bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HollAND trial: comparison of rubber band ligation and haemorrhoidectomy in patients with symptomatic haemorrhoids grade III: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial and cost–utility analysis
Authors: Dekker Lisette , Han-Geurts Ingrid J M , van Dieren Susan , Bemelman Willem A 
Published: April 2021

IntroductionHaemorrhoidal disease is one of the most common anorectal disorders, which affects nearly half of the general population. Treatment of grade III haemorrhoids consists initially of conservative measures, followed by rubber band ligation and haemorrhoidectomy when unsuccessful. Given the current guidelines and numerous modalities the obvious question which needs to be answered is which treatment is the best for grade III haemorrhoids. There is a need for evaluating treatment from the patient’s point of view and transparency in surgical and non-surgical treatment outcome.Methods and analysisThis multicentre, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial with cost–utility analysis compares haemorrhoidectomy with rubber band ligation. Patients aged 18 years and older with symptomatic haemorrhoids grade III are recruited. Primary outcome measure is quality of life at 24 months measured with the EQ-5D-5L and in-hospital (in)direct costs and out-of-hospital postoperative costs. A key secondary outcome is recurrence at 1-year postprocedure. Secondary outcomes are complaint reduction with proctology-specific patient-reported outcome measurements (Haemorrhoid Severity Score, ProctoPROM, PROM-HISS, vaizey score), resumption of work, pain and complication rates. Data are collected at seven different time points. Standard postprocedural care is followed.A sample size has been calculated using a one sided alpha of 0.025 and a power of 80% with an SD of 0.15 and a non-inferiority limit of 0.05. With stratification by centre and to adjust for 10% lost to follow-up the total sample size will be 360 patients in total (180 per group).Data will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat and the per-protocol principle.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol has been approved by the Medical Ethics Review Committee of the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, location AMC. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences, whether they are positive, negative or inconclusive.Trial registration numbersNCT04621695, NTR8020
Helicobacter pyloriresistance to antibiotics in Europe in 2018 and its relationship to antibiotic consumption in the community
Authors: Megraud Francis , Bruyndonckx Robin , Coenen Samuel , Wittkop Linda , Huang Te-Din , Hoebeke Martin , Bénéjat Lucie , Lehours Philippe , Goossens Herman , Glupczynski Youri 
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveOur aim was to prospectively assess the antibiotic resistance rates inHelicobacter pyloristrains in Europe in 2018 and to study the link between antibiotic consumption in the community andH. pyloriresistance levels in the different countries.DesignThe proportion of primary antibiotic resistance cases ofH. pyloriand their corresponding risk factors were investigated in 24 centres from 18 European countries according to a standardised protocol. Data on antibiotic consumption in the community were collected for the period 2008–2017. The link between antibiotic consumption and resistance data was assessed using generalised linear mixed models. The model with the best fit was selected by means of the Akaike Information Criterion.ResultsH. pyloriresistance rates for the 1211 adult patients included were 21.4% for clarithromycin, 15.8% for levofloxacin and 38.9% for metronidazole and were significantly higher in Central/Western and Southern than in the Northern European countries.The best model fit was obtained for the Poisson distribution using 2013 consumption data. A signiﬁcant association was found betweenH. pyloriclarithromycin resistance and consumption in the community of macrolides (p=0.0003) and intermediate-acting macrolides (p=0.005), and between levoﬂoxacin resistance and consumption of quinolones (p=0.0002) and second-generation quinolones (p=0.0003).ConclusionThis study confirms the positive correlation between macrolide and quinolone consumption in the community and correspondingH. pyloriresistance in European countries. Hence,H. pyloritreatment with clarithromycin and levofloxacin should not be started without susceptibility testing in most European countries.
Effects of Quillaja saponin supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, and fecal gas emission in growing pigs
Authors: Dang De Xin , Kim In Ho 
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Quillaja saponin (QS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, and fecal gas emission in growing pigs. A total of 50 crossbred growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an initial body weight of 23.83 ± 1.95 kg were randomly assigned to one of two treatments for a 56 d trial with five replicate pens per treatment and five pigs (two barrows and three gilts) per pen. Dietary treatments including control diet and control diet supplemented with 200 mg·kg−1 QS. The average daily gain was significantly increased during days 0–56, whereas the fecal ammonia emission on day 56 and fecal coliform bacteria counts on day 28 were significantly decreased in pigs fed with QS-containing diet. However, dietary supplementation of QS had no significant effects on apparent total tract digestibility. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 200 mg·kg−1 QS had beneficial effects on growth performance, fecal microbiota, and fecal gas emission in growing pigs. Considering the carry-over effects, the adaption period should be at least 28 d when supplementing 200 mg·kg−1 QS to the diet of growing pigs for improving the growth performance.
Phenomenological assessment of proton mechanical properties from deeply virtual Compton scattering
Authors: Dutrieux H. , Lorcé C. , Moutarde H. , Sznajder P. , Trawiński A. , Wagner J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractA unique feature of generalised parton distributions is their relation to the QCD energy–momentum tensor. In particular, they provide access to the mechanical properties of the proton i.e. the distributions of pressure and shear stress induced by its quark and gluon structure. In principle the pressure distribution can be experimentally determined in a model-independent way from a dispersive analysis of deeply virtual Compton scattering data through the measurement of the subtraction constant. In practice the kinematic coverage and accuracy of existing experimental data make this endeavour a challenge. Elaborating on recent global fits of deeply virtual Compton scattering measurements using artificial neural networks, our analysis presents the current knowledge on this subtraction constant and assesses the impact of the most frequent systematic assumptions made in this field of research. This study will pave the way for future works when more precise data will become available, e.g. obtained in the foreseen electron-ion colliders EIC and EIcC.
Fermion localization in braneworld teleparallel f(T, B) gravity
Authors: Moreira A. R. P. , Silva J. E. G. , Almeida C. A. S. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractWe study a spin 1/2 fermion in a thick braneworld in the context of teleparallel f(T, B) gravity. Here, f(T, B) is such that $$f_1(T,B)=T+k_1B^{n_1}$$

