bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new mouse model of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome generated using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic editing
Authors: Nitahara-Kasahara Yuko , Mizumoto Shuji , Inoue Yukiko U. , Saka Shota , Posadas-Herrera Guillermo , Nakamura-Takahashi Aki , Takahashi Yuki , Hashimoto Ayana , Konishi Kohei , Miyata Shinji , Masuda Chiaki , Matsumoto Emi , Maruoka Yasunobu , Yoshizawa Takahiro , Tanase Toshiki , Inoue Takayoshi , Yamada Shuhei , Nomura Yoshihiro , Takeda Shin'ichi , Watanabe Atsushi , Kosho Tomoki , Okada Takashi
Published: December 2021

Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (mcEDS) is caused by generalized depletion of dermatan sulfate (DS) due to biallelic pathogenic variants in CHST14 encoding dermatan 4-O-sulfotransferase 1 (D4ST1) (mcEDS-CHST14). Here, we generated mouse models for mcEDS-CHST14 carrying homozygous mutations (1 bp deletion or 6 bp insertion/10 bp deletion) in Chst14 through CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering to overcome perinatal lethality in conventional Chst14-deleted knockout mice. DS depletion was detected in the skeletal muscle of these genome-edited mutant mice, consistent with loss of D4ST1 activity. The mutant mice showed common pathophysiological features, regardless of the variant, including growth impairment and skin fragility. Notably, we identified myopathy-related phenotypes. Muscle histopathology showed variation in fiber size and spread of the muscle interstitium. Decorin localized diffusely in the spread endomysium and perimysium of skeletal muscle, unlike in wild-type mice. The mutant mice showed lower grip strength and decreased exercise capacity compared to wild type, and morphometric evaluation demonstrated thoracic kyphosis in mutant mice. The established CRISPR/Cas9-engineered Chst14 mutant mice could be a useful model to further our understanding of mcEDS pathophysiology and aid in the development of novel treatment strategies.
Direct evaluation of cohesin-mediated sister kinetochore associations at meiosis I in fission yeast
Authors: Nambu Masashi , Kishikawa Atsuki , Yamada Takatomi , Ichikawa Kento , Kira Yunosuke , Itabashi Yuta , Honda Akira , Yamada Kohei , Murakami Hiroshi , Yamamoto Ayumu
Published: December 2021

Kinetochores drive chromosome segregation by mediating chromosome interactions with the spindle. In higher eukaryotes, sister kinetochores are separately positioned on opposite sides of sister centromeres during mitosis, but associate with each other during meiosis I. Kinetochore association facilitates the attachment of sister chromatids to the same pole, enabling the segregation of homologous chromosomes toward opposite poles. In the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Rec8-containing meiotic cohesin is suggested to establish kinetochore associations by mediating cohesion of the centromere cores. However, cohesin-mediated kinetochore associations on intact chromosomes have never been demonstrated directly. In the present study, we describe a novel method for the direct evaluation of kinetochore associations on intact chromosomes in live S. pombe cells, and demonstrate that sister kinetochores and the centromere cores are positioned separately on mitotic chromosomes but associate with each other on meiosis I chromosomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that kinetochore association depends on meiotic cohesin and the cohesin regulators Moa1 and Mrc1, and requires mating-pheromone signaling for its establishment. These results confirm cohesin-mediated kinetochore association and its regulatory mechanisms, along with the usefulness of the developed method for its analysis.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Female labour-force participation and socioeconomic factors, with emphasis on health
Authors: Γρηγοριάδου Αναστασία-Σοφία
Published: December 2021

Χρησιμοποιώντας ένα ισορροπημένο panel 331 παντρεμένων γυναικών ηλικίας 39-45 ετών από τη British Household Survey για τα έτη 1991-2002, επιδιώκουμε να διερευνήσουμε τη δυναμική της προσφοράς εργασίας γυναικών με έμφαση στο πώς η υγεία επηρεάζει τις εργασιακές αποφάσεις των γυναικών. Η state dependence (η εξάρτηση του τρέχοντος στάτους συμμετοχής στο εργατικό δυναμικό από αυτό της προηγούμενης περιόδου) στη συμμετοχή των γυναικών στην αγορά εργασίας, η μη παρατηρούμενη ατομική ετερογένεια, η αυτοσυσχέτιση του όρου σφάλματος και οι αρχικές συνθήκες λαμβάνονται υπόψη μέσω της προσαρμογής κατάλληλων δυναμικών μοντέλων διακριτών επιλογών. Σε όλες τις προσεγγίσεις, η εκτίμηση του συντελεστή για την κατάσταση συμμετοχής στην αγορά εργασίας με χρονική υστέρηση μίας περιόδου αντανακλά θετική state dependence και είναι στατιστικά σημαντική. Η εκτιμώμενη μέση μερική επίδραση της συμμετοχής στην αγορά εργασίας με χρονική υστέρηση μίας περιόδου δείχνει ότι, κατά μέσο όρο σε όλες τις γυναίκες και σε όλες τις χρονικές περιόδους, η πιθανότητα μιας γυναίκας να συμμετέχει στην αγορά εργασίας το τρέχον έτος είναι 60,37% υψηλότερη εάν η γυναίκα συμμετείχε στην αγορά εργασίας το προηγούμενο έτος από ό,τι αν δεν συμμετείχε. Η σημαντική επίδραση των μεταβλητών που σχετίζονται με την υγεία εντοπίζεται σε όλους τους εκτιμητές. Τα ευρήματα δείχνουν ότι οι γυναίκες έχουν μεγαλύτερη πιθανότητα συμμετοχής στην αγορά εργασίας όταν δεν αναφέρουν περιοριστικά προβλήματα υγείας και όταν δηλώνουν άριστη, πολύ καλή, καλή ή μέτρια υγεία, σε σύγκριση με τις γυναίκες που δηλώνουν ότι έχουν κακή ή πολύ κακή υγεία. Η παρουσία άγχους και κατάθλιψης επίσης μειώνει την πιθανότητα συμμετοχής. Ακόμη, βρίσκουμε ότι τα περιοριστικά προβλήματα υγείας συσχετίζονται με ατομικά χαρακτηριστικά που μειώνουν την πιθανότητα συμμετοχής στην αγορά εργασίας. Επιπλέον, οι προβλεπόμενες πιθανότητες καταδεικνύουν την ισχυρή επίδραση της παρουσίας μικρών παιδιών και των προβλημάτων υγείας στην πιθανότητα συμμετοχής στην αγορά εργασίας.
Forecasting bank failures and credit ratings
Authors: Αγραπετίδου Άννα
Published: December 2021

