bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between gestational weight gain and preterm birth in Puerto Rico
Authors: Eick Stephanie M. , Welton Michael , Claridy Mechelle D. , Velasquez Skarlet G. , Mallis Nicholas , Cordero José F.
Published: October 2020

Background

Preterm birth (PTB; gestational age < 37 weeks) is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) have been previously cited as risk factors for PTB, however the magnitude of association varies across populations. No studies have examined low and excessive GWG as modifiable risk factors for PTB in Puerto Rico, an area with inexplicably high PTB rates.

Methods

To examine the relationship between GWG and PTB, we conducted a retrospective analysis using birth certificate data files from the Puerto Rico Department of Health from 2005 to 2012. GWG was standardized to a 40-week gestational duration and was categorized into low, adequate, or excessive for each category of pre-pregnancy body mass index using American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Logistic regression was used to determine the crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between GWG and PTB.

Results

There were 320,695 births included in this analysis; 40.6% with high GWG and 27.3% with low GWG. A greater percentage of women with low GWG were less than 20 years of age, had less than a high school education, and were underweight compared to women with adequate and excessive GWG. Women with low compared to adequate GWG had increased odds of PTB (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.30–1.37). However, excessive compared to adequate GWG was not associated with PTB (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.97–1.02).

Conclusions

Among women in Puerto Rico, low GWG was associated with increased odds of PTB. With the exception of obesity, these associations persisted within all strata of pre-pregnancy body mass index, highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy. Future research should examine other factors that may contribute to GWG, such as dietary nutrients, and explore pathways through which GWG may be contributing to PTB.
Astilbe Chinensis ethanol extract suppresses inflammation in macrophages via NF-κB pathway
Authors: Gil Tae-Young , Jin Bo-Ram , Hong Chul-Hee , Park Jong Hyuk , An Hyo-Jin
Published: October 2020

Background

Macrophages play a crucial role in inflammation.Astilbe chinensisis one of perennial herbs belonging to the genusAstilbe.Plants in the genus have been used for pain, headaches, arthralgia, and chronic bronchitis. However, the effect ofA.chinensison inflammation remains unclear. To study the anti-inflammatory action ofA.chinensisethanol extract (ACE), we investigated the effect of ACE on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in macrophages.

Methods

We evaluated the effectiveness of ACE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and thioglycollate (TG)-elicited peritoneal macrophages from male C57BL/6 mice. We measured the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, and examined the anti-inflammatory actions of ACE on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the macrophages. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to determine protein level and translocation, respectively.

Results

ACE suppressed the output of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines in stimulated macrophages via inhibiting the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins. ACE suppressed mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). We examined the efficacies of ACE on NF-κB activation by measuring the expressions including IκB kinase (IKK), inhibitor of κB (IκB), and nuclear p65 proteins. In addition, the inhibition of NF-κB p65’s translocation was determined with immunofluorescence assay.

Conclusion

Our findings manifested that ACE inhibited LPS or TG-induced inflammation by blocking the NF-κB signaling pathway in macrophages. It indicated that ACE is a potential therapeutic mean for inflammation and related diseases.
Complementary and alternative medicine recommendations for depression: a systematic review and assessment of clinical practice guidelines
Authors: Ng Jeremy Y. , Nazir Zainib , Nault Hayley
Published: October 2020

Background

Up to 50% of individuals diagnosed with depression are known to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The aim of this study was to identify the quantity and assess the quality of CAM recommendations in clinical practice guidelines for the treatment and/or management of depression in adults using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted to identify depression guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched from 2008 to 2018. The Guidelines International Network and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health websites were also searched. Eligible guidelines published by non-profit agencies on treatment of depression for adults were assessed with the AGREE II instrument twice, once for the overall guideline and once for the CAM sections.

Results

From 931 unique search results, 19 guidelines mentioned CAM, of which 16 made CAM recommendations. Scaled domain percentages from highest to lowest were as follows (overall, CAM section): clarity of presentation (87.0, 66.1%), scope and purpose (80.9, 77.6%), stakeholder involvement (62.0, 44.3%), editorial independence (61.6, 61.6%), rigour of development (58.0, 52.0%), and applicability (42.2, 25.4%). Quality varied within and across guidelines. Only 1 of 16 guidelines was recommended without modifications for both its overall and CAM sections by both appraisers.

