bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of plant weight on estimations of stalk lodging resistance
Authors: Stubbs Christopher J. , Oduntan Yusuf A. , Keep Tyrone R. , Noble Scott D. , Robertson Daniel J. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Stalk lodging (breaking of agricultural plant stalks prior to harvest) is a multi-billion dollar a year problem. Stalk lodging occurs when bending moments induced by a combination of external loading (e.g. wind) and self-loading (e.g. the plant’s own weight) exceed the stalk bending strength of plant stems. Previous studies have investigated external loading and self-loading of plants as separate and independent phenomena. However, these two types of loading are highly interconnected and mutually dependent. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to investigate the combined effect of external loads and plant weight on the flexural response of plant stems, and (2) to provide a generalized framework for accounting for self-weight during mechanical phenotyping experiments used to predict stalk lodging resistance.

Results
A mathematical methodology for properly accounting for the interconnected relationship between self-loading and external loading of plants stems is presented. The method was compared to numerous finite element models of plants stems and found to be highly accurate. The resulting interconnected set of equations from the derivation were used to produce user-friendly applications by presenting (1) simplified self-loading correction factors for common loading configurations of plants, and (2) a generalized Microsoft Excel framework that calculates the influence of self-loading on crop stems. Results indicate that ignoring the effects of self-loading when calculating stalk flexural stiffness is appropriate for large and stiff plants such as maize, bamboo, and sorghum. However, significant errors result when ignoring the effects of self-loading in smaller plants with larger relative grain sizes, such as rice (8% error) and wheat (16% error).

Conclusions
Properly accounting for self-weight can be critical to determining the structural response of plant stems. Equations and tools provided herein enable researchers to properly account for the plant’s weight during mechanical phenotyping experiments used to determine stalk lodging resistance.
“All about the money?” A qualitative interview study examining organizational- and system-level characteristics that promote or hinder shared decision-making in cancer care in the United States
Authors: Scholl Isabelle , Kobrin Sarah , Elwyn Glyn 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Despite decades of ethical, empirical, and policy support, shared decision-making (SDM) has failed to become standard practice in US cancer care. Organizational and health system characteristics appear to contribute to the difficulties in implementing SDM in routine care. However, little is known about the relevance of the different characteristics in specific healthcare settings. The aim of the study was to explore how organizational and health system characteristics affect SDM implementation in US cancer care.

Methods
We conducted semi-structured interviews with diverse cancer care stakeholders in the USA. Of the 36 invited, 30 (83%) participants consented to interview. We used conventional content analysis to analyze transcript content.

Results
The dominant theme in the data obtained was that concerns regarding a lack of revenue generation, or indeed, the likely loss of revenue, were a major barrier preventing implementation of SDM. Many other factors were prominent as well, but the view that SDM might impair organizational or individual profit margins and reduce the income of some health professionals was widespread. On the organizational level, having leadership support for SDM and multidisciplinary teams were viewed as critical to implementation. On the health system level, views diverged on whether embedding tools into electronic health records (EHRs), making SDM a criterion for accreditation and certification, and enacting legislation could promote SDM implementation.

Conclusion
Cancer care in the USA has currently limited room for SDM and is prone to paying lip service to the idea. Implementation efforts in US cancer care need to go further than interventions that target only the clinician-patient level. On a policy level, SDM could be included in alternative payment models. However, its implementation would need to be thoroughly assessed in order to prevent further misdirected incentivization through box ticking.
The choice of screw internal fixation and hemiarthroplasty in the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the elderly: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cui Shuai , Wang Dehui , Wang Xuejie , Li Zehui , Guo Wenlai 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundFemoral neck fractures are common fractures in the elderly. Common treatment options include internal fixation (IF) and hemiarthroplasty (HA). However, the clinical application of these two options is always controversial due to the potential clinical trauma, postoperative function, early complications, and other factors.Materials and methodsRandomized controlled trials and cohort studies comparing screw fixation and hemiarthroplasty in elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures were extracted from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane. The revised Jadad scale or NOS treatment evaluation form was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. After extracting the data, the standard deviation of continuous data and the relative risk of binary data were used. The operation time, blood loss during operation, EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimension) score, mortality rate, reoperation rate, and postoperative common complications were reviewed using Review Manager software (RevMan 5.3) were compared.ResultsThere were 7 randomized controlled trials and 5 cohort studies. The results showed that the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and short-term EQ-5D score of the internal fixation group were lower than those of the hemi-hip replacement group, but the reoperation rate was higher. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality and common complications such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, infection, and pressure sores during short-term follow-up.ConclusionsIn the treatment of elderly femoral neck fractures, the screw internal fixation group has shorter operation time and less intraoperative bleeding, and the perioperative advantage is more obvious. However, the hemi-hip replacement group had more advantages in postoperative functional scoring and reoperation.
Incidence of neonatal mortality and its predictors among live births in Ethiopia: Gompertz gamma shared frailty model
Authors: Tessema Zemenu Tadesse , Tesema Getayeneh Antehunegn 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Neonatal mortality remains a serious public health concern in developing countries including Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest neonatal mortality in Africa. However, there is limited evidence on the incidence and predictors of neonatal mortality at the national level. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incidence of neonatal mortality and its predictors among live births in Ethiopia. Investigating the incidence and predictors of neonatal mortality is essential to design targeted public health interventions to reduce neonatal mortality.