Τα τελευταία είκοσι χρόνια, ο μεγάλος αριθμός των χρεωκοπημένων τραπεζών αύξησε το ενδιαφέρον για τις μεθοδολογίες και τις τεχνικές αξιολόγησης της πιστοληπτικής ικανότητας των τραπεζών για την έγκαιρη πρόβλεψη μιας επικείμενης χρεωκοπίας. H χρηματοπιστωτική κρίση που ξεκίνησε το 2007, προκάλεσε ανησυχίες σχετικά με τα ρυθμιστικά και εποπτικά μέτρα που ίσχυαν και οδήγησε σε ρυθμιστικές και εποπτικές μεταρρυθμίσεις με στόχο την σταθεροποίηση και εξυγίανση του τραπεζικού συστήματος. Οι προσομοιώσεις ακραίων καταστάσεων αποτέλεσαν ένα σημαντικό εργαλείο επίβλεψης στα χέρια των εποπτικών αρχών στη προσπάθειά τους να αξιολογήσουν την ανθεκτικότητα των τραπεζών με βάση διάφορα εναλλακτικά σενάρια. Στην παρούσα διατριβή, παρουσιάζεται ένα νέο μοντέλο πρόβλεψης χρεωκοπίας των τραπεζών με μεθόδους μηχανικής μάθησης. Σύμφωνα με την προτεινόμενη μεθοδολογία ορίζεται ένας διαχωριστής ο οποίος χωρίζει τις χρεωκοπημένες τράπεζες από τις υγιείς με μια ευθεία. Αυτό οδηγεί σε ένα εναλλακτικό εργαλείο stress-testing για την αξιολόγηση της φερεγγυότητας των τραπεζών και παρέχει σημαντικές πληροφορίες για τον τρόπο πρόληψης μιας επικείμενης χρεωκοπίας. Επιπλέον, με βάση το μοντέλο, εξετάζεται η επίδραση των ρυθμιστικών αλλαγών που συνέβησαν μετά την χρηματοοικονομική κρίση στην ανθεκτικότητα του τραπεζικού συστήματος συνολικά. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό εξετάζονται και οι 5826 τράπεζες του τραπεζικού συστήματος των Η.Π.Α. για 19 χρόνια. Χρησιμοποιώ μόνο ποσοτικές και δημόσια διαθέσιμες πληροφορίες από τις οικονομικές καταστάσεις των τραπεζών από το 2000 έως το 2018 με στόχο την δημιουργία ενός μοντέλου για α) την πρόβλεψη αξιολόγησης της πιστοληπτικής ικανότητας των τραπεζών β) την πρόβλεψη χρεωκοπίας των τραπεζών και γ) την αξιολόγηση της ανθεκτικότητας του τραπεζικού συστήματος των Η.Π.Α. στο σύνολό του πριν και μετά την πρόσφατη χρηματοπιστωτική κρίση. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι οι αξιολογήσεις πιστοληπτικής ικανότητας των τραπεζών βασίζονται σε μεγάλο βαθμό σε δεδομένα προηγούμενων ετών με αποτέλεσμα να ανταποκρίνονται και να ενημερώνονται πολύ αργά, ενίοτε πολύ μετά την αντίδραση της αγοράς. Το προτεινόμενο μοντέλο πρόβλεψης χρεωκοπίας τραπεζών παρουσιάζει συνολική προβλεπτική ικανότητα 99,22% χρησιμοποιώντας μόνο δύο επεξηγηματικές μεταβλητές. Παρέχω αποδείξεις ότι τα τελευταία χρόνια, ο μειωμένος ανταγωνισμός και οι νέοι ρυθμιστικοί κανονισμοί διεύρυναν το περιθώριο ασφαλείας του τραπεζικού συστήματος, με αποτέλεσμα έναν υγιέστερο και πιο ανθεκτικό χρηματοπιστωτικό κλάδο.
Nursing home-sensitive conditions: analysis of routine health insurance data and modified Delphi analysis of potentially avoidable hospitalizations
Authors: Bohnet-Joschko Sabine , Valk-Draad Maria Paula , Schulte Timo , Groene Oliver
Published: December 2021

Background: Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are associated with various health risks. Previous research indicates that, to some extent, hospitalizations of this vulnerable population may be inappropriate and even avoidable. This study aimed to develop a consensus list of hospital discharge diagnoses considered to be nursing home-sensitive, i.e., avoidable.

