bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The liquidation of Austrian private foundations
Authors: Stichmann Elisabeth , Hristov Dimitar
Published: June 2020

This article deals with the dissolution and liquidation processes and their corporate and tax law effects on Austrian private foundations. Corporate and tax law aspects are briefly presented and discussed, and the consequences are outlined. The article serves to provide an overview and is intended as guidance for the course of a liquidation process in Austria. The authors also reflect on their personal experiences in practice and contribute these experiences to the article.
The problem of trustee discharge
Authors: Wallace Keith
Published: June 2020

Outgoing trustees wish to draw a line under their duties—and, accordingly, seek a legally effective discharge. What exactly is a discharge? Are there different kinds and attributes? How is one obtained—by statute, court process, beneficiaries or third parties? What are the consequences of a lack of discharge? Not only for the ‘undischarged’ trustee, but elsewhere? Does lack of discharge for an existing trustee impair subsequent otherwise legitimate actions of continuing or successor trustees? Historically, how did any trustee obtain a discharge? What legislation existed before the 1850 law? How has the ‘two-trustee’ replacement principle applied over the last two hundred years? How do fixed-term, ex officio, invalidly ‘appointed’ or constructive trustees exit with an effectual discharge?
Phylogenetic analysis and osteological comparison of the cave-dwelling spined loach,Bibarba parvoculus(Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), and its surface congener
Authors: He You , Chen Yongxia , Yang Jian , Page Lawrence M
Published: June 2020

Bibarba parvoculus, a depigmented and small-eyed, spined loach, is endemic to a karst cave in southern China. Both mitochondrial Cytb and nuclear RAG1 gene analyses indicate that B. parvoculus and its only surface congener, B. bibarba, form the basal-most lineage in the so-called Northern Clade of Cobitidae. Genetic divergence for Cytb is 10.3 % between B. parvoculus and B. bibarba. A duplication of the lamina circularis on the second and third pectoral rays occurs in male Bibarba species. The osteology of the two species is illustrated and compared using X-ray microtomography. Bibarba parvoculus has higher vertebral counts, a broader anterior part of the frontal bone at the orbital region and decreased sexual dimorphism when compared with B. bibarba. The coracoid, mesocoracoid and scapula are stouter in males of both species, but the three bones are autogenous in B. parvoculus, while fused with the cleithrum in B. bibarba. Specific differentiation of B. parvoculus is corroborated by both molecular and morphological evidence. The split between the two species is estimated to have occurred in the Early Miocene.
The Efficacy of Albumin Dialysis in the Reversal of Refractory Vasoplegic Shock Due to Amlodipine Toxicity
Authors: Connor-Schuler Randi L. , Carr Jennifer M. , Reaven Matthew S. , Bridgman Bob T. , Patel Deepa M. , Subramanian Ram M.
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

Calcium channel blockers are highly protein-bound medications frequently used in the management of hypertension. Overdose results in severe hypotension and is the fourth most common cause of toxicity-related deaths in the United States. Management is mostly supportive, with currently no standard role for targeted drug removal. The protein-bound nature of these medications presents the option of utilizing albumin dialysis for their removal and for the reversal of associated shock.

Design and Subjects:

We present two cases of life-threatening intentional amlodipine overdoses successfully treated with albumin dialysis. Both patients experienced profound distributive shock in the setting of preserved cardiac contractility that was refractory to maximal vasoactive agent support.

Interventions and Results:

After initiation of albumin dialysis, the patients showed rapid hemodynamic improvement and were able to be weaned off vasopressor support.

Conclusions:

These cases demonstrate the safety and efficacy of albumin dialysis in the management of near-fatal calcium channel blocker overdoses related to amlodipine and offer an additional therapeutic option apart from conventional supportive care. Importantly, these cases were not associated with impaired cardiac contractility, thereby making venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation a less preferable option. Furthermore, this therapeutic benefit of albumin dialysis can potentially be extended to the management of toxicity related to other highly protein-bound drugs and toxins.
Improved Student Outcomes after Pathophysiology Course Revisions
Authors: Washington Georgita T.
Published: June 2020

The value of a nursing course revision for the purpose of improved student learning and outcomes is discussed in this descriptive, quasi-experimental study. An instructor of a nursing pathophysiology course devised and implemented the study to determine if outcomes would differ between two groups of first semester baccalaureate nursing students taking the required pathophysiology course. The revisions, which were applied and then evaluated, demonstrated improvement in student learning.
Predictive and construct validity of virtual reality cataract surgery simulators
Authors: Nayer Zacharia H. , Murdock Braedon , Dharia Ishaan P. , Belyea David A.
Published: June 2020

