bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of awake prone position on diaphragmatic thickening fraction in patients assisted by noninvasive ventilation for hypoxemic acute respiratory failure related to novel coronavirus disease
Authors: Cammarota Gianmaria , Rossi Elisa , Vitali Leonardo , Simonte Rachele , Sannipoli Tiziano , Anniciello Francesco , Vetrugno Luigi , Bignami Elena , Becattini Cecilia , Tesoro Simonetta , Azzolina Danila , Giacomucci Angelo , Navalesi Paolo , De Robertis Edoardo 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Awake prone position is an emerging rescue therapy applied in patients undergoing noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (ARF) related to novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Although applied to stabilize respiratory status, in awake patients, the application of prone position may reduce comfort with a consequent increase in the workload imposed on respiratory muscles. Thus, we primarily ascertained the effect of awake prone position on diaphragmatic thickening fraction, assessed through ultrasound, in COVID-19 patients undergoing NIV.

Methods
We enrolled all COVID-19 adult critically ill patients, admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for hypoxemic ARF and undergoing NIV, deserving of awake prone positioning as a rescue therapy. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy and any contraindication to awake prone position and NIV. On ICU admission, after NIV onset, in supine position, and at 1 h following awake prone position application, diaphragmatic thickening fraction was obtained on the right side. Across all the study phases, NIV was maintained with the same setting present at study entry. Vital signs were monitored throughout the entire study period. Comfort was assessed through numerical rating scale (0 the worst comfort and 10 the highest comfort level). Data were presented in median and 25th–75th percentile range.

Results
From February to May 2021, 20 patients were enrolled and finally analyzed. Despite peripheral oxygen saturation improvement [96 (94–97)% supine vs 98 (96–99)% prone, p = 0.008], turning to prone position induced a worsening in comfort score from 7.0 (6.0–8.0) to 6.0 (5.0–7.0) (p = 0.012) and an increase in diaphragmatic thickening fraction from 33.3 (25.7–40.5)% to 41.5 (29.8–50.0)% (p = 0.025).

