bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Two Years of Ethics Reflection Groups About the Use of Coercion. Changes Over Time in Employees’ Normative Attitudes Regarding the Use of Coercion, User Involvement, Team Cooperation and the Handling of Disagreement
Authors: Molewijk Bert , Pedersen Reidar , Kok Almar , Førde Reidun , Aasland Olaf 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Research on the impact of ethics reflection groups (ERG) or moral case deliberations (MCD) is complex and scarce. Within a larger study, ERG has been used as an intervention for stimulating critical ethical reflection and improved team cooperation while observing changes over time.Research question: Are there – during and after two years of ERGs - changes over time regarding employees’ normative attitudes regarding the use of coercion and how employees perceive user involvement, team cooperation and the handling of disagreement in teams?Methods: Repeated cross-sectional survey to multidisciplinary employees at seven wards within three Norwegian mental health care institutions (T0-T1-T2). Changes in normative attitudes over time were estimated using linear mixed models.Results: In total, 817 surveys (from employees that did and did not participate in ERG) were included in the analyses. Of these, 7.6 % (N=62) responded at all three points in time, 15.5% (N=127) at two points, and 76.8 % (N= 628) once. On average, over time, respondents who participated in ERG agreed less that coercion can be seen a form of care or security. ERG participants more often reported that they involved users and that they handled disagreement within the team constructively. Furthermore, more frequent ERG participation was associated with a more critical attitude towards coercion and higher scores for user involvement, the coercion competence of the team and the constructive handling of disagreement within their teams.Conclusions: Structural ERGs or MCDs seem to contribute to employees reporting a more critical attitude towards coercion, more user involvement around coercion and a more constructive handling of disagreement. Differences were generally small in absolute terms possibly due to the low amount of longitudinal data and the relative low frequency of ERG’s during the two years. Studying changes over time in clinical practice and trying to find a relationship between CES interventions and CES outcomes is difficult yet important and needs to be further developed in future CES evaluation studies. This explorative quantitative study may be a first step from qualitative evidence towards more robust quantitative evidence of the contribution of CES to clinical practice and quality of care.
A Compact and High Efficiency Intracavity Opo Based on Periodically-poled Lithium Niobate
Authors: Wang Ke , Gao Mingyao , Yu Shuhui , Ning Jian , Xie Zhenda , Lv Xinjie , Zhao Gang , Zhu Shining 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
We demonstrate a compact, high-efficiency and widely tunable intracavity singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (IC-OPO) based on multichannel periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN). The IC-OPO is composed of 808 nm pump laser diode (LD), Nd:YVO4 laser and linear OPO. The continuous-wave (CW) mid-infrared (MIR) output laser is tunable from 2.25 μm to 4.79 μm. The maximum output power exceeds 1.08 W at 3.189 μm at 9.1 W LD pump power and the conversion efficiency is 11.88 %. We also build up a prototype with volume of Wmm3 and its total weight is less than 2 Kg. The measured power stability is 1.3 % Root Meat Square (RMS) for a 3 h duration under simulated high temperature conditions of 40 ℃. RMS is 2.6 % for a 4 h duration when simulated temperature is - 40 ℃.
The Three Gorges Dam accelerates acidification of upland soils
Authors: Li Hongying , Sun Pengfei , Wang Sichu , Gao Mengning , Xu Ying , Xia Lizhong , Li Jiuyu , Zhao Xueqiang , Kerr Philip , Xu Renkou , Shen Renfang , Collins Adrian , Wu Yonghong 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Large hydroelectric dams have provided extensive benefits in supporting human socio-economic development but their environmental footprint has come under increasing scrutiny. Lack of continued long-term monitoring of the environment remains a key constraint to the understanding of the correlation between dam operation and the environmental changes. Here we assess the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on upland soils in the reservoir area. By tracking the changing of pH value, a general indicator of soil health, over a period spanning nearly three decades before and after the dam construction, we observe continuous pH decline evidencing ongoing soil acidification. In addition to the intensive proton supply from applied fertilizers, the presence of the megaproject is believed to be a major driver of the accelerated soil acidification. Further analysis reveals that the shifts of microclimatic conditions as a result of the dam leads to the enhanced decomposition of organic species and the concomitant loss of exchangeable base cations, which contribute additional protons to soil and reduce soil acid-buffering capacity, respectively. Our findings identify the ecological impacts of the world’s largest dam and suggest the urgency to initiate environmental protection measures for improved sustainability.
