bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Digital Classroom Project at the University of Kent
Authors: Colaiacomo Silvia
Published: July 2020

The Digital Classroom Project at the University of Kent aimed to investigate the relationship between space, technology and pedagogy in two new seminar rooms equipped with special furniture and technology. A key aspect of the project was the close collaboration between academics, professional services and students. The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data shows that both students and staff benefitted from working in these rooms and that the spaces allowed opportunities to experiment with new pedagogical approaches tailored on students needs.
Prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, northern Ethiopia
Authors: Kassaw Mesfin Wudu , Abebe Ayele Mamo , Tegegne Kirubel Dagnaw , Getu Mikiyas Amare , Bihonegn Woldemichael Tadesse
Published: July 2020

Background: Trachoma is a neglected eye disease and an important cause of preventable corneal blindness. In endemic areas, initial infection can occur in early childhood and following a recurrent episodes, it progresses to scarring and visual impairment. Trachoma disappeared from high income countries through enhancements of hygiene and sanitation but the disease is still a challenge in developing countries. In Ethiopia, data indicate that Amhara is the region with the highest prevalence of active trachoma. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, Amhara region, Ethiopia.Methods: In this study, 596 children were screened for signs of active trachoma by using cluster-sampling technique. Following pre-testing of the survey instrument in a different district, questions about socio-demographic status were delivered for heads of households. Integrated eye care workers, previously trained to undertake trachoma screening for one month, performed eye examination. The logistic regression model was used to look for associations of active trachoma.Results: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district was 22%. Low economic status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]3.8 (95%CI 1.3–11.4), being 37–48 months old (4.2;1.5–12.0), living in a house with thatched roof (4.4;1.4–13.6), presence of flies in a home (4.6;2.1–9.9), once-weekly face-washing frequency (8.6;2.5–29.3), having a face that had not been washed for longer than a week (10.6;2.9–37.7), and not using soap (4.5;1.8–11.3) had association to active trachomaConclusion: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural pre-school children in Wadla district was high. This indicates that Trachoma is still a public health problem in the district. This high prevalence calls for further interventions to prevent future trachomatis blindness.
The association between doctors’ presenteeism and job burnout:a cross-sectional survey study in China
Authors: pei pei , Lin Guohua , Li Gaojie , Zhu Yifan , Xi Xiaoyu
Published: July 2020

Background: It is necessary to examine doctors working with illness from a professional point of view, because it is not only related to their occupational health, but more importantly, will affect the treatment effect of patients and the overall medical level of the hospital. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between doctors’ presenteeism and job burnout, and to identify other factors that are associated with presenteeism.Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving doctors (except for primary doctors) was conducted in China. Using one item measure about presenteeism and a 15-item Chinese version of the BMI-GS questionnaire, this study investigated prevalence of doctors' presenteeism and job burnout, and determined the relationship between presenteeism and job burnout by logistical model.Results: Relationship between presenteeism and job burnout were explored, and the influence of work factors were evaluated. The survey was completed by 1376/1547 hospital doctors, with a response rate of 88.9%. Presenteeism was reported by 30.7% of participants. Using MBI-GS, 86.8% of all doctors had moderate job burnout and 6.0%(n=82) were severe job burnout. Logistic regression analysis showed that doctors with medium, high degree of emotional exhaustion and high degree of cynicism were more likely to practice presenteeism (all p < 0.05). In addition, two other work-related factors, including the doctors' department and position, were also likely to relate with presenteeism (all p < 0.05).Conclusions: By examining the relationship between presenteeism and job burnout, this study determined that there is indeed a significant correlation between the two. This result has a certain reference value for the development of work health, especially presenteeism and job burnout theory, and also makes a certain contribution to the relevant research literature.
Mercury in the terrestrial environment: a review
Authors: Gworek Barbara , Dmuchowski Wojciech , Baczewska-Dąbrowska Aneta
Published: July 2020

Environmental contamination by mercury is and will continue to be a serious risk for human health. Pollution of the terrestrial environment is particularly important as it is a place of human life and food production. Publication presents a review of the literature on issues related to Hg pollution of the terrestrial environment: soil and plants and their transformations. Different forms of atmospheric Hg may be deposited on surfaces by way of wet and dry processes. These forms may be sequestered within terrestrial compartments or emitted back into the atmosphere, and the relative importance of these processes is dependent on the form of Hg, the surface chemistry, and the environmental conditions. On the land surface, Hg deposition mainly occurs in the oxidized form (Hg 2+ ), and its transformations are associated primarily with the oxidation-reduction potential of the environment and the biological and chemical processes of methylation. The deposition of Hg on ground with low vegetation as 3–5 times lower than that in forests. The estimation of Hg emissions from soil and plants, which occur mainly in the Hg 0 form, is very difficult. Generally, the largest amounts of Hg are emitted from tropical regions, and the lowest levels are from the polar regions.
Is combining serum interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein a reliable diagnostic tool in periprosthetic joint infections?
Authors: Li Cheng , Thies Cristina Ojeda , Xu Chi , Trampuz Andrej
Published: July 2020

