bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Nucleoporin98 homologous genes jointly participate in the regulation of starch degradation to repress senescence in Arabidopsis
Authors: Xiao Long , Jiang Shanshan , Huang Penghui , Chen Fulu , Wang Xu , Cheng Zhiyuan , Miao Yuchen , Liu Liangyu , Searle Iain , Liu Chunyan , Wu Xiaoxia , Fu Yong-Fu , Chen Qingshan , Zhang Xiaomei
Published: June 2020

Background: Starch is synthesized during daylight for temporary storage in leaves and then degraded during the subsequent night to support plant growth and development. Impairment of starch degradation leads to stunted growth, even senescence and death. The nuclear pore complex is involved in many cellular processes, but its relationship with starch degradation has been unclear until now. We previously identified that two Nucleoporin98 genes (Nup98a and Nup98b) redundantly regulate flowering via the CONSTANS (CO)-independent pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. The double mutant also shows severe senescence phenotypes. Results: We find that Nucleoporin 98 participates in the regulation of sugar metabolism in leaves and is also involved in senescence regulation in Arabidopsis. We show that Nup98a and Nup98b function redundantly at different stages of starch degradation. The nup98a-1 nup98b-1 double mutant accumulates more starch, showing a severe early senescence phenotype compared to wild type plants. The expression of marker genes related to starch degradation is impaired in the nup98a-1 nup98b-1 double mutant, and marker genes of carbon starvation and senescence express their products earlier and in higher abundance than in wild type plants, suggesting that abnormalities in energy metabolism are the main cause of senescence in the double mutant. Addition of sucrose to the growth medium rescues early senescence phenotypes of the nup98a-1 nup98b-1 mutant. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence for a novel role of the nuclear pore complex in energy metabolism related to growth and development, in which Nup98 functions in starch degradation to control growth regulation in Arabidopsis.
Efficacy of Surgical Revascularizations in Young and Middle-aged Patients with Symptomatic Middle Cerebral Arterial Occlusion
Authors: Wang Mingze , Liu Xingju , Cao Yong , Zhang Yan , Zhao Yuanli , Zhang Dong , Wang Shuo , Zhao Jizong
Published: June 2020

Background: Treatments on middle cerebral arterial occlusions (MCAO) remain controversial. This study aims at investigating efficacies of surgical revascularizations in young and middle-aged patients (aged 18-65 y) with symptomatic MCAO, and making comparisons between surgical procedures.Methods: From a seven-year prospective consecutive registry, 115 cases were enrolled in this study. Patient individually received medical therapy alone (medical group, n=64) and medical therapy plus direct or indirect revascularization (surgical group, n=51). The secondary ischemic events (SIE) was defined as the primary outcome. SIE incidences and SIE-free survival rates were compared between groups. Risk factors were analyzed using the Cox regression analysis.Results: During a follow-up of 42.7 months on average, SIE occurred in 11cases of medical group and 10 cases of surgical group. SIE incidences were indifferent between groups (surgical:medical = 19.6%:17%, P=0.810, 95%CI 0.455-3.034). SIE incidences were 29.4% and 0% in direct revascularization subgroup and indirect revascularization subgroup, respectively. Indirect revascularization induced a higher SIE-free survival rate than direct revascularization (Log-rank P=0.015) and medical therapy (Log-rank P=0.044). An age>43y, with concomitant intracerebral arterial stenosis, and hyperlipidaemia history were correlated to the occurrence of SIE, while presences of compensatory arteries and taking antihypertensive drugs reduced risks of SIE.Conclusions: Indirect revascularization plus medical therapy was suggested to be more effective on SIE prevention than both medical treatments alone and direct revascularization plus medical therapy in young and middle aged patients with symptomatic MCAO. Direct revascularization was not recommended, for its similar efficacy to medical therapy alone.
Title: Incidence and risk factors of Postdural Puncture Headache: Prospective cohort study design
Authors: Weji Bedilu Girma , Obsa Mohammed Suleiman , Melese Kidest Getu , Azeze Gedion Asnake
Published: June 2020

Background: Post-dural puncture headache is one of the complications following spinal anaesthesia and accidental dural puncture. Several modifiable risk factors contribute to the development of headache after lumbar puncture which includes needle size, needle design, direction of the bevel and number of lumbar punctures attempts. This study aimed to assess the incidence and risk of postdural puncture headache.Methods: This prospective cohort study design was conducted using a consecutive sampling method. Regular supervision and follow up were made. Data was entered in to Epi info version 7 software and transported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Odd ratio and 95% confidence interval was computed. The findings of the study were reported using tables, figures and narration. Variables that were found to be candidate (p value < 0.25) on binary logistic regression entered into a multiple logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of postdural puncture headache.Results: One hundred fifty eligible study participants were included in our study of which 28.67% had developed postdural puncture headache. This study found that needle size, number of CSF drops and multiple attempts as independent predictors of postdural puncture headache at significant level (p < 0.05). In addition, twenty five needle was identified as strongest pre-operative independent predictor with PDPH (AOR = 4.150, CI = 1.433- 12.021)Conclusions: Recent study revealed that small size spinal needle was much better to large size cutting spinal needle regarding the frequency of postdural puncture headache. Besides, frequent attempts during lumbar puncture and increased CSF leakage were associated with the events. In view of this, we recommend the use of small size spinal needle; avoid more leakage of cerebrospinal fluid and multiple attempts in spinal anesthesia and lumbar puncture.
What Factors Contribute to High Mechanical Strength of Tabia? Case Study of the Tabia from Coastal Forts Sites at Zhejiang, China
Authors: Zhang Cuisong , Zhang Bingjian , Cui Biao , Lin Guocong
Published: June 2020

