bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Outcomes of Type 2 Diabetic Patients Treated With DPP‑4 Inhibitors Versus Sulphonylureas As Add-on to Metformin in Clinical Practice
Authors: Bazo-Alvarez Juan Carlos , Pal Kingshuk , Pham Tra My , Nazareth Irwin , Petersen Irene , Sharma Manuj
Published: June 2021

Background: DPP-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) and sulphonylureas remain the most widely prescribed add-on treatments after metformin. However, there is limited evidence from clinical practice comparing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients prescribed these treatments, particularly among those without prior history of MACE and from vulnerable population.Methods: Using electronic health records from the UK primary care, we undertook a retrospective cohort study with people diagnosed type-2 diabetes mellitus, comparing incidence of MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke, major cardiovascular surgery, unstable angina) and all-cause mortality among those prescribed DPP-4i versus sulphonylureas as add-on to metformin. We stratified analysis by history of MACE, age, social deprivation and comorbidities and adjusted for HbA1c, weight, smoking-status, comorbidities and medications.Results: We identified 17,570 patients prescribed sulphonylureas and 6,267 prescribed DPP-4i between 2008-2017. Of these, 16.3% had pre-existing MACE. Primary incidence of MACE was similar in patients prescribed DPP-4i and sulphonylureas (10.3 vs 8.5 events per 1000 person-years; adjusted Hazard Ratio (adjHR): 0.94; 95%CI 0.80–1.14). For those with pre-existing MACE, rates for recurrence were higher, but similar between the two groups (21.8 vs 17.2 events per 1000 person-years; adjHR: 0.93; 95%CI 0.69–1.24). For those aged over 75 and with BMI less than 25kg/m2 there was a protective effect for DPP-I, warranting further investigation.Conclusions: Patients initiating a DPP-4i had similar risk of cardiovascular outcomes to those initiating a sulphonylurea. This indicates the choice should be based on safety and cost, not cardiovascular prognosis, when deciding between a DPP-4i or sulphonylurea as add-on to metformin.
Theoretical Study of the Effect of Water Clusters on the Enol Content of Acetone as a Model for Understanding the Effect of Water on Enolization Reaction
Authors: Nafe Zahra Tohidi , Arshadi Nematollah
Published: June 2021

The enolization of simple carbonyl compounds is a key reaction for many chemical and biochemical processes. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have been done to probe aspects of the mechanism of this reaction. In this work, the effect of small water clusters, (H2O)n: n=1-9, on the enol content of acetone is investigated by using density functional theory calculations at the M06 level of theory in the gas and solution phases. The calculations indicated that the formation of hydrogen-bonded assemblies between water clusters and both tautomers of acetone affect the enolization reaction. Among them, the trimeric water cluster has the highest binding energy difference (DEb) in the solution phase and greatly shift the equilibrium in the favor of the enol form. The results also shown that under this condition, the enol content of acetone increased by decreasing the polarity of the solvent. The practical conclusion of this study is that the enol content of carbonyl compounds can be maximized only by addition a defined amount of water.
Physicochemical Property and Pharmacological Activity of Exopolysaccharide From Endophytic Bacterium Bacillus Sp. B3 Isolated From Polygonatum Sibiricum
Authors: Zhang Xunlian , Song Yingjuan , Li Kun , Liu Xiaoyu , Liu Zhaoxi , Rong Yongheng , Mao Weian , Zhang Houcheng , Kong Yun , Chen Min
Published: June 2021

Polygonatum sibiricum is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with various functions. In this study, Bacillus sp. B3 as its endophytic bacterium, which produced the maximum amount of exopolysaccharide (EPS), was isolated. The EPS-B3 produced by Bacillus sp. B3 was purified and identified. As suggested by the analysis of monosaccharide composition, EPS-B3 with an average molecular weight of 1.863×104 Da, was composed of three main monosaccharides, including galactose, glucose and mannose with a molecular ratio of 15: 3: 1. The monosaccharide component of EPS-B3 was different from P. sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP), but they exhibited similar antioxidant and antitumor activity. It is worth to point out that, EPS-B3 exhibited higher Ferric reducing power than PSP. As suggested by the results, the EPS produced by endophytic bacterium from the medicinal plants might have the potential to serve as an alternative of the medicinal herbs.
Prevalence, Virulence Genes and Antimicrobial Profiles of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Isolated from Healthy Cattle
Authors: Tayh Ghassan , Boubaker Salma Mariem , Khedher Rym Ben , Jbeli Mounir , Chehida Faten Ben , Mamlouk Aymen , Dâaloul-Jedidi Monia , Messadi Lilia
Published: June 2021

