bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Papular atrichia
Authors: Lunge Snehal B. , Vyshak B. M.
Published: April 2020

Congenital atrichia or papular atrichia is a rare form of irreversible alopecia inherited autosomal recessively. Atrichia congenita with papular lesions represents a complex and heterogeneous group of genodermatoses characterized by irreversible complete hair loss soon after birth, and associated with the development of keratin-filled cysts over the body.  Mutation of the human hairless (HR) gene on chromosome 8p22 has been implicated with this condition. It has broad differential diagnosis and poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report an 8 year girl presenting with complete loss of hair over scalp, eye brows, eye lashes, and body soon after birth with papular lesions over face.
A study on the presenting features observed in 100 patients of atopic dermatitis in a tertiary care hospital in North-Eastern India
Authors: Gupta Bhaskar , Lochav Bhawna
Published: April 2020

Atopic dermatitis is a relatively common age-related disease. Its pathophysiology is majorly insubstantial. Also, it appears as a result of interplay of maternal and inheritance, intrauterine and environmental factors. Also, immune dysregulation has an important role.

To study the presenting features of atopic dermatitis.

100 patients of atopic dermatitis which were diagnosed on the basis of modified UK working party criteria, after which clinical presentations were noted in a preset proforma.

78% were in the age group of 2-12 years, of which 65% were males and 35% were females.

Atopic dermatitis is a distinct, overt, age and IgE-related entity frequently showing different demographic and clinical presentations.
6th Anniversary Editorial
Authors: Kiani Mobareke Mahnaz , Ay Mohammadreza
Published: April 2020

This article is an Editorial and does not include an Abstract.
Some Points to Consider in a Task-Based fMRI Study: A Guideline for Beginners
Authors: Batouli Seyed Amir Hossein , Sisakhti Minoo
Published: April 2020

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a technique widely used to probe brain function, and has shown many research and clinical applications. Despite its popularity and strength, performing an fMRI study needs careful consideration of the design of the experiment, as well as the techniques and methodologies implemented in it, due to the high potential of these factors to alter the outputs of the study. The influences of the demographics of the participants, stimuli design, image acquisition, and data analysis methods on the fMRI results are illustrated previously. Therefore, it is of utmost significance to have an understanding of the critical considerations when designing an fMRI study. In this manuscript, by reviewing the methodology of over one hundred task-based fMRI studies, around 300 substantial tips regarding the different stages of an fMRI experiment are gathered. These could only be found scattered through the literature, and such a collection would act as a guideline for the beginners in the field of fMRI.
FATORES ASSOCIADOS AO ESTRESSE E COPING DA EQUIPE DE ENFERMAGEM DE UTI: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA
Authors: Guida Tamara Dos Santos Pelegrini , Do Nascimento Alexandra Bulgarelli
Published: April 2020

Objetivo: Integrar o conhecimento produzido sobre os fatores associados ao estresse e coping da equipe de Enfermagem em UTI. Metodologia: Revisão Integrativa da Literatura. Resultados: Os principais estressores identificados foram o ‘cuidado à rede de apoio dos pacientes’ e o ‘lidar com a morte’. Quanto ao coping, poucas estratégias foram mencionadas, destacando-se o ‘investimento nas relações interpessoais’, além do uso dos ‘serviços de apoio disponibilizados pela liderança’ e ‘apoio fora do ambiente de trabalho’, através de interações sociais informais, atividade física e lazer. Conclusões: O estresse em resposta às demandas exigidas pelo trabalho na UTI deve ser investigado e o estabelecimento de ações que visem solucionar ou minimizar os efeitos do estresse são primordiais, buscando a preservação da saúde do profissional, assim como a segurança e a qualidade do cuidado ao paciente.
PERCEPÇÃO DOS FAMILIARES DE PESSOAS COM ESQUIZOFRENIA: ANÁLISE LEXICOGRÁFICA ATRAVÉS DO IRAMUTEQ
Authors: Castelo Branco Fernanda Matos Fernandes , Da Silva Juliana Baia , Dutok Carlos Manuel Sanchez , Branco Neto Tancredo Castelo
Published: April 2020

Objetivo: Conhecer através da lexicografia gráfica, o vocabulário mais frequente da percepção dos familiares de pessoas com esquizofrenia. Método: Estudo descritivo de abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido com cinco familiares de um município do extremo norte brasileiro, na região da fronteira franco-brasileira. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista individual, processados no software IRAMUTEQ e analisados a nuvem de palavras, Classificação Hierárquica Descendente, através do dendograma e Análise Fatorial de Correspondência. Resultados: A palavra mais comum foi “não”, no qual desmontou o sentido de negatividade da doença, o que demonstra uma rejeição por parte do familiar. Conclusão: A partir disso, percebeu-se que o IRAMUTEQ é uma ferramenta valiosa na busca deste vocabulário e a partir disso o conhecimento da percepção dos envolvidos neste estudo, sendo rodeadas de sentimentos de desvalia e fatores nos quais dificultam o convívio familiar, pois, há dificuldade em associar e entender os comportamentos resultantes da doença.
EVOLUÇÃO DA COMPLETUDE DAS INFORMAÇÕES SOBRE MORTALIDADE NEONATAL EM MINAS GERAIS
Authors: Ferreira Verônica Aparecida , Monteiro Damiana Aparecida Trindade , Garcia Luan Augusto Alves , Camargo Fernanda Carolina , Contim Divanice , Amaral Jesislei Bonolo do
Published: April 2020