Predicting Endometriosis Onset Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Kleczyk Ewa J , Peri Aparna , Yadav Tarachand , Komera Ramachandra , Peri Maruthi , Guduru Vara , Amirtharaj Stalin , Huang Ming 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background

Endometriosis is a common progressive female health disorder in which tissues similar to the lining of the uterus grow on other parts of the body like ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, and other parts of reproductive organs. In women, it is one of the most common causes of pelvic pain and infertility. In the US, one in every ten women of reproductive age group has endometriosis. The actual cause of endometriosis is still unknown, and it is quite difficult to diagnose. There are several theories regarding the cause; however, not a single theory has been scientifically proven.
Methods

In this paper, we try to identify the drivers of endometriosis’ diagnoses via leveraging advanced Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. The primary risks of infertility and other health complications can be minimized to a great extent, if likelihood of endometriosis can be predicted well in advance. As a result, the proper medical care and treatment can be given to the impacted patients. To demonstrate the feasibility, Logistic Regression (LR) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) algorithms were trained on 36 months of medical history data.
Results

The machine learning models were used to predict the likelihood of disease on qualified patients from the healthcare claims patient level database. Several directly and indirectly features were identified as important in accurate prediction of the condition onset, including selected diagnosis and procedure codes.
Conclusions

Leveraging the machine learning approaches can aid early prediction of the disease and offer an opportunity for patients to receive the needed medical treatment earlier in the patient journey. Creating a typing tool that can be integrated into the Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems and easily accessed by healthcare providers could further aid the objective of improving the diagnosis activities and inform the diagnostic processes that would result in timely and precise diagnosis, ultimately increasing patient care and quality of life.
Prevalence of Mycoplasma-like Lung Lesions in Pigs From Commercial Farms From Spain and Portugal
Authors: Pallares Francisco J. , Añón JA , Rodríguez-Gómez IM , Gómez-Laguna J , Fabré R , Sánchez-Carvajal JM , Ruedas-Torres Inés , Carrasco Librado 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes a chronic respiratory disease that produces important economic losses due to poor productive performance, increased mortality and increased costs due to treatment and control. The prevalence of mycoplasma-like lesions (MLL) at abattoir has been widely studied in different countries and different scoring systems have been used. However, most of them are difficult to apply in case of abattoirs with high number of pigs sacrificed per hour. For that reason, it is necessary to adapt the scoring system to the reality of the modern abattoir even if there is a loss of accuracy. Our purpose was to validate a mycoplasma-like scoring system at abattoirs with a high number of pigs per hour in Spain and Portugal using the histopathological diagnosis as confirmatory method to identify pattern of pneumonia correlated to gross lesion. Results: Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation (MLL) was the most frequent lung lesion (30.97 %) detected at the abattoir, followed by dorsocaudal infarcts with pleurisy (12.51 %) and pleurisy alone (6.26 %). The average score calculated for all lungs examined at abattoir was 1.99 out of 5 points. The histopathological study revealed that the 78.17 % of the lungs with MLL randomly selected presented microscopic lesions compatible with M. hyopneumoniae infection. Most bronchointerstitial and interstitial pneumonia lesions had a chronic course while most suppurative and fibrinous bronchopneumonia lesions had an acute course and a higher degree of severity. The combination of microscopic lesions more frequently observed was bronchointerstitial pneumonia + interstitial pneumonia + suppurative bronchopneumonia. The average loss of ADWG calculated for all pigs included in the study according the extension of the lung lesions was 22.33 g/day.Conclusions: The prevalence of MLL at abattoir was 30.97% but the microscopic examination of a sample of randomly selected lungs indicated that the real prevalence of lungs with lesions compatible with M. hyopneumoniae infection would be reduced to 24.21 %. The average score of MLL using a 0 to 5 points was 1.99 and the average loss of ADWG associated to those lesions was 22.33 g/day. The result of our study supports the importance of M. hyopneumoniae as primary pathogen in cases of PRDC.
