bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collaborative community mental health and aged care services with peer support to prevent late-life depression: study protocol for a non-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Liu Tianyin , Leung Dara Kiu Yi , Lu Shiyu , Kwok Wai-Wai , Sze Lesley Cai Yin , Tse Samson Shu Ki , Ng Siu Man , Wong Paul Wai Ching , Lou Vivian Wei Qun , Tang Jennifer Yee Man , Wong Daniel Fu Keung , Chan Wai Chi , Kwok Ricky Yu Kwong , Lum Terry Yat Sang , Wong Gloria Hoi Yan
Published: April 2022

Background

Late-life depression is common, modifiable, yet under-treated. Service silos and human resources shortage contribute to insufficient prevention and intervention. We describe an implementation research protocol of collaborative stepped care and peer support model that integrates community mental health and aged care services to address service fragmentation, using productive ageing and recovery principles to involve older people as peer supporters to address human resource issue.

Methods/design

This is a non-randomised controlled trial examining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the “Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness” (JC JoyAge) model versus care as usual (CAU) in community aged care and community mental health service units in 12 months. Older people aged 60 years and over with mild to moderate depressive symptoms or risk factors for developing depression will be included. JoyAge service users will receive group-based activities and psychoeducation, low-intensity psychotherapy, or high-intensity psychotherapy according to the stepped care protocol in addition to usual community mental health or aged care, with support from an older peer supporter. The primary clinical outcome, depressive symptoms, and secondary outcomes, self-harm risk, anxiety symptoms, and loneliness, will be measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Self-Harm Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and UCLA Loneliness 3-item scale (UCLA-3) respectively. Cost-effectiveness analysis will assess health-related quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L and service utilisation using the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI). We use multilevel linear mixed models to compare outcomes change between groups and calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio in terms of quality-adjusted life years.

Discussion

This study will provide evidence about outcomes for older persons with mental health needs receiving collaborative stepped care service without silos and with trained young-old volunteers to support engagement, treatment, and transitions. Cost-effectiveness findings from this study will inform resource allocation in this under-treated population.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03593889. Registered on 20 July 2018.
The effectiveness of a media-based intervention promoting help-seeking for mental health difficulties by Australian men: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Nicholas Angela , Requena Simone Scotti , Ftanou Maria , Rice Simon , Fletcher Justine , Mackinnon Andrew , Seidler Zac , Le Long Khanh-Dao , Mihalopoulos Cathrine , Pirkis Jane
Published: April 2022

Background

Approximately one fifth of Australian males aged 16+ experience mood, anxiety or substance use disorders in a given year, and suicide by males accounts for three quarters of all suicides annually. However, males with mental health problems are less likely to seek and receive help than their female counterparts. Media campaigns with videos at their core are gaining popularity as a means of promoting help-seeking for mental health difficulties, but few studies have rigorously tested the impact of such videos. This randomised controlled trial tests the effectiveness of a short video promoting help-seeking by Australian men.

Methods

This study is an online randomised controlled trial (RCT). Participants will attend an online group orientation session, where they will provide consent to participate and complete a baseline questionnaire (T1). After completion of the T1 questionnaire, participants will be randomised to watch either the intervention or control video on a 1:1 basis. After randomisation, participants will be able to access their allocated video for 1 week. Seven days after T1, participants will again be sent links to the video and to the post-exposure questionnaire (T2). One month after T2, participants will be emailed the follow-up questionnaire (T3). The primary outcome will be change in help-seeking intentions from T1 to T2. Secondary outcomes will be changes in help-seeking intentions from T1 to T3, changes in intentions to encourage other males to seek help, self-reliance, and male depression symptoms from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated. Participants will also complete questions about their opinions of the video and its effects at T2 and T3.

Discussion

Our video-based intervention is designed to promote help-seeking for mental health difficulties among Australian men. If a lack of net harm is shown to be associated with viewing the intervention video, the video will be publicly released and could have broad impacts on individual and community attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health difficulties, and ultimately enhance men’s mental health and wellbeing. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention is essential to ensure the intervention is achieving its objectives.

Trial registration

anzctr.org.au 12621001008819
PRObiotics and SYNbiotics to improve gut health and growth in infants in western Kenya (PROSYNK Trial): study protocol for a 4-arm, open-label, randomised, controlled trial
Authors: Otiti Mary Iwaret , Kariuki Simon , Wang Duolao , Hall Lindsay J. , Ter Kuile Feiko O. , Allen Stephen
Published: April 2022

Background

Malnutrition amongst under-fives remains common in resource-poor countries and is resistant to current interventions. New opportunities have emerged to target “environmental enteric dysfunction” (EED) that refers to the abnormal gut structure and function that results from colonisation of the gut with pathogenic microbes and compromises nutrition and growth in early life. Although the gut microbiome may provide a defence against ingested gut pathogens through colonisation resistance, its development is adversely affected by multiple environmental factors. Dietary supplements of pro- or synbiotics may build the resilience of the gut microbiome against these environmental factors and boost colonisation resistance. We aim to assess whether dietary supplementation of newborns in rural Kenya with pro/synbiotics prevents or ameliorates EED and improves growth.