Methods: The study combined analyses of routine data from six statutory health insurance companies in Germany and a two-stage Delphi panel, enhanced by expert workshop discussions, to identify and corroborate relevant diagnoses. Experts from four different disciplines estimated the proportion of hospitalizations that could potentially have been prevented under optimal conditions. 

Results: We analyzed frequencies and costs of data for hospital admissions from 242,236 nursing home residents provided by statutory health insurance companies. We identified 117 hospital discharge diagnoses, which had a frequency of at least 0.1%. We recruited experts (primary care physicians, hospital specialists, nursing home professionals and researchers) to estimate the proportion of potentially avoidable hospitalizations for the 117 diagnoses deemed avoidable in two Delphi rounds (n=107 in Delphi Round 1 and n=96 in Delphi Round 2, effective response rate=91%). A total of 35 diagnoses with high and consistent estimates of the proportion of potentially avoidable hospitalizations were identified as nursing home-sensitive. In an expert workshop (n=16), a further 25 diagnoses were discussed that had not reached the criteria, of which another 23 were consented to be nursing home-sensitive conditions. Extrapolating the frequency and mean costs of these 58 diagnoses to the national German context yielded total potentially avoidable care costs of €768,304,547, associated with 219,955 nursing home-sensitive hospital admissions.

Conclusion: A total of 58 nursing home-relevant diagnoses (ICD-10-GM three-digit level) were classified as nursing home-sensitive using an adapted Delphi procedure. Interventions should be developed to avoid hospital admission from nursing homes for these diagnoses.
Between submission and pain. Shades of BDSM practices
Authors: Iniewicz Grzegorz , Niebudek Anna
Published: December 2021

Wiele osób przejawia zainteresowanie praktykami BDSM. Niektórzy zaczynają je praktykować, a dla innych stają się one przedmiotem fantazji. Jednak jak pokazują badania pacjenci rzadko poruszają te wątki na terapii. Z praktykami BDSM łączy się kilka elementów, które zazwyczaj wykluczamy z bliskiej relacji. Są nimi przykładowo silna zależność jednego partnera od drugiego czy zadawanie bólu. Osoby praktykujące BDSM tworzą różnorodne związki, a w szerszym kontekście własne społeczności. Z perspektywy klinicznej istotną kwestią jest to czy relacja ta jest konsensualna, to znaczy czy partnerzy wyrażają na nią zgodę, a także czy służy ona rozwojowi człowieka i związku, czy też stanowić może podstawę do postawienia diagnozy zaburzenia parafilnego, stwierdzenia występowania przemocy lub/i rozpoznania mechanizmu powtarzania traumy. Adekwatne zrozumienie zachowań które może opisywać pacjent praktykujący BDSM wymaga jednak poznania specyfiki tak budowanych relacji. Profesjonalista zajmujący się zdrowiem psychicznym i seksualnym będzie wtedy mógł dokonać adekwatnej ich oceny, bez odwoływania się do subiektywnie postrzeganej normy czy też kierowania się stereotypami czy uprzedzeniami.
Determinants of Performance and Structural Relationships of Rice Processing Industry Performance: Resources Based View Approach
Authors: Bahri T. Saiful , Hakim Dedi Budiman , Juanda Bambang , Sahara Sahara
Published: December 2021

Purpose: Attention to the capacity of rice milling companies is very important because this company is the main business actor that creates added value. This study aims: (1) to identify the determinants of the performance of the rice milling industry based on the Resources Based View (RBV) framework and (2) to formulate the structural relationship that occurs between the resources of rice milling companies on business performance.   
Methodology/Approach: RBV framework and formulate the structural relationships that occur between company resources and business performance Through the SEM-PLS method.
Findings: Structurally, the results of the analysis show that the performance of rice mills is directly determined by reputation with the largest path coefficient of 0.856 and is then followed by marketing differentiation 0.184 and human capital 0.1822, while tangible assets directly have a negative relationship (-0.236) but indirectly through the latent variable the reputation as a mediator has a greater (0.558) and significant positive relationship.
Research Limitation/Implication: The research has empirical implications that not all RBV dimensions can predict the performance of the rice industry, especially organizational variables. This illustrates that in reality in the manufacturing industry, organizational function variables do not really affect the produced.
Originality/Value of paper: This article becomes an important for policymakers in Aceh Province to develop the rice milling industry based on the RBV.
Modelling Customer Satisfaction with Food
Authors: Činčalová Simona , Suchánek Petr , Prokop Martin
Published: December 2021

Purpose: The subject of the article is the relationship between customer satisfaction, loyalty and personality characteristics. It aims to analyse factors that influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, including their mutual relationships.  For this purpose, a comprehensive model of customer satisfaction was created.
Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out using a questionnaire survey on a sample of 1,530 customers of food producers (and 103 food business products that were non-durable) corresponding to the Czech population in terms of gender, age and region. The questionnaires were statistically evaluated using Structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings: The results show that a strong link between standard customer satisfaction factors (perceived quality, perceived value, customer expectation) overshadows the influence of weaker factors (personality). However, this effect is fully demonstrated when these strong factors are filtered out.
Research Limitation/Implication: The paper focuses on foods that are sold through retail intermediaries, which also affect customer satisfaction. It may be different for other types of products and services and for products sold otherwise. It can also be limited to CR, resp. transition economics, ie. that in developed countries it could be different.
Originality/Value of paper: The contribution of the paper is the finding that customer satisfaction is influenced by a personality factors, whose effect is at first glance weaker. It also shows that the factor image can be constructed taking into account the competitive ability of the company as a hybrid and the functionality of the customer loyalty factor influences the way of its construction.
The Impact of Quality Management on Business Performance of Manufacturing Firms: The Moderated Effect of Industry 4.0
Authors: Nguyen Nu , Nguyen Chuong , Nguyen Hieu , Nguyen Van
Published: December 2021

