bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulating Gut Microbiota: An Emerging Approach in the Prevention and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Ullah Hammad , Tovchiga Olga , Daglia Maria , Khan Haroon
Published: February 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by demyelination
of neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). The pathogenesis of the disorder is described
as an autoimmune attack targeting the myelin sheath of nerve cell axons in the CNS. Available
treatments only reduce the risk of relapse, prolonging the remissions of neurological symptoms
and halt the progression of the disorder. Among the new ways of targeting neurological disorders,
including MS, there is modulation of gut microbiota since the link between gut microbiota has been
rethought within the term gut-brain axis. Gut microbiota is known to help the body with essential
functions such as vitamin production and positive regulation of immune, inflammatory, and metabolic
pathways. High consumption of saturated fatty acids, gluten, salt, alcohol, artificial sweeteners,
or antibiotics is the responsible factor for causing gut dysbiosis. The latter can lead to dysregulation
of immune and inflammatory pathways, which eventually results in leaky gut syndrome,
systemic inflammation, autoimmune reactions, and increased susceptibility to infections. In modern
medicine, scientists have mostly focused on the modulation of gut microbiota in the development of
novel and effective therapeutic strategies for numerous disorders, with probiotics and prebiotics
being the most widely studied in this regard. Several pieces of evidence from preclinical and clinical
studies have supported the positive impact of probiotic and/or prebiotic intake on gut microbiota
and MS. This review aims to link gut dysbiosis with the development/progression of MS, and the
potential of modulation of gut microbiota in the therapeutics of the disease.
'Fizera-se Mulher': Cassandra Rios, Visionária Maldita
Authors: Moira Amara
Published: February 2021

In this essay, it will be discussed the pioneer use of transgender narratives by two works of the polemic writ-er Cassandra Rios, the Bildungsroman Georgette (1956) and the crime novel, Uma mulher diferente (1965). One of the central aspects of our analysis is the way the narrator deals with the gender of their transgender characters, as well as the crossings between gender identity and sexual orientation during the narrative.
Possible Motivations for Learning English amongst Kurdish EFL Undergraduate Learners at the University Level
Authors: Hama Farhad Majeed , Ismael Diaman Abdulrahman , Noori Aram Kamil
Published: February 2021

It can be argued that integrative and instrumental kinds of motivation are two prominent factors in learning new languages. Each kind of motivation works differently in various contexts. Besides, several studies have been investigated in EFL (English as a foreign language), and ESL (English as a second language) settings. There are also external factors that have impacts on different types of motivation and learners. There are also obvious reasons for learning English as a foreign language. This study focused on integrative and instrumental kinds of motivation amongst Kurdish EFL undergraduate learners at the University of Sulaimani in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. The finding showed that getting a job is a major motivator for learning English amongst learners. However, cultural and communication goals were two other important goals that encouraged learners to learn English. In general, the results revealed that instrumental motivation was more significant than integrative motivation. Additionally, some elements affected and increased learner's motivation such as parental aids, teachers, social, personality, and university environment.
Effect of Sleep and Biobehavioral Patterns on Multidimensional Cognitive Performance: Longitudinal, In-the-Wild Study
Authors: Kalanadhabhatta Manasa , Rahman Tauhidur , Ganesan Deepak
Published: February 2021

Background

With nearly 20% of the US adult population using fitness trackers, there is an increasing focus on how physiological data from these devices can provide actionable insights about workplace performance. However, in-the-wild studies that understand how these metrics correlate with cognitive performance measures across a diverse population are lacking, and claims made by device manufacturers are vague. While there has been extensive research leading to a variety of theories on how physiological measures affect cognitive performance, virtually all such studies have been conducted in highly controlled settings and their validity in the real world is poorly understood.

Objective

We seek to bridge this gap by evaluating prevailing theories on the effects of a variety of sleep, activity, and heart rate parameters on cognitive performance against data collected in real-world settings.

Methods

We used a Fitbit Charge 3 and a smartphone app to collect different physiological and neurobehavioral task data, respectively, as part of our 6-week-long in-the-wild study. We collected data from 24 participants across multiple population groups (shift workers, regular workers, and graduate students) on different performance measures (vigilant attention and cognitive throughput). Simultaneously, we used a fitness tracker to unobtrusively obtain physiological measures that could influence these performance measures, including over 900 nights of sleep and over 1 million minutes of heart rate and physical activity metrics. We performed a repeated measures correlation (rrm) analysis to investigate which sleep and physiological markers show association with each performance measure. We also report how our findings relate to existing theories and previous observations from controlled studies.