Background: Because there is no single gold standard method for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), the combination of valuable methods to evaluate infection appears to achieve a better diagnostic result. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) for the diagnosis of PJI.Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science databases were searched for articles describing PJI diagnosis using serum IL-6 and CRP published between January 1990 and December 2019.Results: Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80−0.88) for the combined method (serum IL-6 and CRP) in series and parallel approaches, 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82−0.90) for IL-6, and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.79−0.88) for CRP. The pooled specificity was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.82−0.88) for the combined method, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79−0.87) for IL-6, and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79−0.87) for CRP. The combined method had the highest value for the area under the curve (0.9453), followed by IL-6 (0.9237) and CRP (0.9074). Subgroup analyses showed that the sensitivity of the combined method in parallel tests was higher than IL-6 or CRP (94% vs. 89% and 84%, respectively). Serial testing of the combined method showed increased specificity compared to a single indicator (96% vs. 83% and 80%).Conclusion: The combination of serum IL-6 and CRP was a reliable tool for the diagnosis of periprosthetic hip and knee infection, demonstrating a better diagnostic accuracy than single marker analysis. However, further research is required to confirm current results.
Effects of dialysis modality choice on the survival of end-stage renal disease patients in southern China: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: He Zhiren , Hou Haijing , Zhang Difei , Mo Yenan , Zhang La , Lin Junjie , Lu Liming , Su Guobin , Huang Jingyao , Gu Yewen , Zhang Ying , Lin Jingxia , Yuan Fengling , Peng Yu , Liang Hui , Zhao Daixin , Lu Fuhua , Liu Xusheng , Wang Lixin
Published: July 2020

Background: The optimal choice of treatment, with hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD), for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, is yet controversial. Only a few studies comparing HD and PD have been conducted in China with the largest number of dialysis patients in the world.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on ESRD patients who began renal replacement treatment from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017 in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine. Propensity scoring match was applied to balance the baseline conditions and multivariate Cox regression analysis to compare the mortality between HD and PD patients, and evaluated the correlation between mortality and various baseline characteristics.Results: A total of 436 HD patients and 501 PD patients were included in this study, and PD patients had better survival than HD patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. For younger ESRD patients (≤60-years-old), the overall survival of PD was better than that of HD, but HD was associated with a lower risk of death in older patients (>70-years-old). This difference was still significant after adjustment for a variety of confounding factors. Female gender, age of dialysis initiation, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, and HD were risk factors of all-cause mortality in the younger subgroup, while PD was risk factors in the older subgroup.Conclusion: Younger ESRD patients may be suitable for PD, and the older ESRD patients for HD.
Biomaterial-supported MSCs transplantation enhances cell-cell communication for spinal cord injury
Authors: Lv Bin , Wang Haosheng , yang shengquan
Published: July 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Giving syphilis and gonorrhea to friends: Using in-person friendship networks to find additional cases of gonorrhea and syphilis
Authors: Rosenbaum Janet E. , Jennings Jacky , Ellen Jonathan , Borkovic Laurel , Scott Jo-Ann , Wylie Charleen , Rompalo Anne
Published: July 2020

Background: Syphilis and gonorrhea reached an all-time high in 2018. The resurgence of syphilis and gonorrhea requires innovative methods of sexual contact tracing that encourage disclosure of same-sex sexual contacts that might otherwise be suppressed. Over 75% of Grindr mobile phone application users report seeking “friendship,” so this study asked people diagnosed with syphilis and gonorrhea to identify their friends.Methods: Patients at the two Baltimore sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics and the Baltimore City Health Department were asked 12 questions to elicit members of their friendship networks before eliciting sexual networks. The study included 353 index cases and 172 friendship contacts, yielding a friendship network of 331 non-isolates (n=331) and sexual-only network of 140 non-isolates. The data were plotted and analyzed using exponential family random graph analysis.Results: Eliciting respondents’ in-person social contacts yielded 12 syphilis cases and 6 gonorrhea cases in addition to the 16 syphilis cases and 4 gonorrhea cases that would have been found with sexual contacts alone. Syphilis is clustered within sexual (odds ratio=2.2, 95% confidence interval (1.36, 3.66)) and social contacts (OR=1.31, 95% CI (1.02, 1.68)). Gonorrhea is clustered within reported social (OR=1.56, 95% CI (1.22, 2.00)) but not sexual contacts (OR=0.98, 95% CI (0.62, 1.53)). Conclusions: Eliciting friendship networks of people diagnosed with syphilis and gonorrhea may find members of their sexual networks, drug use networks, or people of similar STI risk. Friendship networks include more diagnosed cases of syphilis and gonorrhea than sexual networks alone, especially among populations with many non-disclosing men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW). Future research should evaluate whether this friendship network method of contact tracing can be implemented by adapting automated mobile phone COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, if these COVID-19 contact tracing methods are able to maintain anonymity and public trust.
Prevalence and factors associated with Alcohol Use Disorder among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Africa: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.
Authors: Necho Mogesie , Belete Asmare , Getachew Yibeltal
Published: July 2020