Conclusions

There are multiple depression guidelines containing CAM recommendations available and there are a comprehensive set of CAM therapy options for depression. The quality of guidelines varied within and across guidelines and the quality of CAM recommendations was generally lower than the overall recommendations in the guidelines for all domains except editorial independence. Generally, characteristics of guidelines, including the year of publication and region of development varied across the guidelines irrespective of quality. Guidelines with higher AGREE II scores can serve as a guide to facilitate communication between patients and medical professionals regarding CAM use for depression, while guidelines with lower scores could be improved in future updates using the AGREE II instrument as a guide.
Identification of microbial interaction network: zero-inflated latent Ising model based approach
Authors: Zhou Jie , Viles Weston D. , Lu Boran , Li Zhigang , Madan Juliette C. , Karagas Margaret R. , Gui Jiang , Hoen Anne G.
Published: October 2020

Background

Throughout their lifespans, humans continually interact with the microbial world, including those organisms which live in and on the human body. Research in this domain has revealed the extensive links between the human-associated microbiota and health. In particular, the microbiota of the human gut plays essential roles in digestion, nutrient metabolism, immune maturation and homeostasis, neurological signaling, and endocrine regulation. Microbial interaction networks are frequently estimated from data and are an indispensable tool for representing and understanding the conditional correlation between the microbes. In this high-dimensional setting, zero-inflation and unit-sum constraint for relative abundance data pose challenges to the reliable estimation of microbial interaction networks.

Methods and Results

To identify the microbial interaction network, thezero-inflated latent Ising(ZILI) model is proposed which assumes the distribution of relative abundance relies only on finite latent states and provides a novel way to solve issues induced by the unit-sum and zero-inflation constrains. A two-step algorithm is proposed for the model selection of ZILI. ZILI is evaluated through simulated data and subsequently applied to an infant gut microbiota dataset from New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. The results are compared with results from Gaussian graphical model (GGM) and dichotomous Ising model (DIS). Providing ZILI is the true data-generating model, the simulation studies show that the two-step algorithm can identify the graphical structure effectively and is robust to a range of parameter settings. For the infant gut microbiota dataset, the final estimated networks from GGM and ZILI turn out to have significant overlap in which the ZILI tends to select the sparser network than those from GGM. From the shared subnetwork, a hub taxon Lachnospiraceae is identified whose involvement in human disease development has been discovered recently in literature.

Conclusions

Constrains induced by relative abundance of microbiota such as zero inflation and unit sum render the conditional correlation analysis unreliable for conventional methods such as GGM. The proposed optimal categoricalization based ZILI model provides an alternative yet elegant way to deal with these difficulties. The results from ZILI have reasonable biological interpretation. This model can also be used to study the microbial interaction in other body parts.
Hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) gene-based endogenous internal control for avian species
Authors: Wang Yaoyao , Zhang Jilei , Patrick Kelly , Li Min , Gong Jiansen , Xu Bu , Shen Qiuping , Yang Yi , Wei Lanjing , Zhang Yuanyuan , Peng Daxin , Ye Jianqiang , Poudel Anil , Wang Chengming
Published: October 2020

With PCR becoming one of the most important and widely-used diagnostic tools for infectious diseases of poultry, an urgent need has developed for an endogenous internal control (EIC) that monitors the quality and quantity of poultry DNA in test samples. In this study we developed a SYBR-qPCR to target the poultry homolog of the hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) gene as an EIC for avian species. The avian HMBS-based qPCR was very sensitive, detecting one HMBS gene copy in a 20 µL reaction, and is highly specific for avian species. It amplified DNA from 11 organs and tissues of chickens showing it can be used as an EIC on a large variety of samples. The application of the established EIC on clinically and experimentally infected samples demonstrated that false negativity and result variations could result from samples being collected using different operators, techniques, preservatives, and storage times. The high sensitivity and specificity of the avian HMBS-based qPCR, its ability to quantify DNAs extracted from a wide range of tissues and poultry species along with its usefulness in reducing false negativity in PCR results associated with inadequate sampling and storage degradation makes it an ideal EIC for poultry DNA and RNA PCR diagnostics. The study also highlights the importance of appropriate sampling and storage of samples in ensuring accuracy of molecular diagnostic testing.
Differences in substance use by sexual orientation and gender among Jewish young adults in Israel
Authors: Bonny-Noach Hagit , Shechory-Bitton Mally
Published: October 2020

Background

This study focuses on sexual orientation and gender-based differences among Israeli young adult substance use behaviors. In addition, it evaluates young adult perception of substance use and acceptance of substances use by close friends.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study. A self-reported anonymous questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 496 young-adults (age: M = 23.14, SD = 2.48), which included 126 heterosexual males, 128 heterosexual females, 131 gay men, and 111 lesbians.

Results

This study revealed significant sexual orientation and gender differences in all outcomes examined. Significant substance usage differences were found for same-sex orientation as 52% reported cannabis use and 24% reported using other illegal substances during the past 12 months compared to 34 and 6% (respectively) among heterosexuals. Significant gender differences were found, as male participants reported 50% cannabis use and 19% reported other illegal substance use in the past 12 months compared to 35 and 11% (respectively) among females.