Results

Daytime alertness was found to be significantly correlated with total sleep duration on the previous night (rrm=0.17, P<.001) as well as the duration of rapid eye movement (rrm=0.12, P<.001) and light sleep (rrm=0.15, P<.001). Cognitive throughput, by contrast, was not found to be significantly correlated with sleep duration but with sleep timing—a circadian phase shift toward a later sleep time corresponded with lower cognitive throughput on the following day (rrm=–0.13, P<.001). Both measures show circadian variations, but only alertness showed a decline (rrm=–0.1, P<.001) as a result of homeostatic pressure. Both heart rate and physical activity correlate positively with alertness as well as cognitive throughput.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that there are significant differences in terms of which sleep-related physiological metrics influence each of the 2 performance measures. This makes the case for more targeted in-the-wild studies investigating how physiological measures from self-tracking data influence, or can be used to predict, specific aspects of cognitive performance.
Quality of Information Regarding Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Available Online (Preprint)
Authors: Werneck Rogéria Andrade , da Silva Filho Agnaldo Lopes , Moraes Edgar Nunes , Brandão Wladmir Cardoso , Meinberg Mariana Furtado , Passos Michael Zarnowski
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

The Internet and electronic devices with Internet access allow for a greater fluidity of information and speed of communication, especially in the field of health. Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) affects approximately 3 - 30% of women and can negatively impact their health and quality of life. Information regarding AUB that is available on the Internet may not be clear or accurate, rendering it difficult to understand and likely to result in delayed medical evaluation, which subsequently leads to worsening of the AUB.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality of the information regarding AUB currently available on the Internet, including information regarding treatments.

METHODS

The Google Trends website was searched for the most widely used English terms related to AUB. The identified descriptors were searched individually on the Google, Yahoo!, and Bing search engines. The first 10 results of each search were pre-selected and evaluated for inclusion in this study. Selected websites were categorically divided into two groups (news/magazine and academic) and individually analyzed by three experts using the DISCERN quality criteria (reliability, general quality, and quality of information) and the presence or absence of the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode®) seal.

RESULTS

Of the 168 websites included in this study, 60.1% were allocated to the news/magazine group and 39.9% were allocated to the academic group. Over half of the websites (54.2%) did not have the HONcode® quality seal. Websites in the academic group were more likely to include accurate information regarding AUB with greater reliability than websites in the news/magazine group. There were no statistical differences regarding the general quality of the websites. Most websites were rated as either moderate quality (70.8%) or low quality (28.6%). The HONcode® criterion was found to be a confounding factor of the analyses, as the grouping and quality results of websites without this seal were significantly associated. In addition, websites in the news/magazines group were 6.7 times more likely to provide low quality information than websites in the academic group (odds ratio: 6.7; 95% confidence interval: 2.1 - 21.4).

CONCLUSIONS

The information regarding AUB that is available on the Internet is of low to moderate quality. Academic websites present more reliable information of greater quality. The presence of the HONcode® seal is considered important to determine the quality of the content of a website, especially for news/magazine websites, and may help Internet users identify websites that contain more reliable information. Algorithms and applications that categorize the quality of information and the reliability of health content may be useful tools that can help patients clarify their symptoms for several conditions including AUB.
Toward an Extended Definition of Major Depressive Disorder Symptomatology: Digital Assessment and Cross-validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Martin-Key Nayra A , Mirea Dan-Mircea , Olmert Tony , Cooper Jason , Han Sung Yeon Sarah , Barton-Owen Giles , Farrag Lynn , Bell Emily , Eljasz Pawel , Cowell Daniel , Tomasik Jakub , Bahn Sabine
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD) is challenging, with diagnostic manuals failing to capture the wide range of clinical symptoms that are endorsed by individuals with this condition.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide evidence for an extended definition of MDD symptomatology.

METHODS

Symptom data were collected via a digital assessment developed for a delta study. Random forest classification with nested cross-validation was used to distinguish between individuals with MDD and those with subthreshold symptomatology of the disorder using disorder-specific symptoms and transdiagnostic symptoms. The diagnostic performance of the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was also examined.

RESULTS

A depression-specific model demonstrated good predictive performance when distinguishing between individuals with MDD (n=64) and those with subthreshold depression (n=140) (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.89; sensitivity=82.4%; specificity=81.3%; accuracy=81.6%). The inclusion of transdiagnostic symptoms of psychopathology, including symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, emotional instability, and panic disorder, significantly improved the model performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.95; sensitivity=86.5%; specificity=90.8%; accuracy=89.5%). The Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was excellent at identifying MDD but overdiagnosed the condition (sensitivity=92.2%; specificity=54.3%; accuracy=66.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are in line with the notion that current diagnostic practices may present an overly narrow conception of mental health. Furthermore, our study provides proof-of-concept support for the clinical utility of a digital assessment to inform clinical decision-making in the evaluation of MDD.
Areas of Interest and Attitudes Towards the Pharmacological Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Thematic and Quantitative Analysis Using Twitter (Preprint)
Authors: Alvarez-Mon Miguel Angel , de Anta Laura , Llavero-Valero Maria , Ortega Miguel Angel , Lahera Guillermo , Soutullo Cesar , Quintero Javier , Asunsolo del Barco Angel , Alvarez-Mon Melchor
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

The treatment of ADHD is complex and may involve behavioral, psychological and educational interventions, as well as medication. Different pharmacological treatments have shown efficacy in reducing ADHD symptoms and improving daily functioning. Analysis of tweets has become a tool for understanding perceptions by the general population on health issues.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the gap existing between its extensive scientific support and the lack of widespread prescription and adherence. We hypothesize that such a discrepancy may be influenced by a lack of knowledge of the positive effects among the population. Thus, we find it interesting and worthwhile to assess opinions and social interest on ADHD pharmacotherapy in Twitter.

