bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Palliation of chronic breathlessness with morphine in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease – a randomised placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Kronborg-White Sissel , Andersen Charlotte Uggerhøj , Kohberg Charlotte , Hilberg Ole , Bendstrup Elisabeth
Published: July 2020

Background

Patients suffering from fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (fILD) have a poor prognosis and a high symptom burden. Palliative treatment includes relief of symptoms such as breathlessness. There is no evidence-based treatment for chronic breathlessness but opioids are often used despite concerns due to the hypothetical risk of respiratory depression. This study investigated the effect of oral morphine drops in patients with fILD on chronic breathlessness and safety.

Methods

In a double-blinded placebo-controlled study, 36 patients with fILD were randomised to either four daily doses of 5 mg of oral morphine drops or placebo for 1 week. Endpoints and safety parameters were obtained at baseline, at follow-up after 1 h and 1 week.

Results

The primary endpoint, the visual analogue score (VAS) of dyspnea was reduced by 1.1 ± 0.33 cm in the morphine group at follow-up compared to baseline (P < 0.01), whereas the reduction was 0.35 ± 0.47 cm in the placebo group. However, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.2). Oral morphine drops did not affect respiratory frequency, pulse rate, blood pressure, peripheral saturation or the 6-min walk test. More patients treated with morphine reported constipation, nausea and confusion.

Conclusion

Oral administration of morphine drops, 20 mg a day, in patients with fILD did not significantly reduce dyspnea VAS score during 1 week compared to placebo. Oral morphine did not induce respiratory depression, but was related to an increased risk of constipation, nausea and confusion.

Trial registration

The trial is registered in clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier:NCT02622022). Registered 4 December 2015.
Correction to: Toda mujer en el mundo debe tener un cuidado respetuoso durante el parto: una reflexión
Authors: Belizán José M. , Miller Suellen , Williams Caitlin , Pingray Verónica
Published: July 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Yin Yang 1 is critical for mid-hindbrain neuroepithelium development and involved in cerebellar agenesis
Authors: Dong Xiaonan , Kwan Kin Ming
Published: July 2020

The highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed transcription factorYin Yang 1(Yy1), was named after its dual functions of both activating and repressing gene transcription.Yy1plays complex roles in various fundamental biological processes such as the cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Patients with dominantYy1mutations suffer from central nervous system (CNS) developmental defects. However, the role ofYy1in mammalian CNS development remains to be fully elucidated. The isthmus organizer locates to the mid-hindbrain (MHB) boundary region and serves as the critical signaling center during midbrain and cerebellar early patterning. To study the function ofYy1in mesencephalon/ rhombomere 1 (mes/r1) neuroepithelium development, we utilized the tissue-specificCre-LoxPsystem and generated a conditional knockout mouse line to inactivateYy1in the MHB region. Mice withYy1deletion in the mes/r1 region displayed cerebellar agenesis and dorsal midbrain hypoplasia. TheYy1deleted neuroepithelial cells underwent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, with the concurrent changes of cell cycle regulatory genes expression, as well as activation of the p53 pathway. Moreover, we found thatYy1is involved in the transcriptional activation ofWnt1in neural stem cells. Thus, our work demonstrates the involvement ofYy1in cerebellar agenesis and the critical function ofYy1in mouse early MHB neuroepithelium maintenance and development.
Effects of the weight of shoes on calf muscle simulation
Authors: Wang I‐Lin , Chen Yi‐Ming , Zhang Ke‐Ke , Gou Ming , Li Jia‐Qi , Jiang Yu‐Hong
Published: July 2020

The current study investigated the effects of shoes of different weights on calf individual muscle contributions during a running cycle. Twenty male runners ran on a force platform with shoes of four different weights (175 g, 255 g, 335 g, and 415 g). The study evaluated runners' lower extremity muscle forces under the four shoe weight conditions using a musculoskeletal modeling system. The system generates equality and inequality constraint equations to simulate muscle forces. The individual muscle contributions in each calf were determined using these muscle forces. Data were compared using one‐way repeated‐measure ANOVA. The results revealed significant differences in the contributions of the gastrocnemius lateralis. Post hoc comparisons revealed that running in the 175 g shoes resulted in a larger contribution of the gastrocnemius lateralis than running in the 415 g shoes during the braking phase. Therefore, wearing lightweight shoes while running may promote fatigue in the gastrocnemius muscle during the braking phase. The calf muscle activation results may indicate that an adaptation period is warranted when changing from heavy to lightweight shoes.
Ventilation, oxidative stress and risk of brain injury in preterm newborn
Authors: Cannavò Laura , Rulli Immacolata , Falsaperla Raffaele , Corsello Giovanni , Gitto Eloisa
Published: July 2020

