bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of country implementation of the WHO global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections (2016-2021)
Authors: Taylor Melanie M. , Wi Teodora , Gerbase Antonio , Thwin Soe Soe , Gottlieb Sami , Babovic Maria Theresa , Low-Beer Daniel , Alonso Monica , Mello Maeve B. , Ishikawa Naoko , Brink Anne , Hermez Joumana , Sabry Ahmed , Sanni Saliyou , Ouedraogo Leopold , Rewari Bharat , Sharma Mukta , Seguy Nicole , Vovc Elena , Askew Ian , Doherty Meg , Broutet Nathalie
Published: May 2022

Background

In 2016, WHO launched the Global Health Sector Strategy on STIs, 2016–2021 (GHSS) to provide guidance and benchmarks for country achievement by 2020 and four global targets for achievement by 2030.

Methods

A country survey jointly developed by experienced technical personnel at WHO Headquarters (HQ) and WHO regional offices was reviewed and distributed by WHO regional advisors to 194 WHO Member States in September-March 2020. The survey sought to assess implementation and prioritization of STI policy, surveillance, service delivery, commodity availability, and surveillance based on targets of the GHSS.

Results

A majority (58%, 112/194) of countries returned a completed survey reflecting current (2019) STI activities. The regions with the highest survey completion rates were South-East Asia Region (91%, 10/11), Region of the Americas (71%, 25/35) and Western Pacific Region (67%, 18/27). Having a national STI strategy was reported by 64% (72/112) and performing STI surveillance activities by 88% (97/110) of reporting countries. Availability of STI services within primary health clinics was reported by 88% of countries (99/112); within HIV clinics by 92% (103/112), and within reproductive health services by 85% (95/112). Existence of a national strategy to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis (EMTCT) was reported by 70% of countries (78/112). Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring for gonococcal infection (gonorrhoea) was reported by 64% (57/89) of reporting countries with this laboratory capacity. Inclusion of HPV vaccine for young women in the national immunization schedule was reported by 59% (65/110) and availability of cervical cancer screening was reported by 91% (95/104). Stockouts of STI medicines, primarily benzathine penicillin, within the prior four years were reported by 34% (37/110) of countries.

Conclusions

Mechanisms to support improvements to STI service delivery through national-level policy, commitment, programming and surveillance are needed to operationalize, accelerate and monitor progress towards achievement of the 2030 global STI strategy targets.
Which vaccine attributes foster vaccine uptake? A cross-country conjoint experiment
Authors: Stöckli Sabrina , Spälti Anna Katharina , Phillips Joseph , Stoeckel Florian , Barnfield Matthew , Thompson Jack , Lyons Benjamin , Mérola Vittorio , Szewach Paula , Reifler Jason
Published: May 2022

Why do people prefer one particular COVID-19 vaccine over another? We conducted a pre-registered conjoint experiment (n = 5,432) in France, Germany, and Sweden in which respondents rated the favorability of and chose between pairs of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines. Differences in effectiveness and the prevalence of side-effects had the largest effects on vaccine preferences. Factors with smaller effects include country of origin (respondents are less favorable to vaccines of Chinese and Russian origin), and vaccine technology (respondents exhibited a small preference for hypothetical mRNA vaccines). The general public also exhibits sensitivity to additional factors (e.g. how expensive the vaccines are). Our data show that vaccine attributes are more important for vaccine preferences among those with higher vaccine favorability and higher risk tolerance. In our conjoint design, vaccine attributes–including effectiveness and side-effect prevalence–appear to have more muted effects among the most vaccine hesitant respondents. Theprevalence of side-effects,effectiveness,country of originandvaccine technology(e.g., mRNA vaccines) determine vaccine acceptance, but they matter little among the vaccine hesitant. Vaccine hesitant people do not find a vaccine more attractive even if it has the most favorable attributes. While the communication of vaccine attributes is important, it is unlikely to convince those who are most vaccine hesitant to get vaccinated.
‘Unheard,’ ‘uncared for’ and ‘unsupported’: The mental health impact of Covid -19 on healthcare workers in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Authors: Dawood Bilkis , Tomita Andrew , Ramlall Suvira
Published: May 2022

