bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Individuals' personal characteristics associated with private health insurance policy possession in Greece
Authors: Nomikos Nikos , Naoum Panagiota , Naoum Vasiliki , Athanasakis Kostas , Kyriopoulos John , Pavi Elpida 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundPossession of private health insurance has been associated with personal and socioeconomic characteristics, such as income and age. The objective of the present study is to assess the individuals' personal characteristics associated with private health insurance possession in Greece.MethodsThe data used in the present analysis derived from the ‘Health and Welfare’ survey conducted by the Hellenic National School of Public Health in Greece and refer to year 2017. The sample of the analysis consisted of 1,932 adults aged 18 years or older. Α binary logistic regression model was conducted, in order to investigate the factors associated with private health insurance possession.ResultsThe factors that were found to be associated with private health insurance possession were: area of residence; Attica, family income level; 1,501€–2,000€, 2,001€+, absence of chronic condition, occupation; employer/self‐employed, absence of public insurance, time since last health check‐up; less than or equal to 5 and more than 1 years ago, more than 5 years or never and level of education; secondary, tertiary.ConclusionsPrivate health insurance covers a low percent of the Greek population and has a low contribution to private health spending, compared with other countries. The personal characteristics that were found to be associated with private health insurance possession in Greece by the present study are in line with previous studies in other countries. These results are expected to provide policy advice on how to enhance coverage in order to reduce out‐of‐pocket expenditure, which is considered high in Greece.
Doctor‐patient relationship: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Hamid Syed Abdul , Begum Afroza , Azim Md. Ragaul , Islam Md. Sirajul 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackground and AimsThis study analyses the nature and magnitude of the doctor‐patient relationship in Bangladesh, intending to trigger policy discussions for improving healthcare quality. The dearth of research on the nature and degree of this relationship in Bangladesh as well as the global context motivates us to conduct this study.MethodWe use primary data from three different surveys conducted during July to October 2018. The study conducts a public perception survey on 701 individuals at various public places in Dhaka City. In addition, we interview 100 exit‐patients from two major public hospitals, four for‐profit‐private hospitals, and one not‐for‐profit private hospital in Dhaka City. We also interview a total of 62 doctors of different ladders. Each survey uses a structured questionnaire with a set of questions customized in the Bangladesh context.ResultsThe score of the doctor‐patient relationship is found quite low from the viewpoint of the public, the patients, and the doctors. However, the score is comparatively high from the doctor's point of view. The results show that lack of optimum time allocation for the patients, not explaining the prescription clearly, and discriminating the patients by their social status are the main factors for a poor relationship with doctors.ConclusionsThe doctor‐patient relationship is substantially poor from the public, patients, and the doctors' viewpoints. Orienting the doctors to non‐therapeutic care (ie, respectful behavior, privacy, dignity, prompt attention, clear communication) in all levels of medical education and training, and improving working conditions of the hospitals are the crucial policy implications.
Mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicles as therapy for acute and chronic respiratory diseases: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Tieu Alvin , Hu Kevin , Gnyra Catherine , Montroy Joshua , Fergusson Dean A. , Allan David S. , Stewart Duncan J. , Thébaud Bernard , Lalu Manoj M. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractPreclinical studies suggest mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicles (MSC‐EVs) reduce inflammation and improve organ function in lung diseases; however, an objective analysis of all available data is needed prior to translation. Using rigorous meta‐research methods, we determined the effectiveness of MSC‐EVs for preclinical respiratory diseases and identified experimental conditions that may further refine this therapy. A systematic search of MEDLINE/Embase identified 1167 records. After screening, 52 articles were included for data extraction and evaluated for risk of bias and quality of reporting in study design. A random effects meta‐analysis was conducted for acute lung injury (ALI; N = 23), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; N = 8) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; N = 7). Subgroup analyses identified EV methods/characteristics that may be associated with improved efficacy. Data is presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) or risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). For ALI, MSC‐EVs markedly reduced lung injury (SMD ‐4.33, CI ‐5.73 to ‐2.92), vascular permeability (SMD ‐2.43, CI ‐3.05 to ‐1.82), and mortality (RR 0.39, CI 0.22 to 0.68). Small EVs were more consistently effective than large EVs whereas no differences were observed between tissue sources, immunocompatibility or isolation techniques. For BPD, alveolarization was improved by MSC‐EVs (SMD ‐1.45, CI ‐2.08 to ‐0.82) with small EVs more consistently beneficial then small/large EVs. In PAH, right ventricular systolic pressure (SMD ‐4.16, CI ‐5.68 to ‐2.64) and hypertrophy (SMD ‐2.80, CI ‐3.68 to ‐1.91) were significantly attenuated by EVs. In BPD and PAH, EVs isolated by ultracentrifugation demonstrated therapeutic benefit whereas tangential flow filtration (N = 2) displayed minimal efficacy. Lastly, risk of bias and quality of reporting for experimental design were consistently unclear across all studies. Our findings demonstrate clear potential of MSC‐EVs to be developed as therapy for acute and chronic lung diseases. However, greater transparency in research design and direct comparisons of isolation technique and EV subtypes are needed to generate robust evidence to guide clinical translation.Protocol Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020145334
Stroma‐derived extracellular vesicle mRNA signatures inform histological nature of prostate cancer
Authors: Shephard Alex P. , Giles Peter , Mbengue Mariama , Alraies Amr , Spary Lisa K. , Kynaston Howard , Gurney Mark J. , Falcón‐Pérez Juan M. , Royo Félix , Tabi Zsuzsanna , Parthimos Dimitris , Errington Rachel J. , Clayton Aled , Webber Jason P. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractHistological assessment of prostate cancer is the key diagnostic test and can predict disease outcome. This is however an invasive procedure that carries associated risks, hence non‐invasive assays to support the diagnostic pathway are much needed. A key feature of disease progression, and subsequent poor prognosis, is the presence of an altered stroma. Here we explored the utility of prostate stromal cell‐derived vesicles as indicators of an altered tumour environment. We compared vesicles from six donor‐matched pairs of adjacent‐normal versus disease‐associated primary stromal cultures. We identified 19 differentially expressed transcripts that discriminate disease from normal stromal extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs isolated from patient serum were investigated for these putative disease‐discriminating mRNA. A set of transcripts including Caveolin‐1 (CAV1), TMP2, THBS1, and CTGF were found to be successful in discriminating clinically insignificant (Gleason = 6) disease from clinically significant (Gleason > 8) prostate cancer. Furthermore, correlation between transcript expression and progression‐free survival suggests that levels of these mRNA may predict disease outcome. Informed by a machine learning approach, combining measures of the five most informative EV‐associated mRNAs with PSA was shown to significantly improve assay sensitivity and specificity. An in‐silico model was produced, showcasing the superiority of this multi‐modal liquid biopsy compared to needle biopsy for predicting disease progression. This proof of concept highlights the utility of serum EV analytics as a companion diagnostic test with prognostic utility, which may obviate the need for biopsy.
Large‐scale group genetic counseling: Evaluation of a novel service delivery model in a Canadian hereditary cancer clinic
Authors: Lohn Zoe , Fok Alexandra , Richardson Matthew , Derocher Heather , Mung Sze Wing , Nuk Jennifer , Yuson Jamie , Jevon Mandy , A.Schrader Kasmintan , Sun Sophie 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIncreasing demand for genetic services has led to the development of streamlined genetic counseling (GC) models. We piloted large‐scale group pre‐test GC with up to 50 patients per group and compared this to a traditional one‐on‐one approach. Patients referred to the British Columbia (BC) Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program were eligible if they had: (a) family history meeting our program's referral criteria; (b) no relevant personal history of cancer; (c) no prior genetic testing in the family; and (d) no living testable relative in BC. Patient‐reported outcome measures included: (a) Genetic Counselling Outcome Scale (GCOS) prior to pre‐test GC (T1) and at 4 weeks post‐test GC (T2); (b) Satisfaction Survey after pre‐test GC; and (c) the Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment (MICRA) for patients undergoing testing (4 weeks after post‐test GC). In total, 391 patients underwent GC, 184 by group and 207 by one‐on‐one appointments. Between May 2018 and May 2019, 6 pre‐test group sessions were conducted (median number of patients per group = 28; range 15–48). 8% of patients (n = 32) declined large group GC due to personal preference for one‐on‐one GC. There were no statistically significant differences in MICRA and GCOS survey results when comparing the pre‐test large group versus traditional pre‐test one‐on‐one models (based on 3 MICRA subscales: p = 0.063, p = 0.612, p = 0.842; and GCOS p = 0.169). Overall, the large group pre‐test counseling approach was more time‐efficient with 15–48 patient group sessions conducted over a mean duration of 80 min as compared to 42 min per patient with the traditional one‐on‐one GC model. Large‐scale group GC was feasible and acceptable to patients and represents a novel streamlined model for GC to enable timely access to cancer genetic services.