Preterm infants have an increased risk of cognitive and behavioral deficits and cerebral palsy compared to term born babies. Especially before 32 weeks of gestation, infants may require respiratory support, but at the same time, ventilation is known to induce oxidative stress, increasing the risk of brain injury. Ventilation may cause brain damage through two pathways: localized cerebral inflammatory response and hemodynamic instability. During ventilation, the most important causes of pro-inflammatory cytokine release are oxygen toxicity, barotrauma and volutrauma. The purpose of this review was to analyze the mechanism of ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI) and the relationship between brain injury and VILI in order to provide the safest possible respiratory support to a premature baby. As gentle ventilation from the delivery room is needed to reduce VILI, it is recommended to start ventilation with 21–30% oxygen, prefer a non-invasive respiratory approach and, if mechanical ventilation is required, prefer low Positive End-Expiratory Pressure and tidal volume.
Serum concentration of asprosin in new-onset type 2 diabetes
Authors: Naiemian Shakiba , Naeemipour Mohsen , Zarei Mehdi , Lari Najafi Moslem , Gohari Ali , Behroozikhah Mohammad Reza , Heydari Hafez , Miri Mohammad
Published: July 2020

Background

Asprosin, a newly identified adipokine, is pathologically increased in individuals with insulin resistance. However, the available evidence on the association of asprosin and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status is still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between serum concentrations of asprosin and T2DM status.

Methods

This observational study was performed based on 194 adults (97 newly diagnosed T2DM and 97 healthy individuals). Anthropometric and biochemical variables were determined in all participants. Serum concentrations of asprosin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

In patients with T2DM, the serum concentrations of asprosin were significantly higher than the healthy controls (4.18 [IQR: 4.4] vs. 3.5 [IQR: 1.85], P < 0.001). The concentrations of asprosin were significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in healthy subjects and with BMI, FBG, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and quantitative insulin check index (QUICKI), triacylglycerol (TAG) and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio in the T2DM group. In fully adjusted model, the odds ratio (OR) of T2DM with serum concentrations of asprosin was approximately 1.547 (95% CI 1.293–1.850, P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that FBG and HOMA-IR were independently associated with asprosin in T2DM.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated that serum concentrations of asprosin are increased in patients with T2DM. Also, asprosin is correlated with insulin resistance and TC/HDL-C ratio (atherosclerotic risk factor of cardiovascular diseases) in patients with T2DM.
Impact of prematurity and the CTG repeat length on outcomes in congenital myotonic dystrophy
Authors: Saito Yu , Matsumura Kenta , Kageyama Misao , Kato Yuichi , Ohta Eiji , Sumi Kiyoaki , Futatani Takeshi , Yoshida Taketoshi
Published: July 2020

Objective

Patients with congenital myotonic dystrophy (CDM) tend to be born preterm. Although the CDM severity generally depends on the CTG repeat length, prematurity may also affect the prognosis in patients with CDM. Given that preterm birth is expected to increase the risk of CDM in newborns, we investigated the outcomes of newborns with CDM according to gestational age to assess prematurity and the CTG repeat length for predicting prognosis.

Results

We assessed the outcomes of 54 infants with CDM using data collected from our hospitals and previously published studies. The patients were divided into mild and severe groups based on clinical outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for CDM prognosis according to gestational age and the CTG repeat length and to construct a predictive model. Logistic regression analysis showed both the CTG repeat and gestational age were significantly associated with severe outcomes in patients with CDM (OR: 32.27, 95% CI 3.45–300.7; p = 0.002 and OR: 0.73, 95% CI 0.58–0.93; p = 0.0094, respectively). This predictive model for CDM prognosis exhibited good sensitivity (63%) and specificity (86%). Both prematurity and the CTG repeat length were significantly associated with the CDM severity.
SEIR model for COVID-19 dynamics incorporating the environment and social distancing
Authors: Mwalili Samuel , Kimathi Mark , Ojiambo Viona , Gathungu Duncan , Mbogo Rachel
Published: July 2020

Objective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic respiratory illness spreading from person-to-person caused by a novel coronavirus and poses a serious public health risk. The goal of this study was to apply a modified susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) compartmental mathematical model for prediction of COVID-19 epidemic dynamics incorporating pathogen in the environment and interventions. The next generation matrix approach was used to determine the basic reproduction number $$R_0$$

R
0

. The model equations are solved numerically using fourth and fifth order Runge–Kutta methods.