Tabia is one of the most widely used construction materials in ancient China. In this work, the tabia samples from three coastal defense fort sites at Zhejiang Province, China, we analyzed to determine their component composition and physiochemical properties. The results show that these tabia samples exhibited high compressive strength, which could be as high as 4-9 MPa. Furthermore, the systematic analysis demonstrated that the high compressive strength was related to the following factors: 1) a suitable mass ratio of sand, lime, and clay; 2) an appropriate sand particle size ratio; and 3) the formation of hydrated calcium silicate (C-S-H). Moreover, sticky rice was also detected in the tabia samples. These findings are fundamentally important, which could be beneficial to further study of the craftsmanship of the coastal defense forts and could further provide essential guidance for the protection and restoration of the tabia relics.
Uluabat Gölü Noktasal Kirletici Kaynaklar ve Kirlilik Yükleri
Authors: HACISALİHOĞLU Saadet , KARAER Feza
Published: June 2020

Bu çalışmada Uluabat Gölü havzasında bulunan noktasal kirletici kaynaklara ait debi değerleri ve kirlilik yükleri, Ağustos 2013-Temmuz 2014 dönemlerini kapsayan süreçte, 12 ay boyunca, 4 farklı örnekleme noktasında izlenmiş ve parametrelerin mekânsal ve zamansal değişimleri irdelenmiştir. İzlenen parametreler; askıda katı madde (AKM), kimyasal oksijen ihtiyacı (KOI), biyolojik oksijen ihtiyacı (BOI), amonyum azotu (NH4-N), nitrat azotu (NO3-N), toplam azot (TN), fosfat fosforu (PO4-P) ve toplam fosfor (TP) parametreleridir. Çalışma sonucunda, Mustafakemalpaşa Çayı’nın (MKP Çayı)ortalama debi değerinin 8.91 m3/sn ve Kocasu Çayı’nın ise 19.72 m3/sn olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bulunan ortalama debi değerlerinin diğer noktasal kaynaklara göre yüksek olduğu gözlenmiştir. Akçalar Deresi en düşük debiye sahip noktasal kaynak olup ortalama debisi 0.03 m3/sn’dir. Göle giriş akarsuyu olan MKP Çayı’nın göle yüksek miktarda kirlilik taşıdığı tespit edilmiştir. Kirlilik yükleri değerlendirildiğinde Akçalar Deresi’nin göle en az kirletici yükü taşıdığı (TN:19.6 ton/yıl; TP:0.3 ton/yıl; KOI:74 ton/yıl; BOI:50.5 ton/yıl; AKM:41.4 ton/yıl), Uluabat pompa istasyonunun ise en çok kirletici yükü (TN:333.6 ton/yıl; TP:5.3 ton/yıl; KOI:1570 ton/yıl; BOI:662.5 ton/yıl; AKM:368.4 ton/yıl) taşıdığı tespit edilmiştir.
E-Profesyonelizm Kavramı ve Sağlık Alanına Yansımaları
Authors: ÖKE Pınar , YILMAZ Necla
Published: June 2020

Mesleki bağlamda etik kurallara uymak ve profesyonel davranmak her meslek grubu için önemli bir konudur. Bu sebeple her mesleğin kendine özgü etik kodları ve profesyonel davranış kalıpları bulunmaktadır. Bu davranış kalıpları sayesinde kişilerin mesleki sınırlarını daha iyi bildiği ve oluşturulan standartlar sayesinde bu sınırlara uyum sağlama konusunda zorlanmadığı söylenebilir. Dijital çağ olarak nitelendirilen içinde yaşadığımız dönem ise yeni etik sorunlar meydana getirmiştir. Birçok alan gibi, sağlık alanı da bu etik sorunların en çok karşılaşıldığı ve yaşandığı alanlardan birisi olmuştur.
Bu çalışmanın amacı; profesyonelleşme perspektifinden e-profesyonelizm kavramının detaylarını ortaya çıkarmaktır. Çalışma ile ayrıca, çevrimiçi internet ortamına yansıyan sağlık sektörüne ilişkin haberlerin e-profesyonelizm konusunu ilgilendiren yönlerinin ele alınması hedeflenmektedir. Bu doğrultuda konu ile ilgili literatür taranmıştır. Daha sonra e-profesyonellik kapsamında yer alabilecek etik ihlallere yönelik haberler derlenmiş ve e-profesyonellik bağlamında yorumlanmıştır. Bu çalışma ile hedeflenen; e-profesyonelizm kavramının sağlık alanına yönelik önemine vurgu yapmak ve konuyla ilgili çalışmaların sayısının artırılması adına mütevazi bir katkı sağlamaktır.
Doktorlarda Mesleki Tükenmişlik Sendromuna Çalışma Yaşam Kalitesinin Etkisi
Authors: METE Burak , DEĞER Mehmet , PEHLİVAN Erkan
Published: June 2020