Additionally, compared with heterosexuals, gay men and lesbians perceived/assessed significantly higher substance usage rates among their close friends and higher levels of substance use acceptance by close friends. Regression models indicated the important role of respondent perceived and acceptance of substance use among close friends.

Binge drinking, cannabis use, and other illegal substance use were positively associated with participants’ perceived substance use and substance use acceptance level by close friends, after controlling for gender, sexual orientation, age, and level of education.

Conclusions

Close friends and community norms can play an important role in shaping substance usage among young adults, especially among gay men and lesbians. The results of the current study highlight the need for developing prevention and harm reduction drug policies for Israeli young adults, especially for gay men and lesbians. Interventions should also focus on young adult peers and community norms related to substance use by professionals in educational, policy-making, and therapeutic contexts.
Current transition management of adolescents and young adults with allergy and asthma: a European survey
Authors: Khaleva Ekaterina , Vazquez-Ortiz Marta , Comberiati Pasquale , DunnGalvin Audrey , Pite Helena , Blumchen Katharina , Garriga-Baraut Teresa , Hox Valerie , Santos Alexandra F. , Gore Claudia , Knibb Rebecca C. , Alviani Cherry , Mortz Charlotte G. , Angier Elizabeth , Duca Bettina , Jensen Britt , Sanchez-Garcia Silvia , Gowland M. Hazel , Timmermans Frans , Pfaar Oliver , Roberts Graham
Published: October 2020

Background

Transition from parent-delivered to self-management is a vulnerable time for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with allergy and asthma. There is currently no European guideline available for healthcare professionals (HCPs) on transition of these patients and local/national protocols are also mostly lacking.

Methods

European HCPs working with AYA with allergy and asthma were invited to complete an online survey assessing challenges of working with these patients, current transition practices and access to specific healthcare resources.

Results

A total of 1179 responses from 41 European countries were collected. Most HCPs (86%) reported a lack of a transition guideline and a lack of a transition process (20% paediatric HCPs, 50% of adult HCPs, 56% HCP seeing all ages). Nearly half (48%) acknowledged a lack of an established feedback system between paediatric and adult medical services. Many respondents never routinely asked about mental health issues such as self-harm or depression and are not confident in asking about self-harm (66.6%), sexuality (64%) and depression (43.6%). The majority of HCPs (76%) had not received specific training in the care of AYA although 87% agreed that transition was important for AYA with allergy and asthma.

Conclusion

Although there was agreement that transition is important for AYA with allergy and asthma, there are crucial limitations and variations in the current provision of transition services across Europe. Standardisation of AYA management and specific training are required. This should improve management and continuity of care during adolescence and into adulthood to achieve the best healthcare outcomes.
The risk of cardiovascular disease in women after miscarriage, stillbirth, and therapeutic abortion: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Muehlschlegel Charlotte , Kyriacou Harry , Al-Mohammad Abdulrahman , Foster-Davies Lowri A. , Simmons-Jones Fiona , Oliver-Williams Clare
Published: October 2020

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, responsible for approximately a third of all female deaths. Pregnancy complications are known to be associated with a greater risk of incident CVD in mothers. However, the relationships between pregnancy loss due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or therapeutic abortion, and future maternal cardiovascular health are under-researched. This study seeks to provide an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between these three forms of pregnancy loss and the subsequent development of CVD.

Methods

This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis checklist (PRISMA) and the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) Checklist. A systematic search will be undertaken using publications identified in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Knowledge, the CINAHL Nursing Database, and the Cochrane Library. The eligibility of each publication will be determined by predefined selection criteria. The quality of the included studies will be rated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled measures of association will be computed using random-effects model meta-analyses. Between-study heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 statistic and the Cochrane χ2 statistic. Small study effects will be evaluated for meta-analyses with sufficient studies through the use of funnel plots and Egger’s test.

Discussion

The results of this systematic review will discuss the long-term risks of multiple types of cardiovascular disease in women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and/or therapeutic abortion. It will contribute to the growing field of cardio-obstetrics as the first to consider the full breadth of literature regarding the association between all forms of pregnancy loss and future maternal cardiovascular disease.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registration number [CRD42020167587]
Prevalence of multimorbid degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Young James J. , Hartvigsen Jan , Jensen Rikke K. , Roos Ewa M. , Ammendolia Carlo , Juhl Carsten Bogh
Published: October 2020

Background

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) are prevalent conditions in the aging population and published literature suggests they share many symptoms and often are present at the same time in patients. However, no prevalence estimates of multimorbid LSS and knee and/or hip OA are currently available. The primary objective of this systematic review is therefore to estimate the prevalence of multimorbid LSS with knee and/or hip OA using radiological, clinical, and combined case definitions.