Purpose: The research aims to investigate the individual quality management (QM) factors impact on business performance in manufacturing firms. We then assess their influence and look at how industry 4.0 affects business performance directly. Furthermore, the study will demonstrate the moderate effect of industry 4.0 on the interaction between QM and business performance.       
Methodology/Approach: The authors used two methodologies. The first is qualitative methods, by interviewing experts to develop a realistically appropriate model. The second is quantitative methods, by carrying out the survey and getting 84 observations. This research used the multivariate data analysis technique PLS-SEM to evaluate three measurement models: formative measurement model, reflective measurement model, and structural model.
Findings: The QM was operationalised as a multi–dimensional construct. According to the findings, these individual QM factors significantly affect the organisation’s performance, including customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and quality performance. Besides, QM and Industry 4.0 have directly impact on performance. The study also shows that industry 4.0 has a positive moderating role in the relationship between QM and business performance.
Research Limitation/Implication: The survey was only done in emerging countries and the sample size is limited. There are other QM and business performance measurement parameters that have not yet to be discussed.
Originality/Value of paper: The study contributes to the QM literature by building a business quality model, in which the role of Industry 4.0 was explored.
Using the Arts to Spread Health, Peace and Community Wellbeing in Rural Kenya
Authors: Alonso Rodriguez Araceli
Published: December 2021

This article tells the empirical story of women from seven villages of Kwale, the most southeastern county in the Coast Province of Kenya that borders with Tanzania –Lunga Lunga, Godo, Perani, Umoja, Maasailand, Mpakani and Jirani– as they searched for community health, equity, gender equality and peace on their own terms. This article shows that creative health initiatives can be successfully used as mechanisms for peace building. Since 2010, the Nikumbuke-Health by All Means (N-HbAM) projects from the University of Madison-Wisconsin in the United States, have trained 57 health promoters and 32 female actors on disease prevention and health promotion that have outreached approximately 120,000 inhabitants around the county enhancing unity in diversity, and breaking down the walls of ethnic hostilities and prejudice. Because of its low cost and high effectivity, the United Nations awarded N-HbAM2 the 2013 Public Service Award as a model of best practice in gender, community development and sustainable wellbeing
Distributed Stochastic Optimization with Large Delays
Authors: Zhou Zhengyuan , Mertikopoulos Panayotis , Bambos Nicholas , Glynn Peter , Ye Yinyu
Published: December 2021

The recent surge of breakthroughs in machine learning and artificial intelligence has sparked renewed interest in large-scale stochastic optimization problems that are universally considered hard. One of the most widely used methods for solving such problems is distributed asynchronous stochastic gradient descent (DASGD), a family of algorithms that result from parallelizing stochastic gradient descent on distributed computing architectures (possibly) asychronously. However, a key obstacle in the efficient implementation of DASGD is the issue of delays: when a computing node contributes a gradient update, the global model parameter may have already been updated by other nodes several times over, thereby rendering this gradient information stale. These delays can quickly add up if the computational throughput of a node is saturated, so the convergence of DASGD may be compromised in the presence of large delays. Our first contribution is that, by carefully tuning the algorithm’s step size, convergence to the critical set is still achieved in mean square, even if the delays grow unbounded at a polynomial rate. We also establish finer results in a broad class of structured optimization problems (called variationally coherent), where we show that DASGD converges to a global optimum with a probability of one under the same delay assumptions. Together, these results contribute to the broad landscape of large-scale nonconvex stochastic optimization by offering state-of-the-art theoretical guarantees and providing insights for algorithm design.
When Service Times Depend on Customers’ Delays: A Relationship Between Two Models of Dependence
Authors: Wu Chenguang (Allen) , Bassamboo Achal , Perry Ohad
Published: December 2021

When Service Times Depend on Customers’ Delays: A Relationship Between Two Models of Dependence

Service times of customers often depend on the delay they experience in queue, as was recently demonstrated empirically in restaurants, call centers, and intensive care units. Two forms of dependence mechanisms in service systems with customer abandonment are studied in this paper: First, the service requirement of a customer may evolve while waiting in queue. Second, customers may arrive to the system with an exogenous service and patience time that are stochastically dependent. Because either dependence mechanism can have significant impacts on a system's performance, it should be identified and taken into consideration for performance evaluation and decision-making purposes. However, identifying the source of dependence from observed data is hard because both the service times and patience times are censored due to customer abandonment. Further, even if the dependence is known to be the latter exogenous one, there remains the difficult task of fitting a joint service-patience times distribution to the censored data. In “When Service Times Depend on Customers’ Delays: A Relationship Between Two Models of Dependence”, Wu, Bassamboo, and Perry provide a solution to address these statistical challenges.
An exploration of hydration practices in Maltese residential care homes for older people
Authors: Micallef Francesca , Vella Marisa , Narmaniya Alan Sciberras , Cook Glenda , Thompson Juliana
Published: December 2021

Background/aims

The integral relationship between adequate hydration and good health is widely recognised. Older people with complex needs and frailty can struggle to maintain adequate hydration, with residents in care home settings being at an increased risk of dehydration. The aim of this study was to explore current hydration practices in residential care homes in Malta.

