bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EDTA plasma in glass and polyethylene terephthalate tubes is suitable for measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide on the Mindray CL-6000i
Authors: Zhao Wei , Feng Gang , Wan Jun , Wang Xing , Feng Jiping , Zhang Wanwan , Yu Yalan , Pu Rui , Du Yong , Cao Yongtong
Published: February 2023

Aims

To explore differences in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration and stability and evaluate BNP accuracy in different collection tubes.

Methods

BNP concentrations in heparin/glass, EDTA/glass, and EDTA/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tubes were measured on the Mindray CL-6000i at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after collection. Differences were evaluated using Wilcoxon’s paired tests and Bland–Altman plots. BNP stability and measurement accuracies were estimated using Kruskal–Wallis H tests and recovery tests.

Results

BNP concentrations in EDTA/glass tubes were 31.4% higher than those in heparin/glass tubes and 3.04% lower than those in EDTA/PET tubes. BNP stability significantly decreased in the heparin/glass tube. BNP remained stable in EDTA/glass and EDTA/PET tubes at room temperature for 4 h. BNP recovery rates in heparin/glass, EDTA/glass, and EDTA/PET tubes were 77.46, 86.04, and 88.23%, respectively.

Conclusions

Plasma in EDTA/glass and EDTA/PET tubes is suitable for BNP measurement on the Mindray CL-6000i.
Numerical algorithm for hypersonic vehicle optimal flight control
Authors: Zhang Haoyue , Ding Shihong
Published: February 2023

We consider a hypersonic vehicle optimal flight control problem. The problem is modeled as an optimal control problem of switched systems (OCPSS), which can become a parameter optimization problem (POP). Following that, to achieve the globally optimal solution of the POP, an improved continuous filled function (CFF) algorithm including one adjusting parameter is proposed based on a penalty function, in which the CFF is differentiable, excludes logarithmic terms or exponential terms, and does not require to minimize the cost function. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm is effective.
Directing the pore size of rigid polyurethane foam via controlled air entrainment
Authors: Hamann Martin , Andrieux Sébastien , Schütte Markus , Telkemeyer Daniel , Ranft Meik , Drenckhan Wiebke
Published: February 2023

The interest in polyurethane rigid (PUR) foams as potent thermally insulating materials for a wide range of applications continues to grow as the minimization of CO2 emissions has become a global issue. Controlling the thermal insulation efficiency of PUR foams starts with the control of their morphology. Although the presence of micrometric air bubbles originating from air entrainment during the blending of the PU reactive mixture has been shown to influence the final PUR foam morphology, detailed experimental investigations on how exactly they affect the final PUR foam pore size are still lacking. To fill this gap, we use a double-syringe mixing device, which allows to control the number of air bubbles generated during a first air entrainment step, before using the same device to blend the reactive components in a sealed environment, avoiding further air entrainment. Keeping all experimental parameters constant except for the air bubble density in the reactive mixture, we can correlate changes of the final PUR foam morphology with the variation of the air bubble density in the initially liquid reactive mixture. Our results confirm recent findings which suggest the presence of two different regimes of bubble nucleation and growth depending on the presence or absence of dispersed air bubbles in the liquid reactive mixture. Our study pushes those insights further by demonstrating an inverse relation between the air bubble density in the liquid reactive mixture and the final pore volume of the PUR foam. For example, at constant chemical formulation and blending conditions, we could vary the final pore size between 400–1600 μm simply by controlling the amount of pre-dispersed air bubbles within the system. We are confident that the presented approach may not only provide a valuable model experiment to scan formulations in R&D laboratories, but it may also provide suggestions for the optimization of industrial processes.
Flow Experiences in Shopping Activities: Testing Materialistic Goal Orientation as an Antecedent
Authors: Isham Amy , Jackson Tim
Published: February 2023

Given that flow experiences when shopping can encourage positive brand attitudes and purchase behaviours, consumer psychologists are interested in the antecedents to flow within retail environments. Emerging findings suggest that a materialistic goal orientation can undermine an individual’s tendency to have optimal experiences of flow. However, this existing work has been conducted largely within the field of Environmental Psychology and thus focused on flow experiences that occur in more ecologically sustainable activities. We hypothesized that materialism may not have the same flow-limiting effects when participants are engaged in shopping activities, which are more in line with the goals of highly materialistic individuals. Across two studies, we tested the relationship between materialism and the experience of flow during shopping activities using cross-sectional ( N = 886) and experimental ( N = 140) methods. Contrary to our hypothesis, both studies documented a negative effect of materialism on flow experiences when shopping, and this was not moderated by the type of store browsed. Accordingly, it appears that a materialistic goal orientation limits the extent to which people can have enjoyable flow experiences even during activities which are consistent with the life goals of highly materialistic individuals. We discuss the implications of these findings for wellbeing, marketing, and sustainability.
Nanocellulose-reinforced, multilayered poly(vinyl alcohol)-based hydrophobic composites as an alternative sealing film
Authors: Chou Chun-Tu , Shi Shih-Chen , Chen Tao-Hsing , Chen Chih-Kuang
Published: February 2023