Methods

This systematic review protocol has been designed according to the guidelines from the Cochrane Collaboration and is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. A comprehensive search will be performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL. Forward citation tracking will be performed in Web of Science. No restriction for publication date and language will be applied in the literature search, but only articles in English will be included. The search strategy will include the following domains: LSS, knee OA, and hip OA. Retrieved citations will be screened by two authors independently. Disagreements will be discussed until consensus, and a third reviewer will be consulted if consensus cannot be reached. Data extraction and assessment of risk of bias assessment will be done by two authors independently, using a standardized data extraction form and a modified risk of bias tool for prevalence studies. Meta-analysis estimating prevalence with 95% CI will be performed using a random effects model. Meta-regression analyses will be performed to investigate the impact of the following covariates: LSS clinical presentations, sample population, healthcare setting, risk of bias, and other patient characteristics on prevalence estimates for multimorbid LSS and knee and/or hip OA.

Discussion

The results of this review will provide the first estimates of the prevalence of multimorbid LSS and hip and knee OA based on various case definitions. The impact of covariates such as LSS clinical presentations, sample population, healthcare setting, risk of bias, and patient characteristics on prevalence estimates will also be presented.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, awaiting registration
Assessing the nature of asthma in African epidemiological studies: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Ndlovu Vuyelwa , Chimbari Moses John , Sibanda Elopy
Published: October 2020

Background

Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the world and is increasing in prevalence, particularly in Africa and other low-income countries. The disproportionately high numbers of premature deaths and severe or uncontrolled cases in many African countries are indicative of their inability to cope with a costly disease like asthma. Progress has, however, been made in understanding the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. The objective of this study will be to summarise the epidemiological literature on the nature of asthma in African countries.

Methods

We registered a study protocol for a scoping review. The review was designed following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. We will search PubMed/MEDLINE, African Journals Online (AJOL) and relevant grey literature (e.g. Google Scholar, EBSCOhost) from January 1990 onwards. Only primary epidemiological studies of asthma (e.g. frequency, disease mechanisms, associated risk factors and comorbidities) written in English and conducted in Africa will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles and abstract data. Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion. Findings will be reported using narrative synthesis and tabulation of the summaries.

Discussion

This scoping review will capture the state of the current epidemiological literature on asthma in African countries. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. We anticipate this review will identify gaps and make recommendations for future areas of study.

Scoping review registration

Open Science Frameworkhttp://osf.io/n2p87/
A hybrid recommendation model in social media based on deep emotion analysis and multi-source view fusion
Authors: Jiang Liang , Liu Lu , Yao Jingjing , Shi Leilei
Published: October 2020

The recommendation system is an effective means to solve the information overload problem that exists in social networks, which is also one of the most common applications of big data technology. Thus, the matrix decomposition recommendation model based on scoring data has been extensively studied and applied in recent years, but the data sparsity problem affects the recommendation quality of the model. To this end, this paper proposes a hybrid recommendation model based on deep emotion analysis and multi-source view fusion which makes a personalized recommendation with user-post interaction ratings, implicit feedback and auxiliary information in a hybrid recommendation system. Specifically, the HITS algorithm is used to process the data set, which can filter out the users and posts with high influence and eliminate most of the low-quality users and posts. Secondly, the calculation method of measuring the similarity of candidate posts and the method of calculatingKnearest neighbors are designed, which solves the problem that the text description information of post content in the recommendation system is difficult to mine and utilize. Then, the cooperative training strategy is used to achieve the fusion of two recommended views, which eliminates the data distribution deviation added to the training data pool in the iterative training. Finally, the performance of the DMHR algorithm proposed in this paper is compared with other state-of-art algorithms based on the Twitter dataset. The experimental results show that the DMHR algorithm has significant improvements in score prediction and recommendation performance.
The burden of legionnaires’ disease in Belgium, 2013 to 2017
Authors: Fastl Christina , Devleesschauwer Brecht , van Cauteren Dieter , Lajot Adrien , Leroy Mathias , Laisnez Valeska , Schirvel Carole , Mahieu Romain , Pierard Denis , Michel Charlotte , Jacquinet Stéphanie
Published: October 2020

Background

Legionnaires’ disease (LD) is a severe bacterial infection causing pneumonia. Surveillance commonly underestimates the true incidence as not all cases are laboratory confirmed and reported to public health authorities. The aim of this study was to present indicators for the impact of LD in Belgium between 2013 and 2017 and to estimate its true burden in the Belgian population in 2017, the most recent year for which the necessary data were available.

Methods

Belgian hospital discharge data, data from three infectious disease surveillance systems (mandatory notification, sentinel laboratories and the national reference center), information on reimbursed diagnostic tests from the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance and mortality data from the Belgian statistical office were used. To arrive at an estimate of the total number of symptomatic cases in Belgium, we defined a surveillance pyramid and estimated a multiplication factor to account for LD cases not captured by surveillance. The multiplication factor was then applied to the pooled number of LD cases reported by the three surveillance systems. This estimate was the basis for our hazard- and incidence-based Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) calculation. To account for uncertainty in the estimations of the DALYs and the true incidence, we used Monte Carlo simulations with 10,000 iterations.