This review was conducted to assess the current literature on virtual reality (VR) simulation in cataract surgery training. Studies evaluating the construct and predictive validity of VR simulators, such as the EyeSi simulator, were compiled and compared. Two databases, PubMed and Scopus, were systematically searched, and 20 articles were determined to meet the study inclusion criteria (full-length articles written in English). Of these, 11 studies examined construct validity, and 9 studies examined predictive validity. Although the construct validity of some VR simulators is yet to be established by multiple studies, many of the modules within the EyeSi simulator have been repeatedly validated. Furthermore, several studies have shown that VR simulator training improves overall cataract surgery performance. This review demonstrated the ability of cataract surgery VR simulators to differentiate surgical experience levels and improve operating room performance, which supports the use of VR simulators in ophthalmology residency training.
Incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after bag-in-the-lens IOL implantation: extended follow-up in a larger cohort of patients
Authors: Van den Heurck Jonas J. I. , Boven Kim B. M. , Van Looveren Jan , Mathysen Danny G. P. , Chiairi Ibrahim , Tassignon Marie-José
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

To report the incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and associated risk factors after cataract surgery using the bag-in-the-lens (BIL) intraocular lens (IOL) implantation technique.

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Methods:

All consecutive BIL IOL surgeries performed between January 2001 and December 2010 were included, with the exclusion of combined procedures and IOL exchanges. The incidence of RRD was reported first in the total cohort, then in a subgroup of patients with 1 year to 5 years of follow-up, and finally in the group remaining after exclusion of all risk factors, except gender. Risk factors associated with RRD were examined using multiple Cox regression analysis with a random intercept.

Results:

Rhegmatogenous RD was diagnosed in 36 eyes (1.06%) of 3385 BIL cases, with a mean follow-up of 48.28 ± 40.05 months (range 0 to 195 months). The 2-year cumulative RRD incidence rate was 0.66% (17 cases in 1024 eyes; 0.00% in patients without risk factors). The 5-year cumulative RRD incidence rate was 1.17% (26 cases in 931 eyes; 0.15% without risk factors). Five risk factors were confirmed: male sex, age less than 60 years at the time of surgery, axial length 25.0 mm or greater, a history of contralateral RD, and intraoperative surgical complications.

Conclusions:

The incidence of RRD after BIL IOL implantation is comparable with that of lens-in-the-bag (LIB) implantation. This larger study provided a longer follow-up and suggested that RRD incidence is even lower than that previously reported. This study also confirmed intraoperative surgical complications as an additional risk factor for RRD development, as already described with LIB implantation.
Exposure of the abdominal aorta and visceral branches for hemorrhage control: A 2020 EAST Master Class Video Presentation
Authors: Warriner Zachary , Benjamin Elizabeth , Minneti Michael , Demetriades Demetrios
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Rapid control of abdominal hemorrhage is a potentially life-saving surgical skill. Although open exposure and control of the abdominal aorta and its visceral branches is a fundamental part of surgical training, familiarity with the anatomy and spacial relationships of the surrounding structures can be challenging for even the experienced surgeon.

Content (Description of Video)

Using a fresh perfused cadaver, this video provides a step by step visual guide for aortic exposure from the diaphragmatic hiatus to the iliac bifurcation. Key maneuvers including control of the supraceliac aorta, left medial visceral rotation with identification of superior mesenteric and celiac arteries, and exposure of the perirenal aorta and proximal renal vessels are outlined. Damage control and definitive management strategies are discussed and potential tips and pitfalls in addressing intraabdominal hemorrhage are highlighted.

Conclusion

The critical application of aortic exposure for hemorrhage control is a life-saving intervention if done rapidly and effectively. This requires a sound understanding of aortic anatomy and necessary steps for adequate exposure and subsequent repair. This video outlines the necessary steps to perform these interventions.
Downregulation of HLA-I by the molluscum contagiosum virus mc080 impacts NK-cell recognition and promotes CD8+ T-cell evasion
Authors: Elasifer Hana , Wang Eddie C.Y. , Prod’homme Virginie , Davies James , Forbes Simone , Stanton Richard J. , Patel Mihil , Fielding Ceri A. , Roberts Dawn , Traherne James A. , Gruber Nicole , Bugert Joachim J. , Aicheler Rebecca J. , Wilkinson Gavin W. G.
Published: June 2020

Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) is a common cause of benign skin lesions in young children and currently the only endemic human poxvirus. Following the infection of primary keratinocytes in the epidermis, MCV induces the proliferation of infected cells and this results in the production of wart-like growths. Full productive infection is observed only after the infected cells differentiate. During this prolonged replication cycle the virus must avoid elimination by the host immune system. We therefore sought to investigate the function of the two major histocompatibility complex class-I-related genes encoded by the MCV genes mc033 and mc080. Following insertion into a replication-deficient adenovirus vector, codon-optimized versions of mc033 and mc080 were expressed as endoglycosidase-sensitive glycoproteins that localized primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum. MC080, but not MC033, downregulated cell-surface expression of endogenous classical human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I and non-classical HLA-E by a transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP)-independent mechanism. MC080 exhibited a capacity to inhibit or activate NK cells in autologous assays in a donor-specific manner. MC080 consistently inhibited antigen-specific T cells being activated by peptide-pulsed targets. We therefore propose that MC080 acts to promote evasion of HLA-I-restricted cytotoxic T cells.
Correlation between cervical HPV DNA detection and HPV16 seroreactivity measured with L1-only and L1+L2 viral capsid antigens
Authors: Trevisan Andrea , Candeias João M.G. , Thomann Patrícia , Villa Luisa L. , Franco Eduardo L. , Trottier Helen ,   the Ludwig-McGill Study Group
Published: June 2020