As a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to being exposed to chronic and multiple sources of psychological stress, healthcare workers constitute a vulnerable population. Despite the potential impact of Covid-19 on their psychological and physical health, insufficient attention has been given to their mental well-being. The primary objective of this study was to measure and understand this psychological impact on public sector doctors and nurses in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The secondary objective was to ascertain their perceptions of psychosocial support, specific to Covid-19, within the workplace. This cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted from August to October 2020, following the first surge of the pandemic in the country, and included 312 participants. Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms were assessed with the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 item and post-traumatic stress was measured by the Impact of Events Scale-Revised version. Measures of employer support were assessed using an adapted closed-ended questionnaire. The participants’ mean age was 36.6± 9.3 years with three quarters being male (n = 234, 75.0%) and predominantly (n = 214, 72.3%) medical doctors. Numbers of participants with depression, anxiety and stress were 121 (51.5%), 111 (47.2%) and 104 (44.3%) respectively, with 38 (16.2%), 50 (21.3%) and 38 (16.2%) in the combined severe/extremely severe range, respectively. On the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, 34 (13.7%) participants were in the severe range. Subjectively, 63.0% felt that their concerns were not ‘heard’, 75.1% did not feel ‘cared for’ and 81.1% and 74.0% did not feel ‘physically’ or ‘psychologically’ supported, respectively. High levels of depression, anxiety, stress and traumatic stress, combined with poor perceptions of employer support, highlight the need to identify and address the psychosocial support needs and expectations of healthcare workers for the duration of the pandemic, as well as for the mental health sequelae post-pandemic.
School-based high-intensity interval training programs in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Duncombe Stephanie L. , Barker Alan R. , Bond Bert , Earle Renae , Varley-Campbell Jo , Vlachopoulos Dimitris , Walker Jacqueline L. , Weston Kathryn L. , Stylianou Michalis
Published: May 2022

Purpose

1) To investigate the effectiveness of school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions in promoting health outcomes of children and adolescents compared with either a control group or other exercise modality; and 2) to explore the intervention characteristics and process outcomes of published school-based HIIT interventions.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science from inception until 31 March 2021. Studies were eligible if 1) participants aged 5–17 years old; 2) a HIIT intervention within a school setting ≥ 2 weeks duration; 3) a control or comparative exercise group; 4) health-related, cognitive, physical activity, nutrition, or program evaluation outcomes; and 5) original research published in English. We conducted meta-analyses between HIIT and control groups for all outcomes with ≥ 4 studies and meta-regressions for all outcomes with ≥ 10 studies. We narratively synthesised results between HIIT and comparative exercise groups.

Results

Fifty-four papers met eligibility criteria, encompassing 42 unique studies (35 randomised controlled trials; 36 with a high risk of bias). Meta-analyses indicated significant improvements in waist circumference (mean difference (MD) = -2.5cm), body fat percentage (MD = -1.7%), body mass index (standardised mean difference (SMD) = -1.0), cardiorespiratory fitness (SMD = +1.0), resting heart rate (MD = -5bpm), homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance (MD = -0.7), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = -0.9) for HIIT compared to the control group. Our narrative synthesis indicated mixed findings between HIIT and other comparative exercise groups.

Conclusion

School-based HIIT is effective for improving several health outcomes. Future research should address the paucity of information on physical activity and nutrition outcomes and focus on the integration and long-term effectiveness of HIIT interventions within school settings.

Trial registration number

PROSPEROCRD42018117567.
Characterization and complete genome sequence analysis of a newly isolatedphage against Vibrio parahaemolyticus from sick shrimp in Qingdao, China
Authors: Tian Fengjuan , Li Jing , Hu Yunjia , Zhao Feiyang , Ren Huiying , Pan Qiang , Nazir Amina , Li Fei , Tong Yigang
Published: May 2022

Foodborne diseases have become a serious havoc, where antimicrobial resistance is throwing significant challenges on daily basis. With the increase of drug-resistant bacteria and food-borne infection associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, new and effective strategies were needed to control the emergence of vibriosis. Lytic bacteriophages come up as a promising way to resist the pathogenic population in various applications. In this study, a V. parahaemolyticus specific phage vB_VpS_PG28 was isolated from sewage in the seafood market. Results showed vB_VpS_PG28, is strictly a lytic bacteriophage and has a relatively large burst size of 103 plaque-forming units per infected cell. Comparative genomic and bioinformatic analyses proved that vB_VpS_PG28 is a new bacteriophage that had a homologous relation with Vibrio phages of family Siphoviridae, especially with phage VH2_2019, but transmission electron microscopy of vB_VpS_PG28 morphology characterized its morphology is similar to that of Myoviridae family. In silico analysis indicated that the vB_VpS_PG28 genome consists of 82712 bp (48.08% GC content) encoding 114 putative ORFs without tRNA,and any gene associated with resistance or virulence factors has not been found. The bacteriophage in the present study has shown significant outcomes in order to control bacterial growth under in vitro conditions. Thus, we are suggesting a beneficiary agent against foodborne pathogens. Further, to ensure the safe usage of phage oral toxicity testing is recommended.
BOXR1030, an anti-GPC3 CAR with exogenous GOT2 expression, shows enhanced T cell metabolism and improved anti-cell line derived tumor xenograft activity
Authors: Hickman Taylor L. , Choi Eugene , Whiteman Kathleen R. , Muralidharan Sujatha , Pai Tapasya , Johnson Tyler , Parikh Avani , Friedman Taylor , Gilbert Madaline , Shen Binzhang , Barron Luke , McGinness Kathleen E. , Ettenberg Seth A. , Motz Greg T. , Weiss Glen J. , Jensen-Smith Amy
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The solid tumor microenvironment (TME) drives T cell dysfunction and inhibits the effectiveness of immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor-based T cell (CAR T) cells. Early data has shown that modulation of T cell metabolism can improve intratumoral T cell function in preclinical models.