Results

We found an average of 184 LD cases reported by Belgian hospitals annually (2013–2017), the majority of which were male (72%). The surveillance databases reported 215 LD cases per year on average, 11% of which were fatal within 90 days after diagnosis. The estimation of the true incidence in the community yielded 2674 (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 2425–2965) cases in 2017. LD caused 3.05 DALYs per case (95%UI: 1.67–4.65) and 8147 (95%UI: 4453–12,426) total DALYs in Belgium in 2017, which corresponds to 71.96 (95%UI: 39.33–109.75) DALYs per 100,000 persons.

Conclusions

This analysis revealed a considerable burden of LD in Belgium that is vastly underestimated by surveillance data. Comparison with other European DALY estimates underlines the impact of the used data sources and methodological approaches on burden estimates, illustrating that national burden of disease studies remain essential.
Bidirectional information sharing between Nagoya Memorial Hospital and health insurance pharmacies using a communication sheet for pharmaceutical cooperation
Authors: Kabeya Megumi , Hibi Satoshi , Yuasa Shu , Kayukawa Satoshi , Ina Kenji
Published: October 2020

Background

We collaborated with the regional pharmaceutical associations near Nagoya Memorial Hospital and created a communication sheet for pharmaceutical cooperation between the hospital and health insurance pharmacies.

Methods

The communication sheet for pharmaceutical cooperation was issued in October 2014. We conducted a questionnaire survey of both cancer patients and community pharmacists 1 year after the implementation of the use of this sheet. Based on the results of the survey, we modified our communication sheet and added a unified reply form in October 2016. We examined the number of replies from community pharmacists from October 2014 to April 2019. We then analyzed how community pharmacists instructed and communicated with cancer patients using the results of both the questionnaire survey and the reply form, which were compared before and after introducing the modified version of the communication sheet.

Results

During the 5 years of observation, 743 communication sheets were sent from Nagoya Memorial Hospital to community pharmacists. As a result of pharmaceutical cooperation in using the communication sheet, 96.4% of prescribed medication were immediately prepared in health insurance pharmacies on that day. The communication sheet also enhanced the conversations between cancer patients and pharmacists. The introduction of the unified reply form increased the response rate of community pharmacists from 1.7 to 69.5% (p < 0.001). The communication between community pharmacists and cancer patients was significantly hindered by prescriptions without an oral cancer drug and patient age < 65 years old (p < 0.05). However, this hindrance was reduced by the use of the modified form.

Conclusions

The communication sheet for pharmaceutical cooperation is useful for bidirectional information sharing between hospitals and health insurance pharmacies, which may enable pharmacists to provide cancer patients with medication instructions in coordination with hospitals and increase the quality of outpatient pharmacy services.
Prediction of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients in surgical intensive care unit by pleth variability index and inferior vena cava diameter
Authors: Aboelnile Diaaeldin Badr Metwally Kotb , Elseidy Mohamed Ismail Abdelfattah , Kenawey Yasir Ahmed Elbasiony Mohamed , Elsherif Ibrahim Mohammed Alsayed Ahmed
Published: October 2020

Background

Patients may have signs of hypovolemia, but fluid administration is not always beneficial. We are in need of bedside devices and techniques, which can predict fluid responsiveness effectively and safely. This study is aiming to compare the effectiveness and reliability of the pleth variability index (PVI) and IVC distensibility index (dIVC) as predictors of fluid responsiveness by simultaneous recordings in all sedated mechanically ventilated patients in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU). We used the passive leg raising test (PLR) as a harmless reversible technique for fluid challenge, and patients were considered responders if the cardiac index (CI) measured by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) increased ≥ 15% after passive leg raising test (PLR).

Results

This observational cross-sectional study was performed randomly on 88 intubated ventilated sedated patients. Compared with CI measured by transthoracic echocardiography, the dIVC provided 79.17% sensitivity and 80% specificity at a threshold value of > 19.42% for fluid responsiveness prediction and was statistically significant (P < .0001), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.886 (0.801–0.944), while PVI at a threshold value of > 14% provided 93.75% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity and was statistically significant (P < .0001), with an AUC of 0.969 (0.889–0.988).