The Role of Activity, Scan Duration and Patient's Body Mass Index&nbsp;in the Optimization of 18FDG Imaging Protocols on a TOF-PET/CT Scanner
Authors: Matheoud Roberta , Al-Maymani Naema , Oldani Alessia , Sacchetti Gian Mauro , Brambilla Marco , Carriero Alessandro 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
BackgroundTime-of-flight (TOF) PET technology determines a reduction in the noise and improves the reconstructed image quality in low counts acquisitions, such as in overweight patients, allowing a reduction of administered activity and/or imaging time. However, international guidelines and recommendations on 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) activity administration scheme are old or only partially account for TOF technology and advanced reconstruction modalities. The aim of this study was to optimize FDG whole-body studies on a TOF PET/CT scanner by using a multivariate approach to quantify how physical figures of merit related to image quality change with acquisition/reconstruction/patient-dependent parameters in a phantom experiment. MethodsThe NEMA-IQ phantom was used to evaluate contrast recovery coefficient (CRC), background variability (BV) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) as a function of changing emission scan duration (ESD), activity concentration (AC), target internal diameter (ID), target-background activity ratio (TBR), and body mass index (BMI). The phantom was filled with an average concentration of 5.3 kBq/mL of FDG solution and the spheres with TBR of 21.2, 8.8, and 5.0 in 3 different sessions. Images were acquired at varying background activity concentration from 5.1 to 1.3 kBq/mL and images were reconstructed for ESD of 30-151 seconds per bed position with and without Point Spread Function (PSF) correction. The parameters were all considered in a single analysis using multiple linear regression methods. ResultsAs expected, CRC depended only on sphere ID and on PSF application, while BV depended on sphere ID, ESD, AC and BMI of the phantom, in order of decreasing relevance. Noteworthy, ESD and AC resulted as the most significant predictors of CNR variability with a similar relevance, followed by the weight of the patient and TBR of the lesion. ConclusionsAC and ESD proved to be effective tools in modulating CNR. ESD could be increased rather than AC to improve image quality in overweight/obese patients to fulfil ALARA principles.
Effectiveness of Hallux Valgus Surgery on Improving Health-related Quality of Life: A Follow Up Study
Authors: Hernández-Castillejo Luis Enrique , Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , Alvarez-Bueno Celia , Quijada-Rodríguez José Luis , Alonso-Galán Miguel , Garrido-Miguel Miriam 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background Hallus valgus (HV) negatively impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in clinical studies of the foot and ankle. We aimed to evaluate the effect of HV surgery on PROMs (i.e., pain scales, general HRQoL, and region-specific scales) and radiological angles. Additionally, we aimed to determine whether the effect on these outcomes depends on the type of surgery (including open and percutaneous techniques) and if it is influenced by potential confounding factors (i.e., age, HVA, 1–2 IMA, body mass index (BMI), and distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA). MethodsThis was a longitudinal prospective study. We collected the clinical data of all patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic HV deformity in the orthopedic department of the Virgen de la Luz Hospital of Cuenca (Spain).The clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal (HMI) scale, visual analogue scale (VAS), Manchester Oxford foot questionnaire (MOXFQ), short form health survey (SF-12) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). ResultsA total of 72 patients (70 women, 97.2%) were included in the study 72 (72 feet).The AOFAS pre–post-surgery score changed from 42.16 (SD: 10.11) to 83.31 (SD: 6.23). Considering AOFAS domains, the pre–post change was from 14.17 (SD: 9.15) to 33.19 (SD: 4.69) for pain, from 27.22 (SD: 3.90) to 37.94 (SD: 2.78) for function, and from 0.78 (SD: 2.38) to 12.18 (SD: 3.45) for alignment. For other clinical outcomes was VAS score from 5.01(SD: 1.26) to 1.26 (SD: 0.96) and MOXFQ score from 61.44 (SD: 7.09) to 12.35 (SD: 4.85). SF-12 (physical) changed from 36.26 (SD: 5.32) to 47.06 (SD: 4.82), SF-12 (mental) from 38.23 (SD: 8.04) to 46.49 (SD: 4.16), and EQ5-D from 0.64 (SD: 0.008) to 0.90 (SD: 0.10). ConclusionsOur data confirmed the improvements in the clinical and radiological outcomes after HV surgery, and provided some evidence of these improvements not depending on the type of surgery or on some potential confounding factors such as BMI, HVA, 1–2 IMA, and DMAA.