Methods

Six hundred newborns less than 4 days old will be recruited from Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital, western Kenya. Newborns will be randomly allocated, stratified by HIV exposure, in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to one of 4 study arms to receive either of two synbiotics, a probiotic or no supplement. Supplements will be given daily for 10 days and then weekly until 6 months of age. Participants will be followed until the age of 2 years. The primary outcome is systemic inflammation at 6 months assessed by plasma alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. Secondary outcomes include biomarkers of gut health and growth, anthropometric indices, morbidity and mortality.

Discussion

As dietary supplements with pro- or synbiotics may improve gut health and can be administered in early life, our findings may inform the package of interventions to prevent malnutrition and improve growth in Africa and similar low-resource settings.

Trial registration

Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, Trial number: PACTR202003893276712. Date: 02/03/2020https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=9798
The impact of session-introducing mindfulness and relaxation interventions in individual psychotherapy for children and adolescents: a randomized controlled trial (MARS-CA)
Authors: Kalmar Julia , Baumann Ines , Gruber Elena , Vonderlin Eva , Bents Hinrich , Neubauer Andreas B. , Heidenreich Thomas , Mander Johannes
Published: April 2022

Background

The investigation of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in cognitive-behavioral therapy has greatly increased over the past years. However, most MBI research with youth focuses on structured, manualized group programs, conducted in school settings. Knowledge about the implementation and effects of MBIs in individual psychotherapy with children and adolescents is scarce. To fill this research gap, the “Mindfulness and Relaxation Study – Children and Adolescents” (MARS-CA) is designed. It aims to assess the effects of short session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements on juvenile patients’ symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance in individual child and adolescent psychotherapy.

Methods

MARS-CA is conducted at a university outpatient training center for cognitive-behavior therapy. Short session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements will be compared to short session-introducing relaxation interventions and no session-introducing intervention to explore their effects on symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance. The session-introducing interventions will take place at the beginning of 24 subsequent therapy sessions. We hypothesize that patients’ symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance improve more strongly in the mindfulness condition than in the other two conditions and that the mindfulness condition moderates the relationship between therapeutic alliance and symptomatic outcome. Patients and their trainee therapists will be randomized to one of the three treatment arms. Participants aged between 11 and 19 years and having a primary diagnosis of either a depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, or a hyperkinetic disorder will be included. Therapeutic alliance will be assessed after every therapy session (therapy session 1 to therapy session 24), symptomatic outcome will be assessed before the start of treatment (pre), after the 3rd, the 10th, and the 17th therapy sessions, at the end of treatment (24th therapy session, post), and at a 6-month follow-up. Additionally, mindfulness and mindfulness-related measures as well as demographic data, adherence, allegiance, and therapeutic techniques will be assessed. It is our aim to assess a sample of 135 patients. We will conduct multilevel modeling to address the nested data structure.

Discussion

The study can provide information about how add-on MBIs, conducted by trainee therapists, influence therapeutic alliance and symptomatic outcome in individual psychotherapy in children and adolescents.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT04034576. Registered on July 17, 2019
Effect of listening to music on anxiety, pain, and cardiorespiratory parameters in cardiac surgery: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial
Authors: de Andrade Érica Vieira , Haas Vanderlei José , de Faria Maíla Fidalgo , dos Santos Felix Márcia Marques , Ferreira Maria Beatriz Guimarães , Barichello Elizabeth , da Silva Pires Patricia , Barbosa Maria Helena
Published: April 2022

Background

Preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain are frequent in cardiac surgeries and constitute important stressors for patients, which can cause several complications. One strategy that aims to alleviate these phenomena is listening to music as a non-pharmacological intervention. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of listening to music on preoperative state-anxiety, postoperative pain, at rest and when instructed to cough, and cardiorespiratory parameters in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods

A randomized, parallel, simple masking clinical trial will be conducted with patients 18 years of age or older who have undergone elective cardiac surgery by sternotomy, who agree to participate in the research and sign a free and informed consent form. Study participants will be randomly divided, in a 1:1 ratio, to one of the two groups: experimental (subjected to listening to music for 20 min in the pre- and postoperative period) or control (standard care in the pre- and postoperative period), using a randomization scheme generated by the Randomization.com website. The sample size calculation was obtained after conducting a pilot study.

Discussion

The results of the study may contribute to the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions in health services, highlighting the protocols for listening to music, to minimize anxiety and pain in cardiac surgery.

