bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rewiring the specificity of extra-cytoplasmic function sigma factors
Authors: Todor Horia , Osadnik Hendrik , Campbell Elizabeth A. , Myers Kevin S. , Donohue Timothy J. , Gross Carol A.
Published: June 2020

Bacterial genomes are being sequenced at an exponentially increasing rate, but our inability to decipher their transcriptional wiring limits our ability to derive new biology from these sequences.De novodetermination of regulatory interactions requires accurate prediction of regulators’ DNA binding and precise determination of biologically significant binding sites. Here, we address these challenges by solving the DNA-specificity code of extra-cytoplasmic function sigma factors (ECF σs), a major family of bacterial regulators, and determining their regulons. We generated an aligned collection of ECF σs and their promoters by leveraging the auto-regulatory nature of ECF σs as a means of promoter discovery and analyzed it to identify and characterize the conserved amino acid – nucleotide interactions that determine promoter specificity. This enabledde novoprediction of ECF σ specificity, which we combined with a statistically rigorous phylogenetic foot-printing pipeline based on precomputed orthologs to predict the direct targets of ∼67% of ECF σs. This global survey indicated that ECF σs play varied roles: some are global regulators controlling many genes throughout the genome that are important under many conditions, while others are local regulators, controlling few closely linked genes in response to specific stimuli. This analysis reveals important organizing principles of bacterial gene regulation and presents a conceptual and computational framework for deciphering gene regulatory networks.
Anti-retroviral therapy and serum protein levels in HIV-1 seropositive patients: a five-year retrospective study
Authors: Shedrac Akor Egbunu , Haruna Musa , Gloria Eneojo-Abah Eleojo , Nma Yisa Benjamin , Titus Emmanuel Friday , Musa Dickson Achimugu , Oguche Joel Ikojo , Shaibu Serah , Tijani Salami , Bukbuk David , Abah Samuel Eneọjọ
Published: June 2020

Background

Serum proteins designated as liver function biomarkers are used to evaluate patients for hepatic dysfunction. Hepatic effect of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) needs further studies in HIV mono-infected patients. In this study, clinically defined patient datasets were analysed for protein levels in HIV-1 mono-infected seropositive patients with and without ART.

Materials and Methods

Data were collected for the study groups, consisting of the control group and HIV-1 mono-infected seropositive patients with and without ART and were analysed statistically for differences among the groups. All subjects in the patient groups attended University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria for a period of 5 years.

Result

The protein levels on initiation of ART were significantly higher than baseline levels (prior to ART). However, continuous use of ART for 5-year period did not induce any further significant change in protein levels. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves shows that both Albumin (ALB) and Total protein (TP) levels discriminated among the study groups. The baseline levels of ALB in seropositive patients are significantly lower to levels on initiation of ART.

Conclusion

Continuous ART did not cause any further significant change in levels of liver function proteins than was observed on ART initiation. Hence, liver damage on continuous ART is not implied. Both ALB and TP levels could be important in HIV management of patients. Initiation of ART appears to elevate the low ALB level via a yet unknown mechanism and indicates possible role of ALB in ART mechanism of action.
Prevalence and risks of severe events for cancer patients with COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Su Qiang , Hu Jie-xuan , Lin Hai-shan , Zhang Zheng , Zhu Emily C. , Zhang Chen-guang , Wang Di-ya , Gao Zu-hua , Cao Bang-wei
Published: June 2020

Background

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a severe challenge to public health, especially to those patients with underlying diseases. In this meta-analysis, we studied the prevalence of cancer among patients with COVID-19 infection and their risks of severe events.

Methods

We searched the Pubmed, Embase and MedRxiv databases for studies between December 2019 and May 3, 2020 using the following key words and terms: sars-cov-2, covid-19, 2019-ncov, 2019 novel coronavirus, corona virus disease-2019, clinical, clinical characteristics, clinical course, epidemiologic features, epidemiology, and epidemiological characteristics. We extracted data following PICO (patient, intervention, comparison and outcome) chart. Statistical analyses were performed with R Studio (version 3.5.1) on the group-level data. We assessed the studies’ risk of bias in accordance to the adjusted Joanna Briggs Institute. We estimated the prevalence or risks for severe events including admission into intensive care unit or death using meta-analysis with random effects.