Conclusions
In our COVID-19 patients assisted by NIV in ICU, the application of awake prone position improved the oxygenation at the expense of a greater diaphragmatic thickening fraction compared to supine position.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04904731. Registered on 05/25/2021, retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04904731.
Characterization of nit sheath protein functions and transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking in the human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis
Authors: Kim Ju Hyeon , Lee Do Eun , Park SangYoun , Clark John M. , Lee Si Hyeock 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundHead louse females secrete liquid glue during oviposition, which is solidified to form the nit sheath over the egg. Recently, two homologous proteins, named louse nit sheath protein (LNSP) 1 and LNSP 2, were identified as adhesive proteins but the precise mechanism of nit sheath solidification is unknown.MethodsWe determined the temporal transcriptome profiles of the head louse accessory glands plus oviduct, from which putative major structural proteins and those with functional importance were deduced. A series of RNA interference (RNAi) experiments and treatment of an inhibitor were conducted to elucidate the function and action mechanism of each component.ResultsBy transcriptome profiling of genes expressed in the louse accessory glands plus uterus, the LNSP1 and LNSP2 along with two hypothetical proteins were confirmed to be the major structural proteins. In addition, several proteins with functional importance, including transglutaminase (TG), defensin 1 and defensin 2, were identified. WhenLNSP1was knocked down via RNA interference, most eggs became nonviable via desiccation, suggesting its role in desiccation resistance. Knockdown ofLNSP2, however, resulted in oviposition failure, which suggests that LNSP2 may serve as the basic platform to form the nit sheath and may have an additional function of lubrication. Knockdown ofTGalso impaired egg hatching, demonstrating its role in the cross-linking of nit sheath proteins. The role of TG in cross-linking was further confirmed by injecting or hair coating of GGsTop, a TG inhibitor.ConclusionsBoth LNSP1 and LNSP2 are essential for maintaining egg viability besides their function as glue. The TG-mediated cross-linking plays critical roles in water preservation that are essential for ensuring normal embryogenesis. TG-mediated cross-linking mechanism can be employed as a therapeutic target to control human louse eggs, and any topically applied TG inhibitors can be exploited as potential ovicidal agents.Graphical abstract
Flexible soft-output decoding of polar codes
Authors: Lee Sunghoon , Park Jooyoun , Kim Il-Min , Heo Jun 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn this research, we study soft-output decoding of polar codes. Two representative soft-output decoding algorithms are belief propagation (BP) and soft cancellation (SCAN). The BP algorithm has low latency but suffers from high computational complexity. On the other hand, the SCAN algorithm, which is proposed for reduced complexity of soft-output decoding, achieves good decoding performance but suffers from long latency. These two algorithms are suitable only for two extreme cases that need very low latency (but with high complexity) or very low complexity (but with high latency). However, many practical systems may need to work for the moderate cases (i.e., not too high latency and not too high complexity) rather than two extremes. To adapt to the various needs of the systems, we propose a very flexible soft-output decoding framework of polar codes. Depending on which system requirement is most crucial, the proposed scheme can adapt to the systems by controlling the level of parallelism. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively adapt to various system requirements by changing the level of parallelism.
Convergence of proximal splitting algorithms in $\operatorname{CAT}(\kappa)$ spaces and beyond
Authors: Lauster Florian , Luke D. Russell 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn the setting of$\operatorname{CAT}(\kappa)$CAT(κ)spaces, common fixed point iterations built from prox mappings (e.g. prox-prox, Krasnoselsky–Mann relaxations, nonlinear projected-gradients) converge locally linearly under the assumption of linear metric subregularity. Linear metric subregularity is in any case necessary for linearly convergent fixed point sequences, so the result is tight. To show this, we develop a theory of fixed point mappings that violate the usual assumptions of nonexpansiveness and firm nonexpansiveness inp-uniformly convex spaces.
Regulatory compliance among over-the-counter medicine sellers facilities within the Upper East Region of Ghana
Authors: Frempong Benjamin Kwarteng , Amalba Anthony , Donkor Nina , Akuffo Kwadwo Owusu 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Easy access to medicines provided by private medicine retailing facilities including that of over-the-counter medicine retailers, have gained prominence in sub-Saharan Africa. Although over-the-counter medicine-sellers (OTCMS) facilities play an indispensable role in healthcare delivery, there is inadequate information about their regulatory environment and whether their operations conform to regulatory provisions. Hence, this study sought to investigate the characteristics and predictors of regulatory practices among over-the-counter medicine sellers in Ghana.

Methods
This was a cross-sectional study involving participants from 208 OTCMS facilities in eight (8) municipalities and districts (MDA’s) of the Upper East Region of Ghana. An initial census of facilities in the region was conducted between May and August 2016 and a follow-up conducted between December 2016 and March 2017. This ensured the identification and location of all OTCMS facilities within the selected MDA’s for study planning and data collection. The main outcome variable was regulatory compliance which is a composite of three indicators for regulatory practices (retention of medicine supplier’s invoices and receipts on-premises), licensing and registration requirements (appropriate signage), and equipment and material requirements (availability of reference material). Regulatory compliance was assessed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results
In this survey, 21.5%, 38.2%, and 23.1% of the facilities surveyed had a good state of repair, had the owner of the facility available on the premises, and had received regulatory visit(s) in less than 12 months, respectively. Only 29.2% of facilities were regulatory compliant. After statistical adjustment, OTCMS facility location (compared with Rural: Urban, AOR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.74–10.17, p = 0.001) and staff trained in less than 1 year (AOR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.02–7.62, p = 0.046) were significantly associated with regulatory compliance.