Background: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is associated with intestinal infection in human and considered a main cause of food-borne diseases. It was isolated from animals, human and food. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in fecal samples of healthy cattle collected in slaughterhouses (n=160) and from farms (n=100).Methods: E. coli isolates were detected on MacConkey agar. A total of 236 E. coli isolates were recovered from fecal samples of healthy cattle. We used sorbitol MacConkey to detect non-sorbitol fermenting colonies that were examined for the presence of O157 antigen by latex agglutination, and positive bacteria were screened for the existence of stx1, stx2, eaeA and ehxA by PCR as well as rfbEO157 and fliCH7 genes specific for serotype O157. All isolates were examined for the susceptibility against 21antibiotics discs.Results: Of the 236 E. coli isolates, 4.2% (10/236) were positive for STEC O157:H7. Shiga toxin gene (stx2) was present in 70% of isolates, stx1 and ehxA were confirmed in 60% of the isolates, whereas eae was identified in two isolates. Other virulence factors screened (fimH, sfa/focDE, cdt3, traT, iutA and hly) were present among the 10 isolates. All E. coli O157:H7 isolates were sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, cefepime, aztreonam, colistin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. All isolates belong to the phylo-group E.Conclusion: This is the first study of the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle in Tunisia. Our finding proves the existence of STEC O157:H7 in healthy animals producing food for human consumption which could be a source of human contamination.
Driver Genes of Locally Advanced Well-differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Genetic Landscape Based on the TCGA Database
Authors: Jung Ah Ra , Jang Dong Hyuk , Choi Jung Ho , Lee Yoon Se
Published: June 2021

Background: Despite the usually favorable prognosis of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) following appropriate treatment, advanced T-staged WDTCs are associated with poor prognosis. This study focused on identifying the driver genes of locally advanced WDTC by analyzing the TCGA cohort.Methods: We analyzed data on 501 patients with WDTC from the TCGA cohort. Patients were classified into two subgroups of pathological T4 stage or T1-3 stage (Cluster1 and Cluster2, respectively). The mRNA expression differences between subgroups were compared for several genes in the TCGA cohorts.Results: Cluster1 included 23 patients with pathological T4 classification (Papillary=21/Follicular=2) and Cluster2 included 478 patients (Papillary=371/Follicular=100/Others=7). The Cluster1 subgroup showed worse overall survival than the Cluster2 subgroup (p < 0.05). The two subgroups were analyzed for 34 genes reported in previous studies. Known genetic thyroid cancer alterations, including BRAF, RAS, RET, and ALK, were not different in the two subgroups. In Cluster1, MET, SERPINA1, TIMP1, PROS1, FN1, CDKN2A, and CDKN2B were significantly elevated, while TG, DNAH9, TFF3, CRABP1, TPO, JAK2, KIT, KDR, and NFE2L2 were significantly lower compared with the Cluster2 (all, p < 0.05). A TERT, EIF1AX, and ATM showed significantly frequent somatic mutations in Cluster1 compared to Cluster2. We also identified seven pathways related to the 16 genetic markers.Conclusions: Locally advanced WDTC presented 16 genetic alterations compared to less aggressive thyroid cancers. Somatic mutations associated with local invasion transformation were identified. Genetic profiles associated with locally advanced WDTC have prognostic significance, but these findings must be validated to further understand the pathway.
Mathematical model for recovering discrete parts of a text message
Authors: Malashina Anastasia
Published: June 2021

The paper studies the procedure for restoring discreet segments of an unknown source message based on information about possible variants of each sign. An algorithm is proposed based on compiling dictionaries of appropriate lengths, searching for text sections with a total number of character variants that do not exceed a given boundary, and then iterating through and eliminating false variants of dictionary values. Statistical properties of short-length text dictionaries are investigated, and extrapolation estimates are made for long-length texts. The main mathematical properties of this algorithm are described. Theoretical studies of the effectiveness of the procedure under consideration are carried out within the framework of a certain probability-theoretical model.
Dynamics based on analysis of public data for spreading of disease
Authors: Lima Leonardo S.
Published: June 2021

The stochastic model for epidemic spreading of the novel coronavirus disease based on the data set supply by the public health agencies in countries as Brazil, United States and India is investigated. We perform a numerical analysis using the stochastic differential equation in Itô’s calculus for the estimating of novel cases daily, as well as analytical calculations solving the correspondent Fokker-Planck equation for the probability density distribution of novel cases, P(N(t); t). Our results display that the model based in the Itô’s diffusion fits well to the results due to uncertainty in the official data and to the number of testsrealized in populations of each country.
Development and Verification of an Interspecific Hybridization Protocol for Asclepias
Authors: Lewis Mary , Chappell Matthew , Thomas Paul A. , Maynard Rebekah C. , Greyvenstein Ockert
Published: June 2021

Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) is an important pollinator genus across North America and is a host plant for many butterfly species, notably the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Commercial production of Asclepias is limited to a few species, because most species lack commercial traits, with minimal branching habit, excessive height, and minimal color variation. This study used a commercially viable Asclepias species, butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa L.), as a maternal parent and trialed three different pollination methods in an attempt to create interspecific hybrids. Pollination methods included a traditional method, a pollen–solution-based method, and a novel inverted pollinia method. The inverted pollinia method increased pollination success rates 4-fold among intraspecific crosses of A. tuberosa. When pollination methods were optimized, A. tuberosa was used as the maternal parent, and one-way crosses were made to seven other Asclepias species using the inverted pollinia method. Of the seven species used as pollen donors, four developed hybrid seed successfully: green milkweed (Asclepias hirtella Woodson), purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens L.), showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa Torr.), and common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.). As germination methods vary significantly among Asclepias species, three methods of germination were trialed on seed developed via interspecific hybridizations: direct seeded, cold–moist stratification, and embryo rescue. Of the three methods, cold–moist stratification was superior to direct seeding and embryo rescue. This research is the first documented case of a controlled interspecific hybridization event among these species.
Photosynthetic Pigments Profiled in Capsicum Lutescens Mutants
Authors: McKenzie Calen , Guzman Ivette , Velasco-Cruz Ciro , Bosland Paul W.
Published: June 2021

Lutescens, or lutescent, plant mutants produce leaves that are abnormally light yellow-green compared with normal plants, and are observed in multiple species of Capsicum as well as other genera such as Zea, Oryza, and Oenothera. Previous investigations into the lutescent phenotype in Capsicum have focused on genetic and transcriptomic analyses, and comparatively little is known about the phytochemical constituents of the lutescent leaf phenotype. Previous research in similar lutescent mutants in Capsicum and Oryza species has attributed their pale yellow-green leaf color and poor vigor to deficient chloroplast development. A total of 25 accessions of Capsicum lutescens mutants were phenotyped and analyzed based on a multivariate approach, using ‘Jupiter’ bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) with normal green leaves as a contextual benchmark. Photosynthetic pigments from mutant leaves were extracted and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); reflectance of the leaf material was measured with a chromameter using the L*a*b* color space. The chlorophyll a (Chl a)/b (Chl b) ratio was greater in leaves of lutescens mutants than in ‘Jupiter’. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed all lutescent mutant accessions could be distinguished from the ‘Jupiter’ contextual benchmark by variables indicating poor chloroplast development and increased photooxidative stress in lutescent mutant accessions. The lutescent leaf phenotype was not found to be caused by elevated xanthophyll or decreased chlorophyll concentrations. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed the lutescent mutant phenotype to be variable, with a wide range of phenotypes clustered into four major groups.
Time Management for Better Job Performance: An Analysis from Al-Wasatiyyah Perspective
Authors: Rafikul Islam  , Md. Yousuf Ali  , Noor Mohammad Osmani
Published: June 2021

Managing time means engaging activities that generate greater benefits to human beings. To a Muslim, benefits encompass for both worlds, i.e., life in this mundane world as well as life in the hereafter. Previous research on time management resulted in a variety of findings depending on the aspects under study. The objective of this research is to investigate the components of time management that have significant relationship with job performance, especially in the context of Malaysian employees. This research also intends to relate the concepts and attributes of “al-wasatiyyah” that have direct relationship to job performance. To pursue the research objectives, 223 employees working in different sectors in Malaysia were contacted. The researchers found that certain time management factors namely “prioritisation of tasks,” “usage of schedules,” and “time management instrument” sustained statistically significant positive relationships to job performance. Meanwhile, the al-wasatiyyah variables that have been found to have statistically significant positive relationships to job performance are “working with sincerity/pure intention (niyyah),” “following the middle path to avoid excessiveness in working place (wasatan),” “practicing values in working place (qiam),” and “ensuring fairness in task assignment (adl).” These findings have important implications. Most importantly, managers of organisations can practice them to motivate employees in order to enhance their job performance which by and large will improve the performance of the whole organisation in the long run.
Overt Dependence of Health Insurance Industry on Healthcare System
Authors: V R Uma  , V Ilango
Published: June 2021

A vast majority of the population in the developing economies remains uninsured. Moreover, the informal sector that employs a larger section of the society is untouched by any of the government scheme. In this study, we use health belief model to examine the factors that induce willingness to buy health insurance among the illness and the non-illness group. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,339 participants above 20 years of age of which 351 had contracted illness in the past and 988 had not. Data was collected using questionnaire from four highly populated districts in India. The questionnaire was developed based on the constructs of health belief model. The data was statistically analysed. Kendall’s Tau-b correlation technique was used to explore the relationship between perceived vulnerability and product aversion. Logistic regression was used to find out the odds at which each independent variable, categorised based on the health belief model, contributes to willingness to buy. The model was able to predict 15% of the variance for willingness-to-buy among the illness and 27% among the nonillness groups. Findings suggest that the perceived vulnerability reduced product aversion among the illness group. Mere presence of primary and super-specialty hospitals was not sufficient for the illness group to subscribe for health insurance. Income perceptions emerged as a significant predictor among the illness group. Presence of well-established hospital, income perceptions, and subjective norms were significant predictors among the non-illness group. The growth of the health insurance industry largely depends upon the presence of well-established hospitals. In the absence of adequate healthcare facilities, attempts by the insurers to promote insurance covers will become futile. Insurers should also consider alternate segmentation patterns albeit the present socio-demographic pattern, as the health risk experience differs among individuals.
Frankly Revisiting Franklin – How a 60-Year-Old Case Might Help Prevent Future Injustices
Authors: Buterin Toni , Rinčić Iva , Muzur Amir
Published: June 2021