Trial registration

ReBEC RBR-8mdyhd. Posted on December 10, 2019
Remote, real-time expert elicitation to determine the prior probability distribution for Bayesian sample size determination in international randomised controlled trials: Bronchiolitis in Infants Placebo Versus Epinephrine and Dexamethasone (BIPED) study
Authors: Lan Jingxian , Plint Amy C. , Dalziel Stuart R. , Klassen Terry P. , Offringa Martin , Heath Anna ,   on behalf of the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) KIDSCAN/PREDICT BIPED Study Group
Published: April 2022

Background

Bayesian methods are increasing in popularity in clinical research. The design of Bayesian clinical trials requires a prior distribution, which can be elicited from experts. In diseases with international differences in management, the elicitation exercise should recruit internationally, making a face-to-face elicitation session expensive and more logistically challenging. Thus, we used a remote, real-time elicitation exercise to construct prior distributions. These elicited distributions were then used to determine the sample size of the Bronchiolitis in Infants with Placebo Versus Epinephrine and Dexamethasone (BIPED) study, an international randomised controlled trial in the Pediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN). The BIPED study aims to determine whether the combination of epinephrine and dexamethasone, compared to placebo, is effective in reducing hospital admission for infants presenting with bronchiolitis to the emergency department.

Methods

We developed a Web-based tool to support the elicitation of the probability of hospitalisation for infants with bronchiolitis. Experts participated in online workshops to specify their individual prior distributions, which were aggregated using the equal-weighted linear pooling method. Experts were then invited to provide their comments on the aggregated distribution. The average length criterion determined the BIPED sample size.

Results

Fifteen paediatric emergency medicine clinicians from Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand participated in three workshops to provide their elicited prior distributions. The mean elicited probability of admission for infants with bronchiolitis was slightly lower for those receiving epinephrine and dexamethasone compared to supportive care in the aggregate distribution. There were substantial differences in the individual beliefs but limited differences between North America and Australasia. From this aggregate distribution, a sample size of 410 patients per arm results in an average 95% credible interval length of less than 9% and a relative predictive power of 90%.

Conclusion

Remote, real-time expert elicitation is a feasible, useful and practical tool to determine a prior distribution for international randomised controlled trials. Bayesian methods can then determine the trial sample size using these elicited prior distributions. The ease and low cost of remote expert elicitation mean that this approach is suitable for future international randomised controlled trials.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT03567473
Chemically defined and small molecules-based generation of sinoatrial node-like cells
Authors: Hou Xiaojie , Ma Shuhong , Fan Wei , Li Fang , Xu Miaomiao , Yang Chao , Liu Feng , Yan Ying , Wan Juyi , Lan Feng , Liao Bin
Published: April 2022

Background

Existing methods for in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into sinoatrial node-like cells (SANLCs) require complex and undefined medium constituents. This might hinder the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in cardiac subtype specification and prevent translational application. In our study, we aimed to establish a chemically defined differentiation methods to generate SANLCs effectively and stably.

Methods

We induced human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)/induced PSCs (hiPSCs) to pan-cardiomyocytes by temporal modulation of the WNT/β-catenin (WNT) signaling pathway with GSK3 inhibitor and WNT inhibitor. During cardiac mesoderm stage of the differentiation process, signaling of WNT, retinoid acid (RA), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) was manipulated by three specific molecules. Moreover, metabolic selection was designed to improve the enrichment of SANLCs. Finally, RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and whole cell patch clamp were used to identify the SANLCs.

Results

WNT, RA, and FGF signaling promote the differentiation of hPSCs into SANLCs in a concentration- and time window-sensitive manner, respectively. Synergetic modulation of WNT, FGF, and RA signaling pathways enhance the pacemaker phenotype and improve the differentiation efficiency of SANLCs (up to 45%). Moreover, the purification based on lactate metabolism and glucose starvation further reached approximately 50% of SANLCs. Finally, the electrophysiological data demonstrate that cells differentiated with the proposed protocol produce a considerable number of SANLCs that display typical electrophysiological characteristics of pacemaker cells in vitro.

Conclusion

We provide an optimized and chemically defined protocol to generate SANLCs by combined modulation of WNT, RA, and FGF signaling pathways and metabolic selection by lactate enrichment and glucose starvation. This chemically defined method for generating SANLCs might provide a platform for disease modeling, drug discovery, predictive toxicology, and biological pacemaker construction.
Obesogenic and diabetic effects of CD44 in mice are sexually dimorphic and dependent on genetic background
Authors: VerHague Melissa , Albright Jody , Barron Keri , Kim Myungsuk , Bennett Brian J.
Published: April 2022

Introduction

CD44 is a candidate gene for obesity and diabetes development and may be a critical mediator of a systemic inflammation associated with obesity and diabetes.