Conclusion

PVI and dIVC are effective non-invasive bedside methods for the assessment of fluid responsiveness in ICU for intubated ventilated sedated patients with sinus rhythm, but PVI has the advantage of being continuous, operator-independent, and more reliable than dIVC.
Chronic cannabis consumption and physical exercise performance in healthy adults: a systematic review
Authors: Kramer Andrew , Sinclair Justin , Sharpe Lara , Sarris Jerome
Published: October 2020

Objective

The effects of chronic cannabis consumption on physiological parameters of athletic performance are investigated to determine whether chronic cannabis consumption negatively affects athletic performance; improves performance, potentially via enhanced recovery; or has no effect at all.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature (cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies) concerning the effects of cannabis consumption on sports performance outcomes, e.g. VO2Max (maximal oxygen uptake), PWC (physical work capacity) up to January 2020 was conducted using the PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition databases. After screening and additional forward searching, four articles were found to fit the inclusion criteria.

Results

Resting heart rate was the only physiological measure that significantly differed between groups, and only in one of the four studies included herein. The strongest predictors of athletic performance (VO2Max and PWC) were not found to be significantly different between groups in any of the included studies. Chronic cannabis consumption had no significant effect on athletic performance. The included studies did not assess other elements, such as recovery or endurance.

Conclusion

No evidence exists for ergogenic or ergolytic effects from chronic cannabis consumption. In some sports, advantages may plausibly be conveyed by psychotropic enhancement or pain reduction. Further research (particularly longitudinal or interventional studies) is required to determine whether cannabis, or constituents thereof, may provide indirect supplemental benefits to athletes.
Development and evaluation of a digital, community-based intervention to reduce noncommunicable disease risk in a low-resource urban setting in Malaysia: a research protocol
Authors: Kataria Ishu , Ngongo Carrie , Lim Shiang Cheng , Kocher Erica , Kowal Paul , Chandran Arunah , Kual Aaron , Khaw Fu-Meng , Mustapha Feisul Idzwan
Published: October 2020

Background

Noncommunicable disease burden is rising in Malaysia, accounting for 72% of all deaths. Urbanization and globalization have contributed to changing patterns of diet and physical activity, creating an obesogenic environment that increases noncommunicable disease risk, especially in low-income populations. Community-based and technological interventions can play an important role in addressing structural determinants that influence noncommunicable disease burden. The Better Health Programme Malaysia aims to co-create and develop a community-based digital intervention for low-income populations to enable community stakeholders to address obesogenic environments and improve people’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to noncommunicable disease risk.

Methods

This quasi-experimental study will assess community member and community health volunteer knowledge, attitudes, and practices on noncommunicable disease prevention, risk factors, and health-seeking behavior in three geographical areas of Kuala Lumpur, each representing a different ethnicity (Malay, Indian, and Chinese). Assessment will take place before and after a 9-month intervention period, comparing intervention areas with matched control geographies. We plan to engage 2880 community members and 45 community health volunteers across the six geographic areas. A digital health needs assessment will inform modification of digital health tools to support project aims. Intervention co-creation will use a discrete choice experiment to identify community preferences among evidence-based intervention options, building from data collected on community knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Community health volunteers will work with local businesses and other stakeholders to effect change in obesogenic environments and NCD risk. The study has been approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Health Medical Research Ethical Committee.

Discussion

The Better Health Programme Malaysia anticipates a bottom-up approach that relies on community health volunteers collaborating with local businesses to implement activities that address obesogenic environments and improve community knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to NCD risk. The planned co-creation process will determine which interventions will be most locally relevant, feasible, and needed. The effort aims to empower community members and community health volunteers to drive change that improves their own health and wellbeing. The learnings can be useful nationally and sub-nationally in Malaysia, as well as across similar settings that are working with community stakeholders to reduce noncommunicable disease risk.

Trial registration

National Medical Research Register, Malaysia; NMRR-20-1004-54787 (IIR); July 7, 2020
Emergency Control of Large Aneurysmal Bleed During Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Case Report
Authors: Pawlowski Julius , Francois Audrice , Joseph Kenneth A.
Published: October 2020

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a commonly performed procedure for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. It is most commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Complications occur, including injury to the orbits, brain, and bleeding. Intraoperative injury to the internal carotid artery is rare and feared by otolaryngologists and skull base surgeons. Controlling this bleed is difficult and could be fatal. We report a case of intraoperative bleed of an internal carotid artery aneurysm during endoscopic sinus surgery. This case demonstrates that multidisciplinary coordination and prompt management can lead to a favorable outcome.
Aurora borealis and the arctic climate change: is there any relation?
Authors: Kotrotsiou El. , Anastassopoulos St.
Published: October 2020