Methods

An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted to explore staff's views and approaches in supporting residents' hydration. Data was collected via semi-structured, individual and small group interviews with staff from two care homes from the central and southern region of Malta. A process of open coding, followed by axial coding, was used to analyse the data. Peer debriefing was performed throughout, until agreement was reached among the research team about the final themes and sub-themes.

Results

Three themes emerged from the data: culture of promoting fluid intake; challenges in supporting older people to achieve optimum hydration; hydration practices and approaches.

Conclusions

A hydration promotion culture was demonstrated through various practices adopted in the care homes. The strong focus on water intake, in response to concerns about consuming sugary beverages, has implications for the promotion of a person-centred approach to hydration care. Inconsistencies in monitoring of fluids and daily recommended targets highlights the importance of policies or guidelines to guide hydration practice. Challenges related to refusal of fluids and language barriers among non-native staff were evident and justify further research is this area.
The effect of uncemented acetabular liner geometry and lip size on the risk of revision for instability or loosening
Authors: Divecha Hiren M. , O'Neill Terence W. , Lunt Mark , Board Tim N.
Published: December 2021

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine if uncemented acetabular polyethylene (PE) liner geometry, and lip size, influenced the risk of revision for instability or loosening.

Methods

A total of 202,511 primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) with uncemented acetabular components were identified from the National Joint Registry (NJR) dataset between 2003 and 2017. The effect of liner geometry on the risk of revision for instability or loosening was investigated using competing risk regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, indication, side, institution type, surgeon grade, surgical approach, head size, and polyethylene crosslinking. Stratified analyses by surgical approach were performed, including pairwise comparisons of liner geometries.

Results

The distribution of liner geometries were neutral (39.4%; 79,822), 10° (34.5%; 69,894), 15° (21.6%; 43,722), offset reorientating (2.8%; 5705), offset neutral (0.9%; 1,767), and 20° (0.8%; 1,601). There were 690 (0.34%) revisions for instability. Compared to neutral liners, the adjusted subhazard ratios of revision for instability were: 10°, 0.64 (p < 0.001); 15°, 0.48 (p < 0.001); and offset reorientating, 1.6 (p = 0.010). No association was found with other geometries. 10° and 15° liners had a time-dependent lower risk of revision for instability within the first 1.2 years. In posterior approaches, 10° and 15° liners had a lower risk of revision for instability, with no significant difference between them. The protective effect of lipped over neutral liners was not observed in laterally approached THAs. There were 604 (0.3%) revisions for loosening, but no association between liner geometry and revision for loosening was found.

Conclusion

This registry-based study confirms a lower risk of revision for instability in posterior approach THAs with 10° or 15° lipped liners compared to neutral liners, but no significant difference between these lip sizes. A higher revision risk is seen with offset reorientating liners. The benefit of lipped geometries against revision for instability was not seen in laterally approached THAs. Liner geometry does not seem to influence the risk of revision for loosening. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(12):1774–1782.
Interpretation and reporting of predictive or diagnostic machine-learning research in Trauma & Orthopaedics
Authors: Farrow Luke , Zhong Mingjun , Ashcroft George Patrick , Anderson Lesley , Meek R. M. Dominic
Published: December 2021

There is increasing popularity in the use of artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques to provide diagnostic and prognostic models for various aspects of Trauma & Orthopaedic surgery. However, correct interpretation of these models is difficult for those without specific knowledge of computing or health data science methodology. Lack of current reporting standards leads to the potential for significant heterogeneity in the design and quality of published studies. We provide an overview of machine-learning techniques for the lay individual, including key terminology and best practice reporting guidelines.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(12):1754–1758.
Smart City North: economic and labour force impacts of call centres in Sudbury, Ontario
Authors: Laura Schatz  , Laura C. Johnson
Published: December 2021

Geographers debate the value of telecommunications-mediated jobs (or ‘eWork’) for the economies of smaller, deindustrialised and rural areas. Against the backdrop of globalisation, various regions across Canada are courting knowledge-sector business development. Sudbury, a medium-sized northern Ontario city, has invested heavily in telecommunications infrastructure and touted its assets and resources to potential employers in order to help its ailing economy. Since the late 1990s, Sudbury has attracted some ten new call centres, with a combined labour force numbering about 4,000. In this article, we use Sudbury as a case study to consider the overall effects of eWork on a local labour force and a regional economy. From the combined perspectives of employers, unions, municipal planners, local economic development officials, and academic researchers, we assess the net impact of these new economy jobs.
Towards risk stratification and prediction of disease severity and mortality in COVID-19: Next generation metabolomics for the measurement of host response to COVID-19 infection
Authors: D’Amora Paulo , Silva Ismael Dale C. G. , Budib Maria Auxiliadora , Ayache Ricardo , Silva Rafaela Moraes Siufi , Silva Fabricio Colacino , Appel Robson Mateus , Júnior Saturnino Sarat , Pontes Henrique Budib Dorsa , Alvarenga Ana Carolina , Arima Emilli Carvalho , Martins Wellington Galhano , Silva Nakal Laurenço F. , Diaz Ricardo Sobhie , Salzgeber Marcia B. , Palma Anton M. , Evans Steven S. , Nagourney Robert A.
Published: December 2021