Methods

We investigated the relationship of CD44 with obesity in CD44-deficient mice challenged with a high-fat diet.

Results

In mice fed a diet high in fat, cholesterol, and sucrose for 12 weeks fat mass accumulation was reduced in CD44-deficient mice bred onto both a C57BL/6J and the naturally TLR deficient C3H/HeJ background. Reduced fat mass could not be attributed to lower food intake or an increase in energy expenditure as measured by indirect calorimetry. However, we observed a 40–60% lower mRNA expression of the inflammation markers, F4/80, CD11b, TNF-α, and CD14, in adipose tissue of CD44-deficient mice on the C57BL/6J background but not the C3H/HeJ background, perhaps indicating that alternative factors may be affecting adiposity in this model. Measures of hepatic steatosis and insulin sensitivity were improved in CD44-deficient mice on a C57BL/6J but not in the C3H/HeJ mice. These results were highly sexually dimorphic as there were no detectable effects of CD44 inactivation in female mice on a C57BL/6 J or C3H/HeJ background.

Conclusion

CD44 was associated with adiposity, liver fat, and glucose in male mice. However, the effects of CD44 on obesity may be independent of TLR4 signaling.
Comparison of absorbed dose extrapolation methods for mouse-to-human translation of radiolabelled macromolecules
Authors: Cicone Francesco , Viertl David , Denoël Thibaut , Stabin Michael G. , Prior John O. , Gnesin Silvano
Published: April 2022

Background

Extrapolation of human absorbed doses (ADs) from biodistribution experiments on laboratory animals is used to predict the efficacy and toxicity profiles of new radiopharmaceuticals. Comparative studies between available animal-to-human dosimetry extrapolation methods are missing. We compared five computational methods for mice-to-human AD extrapolations, using two different radiopharmaceuticals, namely [111In]CHX-DTPA-scFv78-Fc and [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK. Human organ-specific time-integrated activity coefficients (TIACs) were derived from biodistribution studies previously conducted in our centre. The five computational methods adopted are based on simple direct application of mice TIACs to human organs (M1), relative mass scaling (M2), metabolic time scaling (M3), combined mass and time scaling (M4), and organ-specific allometric scaling (M5), respectively. For [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK, these methods for mice-to-human extrapolations were tested against the ADs obtained on patients, previously published by our group. Lastly, an average [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK-specific allometric parameter αnew was calculated from the organ-specific biological half-lives in mouse and humans and retrospectively applied to M3 and M4 to assess differences in human AD predictions with the α = 0.25 recommended by previous studies.

Results

For both radiopharmaceuticals, the five extrapolation methods showed significantly different AD results (p < 0.0001). In general, organ ADs obtained with M3 were higher than those obtained with the other methods. For [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK, no significant differences were found between ADs calculated with M3 and those obtained directly on human subjects (H) (p = 0.99; average M3/H AD ratio = 1.03). All other methods for dose extrapolations resulted in ADs significantly different from those calculated directly on humans (all p ≤ 0.0001). Organ-specific allometric parameters calculated using combined experimental [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK mice and human biodistribution data varied significantly. ADs calculated with M3 and M4 after the application of αnew = 0.17 were significantly different from those obtained by the application of α = 0.25 (both p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Available methods for mouse-to-human dosimetry extrapolations provided significantly different results in two different experimental models. For [68Ga]NODAGA-RGDyK, the best approximation of human dosimetry was shown by M3, applying a metabolic scaling to the mouse organ TIACs. The accuracy of more refined extrapolation algorithms adopting model-specific metabolic scaling parameters should be further investigated.
Cardiovascular drug shortages in Lebanon: a broken heart
Authors: Khattar Georges , Hallit Jennifer , El Chamieh Carolla , Bou Sanayeh Elie
Published: April 2022

For nearly 3 years now, Lebanon has been assailed by compounded crises. With the economic instability, the coronavirus pandemic, and the explosion of the Beirut Port on August 4, 2020; the fragile Lebanese healthcare system has found itself at massive risk of a catastrophic public health crisis secondary to cardiovascular drug shortages. The time has come for public health authorities to find urgent solutions for this national trajedy that is projected to last for years.
Antimicrobial resistance and one health in the post COVID-19 era: What should health students learn?
Authors: Elmahi Osman Kamal Osman , Uakkas Saad , Olalekan Babatunde Yusuf , Damilola Ibrahim Abdulmumin , Adedeji Oluwakorede Joshua , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , dos Santos Costa Ana Carla , Ahmad Shoaib , Essar Mohammad Yasir , Thomson Deborah Janine
Published: April 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical worldwide health issue that jeopardizes our ability to fight illnesses. However, despite being a natural phenomenon, AMR is exacerbated in the world by inappropriate administration of an antimicrobial medication such as under-use or overuse by the general population, farmers, and various health professionals. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has put the world in a shocking state. The pandemic exacerbated the problem of antimicrobial resistance, which was largely caused by irrational off-label use of antivirals, anthelmintics, antimalarials, and, most notably, macrolide antibiotics. As a result, monitoring the AMR progression during the pandemic has been critical. The One Health Approach is progressively becoming the most widely utilized and recommended approach in the ongoing fight against AMR. The aim of this article is to address the lack of teachings in AMR and the One Health Approach in health student training curricula, as well as to provide recommendations that can be implemented as we progress beyond the COVID-19 era.
Body-size dependent foraging strategies in the Christmas Island flying-fox: implications for seed and pollen dispersal within a threatened island ecosystem
Authors: Todd Christopher M. , Westcott David A. , Martin John M. , Rose Karrie , McKeown Adam , Hall Jane , Welbergen Justin A.
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background