Introduction.Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 infection is the main causal agent of cervical cancer. Most HPV infections clear spontaneously within 1–2 years. Although not all infected women develop detectable HPV antibodies, about 60–70 % seroconvert and retain their antibodies at low levels.

Aim.We investigated if cervical HPV16 DNA positivity was associated with HPV16 seroreactivity measured with two different antigen formulations. We assessed if associations were influenced by co-infection with other HPV types and HPV16 viral load.

Methodology.We used baseline data for women participating in the Ludwig–McGill cohort, a longitudinal investigation of the natural history of HPV infection and cervical neoplasia. The study enrolled 2462 Brazilian women from 1993 to 1997 (pre-vaccination). ELISA assays were based on L1-only or L1+L2 virus-like particles (VLPs). Seroreactivity was expressed as normalized absorbance ratios. HPV genotyping and viral load were evaluated by PCR protocols. Pearson’srwas used to measure correlations between interval-scaled variables. Serological accuracy in HPV16 DNA detection was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. We analysed the association between HPV DNA positivity and HPV16 seroreactivity by linear regression.

Results.Correlations between L1+L2 and L1-only VLPs for detection of HPV16 were poor (r=0.43 and 0.44 for dilutions 1 : 10 and 1 : 50, respectively). The protocol with the best accuracy was L1+L2 VLPs at serum dilution 1 : 10 (ROC area=0.73, 95 % CI: 0.65–0.85). HPV16 DNA positivity was correlated with HPV16 seroreactivity and was not influenced by co-infection or viral load. To a lesser degree, HPV16 seroreactivity was correlated with infection by other Alpha-9 papillomavirus species.

Conclusion.HPV16 DNA positivity and HPV16 seroreactivity are strongly correlated. L1+L2 VLPs perform better than L1-only VLPs for detecting IgG antibodies to HPV16 in women infected with HPV16 or other Alpha-9 HPV species. This study advances our understanding of humoral immune responses against HPV16 by providing insights about the influence of VLP antigen composition to measure humoral immune response against naturally acquired HPV infection.
A how-to-guide to building a robust SARS-CoV-2 testing program at a university-based health system
Authors: Nimer Stephen D. , Chapman Jennifer , Reidy Lisa , Alencar Alvaro , Wu Yanyun , Williams Sion , Pagan Lazara , Gjolaj Lauren , MacIntyre Jessica , Triana Melissa , Vance Barbara , Andrews David , Fan Yao-Shan , Zhou Yi , Martinez Octavio , Garcia-Buitrago Monica , Cray Carolyn , Tekin Mustafa , McCauley Jacob , Ruiz Philip , Pagan Paola , Lamar Walter , Alencar Maritza , Bilbao Daniel , Prieto Silvia , Polania Maritza , Suarez Maritza , Lujardo Melissa , Campos Gloria , Morris Michele , Shukla Bhavarth , Caban-Martinez Alberto , Kobetz Erin , Parekh Dipen , Jorda Merce
Published: June 2020

When South Florida became a hotspot for COVID-19 disease in March 2020, we faced an urgent need to develop test capability to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assembled a transdisciplinary team of knowledgeable and dedicated physicians, scientists, technologists and administrators, who rapidly built a multi-platform, PCR- and serology-based detection program, established drive-thru facilities and drafted and implemented guidelines that enabled efficient testing of our patients and employees. This process was extremely complex, due to the limited availability of needed reagents, but outreach to our research scientists and to multiple diagnostic laboratory companies and government officials enabled us to implement both FDA authorized and laboratory developed testing (LDT)-based testing protocols. We analyzed our workforce needs and created teams of appropriately skilled and certified workers, to safely process patient samples and conduct SARS-CoV-2 testing and contact tracing. We initiated smart test ordering, interfaced all testing platforms with our electronic medical record, and went from zero testing capacity, to testing hundreds of healthcare workers and patients daily, within three weeks. We believe our experience can inform the efforts of others, when faced with a crisis situation.
SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Collivignarelli Maria Cristina , Collivignarelli Carlo , Carnevale Miino Marco , Abbà Alessandro , Pedrazzani Roberta , Bertanza Giorgio
Published: June 2020