This study investigated the association between COVID-19 infection and host metabolic signatures as prognostic markers for disease severity and mortality. We enrolled 82 patients with RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 infection who were classified as mild, moderate, or severe/critical based upon their WHO clinical severity score and compared their results with 31 healthy volunteers. Data on demographics, comorbidities and clinical/laboratory characteristics were obtained from medical records. Peripheral blood samples were collected at the time of clinical evaluation or admission and tested by quantitative mass spectrometry to characterize metabolic profiles using selected metabolites. The findings in COVID-19 (+) patients reveal changes in the concentrations of glutamate, valeryl-carnitine, and the ratios of Kynurenine/Tryptophan (Kyn/Trp) to Citrulline/Ornithine (Cit/Orn). The observed changes may serve as predictors of disease severity with a (Kyn/Trp)/(Cit/Orn) Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) AUC = 0.95. Additional metabolite measures further characterized those likely to develop severe complications of their disease, suggesting that underlying immune signatures (Kyn/Trp), glutaminolysis (Glutamate), urea cycle abnormalities (Cit/Orn) and alterations in organic acid metabolism (C5) can be applied to identify individuals at the highest risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 infection. We conclude that host metabolic factors, measured by plasma based biochemical signatures, could prove to be important determinants of Covid-19 severity with implications for prognosis, risk stratification and clinical management.
Clinical long-term nocturnal sleeping disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Del Pino Rocio , Murueta-Goyena Ane , Ayala Unai , Acera Marian , Fernández Mónica , Tijero Beatriz , Carmona Mar , Fernández Tamara , Gabilondo Iñigo , Gómez-Esteban Juan Carlos
Published: December 2021

Objective

To prospectively evaluate nocturnal sleep problems and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, and analyze the influence of motor symptoms, treatment, and sex differences on sleep problems in PD.

Methods

Sleep disturbances of 103 PD patients were assessed with Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Student’s t-test for related samples, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD post hoc test were used to assess group differences. Bivariate correlations and mixed-effects linear regression models were used to analyze the association between clinical aspects and sleep disturbances over time.

Results

At baseline, 48.5% of PD patients presented nocturnal problems and 40% of patients presented EDS. The PDSS and ESS total score slightly improve over time. Nocturnal problems were associated with age and motor impartment, explaining the 51% of the variance of the PDSS model. Males presented less nocturnal disturbances and more EDS than females. Higher motor impairment and combined treatment (L-dopa and agonist) were related to more EDS, while disease duration and L-dopa in monotherapy were related to lower scores, explaining the 59% of the model.

Conclusions

Sleep disturbances changed over time and age, diseases duration, motor impairment, treatment and sex were associated with nocturnal sleep problems and EDS. Agonist treatment alone or in combination with L-dopa might predict worse daytime sleepiness, while L-dopa in monotherapy is related to lower EDS, which significantly affects the quality of life of PD patients.
Spatial proximity matters: A study on collaboration
Authors: Salazar Miranda Arianna , Claudel Matthew
Published: December 2021

As scientific research becomes increasingly cross-disciplinary, many universities seek to support collaborative activity through new buildings and institutions. This study examines the impacts of spatial proximity on collaboration at MIT from 2005 to 2015. By exploiting a shift in the location of researchers due to building renovations, we evaluate how discrete changes in physical proximity affect the likelihood that researchers co-author. The findings suggest that moving researchers into the same building increases their propensity to collaborate, with the effect plateauing five years after the move. The effects are large when compared to the average rate of collaboration among pairs of researchers, which suggests that spatial proximity is an important tool to support cross-disciplinary collaborative science. Furthermore, buildings that host researchers working in the same or related fields and from multiple departments have a larger effect on their propensity to collaborate.
Quantitative assessment of photic phenomena in the presbyopia-correcting intraocular lens
Authors: Ukai Yuki , Okemoto Hajime , Seki Yusuke , Nakatsugawa Yui , Kawasaki Akane , Shibata Teppei , Mito Tsuyoshi , Kubo Eri , Sasaki Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

This was a prospective study to evaluate the feasibility of the photic phenomena test (PPT) for quantifying glare, halo, and starburst. We compared two presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (IOLs), the Symfony IOL and the PanOptix IOL, as well as the monofocal Clareon IOL in 111 IOL-implanted eyes of 111 patients who underwent the PPT 1 month postoperatively. The reproducibility of photic phenomena with the PPT was assessed in 39 multifocal IOL-implanted eyes of 20 patients and among the examiners. Patients with ocular diseases, except for refractive errors, were excluded. The mean values of the groups were evaluated. Bland–Altman plots were used to analyze statistical data (Easy R version 1.37; R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). The PPT reproducibility assessment revealed no fixed bias or regressive significance. Reproducibility was confirmed. The glare size did not differ significantly between the Symfony, PanOptix, and Clareon groups. The halo size was significantly larger in the Symfony group (p < 0.01) than in the PanOptix group. The halo intensity was significantly brighter in the PanOptix group (p < 0.01) than in the Symfony group. In contrast, no halos were perceived in the Clareon group. The starburst size or intensity did not differ significantly between the Symfony, PanOptix, and Clareon groups. We identified the photic phenomenon related to various IOLs.
The Polish COVID Stress Scales: Considerations of psychometric functioning, measurement invariance, and validity
Authors: Adamczyk Katarzyna , Clark D. Angus , Pradelok Julia
Published: December 2021