O ulozi Rosalind Franklin, kemičarke i rendgenske kristalografkinje, u jednom od najvažnijih otkrića 20. stoljeća – otkriću spiralne strukture DNK – već se dugo raspravlja. Premda su mnogi protagonisti ponudili različite inačice događaja koji su prethodili objavljivanju famoznog Watsonova i Crickova rada u časopisu Nature u travnju 1953. godine, svejedno je očigledno da je počinjeno teško kršenje istraživačke etičnosti. Analizirajući kontroverzu Franklinine zaslužene, ali nedobivene Nobelove nagrade, autori ovoga rada predlažu da bi se postupak nominiranja i dodjeljivanja Nobelove nagrade mogao revidirati da se izbjegnu buduće nepravde nalik Franklininoj. Po autorima, to bi se moglo postići povratkom k izvornoj ideji Alfreda Nobela o dodjeljivanju nagrade »onima koji su tijekom prethodne godine doprinijeli najvećoj dobrobiti čovječanstvu« ili dopuštajući da se preminulu osobu može i nominirati i nagraditi.
Kant, Confucianism, and “Global Rooted Philosophy” in Taiwan. From Mou Zongsan to Lee Ming-huei
Authors: Rošker Jana S.
Published: June 2021

Konfucijsku je obnovu u Tajvanu odredila potraga za sintezom između zapadne i tradicionalne konfucijske misli. Tajvanski moderni konfucijanci smjerali su stvoriti sustav ideja i vrijednosti sposoban razriješiti socijalne i političke probleme suvremenog globalnog društva. Zongsan Mou, najpoznatiji član druge generacije suvremenog novog konfucijanizma, smjerao je oživjeti kinesku filozofijsku tradiciju kroz dijalog s modernom europskom filozofijom, naročito s radovima Immanuela Kanta. Njegov sljedbenik, Ming-huei Lee, diskutabilno je najuvaženiji stručnjak za Kantovu filozofiju u čitavoj sinitičkoj regiji. Ovaj rad smjera usporediti njihove pristupe i ocijeniti ih u širem kontekstu suvremene kineske misli. Najprije ću predstaviti Zongsanovu elaboraciju o Kantu. Zatim, predstavit ću glavne aspekte Leejeva razvoja Mouovih teorija te u kasnijim sekcijama dati kritičku ocjenu Leejevih filozofijskih inovacija, usmjeravajući se na evaluaciju njegove konceptualizacije imanentne transcendencije i konfucijske deontologije.
Current indications for phlebotropic therapy and its duration
Authors: Bogachev V. Yu. , Boldin B. V. , Turkin P. Yu. , Dzhenina O. V. , Samenkov A. Yu.
Published: June 2021

Phlebotropic therapy is an important component of the pathogenetic treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) of the lower extremities. Venoactive drugs, which have proven their effectiveness and safety in a variety of studies, are widely represented in international and Russian clinical guidelines and standards. However, there is no consensus on the regulation of phlebotropic therapy and, above all, its duration in different clinical classes of CVI. In addition, there are no clear indications on the methods of treatment efficacy monitoring, which can be used in real clinical practice. The presented systematized review of the literature data on micronized purified flavonoid fraction not only reveals the possibilities of phlebotropic therapy of different clinical classes and forms of CVI, but also suggests effective regulations for the use of this drug in specific situations. The data concerning the efficacy of phlebotropic therapy in real clinical practice at the initial stages of CVI (C0s-C1s), in the treatment of C2s (varicose superficial veins with venospecific symptoms), C3 (chronic venous edema), C4 (trophic skin disorders), as well as in stages C5-C6 and C6r (venous trophic ulcers) are presented in details. In addition, the results of studies on the use of micronized purified flavonoid fraction in phlebosclerosing treatment are presented. The duration of phlebotropic therapy is in direct relation to the severity of the disease and the response to the ongoing treatment. The important role is played not only by personalization of treatment according to specific symptoms and syndromes, but also, if possible, by objective control of their dynamics.
Short-term compression therapy in chronic vein disease without trophic disorders: possibilities of medical compression knitwear
Authors: Manjikian H. P. , Chubchenko S. V. , Feodorov D. A. , Bagdasaryan A. G. , Danelyan B. A. , Chernyshev A. A. , Markin S. M.
Published: June 2021