A Genetic Variant rs10251977 in Long Non-coding RNA EGFR-AS1 Creates a New Binding Site for miR-891b and Modulates the Expression of EGFR A/D Isoforms
Authors: Shankar Dhamodharan , Mathew Rose , Chakkarappan Sundaram Reddy , Vijayamuthuramalingam Uma Dharshini Karuppiah , Ramalingam Arulmurugan , Shanmugam Subbiah , Ituro Inoue , Arasambattu Munirajan 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is one of the effective chemo-preventive approaches against tumors that deregulate EGFR pathway. About 80% of HNSCC patients overexpress EGFR, making TKI an effective treatment against this cancer. Recently a synonymous variant rs10251977 in exon 20 of EGFR reported to act as a prognostic marker in HNSCC. Analysis of this germline variant in blood samples of oral cancer patients showed a similar frequency in cases and controls. Further, in-silico analysis showed that this polymorphism creates binding site for miR-891b in EGFR-AS1. The EGFR-AS1 expression modulates the EGFR A/D isoforms through alternative splicing. Our bioinformatic analysis showed enrichment of alternative splicing marks H3K36me3 and presence of a few intronic polyA sites spanning around exon 15a and 15b of EGFR facilitating the skipping of exon 15b and thereby promoting the splicing of EGFR-A isoform. In addition, the presence of PTBP1 binding site in EGFR and EGFR-AS1 enhances the expression of EGFR- A isoform by preventing the premature termination. Expression profiling of EGFR-AS1 along with miR-891b level and rs10251977 polymorphism status in oral cancer patients may be useful for targeted therapy
NK cells infiltrating in the central nervous system aggravate brain injury of mice caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection
Authors: Zhang Rong , Miao Tingting , Qin Min , Zhao Chengsi , Wang Wei , Zhang Chengcheng , Liu Xinjian , Chen Ying , Chen Ailing , Wang Yong 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis), is a food-borne zoonotic parasite that can cause central nervous system (CNS) injury characterized by eosinophilic meningitis. However, the pathogenesis of the neurological impairments caused by A. cantonensis infection has not been well elucidated. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are unique innate lymphocytes important in early defense against pathogens. It was reported that NK cells could migrate to the CNS after brain injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of NK cells in brain injury caused by A. cantonensis infection.Methods Mouse model of A. cantonensis infection was established by intragastric administration of third-stage larvae. Neurological impairments were evaluated by Longa’s score, Clark’s general score and Clark’s focal score. Histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of cytokines at gene and protein levels was analyzed by PCR and ELISA, respectively. Infiltration of NK cells in the CNS was detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Depletion of NK cells in infected mice was caused by tail vein injection of anti-asialo GM1 rabbit serum, and adoptive transfer of NK cells was performed by tail vein injection of purified splenic NK cells. NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against YAC-1 cells was detected by LDH release assay. The cytokine production ability was determined by intracellular flow cytometry and ELISA.Results Mice developed brain inflammation and neurological impairment after A. cantonensis infection. The infiltration of NK cells in the CNS of A. cantonensis-infected mice was observed on 14 dpi and reached the peak on 22 dpi. Compared with the normal splenic NK cells, the CNS-infiltrated NK cells of infected mice expressed lower levels of CD69, NKp46 and NKG2D, but higher levels of NKG2A, and showed enhanced cytotoxicity and increased IFN-γ and TNF-α production ability. Depletion of NK cells alleviated brain injury, whereas adoptive transfer of NK cells exacerbated brain damage in A. cantonensis-infected mice.Conclusions Our results demonstrate that NK cells infiltrate into the CNS and aggravate the brain damage after A. cantonensis infection. The findings improve the understanding the pathogenesis of angiostrongyliasis and expand the therapeutic intervention in CNS disease.
WITHDRAWN: Two Novel InDels within the 5’UTR of SIRT1 are Associated with Growth Traits in Chickens
Authors: Liu Dandan , Liu Xuelian , Ma Xuejie , Li Chong , Li Jing , Li Qi , Zhang Na , Cao Yanfang , Li Zhuanjian , Kang Xiangtao , Tian Yadong , Li Wenting 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: SIRT1, a NAD+ dependent histone deacetylase, is involved in lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, apoptosis, and insulin secretion. However, the function of the SIRT1 gene in chickens has not been elucidated. Results: In our study, we identified two novel InDels (c.-1552_-1553insCG and c.-450_-451delCG) in the 5’UTR of the chicken SIRT1 gene. After genotyping 1,141 chickens from 7 breeds, we found that the wild type genotypes for both sites were the most common. An association study using 860 chickens from a Gushi ×Anka F2 resource population showed that c.-1552_-1553insCG was significantly correlated with growth traits and serum lipid indicators. The insertion genotype was most highly associated with body weight in 0-, 2-, and 4-week old chickens, and with shank length and shank circumference in 4-week and 8-week old chickens. The wild type genotype at this site was most highly associated with serum lipid indicators. In contrast, c.-450_-451delCG was significantly correlated with muscle fiber diameter. We also analyzed SIRT1 gene expression in chickens with different InDel genotypes and found that SIRT1 expression in muscle and fat tissue was significantly higher with heterozygous genotypes at both sites, relative to expression in chickens with the corresponding homozygous genotypes. Finally, we analyzed the effects of different haplotypes on SIRT1 promoter activity. The results showed that promoter activity depends on haplotype, with haplotype HapII exhibiting the highest activity. Conclusion: We conclude that the SIRT1 gene is associated with chicken growth traits and that the two InDels influence SIRT1 promoter activity in chickens.
Effects of Multicycle Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocols on Oxidative Stress of Follicular Fluid and Ovarian Granulosa Cells
Authors: Ma Yucong , Zhao Zhiming , Hao Guimin , Cui Na , Fan Yanli , Cao Yucong , Tan Zhanwang , Geng Jingran , Fan Lijie , Du Huilan , Gao Bu-Lang 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.