Findings

Out of the 2,551 studies identified, 32 studies comprising 21,248 participants have confirmed COVID-19. The total prevalence of cancer in COVID-19 patients was 3.97% (95% CI, 3.08% to 5.12%), higher than that of the total cancer rate (0.29%) in China. Stratification analysis showed that the overall cancer prevalence of COVID-19 patients in China was 2.59% (95% CI, 1.72% to 3.90%), and the prevalence reached 3.79% in Wuhan (95% CI, 2.51% to 5.70%) and 2.31% (95% CI, 1.16% to 4.57%) in other areas outside Wuhan in China. The incidence of ICU admission in cancer patients with COVID-19 was 26.80% (95% CI, 21.65% to 32.67%) and the mortality was 24.32% (95% CI, 13.95% to 38.91%), much higher than the overall rates of COVID-19 patients in China. The fatality in COVID patients with cancer was lower than those with cardiovascular disease (OR 0.49; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.71; p=0.39), but comparable with other comorbidities such as diabetes (OR 1.32; 95% CI, 0.42 to 4.11; p=0.19), hypertension (OR 1.27; 95% CI, 0.35 to 4.62; p=0.13), and respiratory diseases (OR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.33; p=0.45).

Interpretation

This comprehensive meta-analysis on the largest number of patients to date provides solid evidence that COVID-19 infection significantly and negatively affected the disease course and prognosis of cancer patients. Awareness of this could help guide clinicians and health policy makers in combating cancer in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding

Beijing Natural Science Foundation Program and Scientific Research Key Program of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (KZ202010025047).
Initial experience with short-course corticosteroids in a small cohort of adults with severe COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in India
Authors: Jha Sanjiv , Shetty Kiran , Vadi Sonali , Phadtare Sourabh , Kothari Vatsal , Raut Abhijit , Shah Sweta , Bhargava Pallavi , Singhal Tanu
Published: June 2020

Severe COVID 19 disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality with limited therapeutic options. The role of glucocorticoids in treatment of COVID 19 has been riddled with controversy. The study site has been using glucocorticoids in patients with severe COVID 19 since the first few patients of COVID 19 that were admitted. In the initial cohort of 7 patients with severe COVID disease, use of methylprednisolone in a dose of 30 mg twice daily was associated with rapid improvement in oxygenation and decline in CRP levels. While six patients made a complete clinical recovery, one patient died. There were no secondary infections.
Identification and Evaluation of Serum Protein Biomarkers Which Differentiate Psoriatic from Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ardle Angela Mc , Kwasnik Anna , Szenpetery Agnes , Jones Melissa , Hernandez Belinda , Meenagh Micheal , Parnell Andrew , de Jager Wilco , de Roock Sytze , FitzGerald Oliver , Pennington Stephen
Published: June 2020

Objectives

To identify serum protein biomarkers which might separate early inflammatory arthritis (EIA) patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) from those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to provide an accurate diagnosis and support appropriate early intervention.

Methods

In an initial protein discovery phase, the serum proteome of a cohort of patients with PsA and RA was interrogated using unbiased liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (n=64 patients), a multiplexed antibody assay (Luminex) for 48 proteins (n=64 patients) and an aptamer-based assay (SOMAscan) targeting 1,129 proteins (n=36 patients). Subsequently, analytically validated targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assays were developed to further evaluate those proteins identified as discriminatory during the discovery. During an initial verification phase, MRM assays were developed to a panel of 150 proteins (by measuring a total of 233 peptides) and used to re-evaluate the discovery cohort (n=60). During a second verification phase, the panel of proteins was expanded to include an additional 23 proteins identified in other proteomic discovery analyses of arthritis patients. The expanded panel was evaluated using a second, independent cohort of PsA and RA patients (n=167).

Results

Multivariate analysis of the protein discovery data revealed that it was possible to discriminate PsA from RA patients with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 for nLC-MS/MS, 0.69 for Luminex based measurements; 0.73 for SOMAscan analysis. During the initial verification phase, random forest models confirmed that proteins measured by MRM could differentiate PsA and RA patients with an AUC of 0.79 and during the second phase of verification the expanded panel could segregate the two disease groups with an AUC of 0.85.

Conclusion

We report a serum protein biomarker panel which can separate EIA patients with PsA from those with RA. We suggest that the routine use of such a panel in EIA patients will improve clinical decision making and with continued evaluation and refinement using additional patient cohorts will support the development of a diagnostic test for patients with PsA.
Practical recommendations for staying physically active during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic literature review
Authors: Bentlage Ellen , Ammar Achraf , Chtourou Hamdi , Trabelsi Khaled , How Daniella , Ahmed Mona , Brach Michael
Published: June 2020

Background

Due to home-confinement and social isolation of during the Covid-19 pandemic, reductions in performing physical activities were observed. A main consequence of inactivity is a poorer general health and a higher mortality rate. Therefore, it is important to inform the public about practical recommendations for staying physically active, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

Through a systematic review of literature in two databases (Pubmed/Medline; Web of Science), studies were analysed which include practical recommendations for staying active during Covid-19 (Q1), or if they did not explicitly deal with Covid-19, research with useful results regarding the adaption to the present situation (Q2).