Objetivo: analisar a evolução temporal e a qualidade das informações sobre a mortalidade neonatal em Minas Gerais. Métodos: estudo ecológico e de tendência temporal, utilizando informações relacionadas as Declaração de Óbito neonatal disponibilizadas em sistema eletrônico de domínio público no período de 1996 a 2014. Foram considerados aspectos maternos e da gestação, características do parto, do recém-nascido e aspectos relacionados ao óbito neonatal para a classificação da completude e, definição do modelo polinomial para avaliação da tendência por coeficiente de determinação e correlação de Pearson. Resultados: variáveis sexo do recém-nascido (média=0,6; IC 95% 0,5-0,7), idade do óbito (média=0,3;IC 95% 0,1-0,5) e local do óbito (média=0,3;IC 95% 0,1-0,4) apresentaram excelente completude. Modelo polinomial de primeira ordem foi determinante para explicação de tendência de redução da incompletude na maioria das variáveis (82%). Conclusão: apesar da tendência de redução da incompletude, é relevante fomentar a discussão sobre o tema, tendo em vista a melhor vigilância dos óbitos neonatais.
Certain Features of Interaction Between Laser Radiation and Metals
Authors: Glotov A.N. , Golubenko Yu.V. , Desyatskov V.A. , Stepanov A.V.
Published: April 2020

The paper presents experimental investigation results concerning the problem of optimising the efficiency of interaction between laser radiation and metals. We used several types of Nd lasers featuring the desired combination of power, temporal and spatial radiation parameters as sources of the radiation required. To pump these lasers, we employed rectangular pulses at a periodicity eliminating effects characteristic of continuous-wave and pulsed laser operation modes. This limits the laser radiation parameters driving the interaction efficiency functions to strictly those parameters that match the single-pulse laser operation mode. Temporal radiation parameter variation involved measurements in the free-running and high-frequency Q-switching modes as well as adjusting pumping (lasing) pulse durations. Power parameter variation was implemented through altering radiation energy density over the irradiated surface. Spatial structure of the ablative radiation was varied by means of optical radiation transfer facilities and different laser emitters. The experimental investigation results allowed us to establish certain patterns concerning the interaction between laser radiation and metals as a function of radiation parameters listed
Mentoring Programs by and for a New Generation of Latino Investigators in Behavioral-Social Science HIV Research
Authors: Stoff David M. , Zea Maria Cecilia , Rodriguez-Diaz Carlos E.
Published: April 2020

Latinos represent a critical resource of talent that could be cultivated to expand the HIV research workforce. However, their rapid growth, as the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the US population, has yet to translate into a significant increase in Latino health academic researchers. Historically, strategies to build a diverse research workforce have grouped together individuals from underrepresented minority populations obscuring significance between and within group differences. This limits ap­proaches that are responsive to the diversity of needs and experiences of emerging investigators from underrepresented groups.In this article, we discuss challenges associ­ated with heterogeneity of Latinos and bar­riers that impede research independence/ career success in the context of a review of Latino-investigator targeted mentorship approaches on the behavioral-social science of HIV infection. Mentorship workforce strategies could benefit from a personal­ized framework emphasizing individualized and tailored approaches to address the limitations and gaps in knowledge regard­ing Latino research development. This perspective encourages increased emphasis on organizational and structural processes to aid in overcoming institutional-level barriers that impede research and career develop­ment. Recommendations are proposed for features and components of effective mentorship programs that will lead to robust outcomes for strengthening the Latino research workforce in the HIV research field and elsewhere.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):305- 312; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.305.
Betwixt, Between, Besides: Reflections on Moving beyond the Binary in Reproductive Health Care
Authors: Lowik A.J.
Published: April 2020

The objectives of this article are two-fold. First, it is a personal reflection on the need for reproductive health-care spaces and services where sex and gender binaries are challenged and room for non-binary people is made. Second, it is a critical commentary on why and how cis- and trans-normative understandings of sex and gender form the foundation of reproductive health care as it is currently delivered. Taken together, this article is a call to action for nurses to be creative in challenging sex and gender binaries in their provision of reproductive health care.
Two-Spirit Identity and Indigenous Conceptualization of Gender and Sexuality: Implications for Nursing Practice
Authors: Carrier Leah , Dame Jessy , Lane Jennifer
Published: April 2020

