bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Point-of-care ultrasound in urology: Design and evaluation of a feasible introductory training program for Canadian residents
Authors: Uy Michael , Lovatt Catherine A. , Hoogenes Jen , Bernacci Carol , Matsumoto Edward 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an increasingly used bedside tool. Applications in urology include the assessment of an undifferentiated acute scrotum, renal colic, and the guidance of suprapubic catheter placement. However, the user-dependent nature of this modality necessitates appropriate use and competence. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a low-cost, feasible, and guideline-based introductory POCUS program for Canadian urology residents.
Methods: Residents from McMaster University’s urology program completed a three-hour online course, followed by a three-hour hands-on seminar. Course material was developed by ultrasound educators based on national guidelines. Low-cost testicular phantoms and suprapubic catheter insertion models were constructed. Pre- and post-course surveys focused on participant skill confidence, while multiple-choice questionnaires assessed theoretical knowledge.
Results: Fourteen residents participated in the course. Theoretical knowledge in POCUS improved significantly (p<0.001, d=2.2) and mean confidence scores improved for all skills, including performing kidney, bladder, and testicular POCUS (all p<0.001; d=3.4, 1.9, 2.9, respectively). Participants indicated that the course increased their confidence and likelihood of using POCUS in clinical practice, and that POCUS training should be integrated into urology training curricula.
Conclusions: This novel study included the development of an inexpensive, feasible, guideline-based introductory training program for urological POCUS, developed in collaboration with ultrasound educators. Participants significantly improved in theoretical knowledge and skill confidence. Although this study was limited to one residency program, the basis of this course may serve as a foundation for the development of competency-based training for urological POCUS in Canada.
Development of a 3D-printed testicular cancer model for testicular examination education
Authors: Power Rebecca , Hearn Jason , Gillis Charlie , Harvey David , French Christopher , Organ Michael 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in young males. Testicular examination is a non-invasive and inexpensive means of detecting testicular cancer at an early stage. In this project, a set of 3D-printed models was developed to facilitate teaching testicular examination and improving understanding of testicular malignancies among patients and medical learners.
Methods: Five scrotum models were designed: a control model with healthy testes, and four models containing a healthy testicle and a testicle with an endophytic mass of varying size. The anatomy, texture, and composition of the 3D-printed models were refined using an iterative process between the design team and urologists. The completed models were assessed by six urologists, two urology nurse practitioners, and 32 medical learners. Participants were asked to inspect and palpate each model, and to provide feedback using a five-point Likert scale.
Results: Clinicians reported that the models enabled accurate simulation of a testicular examination involving both healthy and pathological testes (x̅=4.3±1.0). They agreed that the models would be useful teaching tools for both medical learners (x̅=4.8±0.5) and patients (x̅=4.8±0.7). Following an educational session with the models, medical learners reported improvements in confidence and skill in performing a testicular examination.
Conclusions: 3D-printed models can effectively simulate palpation of both healthy and pathological testes. The developed models have the potential to be a useful adjunct in teaching testicular examination and in demonstrating abnormal findings that require further investigation.
A Synthesizing Mind
Authors: Gardner Howard 
Published: September 2020

An authority on the human mind reflects on his intellectual development, his groundbreaking work, and different types of intelligences—including his own.
Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind was that rare publishing phenomenon—a mind-changer. Widely read by the general public as well as by educators, this influential book laid out Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. It debunked the primacy of the IQ test and inspired new approaches to education; entire curricula, schools, museums, and parents' guides were dedicated to the nurturing of the several intelligences. In his new book, A Synthesizing Mind, Gardner reflects on his intellectual development and his groundbreaking work, tracing his evolution from bookish child to eager college student to disengaged graduate student to Harvard professor.
Gardner discusses his mentors (including Erik Erikson and Jerome Bruner) and his collaborators (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon, and others). Comedian Groucho Marx makes a surprise (non-)appearance, declining Gardner's invitation to chat with Harvard College students, in favor of “making a living.”
Throughout his career, Gardner has focused on human minds in general, or on the minds of particular creators and leaders. Reflecting now on his own mind, he concludes that his is a “synthesizing mind”—with the ability to survey experiences and data across a wide range of disciplines and perspectives. The thinkers he most admires—including historian Richard Hofstadter, biologist Charles Darwin, and literary critic Edmund Wilson—are exemplary synthesizers. Gardner contends that the synthesizing mind is particularly valuable at this time and proposes ways to cultivate a possibly unique human capacity.
The predisposing factors of AKI for prophylactic strategies in burn care
Authors: Tsai Shin-Yi , Lio Chon-Fu , Shih Shou-Chuan , Lin Cheng-Jui , Chen Yu-Tien , Yu Chia-Meng , Sun Fang-ju , Kuo Chien-Feng , Jia Xiaofeng 
Published: September 2020