Introduction.Medical compression stockings are one of the main methods in a conservative strategy for the treatment of chronic vein diseases as well as for adjuvant treatment after superficial venous interventions. however, compliance to this treatment is low.Objective.To evaluate patient satisfaction with medical compression knitwear therapy in a short-term follow-up.Materials andмethods.The study included 150 patients of both sexes aged 42 ± 8.3 years. Endovenous laser obliteration combined with mini-phlebectomy and/or sclerotherapy for varicose veins was performed. All patients after the surgery wore compression stockings of compression class 2 with a recommended wearing period of 14 days. At the control visit at the end of the follow-up period all patients were asked to complete a satisfaction survey with a specially prepared questionnaire including 7 questions.Results and discussion.No significant adverse events and complications related to either the invasive intervention or the compression therapy were observed during the follow-up period. There were no abnormalities such as compression sensations or changes in blood flow under the knitwear. The compression was totally adequate, with no areas of over- and/or under-compression. All respondents felt that the knitwear was well anchored to the leg and no slipping or twisting due to the wide elastic band with droplet silicone. In addition to all of the above, the patients noted that the knitwear offered to them in the study had good tactile properties: it was soft and pleasant to the skin. According to the survey, the average score for all questions was 9.5 (QR 8-10).Conclusion.Elastic compression is an effective and safe means of preventing adverse events, complications and pain in patients after superficial varicose veins surgery. Additional consumer properties of medical compression knitwear can significantly influence patients’ compliance and therefore the effectiveness of treatment.
Combined pathogenetic therapy of allergic dermatoses in children
Authors: Kovaleva J. S. , Zyablitskaya N. K. , Orobei M. V. , Bishevskaya N. K.
Published: June 2021

Allergodermatoses make up the majority of allergic skin diseases in childhood, have a recurrent course and significantly disrupt the quality of life of patients and their families. The constant use of emollients, allowing to lengthen periods of remission and reduce the need for topical drugs, is associated with defects in the skin barrier function. Treatment with topical glucocorticosteroids (TCS) and topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI), which are the basis of pharmacotherapy, should be carried out differentially, taking into account the localization, stage and activity of the inflammatory process, the area of the lesion, the age of the child and the multifactorial genesis of the disease. The basic principles of rational local therapy include the choice of the degree of activity of the drug, its concentration, dosage form, dosage frequency, duration of use to obtain a therapeutic effect and minimize side effects. In case of severe exacerbation and localization of inflammatory elements on the body and limbs in children, it is necessary to start treatment with class 2–3 THCS. When the process is localized on the face and other sensitive areas of the skin (neck and large folds), it is recommended to use class 7 TCS or give preference to TCI. The duration of a continuous course of TCS therapy in children depends on the severity of the exacerbation and should not exceed 2 weeks. The most effective way to reduce the course steroid load and avoid side effects is the early and correct use of TCS during an exacerbation. The advantages of TCI in comparison with TCS are the low incidence of side effects, the absence of contraindications for use on sensitive skin areas, and the possibility of longer use. The article contains Russian and foreign literature data on the use of THCS and TEC in the treatment of allegodermatosis in children and our own clinical observations of the effectiveness of the use of combination therapy: Comfoderm K cream (methylprednisolone aceponate with ceramides in the base), 0.03% tacrolimus ointment and emollient means - special cream Sensoderm with physiological lipids omega 3–6–9.
Obtenção de produtos de defesa no Brasil: o desafio da transferência de tecnologia
Authors: de Sousa Moreira William
Published: June 2021

Num cenário político-estratégico complexo e cambiante, o preparo da base material das Forças Armadas é um desafio. As instituições com responsabilidades sobre a defesa nacional necessitam otimizar a parcela do esforço social ela destinada pela via orçamentária. A magnitude dos recursos, a diversidade de interesses e a força dos atores envolvidos dão às decisões dimensão política. Nesse sentido, obtenções governamentais de produtos de defesa necessitam de estrutura organizacional adequada, requerem conhecimento, competência específica, planejamento criterioso e metodologia adequada, pois se processam num ambiente marcado por incertezas. No momento em que o Ministério da Defesa se empenha em colher contribuições para a elaboração do Livro Branco da Defesa Nacional, o presente trabalho objetiva explicitar questões estruturais relativas ao sistema de obtenção de produtos de defesa no Brasil, as transformações que vêm sendo observadas e as razões que levam à opção por um modelo integrado e centralizado. Adicionalmente, serão abordados os desafios para a absorção de novas tecnologias, requisito para elevar o país da categoria de mero comprador de armas a parceiro estratégico no desenvolvimento e produção de tecnologias avançadas.
Interfacial Electron Transfer in Dye-Sensitized TiO2 Devices for Solar Energy Conversion
Authors: Müller Andressa , Wierzba Wendel , Pastorelli Mariana , Polo André
Published: June 2021