Experimental design

We evaluated GPC3 expression in human normal and tumor tissue specimens. We developed and evaluated BOXR1030, a novel CAR T therapeutic co-expressing glypican-3 (GPC3)-targeted CAR and exogenous glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 2 (GOT2) in terms of CAR T cell function both in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Cell surface expression of tumor antigen GPC3 was observed by immunohistochemical staining in tumor biopsies from hepatocellular carcinoma, liposarcoma, squamous lung cancer, and Merkel cell carcinoma patients. Compared to control GPC3 CAR alone, BOXR1030 (GPC3-targeted CAR T cell that co-expressed GOT2) demonstrated superior in vivo efficacy in aggressive solid tumor xenograft models, and showed favorable attributes in vitro including an enhanced cytokine production profile, a less-differentiated T cell phenotype with lower expression of stress and exhaustion markers, an enhanced metabolic profile and increased proliferation in TME-like conditions.

Conclusions

Together, these results demonstrated that co-expression of GOT2 can substantially improve the overall antitumor activity of CAR T cells by inducing broad changes in cellular function and phenotype. These data show that BOXR1030 is an attractive approach to targeting select solid tumors. To this end, BOXR1030 will be explored in the clinic to assess safety, dose-finding, and preliminary efficacy (NCT05120271).
Comparative analysis of web-based programs for single amino acid substitutions in proteins
Authors: Choudhury Arunabh , Mohammad Taj , Anjum Farah , Shafie Alaa , Singh Indrakant K. , Abdullaev Bekhzod , Pasupuleti Visweswara Rao , Adnan Mohd , Yadav Dharmendra Kumar , Hassan Md. Imtaiyaz
Published: May 2022

Single amino-acid substitution in a protein affects its structure and function. These changes are the primary reasons for the advent of many complex diseases. Analyzing single point mutations in a protein is crucial to see their impact and to understand the disease mechanism. This has given many biophysical resources, including databases and web-based tools to explore the effects of mutations on the structure and function of human proteins. For a given mutation, each tool provides a score-based outcomes which indicate deleterious probability. In recent years, developments in existing programs and the introduction of new prediction algorithms have transformed the state-of-the-art protein mutation analysis. In this study, we have performed a systematic study of the most commonly used mutational analysis programs (10 sequence-based and 5 structure-based) to compare their prediction efficiency. We have carried out extensive mutational analyses using these tools for previously known pathogenic single point mutations of five different proteins. These analyses suggested that sequence-based tools, PolyPhen2, PROVEAN, and PMut, and structure-based web tool, mCSM have a better prediction accuracy. This study indicates that the employment of more than one program based on different approaches should significantly improve the prediction power of the available methods.
Educating the masses to address a global public health priority: The Preventing Dementia Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
Authors: Farrow Maree , Fair Hannah , Klekociuk Shannon Z. , Vickers James C.
Published: May 2022

Dementia is a global public health priority and risk reduction is an important pillar of the public health response. While 40% of cases are estimated to be attributable to modifiable health and lifestyle risk factors, public awareness of the evidence is low, limiting peoples’ opportunity to adopt risk-reducing behaviours. To address this gap, we designed, implemented, and evaluated an educational intervention, the Preventing Dementia Massive Open Online Course (PDMOOC). This mixed-methods study examined the reach and impact of the free and globally available PDMOOC, to assess its potential to provide effective dementia risk reduction education to a broad international audience. Over 100,000 individuals participated in the PDMOOC across seven iterations from 2016 to 2020, with 55,739 of these consenting to participate in research. Their mean age was 49 years (SD = 15), they came from 167 different countries, and the majority were female (86%), had completed post-secondary education (77%), lived in high-income countries (93%) and worked in health care and social assistance (63%). This demographic profile changed across time, with more men, people with higher education and people from low- and middle-income countries participating in recent course iterations. Two-thirds of participants completed the PDMOOC; completion was associated with being aged 50 to 70 years, residing in a high-income country, having tertiary education, and working in the health sector. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the PDMOOC, improved dementia risk reduction understanding and self-efficacy, increased motivation to maintain healthy lifestyles, and, importantly, application of their learning to health behaviour change with the potential to reduce their dementia risk. The PDMOOC educated a large global audience about dementia risk reduction, which contributed to participants making risk-reducing behaviour changes. This suggests MOOCs can be a successful public health strategy to improve dementia risk reduction understanding.
Identifying misconduct-committing officer crews in the Chicago police department
Authors: Jain Akshay , Sinclair Rajiv , Papachristos Andrew V.
Published: May 2022