Background
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most severe complications of burn injury. AKI with severe burn injury causes high mortality. This study aims to investigate the incidence of and predisposing factors for AKI in burn patients.

Methods
This is a single-center, retrospective, descriptive criterion standard study conducted from June 27, 2015, to March 8, 2016. We used Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria to define and select patients with AKI. The study was conducted by recruiting in hospital patients who suffered from the flammable cornstarch-based powder explosion and were treated under primary care procedures. A total of 49 patients who suffered from flammable dust explosion-related burn injury were enrolled and admitted on June 27, 2015. The patients with more than 20% total body surface area of burn were transferred to the intensive care unit. Patients received fluid resuscitation in the first 24 hours based on the Parkland formula. The primary measurements were the incidence of and predisposing factors for AKI in these patients. Demographic characteristics, laboratory data, and inpatient outcomes were also evaluated. The incidence of AKI in this cohort was 61.2% (n = 30). The mortality rate was 2.0% (n = 1) during a 59-day follow-up period. The multivariate analysis revealed inhalation injury (adjusted OR = 22.0; 95% CI [1.4–358.2]) and meeting ≥3 American Burn Association (ABA) sepsis criteria (adjusted OR = 13.7; 95% CI [1.7–110.5]) as independent risk factors for early advanced AKI.

Conclusions
The incidence rate of AKI was higher in this cohort than in previous studies, possibly due to the flammable dust explosion-related burn injury. However, the mortality was lower than that expected. In clinical practice, indicators of inflammation, including ABA sepsis criteria may help in predicting the risk of AKI in patients with burn injury.
Isolation, Identification and Resistance of Salmonella spp. in Eggs for Human Consumption
Authors: Sarawgi Sharan , Sarawgi Shrey , Dubey Jyoti , Gupta Shweta , Chakraborty Anish , Sultana Tamanna , Mitra Arup Kumar 
Published: September 2020

Aim: The present investigation aims to construct a comparative analysis based on isolation, identification and observation of resistance of Salmonella spp. in eggs for human consumption.
Study Design: This is an experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: The present study was conducted in the Microbiology laboratory of Department Microbiology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata (West Bengal, India), from January to March, 2020.
Methodology: In this study, a total of 48 poultry (chicken) eggs from local and super markets (24 samples from each market) were examined to study the diversity of microorganisms in eggshell surface as well as in the internal contents with the specific objective to isolate Salmonella spp. and to study their resistance against a range of antibiotics- Cefotaxime (30 mcg), Levofloxacin (5 mcg), Aztreonam (30 mcg), Imipenem (10 mcg), Amikacin (30 mcg) and Ceftazidime (30 mcg).
Results: Microscopic and biochemical observations revealed the presence of Salmonella spp. in 68% egg samples. About 22% of the identified Salmonella spp. cultures were resistant to the antibiotics used in the study. Further, the total and the outer membrane proteins of specific isolated Salmonella spp. were isolated, few of which exhibit antibiotic resistance. More than 50% of the cultures exhibited biofilm formation which is a clear indication of the potential risk that it may pose after egg consumption. A 33 kDa and a 36 kDa protein was isolated from the resistant cultures and analysed by SDS-PAGE that could serve as promising vaccine development agents and the level of toxicity was checked on Human Cheek Cells (HCCs), of which 15% caused morphological distortions in the cells.
Conclusion: The study was conducted to isolate, identify and observe the antibiotic resistance pattern of Salmonella spp. from eggs obtained from local and supermarkets. The study clearly indicates the prevalence of antibiotic resistant Salmonella spp. contamination in eggs that may be detrimental for human consumption. Thus, appropriate measures should be adopted by vendors and poultry farm workers to ensure supply of egg samples suitable for human consumption. From the research and development point of view, the results hold a promising prospect to develop potential therapeutics and vaccine candidates against selected Salmonella spp. to reduce the incidence of food-borne infections in humans.
Evaluation of Lipid Profile and Atherogenic Index of Plasma in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (AIP = log TG/HDL-c)
Authors: Moustapha Djite , Oumou Barry Nene Kesso , Matar Kandji Pape , Ngor Sagne René , Malick Ndour El Hadji , Fatou Gueye-Tall , Marieme Thioune Ndeye , Ange T. Sagna-Bassene Helene , Fatou Coly-Gueye Najah , Dominique Doupa , Rokhaya Ndiaye-Diallo , Maimouna Ndour-Mbaye , Aynina Cisse , Amadou Diop Pape , Philomène Lopez-Sall , Madieye Gueye Papa 
Published: September 2020

