bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative analysis on different enzyme immobilization nanomaterials: Progress, constraints, and recent trends
Authors: Borzouee Fatemeh , Varshosaz Jaleh , Cohan Reza Ahangari , Norouzian Dariush , Pirposhteh Razieh Taghizadeh
Published: December 2020

Immobilization techniques have been popularly used to preserve the operational stability of the enzymes for
industrial applications. The three main components of an immobilized enzyme system are the enzyme, the matrix/support,
and the technique of immobilization. So far different supports have been developed to improve the efficiency of the
immobilized enzymes. But in the recent decade, nanotechnology has been considerable research interest in the field of
immobilized enzyme carriers. The materials at the nano-scale due to their unique physicochemical properties including;
specific surface area, mass transfer limitation, and effective enzyme loading, are considered as interesting matrices for
enzyme immobilization. This review describes techniques employed to immobilize enzymes and provides an integrated
focus on the most common nanoparticles for enzyme conjugation. Additionally, the pros and cons of nanoparticles as
immobilization matrices are also discussed. Depending on the type of enzyme and its application, in this review, the
researchers are directed to select an appropriate method and support for enzyme immobilization in terms of enzyme stability
and functionality.
Emerging Need of Today: Significant Utilization of Various Databases and Softwares in Drug Design and Development
Authors: Bisht Neema , Sah Archana N. , Bisht Sandeep , Joshi Himanshu
Published: December 2020

In drug discovery, in silico methods have become a very important part of the process. These approaches impact the entire development process by discovering and identifying new target proteins as well as designing potential ligands with a significant reduction of time and cost. Furthermore, in silico approaches are also preferred because of reduction in the experimental use of animals as; in vivo testing for safer drug design and repositioning of known drugs. Novel software-based discovery and development such as direct/indirect drug design, molecular modelling, docking, screening, drug-receptor interaction, and molecular simulation studies are very important tools for the predictions of ligand-target interaction pattern, pharmacodynamics as well as pharmacokinetic properties of ligands. On the other part, the computational approaches can be numerous, requiring interdisciplinary studies and the application of advanced computer technology to design effective and commercially feasible drugs. This review mainly focuses on the various databases and software used in drug design and development to speed up the process.
An Update on Extemporaneous Preparation of Radiopharmaceuticals Using Freeze-Dried Cold Kits
Authors: Mukherjee Archana
Published: December 2020

The field of nuclear medicine is rapidly evolving due to the high demand of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The availability of a vast array of radioisotopes, improvement in radiolabeling strategies, and advancements in detection systems have also contributed to the progress in this field. Radiopharmaceuticals are mainly classified based on their application as diagnostic or therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. These are available either as ready to use preparations or prepared at hospital radiopharmacy either using automated synthesis modules or by using freeze-dried cold kit formulations. Availability of freeze-dried cold kits for preparation of varied radiopharmaceuticals for targeting various organs and tissues played an essential role in the extensive use of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic imaging by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Cold kits are especially suitable for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with isotopes like 177Lu with relatively long half-life or radionuclides produced by radioisotope generators. A simplified procedure for the preparation of positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals is also desired to achieve images with higher resolution and sensitivity offered by PET. Robust kit formulations will simplify the preparation of PET radiopharmaceuticals and will contribute to extensive applications of positron emitters such as 68Ga. Several therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are also being made using cold kits of the ligands. This review provides an update on diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals prepared using cold kits.
Elevated Total Homocysteine Predicts In-Hospital Pneumonia and Poor Functional Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Wang Fuyu , Wang Lixuan , Du Huaping , You Shoujiang , Zheng Danni , Zhong Chongke , Sun Yaming , Ding Chunqin , Shan Haihua , Cao Yongjun , Liu Chun-Feng
Published: December 2020

Background :

We investigated the association between elevated total homocysteine (tHcy)
levels upon hospital admission and short-term in-hospital outcomes, including pneumonia in
acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Methods:

A total of 2,084 AIS patients enrolled from December 2013 to May 2014 across 22 hospitals
in Suzhou city were included in the present study. We divided patients into four groups according
to their level of admission tHcy: quartile (Q1) (<9.70 umol/L), Q2 (9.70-12.3 umol/L), Q3
(12.3-16.9 umol/L), and Q4 (≥16.9 umol/L). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the
effect of tHcy on the short-term outcomes, including in-hospital pneumonia, all-cause in-hospital
mortality, and poor outcome upon discharge (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) in AIS patients.

Results:

The risk of in-hospital pneumonia was significantly higher in patients with the highest tHcy
level (Q4) compared to those with the lowest tHcy level (Q1) (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.55;
95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.33; P-trend =0.019). The highest tHcy level (Q4) was associated
with a 3.35-fold and 1.50-fold increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 3.35; 95% CI,
1.11–10.13; P-trend =0.015) and poor outcome upon discharge (OR 1.50; 95% CI, 1.06–2.12; Ptrend
=0.044) in comparison to Q1 after adjustment for potential covariates including pneumonia.