Amaç: Tükenmişlik
sendromu sağlık çalışanlarında önemli bir sorundur. Bu
çalışma ile birinci ve ikinci basamak sağlık kurumlarında çalışan bir grup
doktorda çalışma yaşam kalitesi ve mesleki tükenmişlik arasındaki ilişkinin
tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma
2019 yılında Bingöl ilinde çalışan 119 doktor üstünde yapılmış kesitsel tipte
bir çalışmadır. Anket üç bölümden oluşmaktadır; sosyodemografik bölüm, Maslach
Tükenmişlik Ölçeği, Sağlık Çalışanlarında Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği. p<0,05
önemli olarak kabul edilmiştir.Bulgular: Doktorlarda
duygusal tükenme sıklığının %23,5 duyarsızlaşma sıklığının %11,8’tir. olduğu
bulunmuştur.  Kadın, hastanede çalışan,
nöbet tutan ve aylık 218 saatin üstünde çalışan doktorlarda duygusal
tükenmişliğinin daha fazla olduğu, duyarsızlaşmanın il merkezinde çalışanlarda,
nöbet tutanlarda ve aylık 218 saatin üstünde çalışanlarda daha fazla olduğu
bulunmuştur. İş kazası-mesleki hastalık riski, işyerinde ayrımcılık, iş yerinde
stres ve zaman baskısı arttıkça duygusal tükenmen ve duyarsızlaşma artmaktadır.
İşyerinde sürekli gelişme ve iyileştirme fırsatları, sosyal entegrasyon
artarken duygusal tükenme ve duyarsızlaşma azalmakta ve kişisel başarının
artmaktadır. Mesleki tükenmişliğe en fazla katkı yapan işle ilgili faktörünün
iş yerinde stres ve zaman baskısı değişkeni olduğu görülmüştür.

Sonuç:
Tükenmişliğe neden olan işle ilgili faktörler; işyerinde stres ve zaman
baskısı, çalışma saatlerinin fazla olması ve vardiyalı çalışmadır.
Editöre Mektup: Hekim Lari, Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Acem Hekimi
Authors: TIRMIKÇIOĞLU Zeynep
Published: June 2020

Anadolu Kliniği Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi 2020;25(1):56–61’de Özdinç’in yayınladığı “Fatih ve II. Bayezid Devri’nde İran’dan Anadolu’ya Gelen Meşhur Hekimler ve Osmanlı Tıbbına Katkıları” başlıklı araştırmayla ilgili
Nanostructured Lipid Carriers as Potential Drug Delivery Systems for Skin Disorders
Authors: Waghule Tejashree , Rapalli Vamshi Krishna , Gorantla Srividya , Saha Ranendra Narayan , Dubey Sunil Kumar , Puri Anu , Singhvi Gautam
Published: June 2020

Background:

Skin diseases affect all the age groups of people and have an impact on patients’ physical,
mental, and emotional status. Conventional topical preparation is limited with its efficacy due to low permeation,
frequent application, and poor adherence to the therapy for prolong time.

Objective:

The objective of this review article is to address the emerging trends of nanotechnology derived lipidic
carrier systems for an effective treatment for skin disorders.

Methodology:

Various research and review articles from reputed international journals were referred and compiled.

Results and Discussion:

opical drug delivery systems were found to be more effective than oral and parenteral
drug delivery systems for treating skin diseases due to targeted localized applications with reduced side effects.
Lipid-based nanoparticles have been found to have the potential in treating skin diseases due to the biocompatibility
and the versatility of the lipids. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained much attention in treating
skin diseases due to improved stability of the drugs, enhanced skin permeation, retention, and better therapeutic
efficacy. The review summarizes the NLCs characteristics and their application for topical delivery of various
therapeutics in skin disorders. NLCs have shown great potential in effective drug delivery for the treatment of
psoriasis, dermatitis, bacterial infections, and skin cancer. Its cosmetic application has opened a new area for
skincare. Furthermore, safety and clinical status revealed its future commercial acceptability.

Conclusion:

NLCs have been found as effective lipid nanocarriers for the delivery of topical therapeutics.
Using Alendronic Acid Coupled Fluorescently Labelled SM Liposomes as a Vehicle for Bone Targeting
Authors: Medina Oula P. , Medina Tuula P. , Humbert Jana , Qi Bao , Baum Wolfgang , Will Olga , Damm Timo , Glüer Claus
Published: June 2020

Background:

We recently developed a liposomal nanoparticle system that can be used for drug delivery
and simultaneously be monitored by optical or photoacoustic imaging devices. Here we tested the efficacy of
alendronate as a homing molecule in SM-liposomes for bone targeting.

Methods:

Alendronate was immobilized covalently on the liposomal surface and the fluorescent dye indocyanine
green was used as a payload in the liposomes. The indocyanine green delivery was analyzed by 3D optical tomography,
optical fluorescence scanner, photoacoustic imaging, and by ex-vivo biodistribution studies.