Explanations for police misconduct often center on a narrow notion of “problem officers,” the proverbial “bad apples.” Such an individualistic approach not only ignores the larger systemic problems of policing but also takes for granted the group-based nature of police work. Nearly all of police work is group-based and officers’ formal and informal networks can impact behavior, including misconduct. In extreme cases, groups of officers (what we refer to as, “crews”) have even been observed to coordinate their abusive and even criminal behaviors. This study adopts a social network and machine learning approach to empirically investigate the presence and impact of officer crews engaging in alleged misconduct in a major U.S. city: Chicago, IL. Using data on Chicago police officers between 1971 and 2018, we identify potential crews and analyze their impact on alleged misconduct and violence. Results detected approximately 160 possible crews, comprised of less than 4% of all Chicago police officers. Officers in these crews were involved in an outsized amount of alleged and actual misconduct, accounting for approximately 25% of all use of force complaints, city payouts for civil and criminal litigations, and police-involved shootings. The detected crews also contributed to racial disparities in arrests and civilian complaints, generating nearly 18% of all complaints filed by Black Chicagoans and 14% of complaints filed by Hispanic Chicagoans.
Use of artificial intelligence in activating the role of Saudi universities in joint scientific research between university teachers and students
Authors: Albasalah Aida , Alshawwa Samar , Alarnous Razan
Published: May 2022

Scientific research in Saudi Arabia’s universities has undergone significant changes in recent years with the speed of higher education expansion and the opening of new universities. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to existing data analysis processes to enhance pattern recognition and to support advanced data analysis. This study aimed to investigate the obstacles to activating the role of university instructors and students in joint scientific research. The study also aimed to evaluate joint scientific research between university teachers and students in universities, as well as the mechanisms for activating joint scientific research among male and female students in health and humanities science within Saudi universities, to enhance creation and invention achievements. To determine the obstacles to activating scientific research roles between students and tutors in Saudi universities using AI, a simple random sampling technique was adopted for this study. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to 250 respondents affiliated with universities in Saudi Arabia. The data collected were statistically analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The results of this study revealed that the objectives of joint scientific research between university teachers and students in universities have a significant positive predictor of obstacles to activating the role of teachers in joint scientific research with students in Saudi universities. The study also showed that there was a statistically significant correlation (p value = 0.00) between each of the variables.
Infants prenatally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 show the absence of fidgety movements and are at higher risk for neurological disorders: A comparative study
Authors: Aldrete-Cortez Vania , Bobadilla Liliana , Tafoya Silvia A. , Gonzalez-Carpinteiro Aline , Nava Fernanda , Viñals Carlos , Alvarado Elsa , Mendizabal-Espinosa Rosa , Gómez-López María Eugenia , Ramirez-Garcia Luz A. , Perez-Miguel Alejandro
Published: May 2022

Congenital viral infections are believed to damage the developing neonatal brain. However, whether neonates exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) show manifestations of such damage remains unclear. For neurodevelopment evaluation, general movement assessments have been shown to be effective in identifying early indicators of neurological dysfunction, including the absence of fidgety movements. This study compared the early motor repertoire by general movement assessment at three to five months of age in neonates who were or were not prenatally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 to determine whether infants prenatally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 are at risk of developing neurological disorders. Fifty-six infants, including 28 in the exposed group of mothers without vaccination who had no need for intensive care and likely had SARS-CoV-2 infection close to the time of pregnancy resolution and 28 infants in the nonexposed group, were videotaped to compare their detailed early motor repertoires, in which a motor optimality score-revised (MOS-R) was calculated using Prechtl’s method by using the chi-square or Mann–Whitney U tests. In the exposed group, 3 (11%) infants showed the absence of fidgety movements with a total MOS-R<14 points, and 3 (11%) other infants showed abnormal fidgety movements. Between groups, atypical body symmetry (p = 0.009) and MOS-R values were significantly lower (Z = -3.08, p = 0.002), with a large size effect (Cohen’s d = 0.97). The consequences of this new virus go beyond the health of the pregnant mother, and these consequences in some of the infants in the exposed group are likely not transitory because of the absence of fidgety movements between 3–5 months; thus, these babies are at increased risk of developing a serious neurological disorder.
Lack of the immune adaptor molecule SARM1 accelerates disease in prion infected mice and is associated with increased mitochondrial respiration and decreased expression of NRF2
Authors: Ward Anne , Jessop Forrest , Faris Robert , Shoup Daniel , Bosio Catharine M. , Peterson Karin E. , Priola Suzette A.
Published: May 2022