Conclusion:

Having a high admission tHcy level was independently associated with in-hospital
pneumonia, in-hospital mortality, and poor outcome upon discharge in AIS patients.
Landmark-Based Shape Analysis on Middle Cerebral Intracranial Aneurysms: A Geometric Morphometrics Approach to Infer Natural History
Authors: Tutino Vincent M. , Yan Anthony J. , Veeturi Sricharan S. , Patel Tatsat R. , Rajabzadeh-Oghaz Hamidreza , Waqas Muhammad , Siddiqui Adnan H. , Tseng Jack , Kolega John
Published: December 2020

Background::

Due to the scarcity of longitudinal data, the morphologic development of
intracranial aneurysms (IAs) during their natural history remains poorly understood. However, longitudinal
information can often be inferred from cross-sectional datasets as demonstrated by anatomists’
use of geometric morphometrics to build evolutionary trees, reconstructing species inter-relationships
based on morphologic landmarks.

Objective::

We adopted these tools to analyze cross-sectional image data and infer relationships between
IA morphologies.

Methods::

On 3D reconstructions of 52 middle cerebral arteries (MCA) IAs (9 ruptured) and 10 IAfree
MCAs (baseline geometries), 7 semi-automated landmarks were placed at the proximal parent
artery and maximum height. From these, 64 additional landmarks were computationally generated
to create a 71-landmark point cloud of 213 xyz coordinates. This data was normalized by Procrustes
transformation and used in the principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and
phylogenetic analyses.

Results::

Principal component analysis showed separation of IA-free MCA geometries and grouping
of ruptured IAs from unruptured IAs. Hierarchical clustering delineated a cluster of only unruptured
IAs that were significantly smaller and more spherical than clusters that had ruptured IAs.
Phylogenetic classification placed ruptured IAs more distally in the tree than unruptured IAs, indicating
greater shape derivation. Groups of unruptured IAs were observed, but ruptured IAs were invariably
found in mixed lineages with unruptured IAs, suggesting that some pathways of shape
change may be benign while others are more associated with rupture.

Conclusion::

Geometric morphometric analyses of larger datasets may indicate particular pathways
of shape change leading toward aneurysm rupture versus stabilization.
Withdrawal Notice: Electro-Catalytic process for the Synthesis of Organic Compounds and their Biological Applications
Authors: Khan Zia Ul Haq , Shah Noor Samad , Muhammad Nawshad , Khan Arif Ullah , Iqbal Jibran , Imran Muhammad , Ashfaq Munazza , Khan Amjad , Kousar Amina , Chen Yongmei , Pingyu Wan
Published: December 2020

The article for the journal :Current Organic Synthesis" has been removed by the Publisher due to acute language inconsistencies
and grammatical errors.

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

Bentham Science Disclaimer:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously
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must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting
the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the
authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright
of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
Selection of Active Antiviral Compounds Against COVID-19 Disease Targeting Coronavirus Endoribonuclease Nendou/NSP15 Via Ligandbased Virtual Screening and Molecular Docking
Authors: Joshi Gaurav , Poduri Ramarao
Published: December 2020

Background:

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has caused havoc and panic among
individuals, which has further worsened due to the unavailability of a proven drug(s) regime.

Objective:

The current work involves drug repurposing from the pool of USFDA approved drugs
involving in silico virtual screening technique against COVID-19.

Materials and Methods:

Methodology involves virtual screening of 8548 FDA approved drugs
against target protein endoribonuclease NendoU (Nsp15) (PDB ID: 6VWW).

Results:

Virtual screening-based analysis enabled us to identify four drugs, Eprosartan, Inarigivir
soproxil, Foretinib, and DB01813 that could plausibly target Nsp15 against COVID-19 disease.

Conclusion:

The work offers the scope to corroborate the findings via in vitro and in vivo
techniques to identify the potential of selected leads against COVID-19. The outcome may also help
in tracing their molecular mechanism(s) in addition to their development at the clinical level in the
future.
Ethanolamine: A Potential Promoiety with Additional Effects on the Brain
Authors: Gwanyanya Asfree , Godsmark Christie Nicole , Kelly-Laubscher Roisin
Published: December 2020

Ethanolamine is a bioactive molecule found in several cells, including those in the central nervous system (CNS). In the brain, ethanolamine and ethanolamine-related molecules have emerged as prodrug moieties that can promote drug movement across the blood-brain barrier. This improvement in the ability to target drugs to the brain may also mean that in the process ethanolamine concentrations in the brain are increased enough for ethanolamine to exert its own neurological ac-tions. Ethanolamine and its associated products have various positive functions ranging from cell signaling to molecular storage, and alterations in their levels have been linked to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. This mini-review focuses on the effects of ethanolamine in the CNS and highlights the possible implications of these effects for drug design.
Empagliflozin and the Diabetic Kidney: Pathophysiological Concepts and Future Challenges
Authors: Papaetis Georgios S.
Published: December 2020