Animals are important vectors for the dispersal of a wide variety of plant species, and thus play a key role in maintaining the health and biodiversity of natural ecosystems. On oceanic islands, flying-foxes are often the only seed dispersers or pollinators. However, many flying-fox populations are currently in decline, particularly those of insular species, and this has consequences for the ecological services they provide. Knowledge of the drivers and the scale of flying-fox movements is important in determining the ecological roles that flying-foxes play on islands. This information is also useful for understanding the potential long-term consequences for forest dynamics resulting from population declines or extinction, and so can aid in the development of evidence-based ecological management strategies. To these ends, we examined the foraging movements, floral resource use, and social interactions of the Critically Endangered Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus natalis).

Methods

Utilization distributions, using movement-based kernel estimates (MBKE) were generated to determine nightly foraging movements of GPS-tracked P. natalis (n = 24). Generalized linear models (GLMs), linear mixed-effect models (LMMs), and Generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMMs) were constructed to explain how intrinsic factors (body mass, skeletal size, and sex) affected the extent of foraging movements. In addition, we identified pollen collected from facial and body swabs of P. natalis (n = 216) to determine foraging resource use. Direct observations (n = 272) of foraging P. natalis enabled us to assess the various behaviors used to defend foraging resources.

Results

Larger P. natalis individuals spent more time foraging and less time traveling between foraging patches, traveled shorter nightly distances, and had smaller overall foraging ranges than smaller conspecifics. Additionally, larger individuals visited a lower diversity of floral resources.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that smaller P. natalis individuals are the primary vectors of long-distance dispersal of pollen and digested seeds in this species, providing a vital mechanism for maintaining the flow of plant genetic diversity across Christmas Island. Overall, our study highlights the need for more holistic research approaches that incorporate population demographics when assessing a species’ ecological services.
Detection of astrocytic tau pathology facilitates recognition of chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change
Authors: Ameen-Ali Kamar E. , Bretzin Abigail , Lee Edward B. , Folkerth Rebecca , Hazrati Lili-Naz , Iacono Diego , Keene C. Dirk , Kofler Julia , Kovacs Gabor G. , Nolan Amber , Perl Daniel P. , Priemer David S. , Smith Douglas H. , Wiebe Douglas J. , Stewart William ,   CONNECT-TBI Investigators, Al-Sarraj Safa , Cortes Etty , Crary John , Dams-O’Connor Kristin , Diaz-Arrastia Ramon , Dollé Jean-Pierre , Edlow Brian , Fischl Bruce , Hinds Col. Sidney , Johnson Victoria E. , Manley Geoffrey , Meaney David , Okonkwo David , Schneider Andrea L. C. , Schneider Julie , Troakes Claire , Trojanowski John Q. , van der Kouwe Andre , Yaffe Kristine
Published: April 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with the development of a range of neurodegenerative pathologies, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Current consensus diagnostic criteria define the pathognomonic cortical lesion of CTE neuropathologic change (CTE-NC) as a patchy deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons, with or without glial tau in thorn-shaped astrocytes, typically towards the depths of sulci and clustered around small blood vessels. Nevertheless, although incorporated into consensus diagnostic criteria, the contribution of the individual cellular components to identification of CTE-NC has not been formally evaluated. To address this, from the Glasgow TBI Archive, cortical tissue blocks were selected from consecutive brain donations from contact sports athletes in which there was known to be either CTE-NC (n = 12) or Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic change  (n = 4). From these tissue blocks, adjacent tissue sections were stained for tau antibodies selected to reveal either solely neuronal pathology (3R tau; GT-38) or mixed neuronal and astroglial pathologies (4R tau; PHF-1). These stained sections were then randomised and independently assessed by a panel of expert neuropathologists, blind to patient clinical history and primary antibody applied to each section, who were asked to record whether CTE-NC was present. Results demonstrate that, in sections stained for either 4R tau or PHF-1, consensus recognition of CTE-NC was high. In contrast, recognition of CTE-NC in sections stained for 3R tau or GT-38 was poor; in the former no better than chance. Our observations demonstrate that the presence of both neuronal and astroglial tau pathologies facilitates detection of CTE-NC, with its detection less consistent when neuronal tau pathology alone is visible. The combination of both glial and neuronal pathologies, therefore, may be required for detection of CTE-NC.
Effects of academic achievement and group composition on the quality of student-generated questions and online procedural prompt usage patterns
Authors: Yu Fu-Yun , Cheng Wen-Wen
Published: April 2022