Results

Currently, there are 6 studies published which are related to the first research question. In total, 26 papers, were found to correlate to the second one.

Conclusion

Researchers need to be more specific in the exact recommendations for different age-groups and various health statuses. Key sources are the websites of the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association. In addition, exergames need to be adaptable to restrictions by product designers and to integrate social interaction-functions. Furthermore, it is essential that governmental actions need to be taken, with the help of researchers, to inform citizens about possible physical activities, with precise examples, clarification of benefits of the exercises, the exact exercise with duration, intensity and other substitute tasks for different age-groups and for people with diseases.
Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases between Neighboring Cities using Agent-based Model and Compartmental Model
Authors: Buhat Christian Alvin H. , Lutero Destiny SM. , Olave Yancee H. , Torres Monica C. , Rabajante Jomar F.
Published: June 2020

We formulate an agent-based model and a compartmental model (SEIR) that simulate the spread of a respiratory infectious disease between two neighboring cities. We consider preventive measures such as implementation of social distancing and lockdown in a city, as well as the effect of protective gears or practices. The chance of travelling to another city and within the city during lockdown, and initial percentage of exposed and infected individuals on both cities influence the increase in the number of newly-infected individuals on both models. Our simulations show that (i) increase in exposed individuals results in increase in number of new infections, hence the need for increased testing-isolation efforts; (ii) protection level of 75-100% effectiveness impedes disease transmission; (iii) travelling within city or to other city can be an option given that strict preventive measures (e.g., non-pharmaceutical interventions) are observed; and (iv) the ideal set-up for neighboring cities is to implement lockdown when there is high risk of disease local transmission while individuals observe social distancing, maximizing protective measures, and isolating those that are exposed. The results of the agent-based and compartmental models show similar qualitative dynamics; the differences are due to different spatio-temporal heterogeneity and stochasticity. These models can aid decision makers in designing infectious disease-related policies to protect individuals while continuing population movement.
The effect of smoking on multiple sclerosis: a mendelian randomization study
Authors: Mitchell Ruth E , Bates Kirsty , Wootton Robyn E , Harroud Adil , Richards J. Brent , Smith George Davey , Munafò Marcus R
Published: June 2020

The causes of multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unknown. Smoking has been associated with MS in observational studies and is often thought of as an environmental risk factor. We used two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) to examined whether this association is causal using genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as associated with smoking. We assessed both smoking initiation and lifetime smoking behaviour (which captures smoking duration, heaviness and cessation). There was very limited evidence for a meaningful effect of smoking on MS susceptibility was measured using summary statistics from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) meta-analysis, including 14,802 cases and 26,703 controls. There was no clear evidence for an effect of smoking on the risk of developing MS (smoking initiation: odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1.61; lifetime smoking: OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.87-1.40). These findings suggest that smoking does not have a detrimental consequence on MS susceptibility. Further work is needed to determine the causal effect of smoking on MS progression.
Knowledge, Attitude, Perceptions and Practice towards COVID-19: A systematic review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Bhagavathula Akshaya Srikanth , Aldhaleei Wafa Ali , Rahmani Jamal , Khubchandani Jagdish
Published: June 2020

Background

Several studies among various population groups have been conducted to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and risk reduction practices (KAP) related to COVID-19. A comprehensive review on this topic is important to highlight the areas for improvement and interventions to prevent COVID-19. Thus, the purpose of this study was to summarize the level of KAP about COVID-19 via a systematic review

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using a combination of selected keywords in four scientific databases to identify relevant literature published from January 1 to May 31, 2020. Nineteen articles were included in the systematic review, and sixteen studies in the meta-analysis. The data was analyzed using a random-effects model due to the heterogeneity between the studies.

Results

Lack of COVID-19-related knowledge, positive perceptions, and preventive practices were detected and seems widespread. In particular, 56.6% (95%CI: 45.9-67%) of the health care workers (HCWs) and medical students had poor knowledge about COVID-19 and only 46% (95%CI: 15-77) of the total study sample had positive perceptions towards COVID-19. Besides, 81.7% of the sample prioritized practicing hand hygiene to prevent COVID-19, but wearing a face mask to prevent COVID-19 transmission was suboptimal (73.4%). Finally, around eighty percent of the subjects had good knowledge about COVID-19 symptoms (79%) and its transmission (82%) and reported that they avoided crowded places to prevent getting COVID-19 (89%).