Chronic kidney disease is a serious co-morbidity of patients with diabetes, which amplifies
the global burden of this disease, affects the quality of their life, and significantly increases both morbidity
and mortality. Therefore, there is a high unmet clinical need to develop therapeutic strategies in
order to prevent, delay, or even reverse its evolution. EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial has fundamentally
changed the therapeutic landscape of patients with type 2 diabetes and signified a new era in which
treatment approaches should be tailored based on end-organ protection and patient comorbidities rather
than focusing only on their antihyperglycemic effects. This paper discusses the seminal EMPA-REG
OUTCOME trial, focusing on its renal outcomes, and explores extensively the possible pathophysiological
mechanisms governing the nephroprotective activity of empagliflozin both in in vitro and in
vivo (animal models and humans) studies during a diabetic state. It also discusses the safety of empagliflozin
therapy and its future role in order to ameliorate the global burden of CKD both in patients
with and without diabetes.
Higher Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNA Expression in Type 2 Reaction ENL (Erythema Nodosum Leprosum) Patients in Mycobacterium leprae Infection
Authors: Mas Rusyati Luh Made , Hatta Mochammad , Widiana I Gede Raka , Adiguna Made Swastika , Wardana Made , Dwiyanti Ressy , Noviyanti Rizki Amelia , Sabir Muhammad , Yasir Yadi , Paramita Swandari , Junita Ade Rifka , Primaguna Muhammad Reza
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim:

The pathology of leprosy is determined by the host immune response to Mycobacterium leprae. Almost 40% of patients with leprosy undergo immune-mediated inflammatory episodes such as type 1 reactions and Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL or type 2 reactions). Regulatory T (Treg) is a subset of T cells that are involved in the immune response. Treg cells express Forkhead Box P3 (FoxP3), which plays a role in suppressing the immune response. FoxP3 may work alongside Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) to down-regulate T cells responses, leading to the antigen-specific anergy associated with leprosy, whereas ENL occurrs mostly in multibacillary leprosy patients. Based on that, the aim of our study was to analyze Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNA expression in type 2 reactions ENL with Mycobacterium leprae infection.

Methods:

Forty-nine newly diagnosed multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients attending the Dermatovenereology Clinic of Leprosy Subdivision, Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar, Indonesia, were included in the study. The study group consists of 25 leprosy patients with ENL and 24 non-ENL leprosy patients. Twenty-five patients were included in the study as healthy controls. In this study, Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNA expressions were identified with the Real-time PCR method. Analysis of Variant (ANOVA), Chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) calculation were used; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

The result of this study showed that the mean of Treg FoxP3 mRNA expression was 13.3 ± 2.9 on ENL leprosy patients, 11.6 ± 4.1 on non-ENL, and 9.3 ± 1.2 on healthy controls. The mean of TGF-β mRNA expression was 11.7 ± 2.7 on ENL leprosy patients, 9.5 ± 3.6 on non-ENL, and 9.3 ± 1.2 in healthy patients. Statistical analysis for Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNA level between ENL, non-ENL patients and healthy control group showed significance at p<0.05.

Conclusion:

From this study, it was concluded that higher Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNA expressions were found in type 2 reaction ENL patients with Mycobacterium leprae infection. The role played by Treg FoxP3 and TGF-β in type 2 reaction episodes can possibly provide a new target for the treatment of this still-challenging complication of leprosy. Further studies are required to determine the involvement of other cytokines in type 2 reaction ENL patients.
Влияние деформации в среде жидкого азота на кинетику десорбции воды из меди и железа при нагревании
Authors: Клявин О.В. , Шпейзман В.В. , Поздняков А.О. , Аруев Н.Н. , Чернов Ю.М.
Published: December 2020

На основе представлений о дислокационно-динамической диффузии атомов и молекул среды в приповерхностные слои твердых тел при их деформации рассмотрено влияние предварительной деформации меди и железа в среде жидкого азота, способствующей интенсивному проникновению азота в приповерхностные слои металлов, на положение максимумов зависимости скорости десорбции молекул воды от температуры. Обнаружено смещение максимумов в сторону более высоких температур в результате предварительной деформации. Произведено сравнение различных способов разделения пиков на кривых десорбции воды и оценены энергии активации процессов десорбции в низко- и высокотемпературных областях, а также высказаны предположения о причинах влияния деформации в жидком азоте на характеристики десорбции молекул воды при нагревании. Ключевые слова: десорбция молекул воды, деформация в среде азота, дислокационно-динамическая диффузия.
Giving Your Electronic Health Record a Checkup After COVID-19: A Practical Framework for Reviewing Clinical Decision Support in Light of the Telemedicine Expansion
Authors: Feldman Jonah , Szerencsy Adam , Mann Devin , Austrian Jonathan , Kothari Ulka , Heo Hye , Barzideh Sam , Hickey Maureen , Snapp Catherine , Aminian Rod , Jones Lauren , Testa Paul
Published: December 2020

Background

The transformation of health care during COVID-19, with the rapid expansion of telemedicine visits, presents new challenges to chronic care and preventive health providers. Clinical decision support (CDS) is critically important to chronic care providers, and CDS malfunction is common during times of change. It is essential to regularly reassess an organization's ambulatory CDS program to maintain care quality. This is especially true after an immense change, like the COVID-19 telemedicine expansion.