This study aims to examine if and how academic achievement and gender group composition affect the quality of online SGQ and the use patterns of procedural prompts provided to support SGQ activities. Forty-one university sophomores enrolled in an English as a foreign language class participated in a four-week study. All questions generated were categorized based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy for quality evaluation, and a content analysis along the set of integrated online procedural prompts was conducted to reveal usage patterns. Five key findings were obtained: First, the provision of the online procedural prompts served as an efficacious learning scaffold to help the participants at both high- and low-academic achievement levels generate the most questions at high-cognitive levels. Second, based on the results of the Fisher’s exact test, no significant relationships were found between academic achievement and the quality of SGQ. Third, the participants in the all-male and mixed-gender groups generated the majority of their questions at high-cognitive levels, whereas the all-female group generated an equal number of questions at both low- and high-cognitive levels. Fourth, no significant relationships between the gender group composition and the quality of SGQ were found according to the chi-square test of independence. Fifth, the results of the content analysis revealed that while some same usage patterns related to online procedural prompts were exhibited by students at both low- and high-academic achievement levels and with different gender group compositions, slightly different usage patterns were observed.
Technology facilitated sexual violence: a comparative study between working and non-working females in Egypt before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zagloul Nancy M. , Farghaly Rasha M. , ELKhatib Hossam , Issa Sahar Y. , El-Zoghby Safaa M.
Published: April 2022

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine measures policies increased Internet usage, leading to technological hazards as technology facilitated sexual violence (TFSV).

Aim

The current work aimed to assess TFSV among working and non-working Egyptian females before and during COVID-19.

Methods

The current work is a cross-sectional observational comparative study using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed through social platforms among working and non-working Egyptian females.

Results

TFSV was reported by 50.3% of the participants; however, regarding some forms of digital sexual violence, there was a significant decrease during COVID-19 lockdown than before it, considering; threatened creation form (7.8%, 12.0%; p = 0.017); non-consensual pornography (31.4%, 51.9%; p < 0.001) and online sexual harassment and cyber-stalking types (80.9%, 89.4%; p < 0.001). Only 17.3% of the study participants knew the identity of the perpetrator. TFSV led 6.4% to abstain from social media, and 3.9% reported the incident to a law agency.

Conclusions

The current study revealed that almost half of women experienced TFSV. Although time spent on the Internet by the whole participants during the pandemic was significantly higher than before, there was a significant decrease in some types of TFSV. The current study revealed that divorced females working in non-governmental sectors experienced harassment more significantly than others. There is crucial importance to set laws and penalties against perpetrators of TFSV to provide a safe technological environment for women.
A mobile battery-powered brain perfusion ultrasound (BPU) device designed for prehospital stroke diagnosis: correlation to perfusion MRI in healthy volunteers
Authors: Kilic Mustafa , Scalzo Fabien , Lyle Chandler , Baldaranov Dobri , Dirnbacher Maximilian , Honda Tristan , Liebeskind David S. , Schlachetzki Felix
Published: April 2022

Background

Early prehospital stroke identification is crucial for goal directed hospital admission especially in rural areas. However, clinical prehospital stroke scales are designed to identify any stroke but cannot sufficiently differentiate hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke, including large vessel occlusion (LVO) amenable to mechanical thrombectomy. We report on a novel small, portable and battery driven point-of-care ultrasound system (SONAS®) specifically developed for mobile non-invasive brain perfusion ultrasound (BPU) measurement after bolus injection of an echo-enhancing agent suitable for the use in prehospital stroke diagnosis filling a current, unmet and critical need for LVO identification.

Methods

In a phase I study of healthy volunteers we performed comparative perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PWI) and BPU measurements, including safety analysis.

Results

Twelve volunteers (n = 7 females, n = 5 males, age ranging between 19 and 55 years) tolerated the measurement extremely well including analysis of blood–brain barrier integrity, and the correlation coefficient between the generated time kinetic curves after contrast agent bolus between PWI and BPU transducers ranged between 0.89 and 0.76.

Conclusions

Mobile BPU using the SONAS® device is feasible and safe with results comparable to PWI. When applied in conjunction with prehospital stroke scales this may lead to a more accurate stroke diagnosis and patients bypassing regular stroke units to comprehensive stroke centers. Further studies are needed in acute stroke patients and in the prehospital phase including assessment of immediate and long-term morbidity and mortality in stroke.