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) in HIV/AIDS patient’s decreases adherence and effectiveness of medications and help-seeking to HIV/AIDS care and treatment. This study, therefore, assessed the average prevalence and associated factors of alcohol use disorder in HIV/AIDS patients. Methods: We did an electronic data search on PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Psych-INFO libraries, African index Medicus and African Journals Online (AJOL). Google scholar was also investigated for non-published articles. The reference lists of published articles were also reviewed. The stata-11meta-prop package was employed. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were done. Cochran's Q-statistics and the Higgs I2 test were used to check heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated with Egger's test and funnel plots.Results: Of 1362 articles identified using the search strategies; only 22 studies were included in the final analysis. The average prevalence of AUD was 22.03% (95% CI: 17.18, 28.67). The average prevalence of AUD in South Africa (28.77%) was higher than in Uganda (16.61 %) and Nigeria (22.8%). The prevalence of AUD in studies published before 2011, 2011-2015, and after 2015 was found to be 13.47%, 24.93%, and 22.88% respectively. The average prevalence of AUD among studies with a sample size > 450 was 16.71% whereas it was 26.46% among studies with a sample size < 450. Furthermore, the average prevalence of hazardous, harmful, and dependent drinking was 10.87%, 8.1%, and 3.12 % respectively. Our narrative analysis showed that male sex, cigarette smoking, family history of alcohol use, missing ART medication, mental distress, khat chewing, low CD4 count, and low income were among the associated factors for AUD in people with HIV AIDS. On quantitative meta-analysis for associated factors of AUD, the AOR of being male, Cigarette smoking and khat chewing were 5.5, 3.95, and 3.34 respectively. Conclusion: The average prevalence of AUD in HIV/AIDs patients was high and qualitatively factors such as being Male, cigarette smoking, and khat chewing were associated with it. Therefore, clinical services for people living with HIV/AIDS should integrate this public health problem. Policymakers should also develop guidelines and implementation strategies for addressing this problem.
Bortezomib administration is a risk factor associated with the development of tumor lysis syndrome in male patients with multiple myeloma: A retrospective study
Authors: Kondo Masahiro , Hotta Yuji , Yamauchi Karen , Sanagawa Akimasa , Komatsu Hirokazu , Iida Shinsuke , Kimura Kazunori
Published: July 2020

Background: Novel agents such as proteasome inhibitors have been developed for several years to treat multiple myeloma. Although multiple myeloma is a low-risk disease for developing tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), treatment with these novel therapies might increase TLS risk. Previous studies, mostly case reports or case series, have reported bortezomib-induced TLS in patients with multiple myeloma. This study aimed to investigate risk factors associated with TLS development in multiple myeloma patients.Methods: We retrospectively investigated incidences of laboratory and clinical TLS (LTLS and CTLS, respectively) in patients who received primary therapy for treatment-naive, symptomatic multiple myeloma between May 2007 and January 2018. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to evaluate the associations between TLS and several parameters previously reported to be associated with increased risk.Results: This study included 210 patients with multiple myeloma, of which ten (4.8%) had LTLS and seven (3.3%) had CTLS. The characteristics of the administered anticancer or prophylactic antihyperuricemic agents were similar between patients with and without TLS. Multivariate analyses revealed that TLS was most strongly associated with bortezomib-containing therapy (odds ratio = 3.40, P = 0.069), followed by male sex (odds ratio = 2.29, P = 0.153). In a subgroup analysis focused on men, treatment with bortezomib-containing therapy was significantly associated with increased risk of TLS (odds ratio = 8.51, P = 0.046).Conclusion: In the present study, we investigated the risk factors associated with TLS development in 210 multiple myeloma patients, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the largest number of patients reported to date. Furthermore, this study is the first to evaluate TLS risk factors in MM by adjusting for the effects of potential confounding factors in patients’ backgrounds. Consequently, we found that bortezomib-containing therapy increases the risk of TLS in male patients with multiple myeloma. TLS risk should be evaluated further in low-risk diseases such as multiple myeloma, since a significant number of novel therapies can achieve high antitumor responses.
Comparing the differences in three measures of healthy life expectancy among prefectures in Japan.
Authors: TAIRA KAZUYA , Ogata Soshiro , Kamide Kei
Published: July 2020

Objective: An ecological study using secondary open data from Japanese government statistics was conducted. The study aimed to verify differences in three measures of healthy life expectancy (HLE); namely, disability-free life expectancy without activity limitation (DFLE-AL), life expectancy with self-perceived health (LE-SH), and disability-free life expectancy without care need (DFLE-CN).Results: Each HLE from 47 prefectures in 2010, 2013, and 2016 was extended over time. There were strong Cronbach’s coefficient alpha (α) between DFLE-AL and LE-SH (Minimum α; 0.80, Maximum α;0.90) as well as between LE and DFLE-CN (Minimum α; 0.92, Maximum α; 0.99) in both sexes in every data year. However, the other pairs had weaker associations. In regression analysis with each HLE as a dependent variable and aging rate, mortality, the proportion of unhealthy people as independent variables, the subjective unhealthy rate had significant standardized partial regression coefficients (β) in models with DFLE-AL and LE-SH as dependent variables (Minimum β; -0.56, Maximum β; -0.34). Therefore, DFLE-CN tended to differ from the other HLEs. The subjective unhealthy rate had a significant influence on DFLE-AL and LE-SH.
Dietary Pattern and Nutrient Intakes in Association with Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors among Filipino Adults: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Agdeppa Imelda Angeles , Sun Ye , Tanda Keith V
Published: July 2020