Objective

Our objective is to reassess the ambulatory CDS program at a large academic medical center in light of telemedicine's expansion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Our clinical informatics team devised a practical framework for an intrapandemic ambulatory CDS assessment focused on the impact of the telemedicine expansion. This assessment began with a quantitative analysis comparing CDS alert performance in the context of in-person and telemedicine visits. Board-certified physician informaticists then completed a formal workflow review of alerts with inferior performance in telemedicine visits. Informaticists then reported on themes and optimization opportunities through the existing CDS governance structure.

Results

Our assessment revealed that 10 of our top 40 alerts by volume were not firing as expected in telemedicine visits. In 3 of the top 5 alerts, providers were significantly less likely to take action in telemedicine when compared to office visits. Cumulatively, alerts in telemedicine encounters had an action taken rate of 5.3% (3257/64,938) compared to 8.3% (19,427/233,636) for office visits. Observations from a clinical informaticist workflow review included the following: (1) Telemedicine visits have different workflows than office visits. Some alerts developed for the office were not appearing at the optimal time in the telemedicine workflow. (2) Missing clinical data is a common reason for the decreased alert firing seen in telemedicine visits. (3) Remote patient monitoring and patient-reported clinical data entered through the portal could replace data collection usually completed in the office by a medical assistant or registered nurse.

Conclusions

In a large academic medical center at the pandemic epicenter, an intrapandemic ambulatory CDS assessment revealed clinically significant CDS malfunctions that highlight the importance of reassessing ambulatory CDS performance after the telemedicine expansion.
Disparities in Care Outcomes in Atlanta Between Black and White Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study (Engage[men]t)
Authors: Sullivan Patrick Sean , Taussig Jennifer , Valentine-Graves Mariah , Luisi Nicole , Del Rio Carlos , Guest Jodie L , Jones Jeb , Millett Greg , Rosenberg Eli S , Stephenson Rob , Kelley Colleen
Published: December 2020

Background

The US HIV epidemic is driven by infections in men who have sex with men and characterized by profound disparities in HIV prevalence and outcomes for Black Americans. Black men who have sex with men living with HIV are reported to have worse care outcomes than other men who have sex with men, but the reasons for these health inequities are not clear. We planned a prospective observational cohort study to help understand the reasons for worse HIV care outcomes for Black versus White men who have sex with men in Atlanta.

Objective

The aim of this study is to identify individual, dyadic, network, neighborhood, and structural factors that explain disparities in HIV viral suppression between Black and White men who have sex with men living with HIV in Atlanta.

Methods

Black and White men who have sex with men living with HIV were enrolled in a prospective cohort study with in-person visits and viral suppression assessments at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months; additional surveys of care and risk behaviors at 3, 6, and 18 months; analysis of care received outside the study through public health reporting; and qualitative interviews for participants who experienced sentinel health events (eg, loss of viral suppression) during the study. The study is based on the Bronfenbrenner socioecological theoretical model.

Results

Men who have sex with men (n=400) were enrolled between June 2016 and June 2017 in Atlanta. Follow-up was completed in June 2019; final study retention was 80% at 24 months.

Conclusions

Health disparities for Black men who have sex with men are hypothesized to be driven by structural racism and barriers to care. Observational studies are important to document and quantify the specific factors within the socioecological framework that account for disparities in viral suppression. In the meantime, it is also critical to push for steps to improve access to care, including Medicaid expansion in Southern states, such as Georgia, which have not yet moved to expand Medicaid.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/21985
Social Capital–Accrual, Escape-From-Self, and Time-Displacement Effects of Internet Use During the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Period: Prospective, Quantitative Survey Study
Authors: Cheng Cecilia , Lau Yan-Ching , Luk Jeremy W
Published: December 2020

Background

COVID-19 has spread like wildfire across the globe, prompting many governments to impose unprecedented stay-at-home orders to limit its transmission. During an extended stay-at-home period, individuals may engage in more online leisure activities. Internet use is a double-edged sword that may have both desirable and undesirable effects on psychological well-being, and this study sought to disentangle adaptive from maladaptive internet use amidst this unusual health crisis.

Objective

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of probable depression during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period and to test three hypothesized risk reduction or risk elevation mechanisms, namely social capital–accrual, escape-from-self, and time-displacement effects.

Methods

This study took place from March to May 2020 at the early stage of the pandemic. The study adopted a prospective design, with an online survey administered to 573 UK and 474 US adult residents at two assessment points 2 months apart.

