their fatigue perception through questionnaires completed before conducting walking tests and in an activity diary recorded over a week. Walking performance data were collected by a smartphone with a built-in 3-axis accelerometer. To examine the effect of fatigability on walking performance, we first clustered participants into 2 groups based on their reported mental fatigue level in the entry surveys and then compared their walking performance using a generalized linear model (GLM). The reaction time was examined using a 2-way repeated-measures GLM. We conducted semistructured interviews to understand participants’ fatigue perception after each day’s walking tests.

Results

All participants (N=26; mean age 24.68 years) were divided into 2 groups—the fatigue-sensitive group (11/26, 42%) and the fatigue-nonsensitive group (15/26, 58%)—based on their mental subscores from 3 entry surveys: Fatigue Scale-14, Three-Dimensional Work Fatigue Inventory, and Fatigue Self-Assessment Scale (FSAS). The fatigue-sensitive group reported a significantly higher FSAS score in the before-work setting (t50=–3.361; P=.001). The fatigue-sensitive group covered fewer steps than the fatigue-nonsensitive group (β1=–0.099; SE 0.019; t1=–5.323; P<.001) and had a higher step-to-step time variability in the 6MWT (β1=9.61 × 10–4; t1=2.329; P=.02). No strong correlation between subjective and objective measurements was observed in the study.

Conclusions

Walking parameters, including step counts and step-to-step time variability, and some selected scales (eg, FSAS) were found to reflect participants’ work-induced fatigue. Overall, our work suggests the opportunity of employing mobile-based walking measurements to indicate work fatigue among young adults.
How Can Artificial Intelligence Make Medicine More Preemptive?
Authors: Iqbal Usman , Celi Leo Anthony , Li Yu-Chuan Jack
Published: June 2020

In this paper we propose the idea that Artificial intelligence (AI) is ushering in a new era of “Earlier Medicine,” which is a predictive approach for disease prevention based on AI modeling and big data. The flourishing health care technological landscape is showing great potential—from diagnosis and prescription automation to the early detection of disease through efficient and cost-effective patient data screening tools that benefit from the predictive capabilities of AI. Monitoring the trajectories of both in- and outpatients has proven to be a task AI can perform to a reliable degree. Predictions can be a significant advantage to health care if they are accurate, prompt, and can be personalized and acted upon efficiently. This is where AI plays a crucial role in “Earlier Medicine” implementation.
Effective Gamification of the Stop-Signal Task: Two Controlled Laboratory Experiments
Authors: Friehs Maximilian Achim , Dechant Martin , Vedress Sarah , Frings Christian , Mandryk Regan Lee
Published: June 2020

Background

A lack of ability to inhibit prepotent responses, or more generally a lack of impulse control, is associated with several disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia as well as general damage to the prefrontal cortex. A stop-signal task (SST) is a reliable and established measure of response inhibition. However, using the SST as an objective assessment in diagnostic or research-focused settings places significant stress on participants as the task itself requires concentration and cognitive effort and is not particularly engaging. This can lead to decreased motivation to follow task instructions and poor data quality, which can affect assessment efficacy and might increase drop-out rates. Gamification—the application of game-based elements in nongame settings—has shown to improve engaged attention to a cognitive task, thus increasing participant motivation and data quality.

Objective

This study aims to design a gamified SST that improves participants’ engagement and validate this gamified SST against a standard SST.

Methods

We described the design of our gamified SST and reported on 2 separate studies that aim to validate the gamified SST relative to a standard SST. In study 1, a within-subject design was used to compare the performance of the SST and a stop-signal game (SSG). In study 2, we added eye tracking to the procedure to determine if overt attention was affected and aimed to replicate the findings from study 1 in a between-subjects design. Furthermore, in both studies, flow and motivational experiences were measured.

Results

In contrast, the behavioral performance was comparable between the tasks (P<.87; BF01=2.87), and the experience of flow and intrinsic motivation were rated higher in the SSG group, although this difference was not significant.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings provide evidence that the gamification of SST is possible and that the SSG is enjoyed more. Thus, when participant engagement is critical, we recommend using the SSG instead of the SST.