f
1

(
T
,
B
)

=
T
+

k
1

B

n
1

and $$f_2(T,B)=B+k_2T^{n_2}$$

f
2

(
T
,
B
)

=
B
+

k
2

T

n
2

, where $$n_{1,2}$$

n

1
,
2

and $$k_{1,2}$$

k

1
,
2

are parameters that control the influence of torsion and the boundary term. We assume Yukawa coupling, where one scalar field is coupled to a Dirac spinor field. We show how the $$n_{1,2}$$

n

1
,
2

and $$k_{1,2}$$

k

1
,
2

parameters control the width of the massless Kaluza–Klein mode, the breadth of non-normalized massive fermionic modes and the properties of the analogue quantum-potential near the origin.
The Association of Structural Inequities and Race With Out-of-Hospital Sudden Death During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mountantonakis Stavros E. , Epstein Laurence M. , Coleman Kristie , Martinez Johanna , Saleh Moussa , Kvasnovsky Charlotte , Brown Rachel-Maria , McCulloch Elizabeth , Kuvin Jeffrey , Richardson Safiya , Makker Parth , Lesser Martin , Mieres Jennifer H. , Davidson Karina W. , Roswell Robert O. ,   on behalf of the Northwell COVID-19 Research Consortium
Published: April 2021

Background:
Social influencers of health namely race, ethnicity, and structural inequities are known to affect the incidence of out of hospital sudden death (OHSD). We sought to examine the association between social influencers of health and the incidence of OHSD in the diverse neighborhoods of New York City during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.

Methods:
New York City ZIP stratified data on OHSD were obtained from the Fire Department of New York during the first wave of COVID-19 epidemic (March 1 to April 10, 2019) and the same period in 2020. To assess associates of OHSD, ZIP code-specific sociodemographic characteristics for 8 491 238 New York City residents were obtained via the US Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey and the New York Police Department’s crime statistics.