Results

The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 36% (bootstrap bias-corrected and accelerated [BCa] 95% CI 33%-39%) at Time 1 (ie, initial time point) and 27% (bootstrap BCa 95% CI 25%-30%) at Time 2 (ie, follow-up time point). The results supported the social capital–accrual hypothesis by showing that the approach coping style was inversely associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both social networking and perceived family support. The results also supported the escape-from-self hypothesis by revealing that the avoidant coping style was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both gaming and cyberbullying victimization, but the serial mediation model was no longer significant after Time 1 depression and some demographic risk factors had been controlled for. Finally, the results supported the time-displacement hypothesis by showing that gaming was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its inverse associations with social networking and perceived family support.

Conclusions

During the extended stay-at-home period in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of probable depression during the 2-month study period was high among the UK and US residents. Individuals with distinct coping styles may engage in different types of online leisure activities and perceive varying levels of social support, which are associated with risks of probable depression.
ALBERT-Based Self-Ensemble Model With Semisupervised Learning and Data Augmentation for Clinical Semantic Textual Similarity Calculation: Algorithm Validation Study
Authors: Li Junyi , Zhang Xuejie , Zhou Xiaobing
Published: December 2020

Background

In recent years, with increases in the amount of information available and the importance of information screening, increased attention has been paid to the calculation of textual semantic similarity. In the field of medicine, electronic medical records and medical research documents have become important data resources for clinical research. Medical textual semantic similarity calculation has become an urgent problem to be solved.

Objective

This research aims to solve 2 problems—(1) when the size of medical data sets is small, leading to insufficient learning with understanding of the models and (2) when information is lost in the process of long-distance propagation, causing the models to be unable to grasp key information.

Methods

This paper combines a text data augmentation method and a self-ensemble ALBERT model under semisupervised learning to perform clinical textual semantic similarity calculations.

Results

Compared with the methods in the 2019 National Natural Language Processing Clinical Challenges Open Health Natural Language Processing shared task Track on Clinical Semantic Textual Similarity, our method surpasses the best result by 2 percentage points and achieves a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.92.

Conclusions

When the size of medical data set is small, data augmentation can increase the size of the data set and improved semisupervised learning can boost the learning efficiency of the model. Additionally, self-ensemble methods improve the model performance. Our method had excellent performance and has great potential to improve related medical problems.
Improving Detection of Disease Re-emergence Using a Web-Based Tool (RED Alert): Design and Case Analysis Study
Authors: Parikh Nidhi , Daughton Ashlynn R , Rosenberger William Earl , Aberle Derek Jacob , Chitanvis Maneesha Elizabeth , Altherr Forest Michael , Velappan Nileena , Fairchild Geoffrey , Deshpande Alina
Published: December 2020

Background

Currently, the identification of infectious disease re-emergence is performed without describing specific quantitative criteria that can be used to identify re-emergence events consistently. This practice may lead to ineffective mitigation. In addition, identification of factors contributing to local disease re-emergence and assessment of global disease re-emergence require access to data about disease incidence and a large number of factors at the local level for the entire world. This paper presents Re-emerging Disease Alert (RED Alert), a web-based tool designed to help public health officials detect and understand infectious disease re-emergence.

Objective

Our objective is to bring together a variety of disease-related data and analytics needed to help public health analysts answer the following 3 primary questions for detecting and understanding disease re-emergence: Is there a potential disease re-emergence at the local (country) level? What are the potential contributing factors for this re-emergence? Is there a potential for global re-emergence?

Methods

We collected and cleaned disease-related data (eg, case counts, vaccination rates, and indicators related to disease transmission) from several data sources including the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), World Bank, and Gideon. We combined these data with machine learning and visual analytics into a tool called RED Alert to detect re-emergence for the following 4 diseases: measles, cholera, dengue, and yellow fever. We evaluated the performance of the machine learning models for re-emergence detection and reviewed the output of the tool through a number of case studies.

Results

Our supervised learning models were able to identify 82%-90% of the local re-emergence events, although with 18%-31% (except 46% for dengue) false positives. This is consistent with our goal of identifying all possible re-emergences while allowing some false positives. The review of the web-based tool through case studies showed that local re-emergence detection was possible and that the tool provided actionable information about potential factors contributing to the local disease re-emergence and trends in global disease re-emergence.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first tool that focuses specifically on disease re-emergence and addresses the important challenges mentioned above.
Telehealth Demand Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Top 50 Most Affected Countries: Infodemiological Evaluation
Authors: Wong Mark Yu Zheng , Gunasekeran Dinesh Visva , Nusinovici Simon , Sabanayagam Charumathi , Yeo Khung Keong , Cheng Ching-Yu , Tham Yih-Chung
Published: December 2020

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to urgent calls for the adoption of telehealth solutions. However, public interest and demand for telehealth during the pandemic remain unknown.

Objective

We used an infodemiological approach to estimate the worldwide demand for telehealth services during COVID-19, focusing on the 50 most affected countries and comparing the demand for such services with the level of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure available.