Results:

The results show that the alendronate, coupled to the liposomal surface, increases sphingomyelin containing
liposome targeting up to several-folds.

Conclusion:

The alendronate targeted liposomes open possibilities for an application in active bone targeting.
Lipid Metabolism Genes in Stroke Pathogenesis: The Atherosclerosis
Authors: Chow Yit-Lai , Teh Lai Kuan , Chyi Loh Huey , Lim Li Fang , Yee Chin Chu , Wei Loo Keat
Published: June 2020

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and a major cause of disability worldwide. Both modifiable
and non-modifiable risk factors can affect the occurrence of ischemic stroke at varying degrees. Among them,
atherosclerosis has been well-recognized as one of the main culprits for the rising incidence of stroke-related
mortality. Hence, the current review aimed to summarize the prominent role of lipid metabolism genes such as
PCSK9, ApoB, ApoA5, ApoC3, ApoE, and ABCA1 in mediating ischemic stroke occurrence.
Current Practice in Immunosuppression in Pediatric Liver Transplantation
Authors: Vincenzi Rodrigo , Fonseca Eduardo A. , Roda Karina M. O. , Chapchap Paulo , Neto João Seda
Published: June 2020

The last decades have witnessed a significant improvement in the field of pediatric liver transplantation
(LT), resulting in longer patient and graft survival; adequate graft selection, surgical refinement, the use of live
donors and optimal postoperative care are among the reasons why pediatric recipients are living longer. With this
new condition, pediatric recipients are now more exposed to the deleterious effects of immunosuppression, including
metabolic, infectious and neoplastic complications, nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Due to all those
particularities, the approach to avoid overimmunosuppression or underimmunosuppression may be more difficult
in children than in adult recipients. Moreover, pediatric recipients are exposed to growth issues and specific problems
during adolescence, like nonadherence to immunosuppressive therapy. This article highlights the current
immunosuppressive strategies for pediatric liver transplant recipients.
An Overview on Various Approaches and Recent Patents on Buccal Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Targhotra Monika , Chauhan Meenakshi K.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Buccal delivery is an alluring course of organization for fundamental medication conveyance
and it leads direct access to the systemic flow through the interior jugular vein sidesteps drugs from the
hepatic first-pass digestion gives high bioavailability.

Objective:

This article aims at buccal medication conveyance by discussing the structure and condition of the oral
mucosa and the novel strategies utilized in evaluating buccal medication ingestion.

Methods:

This review highlights the various pharmaceutical approaches for buccal delivery such as buccal tablets,
buccal lozenges, buccal micro/nanoparticle, wafer and semisolid dosage forms like chewing gums, buccal
patch, buccal gel or ointment and some buccal liquid dosage forms like buccal solutions and buccal sprays and
recent patents filed or granted for these approaches.

Results:

Recently, some patents are also reported where a combination of various approaches is being employed
to achieve very effective mucosal delivery. The various patent search sites were used to collect and analyze the
information on buccal drug delivery systems.

Conclusion:

The present study provides valuable information, advantages, limitations and future outlook of various
buccal drug delivery systems.
Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor Compared to Clopidogrel in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Haihong , Xiang Xiuying , Li Dandan , Shen Su , Li Xingang
Published: June 2020

Background:

The Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) study found that ticagrelor plus
aspirin (TA) was more effective than clopidogrel plus aspirin (CA), without an increase in the risk of massive
bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Data from other studies indicate that
the conclusion is controversial with the results obtained by PLATO.

Aim:

To investigate the efficacy and safety of TA, compared with CA, in patients with acute coronary syndrome
(ACS) after PCI.

Methods:

A systematic literature search was performed in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases to
compare the efficacy and safety of CA and TA treatment in patients with ACS after PCI. The endpoints were
major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), death, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis, and bleeding
events. The data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software, and the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95%
confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The standards of reporting were in accordance with the PRISMA
guidelines.

Results:

13 studies with a total of 58,062 patients were included in this study with a subgroup analysis of the
European/American and Asian populations. In terms of effectiveness for MACEs, the European, American and
Asian populations benefitted more from the TA treatment than the CA treatment (European and American populations,
OR = 0.82, P = 0.0002; Asian, OR = 0.66, P<0.0001; total, OR = 0.78, P<0.0001). In terms of specific
effectiveness indicators, such as stroke, MI, and stent thrombosis, the results of TA and CA groups in the European,
American, and Asian populations were not consistent. In terms of safety, there was no statistical difference
in total bleeding events between TA and CA treatments (OR = 1.19, P = 0.21). However, in the Asian population,
the incidence of total bleeding events (OR = 1.52, P = 0.0004) in the TA group was higher than that in the CA
group.