METHODS

In this observational quantitative and qualitative study we focused on tweets containing hashtags related to ADHD pharmacotherapy between September 20th and October 31st 2019. Tweets were first classified as to whether they described medical issues or not. Tweets with medical content were classified according to the topic they referred to: side effects, efficacy, or adherence. Furthermore, we classified any links included within a tweet as either scientific or non-scientific.

RESULTS

We collected a total of 118,388 tweets, 111,820 of which were excluded according to the criteria of the study. This process led to the creation of a more concise dataset of 6,568 tweets: 4,949 (75.4%) related to stimulants, 605 (9.2%) to non-stimulants and 1,014 (15.4%) to alpha-2-agonists. Next, we manually analyzed 1,810 tweets: 1,000 tweets related to stimulants, 303 to non-stimulants and 507 to alpha-agonists. In the end, 481 (48%) of the tweets in the stimulant group, 218 (71.9%) in the non-stimulant group and 162 (31.9%) in the alpha-agonist group were considered classifiable according to the codebook. Stimulants accumulated the majority of tweets. Notably, the content that generated the highest frequency of tweets was that related to treatment efficacy, with alpha-2-agonists related tweets accumulating the highest proportion of positive consideration. We found the highest percentages of tweets with scientific links in those posts related alpha-2-agonists.

CONCLUSIONS

Stimulants related tweets obtained the highest probability of likes and were the most disseminated within the Twitter community. Understanding the public view of these medications is necessary to design promotional strategies aimed at the appropriate population.
Game Design in Mental Health Care: Case Study–Based Framework for Integrating Game Design Into Therapeutic Content (Preprint)
Authors: Siriaraya Panote , Visch Valentijn , Boffo Marilisa , Spijkerman Renske , Wiers Reinout , Korrelboom Kees , Hendriks Vincent , Salemink Elske , van Dooren Marierose , Bas Michael , Goossens Richard
Published: February 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

While there has been increasing interest in the use of gamification in mental health care, there is a lack of design knowledge on how elements from games could be integrated into existing therapeutic treatment activities in a manner that is balanced and effective. To help address this issue, we propose a design process framework to support the development of mental health gamification. Based on the concept of experienced game versus therapy worlds, we highlight 4 different therapeutic components that could be gamified to increase user engagement. By means of a Dual-Loop model, designers can balance the therapeutic and game design components and design the core elements of a mental health care gamification. To support the proposed framework, 4 cases of game design in mental health care (eg, therapeutic protocols for addiction, anxiety, and low self-esteem) are presented.
The impact of digital interventions on antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals: A qualitative synthesis of systematic reviews (Preprint)
Authors: Van Dort Bethany A , Penm Jonathan , Ritchie Angus , Baysari Melissa T
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs aim to optimize antimicrobial use by utilizing a suite of coordinated strategies. With the increased use of health information technology in hospitals, AMS processes that were traditionally paper-based are becoming computerized and streamlined. A number of reviews on digital interventions supporting AMS have been performed, so we performed a review of reviews to consolidate findings

OBJECTIVE

To provide a systematic overview and synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions to improve antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring in hospitals.

METHODS

Databases: Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from 2010 onwards. Papers were eligible if they included studies that examined the effectiveness of digital health interventions related to antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring, in an inpatient hospital setting. Papers were excluded if they did not include a clearly defined search strategy, if they were limited to a pediatric setting, or they were not in English.

RESULTS

Seven systematic reviews were included for data extraction. Five reviews were of moderate quality and two of low quality. A large number of digital interventions were evaluated, with a strong focus on clinical decision support. There was a large variability in outcome measures used. Six reviews reported that digital interventions reduced antimicrobial use and improved antimicrobial appropriateness. The impact of digital interventions on clinical outcomes was inconsistent.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review indicate digital interventions, regardless of type, reduce antimicrobial use and improve antimicrobial appropriateness in hospitals. We recommend hospitals consider implementing one or more digital interventions to facilitate AMS programs.

CLINICALTRIAL
Public Discussion of Anthrax on Twitter: Using Machine Learning to Identify Relevant Topics and Events (Preprint)
Authors: Miller Michele , Romine William , Oroszi Terry
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Social media allows researchers to study opinions and reactions to events in real time. One area needing more study is anthrax-related events. A computational framework that utilizes machine learning techniques was created to collect tweets discussing anthrax, further categorize them as relevant by the month of data collection, and detect discussions on anthrax-related events.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to detect discussions on anthrax-related events and to determine the relevance of the tweets and topics of discussion over 12 months of data collection.