Comparison of two types of xenogeneic matrices to treat single gingival recessions: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Santamaria Mauro Pedrine , Rossato Amanda , Miguel Manuela Maria Viana , Fonseca Manuela Bafini , Bautista Cristhian Reynaldo Gomez , de Marco Andrea Carvalho , Mathias‐Santamaria Ingrid Fernandes , Ferreira Ferraz Laís Fernanda 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundXenogeneic matrices (XMs) have been increasingly used for root coverage procedures. This study compared the use of two types of XM (collagen matrix [CM] and xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix [XDM]) associated with the coronally advanced flap technique (CAF) to treat single gingival recessions.MethodsSeventy‐five patients presenting single RT1 gingival recession were treated by CAF (control group, n = 25), CAF+CM (test group 1, n = 25), or CAF+XDM (test group 2, n = 25) and completed 6‐month follow‐up. Clinical, patient‐centered, and esthetic assessments were performed and intra‐ and intergroup differences were analyzed.ResultsAt 6 months, the mean recession reduction for CAF, CAF+CM, and CAF+XDM was 2.4 ± 0.8 mm, 2.4 ± 0.9 mm and 2.1 ± 0.8 mm, respectively (P > 0.05). The corresponding mean percentage of root coverage was 78.9% ± 26.2% for CAF, 78.0% ± 28.5% for CAF+CM, and 65.6% ± 26.9% for CAF+XDM (P > 0.05). Dentin hypersensitivity and esthetic conditions showed significantly improvements in all groups. Test groups presented significant gains in gingival thickness (GT; CAF+CM: 0.4 ± 0.3 mm; CAF+XDM: 0.4 ± 0.2 mm) compared to the control group (CAF: 0.0 ± 0.1 mm; P < 0.05).ConclusionThe CAF, CAF+CM, and CAF+XDM treatments each provided similar results in the treatment of single gingival recessions. The addition of either CM or XDM to CAF increases the GT.
Insight into the effect of fatty acid composition on the texture of French fries
Authors: Li Peiyan , Zhu Ling , Li Xiaojing , Wu Gangcheng , Yang Dan , Qi Xiguang , Liu Tongtong , Zhang Hui 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDSeveral researchers have reported that the texture of fries is affected by the fatty acid composition of oil, although the mechanism of this effect is not clear. In this regard, fries were fried in refined rapeseed oil and fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil with diverse proportions (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) and were analyzed based on the content of moisture and oil, texture, thermal properties, crystalline properties and microstructure.RESULTSThe outcomes presented that fries fried in fully hydrogenated oil had less oil absorption and moisture loss than those fried in refined oil. The results from the texture analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction showed that hardness, enthalpy and relative crystallinity increased with an increase in the proportion of fully hydrogenated oil. However, the peaks of starch–lipid complexes were hardly observed during frying. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy results displayed that some physically trapped fat was observed in fries fried in mixed hydrogenated oil. Stereomicroscope images showed that the crust thickness of the fries increased slightly with an increase in the proportion of fully hydrogenated oil.CONCLUSIONOverall, the upsurge in crust thickness and oil crystals was responsible for an increase in the hardness of the fries. This indicated that the texture of fries can be manipulated by altering the fatty acid composition of the oil. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Therapeutic strategies: Surgery for human papillomavirus‐associated oropharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Mclean Timothy , Fitzgerald Conall , Boyle Jay O. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTreatment of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has undergone considerable evolution since the discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated OPC. It is widely understood that HPV OPC affects a younger population and standard treatment offers improved oncologic outcomes compared with non‐HPV OPC but can cause significant toxicities and long‐term side effects. Surgery for treatment de‐escalation is an active area of research. The purpose of this review is to explore surgery as it relates to the treatment of HPV OPC with a focus on the evolution of treatment, rationale for surgery, surgical techniques, outcomes, and the role of surgery in de‐escalation of treatment.