A flexible, hydrophobic, and multilayered poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film evolved to replace a commercially available nonbiodegradable easy seal-paper (ES-PAPER) sealing film. First, environmentally friendly fillers, such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) or cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), were added to produce PVA + CNC/CNF composites via blade coating and solution casting to strengthen the mechanical properties of PVA. Subsequently, biodegradable and hydrophobic materials, such as poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(lactic acid) (PEG–PLA) and neat PLA, were added to prepare multilayered PEG–PLA and PLA hydrophobic composites using double-sided solution casting. The hydrophobicity of PVA was enhanced through heat treatment. Finally, the mechanical properties of the as-prepared PVA film were compared with those of a commercially available ES-PAPER sealing film. PVA + CNC/CNF composites exhibit excellent transparency and mechanical properties, whereas PVA + CNCs 3.0 wt% have the highest Young's modulus and tensile strength, which are, respectively, 3% and 96% higher than the Young's modulus and tensile strength of an ES-PAPER sealing film. With regard to strain at break, the prepared PVA film also exhibited a value many times larger than that of the ES-PAPER sealing film because of good filler dispersibility, which significantly enhanced the durability of the sealing film.
Network performance estimator with applications to route selection for IoT multimedia applications
Authors: Bhering Fabiano , Passos Diego , Obraczka Katia , Albuquerque Célio
Published: February 2023

Estimating the performance of multimedia (MM) traffic is important in numerous contexts, including routing and forwarding, quality of service (QoS) provisioning, and adaptive video streaming. This paper proposes a network performance estimator which aims at providing, in quasi real-time, network performance estimates for IoT MM traffic in IEEE 802.11 multihop wireless networks. To our knowledge, the proposed MM-aware performance estimator, or MAPE, is the first deterministic simulation-based estimator that provides real-time per-flow throughput, packet loss, and delay estimates while considering inter-flow interference and multirate flows, typical of MM traffic. Our experimental results indicate that MAPE is able to provide network performance estimates that can be used by IoT MM services, notably to inform real-time route selection in IoT video transmission, at a fraction of the execution time when compared to stochastic network simulators. When compared to existing deterministic simulators, MAPE yields higher accuracy at comparable execution times due to its ability to consider multirate flows.
The impact of family social support on postpartum quality of life among Iranian women: structural equation modelling
Authors: Khademi Khadijeh , Kaveh Mohammad Hossein , Ghahremani Leila , Nazari Mahin , Karimi Masoud
Published: February 2023

Objective

To assess the impact of family social support (FSS) on postpartum quality of life (PQOL).

Methods

This analytical cross-sectional study enrolled postpartum women and asked them to complete the PQOL and FSS questionnaire (FSSQ) between October 2021 and February 2022 in three urban health centres in Shiraz, Iran. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and multiple regression were used to determine the relationship between the FSS and PQOL variables. Structural equation modelling was used to determine the relationship pathways of the impact of FSS on PQOL.

Results

A total of 240 women were enrolled in the study. The mean ± SD scores of PQOL and FSSQ were 61.63 ± 9.59 and 69.80 ± 11.19, respectively. Family support seeking (7.95) and emotional support seeking (−6.80) were two factors affecting PQOL.

Conclusion

Women should be empowered to seek support through education and actions from health workers, especially nurses and midwives, during routine regular prenatal care.
Knowledge of mucin immunostaining status of “nuclear inverse polarity papillary lesions lacking myoepithelial cells” may prevent unnecessary breast surgery: experience of two cases
Authors: Tajima Shinya , Kishimoto Keiko , Maeda Ichiro , Aida Yoshio , Kazama Akio , Takagi Masayuki
Published: February 2023

We previously reported on two women with breast lesions in whom radiological examination could not exclude malignancy. In both cases, mastectomy was performed, and histological analyses revealed papillary lesions lined by fibrovascular stroma and nuclear inverse polarity. Hematoxylin–eosin, p63, and calponin staining indicated an absence of myoepithelial cells. However, it was concluded that the lesions had been non-malignant. These women have now been under long-term surveillance (74 months for one case and 62 months for the other) and have had no disease recurrence. Mucin (MUC)1, MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC6 immunostaining has also been performed in these women to investigate further whether their tumors were malignant or benign. In both cases, the tumors were only positive for MUC1 in apical luminal apical cells, as in normal breast tissue. MUC5B immunostaining, even when weak, can detect early breast cancer but was completely negative in our two cases. Therefore, both tumors were considered benign. Our findings in these cases suggest that nuclear inverse polarity papillary lesions lacking myoepithelial cells are benign. This knowledge should decrease the number of unnecessary operations performed for this tumor and their negative impact on patients’ quality of life.
Bridging anthropological theory: Accumulating and containing wealth in World of Warcraft landscapes
Authors: Root Rachael
Published: February 2023