METHODS

This is an infoveillance study, using tweets in English containing the keyword “Anthrax” and “Bacillus anthracis”, collected from September 25, 2017, through August 15, 2018. Machine learning techniques were used to determine what people were tweeting about anthrax. Data over time was plotted to determine whether an event was detected (a 3-fold spike in tweets). A machine learning classifier was created to categorize tweets by relevance to anthrax. Relevant tweets by month were examined using a topic modeling approach to determine the topics of discussion over time and how these events influence that discussion.

RESULTS

Over the 12 months of data collection, a total of 204,008 tweets were collected. Logistic regression analysis revealed the best performance for relevance (precision=0.81; recall=0.81; F1-score=0.80). In total, 26 topics were associated with anthrax-related events, tweets that were highly retweeted, natural outbreaks, and news stories.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that tweets related to anthrax can be collected and analyzed over time to determine what people are discussing and to detect key anthrax-related events. Future studies are required to focus only on opinion tweets, use the methodology to study other terrorism events, or to monitor for terrorism threats.
Correction: Smart Data Collection for the Assessment of Treatment Effects in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Weerts Zsa Zsa R M , Heinen Koert G E , Masclee Ad A M , Quanjel Amber B A , Winkens Bjorn , Vork Lisa , Rinkens Paula E L M , Jonkers Daisy M A E , Keszthelyi Daniel
Published: February 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

REMOVE
Characteristic Latent Features for Analyzing Digital Mental Health Interaction and Improved Explainability (Preprint)
Authors: Theilig Max-Marcel , Knapp Ashley A , Nicholas Jennifer M , Zarnekow Rüdiger , Mohr David C
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Using mobile health technology has sparked a broad engagement of data science and machine learning methods to leverage the complex, assorted amount of data for mental health purposes. Despite many studies, there is a reported underdevelopment of user engagement concepts, and the desire for high accuracy or significance has shown to lead to low explicability and irreproducibility.

OBJECTIVE

To overcome such reasons of poor analysis input and facilitate the reproducibility and credibility of artificial intelligence applications, we aim to explore principal characteristics of user interaction with digital mental health.

METHODS

We generated five latent features based on previous research, expert opinions from digital mental health, and informed by data. The features were analyzed with descriptive statistics and data visualization. We carried out two rounds of evaluations with data from 12,400 users of IntelliCare, a mental health platform with 12 apps. First, we focused to proof concept and second, we assessed reproducibility by drawing conclusion from distribution differences. User data was drawn from both research trials and public deployment on Google Play.

RESULTS

Our algorithms showed advantages over commonly used concepts and reproduce in our public data set with different underlying behavioral strategies. These measures relate to the distribution of a user’s allocated attention, users’ circadian behavior, their consecutive commitment to a specific strategy, and users’ interaction trajectory. Because distributions between research trial and public deployment were similar, consistency was implied regarding the underlying behavioral strategies: psychoeducation and goal setting are used as a catalyst to overcome the users’ primary obstacles, sleep hygiene is addressed most regularly, while regular self-reflective thinking is avoided. Relaxation as well as cognitive reframing have increased variance in commitment among public users, indicating the challenging nature of these apps. The relative course of users’ engagement is similar in research and public data.

CONCLUSIONS

We argue that deliberate, a-priori feature engineering is essential for reproducible, tangible, and explainable study analyses. Our features enable improved results as well as interpretability, providing an increased understanding of how people engage with multiple mental health apps over time. Since we based the generation of features on generic interaction, these methods are applicable to further methods of study analysis and digital health.
PANAJOTIS KONDILIS I METAMORFOZE DRUŠTVA
Authors: Dostanic Dusan
Published: February 2021

Prikaz knjige: Falk Horst (Hrsg.), Panajotis Kondylis und die Metamorphosen der Gesellschaft. Ohne Macht lässt sich nichts machen. Aufsätze und Essays, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, 2019, 267. str.
KOSOVSKA POLITIKA STRANAKA U SRBIJI, MEĐUNARODNA ZAJEDNICA I NAJBOLjI ODGOVOR SRBIJE
Authors: Mladenovic Nikola
Published: February 2021

Članak se bavi kosovskom politikom stranaka u Srbiji tokom ranih dvehiljaditih godina. Većina stranaka matice je tada zagovarla nepromenljivost granica na Balkanu. One su takođe načelno prihvatale politiku „standardi pre statusa“, po kojoj je konačni status Kosova i Metohije trebalo rešavati tek po dostizanju standarda UN za teritoriju. Međutim, pomenuta politika je i išla na ruku zagovornicima nezavisnosti teritorije, kako u međunarodnoj zajednici, tako i na samom Kosovu i Metohiji. Stoga članak kritički promišlja da li je olako prihvatanje ove politike bilo korisno za Srbiju. On sugeriše da bi ranije adresovanje statusnog pitanja osnažilo potencijalnu pregovaračku poziciju Srbije i predstavljalo bolji odgovor, uz svest o težini odlučivanja o datom problemu.
THEORETICAL SUBSTANTIATION OF THE MECHANISM PATTERNS OF THE MANMADE BASE “STRUCTURAL GEOTECHNICAL SOLID”
Authors: Travush Vladimir , Fedorov Viktor , Makovetskiy Oleg
Published: February 2021