Prion diseases are a group of fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative diseases of mammals. In the brain, axonal loss and neuronal death are prominent in prion infection, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Sterile alpha and heat/Armadillo motif 1 (SARM1) is a protein expressed in neurons of the brain that plays a critical role in axonal degeneration. Following damage to axons, it acquires an NADase activity that helps to regulate mitochondrial health by breaking down NAD+, a molecule critical for mitochondrial respiration. SARM1 has been proposed to have a protective effect in prion disease, and we hypothesized that it its role in regulating mitochondrial energetics may be involved. We therefore analyzed mitochondrial respiration in SARM1 knockout mice (SARM1KO) and wild-type mice inoculated either with prions or normal brain homogenate. Pathologically, disease was similar in both strains of mice, suggesting that SARM1 mediated axonal degradation is not the sole mechanism of axonal loss during prion disease. However, mitochondrial respiration was significantly increased and disease incubation time accelerated in prion infected SARM1KO mice when compared to wild-type mice. Increased levels of mitochondrial complexes II and IV and decreased levels of NRF2, a potent regulator of reactive oxygen species, were also apparent in the brains of SARM1KO mice when compared to wild-type mice. Our data suggest that SARM1 slows prion disease progression, likely by regulating mitochondrial respiration, which may help to mitigate oxidative stress via NRF2.
Identification of hand-foot syndrome from cancer patients’ blog posts: BERT-based deep-learning approach to detect potential adverse drug reaction symptoms
Authors: Nishioka Satoshi , Watanabe Tomomi , Asano Masaki , Yamamoto Tatsunori , Kawakami Kazuyoshi , Yada Shuntaro , Aramaki Eiji , Yajima Hiroshi , Kizaki Hayato , Hori Satoko
Published: May 2022

Early detection and management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is crucial for improving patients’ quality of life. Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is one of the most problematic ADRs for cancer patients. Recently, an increasing number of patients post their daily experiences to internet community, for example in blogs, where potential ADR signals not captured through routine clinic visits can be described. Therefore, this study aimed to identify patients with potential ADRs, focusing on HFS, from internet blogs by using natural language processing (NLP) deep-learning methods. From 10,646 blog posts, written in Japanese by cancer patients, 149 HFS-positive sentences were extracted after pre-processing, annotation and scrutiny by a certified oncology pharmacist. The HFS-positive sentences described not only HFS typical expressions like “pain" or “spoon nail”, but also patient-derived unique expressions like onomatopoeic ones. The dataset was divided at a 4 to 1 ratio and used to train and evaluate three NLP deep-learning models: long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM and bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT). The BERT model gave the best performance with precision 0.63, recall 0.82 and f1 score 0.71 in the HFS user identification task. Our results demonstrate that this NLP deep-learning model can successfully identify patients with potential HFS from blog posts, where patients’ real wordings on symptoms or impacts on their daily lives are described. Thus, it should be feasible to utilize patient-generated text data to improve ADR management for individual patients.
Using machine learning to predict health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with low grade glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma
Authors: Karri Roshan , Chen Yi-Ping Phoebe , Drummond Katharine J.
Published: May 2022

Background

Predicting reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after resection of a benign or low-grade brain tumour provides the opportunity for early intervention, and targeted expenditure of scarce supportive care resources. We aimed to develop, and evaluate the performance of, machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict HRQoL outcomes in this patient group.

Methods

Using a large prospective dataset of HRQoL outcomes in patients surgically treated for low grade glioma, acoustic neuroma and meningioma, we investigated the capability of ML to predict a) HRQoL-impacting symptoms persisting between 12 and 60 months from tumour resection and b) a decline in global HRQoL by more than the minimum clinically important difference below a normative population mean within 12 and 60 months after resection. Ten-fold cross-validation was used to measure the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), area under the precision-recall curve (PR-AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of models. Six ML algorithms were explored per outcome: Random Forest Classifier, Decision Tree Classifier, Logistic Regression, K Neighbours Classifier, Support Vector Machine, and Gradient Boosting Machine.

Results

The final cohort included 262 patients. Outcome measures for which AUC>0.9 were Appetite loss, Constipation, Nausea and vomiting, Diarrhoea, Dyspnoea and Fatigue. AUC was between 0.8 and 0.9 for global HRQoL and Financial difficulty. Pain and Insomnia achieved AUCs below 0.8. PR-AUCs were similar overall to the AUC of each respective classifier.

Conclusions

ML algorithms based on routine demographic and perioperative data show promise in their ability to predict HRQoL outcomes in patients with low grade and benign brain tumours between 12 and 60 months after surgery.
New insights into the potential utility of the left atrial function analysis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction diagnosis
Authors: Rimbas Roxana Cristina , Visoiu Ionela Simona , Magda Stefania Lucia , Mihaila-Baldea Sorina , Luchian Maria Luiza , Chitroceanu Alexandra Maria , Hayat Memis , Mihalcea Diana Janina , Dragoi-Galrinho-Antunes-Guerra Ruxandra , Stefan Miruna , Velcea Andreea , Andronic Anca Andreea , Lungeanu-Juravle Laura , Nicula Alina Ioana , Vinereanu Dragos
Published: May 2022

Aims

None of the conventional echocardiographic parameters alone predict increased NTproBNP level and symptoms, making diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) very difficult in some cases, in resting condition. We evaluated LA functions by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) on top of conventional parameters in HFpEF and preHF patients with diastolic dysfunction (DD), in order to establish the added value of the LA deformation parameters in the diagnosis of HFpEF.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 125 patients, 88 with HFpEF (68±9 yrs), and 37 asymptomatic with similar risk factors with DD (preHF) (61±8 yrs). We evaluated them by NTproBNP, conventional DD parameters, and STE. Global longitudinal strain (GS) was added. LA reservoir (R), conduit (C), and pump function (CT) were assessed both by volumetric and STE. 2 reservoir strain (S) derived indices were also measured, stiffness (SI) and distensibility index (DI).