Conclusion:

The TA treatment in the European and American populations is more beneficial and safer than CA
treatment. However, although the Asian population has this benefit, the risk of bleeding is significantly increased
as well, and antiplatelet drugs should be chosen carefully.
The Role of Vitamin E in Breast Cancer Treatment and Prevention: Current Perspectives
Authors: de Oliveira Victor A. , Pereira Irislene C. , Nogueira Thaís R. , Martins Jorddam A. , Péres-Rodrigues Gilmara , de Jesus e Silva de Almendra Betânia , Silva Vladimir C. , Júnior Dalton D. , Leal Francisco L.T. , de Castro e Sousa Joáo M. , da Silva Felipe C.C. , de Carvalho Melo Cavalcanti Ana A. , de Azevedo Paiva Adriana
Published: June 2020

Background:

Regarding the multifactorial etiology of breast cancer, food choices, as well
as dietary intake, are the main modified factors in cancer prevention. In this sense, understanding
molecular pathways involved in breast cancer proliferation can help determine the mechanisms of
action of organic compounds such as antioxidant vitamins that are known to protect against cancer.

Objective:

Assess the mechanism of action of vitamin E in breast cancer modulation, with emphasis
on important markers of tumor development.

Methods:

It is a systematic review carried out in PubMed and Web of Science databases, from the
last 5 years, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The following terms were selected according to The
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): “breast cancer” OR “breast neoplasms”, “tocopherol” OR
“tocotrienols” OR “vitamin E”, as equated terms.

Results:

A total of 595 articles were found and 25 were selected according to inclusion criteria.
Vitamin E has been related to suppression/overexpression of important tumorigenic pathways,
mainly associated with proliferation, energy metabolism, chemosensitivity and invasion/metastasis.
Clinical studies of vitamin E supplementation are needed to assess the dose/response effect on breast
cancer patients.

Conclusion:

The safety of vitamin E supplementation is still controversial due to current studies design
available. However, when vitamin E is supplemented, the dose and therapeutic regimen must be
carefully decided, including the route of administration and breast cancer subtypes to enhance
desired effects and minimize unwanted side effects.
ESREEM: Efficient Short Reads Error Estimation Computational Model for Next-generation Genome Sequencing
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , Sardaraz Muhammad , Mehmood Zahid , Khan Muhammad Saud
Published: June 2020

Aims:

To assess the error profile in NGS data, generated from high throughput
sequencing machines.

Background:

Short-read sequencing data from Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) are currently
being generated by a number of research projects. Depicting the errors produced by NGS
platforms and expressing accurate genetic variation from reads are two inter-dependent phases. It
has high significance in various analyses, such as genome sequence assembly, SNPs calling,
evolutionary studies, and haplotype inference. The systematic and random errors show incidence
profile for each of the sequencing platforms i.e. Illumina sequencing, Pacific Biosciences, 454
pyrosequencing, Complete Genomics DNA nanoball sequencing, Ion Torrent sequencing, and
Oxford Nanopore sequencing. Advances in NGS deliver galactic data with the addition of errors.
Some ratio of these errors may emulate genuine true biological signals i.e., mutation, and may
subsequently negate the results. Various independent applications have been proposed to correct
the sequencing errors. Systematic analysis of these algorithms shows that state-of-the-art models
are missing.

Objective:

In this paper, an effcient error estimation computational model called ESREEM is
proposed to assess the error rates in NGS data.

Methods:

The proposed model prospects the analysis that there exists a true linear regression
association between the number of reads containing errors and the number of reads sequenced. The
model is based on a probabilistic error model integrated with the Hidden Markov Model (HMM).

Result:

The proposed model is evaluated on several benchmark datasets and the results obtained are
compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.

Conclusions:

Experimental results analyses show that the proposed model efficiently estimates errors
and runs in less time as compared to others.
An Efficient Multiple Kernel Support Vector Regression Model for Assessing Dry Weight of Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Guo Xiaoyi , Zhou Wei , Shi Bin , Wang Xiaohua , Du Aiyan , Ding Yijie , Tang Jijun , Guo Fei
Published: June 2020

Background:

Dry Weight (DW) is the lowest weight after dialysis, and patients with
lower weight usually have symptoms of hypotension and shock. Several clinical-based approaches
have been presented to assess the dry weight of hemodialysis patients. However, these traditional
methods all depend on special instruments and professional technicians.

Objective:

In order to avoid this limitation, we need to find a machine-independent way to assess dry
weight, therefore we collected some clinical influencing characteristic data and constructed a
Machine Learning-based (ML) model to predict the dry weight of hemodialysis patients.

Methods::

In this paper, 476 hemodialysis patients' demographic data, anthropometric measurements,
and Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) were collected. Among them, these patients' age, sex, Body
Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure (BP) and Heart Rate (HR) and Years of Dialysis (YD) were
closely related to their dry weight. All these relevant data were used to enter the regression equation.
Multiple Kernel Support Vector Regression-based on Maximizes the Average Similarity (MKSVRMAS)
model was proposed to predict the dry weight of hemodialysis patients.

Result:

The experimental results show that dry weight is positively correlated with BMI and HR.
And age, sex, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and hemodialysis time are negatively
correlated with dry weight. Moreover, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of our model was
1.3817.

Conclusion:

Our proposed model could serve as a viable alternative for dry weight estimation of
hemodialysis patients, thus providing a new way for clinical practice. Our proposed model could serve as a viable alternative of dry weight estimation for hemodialysis patients,
thus providing a new way for the clinic.
Analysis of Codon Usage Patterns in the Human Papillomavirus Oncogenes
Authors: Cho Myeongji , Kim Hayeon , Je Mikyeong , Son Hyeon S.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Persistent high-risk genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of cervical
cancer in women. The products of the viral transforming genes E6 and E7 in the high-risk HPVs are known to be similar
in their amino acid composition and structure. We performed a comparative analysis of codon usage patterns in the E6
and E7 genes of HPVs.