When building on weak water-saturated soils, manmade base in the form of a "structural geotechnical solid" are increasingly used. The article provides a theoretical substantiation for the use of a model of a transversally isotropic material  with the given deformation characteristics for the design of such structures. The problem of determining the radius of a rigid cylindrical element during its formation in an elastic-plastic porous medium under normal pressure of jet-grouting of soil is considered. A method is proposed for determining the effective modulus of deformation of a "structural geotechnical solid" with the allocation of a representative volume - a periodicity cell, within which the geometric averaging of deformation characteristics is performed depending on the volume contribution of its components. Analysis of the results of modeling the joint operation of the base-building system using the proposed base model showed the effectiveness of its application.
STRENGTH ANALYSIS IN DESIGN CODES AND SOFTWARE
Authors: Perelmuter Anatoly
Published: February 2021

Modern building design standards have a long history. During this time, they have undergone a number of changes, but some of their provisions and recommendations, once proclaimed, remain unchanged. And although they do not meet the modern possibilities of computational analysis, but continue to exist due to the established tradition. In this paper, attention is paid to only some of the mentioned conflicts, which are related to the software implementation of regulatory requirements.
Nudos críticos de procesos gerenciales en unidades productivas de banano, Milagro, Ecuador
Authors: Centanaro Paulo Humberto , Nava Juan Carlos
Published: February 2021

El proceso de producción de banano en El Cantón Milagro, Provincia del Guayas, Ecuador; es un proceso que presenta oportunidades de mejora desde el punto de vista gerencial. Por medio de la aplicación de un instrumento de recolección de información se buscó explicar mediante indicadores cualitativos los nudos críticos que se generan en el proceso productivo de 180 pequeños productores de la zona. En el análisis se identificó la recurrencia de los factores y la influencia de estos en los procesos gerenciales, lo que genera que la gestión económica de la zona se ralentice, y pierda competitividad y eficiencia. Entre los hallazgos se encontró que los nudos críticos más relevantes para la zona de estudio son: bajos niveles de planificación por parte de los productores, bajos niveles en la utilización de registros de control, bajos niveles en la productividad de la zona y el uso no controlado de agroquímicos en los cultivos. Como recomendaciones resultantes del análisis, se concluye que para la mejora de estos nudos se pueden incorporar acciones como: la planificación periódica de las actividades, la identificación de las necesidades del proceso, la revisión permanente de dificultades, la unificación de los criterios agronómicos de control para la minimización del impacto ambiental y el diseño e implementación de programas de asistencia técnica para la producción.
phage surface induced modulation of inflammatory responses
Authors: Safari Zohreh , Sadeghizadeh Majid , Hosseini Ahmad Zavaran , Bardaania Hassan , Soudi Sara
Published: February 2021

Chronic inflammation responses hamper the tissue engineering. immune
system has main function in the regeneration and maintenance of all
tissue, the immune reaction to an implant begins by the innate immune
cells including macrophages which can eventually lead to accept or
reject of the implant. to avoid adverse immune reactions, current
strategies use of immunomodulatory biomaterials rather than inert
materials. The present study aimed to introduce as biomaterial is
capable of modulating macrophage responses. Macrophages cultured on top
of four surfaces then analysis morphological characteristics, cellular
outgrowth and function. In addition, measured the key cytokine/chemokine
markers of macrophage polarization in each sample. The results of our
study pointed out that phage nano-structure can modulate polarization of
macrophages toward anti-inflammatory phenotype over time. In addition,
the combination of well-characterized RGD peptide motif embedded in
bacteriophages can stimulate macrophages to gain regenerative M2-like
phenotype more effectively and it may introduce an Immuno-modulating
biomaterial for tissue engineering applications.
Outcomes of infants born during the first 9 years of CF newborn screening in the United States: successes and the need for improvement
Authors: Martiniano Stacey , Elbert Alexander , Farrell Philip , Ren Clement , Sontag Marci , Wu Runyu , McColley Susanna
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) was
implemented in all US states and DC by 2010. This hypothesis generating
study was designed to form the basis of additional research and to plan
quality improvement initiatives. The aims were to describe the outcomes
of infants with CF born during the first 9 years of universal NBS.
Methods: We included participants in the CF Foundation Patient Registry
born 2010-2018 with age at first CF event (first sweat test, clinic
visit or hospitalization) by age 365 days. We assessed age of
center-reported diagnosis, age at first CF event, demographics and
outcomes for three consecutive 3-year cohorts born in 2010-2012,
2013-2015, and 2016-2018. Results: In 6354 infants, median age at
diagnosis was earlier than median age at first CF event, which decreased
from 1st cohort to 3rd cohort. Weight-for-age (WFA) was < 10th
percentile in about 40% of infants at the first CF Center visit. Median
WFA z-score at 1-2 years was > 0 but height-for-age (HFA)
z-score was < 0 through age 5-6 years. The second cohort had a
higher HFA z-score than the first cohort at age 5-6 years. Pseudomonas
aeruginosa infection rates decreased over time. About 1/3 of infants
were hospitalized in the first year of life across cohorts. Conclusion:
Over 9 years of CF NBS, median age at first CF event decreased. CF NBS
had positive health impacts but improving nutritional deficits and
reducing infant hospitalizations remain targets for improvement.
My escape from the lab: scientific publishing - 1st year Grad Students & Undergrads
Authors: Cavalleri Matteo
Published: February 2021