As for the SARS coronavirus in the 2003 epidemic, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated in faeces and, in some cases, urine of infected people, as well as in wastewater. This paper proposes a critical review of the state of the art regarding studies on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and sewage sludge, the factors affecting its inactivation and the main proposed treatments, with the aim to provide useful information at operative level in order to better and safer manage wastewater and sewage sludge. Given the lack of literature on SARS-CoV-2, studies involving other HCoVs such as SARS-CoV and HCoV-229E have been also considered. In wastewater, the resistance of SARS-CoV has proven to be very limited, especially at temperatures above 20 °C, and the virus has been easily removed with the use of chlorine (> 0.5 mg L−1 for 30 min). For sewage sludge, based on in vitro experiments, it is suggested to increase the retention times before a possible reuse in agriculture only for precautionary purposes, since SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to occur in the sludge. SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater might track the epidemic trends: although being extremely promising, an effective and wide application of this approach requires a deeper knowledge of the amounts of viruses excreted through the faeces and the actual detectability of viral RNA in sewage.
Asymmetry of auditory-motor speech processing is determined by language experience
Authors: Tang Ding-lan , Möttönen Riikka , Asaridou Salomi S. , Watkins Kate E.
Published: June 2020

Speech processing relies on interactions between auditory and motor systems and is asymmetrically organized in the human brain. The left auditory system is specialized for processing of phonemes, whereas the right is specialized for processing of pitch changes in speech that affect prosody. In speakers of tonal languages, however, processing of pitch (i.e., tone) changes that alter word meaning is left-lateralized. This indicates that linguistic function and language experience shape auditory speech processing asymmetries; their effect on auditory-motor speech processing remains unknown, however. Here, we investigated the asymmetry of motor contributions to auditory speech processing in speakers of tonal and non-tonal languages. We temporarily disrupted the left or right speech motor cortex using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and measured the impact of these disruptions on auditory processing of phoneme and tone changes in sequences of syllables using electroencephalography (EEG). We found that disruption of the speech motor cortex in the left, but not the right hemisphere, impaired processing of phoneme changes in both language groups equally. In contrast, the effect of motor disruptions on processing of tone changes differed in tonal and non-tonal language groups: disruption of the left speech motor cortex significantly impaired processing of tone changes in tonal language speakers, whereas disruption of the right speech motor cortex modulated processing of tone changes in non-tonal speakers. We conclude that the contribution of the left and right speech motor cortex to auditory speech processing is determined by the functional role of the acoustic cues in the listener’s native language.

Significance Statement

The principles underlying hemispheric asymmetries of auditory speech processing remain debated. The asymmetry of auditory speech processing is affected by the low-level acoustic cues, but also by their linguistic function. By combining TMS and EEG, we investigated the asymmetry of motor contributions to auditory speech processing in tonal and non-tonal language speakers. For the first time, we provide causal evidence that auditory-motor speech processing asymmetries are shaped by the functional role of the acoustic cues in the listener’s native language. The lateralised top-down motor influences are likely to affect asymmetry of speech processing in the auditory system.
Network Analysis and Human Single Cell Brain Transcriptomics Reveal Novel Aspects of Alpha-Synuclein (SNCA) Biology
Authors: Teeple Erin , Jindal Khushboo , Kiragasi Beril , Annaldasula Siddharth , Byrne Ann , Chai Lilly , Sadeghi Mahdiar , Kayatekin Can , Shankara Srinivas , Klinger Katherine W. , Sardi S. Pablo , Madden Stephen L. , Kumar Dinesh
Published: June 2020

Alpha-synuclein (SNCA) aggregates are pathological hallmarks of synucleinopathies, neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). Functional networks are not yet well-characterized for SNCA by CNS cell type. We investigated cell-specific differences in SNCA expression using Allen Brain Database single-nucleus RNA-seq data from human Middle Temporal Gyrus (MTG, 15,928 nuclei) and Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC, 7,258 nuclei). Weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA) and hierarchical clustering identified a conserved SNCA co-expression module. Module genes were highly conserved (p < 10−10) and most highly expressed in excitatory neurons versus inhibitory neurons and other glial cells. SNCA co-expression module genes from ACC and MTG regions were then used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, with SNCA empirically top hub. Genes in the SNCA PPI network were compared with genes nearest single nucleotide polymorphisms linked with PD risk in genome-wide association studies. 16 genes in our PPI network are nearest genes to PD risk loci (p < 0.0006) and 55 genes map within 100kb. Selected SNCA PPI network genes nearest PD risk loci were disrupted by CRISPR knock out gene editing for validation of network functional significance; disruption of STK39, GBA, and MBNL2 resulted in significantly elevated intracellularSNCAexpression.
Associations between COVID-19 infection, tobacco smoking and nicotine use, common respiratory conditions and inhaled corticosteroids: a prospective QResearch-Case Mix Programme data linkage study January-May 2020
Authors: Lindson Nicola , Gao Min , Hartmann-Boyce Jamie , Smith Margaret , Aveyard Paul , Young Duncan , Coupland Carol , Tan Pui San , Clift Ashley K. , Harrison David , Gould Doug , Pavord Ian D , Watkinson Peter , Hippisley-Cox Julia
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Epidemiological and laboratory research seems to suggest that smoking and perhaps nicotine alone could reduce the severity of COVID-19. Likewise, there is some evidence that inhaled corticosteroids could also reduce its severity, opening the possibility that nicotine and inhaled steroids could be used as treatments.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, we will link English general practice records from the QResearch database to Public Health England’s database of SARS-CoV-2 positive tests, Hospital Episode Statistics, admission to intensive care units, and death from COVID-19 to identify our outcomes: hospitalisation, ICU admission, and death due to COVID. Using Cox regression, we will perform sequential adjustment for potential confounders identified by separate directed acyclic graphs to:

Assess the association between smoking and COVID-19 disease severity, and how that changes on adjustment for smoking-related comorbidity.

More closely characterise the association between smoking and severe COVID-19 disease by assessing whether the association is modified by age (as a proxy of length of smoking), gender, ethnic group, and whether people have asthma or COPD.

Assess for evidence of a dose-response relation between smoking intensity and disease severity, which would help create a case for causality.

Examine the association between former smokers who are using NRT or are vaping and disease severity.

Examine whether pre-existing respiratory disease is associated with severe COVID-19 infection.

Assess whether the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and COVID-19 disease severity is modified by age, gender, ethnicity, and smoking status.

Assess whether the use of inhaled corticosteroids is associated with severity of COVID-19 disease.

To assess whether the association between use of inhaled corticosteroids and severity of COVID-19 disease is modified by the number of other airways medications used (as a proxy for severity of condition) and whether people have asthma or COPD.

Conclusions

This representative population sample will, to our knowledge, present the first comprehensive examination of the association between smoking, nicotine use without smoking, respiratory disease, and severity of COVID-19. We will undertake several sensitivity analyses to examine the potential for bias in these associations.
COVID 19 Pandemic: A Real-time Forecasts & Prediction of Confirmed Cases, Active Cases using the ARIMA model & Public Health in West Bengal, India
Authors: Sarkar Dibash , Biswas Moinak
Published: June 2020

Background

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease which has been declared a Pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 2020. This pandemic has spread over the world in more than 200 countries. India is also adversely affected by this pandemic, and there are no signs of slowing down of the virus in coming time. The absence of a vaccine for COVID-19 is making the situation worse for the already overstretched Indian public health care system. As economic burden makes it increasingly difficult for our country to continue imposing control measures, it is vital for states like West Bengal to make predictions using time series forecasting for the upcoming cases, test kits, health care and estimated the requirement of Quarantine centers, isolation beds, ICU beds and ventilators for COVID-19 patients.

Objective

This study is forecasting the confirmed and active cases for COVID-19 until August, using time series ARIMA model & Public Health in West Bengal, India.

Methods

We used ARIMA model, and Auto ARIMA model for forecasting confirmed and active cases till the end of August month using time series data of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal, India from March 1, 2020, to June 4, 2020.

Results

We are expecting that West Bengal will have around62279 ± 5000Cases by the end of August based on our forecasts. Meanwhile Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat and Delhi (UT) will be the most affected states, having the highest number of active and confirmed cases at the end of August.

Discussion and Conclusion

This forecasts show a very crucial situation for West Bengal in coming days and, the actual numbers can go higher than our estimates of confirmed case as Lockdown 5.0 & Unlock 1.0 will be implemented from 1stJune 2020 in India, West Bengal will be observing a partial lift of the lockdown and in that case, there will be a surge in the number of daily confirmed and active cases. The requirement of Health care sector needs to be further improved isolation beds, ICUs and ventilators will also be needed to increase in that scenario. Inter State & Intra State Movement restrictions are lifted. Hence, Migrants returning to their homes due to loss of livelihood and income in the lockdown period may lead to a rise in the number of cases, which could not be accounted for in our projections. We suggest more of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the health sector to accommodate COVID-19 patients adequately and reduce the burden of the already overstretched Indian public health care system, which will directly or indirectly affect the States in the time of crisis.
Predictors of Mental Health during the Covid-19 Pandemic in the US: role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing
Authors: Kämpfen Fabrice , Kohler Iliana V. , Ciancio Alberto , de Bruin Wändi Bruine , Maurer Jürgen , Kohler Hans-Peter
Published: June 2020

Objective

To assess mental health in the US adult population in the Covid-19 pandemic and explore the roles of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing in shaping mental health outcomes.

Methods

We analyze online survey data from the “Understanding America Study” (UAS) that is representative of the US adult population and covers the period of March 10-31st 2020 (sample size: 6436).

Results

About 29% (CI:27.4-.30.4%) of the US adult population reported some depression/anxiety symptoms osver the study period, with symptoms deteriorating over the month of March. Worsening mental health was most strongly associated with concerns about the economic consequences of the pandemic, while concerns about the potential impact of the virus on respondents’ own health and the practice of social distancing also predicted the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms, albeit less strongly.