The word Two-Spirit is an umbrella term that is used to describe Indigenous peoples who are diverse in terms of their sexual orientation and gender identity, though community-specific definitions and roles for gender and sexual orientation are more extensive and varied. While the terminology of Two-Spirit is recent in its development, Indigenous conceptualizations of diverse gender identities, roles, and sexual orientations have existed since time immemorial and provide important insights into how cultural safety can be incorporated into caring practices. The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to the term Two-Spirit and to provide a broad overview of Indigenous conceptualizations of gender, sexuality, and spirit, to address implications for the nursing profession, and to outline potential applications of this knowledge in practice.
Criterios de idoneidad didáctica en una clase basada en el Lesson Study
Authors: Hummes Viviane Beatriz , Breda Adriana , Seckel María José , Font Vicenç
Published: April 2020

El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar los criterios de idoneidad didáctica usados por un grupo de profesores en un proceso de instrucción de una clase —diseño, implementación y reflexión/rediseño—, realizado en el marco de una experiencia de estudio de clases. Se utiliza la herramienta idoneidad didáctica para el análisis cualitativo. Se concluye que el grupo de profesores utiliza, de manera implícita, algunos de los componentes e indicadores de los criterios de idoneidad didáctica. En particular, se utilizan de manera más completa los criterios interaccional y cognitivo y, de forma menos detallada, los criterios epistémico y emocional. Por otra parte, los criterios de medios y ecológico son poco utilizados en la reflexión del grupo.
Epistemopolí­ticas do dispositivo carcerário paulista: refletindo sobre experiências de pesquisa-intervenção junto à Pastoral Carcerária
Authors: Godoi Rafael , Campos Marcelo da Silveira , Mallart Fábio , Campello Ricardo
Published: April 2020

O artigo tem por objetivo refletir sobre as potencialidades críticas e heurísticas da pesquisa sociológica sobre o dispositivo carcerário paulista, levada a cabo através do engajamento dos pesquisadores em coletivos e atividades da Pastoral Carcerária. As dimensões astronômicas do sistema carcerário paulista; sua notável centralidade nos mecanismos de gestão do conflito que garantem a (re)produção da cidade contemporânea; bem como as várias dificuldades impostas pela administração penitenciária local ao escrutínio público do ambiente carcerário em geral, e à prática da pesquisa científica em particular, são as principais justificativas para esta reflexão. No decorrer do texto, os sentidos práticos e analíticos da atuação de diferentes pesquisadores/agentes pastorais são expostos e discutidos através de uma metáfora geológica, indagando sobre as características e limites da atuação e do conhecimento que se desdobram nos subterrâneos, na superfície e no cume do sistema carcerário.
Russian and International Contours of Precarious Employment
Authors: Matskulyak Ivan D.
Published: April 2020

The Object of the Study. Socioeconomic processes and phenomena characterized as an unsustainable employment and reflected in the collective monograph published in Rossiya among the first as well as its main provisions, conclusions and recommendations.

The Subject of the Study is expressed by the combination of socioeconomic relations between market-based economic entities regarding the widespread development in recent years in the world, including the Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, the precarious employment of the population and the consequences of this process.

The Purpose of the Study is to attract the notice of a wide range of management personnel of both state authorities and economic bodies, as well as employers, legislators, scientists, etc., to the problem of unsustainable employment, the need of its effectively solve, especially in conditions of intensification of transformation of the domestic economy.

The Main Provisions of the Article cover all six sections, including 30 paragraphs of the monograph studied, authored by 41 specialist-scientists, professionally engaged in the designated research area. The author, on the basis of the actual content of the book, has tried to present all the aspects, to convey the variety of shades of the process of unsustainable employment reflected in the monographic research. It applies both the domestic experience and international practice.

The problems of the unsustainable employment are revealed compared to decent work. Their dependence on the scientific and technological progress is considered. The domestic and foreign experience of the personnel reduction is summarized on the example of a flexible employment. Risks of unsustainable employment are identified and directions of their prevention are formulated. The characteristics of precarious employment of different groups of workers - women, pensioners and others working in similar conditions of specific industries - are characterized as well as the legal coverage of unsustainable workers is analyzed, and special attention is paid to external migrants and functioning numerous institutions in the investigated economy sectors.
Paleogene and Neogene lithostratigrafic units (Belgium)
Authors: LAGA Pieter , LOUWYE Stephen , GEETS Stéphane
Published: April 2020

The presented lithostratigraphy of the Paleogene and Neogene deals only with the formal lithostratigraphic units of formation rank or higher (groups). The names of the lower rank units (members and beds) are just mentioned without description or other information. This lithostratigraphy corresponds largely with the legend of the new series of geological maps of Belgium - Flanders Region on scale 1:50,000, edited since 1993.
Correct Expression of the Material Derivative in Continuum Physics
Authors: Sun Bohua
Published: April 2020

The material derivative is important in continuum physics. This Letter shows that the expression $\frac{d }{dt}=\frac{\partial }{\partial t}$+ (v • ∇), used in most literature and textbooks, is incorrect. The correct expression $ \frac{d (:)}{dt} = \frac{\partial }{\partial t}$(:) + v · [∇(:)] is formulated.
Preliminary Analysis of COVID-19 Academic Information Patterns: A Call for Open Science in the Times of Closed Borders
Authors: Homolak Jan , Kodvanj Ivan , Virag Davor
Published: April 2020