Across the world and across disciplines, numbers reveal that the term
“alt-ac” – referring to positions within higher education and
research alternative to the professoriate – is a misnomer. Permanent
academic jobs are, in fact, the “alt-ac”. In this talk, I’ll share my
(happy) experience going from a computational chemistry lab to my
current career on the “other side” of scientific publishing, and
explore roles for STEM Ph.D.s in the publishing industry. Talk
especially tailored for 1st Year Grad Students & Undergrads.
Group B Streptococcus Colonisation, Prevalence, Associated Risk Factors and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Dschang District Hospital, West Region of Cameroun: A hospital-based Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Sama Leonard , Noubom michel , KENNE Christelle , Tchouangueu Thibau , Ngouateu omer , Atsamoh Albert , karimo osein , tume christopher
Published: February 2021

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS), also name as Streptococcus
agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium know for it capacity to
colonises the vaginal and rectal areas of the mother and is a leading
cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. This study aimed at
determining the prevalence, associated risk factors and antimicrobial
susceptibility of GBS colonization among pregnant women attending
antenatal care at Dschang District Hospital. Methods: This hospital-base
cross-sectional study targeted pregnant women population attending
hospitals for routine prenatal testing using a multistage sampling
method. Pregnant women at 23.46 ± 6.44 weeks gestation completed a
questionnaire and vaginal swabs were obtained for GBS analysis. Data
were analysed using chi-squared (χ2) test or the Fisher’s exact test
when appropriate and the multivariable logistic regression models.
Results: The colonisation rate of GBS among pregnant women was 8.69%.
Induce abortion (odds ratio [CI] = 3.09, 95% [1.56-6.21]),
Spontaneaous abortions (OR= 2.82, 95% CI 1.14-7.29), Stillborn (OR
[CI] = 7.75, 95% [2.61-21.71]), Fever (OR [CI] = 0.37, 95%
[0.19-0.71]) and anemia (OR [CI] = 0.22, 95% [0.12-0.43])
were found to be influencing factors associated with GBS colonisation.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that none of the studied factors were
significantly associated with GBS colonisation. Further longitudinal
research is needed to establish the causal relationship and its
biological mechanisms. Keys words: Group B Streptococcus, Prevalence,
Risk Factors, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Pregnant Women
Evaluation of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Postoperative Infections in Living Liver Donors
Authors: Kose Adem , Toplu Sibel Altunisik , Yasar Seyma , Akbulut Sami , Sarici Kemal Baris , Duman Yucel , Kutlu Ramazan , Isik Burak , Colak Yusuf Ziya , Yilmaz Sezai , Bayindir Yasar
Published: February 2021

Aim: To analyze developing infections after living donor hepatectomy
(LDH) in living liver donors (LLDs). Methods: Demographic and clinical
charecteristics of 1106 LLDs were retrospectively analysed in terms of
whether postoperative infection development. Therefore, LLDs were
divided into two group: with (n=190) and without (n=916) antimicrobial
agent use. Results: The median age was 29.5 (min-max: 18-55). A total of
257 (23.2%) infection attacks (min-max: 1-8) was developed in 190
(17.2%) LLDs. The patients with infection that were longer intensive
care unit (ICU) and hospital stays, higher hospital admissions,
emergency transplantation, invasive procedures for ERCP, PTC biloma and
abscess drainage, and the presences of relaparatomies and transcystic
catheters. Infection attacks derived from a 58.3% hepatobiliary system,
13.2% urinary system, 6.6% surgical site and 5.8% respiratory system.
The most common onset symptoms were fever, abdominal pain, nausea and
vomiting. A total of 125 positive results was detected from 77 patients
with culture positivity. The most detected microorganisms from the
cultures taken are Extended-Spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) producing
Klebsiella pneumonia (16.8%) and Escherichia coli (16%),
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus [(MRSA) (9.6%)],
Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus [(MSSA (9.6%)] and
Pseudomonas aeruginosae (8.8%), respectively. The average number of ICU
hospitalization days was 3±2 (min 1-max 30, IQR:1) and hospitalization
days was 14±12 (min 3-max 138, IQR: 8). All infection attacks were
successfully treated. No patients died due to infection or another
surgical complication. Conclusion: Infections commonly observed infected
biloma, cholangitis and abscess arising from the biliary system and
other nosocomial infections are the feared complications in LLDs. These
infections should be managed multidisciplinary without delay and
carefully.
Architectonics of financing of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine
Authors:   National University of Food Technologies, Boiko Svitlana , Demianenko Inna ,   National University of Food Technologies, Skrypnyk Halyna ,   National University of Life and Environmental Science of Ukraine, Yavorska Valentyna
Published: February 2021