Methods
A secondary data analysis was conducted based on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data. A total weighted sample of 11,022 live births was included in the analysis. The shared frailty model was applied since the EDHS data has hierarchical nature, and neonates are nested within-cluster, and this could violate the independent and equal variance assumption. For checking the proportional hazard assumption, Schoenfeld residual test was applied. Akakie Information Criteria (AIC), Cox-Snell residual test, and deviance were used for checking model adequacy and for model comparison. Gompertz gamma shared frailty model was the best-fitted model for this data since it had the lowest deviance, AIC value, and the Cox-Snell residual graph closet to the bisector. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.2 were considered for the multivariable Gompertz gamma shared frailty model. In the multivariable Gompertez gamma shared frailty model, the Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported to identify significant predictors of neonatal mortality.

Results
Overall, the neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia was 29.1 (95% CI: 26.1, 32.4) per 1000 live births. In the multivariable Gompertz gamma shared frailty model; male sex (AHR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.52, 2.43), twin birth (AHR = 5.22, 95% CI: 3.62, 7.53), preceding birth interval less than 18 months (AHR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.51, 2.85), small size at birth (AHR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.16), large size at birth (AHR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.01) and did not have Antenatal Care (ANC) visit (AHR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.44, 3.06) were the significant predictors of neonatal mortality.

Conclusion
Our study found that neonatal mortality remains a public health problem in Ethiopia. Shorter birth interval, small and large size at birth, ANC visits, male sex, and twin births were significant predictors of neonatal mortality. These results suggest that public health programs that increase antenatal care service utilization should be designed to reduce neonatal mortality and special attention should be given for twin births, large and low birth weight babies. Besides, providing family planning services for mothers to increase birth intervals and improving accessibility and utilization of maternal health care services such as ANC is crucial to improve neonatal survival.
The expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in the kidneys and heart of mice infected with Acanthamoeba spp.
Authors: Kot Karolina , Kosik-Bogacka Danuta , Wojtkowiak-Giera Agnieszka , Kolasa-Wołosiuk Agnieszka , Łanocha-Arendarczyk Natalia 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Acanthamoeba spp. are cosmopolitan protozoans that cause infections in the brain, as well as extracerebral infections in the cornea, lungs and skin. Little is known about the mechanisms of the immunological response to these parasites in organs which are not their main biotope. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in the kidneys and heart of Acanthamoeba spp.-infected mice, with respect to the host’s immunological status.

Methods
The mice were grouped into four groups: immunocompetent control mice; immunosuppressed control mice; immunocompetent Acanthamoeba spp.-infected mice; and immunosuppressed Acanthamoeba spp. infected mice. In the study, we used the amoebae T16 genotype which was isolated from a patient. The TLRs expressions in the kidneys and heart of mice were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, we visualized TLR2 and TLR4 proteins in the organs by immunohistochemical staining.

Results
In the kidneys, we observed a higher TLR2 expression in immunosuppressed mice at 24 days post-Acanthamoeba spp. infection (dpi) compared to the uninfected mice. There were no statistically significant differences in TLR4 expression in the kidneys between the immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice, both of infected and uninfected mice. In the heart, we observed a difference in TLR2 expression in immunocompetent mice at 24 dpi compared to immunocompetent mice at 8 dpi. The immunocompetent Acanthamoeba spp.-infected mice had higher TLR4 expression at 8 dpi compared to the immunocompetent uninfected mice.