Results

We found an $$R_0$$

R
0

of 2.03, implying that the pandemic will persist in the human population in the absence of strong control measures. Results after simulating various scenarios indicate that disregarding social distancing and hygiene measures can have devastating effects on the human population. The model shows that quarantine of contacts and isolation of cases can help halt the spread on novel coronavirus.
Context pre-modeling: an empirical analysis for classification based user-centric context-aware predictive modeling
Authors: Sarker Iqbal H. , Alqahtani Hamed , Alsolami Fawaz , Khan Asif Irshad , Abushark Yoosef B. , Siddiqui Mohammad Khubeb
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, machine learning classification techniques have been successfully used while building data-driven intelligent predictive systems in various application areas including smartphone apps. For an effective context-aware system, context pre-modeling is considered as a key issue and task, as the representation of contextual data directly influences the predictive models. This paper mainly explores the role of major context pre-modeling tasks, such as context vectorization by defining a good numerical measure through transformation and normalization, context generation and extraction by creating new brand principal components, context selection by taking into account a subset of original contexts according to their correlations, and eventually context evaluation, to build effective context-aware predictive models utilizing multi-dimensional contextual data. For creating models, various popular machine learning classification techniques such as decision tree, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, support vector machines, naive Bayes classifier, and deep learning by constructing a neural network of multiple hidden layers, are used in our study. Based on the context pre-modeling tasks and classification methods, we experimentally analyze user-centric smartphone usage behavioral activities utilizing their contextual datasets. The effectiveness of these machine learning context-aware models is examined by considering prediction accuracy, in terms of precision, recall, f-score, and ROC values, and has been made an empirical discussion in various dimensions within the scope of our study.
Examining the role of spatial skills and mathematics motivation on middle school mathematics achievement
Authors: Atit Kinnari , Power Jason R. , Veurink Norma , Uttal David H. , Sorby Sheryl , Panther Grace , Msall Camille , Fiorella Logan , Carr Martha
Published: July 2020

Background

Spatial skills and mathematical ability have been repeatedly identified as critical for achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified correlations between spatial skills and mathematical achievement; however, questions remain regarding improvements in non-spatial areas associated with STEM achievement. The current study examined whether competency in spatial skills could be related to individuals’ motivation for mathematics. Measures of spatial skills and mathematics motivation were completed by 1056 seventh grade students.

Results

Using hierarchical linear modeling, spatial skills and math motivation were examined relative to students’ performance on a state standardized mathematics subtest. Results indicate that spatial skills and motivation interact to significantly predict students’ mathematics performance.

Conclusions

These results suggest that spatial skills in combination with motivation play a significant role in middle school students’ mathematics achievement.
Sutureless technique using the left atrial appendage for left pulmonary vein occlusion after catheter ablation
Authors: Wakabayashi Naohiro , Hirofuji Aina , Ishikawa Natsuya , Kamiya Hiroyuki
Published: July 2020

Background

Pulmonary vein stenosis or occlusion is a rare but one of the most devastating complications after catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias, and surgical repair is an option in severe cases. The sutureless technique, which avoids direct suture of vessel walls, was initially described for congenital pulmonary vein stenosis and has been widely performed due to its good restenosis-free rate.

Case presentation

A 52-year-old male developed left pulmonary vein occlusion after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. The surgical repair with sutureless technique using the left atrial appendage was performed without any complications. Postoperative computed tomography demonstrated the revascularization of the pulmonary vein.

Conclusions

The sutureless technique using the left atrial appendage is significantly reasonable particularly in case of left pulmonary vein stenosis or occlusion after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation since it reduces the risks of restenosis and thromboembolism.
Prediction of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by early detection of subclinical right ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Planek Maria Isabel Camara , Manshad Ahmad , Hein Kyaw , Hemu Mohamad , Ballout Fatima , Varandani Rajiv , Venugopal Parameswaran , Okwuosa Tochukwu
Published: July 2020

Background

Doxorubicin remains one of the most common causes of cardiotoxicity in patients with lymphoma, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Early decline in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction predicts chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and mortality, but limited data exist on doxorubicin-induced subclinical right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. We investigated dose-dependent subclinical doxorubicin-induced RV dysfunction in lymphoma patients.

Methods

Thirty-five patients with adult lymphoma treated with doxorubicin were studied. All patients had normal baseline LV ejection fraction (LVEF > 55%), and no known cardiopulmonary disease. We studied the dose-dependent effect of doxorubicin on RV strain by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) using a vendor-independent software (TomTec). Images were analyzed offline by two independent observers blinded to the clinical characteristics of the study population. Baseline LVEF, RV fractional area change (RV FAC), RV free wall strain (RV FWS), and RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) were measured prior to chemotherapy initiation and compared with echo studies obtained at a 6-month follow-up interval. Patients served as their own controls. Comparisons between pre- and post-therapy were achieved using paired Student’s t-tests or Chi-Square test.

Results

The Interobserver Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for RV GLS, RV FAC and RV FWS, was 0.87, 0.81 and 0.79, respectively. The mean age was 51 ± 13 years, 40% women, 60% white. The mean cumulative doxorubicin dose was 239 ± 104 mg m− 2. There was there was significant decline in RV FAC (47.3 ± 4.4% vs. 43.7 ± 3.9%), RV FWS (− 24.9 ± 3.3 vs. -22.2 ± 2.9), and RV GLS (− 22.4 ± 4.1 vs. -20.6 ± 3.4) (all p < 0.01); but no significant decline in LVEF during the 6-month follow up (63.3 ± 6.2% vs. 61.6 ± 11.1%, p = 0.374). At cumulative doxorubicin dose ≥200 mg m− 2 we found a significant decline in RV FAC (47.0 ± 4.7% vs. 42.2 ± 3.1%, p < 0.01), RV FWS (− 24.6 ± 3.6 vs. -21.5 ± 2.4, p < 0.01), and RV GLS (− 22.3 ± 4.5 vs. -20.1 ± 2.9, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