Results

LA R and CT functions were significantly reduced in HFpEF compared to preHF group (all p<0.001), whereas conduit was similarly in both groups. SI was increased, whereas DI was reduced in HFpEF group (p<0.001). By adding LA strain analysis, from all echocardiographic parameters, SR_CT<-1.66/s and DI<0.57 (AUC = 0.76, p<0.001) demonstrated the highest accuracy to identify HFpEF diagnosis. However, by multivariate logistic regression, the model that best identifies HFpEF included only SR_CT, GS and sPAP (R2 = 0.506, p<0.001). Moreover, SR_CT, DI, and sPAP registered significant correlation with NTproBNP level.

Conclusions

By adding LA functional analysis, we might improve the HFpEF diagnosis accuracy, compared to present guidelines. LA pump function is the only one able to differentiates preHF from HFpEF patients at rest. A value of SR_CT < -1.66/s outperformed conventional parameters from the scoring system, reservoir strain, and LA overload indices in HFpEF diagnosis. We suggest that LA function by STE could be incorporated in the current protocol for HFpEF diagnosis at rest as a major functional criterion, in order to improve diagnostic algorithm, and also in the follow-up of patients with risk factors and DD, as a prognostic marker. Future studies are needed to validate our findings.
Oral health inequality in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom
Authors: Chari Malini , Ravaghi Vahid , Sabbah Wael , Gomaa Noha , Singhal Sonica , Quiñonez Carlos
Published: May 2022

The objective of this study was to quantify the magnitude of absolute and relative oral health inequality in countries with similar socio-political environments, but differing oral health care systems such as Canada, the United States (US), and the United Kingdom (UK), in the first decade of the new millennium. Clinical oral health data were obtained from the Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007–2009, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008, and the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009, for Canada, the US and UK, respectively. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were used to quantify absolute and relative inequality, respectively. There was significant oral health inequality in all three countries. Among dentate individuals, inequality in untreated decay was highest among Americans (SII:28.2; RII:4.7), followed by Canada (SII:21.0; RII:3.09) and lowest in the UK (SII:15.8; RII:1.75). Inequality for filled teeth was negligible in all three countries. For edentulism, inequality was highest in Canada (SII: 30.3; RII: 13.2), followed by the UK (SII: 10.2; RII: 11.5) and lowest in the US (SII: 10.3; and RII: 9.26). Lower oral health inequality in the UK speaks to the more equitable nature of its oral health care system, while a highly privatized dental care environment in Canada and the US may explain the higher inequality in these countries. However, despite an almost equal utilization of restorative dental care, there remained a higher concentration of unmet needs among the poor in all three countries.
Exploration of consumer preference based on deep learning neural network model in the immersive marketing environment
Authors: Zheng Qiang , Ding Qingshan
Published: May 2022

The study intends to increase the marketing quantity of various commodities and promote the comprehensive development of the market. The study first discusses the principle and current situation of the emerging Immersive Marketing. Then, it analyzes the Deep Learning (DL) Neural Network (NN) model. Finally, a Personalized Recommendation System (PRS) is designed based on the Immersive Marketing environment using the Graph Neural Network (GNN) model. The proposed PRS based on the Immersive Graph Neural Network (IGNN) model has reflected higher advantages over other recommendation systems. The experiment results suggest that Immersive Marketing can fully reflect commodities’ essential attributes and characteristics, improve users’ shopping experience, and promote sales. Meanwhile, the IGNN-based PRS reported here gives users an elevated and immersive shopping experience and entertainment process. Lastly, the model comparison finds that the proposed IGNN outperforms other models. The optimal model parameters are verified as P@20 and R@20 to gain the highest composite index values. In particular, parameter R@20 gives the model a better performance over P@20. The study provides technical references for improving the marketing process of various commodities and entertainment products and contributes to marketing technology development.
An online communication skills training program for nursing students: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Yang Jeongwoon , Kim Sungjae
Published: May 2022

In South Korea, in 2019, approximately 45.5% of newly-graduated nurses quit their jobs within one year of employment. To better understand the adjustment to nursing practice upon graduation, we developed an online communication skills training program based on nonviolent communication and evaluated its effectiveness. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. The sample included 28 participants in the experimental group and 27 in the control group after one participant in the control group dropped out. The participants were fourth-year nursing students at the K and S University in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, with some clinical training in a hospital setting. Data were analyzed using the χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-test. Participants’ empathy, communication skills, anger, and self-efficacy were assessed before and after the training, as well as across the two groups. The experimental group showed significantly higher levels of empathy, communication skills, and self-efficacy compared to the control group after the program completion. However, there were no significant differences in anger. This study suggests the effectiveness of the online version of the nonviolent communication training. Therefore, providing this program to nursing students scheduled for graduation may help retain newly-graduated nurses.
Malaria transmission in Africa: Its relationship with yellow fever and measles
Authors: Okunlola Oluyemi A. , Oyeyemi Oyetunde T.
Published: May 2022