Methods:

The E6 and E7 gene sequences of eight HPV subtypes were analyzed to determine their nucleotide
composition, relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), effective number of codons (ENC), neutrality, genetic
variability, selection pressure, and codon adaptation index (CAI). Additionally, a correspondence analysis (CoA) was
performed.

Results:

The analysis to determine the effects of differences in composition on the codon usage patterns revealed that
there may be usage bias for ‘A’ nucleotides. This was consistent with the results of the RSCU analysis, which
demonstrated that the selection of A/T-rich patterns and the preference for A/T-ended codons in HPVs are influenced by
compositional constraints. Moreover, the results reveal that selection pressure plays an important role in the CoA results
for the RSCU values, Tajima’s D tests, and neutrality tests.

Conclusion:

The results of this study are consistent with previous findings that most papillomavirus genes are under
purifying selection pressure, which limits changes to the encoded proteins. Natural selection and mutation pressures
resulting in changes in the nucleotide composition and codon usage bias in the two tumor genes of HPV act differently
during the evolution of the HPV subtype; thus, throughout the viral life cycle, HPV can constantly evolve to adapt to a
new environment.
Intensive reading and extensive reading in teaching reading comprehension
Authors: Muchtar Naely
Published: June 2020

The research investigated the implementation of Intensive Reading (IR) and Extensive Reading (ER) that is suitable for English class in Polytechnic that focuses on the ability of English practice. This research is a Classroom Action Research (CAR), which consists of three stages, namely pretest, treatment, and posttest.  Based on the results of the pretest, it can be concluded that reading skill of the second semester students from Computer and Networking Engineering study program before the implementation of IR and ER method were still relatively low, in the classification of poor (25%) represented by 11 students and in very poor classification (18.2%) achieved by 8 students. After three times treatment by using three different articles for English reading text, the reading skill of students increased significantly in the presence of 2 students (4.5%) in the classification of very good and there were only 6 students were in poor and very poor classification. Based on posttest result, reading skill of students enhance significantly with 5 students (11.4%) were in very good classification.
Incorporating Cultural Exposure into Teaching Practices: Native Speaker Teacher vs Indonesian EFL Teacher
Authors: Sari Rima Purwita
Published: June 2020

As English language teacher, both Native English Speaker Teacher (NEST) and Indonesian EFL Teacher own professional competence as well their perception, assumption, beliefs and values that are shaped by their social and cultural interaction. They bring with them their personal and professional attributes into the classroom. As language and cultural aspects are interrelated, particularly since English is now a lingua franca, thus exploring how the different professional and personal background of English language teachers relates to their teaching becomes essential. The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers’ cultural exposure of the target language is incorporated and affects their teaching.  This study is qualitative in nature, aiming to describe how the cultural exposures of three different types of teachers are reflected in their teaching practices. Data collection is done through semi-structured interview, class observation and document analysis. The finding shows that teacher’s cultural exposure affects their teaching philosophy and attitude considerably large, particularly in their perspective towards student-teacher rapport. The incorporation of the cultural exposure is done through content of teaching materials and instruction in the classroom. The three types of teacher demonstrate a similar approach and methods when teaching the language, despite the differences in their cultural exposure of the target language.
Occupation Coding of Job Titles: Iterative Development of an Automated Coding Algorithm for the Canadian National Occupation Classification (ACA-NOC)
Authors: Bao Hongchang , Baker Christopher J O , Adisesh Anil
Published: June 2020

Background

In many research studies, the identification of social determinants is an important activity, in particular, information about occupations is frequently added to existing patient data. Such information is usually solicited during interviews with open-ended questions such as “What is your job?” and “What industry sector do you work in?” Before being able to use this information for further analysis, the responses need to be categorized using a coding system, such as the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC). Manual coding is the usual method, which is a time-consuming and error-prone activity, suitable for automation.

Objective

This study aims to facilitate automated coding by introducing a rigorous algorithm that will be able to identify the NOC (2016) codes using only job title and industry information as input. Using manually coded data sets, we sought to benchmark and iteratively improve the performance of the algorithm.

Methods

We developed the ACA-NOC algorithm based on the NOC (2016), which allowed users to match NOC codes with job and industry titles. We employed several different search strategies in the ACA-NOC algorithm to find the best match, including exact search, minor exact search, like search, near (same order) search, near (different order) search, any search, and weak match search. In addition, a filtering step based on the hierarchical structure of the NOC data was applied to the algorithm to select the best matching codes.

Results

The ACA-NOC was applied to over 500 manually coded job and industry titles. The accuracy rate at the four-digit NOC code level was 58.7% (332/566) and improved when broader job categories were considered (65.0% at the three-digit NOC code level, 72.3% at the two-digit NOC code level, and 81.6% at the one-digit NOC code level).