In our study we tested the hypothesis that one of the causes of climate change could also be the recently observed solar hyperactivity, since it differentiates the way clouds are formed. We analyzed, from specific databases, the speed (km/s) and the proton density (p/cm3) of the solar storms in the atmosphere along with the ambient temperature and the ice extent in the arctic over the last eleven (11) years. Our study indicates indeed an explicit increase of the speed and the density of the solar wind. A not so definite analogy between the temperature’s increase and the limitation of the arctic ice extent is also noticed. Yet, the period studied is short to establish a clear relation between the rise of temperature with the enhanced solar activity. A further investigation should be followed, documenting values of more solar activity and climate change parameters during longer periods of recent time to make safe conclusions.
Η αξιοποίηση της εκπαιδευτικής ρομποτικής και της εκπαίδευσης STEAM για την προσέγγιση της αειφόρου εκπαίδευσης
Authors: Tοπολιάτη M.
Published: October 2020

Η εργασία αυτή επικεντρώνεται στη βιωματική προσέγγιση της εκπαίδευσης για την αειφορία από μαθητές προσχολικής ηλικίας. Κατά τη φάση του σχεδιασμού και της διεξαγωγής του προγράμματος εφαρμόζεται έρευνα δράσης και μελέτη πεδίου, ενώ ως μεθοδολογικά εργαλεία για την επίτευξη μιας ποιοτικής μορφής εκπαίδευσης αξιοποιούνται η κοινωνικοπολιτισμική προσέγγιση στη διδακτική των φυσικών επιστημών, η εκπαιδευτική ρομποτική, οι νέες τεχνολογίες, η μηχανική, οι τέχνες και τα μαθηματικά. Το πλαίσιο έρευνας ολοκληρώνεται με τη διαδικασία αποτίμησης, της χρήσης ερωτηματολογίων και συνεντεύξεων, αλλά και τη διάχυση των μαθησιακών αποτελεσμάτων του έργου από τους ίδιους τους μαθητές.
Study Protocol: Understanding SARS-Cov-2 infection, immunity and its duration in care home residents and staff in England (VIVALDI)
Authors: Krutikov Maria , Palmer Tom , Donaldson Alasdair , Lorencatto Fabiana , Forbes Gill , Copas Andrew , Robson James , Hopkins Susan , Moss Paul , Farrar Jeremy , Hayward Andrew , Shallcross Laura
Published: October 2020

Global infection and mortality rates from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are disproportionately high in certain populations, including the elderly. Care home residents are frequently exposed to infection due to contact with staff and other residents, and are highly susceptible to infection due to their age and co-morbidity. In England, official statistics suggest that at least 25% of all deaths in care home residents since the start of pandemic are linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but limited testing for SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic means estimates of the true burden of disease are lacking. Additionally, little is known about patterns of transmission between care homes, the community and hospitals, or the relationship between infection and immunity in care home staff and residents. The VIVALDI study plans to address these questions.

VIVALDI is a prospective cohort study aiming to recruit  6,500 staff and 5000 residents from 105 care homes across England. Successive rounds of testing for infection will be performed over a period of 12 months.  Nasopharyngeal swabs will detect evidence of viral RNA and therefore active infection (accompanied by collection of data on symptoms), whereas blood tests will detect antibodies and evidence of cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Whole genome sequencing of viral isolates to investigate pathways of transmission of infection is planned in collaboration with the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium. Qualitative interviews with care home staff will investigate the impact of the pandemic on ways of working and how test results influence infection control practices and behaviours. Data from residents and staff will be linked to national datasets on hospital admissions, antibody and PCR test results, mortality and care home characteristics. 

Data generated will support national public health efforts to prevent transmission of COVID-19 and protect care home staff and residents from infection.

Protocol registration: ISRCTN14447421 05/06/2020
The safety and accuracy of robot-assisted pedicle screw internal fixation for spine disease
Authors: Li Weishang , Li Gaoyu , Chen Wenting , Cong Lin
Published: October 2020

Aims

The aim of this study was to systematically compare the safety and accuracy of robot-assisted (RA) technique with conventional freehand with/without fluoroscopy-assisted (CT) pedicle screw insertion for spine disease.

Methods

A systematic search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WANFANG for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the safety and accuracy of RA compared with conventional freehand with/without fluoroscopy-assisted pedicle screw insertion for spine disease from 2012 to 2019. This meta-analysis used Mantel-Haenszel or inverse variance method with mixed-effects model for heterogeneity, calculating the odds ratio (OR), mean difference (MD), standardized mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results of heterogeneity, subgroup analysis, and risk of bias were analyzed.

Results

Ten RCTs with 713 patients and 3,331 pedicle screws were included. Compared with CT, the accuracy rate of RA was superior in Grade A with statistical significance and Grade A + B without statistical significance. Compared with CT, the operating time of RA was longer. The difference between RA and CT was statistically significant in radiation dose. Proximal facet joint violation occurred less in RA than in CT. The postoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) of RA was smaller than that of CT, and there were some interesting outcomes in our subgroup analysis.