Introduction: The Pandemic of COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 motivated the scientific community to work together in order to gather, organize, process and distribute data on the novel biomedical hazard. Here, we analyzed how the scientific community responded to this challenge by quantifying distribution and availability patterns of the academic information related to COVID-19. The aim of our study was to assess the quality of the information flow and scientific collaboration, two factors we believe to be critical for finding new solutions for the ongoing pandemic. Materials and methods: The RISmed R package, and a custom Python script were used to fetch metadata on articles indexed in PubMed and published on Rxiv preprint server. Scopus was manually searched and the metadata was exported in BibTex file. Publication rate and publication status, affiliation and author count per article, and submission-to-publication time were analysed in R. Biblioshiny application was used to create a world collaboration map. Results: Our preliminary data suggest that COVID-19 pandemic resulted in generation of a large amount of scientific data, and demonstrates potential problems regarding the information velocity, availability, and scientific collaboration in the early stages of the pandemic. More specifically, our results indicate precarious overload of the standard publication systems, significant problems with data availability and apparent deficient collaboration. Conclusion: In conclusion, we believe the scientific community could have used the data more efficiently in order to create proper foundations for finding new solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we believe we can learn from this on the go and adopt open science principles and a more mindful approach to COVID-19-related data to accelerate the discovery of more efficient solutions. We take this opportunity to invite our colleagues to contribute to this global scientific collaboration by publishing their findings with maximal transparency.
Gravity, Entanglement and Spin Possible Timeless State of the Universe
Authors: Farag Ali Ahmed
Published: April 2020

I localize gravity to match its measurements with the local inertial frame of special relativity. I find a geometric interpretation of the speed of light and mass. I find also a relation between every mass measured and the black hole entropy which introduces information-matter equation from gravity. Through localization of gravity, a timeless state of the universe emerges and the uncertainty principle does not hold since the velocity concept is replaced by distance in this timeless state. This would resolve the problem of time because timeless state of the universe emerges naturally and mathematically consistent. This would suggest that gravity form the hidden one variable of quantum mechanics which would complete the relation between quantum mechanics and gravity. The experimental evidence of timeless state of the universe is the quantum entanglement. Since the spin measurement is the manifestation of quantum entanglement. Therefore, the spin of quantum particle can be originated from geometrical or gravitational red-shift. We introduce also a principle of least computation which is achieved when the ratio equal to the difference in the process of local gravitational measurements.
Fast mass-production of medical safety shields under COVID-19 quarantine:optimizing the use of University fabrication facilities and volunteer labor
Authors: Kalyaev Vladimir , Salimon Alexey I. , Korsunsky Alexander M.
Published: April 2020

COVID-19 pandemic provoked a number of restrictive measures, such as the closure or severe restriction of border transit for international trading traffic, quarantines and self-isolation. This caused a series of interrelated consequences that not only prevent or slow down the spread of disease, but also impact the medical systems’ capability to treat the patients and help their recovery. In particular, steeply growing demand for medical safety goods cannot be satisfied by regular suppliers due to the shortage of raw materials originating from other countries or remotely located national sources, under conditions of quarantined manpower. The current context inevitably brings back memories (and records!) of the situation 80 years ago, when WWII necessitated major effort directed at the rapid build-up of low cost mass production to satisfy all aspects of war-time need. In the present short report we document a successful case of fast mass-production of light transparent medical safety face shields (thousands per day) realized in Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) fabrication laboratory (FabLab). The demand for safety face shields by tens of hospitals in Moscow City and Region rapidly ramped up due to the need to protect medical staff during patient collection and transportation to hospitals, and within both the infected (“red”) and uninfected (“green”) zones. Materials selection for sterilizable transparent materials was conducted based on the analysis of merit indices, namely, minimal weight at given stiffness and minimal cost at given stiffness. Due to the need for permanent wear, design was motivated by low weight and comfortable head fixation, along with high production efficiency. The selection of minimal tooling in University fabrication workshops and the use of distributed volunteer labor are discussed.
A Multivariate Signature Based On Block Matrix Multiplication
Authors: Diene Adama , Thabet Shaima Abdullah , Yusuf Yahya
Published: April 2020

An oil and vinegar scheme is a signature scheme based on multivariate quadratic polynomials over finite fields. The system of polynomials contains $n$ variables, divided into two groups: $v$ vinegar variables and $o$ oil variables. The scheme is called balanced (OV) or unbalanced (UOV), depending on whether $v = 0$ or not, respectively. These schemes are very fast and require modest computational resources, which make them ideal for low-cost devices such as smart cards. However, the OV scheme has been already proven to be insecure and the UOV scheme has been proven to be very vulnerable for many parameter choices. In this paper, we propose a new multivariate public key signature whose central map consists of a set of polynomials obtained from the multiplication of block matrices. Our construction is motivated by the design of the Simple Matrix Scheme for Encryption and the UOV scheme. We show that it is secure against the Separation Method, which can be used to attack the UOV scheme, and against the Rank Attack, which is one of the deadliest attacks against multivariate public-key cryptosystems. Some theoretical results on matrices with polynomial entries are also given, to support the construction of the scheme.
Population Genetic Considerations for Using Biobanks as International Resources in the Pandemic Era and Beyond
Authors: Elhaik Eran , Carress Hannah , Lawson Daniel
Published: April 2020