Human ingenuity responds to changing environments and resources with technological sophistication and variations in accumulative behaviors. While anthropologists look to the past and to processes of globalization to sketch these shifts in the natural world, there is a growing awareness that these transformations also occur in digital online worlds. I argue that archaeology’s attention to materiality provides useful analysis and directions for ethnographic video game analysis. I use research from the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, where players marshal social and economic resources in both the natural and digital worlds. In constructing reputations and accumulating prestige, players integrate online and offline resources, traversing the tangible/digital divide in their pursuit of achievement. Archaeological perspectives and theories of aggrandizement, containment, systems, landscapes, and ontological materiality provide opportunities to expand ethnographic video game research and debates into new directions.
Spatiotemporal Variations and Determinants of Under-Five Stunting in Ethiopia
Authors: Bitew Fikrewold H. , Sparks Corey S. , Nyarko Samuel H. , Apgar Lauren
Published: February 2023

Background:

Stunting has been a major concern in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little evidence exists on the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting within a national context.

Objective:

This paper examines the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting and determinants using data from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (2000-2016).

Methods:

Spatial autocorrelation and multilevel logistic regression models were used to conduct the analyses.

Results:

The stunting prevalence has decreased from 51% to 37%, while the prevalence of severe stunting has decreased by more than half (from 28% to 12%). Wide regional variations in stunting have been consistently observed over the years, which exhibited a higher level of stunting in Tigray (48%), Afar (42%), and Amhara (42%). The results show considerable local and regional variations in under-five stunting levels with diverse patterns of improvements in regional stunting levels over time. Stunting levels were associated with child-level factors such as the sex of a child, birth size, age of a child, birth order, preceding birth interval, and place of birth. Maternal educational attainment, nutritional status, household wealth, toilet facility type, and place of residence were linked to under-five stunting. The regional-level infant mortality rate was associated with under-five stunting.

Conclusions:

Specially tailored policies and interventions should be devised to address persistent spatial inequalities in stunting by focusing on higher risk populations.
Renal replacement therapy removes a large number of nitric oxide donors responsible for the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway
Authors: Tange Yoshihiro , Sunakawa Reo , Yoshitake Shigenori
Published: February 2023

Backgrounds:

Nitric oxide has a broad-spectrum antibacterial property promising as a new therapeutic agent for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 because nitric oxide donor (such as S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine) reduces the replication of coronavirus-2. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 undergoing dialysis generally have a higher mortality rate than the general population. Although the higher mortality rate in these patients may be related to their advanced age, it has been suggested that plasma nitrite and nitrate levels (products of nitric oxide metabolism) are significantly decreased after hemodialysis which may compromise the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway and impair nitric oxide homeostasis. It results in increased cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing dialysis. However, the profile of nitric oxide–producing substances is poorly understood during renal replacement therapy.

Methods:

We simulated continuous hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration to measure the amount of nitric oxide (nitric oxide-producing substance) clearance in vitro.

Results:

The results demonstrated increased nitric oxide clearance and higher clearance than creatinine (molecular weight: 113) and vitamin B12 (molecular weight: 1355) using highly efficient renal replacement therapy modes.

Conclusion:

The high nitric oxide clearance may have partly contributed to the high cardiovascular and coronavirus-2 mortality risk in patients on dialysis.
“Flattening the curve”: Communication, risk and COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
Authors: Moussa Mohamed Ben , Douai Aziz , Parmaksiz Mehmet Yalcin
Published: February 2023

This study examines Turkish online news media coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. It explores media framing narratives, particularly how they reflected and promoted elite polarization or consensus in the COVID-19 debate. The findings shed light on Turkish political power dynamics during the first stage in the national response to the pandemic. The study highlights the calculations of political partisans who are keen on building a fragile consensus in an increasingly polarized society.
Interjections and individual style: A study of restoration dramatic language
Authors: Evans Mel
Published: February 2023

This paper examines the manifestation of individual style through the lens of a specific language category: the interjection. The analysis considers how interjections are used as a resource in the dramatic dialogue of three Restoration playwrights: Aphra Behn, John Dryden and Thomas D’Urfey, and how their preferences and practices of use compare to previously identified trends in the history of English. Using the concept of the repertoire as a frame for situated language use, the paper examines how genre, time, and characterisation shape the selection and frequency of interjections in the plays of each author. Corpus linguistic methods are used to provide a quantitative and qualitative overview of each author’s interjection repertoire. The results suggest that whilst genre, time, and characterisation are influential in shaping the selection and implementation of interjection forms, the choice of expressive language in dramatic contexts is also distinctive and coherent at an authorial level.
Singapore as a Destination Among Trans-Border People: Migration from the Indo-Myanmar Borderland
Authors: Kipgen Thanggoulen
Published: February 2023

