bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ratings of performance in multisource feedback: comparing performance theories of residents and nurses
Authors: Tariq Muhammad , Govaerts Marjan , Afzal Azam , Ali Syed Ahsan , Zehra Tabassum 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Multisource feedback (MSF) is increasingly being used to assess trainee performance, with different assessor groups fulfilling a crucial role in utility of assessment data. However, in health professions education, research on assessor behaviors in MSF is limited. When assessing trainee performance in work settings, assessors use multidimensional conceptualizations of what constitutes effective performance, also called personal performance theories, to distinguish between various behaviors and sub competencies., This may not only explain assessor variability in Multi Source Feedback, but also result in differing acceptance (and use) of assessment data for developmental purposes.
The purpose of this study was to explore performance theories of various assessor groups (residents and nurses) when assessing performance of residents.

Methods
A constructivist, inductive qualitative research approach and semi-structured interviews following MSF were used to explore performance theories of 14 nurses and 15 residents in the department of internal medicine at Aga Khan University (AKU).
Inductive thematic content analysis of interview transcripts was used to identify and compare key dimensions in residents’ and nurses’ performance theories used in evaluation of resident performance.

Results
Seven major themes, reflecting key dimensions of assessors’ performance theories, emerged from the qualitative data, namely; communication skills, patient care, accessibility, teamwork skills, responsibility, medical knowledge and professional attitude. There were considerable overlaps, but also meaningful differences in the performance theories of residents and the nurses, especially with respect to accessibility, teamwork and medical knowledge.

Conclusion
Residents’ and nurses’ performance theories for assessing resident performance overlap to some extent, yet also show meaningful differences with respect to the performance dimensions they pay attention to or consider most important. In MSF, different assessor groups may therefore hold different performance theories, depending on their role. Our results further our understanding of assessor source effects in MSF. Implications of our findings are related to implementation of MSF, design of rating scales as well as interpretation and use of MSF data for selection and performance improvement.
Can care coordination across levels be improved through the implementation of participatory action research interventions? Outcomes and conditions for sustaining changes in five Latin American countries
Authors: Vargas Ingrid , Eguiguren Pamela , Mogollón-Pérez Amparo-Susana , Samico Isabella , Bertolotto Fernando , López-Vázquez Julieta , Vázquez María-Luisa 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Finding new strategies for care integration has become a policy priority for many fragmented health systems in Latin America. Although the implementation of interventions through a participatory action research (PAR) approach is considered to be more effective in achieving organizational change, its application is scarce.
This study, part of the research project Equity-LA II, aims to analyze the impact of PAR interventions on care coordination across levels, and key aspects for their sustainability and transferability, from the stakeholder viewpoint in healthcare networks of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay. Different interventions were designed and implemented through a PAR process to improve communication and clinical agreement between primary care and secondary care doctors: joint meetings to discuss clinical cases and/or training; shared care guidelines; offline virtual consultations; a referral and reply letter; and an induction program.

Methods
A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative study was conducted in the healthcare network of each country. Focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a criterion sample of participants: local steering committee (29) and professional platform members (28), other health professionals (49) and managers (28). Thematic content analysis was conducted, segmented by country and type of intervention.

Results
Informants highlighted that joint meetings based on reflexive methods contributed substantially to improving contextually relevant elements of clinical management coordination – communication in patient follow-up, clinical agreement, appropriateness of referrals – and also administrative coordination. The meetings, alongside the PAR process, also helped to improve interaction between professionals – knowing each other personally and mutual trust – thus fostering willingness to collaborate. The PAR approach, moreover, served to spread awareness of the coordination problems and need for intervention, encouraging greater commitment and interest in participating. No noteworthy contributions were identified in remaining interventions due to low uptake. A necessary condition for the sustainability and replicability was that PAR process had to be used appropriately in a favourable context.

Conclusions
Evidence is provided on the substantial contribution of interventions to improving locally relevant clinical coordination elements and professional interaction when implemented through an adequate PAR process (in terms of time, method and participation levels), a necessary condition for their sustainability and replicability.
A comprehensive RNA handling and transcriptomics guide for high-throughput processing of Plasmodium blood-stage samples
Authors: Kucharski Michal , Tripathi Jaishree , Nayak Sourav , Zhu Lei , Wirjanata Grennady , van der Pluijm Rob W. , Dhorda Mehul , Dondorp Arjen , Bozdech Zbynek 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Sequencing technology advancements opened new opportunities to use transcriptomics for studying malaria pathology and epidemiology. Even though in recent years the study of whole parasite transcriptome proved to be essential in understanding parasite biology there is no compiled up-to-date reference protocol for the efficient generation of transcriptome data from growing number of samples. Here, a comprehensive methodology on how to preserve, extract, amplify, and sequence full-length mRNA transcripts from Plasmodium-infected blood samples is presented that can be fully streamlined for high-throughput studies.