Background

Malaria has been strongly linked to the transmission and pathophysiology of some viral diseases. Malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases often co-exist in endemic countries but the implication of their co-existence on their transmission dynamics and control is poorly understood. The study aims to evaluate the relationships between the incidence of malaria and cases of measles and yellow fever in Africa.

Methods

The malaria incidence, death due to malaria, measles and yellow fever data were sourced from the WHO database. Poisson and zero-inflated time-trend regression were used to model the relationships between malaria and the two vaccine-preventable diseases. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

A significant negative relationship existed between malaria incidence and measles cases (P<0.05), however, malaria showed a positive relationship with yellow fever (P<0.05). The relationships between death due to malaria and measles/yellow fever cases followed similar trends but with a higher level of statistical significance (P<0.001).

Conclusions

Malaria varied negatively with measles cases but positively with yellow fever. The relationships observed in this study could be important for the management of malaria and the studied vaccine-preventable diseases. Increase vaccination coverage and/or malaria treatment could modulate the direction of these relationships.
The role of women’s dressing in the current social activist movement in Chile (2019–20)
Authors: Ríos Erazo Camila Andrea
Published: May 2022

In the context of the current protests in Chile, women are more empowered than they have been in previous years; they dare to protest freely in the streets to express themselves and demand their rights. They enhance their political message through their bodies by wearing accessories such as blindfolds or hoods. They have transformed these objects into symbols of protest. Women protesting with bare torsos or wearing only bras are some of the meaningful ways that some women are currently expressing themselves politically in Chile. These dress/undressed objects are more than simple pieces of fabric: they express political dissent and women’s vulnerability. This article will consider the role and significance that women’s dressing plays in the current Chilean social movement from different perspectives. This research will analyse clothing through case studies on three women – María, Rosa and Almendra – who belong to feminist collectives that have actively participated in the recent protests in Santiago de Chile. The interviews conducted were anonymized, so fictitious names are presented. María belongs to a collective that carries out performances related to liberation through dance and acting. Rosa and Almendra belong to a well-known collective who, through their characteristic red hoods and dances, express their political dissent by singing songs alluding to revolt. In all cases, textiles are a fundamental part of their characterization and identity formation. This article will ultimately argue that dressing, in the context of protest, is an element of power, both in its role of granting freedom and empowering unity for a collective struggle.
Meeting the expectations of western consumers on the Romanian film Beyond the Hills by Cristian Mungiu
Authors: Ettinger Ulrike , Schrödl Barbara
Published: May 2022

The film Beyond the Hills (Cristian , RO, FR, BEL) is set in a convent struggling with major financial problems in post-transitional Romania, where a deadly exorcism is being performed. The story is based on a true incident. Accordingly, the cinematic language operates through the means of realism. Nevertheless, at the level of the images, art historical traditions, contemporary design tendencies and current fashion trends are drawn upon to give the monastery a simple and timeless beauty. This transforms the monastery into a place of longing for the cinema audience. The film costume plays a special role in this. It contributes in a particular way to identification processes, invokes the sacred and connects with the upmarket consumer culture of contemporary lifestyle-movements.
Embodying female dissent in Sanditon: The case of Esther Denham’s two bodies
Authors: Ulfsdotter Boel
Published: May 2022

This article discusses the visual representation of Esther Denham, one of the female characters in Sanditon (2019, ITV, PBS), from the point of view of her displayed sartorial narrative, in relation to postmodern gender politics and female subjectivity. It argues that only a post-heritage adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished book manuscript would allow for such a narratological transposition of one of its characters into an outright Goth-inflected screen persona, characterized by outright dissent, interrogation, subversion, self-consciousness and ambiguity. The article foregrounds the crucial importance of Esther Denham’s embodied dress practice to get this message across by pointing out its necessarily diachronic screen costume rationale based on clothing items that are historically correct but which also resonate iconicity in our own time.
‘Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?’: Mid-century modern fashions and their influence on costume development in The Incredibles and Incredibles 2
Authors: Kalmakurki Maarit , Healy Marley
Published: May 2022