In this cohort of adult lymphoma patients, doxorubicin-based therapy was associated with subclinical RV dysfunction, but not LV dysfunction, at a cumulative dose ≥200 mg m− 2. Additional studies evaluating the long-term prognostic implications of RV dysfunction in this population are essential.
Identification of MMP1 as a potential gene conferring erlotinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer based on bioinformatics analyses
Authors: Zhou Huyue , Xiang Qiumei , Hu Changpeng , Zhang Jing , Zhang Qian , Zhang Rong
Published: July 2020

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the major type of lung cancer with high morbidity and poor prognosis. Erlotinib, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has been clinically applied for NSCLC treatment. Nevertheless, the erlotinib acquired resistance of NSCLC occurs inevitably in recent years.

Methods

Through analyzing two microarray datasets, erlotinib resistant NSCLC cells microarray (GSE80344) and NSCLC tissue microarray (GSE19188), the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened via R language. DEGs were then functionally annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, which up-regulated more than 2-folds in both datasets were further functionally analyzed by Oncomine, GeneMANIA, R2, Coremine, and FunRich.

Results

We found that matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) may confer the erlotinib therapeutic resistance in NSCLC. MMP1 highly expressed in erlotinib-resistant cells and NSCLC tissues, and it associated with poor overall survival. In addition, MMP1 may be associated with COPS5 and be involve in an increasing transcription factors HOXA9 and PBX1 in erlotinib resistance.

Conclusions

Generally, these results demonstrated that MMP1 may play a crucial role in erlotinib resistance in NSCLC, and MMP1 could be a prognostic biomarker for erlotinib treatment.
Quantifying professionalism in peer review
Authors: Gerwing Travis G. , Allen Gerwing Alyssa M. , Avery-Gomm Stephanie , Choi Chi-Yeung , Clements Jeff C. , Rash Joshua A.
Published: July 2020

Background

The process of peer-review in academia has attracted criticism surrounding issues of bias, fairness, and professionalism; however, frequency of occurrence of such comments is unknown.

Methods

We evaluated 1491 sets of reviewer comments from the fields of “Ecology and Evolution” and “Behavioural Medicine,” of which 920 were retrieved from the online review repository Publons and 571 were obtained from six early career investigators. Comment sets were coded for the occurrence of “unprofessional comments” and “incomplete, inaccurate or unsubstantiated critiques” using an a-prior rubric based on our published research. Results are presented as absolute numbers and percentages.

Results

Overall, 12% (179) of comment sets included at least one unprofessional comment towards the author or their work, and 41% (611) contained incomplete, inaccurate of unsubstantiated critiques (IIUC).

Conclusions

The large number of unprofessional comments, and IIUCs observed could heighten psychological distress among investigators, particularly those at an early stage in their career. We suggest that development and adherence to a universally agreed upon reviewer code of conduct is necessary to improve the quality and professional experience of peer review.
Preclinical models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma for a basic understanding of cancer biology and its translation into efficient therapies
Authors: Tinhofer Ingeborg , Braunholz Diana , Klinghammer Konrad
Published: July 2020

Comprehensive molecular characterization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has led to the identification of distinct molecular subgroups with fundamental differences in biological properties and clinical behavior. Despite improvements in tumor classification and increased understanding about the signaling pathways involved in neoplastic transformation and disease progression, current standard-of-care treatment for HNSCC mostly remains to be based on a stage-dependent strategy whereby all patients at the same stage receive the same treatment. Preclinical models that closely resemble molecular HNSCC subgroups that can be exploited for dissecting the biological function of genetic variants and/or altered gene expression will be highly valuable for translating molecular findings into improved clinical care. In the present review, we merge and discuss existing and new information on established cell lines, primary two- and three-dimensional ex vivo tumor cultures from HNSCC patients, and animal models. We review their value in elucidating the basic biology of HNSCC, molecular mechanisms of treatment resistance and their potential for the development of novel molecularly stratified treatment.
The diagnostic value of PET/CT imaging with the 68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand in the follow up assessment of prostate cancer after therapy
Authors: Hassan Talaat Ahmed Abd El Hameed , Elazab Mohammed Samy
Published: July 2020

Background

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of PET/CT imaging with the 68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand in the follow up assessment of post-operative and post-therapeutic cases of prostate cancer. All data were collected and analyzed retrospectively, enrolling 30 patients (their age range from 53 to 80 years with a mean age 67.8). The patients had been referred to a private imaging center for their assessment by 68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand PET/CT.

Results

By 68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand PET/CT, prostatic recurrent/residual neoplastic lesion was depicted in 23 (76.6%) patients, nodal metastases was present in 7 (23.3%) patients, and distant metastasis was present in 11 (36.6%) patients. The clinical and/or PSA level and/or radiological follow-up and/or the histopathological assessment for the patients served as a reference in the present study.The 68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand PET/CT had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and an overall accuracy (96.5%, 100%, 100%, 50%, and 96.6%) respectively.