Conclusions
Our results indicate that TLR2 is involved in response to Acanthamoeba spp. infection in the kidneys, whereas in the heart, both studied TLRs are involved.
Surveillance of Aedes aegypti populations in the city of Praia, Cape Verde: Zika virus infection, insecticide resistance and genetic diversity
Authors: Campos Monica , Ward Daniel , Morales Raika Francesca , Gomes Ana Rita , Silva Keily , Sepúlveda Nuno , Gomez Lara Ferrero , Clark Taane G. , Campino Susana 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Aedes spp. are responsible for the transmission of many arboviruses, which contribute to rising human morbidity and mortality worldwide. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a main vector for chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever infections, whose incidence have been increasing and distribution expanding. This vector has also driven the emergence of the Zika virus (ZIKV), first reported in Africa which spread rapidly to Asia and more recently across the Americas. During the outbreak in the Americas, Cape Verde became the first African country declaring a Zika epidemic, with confirmed cases of microcephaly. Here we investigate the prevalence of ZIKV and dengue (DENV) infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in the weeks following the outbreak in Cape Verde, and the presence of insecticide resistance in the circulating vector population. Genetic diversity in the mosquito population was also analysed.

Methods
From August to October 2016, 816 Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were collected in several locations across Praia, Cape Verde, the major hot spot of reported ZIKV cases in the country. All mosquitoes were screened by reverse transcription PCR for ZIKV and DENV, and a subset (n = 220) were screened for knockdown insecticide resistance associated mutations in the voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene by capillary sequencing. The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nad4) gene was sequenced in 100 mosquitoes. These data were compared to 977 global sequences in a haplotype network and a phylogenetic tree analysis.

Results
Two Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were ZIKV positive (0.25%). There were no SNP mutations found in the VGSC gene associated with insecticide resistance. Analysis of the nad4 gene revealed 11 haplotypes in the Cape Verdean samples, with 5 being singletons. Seven haplotypes were exclusive to Cape Verde. Several of the remaining haplotypes were frequent in the global dataset, being present in several countries (including Cape Verde) across five different continents. The most common haplotype in Cape Verde (50.6 %) was also found in Africa and South America.

Conclusions
There was low-level Zika virus circulation in mosquitoes from Praia shortly after the outbreak. The Ae. aegypti population did not appear to have the kdr mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance. Furthermore, haplotype and phylogenetic analyses revealed that Cape Verde Ae. aegypti mosquitoes are most closely related to those from other countries in Africa and South America.
A20: a master regulator of arthritis
Authors: Wu Yongyao , He Xiaomin , Huang Ning , Yu Jiayun , Shao Bin 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA20, also known as TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), is an anti-inflammatory protein that plays an important part in both immune responses and cell death. Impaired A20 function is associated with several human inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although the role of A20 in mediating inflammation has been frequently discussed, its intrinsic link to arthritis awaits further explanation. Here, we review new findings that further demonstrate the molecular mechanisms through which A20 regulates inflammatory arthritis, and we discuss the regulation of A20 by many factors. We conclude by reviewing the latest A20-associated mouse models that have been applied in related research because they reflect the characteristics of arthritis, the study of which will hopefully cast new light on anti-arthritis treatments.
Feasibility of a progressive protocol of high-intensity interval training for overweight/obese, sedentary African American women: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Arad Avigdor D. , Albu Jeanine B. , DiMenna Fred J. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
African American (AA) women have a higher prevalence of obesity and related metabolic dysfunction and lower level of physical activity compared to white counterparts. Determining feasible exercise alternatives for AA women is, therefore, paramount. Time-efficient high-intensity interval training (HIIT) might be particularly suited for AA women who cite time constraints as a frequent barrier to exercise adherence. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 14-week progressive HIIT protocol for previously-sedentary overweight/obese AA women.

Methods
Twenty-eight healthy, premenopausal (age, 20–40 yr), sedentary, nondiabetic, overweight/obese AA women volunteered to participate in the randomized controlled clinical trial from which these data were retrospectively analysed. After assessment, participants were randomly allocated to a HIIT group (n = 14) or a no-exercise control group. The HIIT intervention consisted of 24-min sessions performed three times per week for 14 weeks during which work-interval intensity (75 to 90% of heart rate reserve; HRR) and duration (30 to 60 s) and work/recovery ratio (1:7 to 1:3) were progressed in four stages. Feasibility was assessed based on adherence (attrition rate), perceptual response (RPE) and success rate, which was calculated based on the degree to which target intensities for work intervals were achieved/maintained.