In this article, we examine period fashions in character costumes in the two Pixar/Disney computer-animated films, The Incredibles and Incredibles 2. These films have a strong mid-century modern design influence interwoven into the films’ narratives and aesthetic designs. The films have previously raised interest in fashion studies, due to their superhero concept. However, an analysis of the characters’ everyday dress is also valuable for understanding the influence of fashion and pop culture references on contemporary animated film costuming and how those elements embed within the technological development of digital characters’ clothing. We employ historical and visual analysis to highlight the integration of design elements of period-appropriate fashions into character costumes. Additionally, we examine the relationship between animation software development and the films’ design aesthetics to inspect how technological advancements support the behaviour of cloth, narrative progression and characters’ personal emotional arcs by reviewing industry articles as well as animator and designer interviews from the making of the films. This is a unique case study that explores the influences and inspiration of period-specific fashion in constructing costumes for computer-animated films, which are ostensibly set in an environment also inspired by the period and specific cultural zeitgeist.
Statin-Induced Rhabdomyolysis Associated With Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement
Authors: Swei Eric C. , Brar Anantnoor K. , Rice Jonathan D. , Kim Ike I. , Knez Virginia M. , Doe Christopher F. , Forman Lisa M.
Published: May 2022

Rhabdomyolysis is a known rare and potentially lethal complication of statin use. This toxic effect is potentiated by alterations in hepatic physiology in patients with cirrhosis. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement has the potential to further compound this effect; yet, examples of this have not previously been described in the literature. We present a case of a patient who experienced statin-induced rhabdomyolysis likely as a direct consequence of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement.
Sistema de defensa, artesanado y sociedad en el Nuevo Reino de Granada. El caso de Cartagena de Indias, 1750-1810
Authors: Solano  D. Sergio Paolo
Published: May 2022

Este artículo analiza los procesos de construcción y mantenimiento del sistema de defensa de Cartagena, los trabajadores encargados de esas labores, las jerarquías sociales y ocupacionales entre estos, las dificultades que esto impuso al desarrollo de la vida de los gremios, y cómo para finales de la Colonia, la exaltación de las virtudes del trabajo marchó paralelo con nuevas formas de leer la configuración social de la ciudad, llevando a que muchos artesanos fueran reconocidos como personas virtuosas.
Aproximación al período colonial del Archipiélago de Las Perlas, Panamá
Authors: Mellado María Eugenia
Published: May 2022

Este artículo presenta los resultados alcanzados en un trabajo realizado en el Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla, en materia de recopilación, sistematización y análisis preliminar de documentos existentes y accesibles del período colonial para el Archipiélago de Las Perlas (Panamá). Se describen dos contextos de referencia, por un lado el momento del descubrimiento y llegada de los españoles al archipiélago, y por el otro, el devenir histórico de las islas hasta el momento de emancipación de las colonias americanas. Durante este segundo contexto se propone una periodificación, constituida por siete unidades temporales en base a hechos significativos para la historia de las poblaciones del conjunto de islas. Dado la relevancia de este punto geográfico en los últimos años como potencial destino turístico-residencial, la profundización histórica en los estudios de impacto socio ambiental se vuelve necesaria como parte del conocimiento del patrimonio como otro posible recurso de la zona.
Między monografią a koneserstwem. Badania nad polskim dizajnem XX i początków XXI wieku
Authors: Korduba Piotr
Published: May 2022

The text aims to describe currents, tendencies and fields of interest in design history studies in Poland, which grew in number around the year 2000. There are several characteristic patterns to be observed. First of all, despite the fact that the pioneering monograph on the subject appeared in 1978 (I. Huml), one can still observe terminological diversity, with various terms, such as applied arts and design, being used as synonyms. Secondly, looking at the history of the research, one may draw up a calendar of key events (publications, exhibitions) which led to the development and/or consolidation of the basic vision of Polish design from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century, related primarily to the political and artistic history of the country. Thirdly, the increase in historical knowledge on the subject has been generated not only by different environments but also in the context of diverse institutions (academic and museum research, art market, collecting/connoisseurship). Consequently, the research conducted so far has been methodologically diversified, influenced by different goals and results. As a result, in the social reception there is a specific coexistence of projects of a scientific, popular science and commercial nature. A critical point in the dynamics of research was marked by two events which took place at the beginning of the 21st century: the exhibition Rzeczy pospolite and the subsequent publication (2000/2001), and founding of the quarterly “2+3D” (2001). Another marked increase in initiatives has occurred since the end of the 2000s. The demand for knowledge about design history is also, to some extent, animated by the art market. On the one hand, old design collecting generates a spontaneous exchange of messages on social media, while on the other, it stimulates the creation of reliable popular science studies. Research on Polish design has been dominated by the perspective of art history, usually in its traditional version focusing on style as well as the artistic and theoretical context, and highlighting issues of uniqueness and individual authorship, which prevail over functional, technological or social aspects in the discourse. Consequently, there has been no approach that would perceive Polish design and its multiple contexts as a dynamic system, a set of practices and mediations, such as the approach proposed several years ago by Grace Lees-Maffei (Production-Consumption-Mediation Paradigm) for design history. Such a perspective would enhance and stress the importance of research on the relations between various actors in the Polish design community, such as institutions (educational, experimental and research, manufacturing), transmitters (exhibitions, advice) and mediators between production and consumption.