Conclusion

68Ga-labeled PSMA-ligand PET/CT is a very helpful tool for detection of prostatic cancer residual/recurrent lesions and restaging which can help in performing treatment plans and improve the clinical outcome and survival of the patients.
Waddell (Nonorganic) Signs and Their Association With Interventional Treatment Outcomes for Low Back Pain
Authors: Cohen Steven P. , Doshi Tina L. , Kurihara Connie , Dolomisiewicz Edward , Liu Richard C. , Dawson Timothy C. , Hager Nelson , Durbhakula Shravani , Verdun Aubrey V. , Hodgson John A. , Pasquina Paul F.
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND:

The rising use of injections to treat low back pain (LBP) has led to efforts to improve selection. Nonorganic (Waddell) signs have been shown to portend treatment failure for surgery and other therapies but have not been studied for minimally invasive interventions.

METHODS:

We prospectively evaluated the association between Waddell signs and treatment outcome in 3 cohorts: epidural steroid injections (ESI) for leg pain and sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections and facet interventions for LBP. Categories of Waddell signs included nonanatomic tenderness, pain during sham stimulation, discrepancy in physical examination, overreaction, and regional disturbances divulging from neuroanatomy. The primary outcome was change in patient-reported “average” numerical rating scale for pain intensity (average NRS-PI), modeled as a function of the number of Waddell signs using simple linear regression. Secondary outcomes included a binary indicator of treatment response. We conducted secondary and sensitivity analyses to account for potential confounders.

RESULTS:

We enrolled 318 patients: 152 in the ESI cohort, 102 in the facet cohort, and 64 in the SIJ cohort, having sufficient data for primary analysis on 308 patients. Among these, 62% (n = 192) had no Waddell signs, 18% (n = 54) had 1 sign, 11% (n = 33) had 2, 5% (n = 16) had 3, 2% (n = 7) had 4, and about 2% (n = 6) had all 5 signs. The mean change in average NRS-PI in each of these 6 groups was −1.6 ± 2.6, −1.1 ± 2.7, −1.5 ± 2.5, −1.6 ± 2.6, −1 ± 1.5, and 0.7 ± 2.1, respectively, and their corresponding treatment failure rates were 54% (102 of 192), 67% (36 of 54), 70% (23 of 33), 75% (12 of 16), 71% (5 of 7), and 83% (5 of 6). In the primary analysis, an increasing number of Waddell signs were not associated with a significant decrease in average NRS-PI (coefficient [Coef] = 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.43 to 0.05; P = .12). A higher number of Waddell signs were associated with treatment failure, with a 1.35 increased odds of treatment failure per cumulative number of signs (P = .008).

CONCLUSIONS:

Whereas this study found no consistent relationship between Waddell signs and decreased mean pain scores, a significant relationship between the number of Waddell signs and treatment failure was observed.
Interview Data Highlight Importance of “Same-State” on Anesthesiology Residency Match
Authors: Love Ephy R. , Dexter Franklin , Reminick Jason I. , Sanford Joseph A. , Karan Suzanne
Published: July 2020

Background:

The US residency application, interview, and match processes are costly and time-intensive. We sought to quantify the importance of an applicant being from the same-state as a residency program in terms of how this impacted the number of interviews needed to match.

METHODS:

We examined data from interview scheduling software used by 32 programs located in 31 US states and 1300 applicants for the US anesthesiology recruitment cycles from 2015 to 2018. Interviewee data (distance from program, region, numbers of interviews, and program at which interview occurred) were analyzed to quantify the effect of the interviewee being from the same state as the residency program on the odds of matching to that program. Other variables of interest (medical school, current address, US Medical Licensing Exam [USMLE] Step 1 and 2 clinical knowledge [CK] scores, Alpha Omega Alpha [AOA] status, medical school ranking) were also examined as controls. Confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for the ratios of odds ratios.

RESULTS:

An interviewee living in the same state as the interviewing program could have 5.42 fewer total interviews (97.5% CI, 3.02–7.81) while having the same odds of matching. The same state effect had an equivalent value as an approximately 4.14 USMLE points-difference from the program’s mean (97.5% CI was 2.34–5.94 USMLE points). Addition of whether the interviewee belonged to an affiliated medical school did not significantly improve the model; same-state remained significant (P < .0001) while affiliated medical school was not (P = .40).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our analysis of anesthesiology residency recruitment using previously unstudied interview data shows that same-state locality is a viable predictor of residency matching and should be strongly considered when evaluating whether to interview an applicant.
A Case Report of High Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Otalgia and Tinnitus
Authors: Gray Caitlin M. , Adaralegbe Adejuyigbe Olusegun , Kumar Sanjeev
Published: July 2020

Neuromodulation continues to grow in its scope and application in the relief of chronic and debilitating disorders. Both otalgia and tinnitus can be multifactorial in etiology, with diagnostic and treatment challenges. This is a case of spinal cord stimulator placement providing a patient with near total relief of otalgia, total relief of tinnitus, and mild improvement in sensorineural hearing loss. We believe that this is the first report showing benefit of high spinal cord stimulation in tinnitus, and we consider whether there are neuronal connections between upper cervical nerve roots and the auditory pathways.
Determination of high sensitive cardiac troponin I 99th percentile upper reference limits in a healthy Pakistani population
Authors: Bahadur Kulsoom , Ijaz Aamir , Salahuddin Momin , Alam Aftab
Published: July 2020

Objective: This study aims to establish the 99th percentile upper reference limits of high sensitive cardiac troponin I in a healthy Pakistani population.