Aims: The objective of our study was to evaluate the lipid profile and the plasma atherogenicity index obtained from the log (TG / HDL-c) in diabetics patients.
Study Design: This is a comparative and analytical study.
Place and Duration of Study: Sample: MARC SANKALE Centre at the Abass Ndao Hospital in Dakar (Senegal), CHNU/Fann Biochemistry Laboratory, from June 2018 to November 2019.
Controls: For each patient, a witness of the same sex and the same age ± 2 years was recruited.
Methodology: The lipid balance parameters were assayed using enzymatic techniques with the Cobas c311 system (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland). Plasma atherogenicity indices for each patient were calculated (CT / HDL-c, LDL / HDL-c and Log (TG / HDL-c)).
Data analysis was performed using XLSTAT software and a p value <0.05 was considered to be a statistically significant difference.
Results: Our study concerned 100 subjects with type 2 diabetes. The average age was 50.5 ± 10.80 years old and the sex ratio was 0.58. Evaluation of lipid parameters had shown an increase in diabetic subjects compared to controls for total cholesterol (2.30 g / l) and LDL-cholesterol (1.40 g / l) with significant differences (p < 0.001). We also found that 11% of patients had a CT / HDL-c ratio > 4.5, while 8% had an LDL-c / HDL-c ratio > 3.5 and 26% of patients had a log (Tg / HDL- c) > 0.21.
Conclusion: Lipid disturbances constitute significant abnormalities in type 2 diabetic subjects and would predispose them to cardiovascular complications. However, IAP = log (TG / HDL-c) could be considered the most sensitive predictor of cardiovascular risk.
Improving soil physical properties through the use of cover crops: A review
Authors: Haruna Samuel I. , Anderson Stephen H. , Udawatta Ranjith P. , Gantzer Clark J. , Phillips Nathan C. , Cui Song , Gao Ying 
Published: September 2020

AbstractImproving soil physical properties is important to soil conservation. Cover cropping can improve soil physical properties and organic matter content which can reduce soil loss, and thereby improve land productivity and environmental quality. In this article, the benefits of cover crops (CCs) for improving soil physical and hydraulic properties are reviewed as well as some soil conservation benefits that might accrue. The review indicates that CCs reduce soil bulk density by approximately 4%, increase macropores by approximately 33%, and increase water infiltration by as much as 629%, as compared to soil with no CCs. These improvements have been reported to lead to as much as 96% reduction in soil loss. Some current knowledge gaps in understanding how CCs can improve soil physical properties have been identified, including identifying which biomass, aboveground or belowground biomass, plays a greater role in organic C accumulation. Future research should focus on the interconnectedness of soil pores generated by CCs and the influence of CCs on heat transport parameters to further improve soil physical properties and associated benefits.
Controlling the sign of Excimer‐Origin Circularly Polarised Luminescence by Balancing Hydrophilicity/Hydrophobicity in Bipyrenyl Arginine Peptides
Authors: Mimura Yuki , Motomura Yuki , Kitamatsu Mizuki , Imai Yoshitane 
Published: September 2020