Conclusions

Our findings point towards a major mental health crisis unfolding simultaneously with the pandemic in the US. They also highlight the importance of economic countermeasures and social policy for mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on adult mental health in the US over and above an effective public health response.
Training residents in underwater colonoscopies is more effective than in air colonoscopies
Authors: Vyas Dinesh , Chang Josiah , Goyal Megha , Obad Nashwan , Ramdass Prakash , Sodavarapu Soujanya
Published: June 2020

Background

Colonoscopy screenings are the most valuable tool in preventing colorectal mortalities. The traditional technique uses air-insufflation, but water-infusion is a newer colonoscopy technique which is rapidly becoming standard of care, as it may decrease patient discomfort and the need for analgesics and anesthetics. Research is still ongoing as to the comparability of detection rates between the two techniques. The purpose of this study was to determine if training residents in underwater colonoscopies is more effective than training them in traditional air-insufflation colonoscopies.

Methods

This study was a retrospective, single-institution study that compared the patient-related and procedure-related variables of 183 colonoscopies performed by two cohorts of physicians. In the first cohort, the gastroenterologist with a resident trainee performed an air colonoscopy. In the second, the gastroenterologist and resident trainee performed an underwater colonoscopy.

Results

For patient-related variables, there was no significant difference in age, previous abdominal surgeries, or bowel preparation. There were more females in the underwater group, which is significant as females tend to be harder to scope due to the increased tortuosity of their colon. For procedural outcomes, there was no significant difference in adenoma detection rate, cecal intubation rate, or procedural complications (hypotension, bradycardia). On average, the water colonoscopies required less midazolam and fentanyl, although they did have a longer procedural time.

Conclusions

Overall, these findings suggest that training residents in underwater colonoscopies may increase patient comfort and decrease complications with comparable success rates.
Th17 cells contribute to combination MEK inhibitor and anti-PD-L1 therapy resistance inKRAS/p53mutant lung cancers
Authors: Peng David H. , Rodriguez B. Leticia , Diao Lixia , Gaudreau Pierre-Olivier , Padhye Aparna , Kapere Joshua Ochieng , Class Caleb A. , Fradette Jared J. , Gibson Laura , Chen Limo , Wang Jing , Byers Lauren A. , Gibbons Don. L
Published: June 2020

Understanding resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockade in mutant KRAS lung cancers is critical to developing novel combination therapies and improving patient survival. Here, we show that MEK inhibition enhanced PD-L1 expression while PD-L1 blockade upregulated MAPK signaling in mutant KRAS lung tumors. Combined MEK inhibition with anti-PD-L1 synergistically reduced lung tumor growth and metastasis, but tumors eventually developed resistance to sustained combinatorial therapy. Multi-platform profiling revealed that resistant lung tumors have increased infiltration of Th17 cells, which secrete IL-17 and IL-22 cytokines to promote lung cancer cell invasiveness and MEK inhibitor resistance. Antibody depletion of IL-17A in combination with MEK inhibition and PD-L1 blockade markedly reduced therapy-resistancein vivo. Clinically, increased expression of Th17-associated genes in melanoma patients treated with PD-1 blockade predicted poorer overall survival and response. Our study validates a triple combinatorial therapeutic strategy to overcome resistance to combined MEK inhibitor and PD-L1 blockade.
Characterizing the growing microorganisms at species level in 46 anaerobic digesters at Danish wastewater treatment plants: A six-year survey on microbiome structure and key drivers
Authors: Jiang Chenjing , Peces Miriam , Andersen Martin H. , Kucheryavskiy Sergey , Nierychlo Marta , Yashiro Erika , Andersen Kasper S. , Kirkegaard Rasmus H. , Hao Liping , Høgh Jan , Hansen Aviaja A. , Dueholm Morten S. , Nielsen Per H.
Published: June 2020