The past years saw the rise of genomic biobanks and mega-scale meta-analysis of genomic data that promise to reveal the genetic underpinnings of health and disease. However, the over-representation of Europeans in genomic studies not only limit the global understanding of disease risk and intervention efficacy, but also inhibit viable research into the genomic differences between carriers and patients. Whilst the community has agreed that more diverse samples are required, it is not enough to blindly increase diversity; the diversity must be quantified, compared, and annotated to lead to insight. Genetic annotations from separate biobanks need to be comparable, computable, operate without access to raw data due to privacy concerns. But they must be comparable, both for regular research and to allow international comparison in response to pandemics. Here, we evaluate the appropriateness of commonly used genomic tools used to depict population structure in a standardized and comparable manner. The end goal is to reduce the effects of confounding and learn from genuine variation in genetic effects on phenotypes across populations, which will improve the value of biobanks, locally and internationally, increase the accuracy of association analyses, and inform developmental efforts.
A Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Potential Preventive and Therapeutic Approaches Towards COVID-19
Authors: Islam Md Rezaul , Fischer Andre
Published: April 2020

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat to human health and the global economy. In addition to the development of vaccines there is an urgent need for preventive and therapeutic strategies towards severe COVID-19. Key to this would be a better understanding of the molecular mechanismsoiuuuu affected by SARS-COV-2. To address this, we performed a systems biology approach by integrating available RNA-seq datasets from post-mortem lung tissue of COVID-19 patients and cell culture models infected with SARS-COV-2, Respiratory Syncytial virus or influenza virus. We identified two gene-expression modules that are commonly regulated by the three viral diseases and one that is specific to COVID-19. All 3 gene-expression modules represent key inflammatory processes. We identified several proteins within these networks that can be targeted by FDA approved drugs. Key examples are TNF, NFkB, INTERLEUKIN-1 and ALOX5 signaling pathways. Our data also suggest that Vitamin D supplementation and a ketogenic diet should be further analyzed as preventive strategies. In conclusion, our data highlights the potential of transcriptomics to unravel the pathological processes related to COVID-19 and guide the initiation of clinical trials.
MiR-34c Downregulation Leads to SOX4 Overexpression and Cisplatin Resistance in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Bissey Pierre-Antoine , Teng Mona , Law Jacqueline H , Shi Wei , Bruce Jeff P , Petit Valentin , Sai Tsao W , Yip Kenneth W , Liu Fei-Fei
Published: April 2020

Background : A major cause of disease-related death in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the development of distant metastasis (DM) despite combination chemoradiotherapy treatment. We previously identified and validated a four microRNA (miRNA) signature that is prognostic for DM. In this study, characterization of a key component of this signature, miR-34c, revealed its role in chemotherapy resistance. Methods: 246 NPC patient biopsy samples were subject to comprehensive miRNA profiling and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Two human normal nasopharyngeal cell lines (immortalized; NP69 and NP460), as well as the NPC cell line C666-1, were used to generate pre-miR-34c (gain-of-function) and anti-miR-34c (loss-of-function) cells. Signaling pathways were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Cell viability was measured using the ATPlite assay. Results: MiR-34c was downregulated in NPC patient samples, and confirmed in vitro to directly target SOX4, a master regulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). MiR-34c downregulation triggered EMT-representative changes in NP69 and NP460 whereby Snail, ZEB1, CDH2, and SOX2 were upregulated, while Claudin-1 and CDH1 were downregulated. Phenotypically, inhibition of miR-34c led to cisplatin resistance, whereas miR-34c over-expression sensitized NPC cells to cisplatin. TGFβ1 decreased miR-34c and increased SOX4 expression in vitro . The TGFβ receptor 1 inhibitor SB431542 reduced SOX4 expression and increased cisplatin sensitivity. Finally, IHC revealed that lower SOX4 expression was associated with improved overall survival in chemotherapy-treated NPC patients. Conclusion: miR-34c downregulation correlates with higher incidence of DM. Repression of miR-34c was shown to increase SOX4 expression, which leads to cisplatin resistance, while TGFβ1 was found to repress miR-34c expression. Taken together, our study demonstrates that inhibition of the TGFβ1 pathway could be a strategy to restore cisplatin sensitivity in NPC.
The association between neutrophil-to-albumin ratio and mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock: a cohort study
Authors: Peng Yangpei , Xue Yangjing , Wang Jinsheng , Xiang Huaqiang , Ji Kangting , Wang Jie , Lin Cong
Published: April 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Health-related quality of life (FACT-GP) in Sweden
Authors: Bagge Ann-Sophie Lindqvist , Carlander Anders , Fahlke Claudia , Bagge Roger Olofsson
Published: April 2020