Background: This study evaluated the relationship between dietary quality and food patterns of Filipino adults and the rising prevalence of selected cardiometabolic non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that examined the association of dietary pattern and NCDs using data collected in the 2013 National Nutrition Survey. A total of 19,914 adults aged 20 years and above were included in the analyses. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010) was used to characterize the dietary quality, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify dietary patterns specific to the study population. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between the dietary pattern scores and selected cardiometabolic NCD indices including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and overweight and obesity with adjustment for potential confounders. Results: The mean AHEI-2010 score was 19.7 for women and 18.9 for men out of a total possible score of 100. Three major dietary patterns were identified through PCA: 1) meat and sweetened beverages (MSB); 2) rice and fish (RF) and 3) fruit, vegetables and snack (FVS). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the AHEI pattern was associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity [extreme-tertile odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.21]. Subjects in the highest tertile of the MSB pattern had greater odds for overweight/obesity, diabetes, high total cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high LDL-cholesterol, and high triglycerides (OR ranging 1.20 to 1.70, all p-value <0.001). The RF pattern was associated with higher probability of overweight/obesity (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08-1.32) high LDL-cholesterol (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.37), and less likelihood of diabetes (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.98). The FVS pattern was associated with lower probability of overweight/obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, and hypertension (OR ranging 0.85 to 0.90, all p-value <0.05). Conclusions: Diet quality of Filipino adults is extremely poor. MSB and RF patterns were associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic NCD indices, while FVS pattern was associated to lower risks. Identifying healthy and detrimental dietary patterns in the local diet could be informative for future local-based dietary recommendation and area-specific intervention programs.
Increasing of malignancy of breast cancer cells after cryopreservation: molecular detection and activation of angiogenesis after CAM-Xenotransplantation.
Authors: Du Xin , Todorov P. , Isachenko Evgenia , Rahimi G , Mallmann P. , Meng Yuanguang , Isachenko Vladimir
Published: July 2020

Background: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has a wide range of cancerous indications. Avoiding relapse becomes a specific concern that clinicians frequently encounter. The data about the comparative viability of cancer cells after cryopreservation are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on breast cancer cells. Methods: We used in-vitro cultured ZR-75-1 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Cell samples of each lineage were distributed into the non-intervened and cryopreserved groups. The cryopreservation procedures comprised programmed slow freezing followed by thawing at 100°C, 60 s. Biological phenotypes and the related protein markers were compared between the two groups. The EVOS FL Auto 2 Cell Image System was used to monitor cell morphology. Cell proliferation, motility, and penetration were characterized by CCK-8, wound-healing, and transmembrane assay, respectively. The expression of Ki-67, P53, GATA-3, E-cadherin, Vimentin, and F-Actin was captured by immunofluorescent staining and western blotting as the proxy measurements of the related properties. The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) xenotransplantation was conducted to explore angiogenesis induced by cancer cells. Results: After 5-days in vitro culture, the cell concentration of cryopreserved and non-intervened groups was 15.7×104 vs. 14.4×104cells/ml, (ZR-75-1, p>0.05), and 25.1 ×104 vs. 26.6×104 cells/ml (MDA-MB-231, p>0.05). Some cryopreserved ZR-75-1 cells presented spindle shape with filopodia and lamellipodia and dissociated from the cell cluster after cryopreservation. Both cell lines demonstrated increased cell migrating capability and invasion after cryopreservation. The expression of Ki-67 and P53 did not differ between the cryopreserved and control groups. E-cadherin and GATA3 expression downregulated in the cryopreserved ZR-75-1 cells. Vimentin and F-actin exhibited upregulated level in cryopreserved ZR-75-1 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The cryopreserved MDA-MB-231 cells induced significant angiogenesis around the grafts on CAM with the vascular density 0.313±0.03 and 0.342±0.04, compared with that of fresh cells of 0.238±0.05 and 0.244±0.03, p<0.0001.﻿Conclusions: Cryopreservation promotes breast cancer cells in terms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis induction, thus increasing metastasis risk.
Factors affecting adolescents’ participation in randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare interventions: the case of the STEPSTONES project
Authors: Saarijärvi Markus , Wallin Lars , Moons Philip , Gyllensten Hanna , Bratt Ewa-Lena
Published: July 2020