The development of cost-effective molecular devices that efficiently capture and convert sunlight into other useful forms of energy is a promising approach to meet the world’s increasing energy demands. These devices are designed through a successful combination of materials and molecules that work synergistically to promote light-driven chemical reactions. Light absorption by a surface-bound chromophore triggers a sequence of interfacial electron transfer processes. The efficiencies of the devices are governed by the dynamic balance between the electron transfer reactions that promote energy conversion and undesirable side reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and control these processes to optimize the design of the components of the devices and to achieve higher energy conversion efficiencies. In this context, this review discusses general aspects of interfacial electron transfer reactions in dye-sensitized TiO2 molecular devices for solar energy conversion. A theoretical background on the Marcus-Gerischer theory for interfacial electron transfer and theoretical models for electron transport within TiO2 films are provided. An overview of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs) is presented, and the electron transfer and transport processes that occur in both classes of devices are emphasized and detailed. Finally, the main spectroscopic, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical experimental techniques that are employed to elucidate the kinetics of the electron transfer reactions discussed in this review are presented.
The Association Between Short-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Patient-Level Home Blood Pressure Among Patients With Chronic Cardiovascular Diseases in a Web-Based Synchronous Telehealth Care Program: Retrospective Study
Authors: Huang Ching-Chang , Chen Ying-Hsien , Hung Chi-Sheng , Lee Jen-Kuang , Hsu Tse-Pin , Wu Hui-Wen , Chuang Pao-Yu , Chen Ming-Fong , Ho Yi-Lwun
Published: June 2021

Background

The association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and blood pressure has been inconsistent, as reported in the literature.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between short-term ambient air pollution exposure and patient-level home blood pressure (HBP).

Methods

Patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases from a telehealth care program at a university-affiliated hospital were enrolled as the study population. HBP was measured by patients or their caregivers. Hourly meteorological data (including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and rainfall) and ambient air pollution monitoring data (including CO, NO2, particulate matter with a diameter of <10 µm, particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5 µm, and SO2) during the same time period were obtained from the Central Weather Bureau and the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan, respectively. A stepwise multivariate repeated generalized estimating equation model was used to assess the significant factors for predicting systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP).

Results

A total of 253 patients and 110,715 HBP measurements were evaluated in this study. On multivariate analysis, demographic, clinical, meteorological factors, and air pollutants significantly affected the HBP (both SBP and DBP). All 5 air pollutants evaluated in this study showed a significant, nonlinear association with both home SBP and DBP. Compared with demographic and clinical factors, environmental factors (meteorological factors and air pollutants) played a minor yet significant role in the regulation of HBP.

Conclusions

Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution significantly affects HBP in patients with chronic cardiovascular disease.
Automatic Extraction of Lung Cancer Staging Information From Computed Tomography Reports: Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Hu Danqing , Zhang Huanyao , Li Shaolei , Wang Yuhong , Wu Nan , Lu Xudong
Published: June 2021

Background

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Clinical staging of lung cancer plays a crucial role in making treatment decisions and evaluating prognosis. However, in clinical practice, approximately one-half of the clinical stages of lung cancer patients are inconsistent with their pathological stages. As one of the most important diagnostic modalities for staging, chest computed tomography (CT) provides a wealth of information about cancer staging, but the free-text nature of the CT reports obstructs their computerization.

Objective

We aimed to automatically extract the staging-related information from CT reports to support accurate clinical staging of lung cancer.

Methods

In this study, we developed an information extraction (IE) system to extract the staging-related information from CT reports. The system consisted of the following three parts: named entity recognition (NER), relation classification (RC), and postprocessing (PP). We first summarized 22 questions about lung cancer staging based on the TNM staging guideline. Next, three state-of-the-art NER algorithms were implemented to recognize the entities of interest. Next, we designed a novel RC method using the relation sign constraint (RSC) to classify the relations between entities. Finally, a rule-based PP module was established to obtain the formatted answers using the results of NER and RC.

Results

We evaluated the developed IE system on a clinical data set containing 392 chest CT reports collected from the Department of Thoracic Surgery II in the Peking University Cancer Hospital. The experimental results showed that the bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT) model outperformed the iterated dilated convolutional neural networks-conditional random field (ID-CNN-CRF) and bidirectional long short-term memory networks-conditional random field (Bi-LSTM-CRF) for NER tasks with macro-F1 scores of 80.97% and 90.06% under the exact and inexact matching schemes, respectively. For the RC task, the proposed RSC showed better performance than the baseline methods. Further, the BERT-RSC model achieved the best performance with a macro-F1 score of 97.13% and a micro-F1 score of 98.37%. Moreover, the rule-based PP module could correctly obtain the formatted results using the extractions of NER and RC, achieving a macro-F1 score of 94.57% and a micro-F1 score of 96.74% for all the 22 questions.