Results:

Between March 1 and April 10, 2020, the number of OHSD rose to 4334 from 1112 compared with the year prior. Of the univariate ZIP code level variables evaluated, proportions of Black race, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, single parent household, unemployed inhabitants, people completing less than high school education, inhabitants with no health insurance, people financially struggling or living in poverty, percent of noncitizens, and population density were associated with increased rates of OHSD within ZIP codes. In multivariable analysis, ZIP codes with higher proportions of inhabitants with less than high school education (
P
<0.001) and higher proportions of Black race (
P
=0.04) were independent predictors for increases in ZIP code rates of OHSD.

Conclusions:
Educational attainment and the proportion of Black race in New York City ZIP codes remained independent predictors of increased rates of ZIP code level OHSD during the COVID-19 outbreak even after controlling for 2019 rates. To facilitate health equity, future research should focus on characterizing the impacts of structural inequities while exploring strategies to mitigate their effects.
Philosophical vs. Biographical
Authors: Ranocchia Graziano 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Greek works On Ways of Life have been seen to consist in either collections of biographies or proper philosophical treatises. Recently, a unitary reading of this literary phenomenon has been advanced, but some fundamental evidence has escaped attention. This evidence, along with what remains of Epicurus and Chrysippus’ Peri biōn, suggests that in antiquity this label actually encompassed two essentially different genres: a mostly biographical one, which was cultivated by fourth/third-century BC Peripatetic philosophers and imperial writers, and a moral-philosophical one, which was first developed by Epicurus and Chrysippus and then cultivated by Academic and Peripatetic thinkers in the Hellenistic period and in later centuries.
Political Authority and Local Agency: Cilicia Pedias and Syria between the Seleucid Empire and the Roman Republic
Authors: Jordan Bradley 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
This paper aims to show how local civic communities, nominally subject to the Seleucid dynasts, integrated Roman magistrates into an existing framework of authority during the late second and early first centuries BCE. I argue that as Roman magistrates played an increasingly significant role in the region, cities initially framed them in quasi-regal terms, which their interlocutors consciously accepted. Through a close reading of two Roman letters to the Cilician city of Mopsuestia, dated to 87 BCE (SEG 44.1227), and analysis of literary, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence for the final collapse of Seleucid authority in the early 60s BCE, I reveal that this was a locally driven process. Consequently, local agents played a critical role in both legitimising Roman hegemony in local contexts and encouraging Roman intervention within the region.
Free-living freshwater nematodes from Brazil: checklist of genera and regional patterns of diversity
Authors: de Oliveira Pinto Taciana Kramer , Netto Sérgio A. , Esteves André Morgado , de Castro Francisco José Victor , Neres Patricia Fernandes , da Silva Maria Cristina 
Published: April 2021