Methods: It was an Observational cohort study carried out in Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar, over the period of one year (January 2019- December 2019). Total 299 cardio-healthy males and females were interviewed and taken past medical history. Based on history, clinical examination, echocardiogram and laboratory data including results of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriureteric peptide (NT-proBNP), subjects with possible subclinical diseases were excluded. High Sensitive Cardiac Troponin I (hs-cTtrop I) was analysed on Abbot ARCHITECT STAT ci8200 using chemiluminescent immunoassay technique. The 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) of hs-cTtrop I was determined using a non-parametric statistic, while gender specific results were compared.

Results: In this study, 178 males (59.5%) and 121 females (40.5%) were included. The median Interquartile ranges (IQR) of age was 57 (11.6) for males and 56 (13) for females. The 99th percentile URL hs-cTtrop I was found to be 33.9 ng/L, while gender specific values were 38.41ng/L and 15.73ng/L for males and females, respectively (p= 0.0045).

Conclusion: High sensitivity cardiac troponin I 99th percentile URL in our study population was found to be 33.9 ng/L with gender specific values being 38.41 ng/L and 15.73ng/L for males and females respectively. Troponin I in males was substantially high in comparison with females.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2328

How to cite this:Bahadur K, Ijaz A, Salahuddin M, Alam A. Determination of high sensitive cardiac troponin I 99th percentile upper reference limits in a healthy Pakistani population. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(6):1303-1307. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2328

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Characteristics, morbidity and mortality factors associated with Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery patients
Authors: Shah Sayed Mumtaz Anwar , Jan Azam , Awan Nabil I , Rehman Mujeeb Ur
Published: July 2020

Objective: The aim of our study is to analyze the characteristics, morbidity and mortality of patients requiring an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).

Methods: An analysis was done on the prospectively collected data of 1216 patients who had CABG in our center between July, 2017 and May, 2019 at our hospital. We categorized patients in to an IABP and non-IABP group on the basis of IABP use. We then compared the pre-operative, per-operative and post-operative characteristics of the two groups. We further stratified the patients according to pre-op ejection fraction (EF).

Results: Out of 1216 patients, 135(11.10%) patients required an IABP. 70(51.9%) patients of IABP group and 699(64.7%) patients of non-IABP group had hypertension (p-value 0.0036). 23.0% had previous myocardial infarction (MI) in the IABP group and 13.8% had prior myocardial infarction (MI) in non-IABP group (p-value 0.0463). Among the patients requiring an IABP, 21(15.5%) of patients had normal EF (>50%) (P-value<0.0001), 72 (53.3%) had EF 35-50%, and 41(30.3%) patients had EF<35% (p-value <0.0001). Mortality of IABP group (19.3%) was greater than non-IABP group (2.4%) (P-value 0.00001).

Conclusions: Use of IABP increased as the EF decreased. Rate of post-operative stroke, prolonged ICU stay, prolonged ventilation, re-opening due to bleeding and mortality was seen to be significantly higher in the IABP group.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2649

How to cite this:Shah SMA, Awan NI, Jan A, Rehman MU. Characteristics, morbidity and mortality factors associated with Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(6):1318-1324.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2649

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Hydrogeology of oil and gas fields
Authors: Serebryakov Oleg , Ushivceva Lyubov'
Published: July 2020

Considered questions of the course "Hydrogeology of oil and gas", which is offered to students of geological specialties. Describes the types of water in minerals and rocks, terms of origin, occurrence and movement; the formation of chemical, gas and bacterial composition of the water. The major hydrogeological provinces and characteristics of waters of separate fields. Thematic material is accompanied by test questions, practical tasks, tasks, drawings, tests and tables.
Meets the requirements of Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
For students, teachers, undergraduates, students majoring in 05.04.01 Geology, post-graduate students of geological, hydrogeological and other specialties, as well as for employees of fuel and energy complex and the production of hydrogeological and geological organizations.
Fractional Equity, Blockchain, and the Future of Creative Work
Authors: Whitaker Amy , Kräussl Roman
Published: July 2020

A core challenge in studying the real return on artist' work is the extreme difficulty accessing private records from when an artwork was first sold and thus relying on public auction data. In addition, artists do not typically receive proceeds after the initial sale. This paper, for the first time, uses archivally sourced primary market records to model returns on art and introduces a novel fractional equity structure for artists. We first model what would happen if the American artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg had retained 10% equity in their work when it was first sold. Second, we model a portfolio return using data from the Betty Parsons Gallery and the Green Gallery. To add a portfolio analysis to the performance of “star” artists, we model the galleries as a fund invested in all of artworks sold, using auction sales as the realization event. We find that the individual Johns and Rauschenberg works would have vastly outperformed equities markets. The gallery portfolio still substantially outperforms the S&P, even including 20% transaction costs. Beyond the art market, our larger conceptual framework for retained fractional equity has broad implications for compensation of early-stage creative work in any field and for potential applications of blockchain technology.