Conclusions

We conclude that the developed IE system can effectively and accurately extract information about lung cancer staging from CT reports. Experimental results show that the extracted results have significant potential for further use in stage verification and prediction to facilitate accurate clinical staging.
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I Disease Prevalence Among Patients With Idiopathic Short Stature in Saudi Arabia: Protocol for a Multicenter Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Alsafadi Danyah , Ezzat Aly , Altamimi Fatima , ElBagoury Marwan , Olfat Mohammed , Saleh Mohammed , Roushdy Sherif , Aktham Yahia
Published: June 2021

Background

Since the underlying cause of idiopathic short stature can indeed be undiagnosed mucopolysaccharidosis type I, it is critical to identify patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type I among screened patients with idiopathic short stature.

Objective

The primary objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of mucopolysaccharidosis type I disease in a high-risk group (ie, patients with idiopathic short stature).

Methods

We plan to perform a multicenter, cross-sectional screening study to primarily assess the prevalence of mucopolysaccharidosis type I disease in patients with idiopathic short stature. All eligible patients will be tested after obtaining written informed consent from their parents and guardians. Eligible patients will be recruited over 18 months from specialty care centers for pediatrics and genetics.

Results

This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of King Fahd Medical City and funded by Sanofi Genzyme Saudi Arabia. We expect to collect data from ≥800 patients, as determined by our sample size calculation.

Conclusions

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula; it has a population of more than 28 million people. To date, there are no reliable data regarding the incidence and prevalence of mucopolysaccharidosis type I in Saudi Arabia; therefore, future multicenter studies will be needed. Further, the prevalence of an attenuated form of mucopolysaccharidosis type I is largely underestimated in Saudi Arabia due to the absence of an effective newborn screening program. Therefore, the implementation of a nationwide newborn screening program is essential for the accurate estimation of the burden of mucopolysaccharidosis and the early diagnosis of patients.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/28619
“It's Been Negative for Us Just All the Way Across the Board”: Focus Group Study Exploring Parent Perceptions of Child Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)
Authors: Hammons Amber J , Villegas Elizabeth , Robart Ryan
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND

Child screen time (ST) has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns and restrictions have forced changes to regular family routines. It is important to investigate how families are navigating ST.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore families’ experiences of ST during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Virtual focus group sessions were conducted between December 2020 and February 2021 in English and Spanish. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 48 parents (predominantly Hispanic) residing in California participated in 1 of 14 focus group sessions. Children were attending school remotely at the time of the study. A total of 6 themes and 1 subtheme were identified: (1) total ST has increased; (2) children are too attached to screens; (3) ST has advantages and disadvantages but parents perceive ST as mostly negative; (4) parents and children have limited options; (5) ST restrictions (subtheme: children react negatively when ST is restricted); and (6) parents are concerned that children are not getting enough exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a cross-sectional insight into how family life has changed with regard to ST during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents expressed concerns about total ST, the addictive nature of it, and lack of physical activity. It is important that future studies examine the long-term effects of heavy ST and preemptively introduce ways to redirect children’s ST habits as the country attempts to establish a new normal.
Smartphone Delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Postintensive Care Syndrome-Family: Protocol for a Pilot Study (Preprint)
Authors: Petrinec Amy B , Hughes Joel W , Zullo Melissa D , Wilk Cindy , George Richard L
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND

Family members of critically ill patients experience symptoms of postintensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F), including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Postintensive care syndrome-family reduces the quality of life of the families of critically ill patients and may impede the recovery of such patients. Cognitive behavioral therapy has become a first-line nonpharmacological treatment of many psychological symptoms and disorders, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. With regard to managing mild-to-moderate symptoms, the delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy via mobile technology without input from a clinician has been found to be feasible and well accepted, and its efficacy rivals that of face-to-face therapy.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our pilot study is to examine the efficacy of using a smartphone mobile health (mHealth) app to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy and diminish the severity and prevalence of PICS-F symptoms in family members of critically ill patients.

METHODS

For our pilot study, 60 family members of critically ill patients will be recruited. A repeated-measures longitudinal study design that involves the randomization of participants to 2 groups (the control and intervention groups) will be used. The intervention group will receive cognitive behavioral therapy, which will be delivered via a smartphone mHealth app. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and an emphasis on mental health self-efficacy form the theoretical framework of the study.