Summary
Brazil has one of the largest varieties of aquatic ecosystems and rich freshwater biodiversity, but these components have constantly been damaged by the expansion of unsustainable activities. Free-living nematodes are an abundant and ubiquitous component of continental benthic communities, occurring in all freshwater habitats, including extreme environments. Despite this, hardly any studies have examined the generic composition of nematodes in different latitudes and the geographic overlap of assemblages. We provide data on nematode genera from six regions in Brazil, over a north-south gradient spanning about 4000 km, encompassing rivers, coastal lakes, and reservoirs with different levels of human impact. Interpolation/extrapolation curves were generated and the zeta diversity was used to assess the overlap of nematode assemblages. Freshwater nematode assemblages comprised 54 families and 132 genera. Mononchidae, Monhysteridae, Chromadoridae, Tobrilidae and Dorylaimidae were the most diverse families. Differences in diversity and high turnover of genera were found among regions, probably related to stochastic processes. Mononchus was the only widely distributed genus. Our results revealed a high biodiversity of free-living freshwater nematodes among the regions. The limited spatial coverage of the data reveals an enormous knowledge gap in a country with 12% of the world’s freshwater resources. The lack of spatial patterns, e.g., latitudinal variation, suggests that freshwater nematode assemblages are primarily structured by the intrinsic properties of habitats. This reinforces the uniqueness of freshwater ecosystems and suggests that the nematode assemblages may be sensitive to environmental disturbances, since the limited distributions of taxa may lead to lower resilience.
The Repetition of ‮אֶעֱנֶה‬‎ in MT Hosea 2:23
Authors: Gottlieb Leeor 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The verb ‮אֶעֱנֶה‬‎ appears twice in MT Hos 2:23 construed with the same object, ‮הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם‬‎, while LXX does not reflect the first of its appearances. Many scholars regard the repetition in MT as a rhetorical device. The author, however, points to a distinction between this supposed rhetorical repetition and the examples of repetition adduced by scholars who make the case for Hos 2:23 being an intentional device. Furthermore, the study provides data demonstrating that the repetition in Hos 2:23 functions in a manner that is decidedly different than all other cases in the Bible in which the other Hebrew expressions surrounding the purported repetition appear. This study also offers two possible scenarios in which the verb may have been duplicated erroneously.
Building Community in the HIV Online Intervention Space: Lessons From the HealthMPowerment Intervention
Authors: Blackburn Natalie A. , Dong Willa , Threats Megan , Barry Megan , LeGrand Sara , Hightow-Weidman Lisa B. , Soni Karina , Pulley Deren V. , Bauermeister Jose A. , Muessig Kate 
Published: April 2021

Background Mobile health platforms can facilitate social support and address HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) stigma but pose challenges for intervention design and participant engagement. Giddens’s structuration theory, that individuals are shaped by—and shape—their communities through rules and resources that give them power to operate within these environments, provides a useful analytic framework for exploring these dynamic intervention spaces. Method Data were drawn from an online randomized controlled trial intervention (HealthMpowerment) for young Black men who have sex with men to reduce condomless anal intercourse. We applied a conversational analysis informed by structuration theory to 65 user-generated conversations that included stigma content. We aimed to understand how the interdependent relationship between the intervention space and participants’ contributions might contribute to behavior change. Results Thirty five intervention participants contributed to the analyzed conversations. Our analysis identified three types of conversational processes that may underlie behavior change: (1) Through intervention engagement, participants established norms and expectations that shaped their discussions; (2) participants used anecdotes and anonymity to reinforce norms; and (3) intervention staff members sought to improve engagement and build knowledge by initiating discussions and correcting misinformation, thus playing an integral role in the online community. Conclusions The lens of structuration theory usefully reveals potential behavior change mechanisms within the social interactions of an online intervention. Future design of these interventions to address HIV stigma should explicitly characterize the context in which individuals (study staff and participants) engage with one another in order to assess whether these processes are associated with improved intervention outcomes.
Factors Associated With Prolonged Length of Stay in Patients Hospitalized With Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus in the United States
Authors: Lekoubou Alain , Debroy Kunal , Bishu Kinfe G. , Ovbiagele Bruce 
Published: April 2021

Objective: Generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) is a severe complication of epilepsy, which typically requires extended hospitalization, resulting in substantial resource utilization, hospital expenditures, and patient costs. In this nationwide analysis, we examined hospital length of stay (LOS) patterns for GCSE, and the factors that influence prolonged LOS. Methods: We extracted data for adult patients (age 18 years and above) with a primary discharge diagnosis of GCSE from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2006-2014, the largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States. We computed LOS (≤1, 2-6, and ≥7 days), overall, and across pre-specified patient-related, hospital-related, and healthcare system-related variables available in the NIS. We identified factors independently associated with prolonged hospitalization (2 or more days), using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Of 57,832 discharged with a primary diagnosis of GCSE, 6,133 (10.7%) had a LOS ≤1 day, 27,327 (7.3%) stayed for 2-6 days, and 24,372 (42.1%) stayed for ≥7 days. After adjusting for confounders, patients who were older, female, Black, and Hispanic, who underwent continuous EEG video monitoring, were Medicare beneficiaries, had medical comorbidities, or were admitted to large/urban hospitals, were all significantly more likely to have prolonged LOS. Conclusion: Over 40% of patients hospitalized for GCSE in the United States spend at least a week in the hospital. Efforts to shorten hospitalization for GCSE may need to primarily focus on patient groups with select sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.
Preoperative prognostic nutritional index as a predictive factor for medical complication after cervical posterior decompression surgery: A multicenter study
Authors: Kurosu Kenta , Oe Shin , Hasegawa Tomohiko , Shimizu Satoshi , Yoshida Go , Kobayashi Sho , Fujita Tomotada , Yamada Tomohiro , Ide Koichiro , Watanabe Yuh , Nakai Keiichi , Yamato Yu , Yasuda Tatsuya , Banno Tomohiro , Arima Hideyuki , Mihara Yuki , Ushirozako Hiroki , Matsuyama Yukihiro 
Published: April 2021