Therapeutic effects of nerve growth factor‐targeting therapy on bladder overactivity in rats with prostatic inflammation
Authors: Igarashi Taro , Tyagi Pradeep , Mizoguchi Shinsuke , Saito Tetsuichi , Furuta Akira , Suzuki Yasuyuki , Egawa Shin , Wang Zhou , Yoshimura Naoki 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe present study examined the effect of liposomes conjugated with antisense oligonucleotide of nerve growth factor (NGF‐OND) on local overexpression of NGF and bladder overactivity using rats with prostatic inflammation (PI).MethodsMale Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into three groups: (1) Control group; intact rats, (2) PI‐NS group; rats with PI and intravesical instillation of normal saline (NS), (3) PI‐OND group; rats with PI and intravesical instillation of NGF‐OND. On Day 0, PI was induced by intraprostatic 5%‐formalin injection. On Day 14, NGF‐OND or NS was instilled directly into the bladder after laparotomy. On Day 28, therapeutic effects of NGF‐OND were evaluated by awake cystometry and histological analysis as well as reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction measurements of messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of NGF in the bladder and prostate, inflammatory markers in the prostate, C‐fiber afferent markers, and an A‐type K+ channel α‐subunit (Kv 1.4) in L6‐S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG).ResultsIntravesical NFG‐OND treatment reduced PI‐induced overexpression of NGF in both bladder and prostate, and reduced PI‐induced bladder overactivity evident as longer intercontraction intervals in association with reductions of TRPV1 and TRPA1 mRNA expression levels in DRG. mRNA expression of Kv1.4 in DRG was reduced after PI, but improved in the PI‐OND group.ConclusionsThese results indicate that NGF locally expressed in the bladder is an important mediator inducing bladder overactivity with upregulation of C‐fiber afferent markers and downregulation of an A‐type K+ channel subunit in DRG following PI, and that liposome‐based, local NGF‐targeting therapy could be effective for not only bladder overactivity and afferent sensitization, but also PI. Thus, local blockade of NGF in the bladder could be a therapeutic modality for male LUTS due to BPH with PI.
A qualitative study of architectural design issues in DevOps
Authors: Shahin Mojtaba , Rezaei Nasab Ali , Ali Babar Muhammad 
Published: October 2021

AbstractSoftware architecture is critical in succeeding with Development and Operations (DevOps). However, designing software architectures that enable and support DevOps (DevOps‐driven software architectures) is a challenge for organizations. We assert that one of the essential steps towards characterizing DevOps‐driven architectures is to understand architectural design issues raised in DevOps. At the same time, some of the architectural issues that emerge in the DevOps context (and their corresponding architectural practices or tactics) may stem from the context (i.e., domain) and characteristics of software organizations. To this end, we conducted a mixed‐methods study that consists of a qualitative case study of two teams in a company during their DevOps transformation and a content analysis of Stack Overflow and DevOps Stack Exchange posts to understand architectural design issues in DevOps. Our study found eight specific and contextual architectural design issues faced by the two teams and classified architectural design issues discussed in Stack Overflow and DevOps Stack Exchange into 11 groups. Our aggregated results reveal that the main characteristics of DevOps‐driven architectures are being loosely coupled and prioritizing deployability, testability, supportability, and modifiability over other quality attributes. Finally, we discuss some concrete implications for research and practice.