Background: Many studies have used disease-specific instruments, such as the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT), when studying health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients. Few studies however, have described normative HRQOL values in the general population using FACT - General Population (FACT-GP) . The general aim of the present study is thus to describe the normative HRQOL values in the general Swedish population by using the FACT-GP instrument and to investigate to what degree sociodemographic factors and status of self-rated health (SRH) correlate with HRQOL. Methods: The participants consisted of a pre-stratified (gender, age and education) sample of Swedish citizens that previously had enrolled to be a part of a web panel hosted by a research institute (SOM Institute) at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The HRQOL was assessed by using the FACT-GP and SRH. Results: A higher FACT-GP score was mainly associated with males, higher age, higher income and better SRH. The results showed that the Swedish sample scored lower on FACT-GP than previous studies. Conclusions: Since HRQOL is frequently used as an important endpoint in healthcare research, there is an increasing need for normative data. The results from this study serve as a general population standard against which other studied HRQOL-data could be evaluated.
Serum Lipids Profiling Perturbances in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Yang Lin , Wang Liang , Deng Yangyang , Sun Lizhe , Low Bowen , Yuan Zuyi , Wu Yue , Zhou Bo , Liu Junhui , She Jianqing
Published: April 2020

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a common cardiovascular disorder associated with inadequate blood supply to the myocardium. Chronic coronary ischemia leads to ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Despite their rising prevalence and morbidity, few studies have discussed the lipids alterations in these patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed serum lipids profile in IHD and ICM patients using a lipidomics approach. Consecutive consenting patients admitted to the hospital for IHD and ICM were enrolled. Serum samples were obtained after overnight fasting. Non-targeted metabolomics was applied to demonstrate lipids metabolic profile in control, IHD and ICM patients. Results: A total of 63 and 62 lipids were detected in negative and positive ion mode respectively. Among them, 16:0 Lyso PI, 18:1 Lyso PI in negative ion mode, and 19:0 Lyso PC, 12:0 SM d18:1/12:0, 15:0 Lyso PC, 17:0 PC, 18:1-18:0 PC in positive ion mode were significantly altered both in IHD and ICM as compared to control. 13:0 Lyso PI, 18:0 Lyso PI, 16:0 PE, 14:0 PC DMPC, 16:0 ceramide, 18:0 ceramide in negative ion mode, and 17:0 PE, 19:0 PC, 14:0 Lyso PC, 20:0 Lyso PC, 18:0 PC DSPC, 18:0-22:6 PC in positive ion mode were significantly altered only in ICM as compared to IHD and control. Conclusion: Using non-targeted lipidomics profiling, we have successfully identified a group of circulating lipids that were significantly altered in IHD and ICM. The lipids metabolic signatures shed light on potential new biomarkers and therapeutics for preventing and treating ICM.
Oral Status of elderly patients in long stay centres: A systematic review
Authors: Ruiz-Roca Juan Antonio , Martin-Fuentes Dora , Martinez-Beneyto Yolanda , Oñate-Sanchez Ricardo Elias
Published: April 2020

Background: Elderly patients who spend long periods hospitalized or those who are in a situation of institutionalization represent a risk group in this regard, as many of them suffer a degree of dependence and need help to perform the basic tasks of personal care. It is therefore important to learn more of the oral health status of this group of patients in order to make a proper assessment of the situation and to develop protocols for its management. The purpose of the study was to conduct a systematic review to ascertain the oral health status of elderly patients admitted to institutions or hospitalized for a long period of time.Methods: a systematic review of the literature published in two different databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library) was carried out, with 12 different combinations of keywords based on the following selection criteria: studies published in the last 5 years, in English and/or Spanish and/or Portuguese, with samples of ≥30 patients, performed in patients older than 65 years, admitted to any type of institution and/or hospital center for at least 7 days and in which the state of hard and/or soft tissues of the oral cavity were evaluated in some way. The selected articles were subjected to a thorough analysis.Results: The search strategy covered 1,014 articles: 689 from Pubmed and 325 from Cochrane Library. After applying the eligibility criteria, five articles were selected for our review. The level of evidence of the articles was3, a sample of 773 patients most of them were women with an average age older than 70 years old.Conclusions: the oral health of patients aged more than 65 is worse than that of the rest population. Long hospital stays or being institutionalized in a residence makes this group susceptible to a worsening of their oral health status. It is necessary to develop protocols for the oral health care of these patients, accompanied by training programs for the personnel responsible.
Differences among families in craniofacial shape at early life-stages of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
Authors: Beck Samantha Victoria , Räsänen Katja , Leblanc Camille A. , Skúlason Skúli , Jónsson Zophonías O. , Kristjánsson Bjarni K.
Published: April 2020

