bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Meta-analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound for the diagnosis of gallbladder malignancy
Authors: Liang Xue , Jing Xiang 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The diagnosis between benign and malignant gallbladder lesions is sometimes difficult. The objective of this study is to assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) can be an accurate method for detecting gallbladder malignancy and to determine which imaging signs can be indicative of malignancy.

Methods
A study search of PubMed, Elsevier, and Sciencedirect was performed in May 2019. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve were used to examine the accuracy of CEUS and CH-EUS.

Results
Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities of CEUS and CH-EUS were 0.81 (0.75–0.86) and 0.92 (0.86–0.95); the specificities were 0.94 (0.90–0.96) and 0.89 (0.69–0. 97); the DORs were 64 (32–127) and 89 (22–354); and the area under the SROC curves were 0.90 (0.87–0.92) and 0.92 (0.90–0.94). On CEUS, the diagnostic criterion for gallbladder malignancy according to four features were analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.75 (0.65–0.83) and 0.98 (0.85–1.00) for integrity of gallbladder wall; 0.69 (0.55–0.81) and 0.89 (0.77–0.95) for heterogeneous enhancement; 0.81 (0.71–0.88) and 0.88 (0.76–0.94) for irregular vessels; and 0.81 (0.66–0.91) and 0.75 (0.59–0.86) for washout time within 28 s. On CH-EUS, heterogeneous enhancement could be indicative of malignant lesions with a sensitivity of 0.94 (0.85–0.97); and the specificity was 0.92 (0.71–0.98).

Conclusions
CEUS and CH-EUS are promising and reliable imaging modalities with a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of gallbladder malignancy. CH-EUS might be more sensitive than CEUS with a higher sensitivity. In addition, irregular tralesional vessels and washout time within 28 s on CEUS and heterogeneous enhancement on CH-EUS are indicative of malignancy. However, larger scale and well-designed studies are warranted to verify our results.
Nanomechanical properties of enucleated cells: contribution of the nucleus to the passive cell mechanics
Authors: Efremov Yuri M. , Kotova Svetlana L. , Akovantseva Anastasia A. , Timashev Peter S. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The nucleus, besides its functions in the gene maintenance and regulation, plays a significant role in the cell mechanosensitivity and mechanotransduction. It is the largest cellular organelle that is often considered as the stiffest cell part as well. Interestingly, the previous studies have revealed that the nucleus might be dispensable for some of the cell properties, like polarization and 1D and 2D migration. Here, we studied how the nanomechanical properties of cells, as measured using nanomechanical mapping by atomic force microscopy (AFM), were affected by the removal of the nucleus.

Methods
The mass enucleation procedure was employed to obtain cytoplasts (enucleated cells) and nucleoplasts (nuclei surrounded by plasma membrane) of two cell lines, REF52 fibroblasts and HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. High-resolution viscoelastic mapping by AFM was performed to compare the mechanical properties of normal cells, cytoplasts, and nucleoplast. The absence or presence of the nucleus was confirmed with fluorescence microscopy, and the actin cytoskeleton structure was assessed with confocal microscopy.

Results
Surprisingly, we did not find the softening of cytoplasts relative to normal cells, and even some degree of stiffening was discovered. Nucleoplasts, as well as the nuclei isolated from cells using a detergent, were substantially softer than both the cytoplasts and normal cells.

Conclusions
The cell can maintain its mechanical properties without the nucleus. Together, the obtained data indicate the dominating role of the actomyosin cytoskeleton over the nucleus in the cell mechanics at small deformations inflicted by AFM.
Midwives’ challenges and factors that motivate them to remain in their workplace in the Democratic Republic of Congo—an interview study
Authors: Bogren Malin , Grahn Malin , Kaboru Berthollet Bwira , Berg Marie 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has high maternal mortality and a low number of midwives, which undermines the achievement of goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, specifically the health of the mother and newborn. Scaling up the midwifery workforce in relation to number, quality of healthcare, and retention in service is therefore critical. The aim of this study was to investigate midwives’ challenges and factors that motivate them to remain in their workplace in the DRC.

Methods
Data were collected in two out of 26 provinces in the DRC through ten focus group discussions with a total of 63 midwives working at ten different healthcare facilities. Transcribed discussions were inductively analysed using content analysis.

Results
The midwives’ challenges and the factors motivating them to remain in their workplace in the DRC are summarised in one main category—Loving one’s work makes it worthwhile to remain in one’s workplace, despite a difficult work environment and low professional status—consisting of three generic categories: Midwifery is not just a profession; it’s a calling is described in the subcategories Saving lives through midwifery skills, Building relationships with the women and the community, and Professional pride; Unsupportive organisational system is expressed in the subcategories Insufficient work-related security and No equitable remuneration system, within Hierarchical management structures; and Inadequate pre-conditions in the work environment includes the subcategories Lack of resources and equipment and Insufficient competence for difficult working conditions.