Background Recruitment of adolescents to intervention studies is a known challenge. For randomized controlled trials (RCT) to be generalizable, reach must be assessed, which means ascertaining how many of the intended population actually participated in the trial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reach and representativeness of an RCT evaluating the effectiveness of a complex intervention for adolescents with chronic conditions.Methods A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was employed. Firstly, quantitative cross-sectional data from the RCT, patient registries and medical records were collected and analysed regarding baseline differences between participants and non-participants in the trial. Secondly, qualitative data on their reasons for participating or not were collected and analysed with content analysis to explain the quantitative findings.Results Participants showed larger differences in effect sizes and a significantly more complex chronic condition than non-participants. No other statistically significant differences were reported, and effect sizes were negligible. Reasons for declining or accepting participation were categorized into three main categories: altruistic reasons, personal reasons and external reasons and factors. Conclusions Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings showed that participation in the RCT was affected by disease complexity, the perceived need to give back to healthcare and research and the adolescents’ willingness to engage in their illness. To empower adolescents with chronic conditions and motivate them to participate in research, future intervention studies should consider developing tailored recruitment strategies and communications with sub-groups that are harder to reach.
Coeruptive and posteruptive crustal deformation associated with the 2018 Kusatsu-Shirane phreatic eruption based on PALSAR-2 time-series analysis
Authors: Himematsu Yuji , Ozawa Taku , Aoki Yosuke
Published: July 2020

Coeruptive deformation helps to interpret physical processes associated with volcanic eruptions. Because phreatic eruptions cause small, localized coeruptive deformation, we sometimes fail to identify plausible deformation signals. Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data allow us to identify extensive deformation fields with high spatial resolutions. Herein, we report coeruptive crustal deformation associated with the 2018 Kusatsu-Shirane phreatic eruption detected by time series analyses of L-band satellite SAR (ALOS-2/PALSAR-2) data. Cumulative deformation maps derived from SAR time series analyses show that subsidence and eastward displacement dominate the southwestern side of an eruptive crater with a spatial extent of approximately 2 km in diameter. Although we were unable to identify any significant deformation signals before the 2018 eruption, posteruptive deformation on the southwestern side of the crater has been ongoing until the end of 2019. This prolonged deformation implies the progression of posteruptive physical processes within a confined hydrothermal system, such as volcanic fluid discharge, similar to the processes observed during the 2014 Ontake eruption. Although accumulated snow and dense vegetation hinder the detection of deformation signals on Kusatsu-Shirane volcano using conventional InSAR data, L-band SAR with various temporal baselines allowed us to successfully extract both coeruptive and posteruptive deformation signals. The extracted cumulative deformation is well explained by a combination of normal faulting with a left-lateral slip component along a southwest-dipping fault plane and an isotropic deflation. Based on the geological background in which the shallow hydrothermal system develops across Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, the inferred dislocation plane can be considered as a degassing pathway from the shallow hydrothermal system to the surface due to the phreatic eruption. We reconfirmed that SAR data is a robust tool for detecting coeruptive and posteruptive deformations, which are helpful for understanding shallow physical processes associated with phreatic eruptions at active volcanoes.
The effect of different levels of prostate-specific antigen and Prostate Imaging Report and Data System scores on logistic regression model to predict clinically significant prostate cancer: a single center retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Loudong , Zhu Hua , Gu Donghua , Pan Xiaodong , zheng bing
Published: July 2020

Background

At present, there are various clinical regression models for predicting prostate cancer. But what about the diagnostic effectiveness of these models in different parameter ranges, and are the models applicable to everyone? This study aimed to study the influence of different levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Prostate Imaging Report and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) scores on the regression model to predict clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa).

Methods

This retrospective study screened 251 patients from our hospital, who were divided into different groups. The regression model was established for each group to predict csPCa, and the effects of PSA and PI-RADS scores on each model were analyzed through the diagnostic effects of the model.

Results

In patients with lower PSA scores, although the model was less sensitive than PSA, the AUC of the model was much greater. With the rise of PSA, the sensitivity of the model surpassed that of PSA, while the specificity became the opposite, and the AUC gap also gradually decreased. In the group with low PI-RADS score, the sensitivity and specificity of PI-RADS were lower than the model, and the gap was larger. Although the gap between the two gradually decreased with the increase of PI-RADS, the diagnostic efficiency of the model was still slightly larger than that of pure PI-RADS.