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a key technology at many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for converting surplus activated sludge to methane-rich biogas. However, the limited number of surveys and the lack of comprehensive data sets have hindered a deeper understanding of the characteristics and associations between key variables and the microbiome composition. Here, we present a six-year survey of 46 anaerobic digesters, located at 22 WWTPs in Denmark, which is the largest known study of the microbial ecology of AD at WWTPs at a regional scale. For three types of AD (mesophilic, mesophilic with thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, and thermophilic), we present the typical value range of 12 key parameters including operational variables and performance parameters. The bacterial and archaeal microbiomes were analyzed at species-level resolution using amplicon sequencing in >1,000 samples and the new ecosystem-specific MiDAS 3 reference database. We detected 42 phyla, 1,600 genera and 3,584 species in the bacterial microbiome, where 70% of the genera and 93% of the species represented uncultivated taxa that were only classified based on MiDAS 3denovoplaceholder taxonomy. More than 40% of the 100 most abundant bacterial species did not grow in the digesters and were only present due to immigration with the feed sludge. Temperature, ammonium concentration, and pH were the main drivers shaping the microbiome clusters of the three types of ADs for both bacteria and for archaea. Within mesophilic digesters, feed sludge composition and other key parameters (organic loading rate, biogas yield, and ammonium concentration) correlated with the growing bacterial microbiome. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed the main drivers for specific species among growing bacteria and archaea, and revealed the potential ecological function of many novel taxa. Our study highlights the influence of immigration on bacterial AD microbiome. Subsetting the growing microbes improves the understanding of the diversity and main drivers of microbiome assembly, and elucidates functionality of specific species-level microorganisms. This six-year survey provides a comprehensive insight into microbiome structure at species level, engineering and ecological performance, and a foundation for future studies of the ecological significance/characteristics and function of the novel taxa.
Environmental conditions dictate differential evolution of vancomycin resistance inStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Machado Henrique , Seif Yara , Sakoulas George , Olson Connor A. , Szubin Richard , Palsson Bernhard O. , Nizet Victor , Feist Adam M.
Published: June 2020

While microbiological resistance to vancomycin inStaphylococcus aureusis rare, clinical vancomycin treatment failures are common, and methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) strains isolated from patients after prolonged vancomycin treatment failure remain susceptible. Adaptive laboratory evolution was utilized to uncover mutational mechanisms associated with MRSA vancomycin resistance in a bacteriological medium used in clinical susceptibility testing and a physiological medium. Sequencing of resistant clones revealed shared and media-specific mutational outcomes, with an overlap in cell wall regulons (walKRyycHI, vraSRT). Evolved strains displayed similar genetic and phenotypic traits to resistant clinical isolates. Importantly, resistant phenotypes that developed in physiological media did not translate into resistance in bacteriological media. Further, a bacteriological media-specific mechanism for vancomycin resistance enabled by a mutatedmprFwas confirmed. This study bridges the gap of understanding between clinical and microbiological vancomycin resistance inS. aureusand expands the number of allelic variants that result in vancomycin resistance phenotypes.
Convolutional Neural Network Model to Detect COVID-19 Patients Utilizing Chest X-ray Images
Authors: Satu Md. Shahriare , Ahammed Khair , Abedin Mohammad Zoynul , Rahman Md. Auhidur , Islam Sheikh Mohammed Shariful , Azad AKM , Alyami Salem A. , Moni Mohammad Ali
Published: June 2020

This study aims to propose a deep learning model to detect COVID-19 positive cases more precisely utilizing chest X-ray images. We have collected and merged all the publicly available chest X-ray datasets of COVID-19 infected patients from Kaggle and Github, and pre-processed it using random sampling approach. Then, we proposed and applied an enhanced convolutional neural network (CNN) model to this dataset and obtained a 94.03% accuracy, 95.52% AUC and 94.03% f-measure for detecting COVID-19 positive patients. We have also performed a comparative performance between our proposed CNN model with several state-of-the-art machine learning classifiers including support vector machine, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, logistic regression, gaussian naïve bayes, bernoulli naïve bayes, decision tree, Xgboost, multilayer perceptron, nearest centroid and perceptron as well as deep learning and pre-trained models such as deep neural network, residual neural network, visual geometry group network 16, and inception network V3 were employed, where our model yielded outperforming results compared to all other models. While evaluating the performance of our models, we have emphasized on specificity along with accuracy to identify non-COVID-19 individuals more accurately, which may potentially facilitate the early detection of COVID-19 patients for their preliminary screening, especially in under-resourced health infrastructure with insufficient PCR testing systems and testing facilities. Moreover, this model could also be applicable to the cases of other lung infections.
Characteristics and local structure of hafnia-silicate-zirconate ceramic nanomixtures
Authors: Pop L. , Rada S. , An P. , Zhang J. , Rada M. , Suciu R. C. , Culea E.
Published: June 2020

Zirconate systems having the composition 3HfO2·15SiO2·xY2O3·(82 − x)ZrO2, where x = 2, 7 and 12 mol% Y2O3, were synthesized by a sol-gel method. The analysis of X-ray diffraction data showed the presence of the t-ZrO2, m-ZrO2, m-HfO2, Y2SiO5 and Y2Si2O7 crystalline phases in a ceramic nanomixture. Spectroscopic data show that the increase of the Y2O3 content of samples determines the increase of the t-ZrO2, m-HfO2 and silicate crystalline phases. Gap energy values decrease almost linearly with increasing Y2O3 content of samples. A detailed study of XANES data does not show a significant difference with increasing Y2O3 content of the samples suggesting an appreciable stability of the hafnium ions +4 oxidation state and their microvicinity. EXAFS results show that the local structure around the Hf cation is similar to that from the monoclinic crystalline HfO2 where the Hf–O coordination number tends to 7. The bond lengths of Hf–O shells show small deviations from ∼2.12 Å and the Hf–metal paths become more structured by increasing the Y2O3 content of the samples.
Predicting mobile network operators users m-payment intention
Authors: Leong Choi-Meng , Tan Kim-Lim , Puah Chin-Hong , Chong Shyh-Ming
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the intention of using mobile payment (m-payment) services in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 194 online payment users were selected to respond to the structured questionnaire. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data by assessing the measurement and model.