Conclusion

Evidence-based practices on risk communication and raising awareness should be planned by local governments in collaboration with healthcare organizations. Specifically, educational initiatives for HCWs to prioritize wearing a face mask and practicing hand hygiene should be considered a priority.
Strengthening voter competence through voting advice applications: an experimental study of the iVoter in Taiwan
Authors: Liao Da-Chi , Chiou Wen Bin , Jang Jinhyeok , Cheng Shao Hua
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Drawing on cognitive theories of information and democracy, this paper argues that carefully designed voting advice applications (VAAs) strengthen voter competence by matching voters’ preferences on important policy issues with parties' relevant positions on those issues.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the causal effect of information acquisition on voting willingness, we employed a lab experiment on the pioneering VAA program in Taiwan: iVoter. Our participants consisted of 120 undergraduates who were randomly assigned to be treated (two groups) or controlled (one group). Each participant of the respective treatment groups was provided with full or partial information. The purpose was to identify the ideological distance between the participant and the respective political parties. Individuals in the control group did not receive the respective information prior to their decision on whether to vote or not.

Findings

Those who received full relevant information were most willing to vote in the forthcoming elections. We furthermore found VAA utilization to be positively associated with other aspects of democracy, such as political enthusiasm, civic duty and political efficacy.

Originality/value

This paper aims to contribute to the development of VAAs and to democracy as a whole by confirming a causal link between receiving relevant information and voting willingness.
Impact of a management innovation on professional subcultures – the case of a balanced scorecard implementation in a Chinese hospital
Authors: Gao Tian , Gurd Bruce
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The balanced scorecard (BSC) has been a popular management innovation in health care. Implementing an innovation like the BSC can change the professional subcultures of a hospital. The purpose of this paper is to measure subcultures to establish the level of change during the implementation of a management innovation in a single Chinese public hospital.

Design/methodology/approach

Four surveys were administered to the staff of a single hospital, and a 100,000-word research diary was compiled from observation of the research process. A longitudinal case study design was administered from 2006 to 2009. The competing values tool was administered twice to assess organizational cultural change.

Findings

There was a change in the culture of different professional groups. The group with the strongest dominating culture type, which relies on cohesion, morale and employee participation in decision-making, shows the most positive change in cultural types during the BSC implementation process. Management innovations such as the BSC can create more balance in each professional group.

Practical implications

The successful implementation of a management innovation in a hospital requires the managers to consider meeting the demand of medical professional groups and achieve desired culture type change, which in turn may help to achieve the expected results.

Originality/value

This paper provides support to the finding that groups with a dominant group culture are more receptive to change and implementing a management innovation can influence professional group’s culture. It also provides evidence that the implementation of BSC can create more balance in each professional group’s culture. Although these findings come from health care, it may have relevance to other contexts in China.
The critical role of effective organizational learning to improve firm’s innovation and performance in a market turbulence condition
Authors: Pudjiarti Emiliana Sri , Priagung Hutomo Prihatin Tiyanto
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of market turbulence as a moderating construct in relation to effective organizational learning on the company’s innovation and performance as well as on the antecendent of facilitative leadership competence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a cross-sectional and correlational research design. The period of data collection took place between March and May 2019 for three months. The questionnaires were distributed to 350 people who were randomly selected in the metal small and medium enterprises in Tegal district, Central Java, Indonesia. Analysis was conducted through the analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

Facilitative leadership competencies have a significant effect on effective organizational learning. Facilitative leadership competencies can support the learning climate and develop mechanisms for transferring learning from individuals and teams into organizational knowledge and experience. There is also an influence of organizational learning on the company’s innovativeness and the company’s performance. Contingency factors can be applied in situations that are always experiencing a change in turbulence

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the deepening of understanding of facilitative leadership concept and highlights the importance in the success of building effective learning, as well as its relationship with innovation performance and business performance.

Practical implications

This finding helps the management to understand the market forces and their impact on the company’s innovation and performance. In this case, the leader plays an important role in fostering a culture of learning, changing the habits and ways of working so that they are ready to support the organizational culture of learning.

Originality/value

Developing a mechanism for transferring learning into organizational knowledge is very important because organizational learning is believed to be an important strategy in an organizational learning process. This is particularly true in a rapidly changing environment, as it can create business resilience.
DESIGN-ED: a pedagogical toolkit to support K-12 teachers’ emergency transition to remote online education
Authors: Flynn Paul
Published: June 2020

Purpose

K-12 educators face persistent and nascent challenges as they grapple with making an emergency transition to remote online modes of engaging with their students. Crossing the digital divide that exists between multi-site educational engagement is challenging. This paper aims to address the particular challenge of maintaining or, perhaps re-conceptualising, the constructs that support social interaction in the face-to-face setting. A second pressing challenge is considering issues of equity when making the emergency transition to remote online engagement that are, in the physical classroom, somewhat mitigated by practitioners and the systems that support them.

Design/methodology/approach

DESIGN-ED is the output of a design-based research study.