Conclusion

As the PSA and PI-RADS v2 scores increase, the diagnostic advantages of the regression model will gradually decrease. However, for patients with low levels of PSA and PI-RADS scores,the regression model is less affected by PSA and PI-RADS, and can better utilize its clinical diagnostic advantages.
Investigating occupational stress of disaster and investigating occupational stress of disaster and emergency medical management center 115 and the role of demographic variables
Authors: lebni Javad Yoosefi , Gheshlaghi Parvin Abdi , Toghroli Razie , Garosi Vahid Hatami , Abbas Jaffar , Kalhori Reza Pourmirza , Salahshoor Mohammad Reza , Kianipour Neda , Tharwani Munira , ziapour arash
Published: July 2020

Background: The first and one of the most important chains of providing care to patients is pre-hospital emergency medical services. Personnel employed in this sector are at risk of occupational stress due to the nature of their job which can affect their health and quality of services provided to patients. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the occupational stress of the personnel of disaster and emergency medical management center 115 and the role of demographic variables in 2019.Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study. 200 medical emergency personnel of Kermanshah province were selected through stratified sampling and according to inclusion criteria. A two-part questionnaire including demographic information and HSE standard questionnaire were used for collecting data. Finally, descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test and one-way ANOVA) were used for data analysis. Significance level was considered P<0.05. Results: The mean score of total occupational stress was 3.41±0.26. The highest and the lowest stress levels related to the role dimensions was calculated (4.34±0.35) and changes (2.72±0.86). There was a significant relationship between stress level with age, marital status, educational level, type of base of work place and hours of work per month, while there was no relationship between type of employment and work experience with stress level. Conclusion: Emergency medical personnel experience a high level of occupational stress. Senior managers can use the results of similar studies to think measures to reduce the experience of employees' stress.
Construct Validity of the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 in a Ghanaian Population
Authors: Adua Eric , Afrifa-Yamoah Ebenezer , Frimpong Kwasi , Adama Esther , Karthigesu Shantha P. , Anto Enoch Odame , Aboagye Emmanuel , Yan Yuxiang , Wang Youxin , Tan Xuerui , Wang Wei
Published: July 2020

Background: The Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 (SHS-Q-25) developed to measure suboptimal health status has been used worldwide, but its construct validity has only been tested in the Chinese population. In this article, we investigate aspects of the construct validity of the SHS-Q-25 to determine the interactions between SHS subscales in a Ghanaian population.Methods: The study involved healthy Ghanaian participants (n = 263; aged 20-80 years; 63% female), who responded to the SHSQ-25. In an exploratory factor and parallel analysis, the study extracted a new domain structure and compared to the established five-domain structure of SHSQ-25. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and the fit of the model further discussed. Invariance analysis was carried out to establish the consistency of the instrument across multi-groups. Results: The extracted domains were reliable with Cronbach’s B of 0.861, 0.821 and 0.853 respectively, for fatigue, immune-cardiovascular and cognitive, confirming the construct validity of the SHSQ-25 instrument. The CFA revealed that the model fit indices were excellent a The fit indices for the three-domain model were statistically superior to the five-domain model. There were, however, issues of insufficient discriminant validity as some average variance extracts (AVE) were smaller than the corresponding maximum shared variance (MSV). The three-domain model was invariant for all constrained aspects of the structural model across age, which is an important risk factor for most chronic diseases.Conclusion: The validity tests provide evidence to endorse the credibility of the tool and suggest that the SHS-Q25 can measure SHS in a Ghanaian population. It can be recommended as a screening tool to early detect possible for chronic diseases especially in developing countries where the access to facilities is diminished.
Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by transanal total mesorectal excision assisted by single-port laparoscopic surgery for low-lying rectal adenocarcinoma: a single center study
Authors: Lu Yen-Jung , Chen Chien-Hsin , Lin En-Kwang , Wu Szu-Yuan
Published: July 2020

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and short-term outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by transanal total mesorectal excision assisted by single-port laparoscopic surgery (TaTME-SPLS) for low-lying rectal adenocarcinoma.Methods and materials: A total of 23 patients with clinical stage II-III low-lying (from anal verge 0-8 cm) rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant CCRT followed by TaTME-SPLS consecutively from December 2015 to December 2018, were enrolled into our study. Chi-squared testing and Student’s t testing were used to make parametric comparisons, and Fisher’s exact test or the Mann–Whitney U-test were used to make nonparametric comparisons.Results: Conversion rate in patients who underwent neoadjuvant CCRT followed by TaTME-SPLS was only 4%. The mean operation time was 366 minutes and the inter-sphincter resection (ISR) was done for 14 patients (60%). The mean number of lymph nodes harvested were 15. There was no surgical mortality, but the 30-day morbidity rate was 21% (5 patients were Clavien-Dindo I-II). Pathological complete response was 21.74% with 100% organ preservation and 100% clear distal margin after neoadjuvant CCRT followed by TaTME-SPLS. Conclusion: TaTME-SPLS would be highly successful in lymph node negative and low T stage of low-lying rectal cancer patients who had pathological complete remission or high percentage of partial remission after neoadjuvant CCRT.
Impact of Inferior Mesenteric Artery Lymph Node Metastasis on the Prognosis of Patients With Left-sided Colorectal Cancer: A Case Control Study
Authors: Takabatake Kazuya , Arita Tomohiro , Nakanishi masayoshi , Kuriu Yoshiaki , Murayama Yasutoshi , Shimizu Hiroki , Kudo Michihiro , Kiuchi Jun , Kosuga Toshiyuki , Konishi Hirotaka , Morimura Ryo , Shiozaki Atsushi , Ikoma Hisashi , Kubota Takeshi , Fujiwara Hitoshi , Okamoto Kazuma , Otsuji Eigo
Published: July 2020