Findings

Perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use mediated the relationship between perceived compatibility (PC) and the intention to use the mobile payment for mobile network operators’ services.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis provides insights that PC is considered as a significant determinant for mobile payment of mobile network operators’ services.

Practical implications

The operators can consider factors such as PC in the design of their mobile applications and the potential to expand the m-payment services to others e-wallet such as Sarawak e-wallet. The model possesses medium prediction power, which suggests that other variables such as perceived security and personal innovativeness also can be used to predict the usage behaviour of mobile payment for the mobile network services.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the m-payment users’ behaviour intention literature by investigating the mobile-based predictors of using m-payment technology in an emerging digital economy state in Sarawak, Malaysia. This study also extends the knowledge of technology acceptance model by introducing the mediation effect of PU and ease of use between the mobile-based predictors and m-payment intention.
Expansion to foreign markets: Usaflex
Authors: Sirimarco Paula Holanda Cavalcanti , da Fonseca Luiza Neves Marques
Published: June 2020

Learning outcomes

The case seeks to meet the following educational objectives: provide an understanding of the problems and opportunities faced by a company doing business in a rapidly expanding emerging market. Understand how the foreign environment and industry practices impinge on the company’s strategic conduct. Develop the ability to evaluate strategic internationalization decisions in light of considerations related to uncertainty, risk and commitment. Provide for the application of internationalization theories to a real case involving an emerging country company. Discuss new strategies for international market expansion.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study is about the strategic change of the Usaflex brand and how it impacted its national and international expansion. Usaflex is a Brazilian footwear company founded in 1998 and acquired in 2016 by a group of partners. The new managers started an accelerated process of national and international expansion. In the domestic market, the company adopted the franchise system and in the international market used licensed stores. In addition, the new management implemented a series of modifications, changing the positioning, design and product variety, as well as the communication strategy. This process took place in a highly negative context, with the domestic market suffering the impact of a strong recession and Brazilian footwear exports losing competitiveness in the international market.

Complexity academic level

The targeted audience of this case is undergraduate and MBA students of Business Management courses, specifically on International Business courses.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 5: International Business.
Emoticons and non-verbal communications across Arabic, English, and Korean Tweets
Authors: Park Jung Ran , El Mimouni Houda
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how tweeters drawn from three different languages and cultural boundaries manage the lack of contextual cues through an analysis of Arabic, English and Korean tweets.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study is drawn from a corpus of tweets (n = 1,200) streamed using Python through Twitter API. Using the language information, the authors limited the number of tweets to 400 randomly selected tweets from each language, totaling 1,200 tweets. Final coding taxonomy was derived through interactive processes preceded by literature and a preliminary analysis based on a small subset (n = 150) by isolating nonverbal communication devices and emoticons.

Findings

The results of the study present that there is great commonality across these tweets in terms of strategies and creativity in compensating for the constraints imposed by the tweet platform. The language-specific characteristics are also shown in the form of different usage of devices.

Research limitations/implications

Emoticon usage indicates that the communication mode influences online social interaction; the restriction of 140 maximum characters seems to engender a frequent usage of emoticons across tweets regardless of language differences. The results of the study bring forth implications into the design of social media technologies that reflect affective aspects of communication and language-/culture-specific traits and characteristics.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no qualitative studies examining paralinguistic nonverbal communication cues in the Twitter platform across language boundaries.
Information and cyber security maturity models: a systematic literature review
Authors: Rabii Anass , Assoul Saliha , Ouazzani Touhami Khadija , Roudies Ounsa
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify the uncertainty reflected in the current state of information security maturity evaluation where it has not enough matured and converged so that a generic approach or many specfics approaches become the go-to choice. In fact, in the past decade, many secruity maturity models are still being produced and remain unproven regardless of the existence of ISO 21827.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have used the systematic literature review to summarize existing research, help identify gaps in the existing literature and provide background for positioning new research studies.

Findings

The authors highlighted the prevalent influence of the ISO/IEC 27001/27002 standard but raised the necessity for an in-depth investigation of ISO 21827. The authors also made the implementation facet a central topic of our review. The authors found out that, compared to the number of proposed models, implementation experiments are lacking. This could be due to the arduous task of validation and it could also be the reason why specific models are dominant.

Originality/value

While the research literature contains many experience reports and a few case studies on information security maturity evaluation, a systematic review and synthesis of this growing field of research is unavailable as far as the authors know. In fact, the authors only picked-up one bodywork [Maturity models in cyber security A systematic review (2017)] carrying out a literature review on security maturity models between 2012 and 2017, written in Spanish.