The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) were developed to measure stress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To further investigate the psychometric properties of the CSS, we used data collected in Poland across two waves of assessment (N = 556 at T1 and N = 264 at T2) to evaluate the factor structure, reliability (at the item and scale level), measurement invariance (across the Polish and Dutch translations of the CSS, and time), over time stability, and external associations of the Polish-language version of the CSS (CSS-PL). Overall, results suggest that the CSS-PL is psychometrically robust, largely invariant across the countries and time-lags considered. The CSS-PL was also positively related to other measures of COVID-19 fear, health anxiety, obsessive compulsive symptoms, anxiety, depression, and intent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This study thus provides considerable information about the CSS’s items and scales, and lays the foundation for future investigations into COVID stress across time and different populations.
Development of prediction models of spontaneous ureteral stone passage through machine learning: Comparison with conventional statistical analysis
Authors: Park Jee Soo , Kim Dong Wook , Lee Dongu , Lee Taeju , Koo Kyo Chul , Han Woong Kyu , Chung Byung Ha , Lee Kwang Suk
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To develop a prediction model of spontaneous ureteral stone passage (SSP) using machine learning and logistic regression and compare the performance of the two models. Indications for management of ureteral stones are unclear, and the clinician determines whether to wait for SSP or perform active treatment, especially in well-controlled patients, to avoid unwanted complications. Therefore, suggesting the possibility of SSP would help make a clinical decision regarding ureteral stones.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with unilateral ureteral stones at our emergency department between August 2014 and September 2018 were included and underwent non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography 4 weeks from the first stone episode. Predictors of SSP were applied to build and validate the prediction model using multilayer perceptron (MLP) with the Keras framework.

Results

Of 833 patients, SSP was observed in 606 (72.7%). SSP rates were 68.2% and 75.6% for stone sizes 5–10 mm and <5 mm, respectively. Stone opacity, location, and whether it was the first ureteral stone episode were significant predictors of SSP. Areas under the curve (AUCs) for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for MLP, and logistic regression were 0.859 and 0.847, respectively, for stones <5 mm, and 0.881 and 0.817, respectively, for 5–10 mm stones.

Conclusion

SSP prediction models were developed in patients with well-controlled unilateral ureteral stones; the performance of the models was good, especially in identifying SSP for 5–10-mm ureteral stones without definite treatment guidelines. To further improve the performance of these models, future studies should focus on using machine learning techniques in image analysis.
High-flow nasal cannula for reducing hypoxemic events in patients undergoing bronchoscopy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
Authors: Su Chien-Ling , Chiang Ling-Ling , Tam Ka-Wai , Chen Tzu-Tao , Hu Ming-Chi
Published: December 2021

Background

Patients undergoing bronchoscopic procedures may develop hypoxemia and severe complications. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) may prevent hypoxemic events during bronchoscopy. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of HFNC in these patients.

Methods

We conducted a search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for RCTs published before November 2021. Individual effect sizes were standardized, and a meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled effect size using random-effects models. The primary outcome was the incidence of hypoxemic events (oxygen saturation [SpO2] < 90%) during bronchoscopy. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of interrupted bronchoscopy due to desaturation, lowest SpO2 during bronchoscopy, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) at the end of bronchoscopy, and the incidence of intubation after the procedure.

Results

Five trials involving 257 patients were reviewed. The incidence of hypoxemic events was lower in the HFNC group than in the conventional oxygen therapy group (risk ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–0.42). The lowest SpO2 during the procedure was significantly higher in the HFNC group than in the conventional oxygen therapy group (weighted mean difference [WMD], 7.12; 95% CI, 5.39–8.84). PaO2 at the end of the procedure was significantly higher in the HFNC group than in the conventional oxygen therapy group (WMD, 20.36; 95% CI, 0.30–40.42). The incidence of interrupted bronchoscopy due to desaturation, PaCO2 and EtCO2 at the end of the procedure, and the incidence of intubation after the procedure were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions

HFNC may reduce the incidence of hypoxemic events and improve oxygenation in patients undergoing bronchoscopy.
Comunicación en museos a través de redes sociales durante la pandemia
Authors: Fernández-Fernández Victoria , Suárez Suárez Miguel Ángel , Calaf Machas Roser
Published: December 2021

La evolución de las Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (NTIC) ha motivado cambios en la interacción del museo con sus visitantes, promoviendo una comunicación multidireccional entre usuario y museo a través del uso de las Redes Sociales (RRSS) que permite obviar la distancia física. La pandemia mundial ha acelerado todo este proceso, convirtiéndo los museos en una ventana a la sociedad durante los meses de confinamiento. A través de este estudio se pretende conocer cómo ha influido dicha pandemia en el uso de las RRSS (Facebook, Twitter e Instagram) por parte de los museos. El método seguido se ha basado en la observación y registro de las publicaciones de los museos de la muestra en las diferentes categorías diseñadas con anterioridad. Esta información ha sido ampliada y contrastada por medio de la realización de entrevistas a los gestores de los departamentos educativos de dichos museos. Los resultados reflejan un importante aumento de las publicaciones durante los meses de confinamiento, con un mayor interés en el público escolar, y una progresiva reducción en los meses siguientes, debido principalmente a la dificultad al tratar de compatibilizar estas tareas con las presenciales, desvelando así una nueva oportunidad de interacción.
Videojuegos y cambio climático
Authors: Josep Maria , Galán-Cubillo Esteban , Sáez-Soro Emilio
Published: December 2021