Background
Organismal fitness can be determined at early life-stages, but phenotypic variation at these early life-stages has rarely been considered in studies on evolutionary diversification. The trophic apparatus has been shown to contribute to sympatric resource-mediated divergence in several taxa. However, processes underlying this diversification are poorly understood. Using a phenotypically variable morph of Icelandic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), we reared offspring from multiple families under standardized laboratory conditions and tested to what extent family (i.e. direct genetic and maternal effects) contributes to offspring morphology at hatching (H) and first feeding (FF). To understand the underlying mechanisms behind early life-stage variation in morphology, we examined how craniofacial shape varied according to family, egg size, offspring size and individual candidate genes related to craniofacial development. Finally, we assessed whether craniofacial shape and expression of genes related to craniofacial development covaried.
Results
We found effects of family for offspring craniofacial shape at both H and FF, whilst relative expression levels of Sgk1 (a gene involved in craniofacial shape divergence) correlated with craniofacial shape at FF. However, there were no evidence to suggest that mean egg size or individual offspring size influenced offspring morphology.
Conclusions
This study provides evidence for within population family effects for phenotypic variation in trophic morphology, indicating the potential for genetic and/or maternal effects to facilitate resource polymorphism.
Variability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for Antenatal Depression Screening in Spanish: a Cross-Sectional Study.
Authors: Manso-Martínez María Esperanza , Esteban-Gonzalo Laura , Marazuela-López Beatriz , García-Luengo Alfonso , de-la-Torre-Gallego Arantzazu , González-Pascual Juan Luis
Published: April 2020

Background Depression during pregnancy is a prevalent problem with significant potential health effects on women and children. The most widely used screening instrument is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Two validations of the EDPS in Spanish have been published. Given the differences in cut-off point, sensibility and specificity among the Spanish EPDS validations, the aim of this study is to provide further information regarding the topic through a validation of the EPDS is Spain with a different sample.Methods Cross-sectional study. 194 women being followed up for normal pregnancy in Primary Healthcare in Spain completed the EPDS and had a semi-structured interview with a clinical psychologist using the DSM-5 manual criteria for diagnosing depression. The ROC curve was calculated to determine the optimal cut-off point, sensitivity and specificity.Results The age range of the participating pregnant women was from 18 to 42 years of age. The optimal cut-off point is 11/12, with a sensitivity of 93.33% and a specificity of 91.62%. The ROC curve has an area of 0.936. Discussion The cut-off point is slightly lower than that of the Spanish version validated in Chile. Likewise, compared to the version validated in Spain, the cut-off point is slightly higher. In our research, sensitivity is notably higher, and specificity slightly lower than in the Spanish version validated in Chile. Compared with the Spanish version validated in Spain, sensibility and specificity were notably higher in our research.Conclusions Given the differences in cut-off point, sensibility and specificity, we propose to continue searching for an optimal cut-off point in the Spanish version of the EPDS. In our opinion, further research is necessary in order to use the EPDS for antenatal depression screening in Spain. A multicentric study including pregnant women from all over the country would be suitable.
Endoscopic severe mucosal atrophy indicates the presence of gastric cancer after Helicobacter pylori eradication
Authors: Ohno Akiko , Miyoshi Jun , Kato Atsushi , Miyamoto Naohiko , Yatagai Takahito , Hada Yu , Kusuhara Mitsunori , Jimbo Yoko , Ida Yosuke , Tokunaga Kengo , Okamoto Susumu , Hisamatsu Tadakazu
Published: April 2020

Background
Gastric cancer after Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication is a crucial clinical challenge today as HP eradication therapy is widely performed. Detecting gastric cancer after HP eradication tends to be difficult with normal white-light endoscopy. In the present study, we aimed to identify easily-evaluated endoscopic findings that indicate the presence of gastric cancer after HP eradication so that endoscopists can consider additional detailed examinations at the site.
Methods
We analyzed the endoscopic images of 43 patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer after HP eradication and 119 patients with an HP eradication history who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy for a medical checkup. Endoscopic findings were evaluated according to the Kyoto classification of gastritis (atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, enlarged folds, nodularity, and diffuse redness) and map-like redness.
Results
Patients with gastric cancer had significantly higher total Kyoto risk scores; more atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and diffuse redness; and a significantly higher prevalence of map-like redness compared with those without gastric cancer, in the univariate analyses. We used logistic regression analysis with forward selection based on the likelihood ratio to develop a model using atrophy and diffuse redness. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that a score of A2 in the Kyoto classification of gastritis (open-type atrophic pattern in the Kimura–Takemoto classification) was an endoscopic marker for the presence of post-HP-eradication gastric cancer.
Conclusions
Endoscopic severe gastric mucosal atrophy is useful to screen patients for gastric cancer after HP eradication.
LDHs enhanced the immune response of animals to foot-and-mouth disease virus
Authors: Wu Peng , Zhang Yunfeng , Yin Xinyue , He Yanhua , Zhang Qian , Chen Chuangfu
Published: April 2020