Results
The utility of various commercially available RNA-preserving reagents in a range of storage conditions was evaluated. Similarly, several RNA extraction protocols were compared and the one most suitable method for the extraction of high-quality total RNA from low-parasitaemia and low-volume blood samples was established. Furthermore, the criteria needed to evaluate the quality and integrity of Plasmodium RNA in the presence of human RNA was updated. Optimization of SMART-seq2 amplification method to better suit AT-rich Plasmodium falciparum RNA samples allowed us to generate high-quality transcriptomes from as little as 10 ng of total RNA and a lower parasitaemia limit of 0.05%. Finally, a modified method for depletion of unwanted human haemoglobin transcripts using in vitro CRISPR-Cas9 treatment was designed, thus improving parasite transcriptome coverage in low parasitaemia samples. To prove the functionality of the pipeline for both laboratory and field strains, the highest 2-hour resolution RNA-seq transcriptome for P. falciparum 3D7 intraerythrocytic life cycle available to date was generated, and the entire protocol was applied to create the largest transcriptome data from Southeast Asian field isolates.

Conclusions
Overall, the presented methodology is an inclusive pipeline for generation of good quality transcriptomic data from a diverse range of Plasmodium-infected blood samples with varying parasitaemia and RNA inputs. The flexibility of this pipeline to be adapted to robotic handling will facilitate both small and large-scale future transcriptomic studies in the field of malaria.
Closing the system: production of viral antigen-presenting dendritic cells eliciting specific CD8+ T cell activation in fluorinated ethylene propylene cell culture bags
Authors: Bastien Jean-Philippe , Fekete Natalie , Beland Ariane V. , Lachambre Marie-Paule , Laforte Veronique , Juncker David , Dave Vibhuti , Roy Denis-Claude , Hoesli Corinne A. 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
A major obstacle to anti-viral and -tumor cell vaccination and T cell immunotherapy is the ability to produce dendritic cells (DCs) in a suitable clinical setting. It is imperative to develop closed cell culture systems to accelerate the translation of promising DC-based cell therapy products to the clinic. The objective of this study was to investigate whether viral antigen-loaded monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) capable of eliciting specific T cell activation can be manufactured in fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) bags.

Methods
Mo-DCs were generated through a protocol applying cytokine cocktails combined with lipopolysaccharide or with a CMV viral peptide antigen in conventional tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) or FEP culture vessels. Research-scale (< 10 mL) FEP bags were implemented to increase R&D throughput. DC surface marker profiles, cytokine production, and ability to activate antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells were characterized.

Results
Monocyte differentiation into Mo-DCs led to the loss of CD14 expression with concomitant upregulation of CD80, CD83 and CD86. Significantly increased levels of IL-10 and IL-12 were observed after maturation on day 9. Antigen-pulsed Mo-DCs activated antigen-responsive CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. No significant differences in surface marker expression or tetramer-specific T cell activating potency of Mo-DCs were observed between TCPS and FEP culture vessels.

Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that viral antigen-loaded Mo-DCs produced in downscaled FEP bags can elicit specific T cell responses. In view of the dire clinical need for closed system DC manufacturing, FEP bags represent an attractive option to accelerate the translation of promising emerging DC-based immunotherapies.
Assessment of EN-RAGE, sRAGE and EN-RAGE/sRAGE as potential biomarkers in patients with autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: Wu Rui , Liu Yan , Yan Ruyu , Liu Xiaoyu , Duan Liang 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a liver disease characterized by the autoimmune-induced injury of hepatocytes which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatic failure. The diagnosis and disease management of AIH patients remain challenging due to the diversity of clinical phenotypes and the presence of confounders such as alcohol and viruses. Recently, EN-RAGE and sRAGEs have been implicated in inflammatory-immune response. Nonetheless, their natural behaviour and relationship to disease activity as well as clinical predictive values in AIH development or therapy-induced remission have not been reported.