Results
Five of 14 participants (35%) in the HIIT group dropped out during the intervention. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference across stages for success rate (p = 0.018) with post-hoc analysis indicating a significant difference between stage 1 and the other stages and stage 4 and the other stages. There was no significant difference in RPE across stages (p = 0.057).

Conclusion
Albeit based on a limited number of participants, we found an attrition rate that was higher than what has been reported previously for HIIT (~ 17.6%) when previously-sedentary overweight/obese AA women performed a protocol with work-interval intensity progressed from 75 to 90% HRR during a 14-week intervention. With respect to intensity, the precipitous drop for achievement of the target HR during the fourth stage (weeks 8–14) for those who did complete the protocol implies that it might be advisable to restrict work-interval intensity to < 90% HRR.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT04293367). Registered 03 March 2020 – Retrospectively registered.
DNA methylation of FKBP5 in South African women: associations with obesity and insulin resistance
Authors: Willmer Tarryn , Goedecke Julia H. , Dias Stephanie , Louw Johan , Pheiffer Carmen 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Disruption of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a neuroendocrine system associated with the stress response, has been hypothesized to contribute to obesity development. This may be mediated through epigenetic modulation of HPA axis-regulatory genes in response to metabolic stressors. The aim of this study was to investigate adipose tissue depot-specific DNA methylation differences in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and its co-chaperone, FK506-binding protein 51 kDa (FKBP5), both key modulators of the HPA axis.

Methods
Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) and gluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue (GSAT) biopsies were obtained from a sample of 27 obese and 27 normal weight urban-dwelling South African women. DNA methylation and gene expression were measured by pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Spearman’s correlation coefficients, orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and multivariable linear regression were performed to evaluate the associations between DNA methylation, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and key indices of obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

Results
Two CpG dinucleotides within intron 7 of FKBP5 were hypermethylated in both ASAT and GSAT in obese compared to normal weight women, while no differences in GR methylation were observed. Higher percentage methylation of the two FKBP5 CpG sites correlated with adiposity (body mass index and waist circumference), insulin resistance (homeostasis model for insulin resistance, fasting insulin and plasma adipokines) and systemic inflammation (c-reactive protein) in both adipose depots. GR and FKBP5 mRNA levels were lower in GSAT, but not ASAT, of obese compared to normal weight women. Moreover, FKBP5 mRNA levels were inversely correlated with DNA methylation and positively associated with adiposity, metabolic and inflammatory parameters.

Conclusions
These findings associate dysregulated FKBP5 methylation and mRNA expression with obesity and insulin resistance in South African women. Additional studies are required to assess the longitudinal association of FKBP5 with obesity and associated co-morbidities in large population-based samples.

Graphical abstract
Promoting patients’ rights through hospital accreditation
Authors: Sperling Daniel , Pikkel Rina B. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Over the past decade, hospitals in many countries, including Israel, have undergone an accreditation process aimed at improving the quality of services provided. This process also refers to the protection and promotion of patients’ rights. However, reviewing the criteria and content included in this category in the Israeli context reveals definitions and implications that differ from those presented by the law – specifically the Patient’s Rights Act 1995. Moreover, the rights included in it are not necessarily equally represented in other legislation.

Methods
This study seeks to examine the question of whether and to what extent the scope, contents, and definitions of patients’ rights in the JCI Standards are similar to or different from patients’ rights as they are addressed and protected in national legislation.
The article provides a comparison and examination of the different regulatory frameworks of patients’ rights, especially those in the accreditation of healthcare institution and legislation, analyzes the gaps between such frameworks, and suggests possible implications on our understanding of the concept of patients’ rights.

Results
The patients’ right chapter in the accreditation process introduces and promotes the concepts of patient and family rights, increases the awareness and compliance of such concepts, and may create greater consistency in their introduction and application.

Conclusions
Discussion of the Israeli case not only demonstrates how regulatory frameworks are instrumental – for broader policy purposes, especially in the area of patients’ rights and the rights of patients’ families – but also calls for a more general examination of the concept of patients’ rights in health policies and its contribution to the quality of health services. Reference to patients’ rights in accreditation of healthcare institutions may promote and enhance this concept and contribute to the delivery of care, thereby complementing a lacuna in the law.