Conclusion
Midwives in the DRC are driven by a strong professional conscience to provide the best possible care for women during childbirth, despite a difficult work environment and low professional status. To attract and retain midwives and ensure that they are working to their full scope of practice, we suggest coordinated actions at the regional and national levels in the DRC and in other low-income countries with similar challenges, including (i) conducting midwifery education programmes following international standards, (ii) prioritising and enforcing policies to include adequate remuneration for midwives, (iii) involving midwives’ associations in policy and planning about the midwifery workforce, and (iv) ensuring that midwives’ working environments are safe and well equipped.
Transforming the practice of medicine through team science
Authors: Pitzen Jason H. , Dieter Heidi L. , Gronseth Darren L. , Dahl Amber K. , Boyle Venessa L. , Maran Tharana , Harper C. Michel , Gores Gregory J. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The translation of biomedical research discoveries into clinical practice is marked by extended timelines (averaging 17 years) and multiple sequential process steps. However, even after a drug, device, diagnostic tool or unique therapeutic procedure successfully navigates through clinical testing to approval, real barriers remain in applying and scaling the innovation in practice.

Methods
Mayo Clinic initiated the Transform the Practice programme to facilitate multidisciplinary team and convergence science to continuously reinvent solutions to address unmet patient needs and accelerate the application of next-generation healthcare solutions. During a 5-year period, 24 programme teams received financial resources, barrier-removing engagement from clinical and research leadership, and enhanced administrative support, including dedicated project managers.

Results
The approach created value in facilitating consistent progress toward project objectives and resulted in multiple publications, new extramural funding sources, and implementation of new tests and services into the clinical practice. This report describes the concentrated institutional effort to accelerate the discovery–translation–application continuum in an academic medical centre and highlights successful applications and persistent obstacles.

Conclusions
The Transform the Practice approach is effective in moving high-potential research discoveries closer to implementation in the clinical practice. Its concepts, including the application of structured project management methodology, may be quickly integrated to shorten an organisation’s time to implementing its most important discoveries.
Osteopontin/secreted phosphoprotein-1 behaves as a molecular brake regulating the neuroinflammatory response to chronic viral infection
Authors: Mahmud Farina J. , Du Yong , Greif Elizabeth , Boucher Thomas , Dannals Robert F. , Mathews William B. , Pomper Martin G. , Sysa-Shah Polina , Metcalf Pate Kelly A. , Lyons Claire , Carlson Bess , Chacona Maria , Brown Amanda M. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundOsteopontin (OPN) as a secreted signaling protein is dramatically induced in response to cellular injury and neurodegeneration. Microglial inflammatory responses in the brain are tightly associated with the neuropathologic hallmarks of neurodegenerative disease, but understanding of the molecular mechanisms remains in several contexts poorly understood.MethodsMicro-positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging using radioligands to detect increased expression of the translocator protein (TSPO) receptor in the brain is a non-invasive tool used to track neuroinflammation in living mammals.ResultsIn humanized, chronically HIV-infected female mice in which OPN expression was knocked down with functional aptamers, uptake of TSPO radioligand DPA-713 was markedly upregulated in the cortex, olfactory bulb, basal forebrain, hypothalamus, and central grey matter compared to controls. Microglia immunoreactive for Iba-1 were more abundant in some HIV-infected mice, but overall, the differences were not significant between groups. TSPO+microglia were readily detected by immunolabeling of post-mortem brain tissue and unexpectedly, two types of neurons also selectively stained positive for TSPO. The reactive cells were the specialized neurons of the cerebellum, Purkinje cells, and a subset of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons of the substantia nigra.ConclusionsIn female mice with wild-type levels of osteopontin, increased levels of TSPO ligand uptake in the brain was seen in animals with the highest levels of persistent HIV replication. In contrast, in mice with lower levels of osteopontin, the highest levels of TSPO uptake was seen, in mice with relatively low levels of persistent infection. These findings suggest that osteopontin may act as a molecular brake regulating in the brain, the inflammatory response to HIV infection.
Removing reference bias and improving indel calling in ancient DNA data analysis by mapping to a sequence variation graph
Authors: Martiniano Rui , Garrison Erik , Jones Eppie R. , Manica Andrea , Durbin Richard 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundDuring the last decade, the analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) sequence has become a powerful tool for the study of past human populations. However, the degraded nature of aDNA means that aDNA molecules are short and frequently mutated by post-mortem chemical modifications. These features decrease read mapping accuracy and increase reference bias, in which reads containing non-reference alleles are less likely to be mapped than those containing reference alleles. Alternative approaches have been developed to replace the linear reference with a variation graph which includes known alternative variants at each genetic locus. Here, we evaluate the use of variation graph software to avoid reference bias for aDNA and compare with existing methods.ResultsWe use to align simulated and real aDNA samples to a variation graph containing 1000 Genome Project variants and compare with the same data aligned with to the human linear reference genome. Using leads to a balanced allelic representation at polymorphic sites, effectively removing reference bias, and more sensitive variant detection in comparison with , especially for insertions and deletions (indels). Alternative approaches that use relaxed parameter settings or filter alignments can also reduce bias but can have lower sensitivity than , particularly for indels.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that aligning aDNA sequences to variation graphs effectively mitigates the impact of reference bias when analyzing aDNA, while retaining mapping sensitivity and allowing detection of variation, in particular indel variation, that was previously missed.
Understanding university English instructors’ assessment training needs in the Chinese context
Authors: Gan Ling , Lam Ricky 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn the past decade, language assessment training has increasingly become a key research agenda in language testing and assessment, particularly within the Chinese context. Studies have explored the training of language instructors who provide language testing and assessment courses, the efficacy of assessment training courses, and assessment training needs of secondary school teachers. However, little attention has been paid to assessment training needs of university English instructors. To address the gap, we adopted a mixed-methods study to examine university English instructors’ assessment training status, their training needs, and the factors that influence these needs. Based on the data from 68 questionnaire respondents, eight interviewees, and two national English course syllabi, we found that a majority of university English instructors lacked sufficient assessment training in classroom-based practices to meet the requirements set by the official documents. Despite this, they did not prefer having advanced training (e.g., workshops lasting at least three days) in assessment due to a variety of personal and contextual factors. The findings have implications for a need to revisit assessment training courses provided in teacher education programs and to review institutional policies that guide teacher professional development in China.
Trichomes form genotype-specific microbial hotspots in the phyllosphere of tomato
Authors: Kusstatscher Peter , Wicaksono Wisnu Adi , Bergna Alessandro , Cernava Tomislav , Bergau Nick , Tissier Alain , Hause Bettina , Berg Gabriele 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The plant phyllosphere is a well-studied habitat characterized by low nutrient availability and high community dynamics. In contrast, plant trichomes, known for their production of a large number of metabolites, are a yet unexplored habitat for microbes. We analyzed the phyllosphere as well as trichomes of two tomato genotypes (Solanum lycopersicum LA4024, S. habrochaites LA1777) by targeting bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments.