Los videojuegos se han erigido en un universo de gran eficacia para la creación de productos culturales contemporáneos y para el fomento de sinergias entre disciplinas como el arte, el audiovisual, la ciencia o la divulgación. En este artículo se presentan los resultados del Living Lab Planeta Debug, impulsado por un equipo interdisciplinar, cuyo desafío es innovar los procesos de investigación que abordan el reto del cambio climático y la sostenibilidad global a través de los videojuegos y la gamificación. El objetivo de este estudio es demostrar la eficiencia de los innovadores modelos de cocreación científica y artística en el ámbito de los videojuegos para la transferencia de conocimiento y la generación de nuevas narrativas sobre el cambio climático. Para ello, se emplea una metodología que incluye técnicas de observación participante, cuestionarios y focus group. Los resultados del trabajo muestran que los videojuegos representan una herramienta de enorme potencial para experimentar en la imbricación entre arte, ciencia y sostenibilidad a través de la implementación de procesos de cocreación con la finalidad de transmitir conocimientos vinculados al calentamiento global a la ciudadanía a través de nuevas dinámicas, interactivas y lúdicas, más eficientes por su carácter participativo.
Investigación sobre desinformación en España
Authors: García-Marín David , Salvat Martinrey Guiomar
Published: December 2021

El fenómeno de la desinformación constituye uno de los grandes desafíos que la investigación en comunicación ha abordado en el último lustro, por lo que resulta necesario establecer un primer estado de la cuestión sobre la respuesta de la academia española hacia esta problemática. A tal fin responde este trabajo, que analiza la investigación sobre desinformación publicada en las revistas científicas españolas desde 2016. El objetivo es descubrir las tendencias en cuanto a los temas abordados y construir una cartografía general de estos objetos de estudio.  Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistematizada de la literatura bajo un enfoque mixto que integra un análisis cualitativo-interpretativo y un estudio estadístico descriptivo e inferencial. Aunque la dispersión temática es la nota dominante, se observa una clara tendencia hacia la búsqueda de soluciones para afrontar esta problemática, especialmente desde el campo periodístico, con el análisis del fact-checking como actor principal. Asimismo, existe un elevado interés hacia la dimensión discursiva del fenómeno y el estudio de sus posibles causas; frente a otras temáticas centrales para comprender el problema, como los patrones de propagación del contenido falso y los sesgos que operan en su recepción, que cuentan con escasa presencia en el contexto español.
Visualización de datos
Authors: Therón Sánchez Roberto
Published: December 2021

El análisis de datos ha recurrido a la representación visual para encontrar u ofrecer explicaciones desde sus orígenes. Las capacidades de almacenamiento y procesamiento no han parado de crecer gracias al avance de la computación. Paralelamente, gracias a una democratización tecnológica, las contribuciones artísticas en la visualización de datos se han multiplicado, aportando nuevas formas creativas y planteamientos diferentes a los propios de la ciencia. Este artículo analiza las influencias recíprocas entre las artes y las ciencias en torno a las visualizaciones de datos. Se traza una visión panorámica de la Visualización de Datos mediante un análisis de la dedicación en las diversas disciplinas a este tema de estudio recogido en las principales bases de datos bibliográficas, así como de la creciente comunidad de práctica que acoge en la actualidad a científicos, diseñadores, artistas y otros perfiles profesionales. A través de una serie de ejemplos históricos que van desde la prehistoria hasta la actualidad, se ponen de manifiesto diversas líneas de influencia en las que arte y ciencia han propiciado avances en la comunicación de fenómenos o el planteamiento de preguntas a partir de los datos. Finalmente, se ofrecen unas reflexiones sobre los retos que afronta la Visualización de Datos y las oportunidades que de ellos se derivan.
Subluxación sacroilíaca en un equino criollo colombiano
Authors: GAONA Leonardo , CRUZ Anastasia , DUQUE-MUÑOZ Luis
Published: December 2021

La subluxación sacroilíaca es una enfermedad claudiocógena de los miembros posteriores que se puede presentar de forma aguda o crónica. La causa de esta patología se debe principalmente a resbalones, tropezones o caídas de los miembros posteriores, el diagnóstico es difícil de realizar debido a la profunda ubicación anatómica de la articulación, métodos como la ecografía y pruebas de estrés entre otros, son los procedimientos más usados en el diagnóstico de la subluxación sacroiliaca. Por tratarse de una alteración que fácilmente puede confundirse con otras condiciones patológicas de la columna, la pelvis y/o de los miembros posteriores, el diagnóstico muchas veces se realiza por eliminación de otras causas de cojera. Los tratamientos convencionales aún se proponen en la literatura, sin embargo, cada vez como opción para el tratamiento de esta patología. El presente reporte describe el caso de un equino criollo que padeció una subluxación sacroiliaca aguda del lado derecho, la cual fue diagnosticada con un examen clínico que incluía ecografía percutánea y transrectal, y tratada con infiltraciones ecoguiadas de corticoides y aspirado de médula ósea. Un mes después de la última terapia, el caballo mostró una mejoría clínica en un 80% a 90%  aproximadamente y retoma actividad física controlada.