AbstractDetermining the conformation of a chiral luminescent molecule in its ground state as well as in its photoexcited state is difficult. In the case of a pyrenyl peptide, the sign of its circularly polarised luminescence (CPL) is determined by the solvent or the intramolecular distance between its pyrenyl units; consequently, a new method for controlling CPL in water is required. Herein, we report that chiral LL‐oligopeptide luminophores bearing two fluorescent pyrenyl and hydrophilic arginine units exhibit clear excimer‐origin circularly polarised luminescence (CPL) at 480–510 nm in aqueous solution. The CPL sign is tuneable by altering the number and positions of the arginine units on the edges of the chiral peptide backbone.
Clinical Issues—October 2020
Authors: Jones Emily , Wood Amber 
Published: September 2020

THIS MONTH
Bundling cords during laparoscopic procedures
Key words: antenna coupling, laparoscopy, monopolar active electrode, burns, thermal injury.
Cleaning dirty instruments in scrub sinks
Key words: instrument cleaning, instrument decontamination, scrub sinks, manual cleaning, mechanical cleaning.
Using cotton balls in neurosurgery
Key words: gossypiboma, foreign body granuloma, cotton ball, neurosurgery, retained surgical item (RSI).
Surgical hand rub allergies
Key words: hand allergy, dermatitis, eczema, hand rub, product trial.
Inpatient admissions and costs for adolescents and young adults with congenital heart defects in New York, 2009–2013
Authors: Hsu Wan‐Hsiang , Sommerhalter Kristin M. , McGarry Claire E. , Farr Sherry L. , Downing Karrie F. , Lui George K. , Zaidi Ali N. , Hsu Daphne T. , Van Zutphen Alissa R. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesMost individuals born with congenital heart defects (CHDs) survive to adulthood, but healthcare utilization patterns for adolescents and adults with CHDs have not been well described. We sought to characterize the healthcare utilization patterns and associated costs for adolescents and young adults with CHDs.MethodsWe examined 2009–2013 New York State inpatient admissions of individuals ages 11–30 years with ≥1 CHD diagnosis codes recorded during any admission. We conducted multivariate linear regression using generalized estimating equations to examine associations between inpatient costs and sociodemographic and clinical variables.ResultsWe identified 5,100 unique individuals with 9,593 corresponding hospitalizations over the study period. Median inpatient cost and length of stay (LOS) were $10,720 and 3.0 days per admission, respectively; 55.1% were emergency admissions. Admission volume increased 48.7% from 2009 (1,538 admissions) to 2013 (2,287 admissions), while total inpatient costs increased 91.8% from 2009 ($27.2 million) to 2013 ($52.2 million). Inpatient admissions and costs rose more sharply over the study period for those with nonsevere CHDs compared to severe CHDs. Characteristics associated with higher costs were longer LOS, severe CHD, cardiac/vascular hospitalization classification, surgical procedures, greater severity of illness, and admission in New York City.ConclusionThis study provides an informative baseline of health care utilization patterns and associated costs among adolescents and young adults with CHDs in New York State. Structured transition programs may aid in keeping this population in appropriate cardiac care as they move to adulthood.
Aligned human cardiac syncytium for in vitro analysis of electrical, structural, and mechanical readouts
Authors: Napiwocki B. N. , Lang D. , Stempien A. , Zhang J. , Vaidyanathan R. , Makielski J. C. , Eckhardt L. L. , Glukhov A. V. , Kamp T. J. , Crone W. C. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractHuman pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC‐CMs) have emerged as an exciting new tool for cardiac research and can serve as a preclinical platform for drug development and disease modeling studies. However, these aspirations are limited by current culture methods in which hPSC‐CMs resemble fetal human cardiomyocytes in terms of structure and function. Herein we provide a novel in vitro platform that includes patterned extracellular matrix with physiological substrate stiffness and is amenable to both mechanical and electrical analysis. Micropatterned lanes promote the cellular and myofibril alignment of hPSC‐CMs while the addition of micropatterned bridges enable formation of a functional cardiac syncytium that beats synchronously over a large two‐dimensional area. We investigated the electrophysiological properties of the patterned cardiac constructs and showed they have anisotropic electrical impulse propagation, as occurs in the native myocardium, with speeds 2x faster in the primary direction of the pattern as compared to the transverse direction. Lastly, we interrogated the mechanical function of the pattern constructs and demonstrated the utility of this platform in recording the strength of cardiomyocyte contractions. This biomimetic platform with electrical and mechanical readout capabilities will enable the study of cardiac disease and the influence of pharmaceuticals and toxins on cardiomyocyte function. The platform also holds potential for high throughput evaluation of drug safety and efficacy, thus furthering our understanding of cardiovascular disease and increasing the translational use of hPSC‐CMs.
Chemical signature of colorectal cancer: case–control study for profiling the breath print
Authors: Altomare D F , Picciariello A , Rotelli M T , De Fazio M , Aresta A , Zambonin C G , Vincenti L , Trerotoli P , De Vietro N 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Background
Effective screening for colorectal cancer can reduce mortality by early detection of tumours and colonic polyps. An altered pattern of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath has been proposed as a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool for detection of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of breath-testing for colorectal cancer screening and early diagnosis using an advanced breath sampler.