Agriculture is one of the most important types of economic activity for the Ukrainian economy, since together with other related economic activities it forms more than half of Ukraine’s GDP and the share of agriculture in the production of goods and services tends to increase. In such conditions, an important and urgent task is a retrospective study of the architectonics of financing of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine, the factors influencing it and the substantiation of the prospects for its optimization. The aim of the study is the empirical assessment of the formation of architectonics of financing of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine under the influence of macroeconomic factors and industry factors. For the empirical assessment of the architectonics of financing of agricultural enterprises of Ukraine, a system of absolute and relative indicators, regression and correlation analysis were applied. An empirical assessment of the financial support of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine in the context of agricultural development allowed to distinguish three periods: 2010-2013 – an increase of financial resources of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine subject to excess of equity, ensuring of financial stability of enterprises; 2014-2015 – reduction of financial resources of agricultural enterprises subject to excess borrowed funds, partial loss of financial stability of enterprises; 2016-2018 – an increase of financial resources of agricultural enterprises in the direction of restoring the potential of financial stability and a deterioration in the payment discipline of the resources of agricultural enterprises.
The cubic ρ-functional equation in matrix non-Archimedean random normed spaces
Authors: Wang Zhihua , Hu Chaozhu
Published: February 2021

Using the direct method and fixed point method, we investigate the Hyers-Ulam
stability of the following cubic ?-functional equation f(x+2y) + f(x-2y)- 2f(x+y)-2f(x-y)-12f(x) = ?(4f(x+y/2) + 4f(x-y/2)-f(x+y)-f(x-y)-6f(x)) in matrix non-Archimedean
random normed spaces, where ? is a fixed real number with ? ? 2.
On nth roots of normal operators
Authors: Duggal B.P. , Kim I.H.
Published: February 2021

For n-normal operators A [2,4,5], equivalently n-th roots A of normal
Hilbert space operators, both A and A* satisfy the Bishop-Eschmeier-Putinar
property (?)?, A is decomposable and the quasinilpotent part H0(A-?) of A
satisfies H0(A-?=)-1(0) = (A-?)-1(0) for every non-zero complex ?. A
satisfies every Weyl and Browder type theorem, and a sufficient condition for
A to be normal is that either A is dominant or A is a class A(1,1)
operator.
The Importance of Partner Narcissism to Audit Quality: Evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Chou Ting-Kai , Pittman Jeffrey A. , Zhuang Zili
Published: February 2021

Relying on the size of partner signatures in audit reports in Taiwan to measure their narcissism, we find that audit quality rises with partner narcissism. Our analysis also implies that changes in audit quality are positively associated with changes in partner narcissism stemming from mandatory partner rotation. We also find that the impact of partner narcissism on audit quality only manifests when auditor independence is more likely to be compromised, although it does not vary with engagement complexity. These results suggest that partner narcissism improves audit quality mainly through increased auditor independence, rather than auditor competence. Additionally, we document that although partner narcissism has no perceptible impact on the incidence of Type I going concern reporting errors, it is negatively associated with the probability of making a Type II error, implying that more narcissistic partners are less likely to succumb to client pressure to issue opportunistic reports.

Data Availability: Data are available from public sources as identified in the text.

JEL Classifications: M40; M42.
Tax Loss Carrybacks as Firm Fiscal Stimulus: A Tale of Two Recessions
Authors: Dobridge Christine L.
Published: February 2021

This paper studies effects of the five-year net operating loss carryback enacted near the ends of the 2001 and 2007–2009 U.S. recessions—a policy that gave firms larger U.S. federal tax refunds as a fiscal stimulus measure. Following the end of the 2001 recession, I find that the policy had little effect on firm financial conditions, and I find that firms allocated $0.40 of every refund dollar to investment in that period. In contrast, the policy improved firm financial conditions following the 2007–2009 recession, reducing bankruptcy risk and the probability of future credit-rating downgrades. In this period, I find that firms initially used the refunds to increase cash holdings before paying down debt in the following year. These results highlight the importance of considering macroeconomic conditions when studying firm uses of tax-related cash flow and the related effects on firm financial health.