Methods
Sixty-seven AIH patients and thirty gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. The serum concentrations of EN-RAGE, sRAGE and their ratio (EN-RAGE/sRAGE) in these subjects were measured by ELISA. Besides, the correlations of three parameters with clinical features and therapeutic response were analyzed, respectively. Furthermore, their potential predictive values for monitoring the AIH progression and therapeutic response were also evaluated.

Results
Higher serum EN-RAGE, lower sRAGE and higher EN-RAGE/sRAGE value were observed in AIH patients. EN-RAGE and sRAGE as well as EN-RAGE/sRAGE were correlated with liver necroinflammation parameters, cirrhosis occurrence and therapeutic response. In addition, we identified that EN-RAGE/sRAGE, EN-RAGE and sRAGE had valuable predicting power for AIH patients, AIH patients with normal ALT and cirrhosis incidence, respectively. More importantly, EN-RAGE/sRAGE also exerted predicting power for the remission in AIH patients.

Conclusions
AIH patients rendered distinct patterns of serum EN-RAGE, sRAGE or EN-RAGE/sRAGE compared to healthy controls. Moreover, these three parameters exhibited potentials as novel biomarkers for AIH diagnosis and prognosis evaluation.
Extraction of tree crowns damaged by Dendrolimus tabulaeformis Tsai et Liu via spectral-spatial classification using UAV-based hyperspectral images
Authors: Zhang Ning , Wang Yueting , Zhang Xiaoli 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Tree crown extraction is an important research topic in forest resource monitoring. In particular, it is a prerequisite for disease detection and mapping the degree of damage caused by forest pests. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based hyperspectral imaging is effective for surveying and monitoring forest health. This article proposes a spectral-spatial classification framework that uses UAV-based hyperspectral images and combines a support vector machine (SVM) with an edge-preserving filter (EPF) for completing classification more finely to automatically extract tree crowns damaged by Dendrolimus tabulaeformis Tsai et Liu (D. tabulaeformis) in Jianping county of Liaoning province, China.

Results
Experiments were conducted using UAV-based hyperspectral images, and the accuracy of the results was assessed using the mean structure similarity index (MSSIM), the overall accuracy (OA), kappa coefficient, and classification accuracy of damaged Pinus tabulaeformis. Optimized results showed that the OA of the spectral-spatial classification method can reach 93.17%, and the extraction accuracy of damaged tree crowns is 7.50–9.74% higher than that achieved using the traditional SVM classifier.

Conclusion
This study is one of only a few in which a UAV-based hyperspectral image has been used to extract tree crowns damaged by D. tabulaeformis. Moreover, the proposed classification method can effectively extract damaged tree crowns; hence, it can serve as a reference for future studies on both forest health monitoring and larger-scale forest pest and disease assessment.
Half-turned truncal switch operation after single ventricle palliation in a patient with borderline left heart hypoplasia
Authors: Oh Tak-Hyuk , Jung Hanna , Cho Joon Yong , Lee Youngok 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
The optimal surgical strategy for the correction of double outlet right ventricle (DORV, transposition of the great arteries [TGA] type) or TGA with ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary stenosis (PS), and borderline small left ventricle (LV) is still controversial. The half-turned truncal switch operation (HTTSO) introduced by Yamagishi and colleagues is a good option, but it is still challenging in a patient with borderline small LV. We aimed to describe our experience of a case of HTTSO conversion from single ventricle palliation.

Case presentation
A 5-year-old girl with single ventricle physiology was referred to our hospital from Kazakhstan for a Fontan operation. At the time of birth, she was diagnosed with DORV (TGA type), PS, and situs inversus totalis, with moderate valvar and subvalvar stenosis and a relatively small LV cavity. Her LV volume was not adequate to support the systemic circulation; therefore, doctors in Kazakhstan selected the single ventricle palliation course of treatment for the infant. At 4 months of age, she underwent left-sided modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, patent ductus arteriosus ligation, and atrial septectomy. At 2 years of age, shunt takedown, left bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt, and main pulmonary artery division were performed. Annual echocardiography of the patient showed that the LV size was growing too adequately to persist with the single ventricle palliation course of treatment. Via a multidisciplinary approach, we considered her LV to be suitable for biventricular repair and HTTSO was planned. The operation and postoperative course were uneventful. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6 and went back to Kazakhstan.