Findings

However, in the rush to support this transition, it is possible that such challenges could be exacerbated if practitioners are not supported by a sustainable pedagogical process to frame their engagement with K-12 students in remote online formats. This paper explores these nascent challenges, presents a conceptual framework and explicates a subsequent design research model the form of a practitioner focussed “toolkit” that has the consideration of equity at its core. The “DESIGN-ED Toolkit” adopts and adapts a contemporary, effective and rapidly iterative design process from industry known as design thinking.

Research limitations/implications

The core components of this this process (empathy, definition, ideation, prototype and test) are pedagogically translated for use in complex and dynamic educational settings such as remote online engagement.

Practical implications

Lessons learned from the design, development and iterative refinement of this toolkit over three years are presented, and affordances of engaging with such a process are explored.

Originality/value

Lessons learned from the design, development and iterative refinement of this toolkit over three years are presented, and affordances of engaging with such a process are explored.
Time to rethink public sector accounting education? A practitioner’s perspective
Authors: Heiling Jens
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Public sector accounting (PSA) education has recently become the focus of scholars and practitioners alike. The article aims to reflect on PSA education from a practitioner’s perspective. Based on the author's experiences with accounting change projects in the public sector and teaching PSA education at different higher education institutions (HEIs) and levels, possible implications are derived for PSA education.

Design/methodology/approach

The article represents a viewpoint by a practitioner. Examples of selected practical PSA issues are used to derive implications for PSA education.

Findings

The author suggests that it is likely time to rethink the design of PSA education in higher education. The growing complexities of PSA as well as its interdisciplinarity make it necessary that a full study programme at master level is needed to cover the requirements in practice and prepare graduates for the challenges lying ahead.

Practical implications

The author finds that there is a possible gap in PSA education. Study programmes on PSA/PFM at master level are needed to cover the requirements in practice and prepare graduates for the challenges lying ahead.

Originality/value

The author contributes to the growing body of literature on PSA education by offering a practitioner’s perspective on the issue.
Allocating government budgets according to citizen preferences: a cross-national survey
Authors: Soguel Nils , Caperchione Eugenio , Cohen Sandra
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate if, when asked to state their preferences for the allocation of public monies toward broad governmental functions, individuals state them at random or if their choice follows some rational pattern that can be traced using explanatory variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents the results of a survey conducted in Greece, Italy and Switzerland where the contingent allocation method was applied to a hypothetical allocation scenario of public monies to the functions of the government.

Findings

Findings based on 428 answers revealed that individuals were able to state their preferences for the various functions of the government as well as discriminate between the relative utility of each task and that the country context and personal characteristics significantly influence the respondents' allocations.

Originality/value

From a policy perspective, understanding citizen preferences in budget allocation may help governments rationalize the spending of public money.
Trends in the integration of photovoltaic facilities into the built environment
Authors: Krstić – Furundžić Aleksandra , Scognamiglio Alessandra , Devetakovic Mirjana , Frontini Francesco , Sudimac Budimir
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of the key trends in the integration of photovoltaic (PV) facilities into the built environment in cities. This is regarded as part of a series of measures towards wider use of renewable energy sources.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem has been approached from the point that cities are consumers of large amounts of energy. They require uninterrupted energy supply but with dynamic power profile. Mainly consumption of energy generated from fossil fuels is present nowadays with significant pollution of the environment as a consequence. The sustainable energy transition in cities means increasing the supply of energy from renewable sources.

Findings

The paper points to the integration of PV renewable systems in the built environment, opportunities and constraints, design conditions and tools. The consideration of the constraints which creates urban environment is carried out to understand the complexity of selecting locations in the cities. The paper gives an overview of the possibilities of PV systems integration in the built environment and discusses physical limitations in the urban environment and simulation tools as well as challenges and research and development issues.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers a critical review of the PV applications which have been illustrated with examples from developed countries. However, examples from developing markets have not been considered. Future work would address this limitation and enable the discussion from a comparative perspective.

Social implications

The study gives a comprehensive overview of PV integrations in contemporary cities, stimulating architects’ practitioners to acquire the PV technology and aesthetics, and to apply it in future developments.

Originality/value

Observing the use of PV applications from the perspective of architects and designers the discussion and examples covered in this paper offers an original review, which provides the base future in-depth studies on PV applications in various contexts.
Qualitative migration research ethics: a roadmap for migration scholars
Authors: Zapata-Barrero Ricard , Yalaz Evren
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This article aims to set a roadmap for an ethical programme, which we call “qualitative migration research ethics” (QMRE). It is a scoping review that maps current ethical challenges that migration scholars often face and provide guidance, while acknowledging the fact that many researchers deal with ethical issues on a case-by-case basis.