This article analyses the significance of kinship and ethnic networks in the migration of the Kuki people from the Indo-Myanmar borderland to Singapore. In addition to facilitating the dissemination of information and the formation of collective decisions, kinship and ethnic networks are crucial in fostering a sense of community and belonging in the new destination. The article investigates the church’s function among Singapore’s Kuki population. It argues that religion deconstructs ‘otherness’ that came about when colonial rulers split the Kukis into two separate countries (India and Myanmar). The church serves as a powerful symbol of Kuki identity since it facilitates efforts for ethnic unification and allows them to revive the sense of ethnic solidarity lost for decades.
Using the Number Line to Develop Understanding of Whole Number Magnitude and Operations
Authors: Sutherland Marah , Furjanic David , Hermida Joanna , Clarke Ben
Published: February 2023

This article illustrates how teachers can use number lines to support students with or at risk for learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics. Number lines can be strategically used to help students understand relations among numbers, approach number combinations (i.e., basic facts), as well as represent and solve addition and subtraction problems. The authors draw from the existing research base to describe practices for incorporating number line representations to (a) support students’ conceptual understanding of number and (b) teach addition and subtraction computational strategies. Specific examples are provided for teachers to integrate number line representations with other mathematical models to support the development of whole number understanding for students with LD in mathematics.
The Potential of Endoscopic Spring Ligament Repair in Flatfoot Reconstruction
Authors: Masaragian Héctor José , Rega Leonel , Ameriso Nicolas , Perin Fernando , Fabrego Cesar , Veizaga Johann
Published: February 2023

Background:

Spring ligament fulfills 2 main important functions: one, supporting the head of the talus and stabilizing the talonavicular joint, and the other, maintaining the longitudinal arch by acting as a static support. In this preliminary report, we describe an endoscopic repair for spring ligament injuries with modified portals.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective case series study from February 2019 to January 2022. Posterior tibial tendon and/or associated bone deformities were assessed at the same surgical procedure. All patients were ≥18 years old and they had more than 6 months of follow-up. The procedure was performed in 11 patients. Mean age was 46 years (range 18-63). Ten had concomitant bony realignment surgery, and 8 had posterior tibial tendon surgery.

Results:

In all patients, endoscopic spring ligament repair could be technically done. The modified portals were used in all procedures as described in the surgical technique. Three patients had a superficial lesion, 1 had a rupture <5 mm, 7 had a rupture >5 mm but not a complete rupture through the entire spring ligament. Most of the patients had good clinical results from the surgery that included endoscopic spring ligament debridement and/or repair at 2 years follow up

Conclusion:

In this small series we found that endoscopy may be an effective technique to diagnose and treat incomplete spring ligament injuries.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
The Case for Content-Based Curriculum for Advanced Learners
Authors: VanTassel-Baska Joyce
Published: February 2023

All advanced learners deserve a content-based curriculum that will challenge them to learn more deeply and more broadly, that will enable connections to different domains of learning, and that will raise questions about the world. This article examines the reasons for educators not providing curricula to accommodate advanced learners, characteristics of a well-designed curriculum, and critical steps needed to ensure the effective implementation of such a curriculum for advanced learners.
Cell Adaptive Fitness and Cancer Evolutionary Dynamics
Authors: Derbal Youcef
Published: February 2023

Genome instability of cancer cells translates into increased entropy and lower information processing capacity, leading to metabolic reprograming toward higher energy states, presumed to be aligned with a cancer growth imperative. Dubbed as the cell adaptive fitness, the proposition postulates that the coupling between cell signaling and metabolism constrains cancer evolutionary dynamics along trajectories privileged by the maintenance of metabolic sufficiency for survival. In particular, the conjecture postulates that clonal expansion becomes restricted when genetic alterations induce a sufficiently high level of disorder, that is, high entropy, in the regulatory signaling network, abrogating as a result the ability of cancer cells to successfully replicate, leading to a stage of clonal stagnation. The proposition is analyzed in the context of an in-silico model of tumor evolutionary dynamics to illustrate how cell-inherent adaptive fitness may predictably constrain clonal evolution of tumors, which would have significant implications for the design of adaptive cancer therapies.
Soundtrap usage during COVID-19: A machine-learning approach to assess the effects of the pandemic on online music learning
Authors: Knapp David H , Powell Bryan , Smith Gareth D , Coggiola John C , Kelsey Matthew
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a sudden rethinking of how music was taught and learned. Prior to the pandemic, the web-based digital audio workstation Soundtrap emerged as a leading platform for creating music online. The present study examined the growth of Soundtrap’s usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using machine-learning methods, we analyzed anonymized user data from Soundtrap’s 1.6 million educational users in the United States to see if the pandemic affected Soundtrap’s education user base and, if so, to what extent. An exploratory data analysis demonstrated a large increase in Soundtrap’s user base beyond five standard deviations beginning in March 2020. A subsequent changepoint analysis identified March 17, 2020, as the day this shift occurred. Finally, we created a SARIMAX model using data prior to March 17 to forecast expected growth. This model was unable to account for user growth after March 17, showing highly anomalous growth rates outside of the model’s confidence interval. We discuss how this shift affects music education practices and what it portends for our field. In addition, we explore the role of machine learning and artificial intelligence as a method for research in the music education field.
Social Norms About Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Measures Used in Dating and Relationship Violence Research
Authors: Meiksin Rebecca , Bonell Chris , Bhatia Amiya , Melendez-Torres G.J. , Kyegombe Nambusi , Kohli Anjalee
Published: February 2023