Conclusions
Based on our successful surgical outcome, in patients diagnosed with DORV (TGA type) or TGA with VSD, PS, and borderline LV, HTTSO after achieving adequate LV growth by single ventricle palliation may be considered a good alternative to conventional operations in patients at a high risk for initial biventricular repair.
Influenza virus-flow from insects to humans as causative for influenza seasonality
Authors: Pfäfflin Albrecht 
Published: October 2020

AbstractVirus biomass outweighs human biomass, and insects biomass outweighs human biomass. Insects are regularly habited by viruses as well as humans, humans are further inhabited via insects. A model of viral flow is described and specified to explain influenza virus seasonality, which, in temperate climate, usually evolves when insects have mostly disappeared. With this hypothesis a coherent description of regular seasonal influenza and other seasonal respiratory virus infections in temperate climates is possible. The incidence of influenza under different circumstances e.g. temperature, humidity, or tropical conditions and different aspects like synchronicity of infections or in respect to evolutionary conditions do sustain this hypothesis if the behaviour of insects is considered.
Facilely reducing recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass by a newly developed ethylamine-based deep eutectic solvent for biobutanol fermentation
Authors: Xu Guochao , Li Hao , Xing Wanru , Gong Lei , Dong Jinjun , Ni Ye 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Biobutanol is promising and renewable alternative to traditional fossil fuels and could be produced by Clostridium species from lignocellulosic biomass. However, biomass is recalcitrant to be hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars attributed to the densely packed structure by layers of lignin. Development of pretreatment reagents and processes for increasing surface area, removing hemicellulose and lignin, and enhancing the relative content of cellulose is currently an area of great interest. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a new class of green solvents, are effective in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. However, it remains challenging to achieve high titers of total sugars and usually requires combinatorial pretreatment with other reagents. In this study, we aim to develop novel DESs with high application potential in biomass pretreatment and high biocompatibility for biobutanol fermentation.

Results
Several DESs with betaine chloride and ethylamine chloride (EaCl) as hydrogen bond acceptors were synthesized. Among them, EaCl:LAC with lactic acid as hydrogen bond donor displayed the best performance in the pretreatment of corncob. Only by single pretreatment with EaCl:LAC, total sugars as high as 53.5 g L−1 could be reached. Consecutive batches for pretreatment of corncob were performed using gradiently decreased cellulase by 5 FPU g−1. At the end of the sixth batch, the concentration and specific yield of total sugars were 58.8 g L−1 and 706 g kg−1 pretreated corncob, saving a total of 50% cellulase. Utilizing hydrolysate as carbon source, butanol titer of 10.4 g L−1 was achieved with butanol yield of 137 g kg−1 pretreated corncob by Clostridium saccharobutylicum DSM13864.

Conclusions
Ethylamine and lactic acid-based deep eutectic solvent is promising in pretreatment of corncob with high total sugar concentrations and compatible for biobutanol fermentation. This study provides an efficient pretreatment reagent for facilely reducing recalcitrance of lignocellulosic materials and a promising process for biobutanol fermentation from renewable biomass.
Molecular characterization of Ribosomal DNA (ITS2) of hard ticks in Iran: understanding the conspecificity of Dermacentor marginatus and D. niveus
Authors: Soltan-Alinejad Parisa , Ramezani Zahra , Edalat Hamideh , Telmadarraiy Zakkyeh , Dabiri Farrokh , Vatandoost Hassan , Oshaghi Mohammad Ali , Mohebali Mehdi , Seyyed-Zadeh Seyyed Javad , Zarei Zabihollah , Hanifian Haleh , Faghihi Faham , Abolhasani Mandan , Mohammadi Bavani Mulood , Musavi Jalil , Terenius Olle , Chavshin Ali Reza 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Objectives
Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. They are obligate blood-feeding vectors with the ability to transmit a wide variety of pathogens. Standard morphological keys are normally used for the identification of tick species. However, considering the importance of accurate species identification and the determination of bio-ecological characteristics of species, relying on morphological keys alone can be questionable. In this study, two DNA fragments (ITS2 and COI) were selected for phylogenetic evaluation of Iranian hard tick species belonging to the genera Dermacentor, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus.

Results
1229 specimens of Dermacentor marginatus, D. niveus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Rhipicephalus bursa, and R. sanguineuss.l constituting 11 populations were collected from three different climatic and zoogeographical zones in Iran. Morphological studies revealed notable differences in important morphological characteristics between different populations of D. marginatus.
The results of ITS2 sequence analysis provided additional evidence which supports the conspecificity of D. niveus and D. marginatus. Contrary to this finding, the sequence analysis of COI and phylogeny favored the separation of the two species. Given the greater importance of COI in identifying and discriminating species, a possibility heterospecificity between the two species should be considered.