Design/methodology/approach

By connecting three lines of debates – ethics in social sciences, in qualitative research and in migration studies – this article addresses the following core questions: What are the particular ethical dilemmas in qualitative migration research (QMR)? How do migration researchers deal with these ethical dilemmas? What is the role of universal ethical codes of conduct and case-by-case ethical considerations in dealing with particular situations?

Findings

This review demonstrates that special aspects of migration research context, e.g. participants' mobility, potential vulnerability and migration as a politicized issue as well as the flexible and exploratory nature of qualitative research require particular ethical awareness that cannot be sufficiently addressed by standardized guidelines.

Originality/value

It proposes that efforts to raise ethical awareness must go beyond researchers' ethical confessions or blind adherence to pre-fixed guidance. Researchers must have critical “ethical radar” before, during and after their fieldwork; not only while working on extreme and vulnerable cases but also while doing all kind of research regardless of the level of vulnerability. Last but not least, this article claims the need for including critical ethical consciousness substantially in higher education programmes at the very beginning of the research career.
Something is happening: encountering silence in disability research
Authors: Jones Chelsea , Cheuk Fiona
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Often, researchers view silence as antagonistic to equity-aimed projects. Because verbal, written, and textually agentive communications are presumed to be the most valid qualitative-research data, moments of silence are under-analyzed. Yet, we argue that silence holds meaning as data and that it is a valid, rich form of communication.

Design/methodology/approach

Through this reflective analysis of silence, we invite readers to reconceptualize silence in research from a critical disability-research perspective with emphasis on crip willfulness. We introduce silence as an interpretive, agentive and relational gesture.

Findings

We attend to silence as necessary in all research because it helps researchers excavate able-bodied expectations about communication in qualitative-data-collection practices.

Originality/value

We demonstrate that silences in research can be an interpretive, relational, and agentive gesture that can teach us about taken-for-granted assumptions about research practices. Revisiting our research encounters with this framing of silence informed by critical disability studies allows us to question how traditional social science research methods value some modalities of expression over others. Rather than viewing silence in research as moments when nothing happens, we show that silence indicates something happening and is valid data.
A signed pulse-train-based image processor-array for parallel kernel convolution in vision sensors
Authors: Danesh Ahmad Reza , Habibi Mehdi
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a kernel convolution processor. High-speed image processing is a challenging task for real-time applications such as product quality control of manufacturing lines. Smart image sensors use an array of in-pixel processors to facilitate high-speed real-time image processing. These sensors are usually used to perform the initial low-level bulk image filtering and enhancement.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, using pulse-width modulated signals and regular nearest neighbor interconnections, a convolution image processor is presented. The presented processor is not only capable of processing arbitrary size kernels but also the kernel coefficients can be any arbitrary positive or negative floating number.

Findings

The performance of the proposed architecture is evaluated on a Xilinx Virtex-7 field programmable gate array platform. The peak signal-to-noise ratio metric is used to measure the computation error for different images, filters and illuminations. Finally, the power consumption of the circuit in different operating conditions is presented.

Originality/value

The presented processor array can be used for high-speed kernel convolution image processing tasks including arbitrary size edge detection and sharpening functions, which require negative and fractional kernel values.
Screening Talent for Task Assignment: Absolute or Percentile Thresholds?
Authors: BALAKRISHNAN RAMJI , LIN HAIJIN , SIVARAMAKRISHNAN KONDURU
Published: June 2020

Matching talents to tasks is an important part of job design. Organizations routinely use performance thresholds to group agents by talent. We see thresholds defined both in terms of an individual's own performance (absolute value) and in terms of peer performance (percentile). Intuition suggests a preference for percentile thresholds because the resulting rank‐order statistic is sufficient to assess relative talent. Yet, in the context of a task assignment problem in which the objective is to match talent with task type (using two agents and two task types), we show that absolute thresholds can dominate percentile thresholds under either of two conditions. First, flexibility in task assignment tilts the balance toward absolute thresholds. Second, performance manipulation can adversely affect the inherent advantage of percentile thresholds because they motivate agents to invest relatively more in personally costly influence activities to cast their performance in a favorable light. We examine how these results hold up when there are countably large number of agents and discuss empirical implications.
Estimating Crime Laboratory Efficiency in the Testing of Sexual Assault Kits,
Authors: Strom Kevin J. , Hendrix Joshua A. , Parish William J. , Melton Patricia A. , Feeney Hannah
Published: June 2020