Conclusion

RA technique could be viewed as an accurate and safe pedicle screw implantation method compared to CT. A robotic system equipped with optical intraoperative navigation is superior to CT in accuracy. RA pedicle screw insertion can improve accuracy and maintain stability for some challenging areas. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(10):653–666.
570 MHz harmonic mode-locking in an all polarization-maintaining Ho-doped fiber laser
Authors: Yang Chao , Yao Baoquan , Chen Yi , Liu Gaoyou , Mi Shuyi , Yang Ke , Dai Tongyu , Duan Xiaoming
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we demonstrate a 570.0 MHz harmonically mode-locked all-polarization-maintaining Ho-doped fiber laser based on semiconductor saturable absorbed mirror. Firstly, the laser operates in the 15.4 MHz fundamental mode-locked soliton regime, emitting 2051.5 nm, 1.62 ps soliton pulse without Kelly sidebands. And then, the stable 37th-order harmonic mode-locked soliton with maximum repetition rate up to 570.0 MHz at 2053nm is generated. Moreover, colorful soliton rain behaviors are also discussed.
Engineering silicon-carbide quantum dots for third generation photovoltaic cells
Authors: Ouarrad H. , Ramadan F. Z. , Drissi L. B.
Published: October 2020

Interested in the recent development of the building up of photovoltaic devices using graphene-like quantum dots as a novel electron acceptor; we study in this work the optoelectronic properties of edge-functionalized SiC quantum dots using the first principles density functional. For an accurate quantitative estimation of key parameters, a many-body perturbation theory within GW approximation is also performmed. We examine the ability to tailor the electronic gap and optical absorption of the new class of QDs through hydroxylation and carboxylation of seam atoms, in order to improve their photovoltaic efficiency. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap was significantly altered in terms of the type, the concentration and the position of functional groups. The spatial charge separation and charge transfer characterizing our systems seem very prominent to use as dye-sensitized solar cells. Furthermore, the optical band gap of all our compounds is in the NIR-visible energy window, and exhibits a magnitude smaller than that calculated in the pristine case, which enhances the photovoltaic efficiency. Likewise, absorption curves, exciton binding energy and singlet-triplet energy splitting have been broadly modified by functionalization confirming the great luminescent yield of SiCQDs. Depending on the size, SiC quantum dots absorb light from the visible to the near-infrared region of the solar spectrum, making them suitable for third generation solar cells.
Error estimation in the analytical modeling of abrupt taper Mach-Zehnder interferometers
Authors: Leng Xiamin , Yam Scott S.-H. , Ghasemi Pourya
Published: October 2020

In-line fiber interferometers based on abrupt tapers have been shown as a promising low-cost platform for various sensing applications. Many variations have been demonstrated experimentally using combinations and permutations of novel photonic devices such as photonic crystal fibers or multimode fibers. In this manuscript, an analytical model for light propagation in an abrupt taper Mach-Zehnder Interferometer in commercial single-mode fiber based on coupled-mode theory is detailed. The model calculates the mode propagation process, and the result is compared with previous numerical simulations. For experimental verification, an in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on an abruptly tapered fiber is fabricated and tested. The spectrum calculated by the model matches well with the measured spectrum. To reduce the computational complexity, a method for step size estimation and the corresponding error accumulation is discussed and verified. This can serve as a basis to estimate the optical responses of this class of abrupt taper based fiber sensors. With the right packaging, these sensors can play a vital role in rugged and hostile environments.
Competências Empreendedoras na Indústria Criativa: Meios e necessidades de Aprendizagem de Músicos
Authors: Reis Tatiane Brum de Oliveira , Klein Amarolinda Iara da Costa Zanela
Published: October 2020

Objetivo: compreender como músicos aprendem e quais são as suas necessidades de aprendizagem de competências empreendedoras.Metodologia/abordagem: a pesquisa é qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 31 músicos independentes brasileiros. Os dados foram analisados via codificação aberta, com apoio do software NVIVO.Principais resultados: com relação ao aprendizado, os resultados indicam que a maioria dos músicos aprende melhor por meio da prática, busca informações e conteúdos no Youtube e tem dificuldades de concentração ao aprender. Quanto às necessidades de aprendizagem de competências empreendedoras, destacam-se as competências de gestão, especialmente gestão do tempo e organização.Contribuições teóricas/metodológicas: o artigo contribui com estudos sobre empreendedorismo na indústria criativa, com foco no campo da educação empreendedora no setor das artes, considerando a Teoria da Aprendizagem Experiencial (TAE) como lente teórica. Traz evidências sobre como a aprendizagem experiencial ocorre nesse contexto.Relevância/originalidade: este artigo traz evidências sobre o processo de aprendizagem de profissionais criativos (músicos) e revela as suas principais necessidades de desenvolvimento de competências empreendedoras.  A pesquisa fornece informações relevantes para a elaboração de futuras propostas de capacitação desses profissionais.