JEL Classifications: G31; H25; H32.
The Usefulness of Financial Accounting Information: Evidence from the Field
Authors: Cascino Stefano , Clatworthy Mark A. , García Osma Beatriz , Gassen Joachim , Imam Shahed
Published: February 2021

We examine how investment professionals assess the usefulness of financial accounting information depending on their information acquisition objectives and preparers' earnings management incentives. We conduct a survey experiment based on face-to-face interviews with investment professionals and document two main results. First, we find that, compared with investment professionals assigned a firm valuation objective, those assigned a managerial performance evaluation objective assess accounting information as significantly less useful. Second, we find no systematic evidence that preparers' earnings management incentives negatively affect investment professionals' assessments of accounting information usefulness. To elucidate this second finding, we conduct a large-scale follow-up online experiment. Our results continue to offer no support for the effect of earnings management incentives on investment professionals' assessments of accounting information usefulness, irrespective of preparers' corporate governance quality. Instead, we find that poor corporate governance, by itself, reduces the usefulness of accounting information to investment professionals.

JEL Classifications: G15; G18; G38; M41; M48.
Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Berbentuk Video Prosedur Penggunaan Ayakan Bertingkat (Granule Sieve) untuk Pembelajaran Blended Learning
Authors: Sutrisno Deny , Hartesi Barmi
Published: February 2021

Blended Learning is learning that involves face-to-face and brave learning that requires teaching materials that can be accessed by the brave. The purpose of this study was to create a learning media based on video as a guide to the use of Granule sieves and also to find out the feedback from the video. Methods of developing learning media through computers: (1) analyzing student needs; (2) formulating goals; (3) formulating the ingredients; (4) developing evaluation instruments; (5) writing scripts and taking pictures; (6) taking feedback (N = 57). In addition to the six steps, a validation test is also carried out before the field trial. This study result was a video learning that could be used as teaching material in the form of learning videos using granule sieves.
Validitas dan Reliabilitas Instrumen Penilaian Kemampuan Berpikir Tingkat Tinggi ten-tang Materi Hereditas untuk Peserta Didik SMA/MA
Authors: Dewi Nining Purnama , Rahmi Yosi Laila , Alberida Heffi , Darussyamsu Rahmawati
Published: February 2021

Implementation of 2013 Curriculum which is able to form students who have the ability to think at a high level as the demands of the times. One effort to develop students' higher-order thinking skills is to use appropriate assessments so that students can get used to working on higher-order thinking skills. This study aims to produce an instrument for assessing high-order thinking skills about heredity material for students of class XII SMA / MA that are valid. This study uses a 4-D models development model consisting of the stages of define, design, develop, and disseminate. However, the disseminate stage was not carried out due to limited time and money from the researchers. The subjects of this study were 3 validators, 2 biology subject teachers and 33 students of class XII MIPA 3 at SMAN 7 Padang. The data collection instrument was in the form of a validity questionnaire filled out by biology lecturers at UNP and biology subject teachers at SMAN 7 Padang. Data analysis using the ANATES 4.09 application. Based on the results of the data analysis instrument for the assessment of high-order thinking skills that have been tested, the results obtained are in the form of an instrument for assessing high-order thinking skills about heredity material for students of class XII SMA / MA that are logically very valid with a value of 93.14%, hight of empirical with a value of 74%, and very reliabel with a value of 8,4. Which can be used by teachers to measure and activate students' of higher-order thinking skills.
Validitas dan Praktikalitas E-Modul Berbasis Inkuiri Terbimbing Terintegrasi Laboratorium Virtual pada Materi Hidrolisis Garam kelas XI SMA/MA
Authors: Fadhillah Fadhillah , Andromeda Andromeda
Published: February 2021

E-modules are one of the innovations in the development of teaching materials that can be integrated with virtual laboratories. The learning model that can be applied in the development of e-modules is a guided inquiry learning model . This research aims to produce a salt hydrolisis e-module oriented on guided inquiry learning model integrated with virtual laboratories and reveal the validity and practicality of e-modules. The type of this research is research and development (R&D). the method used in this research is developmental model by using 4-D or 4-P design. They are define, design, develop and disseminate. This research is limited to the stage of development, the validity and practicality test. The data collection instrument is a questionnaire of validity and practicality. The e-module was validated by 6 experts, they are 3 chemistry lectures of FMIPA UNP and 3 chemistry teachers while practicality test was carried out by 2 chemistry teachers and 15 XII grade students of MIPA SMAS Adabiah 2 Padang. data from validity and practicality test results were analyzed using the cohen kappa formula. Based on the results of the study, it was found that average kappa moment of validity test was 0,83 with a very high validity category, the average kappa moment of teacher practicality was 0,82 with a very high practicality category and the average kappa moment students practicality was 0,82 with a very high practicality category. The results of the analysis of students answer on e-module, it was found average of key question was 90%, average of worksheet was 94,8% and average of evaluation test was 90%. Thus, it was concluded that the salt hydrolysis e-module based on guided inquiry learning virtual laboratories integrated was produced was valid and practical.