This paper was accepted by Karl Diether, finance.
Inflammatory response in postmenopausal osteoporotic fracture healing
Authors: Chow Simon K-H. , Chim Yu-Ning , Wang Jin-Yu , Wong Ronald M-Y. , Choy Victoria M-H. , Cheung Wing-Hoi
Published: July 2020

A balanced inflammatory response is important for successful fracture healing. The response of osteoporotic fracture healing is deranged and an altered inflammatory response can be one underlying cause. The objectives of this review were to compare the inflammatory responses between normal and osteoporotic fractures and to examine the potential effects on different healing outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted with relevant keywords in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science independently. Original preclinical studies and clinical studies involving the investigation of inflammatory response in fracture healing in ovariectomized (OVX) animals or osteoporotic/elderly patients with available full text and written in English were included. In total, 14 articles were selected. Various inflammatory factors were reported; of those tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 are two commonly studied markers. Preclinical studies showed that OVX animals generally demonstrated higher systemic inflammatory response and poorer healing outcomes compared to normal controls (SHAM). However, it is inconclusive if the local inflammatory response is higher or lower in OVX animals. As for clinical studies, they mainly examine the temporal changes of the inflammatory stage or perform comparison between osteoporotic/fragility fracture patients and normal subjects without fracture. Our review of these studies emphasizes the lack of understanding that inflammation plays in the altered fracture healing response of osteoporotic/elderly patients. Taken together, it is clear that additional studies, preclinical and clinical, are required to dissect the regulatory role of inflammatory response in osteoporotic fracture healing.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(7):368–385.
Specially regulated electron deprivation extremely prolongs lifespan and delays aging in middle-aged rotifers
Authors: Mácsai Lilla
Published: July 2020

The general aim of our work was to investigate aging and its modulating factors in a microinvertebrate animal that is a novel redox-based in vivo model. Our preferred species was a bdelloid rotifer, named Philodina acuticornis. We adjusted the biological (starvation or extreme caloric restriction) and chemical (drug-based electron deprivation) modulations and their optimal time-phases. Applying this complex system, we tested redox-modulating agents, neurotoxic aggregates and adaptogenic compounds on rotifers, monitored their lifespan and viability. The phenotypic plasticity-related limitations of the rotifers were investigated in a separate conception. Our developed lifespan- and phenotype-modifying system can be a reliable experimental model to provide new insights into the processes of senescence. We declare that the cellular NADH regulation phylogenetically is an important part of the complex mechanism of aging and longevity. The monitored physiological changes are accompanied by slowed metabolic activity and the cease of reproduction. Markedly extended lifespan, together with the delayed aging, is a unique combination of rotifer-phenotypes, which is to our knowledge unprecedented in the academic literature concerning any multicellular species. Furthermore, we revealed the available connections between starvation-induced electron deprivation and exceptional capability of rotifers to catabolize neurotoxic aggregates. Intention to deeper understanding the connections between redox processes, exceptional catabolism, phenotype plasticity and longevity is at the same time recent and eternal in entity-based in vivo aging research.
Atraumatic Intercostal and Intrathoracic Liver Herniation Related to Influenza A
Authors: Harne Prateek S. , Mukherjee Samiran , Shepherd Zachary
Published: July 2020

Nontraumatic and spontaneous intercostal and intrathoracic herniations are defined as protrusions of intra-abdominal contents through acquired or congenital defects of the abdominal and thoracic walls without any proceeding trauma and are sparsely reported in the literature with less than 35 detailed case reports reported in the literature worldwide. Most of these cases result from abdominal trauma and are considered surgical emergencies. The content of these herniations, as reported in the literature, have classically been lungs and intra-abdominal organs. We report a case of nontraumatic intercostal and intrathoracic liver herniation, which was managed conservatively given minimal liver injury and rapidly improving symptoms.
A promoção internacional do português brasileiro a partir das práticas do Programa de Leitorado
Authors: Oliveira Leilane Morais
Published: July 2020