Methods

We used Google Trends, the Baidu Index (China), and Yandex Keyword Statistics (Russia) to extract data on worldwide and individual countries’ telehealth-related internet searches from January 1 to July 7, 2020, presented as relative search volumes (RSV; range 0-100). Daily COVID-19 cases and deaths were retrieved from the World Health Organization. Individual countries’ ICT infrastructure profiles were retrieved from the World Economic Forum Report.

Results

Across the 50 countries, the mean RSV was 18.5 (SD 23.2), and the mean ICT index was 62.1 (SD 15.0). An overall spike in worldwide telehealth-related RSVs was observed from March 11, 2020 (RSV peaked to 76.0), which then tailed off in June-July 2020 (mean RSV for the period was 25.8), but remained higher than pre-March RSVs (mean 7.29). By country, 42 (84%) manifested increased RSVs over the evaluation period, with the highest observed in Canada (RSV=100) and the United States (RSV=96). When evaluating associations between RSV and the ICT index, both the United States and Canada demonstrated high RSVs and ICT scores (≥70.3). In contrast, European countries had relatively lower RSVs (range 3.4-19.5) despite high ICT index scores (mean 70.3). Several Latin American (Brazil, Chile, Colombia) and South Asian (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan) countries demonstrated relatively higher RSVs (range 13.8-73.3) but low ICT index scores (mean 44.6), indicating that the telehealth demand outstrips the current ICT infrastructure.

Conclusions

There is generally increased interest and demand for telehealth services across the 50 countries most affected by COVID-19, highlighting the need to scale up telehealth capabilities, during and beyond the pandemic.
mHealth App for Pressure Ulcer Wound Assessment in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Do Khac Ariane , Jourdan Claire , Fazilleau Sylvain , Palayer Claire , Laffont Isabelle , Dupeyron Arnaud , Verdun Stéphane , Gelis Anthony
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

Clinical evaluation of a pressure ulcer is based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation. In clinical practice, acetate tracing is the standard technique used to measure wound surface area; however, it is difficult to use in daily practice (because of material availability, data storage issues, and time needed to calculate the surface area). Planimetry techniques developed with mobile health (mHealth) apps can be used to overcome these difficulties.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to evaluate the metrological properties of a free-access mHealth app, called imitoMeasure, to assess pressure ulcers.

METHODS

This was a noninterventional, validation study. We included patients with spinal cord injury presenting with a pressure ulcer, regardless of its stage or location. We performed wound measurements with a ruler, and we performed acetate tracing using a transparent dressing with a wound measurement grid. Wound evaluation via the mHealth app was conducted twice by the main investigator and also by a coinvestigator to determine validity, intrarater reproducibility, and interrater reproducibility. Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compute the minimal detectable change percentage.

RESULTS

Overall, 61 different pressure ulcers were included. The validity, intrarater reproducibility, and interrater reproducibility of the mHealth app vs acetate tracing (considered the method of reference) were good, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93-0.99), 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-0.99), and 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99), respectively, and minimal detectable change percentages between 17% and 35%.

CONCLUSIONS

The imitoMeasure app had good validity and reproducibility. It could be an alternative to standard wound assessment methods. Further studies on larger and more diverse wounds are needed.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04402398; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04402398
Inpatient Telemedicine Implementation as an Infection Control Response to COVID-19: Qualitative Process Evaluation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Safaeinili Nadia , Vilendrer Stacie , Williamson Emma , Zhao Zicheng , Brown-Johnson Cati , Asch Steven M , Shieh Lisa
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges to delivering safe and effective health care while minimizing virus exposure among staff and patients without COVID-19. Health systems worldwide have moved quickly to implement telemedicine in diverse settings to reduce infection, but little is understood about how best to connect patients who are acutely ill with nearby clinical team members, even in the next room.

OBJECTIVE

To inform these efforts, this paper aims to provide an early example of inpatient telemedicine implementation and its perceived acceptability and effectiveness.

METHODS

Using purposive sampling, this study conducted 15 semistructured interviews with nurses (5/15, 33%), attending physicians (5/15, 33%), and resident physicians (5/15, 33%) on a single COVID-19 unit within Stanford Health Care to evaluate implementation outcomes and perceived effectiveness of inpatient telemedicine. Semistructured interview protocols and qualitative analysis were framed around the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework, and key themes were identified using a rapid analytic process and consensus approach.