Adolescent dating and relationship violence (DRV) is widespread and associated with increased risk of subsequent poor mental health outcomes and partner violence. Shifting social norms (i.e., descriptive norms of perceived behavior and injunctive norms of acceptable behavior among a reference group of important others) may be important for reducing DRV. However, few DRV studies assess norms, measurement varies, and evidence on measure quality is diffuse. We aimed to map and assess how studies examining DRV measured social norms concerning DRV and gender. We conducted a systematic review of DRV literature reporting on the use and validity of such measures among participants aged 10–18 years. Searches included English peer-reviewed and grey literature identified via nine databases; Google Scholar; organization websites; reference checking; known studies; and expert requests. We identified 24 eligible studies from the Americas ( N = 15), Africa ( N = 4), and Europe ( N = 5) using 40 eligible measures of DRV norms (descriptive: N = 19; injunctive: N = 14) and gender norms (descriptive: N = 1; injunctive: N = 6). No measure was shared across studies. Most measures were significantly associated with DRV outcomes and most had a defined reference group. Other evidence of quality was mixed. DRV norms measures sometimes specified heterosexual relationships but rarely separated norms governing DRV perpetrated by girls and boys. None specified sexual-minority relationships. Gender norms measures tended to focus on violence, but missed broader gendered expectations underpinning DRV. Future research should develop valid, reliable DRV norms and gender norms measures, and assess whether interventions’ impact on norms mediates impact on DRV.
Globalization, glocalization and the ICT revolution
Authors: Roudometof Victor
Published: February 2023

The article explores the relationship between globalization and the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution. The impact of ICTs does not conform to the globalization paradigm’s suggestions. To address this issue, this article argues that glocalization and localization should be viewed as autonomous processes. Glocalization offers a means for the interpretation of the ICT revolution in techno-social relationships. It leads to the reconstruction of places through digital means or newfound third spaces of glocality. In the first instance, ICTs often lead to a reconstruction of local places, whereas in the second instance, ICTs lead to glocalities.
News framing of the 2014–15 Ukraine conflict by the BBC and RT
Authors: Liu Zixiu
Published: February 2023

This article explores the dynamic relationship between international news organisations and politics in the United Kingdom and Russia. Using the 2014–15 Ukraine conflict as its case study, this research argues that humanitarianism has been applied to set the news agenda by RT. The BBC, on the other hand, used relatively less human rights frames but depicted Russia and Russia-backed separatists as responsible for the conflict. Despite the concepts of manufacturing consent and indexing may not capture the arguments in journalistic practice comprehensively, they are useful in explaining and revealing broader insights into the market and politics-driven media industry and the illiberal tendency in the reporting of international war/conflict in that news framing constitutes a vital soft power tool. This also raises the question that where should we draw lines of distinction between the state-sponsored soft power media RT and the publicly funded BBC.
Voting experience in a new era: The impact of past eligibility on the breakdown of mainstream parties
Authors: De la Cuesta Fernando
Published: February 2023

This paper studies the influence of the context in shaping the effects on later voting behavior of first experiences with voting. I leverage from changes in the political context in Spain produced by the Great Recession to answer whether individuals’ first voting experience affects the electoral support for mainstream parties differently depending on the different political context that first voters experienced before and after the Great Recession. I use a novel database of pre-electoral surveys between 2000 and 2015 and a difference-in-differences analysis. I exploit the exogenous variation produced by the legal voting-age threshold in Spain (18 years-old) among people of the same cohort. I find that, after the Great Recession, second-time eligibility voters have a higher probability to vote for mainstream forces than their counterfactual equals. The results show that, in a context of political change, first voting experience strengthens the vote for mainstream parties. The results show that previous voting experience creates favorable inertia for mainstream parties that slow down the change of a political system.
The use of Vsee videoconferencing for live telepathology in Rwanda, a potential solution for resource-limited area
Authors: Manirakiza Felix , Niyoyita Jean Paul , Habanabakize Thomas , Ndagijimana Emmanuel , Surwumwe Jean Bosco , Rugwizangoga Belson
Published: February 2023

Objective

The shortage of pathologists is a worldwide problem that is more severe in Africa. One of the solutions is the use of telepathology (TP); however, most of the TP systems are expensive and unaffordable in many developing countries. At the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda, we assessed the possibility of combining commonly available laboratory tools into a system that can be used for diagnostic TP using Vsee videoconferencing.