Methods
The exhaled breath of patients with colorectal cancer and non-cancer controls with negative findings on colonoscopy was collected using the ReCIVA® Breath Sampler. This portable device is able to capture the alveolar breath fraction without environmental contamination. VOCs were desorbed thermally and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The discriminatory ability of VOCs in detecting colorectal cancer was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for each VOC, followed by cross-validation by the leave-one-out method, and by applying stepwise logistic regression analysis.

Results
The study included 83 patients with colorectal cancer and 90 non-cancer controls. Fourteen VOCs were found to have significant discriminatory ability in detecting patients with colorectal cancer. The model with the diagnosis of cancer versus no cancer resulted in a statistically significant likelihood of discrimination of 173·45 (P &lt; 0·001), with an area under the ROC curve of 0·979. Cross-validation of the model resulted in a true predictive value for colorectal cancer of 93 per cent overall. Reliability of the breath analysis was maintained irrespective of cancer stage.

Conclusion
This study demonstrated that analysis of exhaled VOCs can discriminate patients with colorectal cancer from those without. This finding may eventually lead to the creation of a smart online sensory device, capable of providing a binary answer (cancer/no cancer) and directing to further screening.
Deductive‐reasoning brain networks: A coordinate‐based meta‐analysis of the neural signatures in deductive reasoning
Authors: Wang Li , Zhang Meng , Zou Feng , Wu Xin , Wang Yufeng 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectiveDeductive reasoning is a complex and poorly understood concept in the field of psychology. Many cognitive neuroscience studies have been published on deductive reasoning but have yielded inconsistent findings.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed collected data from 38 articles using a recently proposed activation likelihood estimation (ALE) approach and used conjunction analysis to better determine the intersection of the results of meta‐analyses.ResultsFirst, the left hemispheres in the inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann area 40 [BA40]), middle frontal gyrus (BA6), medial frontal gyrus (BA8), inferior frontal gyrus (BA45/46), caudate, and insula (BA47) were revealed to be significant brain regions via simple‐effect analysis (deductive reasoning versus baseline). Furthermore, IFG, insula, and cingulate (the key neural hubs of the cingulo‐opercular network) were highlighted in overlapped functional connectivity maps.ConclusionThe findings of the current study are consistent with the view that deductive reasoning requires a succession of stages, which included decoding of linguistic information, conversion and correction of rules, and transformation of inferential results into conclusive outputs, all of which are putatively processed via a distributed network of brain regions encompassing frontal/parietal cortices, as well as the caudate and other subcortical structures, which suggested that in the process of deductive reasoning, the coding and integration of premise information is indispensable, and it is also crucial to the execution and monitoring of the cognitive processing of reasoning.