Results
Leaves, leaves without trichomes, and trichomes alone harbored similar abundances of bacteria (108–109 16S rRNA gene copy numbers per gram of sample). In contrast, bacterial diversity was found significantly increased in trichome samples (Shannon index: 4.4 vs. 2.5). Moreover, the community composition was significantly different when assessed with beta diversity analysis and corresponding statistical tests. At the bacterial class level, Alphaproteobacteria (23.6%) were significantly increased, whereas Bacilli (8.6%) were decreased in trichomes. The bacterial family Sphingomonadacea (8.4%) was identified as the most prominent, trichome-specific feature; Burkholderiaceae and Actinobacteriaceae showed similar patterns. Moreover, Sphingomonas was identified as a central element in the core microbiome of trichome samples, while distinct low-abundant bacterial families including Hymenobacteraceae and Alicyclobacillaceae were exclusively found in trichome samples. Niche preferences were statistically significant for both genotypes and genotype-specific enrichments were further observed.

Conclusion
Our results provide first evidence of a highly specific trichome microbiome in tomato and show the importance of micro-niches for the structure of bacterial communities on leaves. These findings provide further clues for breeding, plant pathology and protection as well as so far unexplored natural pathogen defense strategies.
Acute effects of naturalistic THC vs. CBD use on recognition memory: a preliminary study
Authors: Curran Tim , Devillez Hélène , YorkWilliams Sophie L. , Bidwell L. Cinnamon 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe ratio of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) varies widely across cannabis strains. CBD has opposite effects to THC on a variety of cognitive functions, including acute THC-induced memory impairments. However, additional data are needed, especially under naturalistic conditions with higher potency forms of cannabis, commonly available in legal markets. The goal of this study was to collect preliminary data on the acute effects of different THC:CBD ratios on memory testing in a brief verbal recognition task under naturalistic conditions, using legal-market Colorado dispensary products. Thirty-two regular cannabis users consumed cannabis of differing THC and CBD levels purchased from a dispensary and were assessed via blood draw and a verbal recognition memory test both before (pretest) and after (posttest) ad libitum home administration in a mobile laboratory. Memory accuracy decreased as post-use THC blood levels increased (n = 29), whereas performance showed no relationship to CBD blood levels. When controlling for post-use THC blood levels as a covariate, participants using primarily THC-based strains showed significantly worse memory accuracy post-use, whereas subjects using strains containing both THC and CBD showed no differences between pre- and post-use memory performance. Using a brief and sensitive verbal recognition task, our study demonstrated that naturalistic, acute THC use impairs memory in a dose dependent manner, whereas the combination of CBD and THC was not associated with impairment.
Lymph nodes in the head and neck cancer: would diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging solve the diagnostic dilemma?
Authors: Serour Dalia K. , Mahmoud Bahaa Eldin , Daragily Bassant , Elkholy Shaima Fattouh 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Head and neck cancer has been labeled as the fifth most common cancer. Lymph node (LN) metastases were reported as the most important predatory factor for diagnosis and selection of suitable treatment. Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a very important tool that gives quantitative data in several compartments. This work aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted as a part of the magnetic resonance imaging in patients with head and neck cancer to allow differentiation of lymph nodes, cancer staging, assessment of recurrence, and evaluation of the effects of oncologic therapy.