Background: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly transmissible disease that leads to vast economic losses in many countries. Prevention using inactivated vaccines is one effective measure used to control FMD. Unfortunately, inactivated FMD vaccines provide only short-term protection and require a cold-chain system. In recent years, many studies have shown that layered double metal hydroxides (LDHs) carrying antigens can be used to strongly induce immune responses. In this study, LDH nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. LDH particle size, electric potential, and morphology were measured and observed. The adsorption capacity of LDH NPs to FMDV was tested. The effects of LDH as an adjuvant on inactivated FMDV vaccines were further evaluated and compared with commercial FMDV ISA-206 in BALB/C female mice and Yorkshire pigs.Results: LDH NPs were successfully prepared with a uniform particle size of ~87.21 nm, regular edges, a loose hexagonal shape and positive zeta charge of 32 mV. The maximum absorption concentration was 0.16-0.31 µg FMDV/µg LDH. In the mouse experiment, antibody of immunized with LDH + FMDV were induced significantly higher from days 42-98 compared to saline + FMDV (P<0.01) and significantly higher compared to ISA-206+FMDV on day 56 post-immunization (P<0.05). After day14 post-immunization, IFN-γ content was significantly increased (P<0.05). In the pig experiment, antibody levels in both the ISA-206 + FMDV and LDH + FMDV were positive and were significantly higher compared with the PBS group on day 7 (P<0.005). Antibody levels in 90% pigs were positive on day 56 in the LDH group. The neutralizing antibody levels in the LDH and ISA-206 groups were significantly higher from days 7-28 compared to the PBS control group (P<0.05). Thus, LDH NPs were effective at inducing an immune response against FMDV.Conclusions: LDHs with a loose hexagonal shape and a positive charge were prepared. LDHs can effectively induce humoral- and cell-mediated immune responses in mice and pigs. In addition, the LDHs had a slow-release effect and produced antibodies continuously. LDHs may act as an excellent FMDV adjuvant.
Sarcopenia as a Novel Prognostic Factor in the Patients of Primary Localized Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Authors: Song He , Dong Ming
Published: April 2020

BackgroundSarcopenia predicts poor prognosis of a variety of gastrointestinal malignancies. However, there is a lack of study on the association between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and the prognosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). The aim of this study is to develop a novel nomogram based on sarcopenia for GIST patients to predict overall survival (OS)MethodsSMI was measured by computed tomography scan of 107 patients who underwent resection for primary localized gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Sarcopenia was defined by cutoff values for SMI as 40.1 cm 2 /m 2 and 39.8 cm 2 /m 2 using optimum stratification for males and females respectively. Factors were included in the nomogram were specified by univariate and multiple Cox proportional hazard analysis. Concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves were conducted to measure the discrimination and accuracy of the nomogram. The utility of the nomogram was assessed by the decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsTwenty-eight (26.2%) of 107 patients were sarcopenic. Sarcopenia was correlated significantly with BMI, albumin, female sex, resection style, mitotic index, rupture status, survival. Sarcopenia was significantly related to decreased overall survival (p = 0.003).The nomogram including sarcopenia status, resection style and mitotic index had an excellent discrimination with C-index 0.794. The calibration curves represented a good accordance between the actual observation and nomogram prediction for overall survival. Decision curve analysis illustrated that the nomogram was helpful in clinic .ConclusionsWe developed a nomogram based on sarcopenia to predict overall survival after resection of GISTs which is an effective and favorable prognostication tool.
External Validation of Stroke Mimic Prediction Scales in the Emergency Department
Authors: Tu Tian Ming , Tan Guan Zhong , Saffari Seyed Ehsan , Wee Chee Keong , Chee David Jeremiah Ming Siang , Tan Camlyn , Lim Hoon Chin
Published: April 2020

Background
Acute ischemic stroke is a time-sensitive emergency where accurate diagnosis is required promptly. Due to time pressures, stroke mimics, whom present with similar signs and symptoms as acute ischemic stroke, pose a diagnostic challenge to the emergency physician. With limited access to investigative tools, clinical prediction tools, based only on clinical features, may be useful to identify stroke mimics. We aim to externally validate the performance of 4 stroke mimic prediction scales and aim to derive a novel decision tree, to improve identification of stroke mimics.
Methods
We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study at a primary stroke centre, served by a telestroke hub. We included consecutive patients whom were administered intravenous thrombolysis for suspected acute ischemic stroke from January 2015 to October 2017. Four stroke mimic prediction tools (FABS, simplified FABS, Telestroke Mimic Score and Khan Score) were rated simultaneously, using only clinical information prior to administration of thrombolysis. The final diagnosis was ascertained by an independent stroke neurologist. Area under receiver operating curve (AUROC) analysis was performed. A classification tree analysis was also conducted using variables which were found to be significant in the univariate analysis.
Results
Telestroke Mimic Score had the highest discrimination for stroke mimics among the 4 scores tested (AUROC = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.63–0.87), although it was not statistically significantly better. Telestroke Mimic Score had the highest sensitivity (91.3%), while Khan score had the highest specificity (88.2%). All 4 scores had high positive predictive value (88.1–97.5%) and low negative predictive values (4.7–32.3%). A novel decision tree, using only age, presence of migraine and psychiatric history, had a higher prediction performance (AUROC = 0.80).
Conclusion
Four tested stroke mimic prediction scales performed similarly well to identify stroke mimics in the emergency setting. A novel decision tree may improve the identification of stroke mimics.