Conclusions

The ACA-NOC is a rigorous algorithm for automatically coding the Canadian NOC system and has been evaluated using real-world data. It allows researchers to code moderate-sized data sets with occupation in a timely and cost-efficient manner such that further analytics are possible. Initial assessments indicate that it has state-of-the-art performance and is readily extensible upon further benchmarking on larger data sets.
Perceptions and Experiences of Internet-Based Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections: Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Research
Authors: Spence Tommer , Kander Inès , Walsh Julia , Griffiths Frances , Ross Jonathan
Published: June 2020

Background

Internet-based testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) allows asymptomatic individuals to order a self-sampling kit online and receive their results electronically, reducing the need to attend a clinic unless for treatment. This approach has become increasingly common; however, there is evidence that barriers exist to accessing it, particularly among some high-risk populations. We review the qualitative evidence on this topic, as qualitative research is well-placed to identify the complex influences that relate to accessing testing.

Objective

This paper aims to explore perceptions and experiences of internet-based testing for STIs among users and potential users.

Methods

Searches were run through 5 electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2018. Search terms were drawn from 4 categories: STIs, testing or screening, digital health, and qualitative methods. Included studies were conducted in high-income countries and explored patient perceptions or experiences of internet-based testing, and data underwent thematic synthesis.

Results

A total of 11 studies from the 1735 studies identified in the initial search were included in the review. The synthesis identified that internet-based testing is viewed widely as being acceptable and is preferred over clinic testing by many individuals due to perceived convenience and anonymity. However, a number of studies identified concerns relating to test accuracy and lack of communication with practitioners, particularly when receiving results. There was a lack of consensus on preferred media for results delivery, although convenience and confidentiality were again strong influencing factors. The majority of included studies were limited by the fact that they researched hypothetical services.

Conclusions

Internet-based testing providers may benefit from emphasizing this testing’s comparative convenience and privacy compared with face-to-face testing in order to improve uptake, as well as alleviating concerns about the self-sampling process. There is a clear need for further research exploring in depth the perceptions and experiences of people who have accessed internet-based testing and for research on internet-based testing that explicitly gathers the views of populations that are at high risk of STIs.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO CRD42019146938; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=146938
Blended Care-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Real-World Settings: Pragmatic Retrospective Study
Authors: Lungu Anita , Jun Janie Jihee , Azarmanesh Okhtay , Leykin Yan , Chen Connie E-Jean
Published: June 2020

Background

The past few decades saw considerable advances in research and dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapies, yet available treatment resources are not able to meet the high need for care for individuals suffering from depression or anxiety. Blended care psychotherapy, which combines the strengths of therapist-led and internet interventions, can narrow this gap and be clinically effective and efficient, but has rarely been evaluated outside of controlled research settings.

Objective

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a blended care intervention (video-based cognitive behavior therapy and internet intervention) under real-world conditions.

Methods

This is a pragmatic retrospective cohort analysis of 385 participants with clinical range depression and/or anxiety symptoms at baseline, measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), who enrolled in blended care psychotherapy treatment. Participants resided in the United States and had access to the blended care intervention as a mental health benefit offered through their employers. Levels of depression and anxiety were tracked throughout treatment. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the change in symptoms over time. The effects of age, gender, and providers on participants’ symptom change trajectories were also evaluated. Paired sample t-tests were also conducted, and rates of positive clinical change and clinically significant improvement were calculated.

Results

The average depression and anxiety symptoms at 6 weeks after the start of treatment were 5.94 and 6.57, respectively. There were significant linear effects of time on both symptoms of depression and anxiety (β=–.49, P<.001 and β=–.64, P<.001). The quadratic effect was also significant for both symptoms of depression and anxiety (β=.04, P<.001 for both), suggesting a decelerated decrease in symptoms over time. Approximately 73% (n=283) of all 385 participants demonstrated reliable improvement, and 83% (n=319) recovered on either the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 measures. Large effect sizes were observed on both symptoms of depression (Cohen d=1.08) and of anxiety (d=1.33).

Conclusions

Video blended care cognitive behavioral therapy interventions can be effective and efficient in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety in real-world conditions. Future research should investigate the differential and interactive contribution of the therapist-led and digital components of care to patient outcomes to optimize care.
Usability Methods and Attributes Reported in Usability Studies of Mobile Apps for Health Care Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review
Authors: Johnson Susanne Grødem , Potrebny Thomas , Larun Lillebeth , Ciliska Donna , Olsen Nina Rydland
Published: June 2020

Background

E-learning technologies, including mobile apps, are used to a large extent in health care education. Mobile apps can provide extendable learning environments and motivate students for adaptive and collaborative learning outside the classroom context. Developers should design practical, effective, and easy-to-use mobile apps. Usability testing is an important part of app development in order to understand if apps meet the needs of users.

Objective

The aim of this study is to perform a scoping review of usability methods and attributes reported in usability studies of mobile apps for health care education.

Methods

The scoping review is guided by the methodological framework developed by Arksey & O’Malley and further developed by Levac et al and Kahlil et al. The stages we will follow are as follows: (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies; (4) charting the data; and (5) summarizing and reporting the results. We have developed two research questions to meet the aim of the study, which are as follows: (1) What usability methods are used to evaluate the usability of mobile apps for health care education? and (2) What usability attributes are reported in the usability studies of mobile apps for health care education? We will apply a comprehensive search of the literature, including 10 databases, a reference search, and a search for grey literature. Two review authors will independently screen articles for eligibility.