Over the past decade, the large numbers of untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) have been highlighted as a systematic problem that jeopardizes or delays justice for victims. Considering the benefits of testing SAKs, researchers have worked to shed light on why sexual assault evidence has not been effectively submitted to and processed by crime laboratories. Missing from this discourse has been an understanding of the types of practices or qualities that encourage efficiency in the testing of SAKs in crime laboratories. We analyzed results of a national survey administered to all publicly funded state and local crime laboratories (N = 132 respondents) to provide critical information about (i) the extent to which laboratories are testing all of the SAKs possible given the resources they have available; and (ii) the impact that staffing, equipment, policies, and other practices have on SAK testing efficiency. We find that the average laboratory tests only about 69% of the SAKs possible given the resources available to them. However, although technical inefficiencies explain a large proportion of the number of untested SAKs, the accumulation of untested SAKs must also be attributed to laboratories having insufficient resources (e.g., too few forensic analysts). Moreover, results from stochastic frontier models show that doubling the number of forensic analysts in the typical laboratory would allow them to expand their SAK testing capacity by nearly 50%. Implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to the prioritization of resources for crime laboratories, which often operate under strict budgetary realities.
Temperature screening has negligible value for control of COVID‐19
Authors: Mitra Biswadev , Luckhoff Carl , Mitchell Rob D , O'Reilly Gerard M , Smit De Villiers , Cameron Peter A
Published: June 2020

Objective

To report the incidence of fever among patients who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of patients who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 at a single centre. Temperature at time of testing and on repeat testing within 24 h were collected.

Results

At the time of testing, fever was detected (sensitivity) in 16 of 86 (19%; 95% confidence interval 11–28) episodes of positive tests for SARS‐CoV‐2. With repeat testing, fever was detected in 18 of 75 (24%; 95% confidence interval 15–35) episodes.

Conclusions

In an Australian hospital, screening for fever lacked sensitivity for detection of patients with SARS‐CoV‐2.
Risk factors and management of incisional hernia in the recipients of living donor liver transplant: A single institutional experience
Authors: Yassein Taha , Elgady Ammar , Ayoup Islam , Gaballa Nahla K. , Abbasy Mohamed , Abou‐Shady Mohammed , Osman Maher , Zakaria Hazem M.
Published: June 2020

Aim

Incisional hernia (IH) has a wide range of incidence after liver transplant (LT), with reported different risk factors. The aim of the study was to shed more light on the incidence, risk factors, and management of IH after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Methods

Adult recipients who underwent LDLT between April 2004 and December 2017 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into a group of post‐LDLT IH and another group without IH.

Results

A total of 239 recipients who underwent LDLT, 35 patients (14.6%) had post LT IH. The independent risk factors for post‐LDLT IH were, presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pre‐transplant, small graft weight, prolonged warm ischaemia time (WIT), postoperative bile leak, postoperative surgical site infection (SSI), (all P values <.05). The commonest site for hernia was the midline skin incision (65.7%). Eighteen recipients (51.4%) with IH underwent repair by mesh hernioplasty with no recurrence.

Conclusions

The following variables have been shown to be significant risk factors for the development of post‐LDLT IH: HCC indication for LDLT; small graft weight; prolonged WIT; and postoperative complications like bile leak and SSI. Mesh hernioplasty is the treatment of choice for this complication.
Revealing a key inhibitory mechanism of 2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethylimidazo[4,5‐f] quinoxaline via trapping of methylglyoxal
Authors: Bao Xiangxiang , Miao Junjian , Huang Yiqun , Lai Keqiang
Published: June 2020

The inhibitory effects of vitamins (nicotinic acid, pyridoxamine [PM], and l‐ascorbic acid) and phenolic acids (ferulic acid and p‐coumaric acid) on the formation of 2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethylimidazo [4,5‐f] quinoxaline (MeIQx) were studied in a glycine/glucose/creatinine model system and fried tilapia cakes. The results showed that PM was the most potential inhibitor and the inhibition rates reached 82.72% and 78.54% in model system and fried tilapia cakes, respectively. Detailed formation mechanism of MeIQx was put forward to find the inevitable species in the non‐free radical formation mechanism of MeIQx. Dose‐dependent analysis of PM on methylglyoxal (MGO ) and MeIQx formation were studied by using model systems and the results showed that MGO and MeIQx were both reduced about 60% in reaction mixtures when the molar ratio of PM to glycine was 1:16, which indicated that MGO is a key intermediate on the pathway of MeIQx formation. Quantum chemistry calculations showed that PM can act as a useful inhibitor to inhibit the formation of MeIQx and react with MGO to form new compounds. A pathway for the inhibitory activity of PM against MeIQx formation was proposed.