RESULTS

Recruitment for the study began in August 2020. Data collection and analysis are expected to be completed by March 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed study represents a novel approach to the treatment of PICS-F symptoms and is an extension of previous work conducted by the research team. The study will be used to plan a fully powered randomized controlled trial.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04316767; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04316767

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

DERR1-10.2196/30813
Buccal Mucosal Grafts as a Novel Treatment for the Repair of Rectovaginal Fistulas: Protocol for an Upcoming Prospective Single-Surgeon Case Series (Preprint)
Authors: Cahill Caitlin , Kruger Natalia , Heine John
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND

Rectovaginal fistulas (RVFs) are abnormal communications between the rectum/anus and the vagina. They are most frequently formed a result of obstetric injury and have deleterious effects on patients’ quality of life. Despite several treatment modalities, RVFs remain difficult problems to manage, and many patients fail multiple attempts at surgical repair. Buccal mucosal grafts (BMGs) may be a solution to this problem. A BMG is an oral mucosal tissue harvested from the inner cheek. There are 2 case reports that describe the successful use of BMGs in the repair of RVFs.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to validate these findings with a prospective case series while also addressing the key issues of indication, technical details, procedure safety, and short-term outcomes.

METHODS

A prospective single-surgeon case series will be undertaken at a university-affiliated academic tertiary care hospital in Calgary, Alberta (Canada). The estimated recruitment is between 3 and 5 patients. Patients will undergo surgical repair of their RVFs with an autologous BMG. Data on patient characteristics, fistula characteristics, and surgical variables will be collected and analyzed prospectively. The primary outcome is fistula closure. This study has been approved by the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary (REB20-1123).

RESULTS

Two previous case reports have described the successful use of BMGs in the repair of RVFs. We have received ethics approval to attempt to validate these findings through a prospective case series.

CONCLUSIONS

RVFs cause significant patient morbidity and are difficult problems to manage. Bolstered by the successful use of BMGs in urologic surgery and the previously published case reports demonstrating success in RVFs, we believe that BMGs may be a solution to RVFs.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/31003
Challenges Head Start Teachers Face with Dual Language Learners
Authors: Andriaschko Jolene , Panesar-Aguilar Sunddip , Cale Chris , McCraney Michelle
Published: June 2021

In the Midwestern state, there are 164,000 of the 1,064,000 children enrolled in Head Start programs are dual language learners. Although the number of dual language learners is increasing in the United States, there is a gap in educational practice about challenges Head Start teachers and education coordinators face in working with this population. An exploration of Head Start teachers’ and education coordinators’ perspectives regarding the support teachers need to meet the challenges working with dual language learners is presented. This study was grounded in Jim Cummins’s language acquisition framework, which suggests that dual language learners’ benefit from instruction in their native language and the language of the classroom. A basic qualitative study design was used with a purposeful sample of 8 Head Start teachers, 1 Head Start education coordinator, and 1 Head Start site manager. Using semi- structured interviews, results revealed that Head Start teachers realized they need additional support to meet the challenges of working with dual language learners. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) participants had a positive outlook on using native language both in the classroom and at home, (b) perspectives on support needed to meet the challenges of working with dual language learners varied from teacher to teacher and from teachers to education coordinators, and (c) participants had a positive outlook on teaching dual language learners while recognizing the need for support in working with these learners.
On the Level of Precision of a Heterogeneous Transfer Function in a Statistical Neural Network Model
Authors: Udomboso Christopher Godwin
Published: June 2021

A heterogeneous function of the statistical neural network is presented from two transfer functions: symmetric saturated linear and hyperbolic tangent sigmoid. The precision of the derived heterogeneous model over their respective homogeneous forms are established, both at increased sample sizes hidden neurons. Results further show the sensitivity of the heterogeneous model to increase in hidden neurons.
Witnessing Wigner Negativity
Authors: Chabaud Ulysse , Emeriau Pierre-Emmanuel , Grosshans Frédéric
Published: June 2021

Negativity of the Wigner function is arguably one of the most striking non-classical features of quantum states. Beyond its fundamental relevance, it is also a necessary resource for quantum speedup with continuous variables. As quantum technologies emerge, the need to identify and characterize the resources which provide an advantage over existing classical technologies becomes more pressing. Here we derive witnesses for Wigner negativity of single mode and multimode quantum states, based on fidelities with Fock states, which can be reliably measured using standard detection setups. They possess a threshold expectation value indicating whether the measured state has a negative Wigner function. Moreover, the amount of violation provides an operational quantification of Wigner negativity. We phrase the problem of finding the threshold values for our witnesses as an infinite-dimensional linear optimisation. By relaxing and restricting the corresponding linear programs, we derive two hierarchies of semidefinite programs, which provide numerical sequences of increasingly tighter upper and lower bounds for the threshold values. We further show that both sequences converge to the threshold value. Moreover, our witnesses form a complete family – each Wigner negative state is detected by at least one witness – thus providing a reliable method for experimentally witnessing Wigner negativity of quantum states from few measurements. From a foundational perspective, our findings provide insights on the set of positive Wigner functions which still lacks a proper characterisation.