Background:

The clinical significance of metastasis in inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) lymph node in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer (LCRC) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of IMA lymph node metastasis (IMA-LN (+)) on the prognosis of patients with LCRC.
Methods:

A total of 292 patients with stage III LCRC and 111 patients with stage IV LCRC who underwent radical resection of the primary tumor between 2005 and 2016 were included. The clinicopathological features and prognosis, which were retrospectively obtained from medical records, were compared regarding IMA-LN (+).
Results:

IMA-LN (+) was observed in 10 patients with stage III LCRC (2.3%). Moreover. ≥4 metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0.001) and poorly differentiated type (p = 0.049) were more frequently observed in patients with IMA-LN (+) than in patients without IMA lymph node metastasis (IMA-LN (-)) in stage III; IMA-LN (+) patients had significantly worse overall survival (OS) than IMA-LN (-) patients in stage III (p = 0.015). Conversely, there was no significant difference between the OS of stage III IMA-LN (+) and stage IV patients (p = 0.192). Likewise, there was no significant difference between the OS of stage III IMA-LN (+) and stage IV patients with distant metastatic lymph nodes only (n = 12) (p = 0.294).
Conclusion:

The prognosis of IMA-LN (+) patients was worse than that of IMA-LN (-) patients in stage III LCRC; moreover, it was similar to that of patients with stage IV LCRC.
Effect of Poor Glycemic Control Incognitive Performance Inthe Elderly With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Mexican Health and Aging Study
Authors: Mimenza-Aguilar Alberto J , Jimenez-Castillo Gilberto A , Yeverino-Castro Sara G , Barragán-Berlanga Abel , Perez-Zepeda Mario U , Avila-Funes J Alberto , Aguilar-Navarro Sara
Published: July 2020

Background
Cognitive impairment is twice more frequent in elderly with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). This study was conducted to determine the association between glycemic control and cognitive performance among community-dwelling elderly persons in Mexico.
Methods
Cross-sectional study conducted in individuals aged 60 years or elderly participating in the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study. Type 2 DM participants were classified in 3 groups according to their glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c): <7% (intensive control), 7-7.9% (standard control) or ≥ 8% (poor control), and cognitive performance: low (CCCE ≤ 44 points), intermediate (44.1-59.52 points), or high (≥ 59.53 points). Multinomial logistic regression models were constructed to determine this association.
Results
Out of 946 subjects, 216 were selected. Subjects in the low cognitive performance group were older (69.7 ± 6.6 vs 65.86 ± 5.18 years, p < .001) and had a lower educational level (2.5 ± 2.6 vs 7.44 ± 4.15 years, p < .000) when compared to the high cognitive performance participants. HbA1c ≥8% was associated with having low (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.17–8.60, p = .024), and intermediate (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.27–8.20, p = .014) cognitive performance; this trend was not found for HbA1c 7.0-7.9% group.
Conclusions
Glycemic control with a HbA1c ≥ 8% was associated with worse cognitive performance.
Radical Surgery of Synchronous Oligometastatic Liver Lesions of the Ductal Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas Results in Prolonged Survival
Authors: Safi Sami Alexander , Rehders Alexander , Haeberle Lena , Keitel Verena , Fluegen Georg , Krieg Andreas , Knoefel Wolfram Trudo , Lehwald Nadja
Published: July 2020

Background

The ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies. The role of surgery for circumscribed synchronous hepatic lesions of PDAC remains controversial. Thus, the aim of our study was to compare survival outcome (OS) after surgery of patients with hepatic metastases (M1surg) to patients with only localized disease.
Methods

Correlation analysis of clinicopathological data and OS after resection of M1surg patients and patients with localized PDACs (M0) was performed. Patients were included for survival analysis only if a complete staging including perineural, venous and lymphatic invasion was available.
Results

Out of the study collective, 35 patients received extended surgery (M1surg), whereas 202 patients received standardized surgery for localized disease (M0). Clinicopathological variables were homogenously distributed between M1surg and M0. The length of hospitalization and morbidity was similar in both groups. FOLFIRNOX as an adjuvant treatment regime was administered in ~ 23% and ~ 8% of M1surg and M0 patients, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, there was no difference in overall survival between both groups. Only the resection status (R1 vs R0) and venous invasion (V1) were identified as independent prognostic factors.
Conclusion

This is the first study demonstrating a survival benefit after extended surgery for synchronously hepatic-metastasized PDACs. We found no difference in survival outcome of metastasized patients when compared to patients with localized disease. FOLFIRINOX as an adjuvant treatment regime for resected M1surg presumably is worthwhile. Larger multicenter studies are still needed to validate our results.
Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antifungal Potential and in vivo Acute Toxicity of the Crude Extract of Cordia Rothii and Viola Serpens
Authors: Zubair Hafiz Muhammad , Naveed Muhammad , Mikrani Reyaj , Hassan Najm ul , Taleb  , Ibrahim Muhammad , Anjum Irfan , Baig Mirza Muhammad Fran Ashraf , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: July 2020