Practical Application

Pyridoxamine was the most effective inhibitor against heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and could be applied to a variety of food systems. While the inhibitory mechanism is still unclear. Detailed formation mechanism of MeIQx was put forward first and suggested methylglyoxal as an inevitable species in the non‐free radical formation mechanism of MeIQx in this study. Pyridoxamine trapping methylglyoxal is likely a key mechanism against the generation of MeIQx was demonstrated by quantum chemistry calculation and experimental demonstration. These findings may provide effective suggestions for reducing HAAs and similar toxicants in daily cuisine.
Reliability and validity of culturally adapted Turkish Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire (SMFA‐TR)
Authors: Karaismailoglu Bedri , Yetismis Salih Candost , Kaynak Gokhan , Karaismailoglu Berna
Published: June 2020

Aim

This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the Turkish version of the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment Questionnaire (SMFA‐TR) which primarily assesses the functional status of patients.

Methods

The translation and cross‐cultural adaptation of SMFA to Turkish was made by the standardized procedure and tested for clinimetric quality. The following analyses were made to evaluate clinimetric quality of the SMFA‐TR: reliability with factor analysis and Chronbach's α (construct validity), correlations between SMFA‐TR and Short Form (SF)‐36 (concurrent validity), test‐retest reliability (intraclass correlation analyses), floor and ceiling effects. The questionnaire was applied to 166 patients with musculoskeletal problems. All patients filled in the SMFA‐TR and the validated Turkish SF‐36 questionnaire. Forty‐two patients returned to complete the same questionnaires at 10 days.

Results

Factor analysis revealed a 4‐factor structure of the SMFA‐TR. Cronbach's α values were over 0.88 for both original subscales (dysfunction and bother) of the SMFA. Internal consistency (0.88‐0.94) and test‐retest reliability coefficients (0.90‐0.98) were high for both subscales. Turkish SF‐36 questionnaire conventional subscales showed significant correlations with SMFA‐TR subscales. No floor or ceiling effects were found.

Conclusion

The Turkish version of the SMFA was found to be reliable and valid for Turkish‐speaking patients with musculoskeletal injuries or disorders.
Whole exome sequencing of lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma in one individual: A case report
Authors: Bai Yuxi , Xu Yinghui , Wang Xu , Liu Yunpeng , Sun Chao , Guo Ye , Cai Yangyang , Shao Guoguang , Yang Zhiguang , Qiu Shi , Ma Kewei
Published: June 2020

Multiple primary lung cancers (MPLCs) refers to two or more primary malignant tumors that occur simultaneously or successively in the lung of the same patient. Distinguishing MPLCs from intrapulmonary metastases is important for treatment strategy and prognosis. MPLCs have been considered as having different origins and clonal evolutionary processes. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) are regarded as an effective way to identify the relationship and differentiation among MPLC nodules. Here, we report the case of a 63‐year‐old MPLC male patient who smoked for 40 years. Two nodules were found on chest computed tomography (CT) scan, which were further confirmed by pathology to be lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), respectively. WES of the two different nodules was performed, and the results showed that there was a significant genetic difference between the two nodules. Further analysis of the tumor mutation burden (TMB) of the two tumor lesions showed that the TMB of the squamous cell carcinoma was higher than that of the adenocarcinoma, indicating that the squamous cell carcinoma had a higher mutation frequency. According to the pathology and WES sequencing results, MPLCs for this case were regarded as independent of each other, with different origins and clonal evolutionary processes. In this case report, we emphasize that WES should play an important role in determining the origin of MPLC clones, and also make some explorations for the further discovery of new potential driver genes and therapeutic targets.
Overdiagnosis of scabies and overprescribing of scabies treatment in a scabies‐endemic region
Authors: Felmingham Claire , Tilakaratne Dev
Published: June 2020

Objective

To assess the objective evidence upon which diagnosis of scabies and subsequent prescription of permethrin cream or oral ivermectin is based at a tertiary referral hospital in the Northern Territory.

Design, setting and participants

A retrospective cohort study of inpatients who were prescribed permethrin or ivermectin between July and September 2017 at a single tertiary referral hospital. Eighty‐eight inpatient admissions, belonging to 77 unique patients, were included. This list was generated with the hospital's electronic prescribing software.

Main outcome measures

Age, ethnicity, skin diagnosis on admission, which anti‐scabies medications were prescribed, which concurrent medications were prescribed to treat a rash or pruritus, which differential or concurrent skin diagnoses were made, whether the dermatology department had seen the patient during their admission, and what evidence was documented as reason for diagnosis of scabies.

Results

In the cases in which scabies treatment was prescribed, less than one quarter had positive skin scrapings for scabies, and few had documentation of burrows, and documentation of a contact history combined with clinical lesions. Most cases met none of these diagnostic criteria. Very few were reviewed by the dermatology department as an inpatient.

Conclusions

There were likely high rates of diagnostic uncertainty among the cases in which scabies treatment was prescribed. It is possible that anti‐scabies medications are being prescribed empirically in this hospital.