RESULTS

All clinical team members reported wide reach of inpatient telemedicine, with some use for almost all patients with COVID-19. Inpatient telemedicine was perceived to be effective in reducing COVID-19 exposure and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) without significantly compromising quality of care. Physician workflows remained relatively stable, as most standard clinical activities were conducted via telemedicine following the initial intake examination, though resident physicians reported reduced educational opportunities given limited opportunities to conduct physical exams. Nurse workflows required significant adaptations to cover nonnursing duties, such as food delivery and facilitating technology connections for patients and physicians alike. Perceived patient impact included consistent care quality, with some considerations around privacy. Reported challenges included patient–clinical team communication and personal connection with the patient, perceptions of patient isolation, ongoing technical challenges, and certain aspects of the physical exam.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical team members reported inpatient telemedicine encounters to be acceptable and effective in reducing COVID-19 exposure and PPE use. Nurses adapted their workflows more than physicians in order to implement the new technology and bore a higher burden of in-person care and technical support. Recommendations for improved inpatient telemedicine use include information technology support and training, increased technical functionality, and remote access for the clinical team.
Sleep Detection for Younger Adults, Healthy Older Adults, and Older Adults Living With Dementia Using Wrist Temperature and Actigraphy: Prototype Testing and Case Study Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Wei Jing , Boger Jennifer
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

Sleep is essential for one’s health and quality of life. Wearable technologies that use motion and temperature sensors have made it possible to self-monitor sleep. Although there is a growing body of research on sleep monitoring using wearable devices for healthy young-to-middle-aged adults, few studies have focused on older adults, including those living with dementia.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the impact of age and dementia on sleep detection through movement and wrist temperature.

METHODS

A total of 10 younger adults, 10 healthy older adults, and 8 older adults living with dementia (OAWD) were recruited. Each participant wore a Mi Band 2 (accemetry-based sleep detection) and our custom-built wristband (actigraphy and wrist temperature) 24 hours a day for 2 weeks and was asked to keep a daily sleep journal. Sleep parameters detected by the Mi Band 2 were compared with sleep journals, and visual analysis of actigraphy and temperature data was performed.

RESULTS

The absolute differences in sleep onset and offset between the sleep journals and Mi Band 2 were 39 (SD 51) minutes and 31 (SD 52) minutes for younger adults, 49 (SD 58) minutes and 33 (SD 58) minutes for older adults, and 253 (SD 104) minutes and 161 (SD 94) minutes for OAWD. The Mi Band 2 was unable to accurately detect sleep in 3 healthy older adults and all OAWDs. The average sleep and wake temperature difference of OAWD (1.26 °C, SD 0.82 °C) was significantly lower than that of healthy older adults (2.04 °C, SD 0.70 °C) and healthy younger adults (2.48 °C, SD 0.88 °C). Actigraphy data showed that older adults had more movement during sleep compared with younger adults and that this trend appears to increase for those with dementia.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mi Band 2 did not accurately detect sleep in older adults who had greater levels of nighttime movement. As more nighttime movement appears to be a phenomenon that increases in prevalence with age and even more so with dementia, further research needs to be conducted with a larger sample size and greater diversity of commercially available wearable devices to explore these trends more conclusively. All participants, including older adults and OAWD, had a distinct sleep and wake wrist temperature contrast, which suggests that wrist temperature could be leveraged to create more robust and broadly applicable sleep detection algorithms.
Edukasi Menjadi Remaja Sehat dan Berkualitas Melalui Program SMART Remaja
Authors: Mediastuti Fitriani
Published: December 2020

Remaja memiliki risiko tinggi terkait dengan aktivitas seksual dini dan tidak aman yang akan berdampak terjadinya infeksi menular seksual, HIV/AIDS dan kehamilan berisiko. Adanya informasi yang akurat sangat dibutuhkan oleh remaja dalam membentuk pribadi yang sehat dan berkualitas. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini dilakukan dengan metode ceramah, pemutaran film edukasi dan diskusi. Kegiatan pengabdian dilaksanakan di SMP PGRI Kasihan Bantul, pada hari Rabu, 23 Januari 2019. Sasaran pengabdian ini adalah siswa SMP dengan  jumlah 79 siswa. Materi tersebut diambil dari buku SMART Remaja untuk menggapai remaja yang SMART (Sehat secara Mandiri dan Bertanggungjawab). Mayoritas siswa berusia rata-rata 13 tahun dan tinggal bersama orangtua kandung sebesar 93,67%. Pendidikan ayah mayoritas SMA yaitu sebesar 55, 70 % dan ibu mayoritas juga SMA yaitu sebesar 59, 49%. Pekerjaan ayah mayoritas petani/ buruh yaitu sebesar 39.24% dan ibu mayoritas sebagai ibu rumah tangga sebesar 62.03 %.  Masih ada siswa yang belum  pernah mendapatkan materi kesehatan reproduksi remaja sebesar 27.85 %. Secara kuantitatif ada kenaikan skor pengetahuan sebelum dan sesudah penyuluhan, yaitu sebesar 10,45%. Hal tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa edukasi menjadi remaja sehat dan berkualitas melalui program SMART Remaja, efektif. Semakin tinggi pengetahuan yang dimiliki seseorang tentang kesehatan reproduksi remaja, misal dampak dari perilaku berisiko maka akan meningkatkan perilaku positif pada seseorang.
Teaching Emotion Regulation: K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices across the Curriculum
Authors: Nadelson Louis S. , Soto Estefany , Smith Tye , Nekonchuk Sarah , Ims Jessica , Nadelson Sandra G.
Published: December 2020