Trial registration: Clinical trials.gov, registered 28.Sep.2017, Identifier: NCT03296852.
Analysis of microstructural characteristics and components of red and yellow ink pigments used in permanent makeup
Authors: Jin Hyun Sook , Chang Byung Soo
Published: April 2022

Our purpose in this study is to analyze the microstructural characteristics and constituent elements of inorganic substances added to the yellow ink and red ink pigments used in permanent makeup. We observed the microstructural properties of inorganic pigments added to the ink using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analyzed the constituent elements of the inorganic pigment particles using an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In red wine-colored ink, cubic titanium dioxide with a diameter of 110 to 200 nm was the major component, and rod-shaped iron oxide was rarely observed. Most of the ingredients of taupe yellow ink were rod-shaped yellow iron oxide, and a small amount of cubic titanium dioxide was observed. Red wine-colored ink and taupe yellow ink contained lumps composed of titanium dioxide particles. In red wine-colored ink, lumps were formed by agglomeration. However, we observed that the surface of the lump composed of titanium dioxide in the taupe yellow ink had a smooth surface caused by external physical compression. The titanium dioxide particle mass which found in taupe yellow ink in this study is an artificial product. When this mass accumulates in the dermis, it may cause a color mismatch. Therefore, permanent makeup using fine pigments should be free of foreign substances that may cause trouble in the skin. In addition, there is a need to improve the quality of the ink so that the required color can be safe and long lasting in the dermis.
Maulana and sekanjabin (oxymel): a ceremonial relationship with gastronomic and health perspectives
Authors: Orhan Halil İbrahim , Yılmaz İlkay , Tekiner İsmail Hakkı
Published: April 2022

Sekanjabin, also known as Oxymel, is an ancient beverage including honey, fermented vinegar, water, and various fruits and herbs. Great physicians Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna recommended treating gastrointestinal disorders, pain, asthma, thoracic, cough, sore throat, foul, and breath. Furthermore, Maulana, a symbol of tolerance that is humanism-flexible and non-violent, frequently mentions this beverage in his great masterpieces “Divan-ı Kebir” and “Masnavi.” Therefore, it can be evaluated as an intangible cultural heritage of Western and near Asian civilizations and has a significant and ceremonial role in Maulana and Maulawi Culture. From a gastronomic and health perspective, this study explored the ceremonial relationship between Maulana and sekanjabin.
Prenatal diagnosis of accessory mitral valve tissue in a fetus with persistent dysrhythmia
Authors: Hematian Mohammad Nasir , Torabi Shirin , Hantoushzadeh Sedigheh , Dehestani Alireza , Dadkhah Minoo , Shabanian Reza
Published: April 2022

Background

Accessory mitral valve tissue (AMVT) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly that mainly diagnosed in the first decade of life. However, asymptomatic cases may not be diagnosed even up to adulthood. We report a fetus with AMVT to show the diagnostic ability of the fetal echocardiography for detection of this pathology in the prenatal period.

Case presentation

AMVT was diagnosed in a 26-week-old male fetus with persistent dysrhythmia. Dysrhythmia could not be aborted and controlled by sotalol till the third trimester evaluation. Apical left ventricular (LV) diverticulum was the additional finding in his fetal echocardiogram. After birth, he was in sinus rhythm and echocardiography confirmed the presence of AMVT, however, without any evidence of LV apical diverticulum.

Conclusions

The diagnosis of AMVT in the prenatal period is possible by fetal echocardiography.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of Cr (VI) reduction by Tamarindus indica methanol leaves extract under optimized reaction conditions
Authors: Katsayal Babangida Sanusi , Sallau Abdullahi Balarabe , Muhammad Aliyu
Published: April 2022

Environmental contamination with Cr (VI) has recently attracted public attention because of its high concentration in soil and wastewater originating majorly from anthropogenic activities and natural processes. Reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) is a feasible method for minimizing chromium pollution. This work aimed at characterizing the effects of Cr (VI) reduction conditions in a batch experiment such as temperature, hydrogen ion concentration, time, and reactant concentrations, as well as kinetics and thermodynamics of the reaction using Tamarindus indica methanol leaves extract as a reductant. Cr (VI) reduction was meaningfully affected by temperature, hydrogen ion concentration, reaction time, and reactant concentrations. The reaction followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.997) at pH of 2; at the neutral and alkaline pH (7 and 9), the reaction predominantly obeyed first order (R2 = 0.988) and pseudo-first order (R2 = 0.758), respectively. Under various hydrogen ion concentrations, the reaction retains negative free energies, enthalpy change, and a positive entropy. The findings from this study suggested the reaction to be spontaneous, exothermic, and orderly unstable. We concluded that phytocompounds present in tamarind methanol leaves extract demonstrated a strong potentials for converting Cr (VI) to Cr (III) and, thus, could be applicable in Cr (VI) contaminated wastewater treatment.
Therapeutic applications of engineered chimeric antigen receptors-T cell for cancer therapy
Authors: Hussain Amina
Published: April 2022