Methodology

Using an Olympus microscope (with a camera) operated by a laboratory technologist, histologic images were transmitted to a computer whose screen was shared, using Vsee, with a remotely located pathologist who made the diagnoses. Sixty consecutive small biopsies (≤6 glass slides) from different tissues were examined to make a diagnosis using live Vsee-based videoconferencing TP. Vsee-based diagnoses were compared to pre-existing light microscopy-based diagnoses. Percent agreement and unweighted Cohen’s kappa coefficient of the agreement were calculated.

Results

For agreement between conventional microscopy-based and Vsee-based diagnoses, we found an unweighted Cohen’s kappa of 0.77 ± 0.07SE with a 95% CI of 0.62–0.91. The perfect percent agreement was 76.6% (46 of 60). Agreement with minor discrepancy was 15% (9 of 60). There were 2 cases of major discrepancy (3.30%). We were unable to make a diagnosis in 3 cases (5%) because of poor image quality related to the instantaneous internet connectivity problems.

Conclusion

This system provided promising results. However, additional studies to assess other parameters which can affect its performance are needed before this system can be considered an alternative method of providing TP services in resource-limited settings.
Performance of CardioCel in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: Patukale Aditya A. , Suna Jessica , Anand Abhishek , Betts Kim S. , Karl Tom R. , Venugopal Prem , Marathe Supreet P. , Alphonso Nelson
Published: February 2023

A systematic review was performed for evaluation of the performance of CardioCel® in cardiac surgery. The review included all studies published from January 2013 to December 2020. We conclude that CardioCel is a strong, flexible tissue substitute with good handling characteristics and a low incidence of thrombosis, aneurysm formation, infection, or structural degeneration. It can be used for a variety of intracardiac and extracardiac repairs of congenital heart defects in all age groups with good durability at mid-term follow-up. However, the use of CardioCel in certain positions requires caution. Information on the long-term performance of CardioCel is lacking.
Impact of Type of Enteral Feeds on Early Postoperative Outcomes After Congenital Heart Surgery in Neonates and Young Infants: A Single Center Experience in a Limited Resource Environment
Authors: Ghosh Sreepurna , Balachandran Rakhi , Neema Praveen Kumar , Kottayil Brijesh P , Bhaskaran Renjitha , Sudhakar Abish , Krishna Kumar R
Published: February 2023

Background: Breast milk is known to prevent infections and is recommended for enteral feeding of infants after congenital heart surgery (CHS). During the Covid-19 pandemic, expressed breast milk (EBM) was not always available; hence, feeding after CHS was maintained with EBM or infant formula (IF) or both; we evaluated the impact of enteral feed type on early postoperative outcomes after CHS. Methods: In a prospective observational study, consecutive neonates and infants <4 months undergoing CHS were divided into EBM, IF, or EBM+IF groups; incidences of postoperative infections, ventilation duration, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and mortality were studied. Results: Among 270 patients; 90 (33.3%) received EBM, 89 (32.9%) received IF, and 91 (33.7%) received EBM+IF. IF group had more neonates (78.7%[IF] vs 42.2%[EBM] and 52.7%[EBM+IF], P < 0.001) and greater surgical complexity. Postoperative infections were 9 (10.0%) in EBM; 23 (25.8%) in IF; and 14 (15.4%) in EBM+IF ( P = .016). IF group (OR 2.58 [1.05-6.38], P = .040), absence of preoperative feeding (OR 6.97 [1.06-45.97], P = .040), and increase in cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR 1.005 [1.001-1.010], P = .027) were associated with postoperative infection. Ventilation duration in hours was 26 (18-47.5) in EBM; 47 (28-54.5) in IF; and 40 (17.5-67) in EBM+IF ( P = .004). ICU stay in days was 4 (3-7) in EBM; 6 (5-9) in IF; and 5 (3-9) in EBM+IF ( P = .001). Mortality did not differ ( P = .556). Conclusion: IF group had a greater proportion of neonates with higher surgical complexity. Patients who received EBM after CHS had fewer postoperative infections and better postoperative outcomes compared to those receiving IF or EBM+IF.
Effects of Physical Activity on Physical Fitness and Functional Ability in Older Adults
Authors: Wickramarachchi Bimba , Torabi Mohammad R. , Perera Bilesha
Published: February 2023

A cross-sectional survey was done to investigate the pathways the physical activity acts in improving physical fitness and functional outcomes of older adults (60 years and above) using 880 community-dwelling older adults in Sri Lanka. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The final SEM model included five latent factors and 14 co-variances. Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Comparative fit index (CFI) and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) values of the model were 0.95, 0.93, 0.91, and 0.05 respectively, indicating a good model fit. Strength enhances balance (β = .52, p < .01) and reduces the time required to complete physical functions (β = −.65, p < .01). Since strength declines with advancing age, muscle-strengthening activity programs should be promoted to enhance balance and functional performances in older adults in advanced ages. Strength test (hand grip and leg strength) can be used as a screening test to predict potential risk of falls and functional disabilities in older adults.
Level of Professionalism and Associated Factors Among Nurses Working in South Wollo Zone Public Hospitals, Northeastern Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Bekalu Yemane Eshetu , Wudu Muluken Amare
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Nurses are the frontline force for patient care, and nursing professionalism is a key tool for quality of care. Nursing professionalism and its characteristics should be defined in accordance with the current system.