O presente artigo apresenta uma discussão relativa às ações desenvolvidas, no âmbito do Programa de Leitorado - uma das políticas linguísticas externas do Brasil, pelos sujeitos que lecionam a língua portuguesa e a cultura nacional neste contexto. Isso se dá a partir de dados recolhidos via questionário, aplicado por Google Forms a sujeitos que atuaram ou atuam nessa política, e também por meio de pesquisa documental, que foi realizada no Palácio do Itamaraty e que deu origem a aproximadamente 750 páginas de arquivos aqui discutidos em caráter de ineditismo. O objetivo é apresentar e discutir as ações que, nessa política linguística, caracterizam o trabalho dos profissionais atuantes, tanto em termos de ensino quanto de atividades extraletivas.  De modo geral, os dados mostram que a política em questão cumpre, sob muitos aspectos, a sua função de internacionalizar a língua e a cultura do país. No entanto, também esclarecem que algumas fragilidades caracterizam o dia a dia laboral dos sujeitos que participaram da pesquisa, o que também clarificou a existência de demandas ligadas à gestão da política linguística em questão.  Por isso, o fim do artigo apresenta algumas proposições ligadas a reformulações na gerência do Programa de Leitorado.
Supporting teachers’ professional development: Examining the opinions of pre-school teachers attending courses in an undergraduate program
Authors: Toran Mehmet , Yağan Güder Sevcan
Published: July 2020

This study aimed to determine the opinions of preschool teachers about courses they attended in a preschool undergraduate program in order to support their professional development. The case study, one of the qualitative research designs, was adopted in the study. Two sampling strategies, snowball and criterion sampling, were used for the determination of participants. 26 teachers from 6 different preschools voluntarily participated in the research. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews carried out in two steps; before and after participating in the courses in the preschool undergraduate program. Descriptive analysis was employed in the analysis of the data. Results revealed that preschool teachers put into practice in-service program outputs tailored to their needs and in line with their professional development needs and made suggestions so that in-service training programs to be designed for their professional development can be more effective. In conclusion, the preschool teachers were found to need alternative in-service training programs.
A INTERFERÊNCIA DOS PARQUES URBANOS NA SAÚDE PÚBLICA: UMA ANÁLISE DO MUNICÍPIO DE NOVA IGUAÇU - RJ
Authors: Luiz de Paula da Costa Cristiane , Rios do Carmo Soares Geovana , Roberto Moreira Ribeiro Gonçalves Jose
Published: July 2020

O presente artigo teve como finalidade apresentar como os parques urbanos atreladosa vegetação são elementos essênciais para a cidade e para a saúde urbana, pois melhoram a qualidade do ar na atmosfera, a poluição sonora, e promove equilíbrio climático.Além de uma área de lazer e atividades físicas para que as pessoas usufruem do espaço.Também oferecem uma melhor qualidade de vida junto a natureza, como a melhoriado psíquico do ser humano com seu efeito repousante. O verde das árvores representam um ponto positivo para a vitalidade urbana assim como a beleza do parque representa um ponto positivo para o vigor do ser humano, e ganhamos com isso uma cidadesustentável e muito mais humanitária. O outro objetivo do estudo foi apresentar asdiferenças entre cidade com alto e baixo poder aquisitivo, como as pessoas vêem estasáreas em sua localidade, como podem interferir na qualidade de vida do indivíduo.Discutiremos a socialização e a implantaçãos desses espaços em cidades com habitantes de baixa renda. Pode-se considerar que as funções socioeconômica e ambientaisdevem sim andar juntas, complementando uma a outra, com atividades de educação ereeducação social, resgatando os valores pessoais, sociais, culturais e históricos tantoda cidade como do ser humano. É importante um equipamento urbano que modifiquea reprodução do espaço e a valorização do lugar, por isso não podendo ser desconsiderado e irrelevante a nenhum tipo de cidade, sendo ela de alto padrão social ou não
CRENÇAS DE PROFESSORES E ALUNOS A RESPEITO DA NATUREZA DA CIÊNCIA: RESULTADO EMPÍRICO OBTIDO EM UMA INSTITUIÇÃO FEDERAL DE ENSINO
Authors: Fernandes Mendes da Silva Daniel
Published: July 2020

O presente artigo tem como propósito demonstrar argumentos favoráveis à inserçãodo ensino da natureza da ciência (enfoque CTS) no ensino médio para uma formaçãocientifica e tecnológica adequada, e utilizando como argumento empírico o resultadoobtido numa pesquisa aplicada numa Instituição Federal de Ensino. Tal resultado demonstra que para tal inserção é necessário que haja, antes, uma mudança na concepção dos professores a respeito de tal tema.
Micropublishing During and After the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Yamada Yuki
Published: July 2020

In the COVID-19 situation, social and behavioral science evidence is accumulating rapidly through online data collection, but the options to share and publish this information are scarce. As a remedy, I recommend the adoption of micropublishing in the fields of social and behavioral sciences. While micropublishing has been gaining popularity, it is not yet widely accepted or utilized by existing academic journals. Greater implementation would improve the availability of data in the immediate COVID-19 era and establish a post-COVID-19 publishing methodology that could increase researcher and practitioner engagement in real time. I recommend micropublishing in a specific manner that bifurcates an experiment’s methodology or survey method from the subsequently published data based on that experiment protocol. Published findings could be presented in a series and edited as new data emerges. This publishing system promotes cumulative science. To provide a visual example that supports my argument, I created a demo journal with sample papers organized according to the structure I recommend. The demo journal has features—except a Digital Object Finder (DOI)—that make it possible to publish social and behavioral sciences research. It could be replicated for a newly established journal. Alternatively, existing journals could add a section dedicated to micropublication.