Impacts of state COVID‐19 reopening policy on human mobility and mixing behavior
Authors: Nguyen Thuy D. , Gupta Sumedha , Andersen Martin S. , Bento Ana I. , Simon Kosali I. , Wing Coady 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis study quantifies the effect of the 2020 state COVID economic activity reopening policies on daily mobility and mixing behavior, adding to the economic literature on individual responses to public health policy that addresses public contagion risks. We harness cellular device signal data and the timing of reopening plans to provide an assessment of the extent to which human mobility and physical proximity in the United States respond to the reversal of state closure policies. We observe substantial increases in mixing activities, 13.56% at 4 days and 48.65% at 4 weeks, following reopening events. Echoing a theme from the literature on the 2020 closures, mobility outside the home increased on average prior to these state actions. Furthermore, the largest increases in mobility occurred in states that were early adopters of closure measures and hard‐hit by the pandemic, suggesting that psychological fatigue is an important barrier to implementation of closure policies extending for prolonged periods of time.
Bio‐fabricated green silver nano‐architecture for degradation of methylene blue water contaminant: A mini‐review
Authors: Emmanuel Stephen Sunday , Adesibikan Ademidun Adeola 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe advent of global industrialization advancements has proven to be both a blessing and a curse for humanity, with significant detrimental consequences on marine bodies, and methylene blue is one of the common offenders through textile industry runoffs. These dye runoffs are complex, neurotoxic, and carcinogenic and prevent sunlight from penetrating the water to hinder photosynthesis and increase the biological/biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), hence hampering the ontogenesis of photoautotrophic organisms and thus threatening marine life and causing an increase in unavailability and inaccessibility to healthy water for eco‐fundamental networking. Traditional methods came into the limelight, but they are costly and inefficient. Amazingly, due to exceptional surface features, eco‐friendliness, cost‐effectiveness, catalytic efficiency, and antibacterial capabilities, biosynthesized nanoparticles emerged as a potential solution to these drawbacks encounter by the traditional approach. This review was based on a comprehensive review of publicly available literature (majorly 2019–2021 original research reports) using major scientific databases such as SciFinder, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The keywords that were utilized to scoop up the scientific journals were as follows: dye degradation and decolorization, biosynthesis, methylene blue, silver nanoparticles, wastewater, and dye runoffs. Thus, this review highlights the green sources used for the bio‐fabrication of silver nanoparticles, the current level of knowledge of biosynthesis mechanism, mechanism of degradation, and methylene blue dye degradation efficiency.Practitioner Points

Bio‐fabrication mechanism of green silver nano‐architecture from plant, bacteria, fungi, and algae extract has been discussed.
Various biological capping/reducing agents have been reported.
Degradation efficiency of methylene blue dyes using silver nanoparticles has been discussed.
Mechanism of degradation of methylene blue by green silver nanoparticles has been reported.
Mobile Edge Computing for Beyond 5G/6G
Authors: Zhang Yan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis chapter first introduces the mobile edge computing (MEC) paradigm in beyond 5G and 6G networks. The motivations, applications, and challenges of integrating MEC into 6G are discussed in detail. We then present a new paradigm, MEC-empowered edge model sharing, as a use case for 6G. Furthermore, the architecture and processes of the MEC-empowered edge model sharing system are provided to show the integration angles of MEC and 6G networks.
Hidden dark matter from Starobinsky inflation
Authors: Li Qiang , Moroi Takeo , Nakayama Kazunori , Yin Wen 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe Starobinsky inflation model is one of the simplest inflation models that is consistent with the cosmic microwave background observations. In order to explain dark matter of the universe, we consider a minimal extension of the Starobinsky inflation model with introducing the dark sector which communicates with the visible sector only via the gravitational interaction. In Starobinsky inflation model, a sizable amount of dark-sector particle may be produced by the inflaton decay. Thus, a scalar, a fermion or a vector boson in the dark sector may become dark matter. We pay particular attention to the case with dark non-Abelian gauge interaction to make a dark glueball a dark matter candidate. In the minimal setup, we show that it is difficult to explain the observed dark matter abundance without conflicting observational constraints on the coldness and the self-interaction of dark matter. We propose scenarios in which the dark glueball, as well as other dark-sector particles, from the inflaton decay become viable dark matter candidates. We also discuss possibilities to test such scenarios.