Conclusions
Regulatory compliance was low in the Upper East Region of Ghana, particularly across rural locations, where most of the facilities failed to meet the laid down provisions of the Pharmacy Council regarding practice, staff and premises requirements. This could be attributed to the fact that these areas are poorly resourced. Policymakers are been called on to put in place pragmatic measures in relation to OTCMS facility’s location and regulatory requirements to address the inequities in compliance.
Forensic examination of effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics
Authors: Saini Komal , Sharma Bhavya , Kaur Manpreet 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis is known to produce deformity of the joints and muscles which can affect the handwriting of an individual significantly. Examination of such handwriting specimens can become a challenging task for the document examiners. This can affect the accuracy of their opinions upon the related cases. Thus, the present study was conducted to determine the effects of rheumatoid arthritis on handwriting characteristics qualitatively and statistically. The study also included qualitative analysis and comparison of line quality defects of copied writings and writings affected by rheumatoid arthritis.

Results
Handwriting characteristics were analyzed qualitatively and statistically in old writings vs affected writings. All these handwriting characteristics were also analyzed qualitatively in copied writings vs affected writings. The results of the study showed significant deteriorating effects of rheumatoid arthritis on almost all handwriting characteristics, except for characteristics such as slant, retouching, and overwriting. The pictorial appearance of letters in the writings executed before and after the onset of illness was even observed to appear different altogether in case of some individuals with severely affected writings. Moreover, the analysis of copied writings indicated the execution of writing by a different person. Handwriting characteristics such as slant, spacing, and alignment were observed to show insignificance in analyzing differences between copied and genuine writings affected by the illness.

Conclusion
It has been concluded that rheumatoid arthritis causes deterioration of letters, tremor, disturbed rhythm, and a huge variation in other handwriting characteristics. The copied writings have also presented line quality defects like artificial tremor, hesitations, retouching, and unnatural pen lifts at all wrong places. The determination of these peculiarities may assist the document examiners in the differentiation of copied and affected writings.
Psychological well-being and burnout amongst medical students in India: a report from a nationally accessible survey
Authors: Philip Sharad , Molodynski Andrew , Barklie Lauren , Bhugra Dinesh , Chaturvedi Santosh K. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundMedical students in India face multiple challenges and sources of stress during their training. No nationally representative survey has yet been undertaken. We undertook a cross-sectional national survey to assess substance use, psychological well-being, and burnout using CAGE, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), and the short General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The survey was open to all medical students in India. Descriptive statistics along with chi square tests and Spearman’s correlation were performed.ResultsBurnout was reported by 86% of respondents for disengagement and 80% for exhaustion. Seventy percent had a score of more than 2 on the GHQ-12, indicating caseness.ConclusionsThis study reveals that medical students are going through exceptional stress when compared to their age-matched peers. More nationally representative studies must be conducted on a large scale to quantify the problem and to help design new interventions.
Quantitative MDCT and MRI assessment of hepatic steatosis in genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C patients with fibrosis
Authors: Seifeldein Gehan S. , Hassan Elham A. , Imam Hala M. , Makboul Rania , Idriss Naglaa K. , Gaber Marwa A. , Elkady Reem M. 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Hepatic steatosis has been shown to worsen the course of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, and it may reduce the efficacy of antiviral therapy and accelerate disease progression. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate the role of multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the quantitative assessment and grading of hepatic steatosis to evaluate the association between hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in Egyptian genotype 4-CHC (G4-CHC) patients.

Results
Histopathological hepatic steatosis was found in 70.3% of 155 patients. No correlation was found between the CT ratio and pathological hepatic steatosis. Proton density fat fraction, T1-fat fraction, and fat percentage correlated with histological steatosis grading (r = 0.953, p < 0.001; r = 0.380, p = 0.027 and r = 0.384, p = 0.025, respectively). An agreement between steatosis grading by histology and 1H-MRS was found in 74.2% of patients. Compared to other MRI modalities, proton density fat fraction had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), with 0.910, 0.931, and 0.975 for mild, moderate, and severe steatosis, respectively. The cutoff with the best ability to predict steatosis was > 4.95 for a proton density fat fraction (AUC = 0.958) with 95.8% sensitivity, 90% specificity, 78.5% positive predictive value, and 96.1% negative predictive value.