Objective

To determine the level of professionalism in nursing and its associated factors in the South Wollo Public Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia.

Methods

A multicenter hospital-based cross-sectional study design was used in South Wollo Zone Public Hospitals from March to April 2022, with 357 nurses selected using a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire, then entered and analyzed using EpiData 4.7 and SPSS 26. Finally, predictors of nursing professionalism were identified using a multivariate logistic regression.

Result

Of the 350 respondents, 179 (51.1%) were women and 171 (48.9%) were men, with 68.6% displaying high levels of professionalism. Being women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.93, 95% CI [1.718, 5.000]), having a positive self-image (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.421, 6.205]), having a good organizational culture (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI [1.587, 6.302]), being a member of the nursing association (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.137, 3.367]), and nurses who were satisfied with their job were significantly associated with nursing professionalism.

Conclusion

In this study, the level of nursing professionalism was encouraging but needed more effort. Furthermore, sex, self-image, organizational culture, nursing association membership, and job satisfaction were positive predictors of nursing professionalism. As a result, hospital administrations consider factors that maintain a pleasant institutional working environment to foster a positive self-image and increase job satisfaction.
Black-White Differences in Parental Happiness
Authors: Augustine Jennifer , Brantley Mia
Published: February 2023

Lower levels of happiness among Blacks compared with Whites are well documented, as are lower levels of happiness among parents compared with nonparents. Yet it remains unclear whether the parenting happiness gap is larger among Blacks compared with Whites. Drawing on the General Social Survey (2010–2018), the authors investigate this question. The authors find that White mothers reported less happiness compared with their White female nonparent counterparts, but contrary to research highlighting the profound challenges of parenting for Black women, a parental happiness gap among Black women was not observed. Among Black men, parents reported a much higher probability of being very happy than their nonparent counterparts, whereas White fathers’ happiness was no different from that of their male counterparts without children. These findings are discussed in view of stereotypes about Black mothers and fathers, their resilience to stressors such as racism and discrimination, and emerging research on the salience of fatherhood for Black men.
Prospective Attitude about the Importance of Planning Pregnancies Is Associated with Retrospective Attitude toward a Specific Pregnancy
Authors: Greil Arthur L. , Shreffler Karina M. , Tiemeyer Stacy M. , McQuillan Julia
Published: February 2023

Several theories of fertility behavior assume that planning is important to women. Is this a reasonable assumption? To answer this question, the authors used the National Survey of Fertility Barriers. Among women with unsure or positive fertility intentions at wave 1, most (75 percent) agreed with the statement “It is important to plan my pregnancies.” Logistic regression, adjusted for control variables, indicated that fertility intentions are a distinct construct from pregnancy planning attitudes. Multinomial regression of retrospective pregnancy attitude three years later among a subsample of women who had pregnancies during that period indicated that women who felt that it was more important to plan pregnancies had higher odds of describing their intentions at the time of a subsequent pregnancy as “trying to” become pregnant compared with “okay either way.” Therefore, it is useful to measure and include pregnancy planning attitude, in addition to intentions, in fertility research.
Organ and cell-specific biomarkers of Long-COVID identified with targeted proteomics and machine learning
Authors: Patel Maitray A. , Knauer Michael J. , Nicholson Michael , Daley Mark , Van Nynatten Logan R. , Cepinskas Gediminas , Fraser Douglas D.
Published: February 2023

Background

Survivors of acute COVID-19 often suffer prolonged, diffuse symptoms post-infection, referred to as “Long-COVID”. A lack of Long-COVID biomarkers and pathophysiological mechanisms limits effective diagnosis, treatment and disease surveillance. We performed targeted proteomics and machine learning analyses to identify novel blood biomarkers of Long-COVID.

Methods

A case–control study comparing the expression of 2925 unique blood proteins in Long-COVID outpatients versus COVID-19 inpatients and healthy control subjects. Targeted proteomics was accomplished with proximity extension assays, and machine learning was used to identify the most important proteins for identifying Long-COVID patients. Organ system and cell type expression patterns were identified with Natural Language Processing (NLP) of the UniProt Knowledgebase.

Results

Machine learning analysis identified 119 relevant proteins for differentiating Long-COVID outpatients (Bonferonni corrected P < 0.01). Protein combinations were narrowed down to two optimal models, with nine and five proteins each, and with both having excellent sensitivity and specificity for Long-COVID status (AUC = 1.00, F1 = 1.00). NLP expression analysis highlighted the diffuse organ system involvement in Long-COVID, as well as the involved cell types, including leukocytes and platelets, as key components associated with Long-COVID.