Results

The initial electronic database searches were completed in March 2019. The literature search identified 14,297 unique references. Following title and abstract screening, the full texts of 369 records were obtained. The scoping review is expected to be completed in spring 2021.

Conclusions

We expect the overview of usability methods and attributes reported in usability studies of mobile apps for health care education to contribute to the knowledge base for researchers and developers. It will give an overview of the research field and provide researchers and developers with relevant and important information on the usability research area, including highlighting possible research gaps.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/19072
A Novel Educational Control Group Mobile App for Meditation Interventions: Single-Group Feasibility Trial
Authors: Huberty Jennifer , Eckert Ryan , Puzia Megan , Laird Breanne , Larkey Linda , Mesa Ruben
Published: June 2020

Background

Smartphone ownership is becoming ubiquitous among US adults, making the delivery of health interventions via a mobile app (ie, mobile health [mHealth]) attractive to many researchers and clinicians. Meditation interventions have become popular and have been delivered to study participants via mobile apps to improve a range of health outcomes in both healthy adults and those with chronic diseases. However, these meditation mHealth interventions have been limited by a lack of high-quality control groups. More specifically, these studies have lacked consistency in their use of active, time-matched, and attention-matched control groups.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to beta test a novel health education podcast control condition delivered via a smartphone app that would be a strong comparator to be used in future studies of app-based meditation interventions.

Methods

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) cancer were recruited nationally. Upon enrollment, participants were informed to download the investigator-developed health education podcast app onto their mobile phone and listen to ~60 min/week of cancer-related educational podcasts for 12 weeks. The benchmarks for feasibility included ≥70% of participants completing ≥70% of the prescribed 60 min/week of podcasts, ≥70% of participants reporting that they were satisfied with the intervention, and ≥70% of participants reporting that they enjoyed the health education podcasts.

Results

A total of 96 patients with MPN were enrolled in the study; however, 19 never began the intervention. Of the 77 patients who participated in the intervention, 39 completed the entire study (ie, sustained participation through the follow-up period). Participation averaged 103.2 (SD 29.5) min/week. For 83.3% (10/12) of the weeks, at least 70% of participants completed at least 70% of their total prescribed use. Almost half of participants reported that they enjoyed the health education podcasts (19/39, 48.7%) and were satisfied with the intervention (17/39, 43.6%). There were no significant changes in cancer-related outcomes from baseline to postintervention.

Conclusions

A 12-week, health education podcast mobile app was demanded but not accepted in a sample of patients with cancer. Using the mobile app was not associated with significant changes in cancer-related symptoms. Based on findings from this study, a health education podcast mobile app may be a feasible option as a time- and attention-matched control group for efficacy trials with more extensive formative research for the content of the podcasts and its acceptability by the specific population.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03907774; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03907774
User-Dependent Usability and Feasibility of a Swallowing Training mHealth App for Older Adults: Mixed Methods Pilot Study
Authors: Kim HyangHee , Lee Sang-Ho , Cho Nam-Bin , You Heecheon , Choi Teukgyu , Kim Jinwon
Published: June 2020

Background

Swallowing difficulties (ie, dysphagia) are common among older adults, with a 13% to 54% prevalence. Adequate interventions to improve the swallowing function of older adults would reduce morbidity and enhance health-related quality of life outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may help alleviate dysphagia symptoms by providing programs that maximize the intensity and frequency of training without requiring high costs or regular clinic visits.

Objective

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the usability of swallowing training apps by quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating older adults’ self-reported data, taking into consideration their educational levels and exposure to mobile technology. We conducted surveys and brief interviews while the participants used a swallowing intervention app we developed. We subsequently identified and resolved individual-specific usability issues to improve future implementation of the app protocol for older persons with swallowing difficulties.

Methods

A total of 11 participants (10 women, 91%; mean age 75.7 years, SD 3.93) from two district-run senior welfare centers took part in this study. The participants were divided into a high-potential group and a low-potential group based on their total number of years of education and smart device usage. To investigate the usability of the app twice (ie, in the second week of the intervention and the postintervention stage), we used mixed methods consisting of both quantitative approaches, namely the System Usability Scale (SUS) and modified Computer Self-Efficacy Scale (mCSES) surveys, and qualitative approaches (ie, interviews).

Results

The quantitative results of the SUS and mCSES surveys revealed that the high-potential group was more inclined to adopt and learn new technology than the low-potential group. Specifically, within the high-potential group, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that the postintervention mCSES scores (median 65.50) were significantly higher than those in the second week of intervention (median 54.00; z=–2.023, P=.04). Additionally, the usability scores in the low-potential group were within the “marginal acceptability” range even after completion of an 8-week intervention program. Qualitative analyses via semi-structured interviews yielded promising outcomes regarding app acceptability, training program utilization, emotional responses, and learning experience.

Conclusions

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this usability and feasibility study is the first report of a swallowing training app designed to improve the swallowing function of older adults. Future research should consider several issues, such as user characteristics, pretraining education, and the intensity and innate characteristics of the intervention program.