Conclusion
1H-MRS had good diagnostic performance in predicting hepatic steatosis in G4-CHC patients, and hence, it may offer a useful noninvasive quantitative modality for grading steatosis with clinical applicability, especially in those where a liver biopsy cannot be done.
Offshore-onshore resistivity imaging of freshwater using a controlled-source electromagnetic method: A feasibility study
Authors: Ishizu Keiichi , Ogawa Yasuo 
Published: August 2021

Coastal freshwater provides a water source for more than one billion people living in coastal regions. For sustainable groundwater management in coastal areas, an understanding of freshwater distribution is necessary. Freshwater distribution in a coastal area can extend across the shoreline and into the offshore region. Offshore-onshore mapping of freshwater helps us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the freshwater distribution in coastal areas. Resistivity imaging using electromagnetic methods has been used to reveal the freshwater distribution in coastal areas because electrical resistivity in these settings is primarily controlled by porosity and porewater salinity. We have considered a controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) method for offshore-onshore resistivity imaging of freshwater at a depth range of 0–500 m below the seafloor. Our CSEM method is novel in considering an array of onshore-offshore electromagnetic receivers with onshore electric dipole transmitters. We have conducted a feasibility study to investigate the ability of the CSEM method for offshore-onshore resistivity imaging of freshwater in a coastal area. The test results indicate that the method could image the resistivity distribution of freshwater located at a depth of 500 m below the seafloor. Our model study also indicates that the offshore-onshore CSEM method can detect offshore aquifers up to 5 km from the shoreline. These numerical test results imply that our CSEM method is a promising technique for offshore-onshore resistivity imaging of freshwater in coastal areas.
Can fluid-substitution models continue to ignore the complex physicochemical properties of crude oil?
Authors: Khodja Mohamed R. , Nizamuddin Syed , Ali Abdulwahab , Kandil Mohamed E. , El-Husseiny Ammar , Nazal Mazen K. , Babalola Lamidi O. , Solling Theis 
Published: August 2021

The mechanical nature of fluid-substitution models has always been recognized as a major cause of their limited predictive power. For instance, saturants are typically treated as simple fluids characterized only by their densities, viscosities, and moduli of elasticity; their chemistry is just ignored, even when that fluid is crude oil. However, crude oil is a complex mixture of several thousand organic compounds characterized by a variety of molecular weights, polarities, and polarizabilities, and the response of its rheological behavior to acoustic wave propagation is difficult to predict, especially when it resides in the pore space of rocks. We have performed ultrasonic-velocity measurements on carbonate core plugs saturated with a brine and with a light crude oil that are mechanically similar (i.e., having comparable densities, viscosities, and moduli of elasticity) and that show a significant and consistent excess of hardening when the saturant is oil. Dispersion and wettability are excluded as explanations for the data. We hypothesize that asphaltene aggregation and adsorption as well as paraffin-wax crystallization (and possibly volumetric expansion) combine to cause crude oil to exhibit a dilatant-like behavior within the pore space of carbonates at ultrasonic frequencies. In general, the observed effect would be similar to the hardening of ooblek at high deformation rates. This hypothesis could be tested in the future by an adequate combination of high-resolution imaging and microfluidic setups. This and similar studies would be beneficial in developing physical fluid-substitution models with a more consistent predictive power.
Digital Literacy at an Urban Cancer Center: Implications for Technology Use and Vulnerable Patients
Authors: Leader Amy E. , Capparella Lisa M. , Waldman Lauren B. , Cammy Rebecca B. , Petok Alison R. , Dean Rebecca , Shimada Ayako , Yocavitch Liana , Rising Kristin L. , Garber Gregory D. , Worster Brooke , Dicker Adam P. 
Published: August 2021