Background: Plants contain numerous bioactive compounds with valuable pharmacological activities and can be used as a novel therapeutic agent. Methods: The objective of the current study was to evaluate phytochemical screening, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and acute toxicity capacity of Cordia rothii (CR) and Viola serpens (VS) plant extract. Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, and flavonoids contents. Antioxidant activity of both extracts was measured by total phenolic, total flavonoid content, DPPH, and reducing power capacity. IC50 value of CR and VS extract was calculated as 0.039 ± 0.05, 0.05 ± 0.07 mg/ml respectively. Both extract have antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, whereas VS is inactive against E. coli. Antifungal activity was not found in both CR and VS extract. The LD50 of the test substance was also estimated to be over 10 g/kg body weight. Conclusions: The conclusion indicates that folkloric uses of both plants in traditional settings, the extracts possess antibacterial activity with remarkable antioxidant ability.
Unilateral Oculomotor Nerve Enhancement in Diabetic Oculomotor Nerve Palsy: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhao Juan , Li Yong , Chang Qing-Lin , Wang Jia-Wei , Sun Hou-Liang
Published: July 2020

Background No previous studies have explored the imaging features of oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) in diabetic patients. In our clinical practice, isolated ONP with diabetes is partly treated with glucocorticosteroids because nerve enhancement is habitually interpreted as inflammation. Our study thus aims to summarize the imaging findings of isolated ONP with diabetes.Methods Our study included 59 patients with a clinical diagnosis of diabetic ONP. Patients were recruited from our department between January 2015 and December 2019. Orbital MRI was retrospectively analyzed for each patient, and follow-up imaging was obtained for 3 patients.Results Thickening and enhancement of the ipsilateral oculomotor nerve were detected in 38 (64.41%) patients, indicating simultaneous involvement of the cavernous segment and inferior division of the intraorbital segment. After clinically complete recovery, repeated MRI in 3 patients revealed a slightly reduced degree of enhancement of the oculomotor nerve. No differences were detected in the sex ratio (p=0.976), median onset age (p=0.563), median duration of diabetes (p=0.697), plasma glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) level (p=0.278) or interval from disease onset to MRI between patients with and without enhancement of the oculomotor nerve. Conclusions Thickening and enhancement of the unilateral oculomotor nerve can be detected in patients with diabetic ONP and indicates the main involvement of the cavernous segment and the inferior division of the intraorbital segment, which may be helpful for differentiating this condition from other etiologies in isolated ONP.
The decrease of intraflagellar transport impairs sensory perception and metabolism in ageing
Authors: Zhang Yincong , Zhang Xiaona , Dai Yumin , Song Mengjiao , Zhou Yifei , Zhou Jun , Yan Xiumin , Shen Yidong
Published: July 2020

Sensory perception and metabolic homeostasis deteriorate with ageing, impairing the health of aged animals. However, the mechanisms underlying their deterioration remain poorly understood. The potential interplay between the declining sensory perception and the impaired metabolism during ageing is also barely explored. Here, we report that the intraflagellar transport (IFT) in the cilia of sensory neurons is impaired in the aged nematode Caenorhabditis elegans due to a daf-19/RFX-modulated decrease of IFT components. The impaired IFT in sensory cilia in turn causes the deterioration of sensory perception with ageing. Moreover, whereas the IFT-dependent decrease of sensory perception in aged worms has a mild impact on the insulin/IGF-1 signalling, it remarkably suppresses AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling across tissues. Upregulating daf-19/RFX effectively enhances IFT, sensory perception, AMPK activity and autophagy, promoting metabolic homeostasis and longevity. Our studies have uncovered an ageing pathway causing IFT decay and sensory perception deterioration, which in turn disrupts metabolism and healthy ageing.
Transdiaphragmatic Single-Port Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery; a Novel Approach for Pulmonary Metastasectomy through Laparotomy Incision – Case Series
Authors: Jalil Riad Abdel , Chaar Mohamad K. Abou , Shihadeh Omar M. , Al-Qudah Obada , Gharaibeh Azza , Dimashki Loulia Al , Dabous Ali , Ghanem Rami , Al-Edwan Ahed
Published: July 2020

Background: Pulmonary metastasectomy was performed in the early twentieth century and ever since, it has evolved to be one of the main treatment options for certain metastatic malignancies. The advancement of minimally invasive procedures enabled new techniques to minimize morbidity and improve patient quality of care and overall outcome. Cases presentation: Herein we present three patients, aged 53, 48, and 27 years, known to have sigmoid, rectal, and non-seminomatous germ cell tumors respectively. All patients were diagnosed to have metastatic lung nodules and underwent laparotomy to excise abdominal tumors followed by trans-diaphragmatic single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic pulmonary metastasectomy. All patients achieved complete surgical tumor excision, and none had pulmonary related complications on follow-up.Conclusion: Our prescribed novel trans-diaphragmatic single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) technique for synchronous pulmonary metastasectomy and intra-abdominal tumor resection is safe and can achieve complete resection with negative margins.