Results
The size of pathologically proven benign LNs ranged from 1 to 3 cm (1.71 ± 0.724) and malignant LNs ranged from 1.1 to 5.6 cm (2.54 ± 0.92) (P = 0.0103). The ADC value for benign LNs ranged from 1.26 × 10−3 to 2.49 × 10−3 (mean 1.98 × 10−3 ± 0.32 × 10−3), and malignant LNs from 0.608 × 10−3 to 2.1 × 10−3 (mean 0.971 × 10−3 ± 0.305 × 10−3) (P < 0.001) with sensitivity and a specificity of 94% and 100% respectively. The ADC value for metastatic LNs ranged from 0.70 × 10−3 to 2.10 × 10−3 (1.08 × 10−3 ± 0.31 × 10−3) while lymphomatous nodes ranged 0.608 × 10−3 to 1.16 × 10−3 (0.78 × 10−3 ± 0.17 × 10−3). In this study, a significant statistical difference was also observed between the ADC value of the SCC and lymphomatous LN (P = 0.0034) with sensitivity and a specificity of 90% and 75% respectively.

Conclusion
Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is an effective assist in differentiating benign and malignant lymph nodes. It acts as an indicator for recovery or recurrence after chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Natural therapeutics for urinary tract infections—a review
Authors: Das Sarita 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe recurrence of the urinary tract infections (UTI), following the antibiotic treatments suggests the pathogen’s resistance to conventional antibiotics. This calls for the exploration of an alternative therapy.Main bodyThe anti-uropathogenic and bactericidal activity of many plant extracts was reported by many researchers, which involves only preliminary antibacterial studies using different basic techniques like disk diffusion, agar well diffusion, or minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the crude plant extracts, but reports on the specific action of the phytoconstituents against uropathogens are limited.Vaccinium macrocarponAiton (cranberry) is the best-studied home remedy for UTI. Some evidences suggest that proanthocyanins present in cranberry, prevent bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract, subsequently blocking the further steps of uropathogenesis. Probiotics such asLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumare beneficial microorganisms that may act by the competitive exclusion principle to defend against infections in the urogenital tracts. Reports on potential vaccine agents and antibodies targeting the different toxins and effecter proteins are still obscure except uropathogenicE. coli.ConclusionThis review highlights some of the medicinal herbs used by aborigines to prevent or treat acute or chronic urinary tract infections, botanicals with established urobactericidal activity, clinical trials undertaken to compare the efficacy of cranberry products in UTI prevention, and other natural therapeutics reported for UTI.
Strategies of Ambivalence
Authors: Shaw Vivian 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn recent years, Japan has witnessed the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, a rise in racist hate speech, and the reinterpretation of the constitution to enable state militarization. In response to these crises, a segment of Japanese activists has adopted antifa to bolster their ongoing participation in antinuclear, antiracist, and antiwar social movements. This intervention focuses on what the author calls liberal antifa. Informed by its vexed relationships to the Japanese New Left, liberal antifa in Japan attempts to encompass a broad spectrum of political positions including liberal, left-wing, and even right-wing activism. This intervention traces linkages between liberal antifa and the resurgence of protest after Fukushima, drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews to analyze opposition to fascism within multiple, overlapping social movements. The author also shows how liberal antifa borrows from transnational influences to blend radical and popular cultural practices in relation to music, fashion, art, and food.
Teaching It Can’t Happen Here in the Trump Era
Authors: Riccò Giulia 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
In the dystopian 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis imagines what it would look like if fascism came to the United States. It Can’t Happen Here is a richly productive text for anybody interested in teaching fascism, but the work requires pedagogical caution, as students tend to find it overwhelming, especially in the post-2016-election era. In this short essay, I consider how best to teach students to read a novel that, though originally intended as a satirical take on the political situation of the United States and the world in the interwar period, has now become unnervingly relevant and prescient.