Conclusions

Proteomic analysis of plasma from Long-COVID patients identified 119 highly relevant proteins and two optimal models with nine and five proteins, respectively. The identified proteins reflected widespread organ and cell type expression. Optimal protein models, as well as individual proteins, hold the potential for accurate diagnosis of Long-COVID and targeted therapeutics.
PredAOT: a computational framework for prediction of acute oral toxicity based on multiple random forest models
Authors: Ryu Jae Yong , Jang Woo Dae , Jang Jidon , Oh Kwang-Seok
Published: February 2023

Background

Acute oral toxicity of drug candidates can lead to drug development failure; thus, predicting the acute oral toxicity of small compounds is important for successful drug development. However, evaluation of the acute oral toxicity of small compounds considered in the early stages of drug discovery is limited because of cost and time. Here, we developed a computational framework, PredAOT, that predicts the acute oral toxicity of small compounds in mice and rats.

Methods

PredAOT is based on multiple random forest models for the accurate prediction of acute oral toxicity. A total of 6226 and 6238 compounds evaluated in mice and rats, respectively, were used to train the models.

Results

PredAOT has the advantage of predicting acute oral toxicity in mice and rats simultaneously, and its prediction performance is similar to or better than that of existing tools.

Conclusion

PredAOT will be a useful tool for the quick and accurate prediction of the acute oral toxicity of small compounds in mice and rats during drug development.
Immunoinformatics design of multi-epitope vaccine using OmpA, OmpD and enterotoxin against non-typhoidal salmonellosis
Authors: Beikzadeh Babak
Published: February 2023

Background

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the important bacteria that cause foodborne diseases and invasive infections in children and elderly people. Since NTS infection is difficult to control due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant species and its adverse effect on immune response, the development of a vaccine against NTS would be necessary. This study aimed to develop a multi-epitope vaccine against the most prevalent serovars of NTS (Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis) using an immunoinformatics approach and targeting OmpA, OmpD, and enterotoxin (Stn).

Results

Initially, the B cell and T cell epitopes were predicted. Then, epitopes and suitable adjuvant were assembled by molecular linkers to construct a multi-epitope vaccine. The computational tools predicted the tertiary structure, refined the tertiary structure and validated the final vaccine construct. The effectiveness of the vaccine was evaluated via molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and in silico immune simulation. The vaccine model had good binding affinity and stability with MHC-I, MHC-II, and toll-like receptors (TLR-1, 2, 4) as well as activation of T cells, IgM, IgG, IFN-$$\gamma$$
γ
and IL-2 responses. Furthermore, after codon optimization of the vaccine sequence, this sequence was cloned in E. coli plasmid vector pET-30a (+) within restriction sites of HindIII and BamHI.

Conclusions

This study, for the first time, introduced a multi-epitope vaccine based on OmpA, OmpD and enterotoxin (Stn) of NTS that could stimulate T and B cell immune responses and produced in the prokaryotic system. This vaccine was validated in-silico phase which is an essential study to reduce challenges before in vitro and in vivo studies.

Graphical abstract
Exploring genomic regions involved in bread wheat resistance to leaf rust at seedling/adult stages by using GWAS analysis
Authors: Delfan Saba , Bihamta Mohammad Reza , Dadrezaei Seyed Taha , Abbasi Alireza , Alipour Hadi
Published: February 2023

Background

Global wheat productivity is seriously challenged by a range of rust pathogens, especially leaf rust derived from Puccinia triticina. Since the most efficient approach to control leaf rust is genetic resistance, many efforts have been made to uncover resistance genes; however, it demands an ongoing exploration for effective resistance sources because of the advent of novel virulent races. Thus, the current study was focused on detecting leaf rust resistance-related genomic loci against the P. triticina prevalent races by GWAS in a set of Iranian cultivars and landraces.

Results

Evaluation of 320 Iranian bread wheat cultivars and landraces against four prevalent rust pathotypes of P. triticina (LR-99–2, LR-98–12, LR-98–22, and LR-97–12) indicated the diversity in wheat accessions responses to P. triticina. From GWAS results, 80 leaf rust resistance QTLs were located in the surrounding known QTLs/genes on almost chromosomes, except for 1D, 3D, 4D, and 7D. Of these, six MTAs (rs20781/rs20782 associated with resistance to LR-97–12; rs49543/rs52026 for LR-98–22; rs44885/rs44886 for LR-98–22/LR-98–1/LR-99–2) were found on genomic regions where no resistance genes previously reported, suggesting new loci conferring resistance to leaf rust. The GBLUP genomic prediction model appeared better than RR-BLUP and BRR, reflecting that GBLUP is a potent model for genomic selection in wheat accessions.

Conclusions

Overall, the newly identified MTAs as well as the highly resistant accessions in the recent work provide an opportunity towards improving leaf rust resistance.