Students can gain a range of skills and knowledge from interactions in schools, including emotional competencies such as regulation of emotions. Teachers are positioned to support students’ development of emotion regulation in the social context of school. We sought to determine K-12 teachers’ sense of responsibility, preparation, engagement, comfort, and approach to teaching students emotion regulation. The quantitative and qualitative data we gathered from 155 general K-12 classroom teachers revealed a sense of responsibility, low preparation, varied engagement, and low to moderate comfort. We found differences by grade levels, school location, and teacher education level. There was moderate alignment between how the teachers regulate their emotions and the emotion regulation processes they teach their students. We share implications for school psychologists and suggest multiple directions for future research.
Effects of Brain-Based Learning Strategies on Secondary School Students’ Attitude to Learning in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: H. A. Apeh, , K. Gidado, B. , O. A. Iyiegbuniwe,
Published: December 2020

The study was carried out to find out whether Brain-Based Learning Strategies had any effect senior secondary school students’ attitude to learning in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A pre-test post-test Quasi Experimental Research design was used with a sample size of 142 Senior Secondary School Students (S.S.S 1) drawn from two Senior Secondary Schools in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Two intact classes were used; one class drawn from each of the schools, the classes were assigned to Groups using a Lucky Dip. With 70 students constituted in the Experimental Group and 72 in the Control Group. The Student Attitude Scale (SAS) was used to collect data for the study. All hypotheses were tested at a significant level of 0.05 using t-test. Findings revealed a significant difference in Students Attitude to learning with a mean difference of 0.59 in favor of the Experimental Group. However, no significant difference was observed in Students Attitude to learning in the Experimental Group based on gender. It was recommended that teachers should adopt the Brain-based learning strategies in teaching Economics in Senior Secondary Schools. In addition, since the teaching pedagogy is Gender-fair, it should be implemented in all schools irrespective of learners’ gender.
The Piney Branch site (District of Columbia, U.S.A.) and the significance of the quarry-refuse model for the interpretation of lithics sites
Authors: Runnels Curtis Neil
Published: December 2020

In the 1870s the amateur archaeologist Dr Charles Abbott discovered roughly-flaked bifacial artefacts that he called “paleoliths” near Trenton, New Jersey, which he claimed were artefact types similar to Lower Palaeolithic handaxes being found in western Europe at that time. This interpretation gave rise to what has been called the Great Palaeolithic War, a debate in the United States about the existence of an “American Palaeolithic” that only ended in 1890 when the archaeologist William H. Holmes from the Smithsonian Institution excavated the Piney Branch lithics site in Washington D.C.. On the basis of the bifacial reduction sequence that he reconstructed from the lithics excavated at Piney Branch, Holmes argued that any resemblance of paleoliths to Lower Palaeolithic handaxes was accidental. Holmes believed that paleoliths were discarded elements from the sequential reduction of stone nodules (which he called the “Progressive Series”) by recent American Indian knappers during the manufacture of projectile points. In other words, the Trenton paleoliths, and by implication similar roughly-flaked bifaces, were nothing more than quarry refuse (or “waste”). Since Holmes’ day the quarry-refuse model for the interpretation of large roughly-flaked bifacial implements as “waste” and not artefact types used in other activities, particularly for lithics sties in the arid western regions of the US, has been applied at times without adequate bridging arguments. A review of Holmes’ interpretation of the Piney Branch evidence suggests that his quarry-refuse model, even when applied to Piney Branch, required numerous untested assumptions, and that the model may inadvertently obscure a range of other prehistoric activities not strictly related to quarrying and knapping. As a consequence, the application of the quarry-refuse model today to lithics sites found in North America without careful examination may also fail to identify the complete range of cultural activity at those sites, and should be applied to lithics sites only with due caution and the testing of alternative hypotheses.
Processing plants for food: Experimental grinding within the ERC-project PLANTCULT
Authors: Bofill Maria , Chondrou Danai , Palomo Antoni , Procopiou Hara , Valamotti Soultana Maria
Published: December 2020

PlantCult Project aims to explore the role of culinary traditions and innovations through their impact on shaping the social landscape in ancient Europe over long time periods (from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age) and large territories. The experimental program is part of an integrated study of food products and associated equipment focusing on whether the introduction of new species or changes in social and economic organisation brought about changes in the food grinding technologies of the area.

The experiments include tools operated by back and forth reciprocal motion and circular motion, and manufactured from different raw materials, with different morphologies and sizes. The tools design and the list of plant ingredients (cereals, legumes, acorns and oil-seeds) ground in the experiments are all based on the archaeological record of the studied area. In this paper we present the experimental protocol, the multi-scale methodology applied to the use-wear analysis of grinding stone tools, and the results of the experimental processing of the main plant ingredients detected in prehistoric European cuisine.