Study design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Objective: To investigate postoperative medical complications in patients with malnutrition after cervical posterior surgery. Methods: A total of 256 patients were participated and divided into PNI < 50 group (group L) or PNI ≥ 50 (group H). Patient data, preoperative laboratory data, surgical data, hospitalization data, JOA score, complication data were measured. Results: Group L and group H were 127 and 129 patients, each PNI was L: 44.8 ± 4.3, H: 54.6 ± 4.0, P < 0.01. There was significant difference in mean age (L: 72.2 years vs H: 64.8 years, P < 0.01), BMI (23.1 vs 24.7, P < 0.01), serum albumin (L: 3.9 ± 0.4 g/dl vs H: 4.4 ± 0.3 g/dl, P < 0.01), total lymphocyte count (L: 1.3 ± 0.5 103/µL vs H: 2.1 ± 0.7 103/μL, P < 0.01), hospital stay (L: 25.0 days vs H: 18.8 days, P < 0.05), discharge to home (87.5% vs 57.5%, P < 0.01), delirium (L: 15.9% vs H: 3.9%, P < 0.01), medical complications (L: 25.2% vs H: 7.0%, P < 0.01), pre- and post- operative JOA score (L: 11.3 ± 2.8 vs H: 12.4 ± 2.6, P < 0.01; L: 13.3 ± 3.0 vs H: 14.1 ± 2.4, P = 0.02). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that significant risk factors for medical complications were PNI<50 (P = 0.024, odds ratio [OR] 2.746, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.143–6.600) and age (P = 0.005, odds ratio [OR] 1.064, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.020–1.111). Conclusion: Medical complications are significantly higher in patients with PNI < 50 and higher age. The results showed that PNI is a good indicator for perioperative medical complications in cervical posterior surgery. Improvement of preoperative nutritional status is important to avoid medical complications. Level of evidence: 3
Bacterial avidins are a widely distributed protein family in Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes
Authors: Laitinen Olli H. , Kuusela Tanja P. , Kukkurainen Sampo , Nurminen Anssi , Sinkkonen Aki , Hytönen Vesa P. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
Avidins are biotin-binding proteins commonly found in the vertebrate eggs. In addition to streptavidin from Streptomyces avidinii, a growing number of avidins have been characterized from divergent bacterial species. However, a systematic research concerning their taxonomy and ecological role has never been done. We performed a search for avidin encoding genes among bacteria using available databases and classified potential avidins according to taxonomy and the ecological niches utilized by host bacteria.

Results
Numerous avidin-encoding genes were found in the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. The diversity of protein sequences was high and several new variants of genes encoding biotin-binding avidins were found. The living strategies of bacteria hosting avidin encoding genes fall mainly into two categories. Human and animal pathogens were overrepresented among the found bacteria carrying avidin genes. The other widespread category were bacteria that either fix nitrogen or live in root nodules/rhizospheres of plants hosting nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Conclusions
Bacterial avidins are a taxonomically and ecologically diverse group mainly found in Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, associated often with plant invasiveness. Avidin encoding genes in plasmids hint that avidins may be horizontally transferred. The current survey may be used as a basis in attempts to understand the ecological significance of biotin-binding capacity.