Background

Findings of new targeted treatments with adequate safety evaluations are essential for better cancer cures and mortality rates. Immunotherapy holds promise for patients with relapsed disease, with the ability to elicit long-term remissions. Emerging promising clinical results in B-cell malignancy using gene-altered T-lymphocytes uttering chimeric antigen receptors have sparked a lot of interest. This treatment could open the path for a major difference in the way we treat tumors that are resistant or recurring.

Main body

Genetically altered T cells used to produce tumor-specific chimeric antigen receptors are resurrected fields of adoptive cell therapy by demonstrating remarkable success in the treatment of malignant tumors. Because of the molecular complexity of chimeric antigen receptors-T cells, a variety of engineering approaches to improve safety and effectiveness are necessary to realize larger therapeutic uses. In this study, we investigate new strategies for enhancing chimeric antigen receptors-T cell therapy by altering chimeric antigen receptors proteins, T lymphocytes, and their relations with another solid tumor microenvironment (TME) aspects. Furthermore, examine the potential region of chimeric antigen receptors-T cells therapy to become a most effective treatment modality, taking into account the basic and clinical and practical aspect.

Short conclusions

Chimeric antigen receptors-T cells have shown promise in the therapy of hematological cancers. Recent advancements in protein and cell editing, as well as genome-editing technologies, have paved the way for multilayered T cell therapy techniques that can address numerous important demands. At around the same time, there is crosstalk between various intended aspects within the chimeric antigen receptors-T cell diverse biological complexity and possibilities. These breakthroughs substantially improve the ability to comprehend these complex interactions in future solid tumor chimeric antigen receptor-T cell treatment and open up new treatment options for patients that are currently incurable.
3D ground-penetrating radar attribute classification: A case study from a paleokarst breccia pipe in the Billefjorden area on Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Authors: Allroggen Niklas , Heincke Björn H. , Koyan Philipp , Wheeler Walter , Rønning Jan S.
Published: April 2022

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a method that can provide detailed information about the near subsurface in sedimentary and carbonate environments. The classical interpretation of GPR data (e.g., based on manual feature selection) often is labor-intensive and limited by the experience of the interpreter. Novel attribute-based classification approaches, typically used for seismic interpretation, can provide faster, more repeatable, and less biased interpretations. We have recorded a 3D GPD data set collected across a paleokarst breccia pipe in the Billefjorden area on Spitsbergen, Svalbard. After performing advanced processing, we compare the results of a classical GPR interpretation to the results of an attribute-based classification. Our attribute classification incorporates a selection of dip and textural attributes as the input for a k-means clustering approach. Similar to the results of the classical interpretation, the resulting classes differentiate between undisturbed strata and breccias or fault zones. The classes also reveal details inside the breccia pipe that are not discerned in the classical interpretation. Using nearby outcropping breccia pipes, we infer that the intrapipe GPR facies result from subtle differences, such as breccia lithology, clast size, or pore-space filling.
Recurrent autoencoder model for unsupervised seismic facies analysis
Authors: Zhou Yanhui , Chen Wenchao
Published: April 2022

Machine learning-based automatic seismic facies analysis has increased significantly over the past few decades. The key is to select the most representative features (such as the commonly used poststack amplitude data or the induced seismic attributes) as the input of the different machine learning algorithms. As an advanced branch of machine learning, deep learning can be used to extract the discriminatively deep features from seismic data similar to those used in image classification. In this study, we havedeveloped an unsupervised seismic facies analysis method by using a recurrent autoencoder model. First, we have constructed and trained an autoencoder architecture combined with long short-term memory-based recurrent operation. Its main aim is to learn the deep discriminative features by taking the windowed poststack seismic data as the input time series data. This type of unsupervised learning takes advantage of the no labeling requirement of seismic data. In addition, the recurrent operation is beneficial in delineating the time-sequential characteristics of seismic data. Second, we have taken the learned features as the input of simple K-means clustering and analyzed the corresponding seismic facies. In other words, the clustering is executed in the learned feature space (learned feature-based clustering). Real data results have demonstrated that our method reveals more details than the original amplitude-based K-means clustering, depending on the cluster calibration. In particular, according to the known natural gamma-ray logs and lithological descriptions of five wells, different amounts of sandstone and mudstone deposit are more accurately discriminated, which is substantially informative in reservoir prediction and hydrocarbon exploration. Furthermore, the estimated average silhouette scores have quantitatively shown the effectiveness of our method.