PURPOSE eHealth literacy, or the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources, has become increasingly relevant in the era of COVID-19, when so many aspects of patient care became dependent on technology. We aimed to understand eHealth literacy among a diverse sample of patients with cancer and discuss ways for health systems and cancer centers to ensure that all patients have access to high-quality care. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of patients with cancer and caregivers was conducted at an NCI-designated cancer center to assess access to the Internet, smartphone ownership, use of mobile apps, willingness to engage remotely with the health care team, and use of the patient portal. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to assess frequencies and significant differences between variables. RESULTS Of 363 participants, 55% (n = 201) were female, 71% (n = 241) identified as non-Hispanic White, and 29% (n = 85) reported that their highest level of education was a high school diploma. Most (90%, n = 323) reported having access to the Internet and most (82%, n = 283) reported owning a smartphone. Younger patients or those with a college degree were significantly more likely to own a smartphone, access health information online, know how to download an app on their own, have an interest in communicating with their health care team remotely, or have an account on the electronic patient portal. CONCLUSION As cancer centers increasingly engage patients through electronic and mobile applications, patients with low or limited digital literacy may be excluded, exacerbating current cancer health disparities. Patient-, provider- and system-level technology barriers must be understood and mitigated.
Intrinsic positional memory guides target-specific axon regeneration in the zebrafish vagus nerve
Authors: Isabella Adam J. , Stonick Jason A. , Dubrulle Julien , Moens Cecilia B. 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACT
Regeneration after peripheral nerve damage requires that axons re-grow to the correct target tissues in a process called target-specific regeneration. Although much is known about the mechanisms that promote axon re-growth, re-growing axons often fail to reach the correct targets, resulting in impaired nerve function. We know very little about how axons achieve target-specific regeneration, particularly in branched nerves that require distinct targeting decisions at branch points. The zebrafish vagus motor nerve is a branched nerve with a well-defined topographic organization. Here, we track regeneration of individual vagus axons after whole-nerve laser severing and find a robust capacity for target-specific, functional re-growth. We then develop a new single-cell chimera injury model for precise manipulation of axon-environment interactions and find that (1) the guidance mechanism used during regeneration is distinct from the nerve's developmental guidance mechanism, (2) target selection is specified by neurons' intrinsic memory of their position within the brain, and (3) targeting to a branch requires its pre-existing innervation. This work establishes the zebrafish vagus nerve as a tractable regeneration model and reveals the mechanistic basis of target-specific regeneration.
Stromal androgen and hedgehog signaling regulates stem cell niches in pubertal prostate development
Authors: Olson Adam W. , Le Vien , Wang Jinhui , Hiroto Alex , Kim Won Kyung , Lee Dong-Hoon , Aldahl Joseph , Wu Xiwei , Kim Minhyung , Cunha Gerald R. , You Sungyong , Sun Zijie 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACT
Stromal androgen-receptor (AR) action is essential for prostate development, morphogenesis and regeneration. However, mechanisms underlying how stromal AR maintains the cell niche in support of pubertal prostatic epithelial growth are unknown. Here, using advanced mouse genetic tools, we demonstrate that selective deletion of stromal AR expression in prepubescent Shh-responsive Gli1-expressing cells significantly impedes pubertal prostate epithelial growth and development. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses showed that AR loss in these prepubescent Gli1-expressing cells dysregulates androgen signaling-initiated stromal-epithelial paracrine interactions, leading to growth retardation of pubertal prostate epithelia and significant development defects. Specifically, AR loss elevates Shh-signaling activation in both prostatic stromal and adjacent epithelial cells, directly inhibiting prostatic epithelial growth. Single-cell trajectory analyses further identified aberrant differentiation fates of prostatic epithelial cells directly altered by stromal AR deletion. In vivo recombination of AR-deficient stromal Gli1-lineage cells with wild-type prostatic epithelial cells failed to develop normal prostatic epithelia. These data demonstrate previously unidentified mechanisms underlying how stromal AR-signaling facilitates Shh-mediated cell niches in pubertal prostatic epithelial growth and development.