bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Capacity of Community Advisory Boards for Effective Engagement in Clinical Research; a Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Mugenyi Levicatus , Mijumbi Andrew , Nanfuka Mastula , Agaba Collins , Kaliba Fedress , Semakula Irene Seryazi , Nazziwa Winfred Badanga , Ochieng Joseph 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Community engagement is a key component in health research. One of the ways health researchers ensure community engagement is through Community Advisory Boards (CABs). The capacity of CABs to properly perform their role in clinical research has not been well described in many resource limited settings. In this study, we assessed the capacity of CABs for effective community engagement in Uganda.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study with mixed methods. We used structured questionnaires and key informant interviews (KII) to collect data from CAB members, trial investigators, and community liaison officers. For quantitative data, we used descriptive statistics while for qualitative data we used content analysis. Results: Seventy three CAB members were interviewed using structured questionnaires; 58.9% males, median age 49 years (IQR: 24-70), 71.2% had attained tertiary education, 42.5% never attended any research ethics training, only 26% had a training in human subject protection, 30.1% had training in health research, 50.7% never attended any training about the role of CABs, and 72.6% had no guidelines for their operation. On the qualitative aspect, 24 KIIs cited CAB members to have some skills and ability to understand and review study documents, offer guidance on community norms and expectations and give valuable feedback to the investigators. However, challenges like limited resources, lack of independence and guidelines, and knowledge gaps about research ethics were cited as hindrances of CABs capacity.Conclusion: Though CABs have some capacity to perform their role in the Ugandan setting, their functionality is limited by lack of resources to facilitate their work, independence, guidelines for their operations and limited knowledge.
Predictors of Peri-Ophthalmic Aneurysm Incomplete Occlusion and Visual Symptoms After Treatment with a Pipeline Embolization Device: A Multi-Center Cohort Study
Authors: XU CHAO , WU PEI , SUN BOWEN , XU SHANCAI , LUO BIN , YANG XINJIAN , SHI HUAIZHANG 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Objective: Peri-ophthalmic aneurysm is a special type of aneurysm. We assessed the relationship between ophthalmic artery (OA) origin and aneurysm and examined the effect of a pipeline embolization device (PED, Covidien/Medtronic) with or without coils on aneurysm occlusion rate and visual outcomes.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 194 peri-ophthalmic aneurysms in 189 patients among 1,171 patients treated with a PED in a Chinese post-market multi-center registry study from November 2014 to October 2019. Peri-ophthalmic aneurysms were defined as carotid–ophthalmic segment aneurysms arising from the internal carotid artery dorsal wall at, or distal to, the OA origin, with a superior or superomedial projection. The relationship between OA origin and the aneurysm was classified as follows: Type A, OA originating separate from the aneurysm; Type B, OA originating from the aneurysm neck or dome. Patients with aneurysm were divided into the PED-only group and the PED + coils group according to treatment. Results: The median follow-up time was 6.8 months (range, 5.3–20.2 months). There were 163 occluded aneurysms (84%) and 31 aneurysms with incomplete occlusion (16%). A multivariate analysis showed that Type B aneurysm was a risk factor for incomplete occlusion in the PED-only group (odds ratio [OR] 4.951, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.904-12.875, p = 0.001). Visual symptoms at final follow up correlated with preoperative visual symptoms (OR 16.005, 95% CI 2.505-102.273, p = 0.003).Conclusions: Type B aneurysm is associated with a lower occlusion rate after PED-only treatment. Patients with preoperative visual symptoms should be treated promptly to avoid permanent visual symptoms.
Patients’ Perspectives of Telemedicine Appointments for Psoriatic Arthritis During The COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a Patient-Driven Pilot Survey
Authors: Jethwa Hannah , Brooke Melanie , Parkinson Andrew , Dures Emma , Gullick Nicola J 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
BackgroundOver recent years the lack of patient involvement in the design, set-up and implementation of clinical research studies has been well recognised; as such there has been a drive within research communities to increase patient participation. Anecdotally, patient perspectives on telemedicine differ widely, with variation in whether patients feel remote consultations are beneficial. By means of a patient-driven survey, we aimed to formally evaluate patient perspectives on its benefits and pitfalls, focusing on patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).MethodsAn e-survey was developed by two patient representatives on the BritPACT steering committee, with a view to determining unmet needs and the perceived impact on clinical care of virtual consultations amongst patients with PsA. Results128 patients responded to the e-survey. 109 patients rated the effectiveness of their telemedicine appointment and, of these, 18% felt their virtual consultation was very/extremely effective compared to a face-to-face consultation and 49% felt it was somewhat/equally as effective; furthermore, 48% (51/107) felt that such virtual consultations would be of benefit to them after the pandemic. 36% of respondents felt their virtual consultation was not as effective as a face-to-face review. Themes identified from open-ended questions included the lack of visual cues, lack of physical examination and effect on rapport and ease of open communication as the main pitfalls of virtual consultations. Patients with well-controlled symptoms appeared more satisfied with remote reviews compared to those with active disease, though on the whole respondents recognised the benefits, such as saving travel time and costs. Those who had an established relationship with their health professional appeared less concerned regarding virtual consultations though a recurring view was that newly diagnosed patients should have face-to-face appointments to build rapport and improve symptom control at an early stage.ConclusionsOverall patients’ perspectives on virtual consultations varied widely though patients with well-controlled symptoms and those who had a previously established relationship with their healthcare professionals and well-controlled disease appeared more satisfied with remote reviews. Patient-driven surveys may improve our true understanding of patients’ perspectives by improving engagement and honesty compared to surveys constructed by healthcare providers.
CD8 T cells and antibodies drive SARS-CoV-2 evolution in chronic infection
Authors: Khatamzas Elham , Muenchhoff Maximilian , Rehn Alexandra , Graf Alexander , Hellmuth Johannes , Hollaus Alexandra , Mohr Anne-Wiebe , Gaitzsch Erik , Weiglein Tobias , Georgi Enrico , Scherer Clemens , Stecher Stephanie-Susanne , Gruetzner Stephanie , Blum Helmut , Krebs Stefan , Reischer Anna , Leutbecher Alexandra , Subklewe Marion , Dick Andrea , Zange Sabine , Girl Philipp , Mueller Katharina , Weigert Oliver , Hopfner Karl-Peter , Stemmler Hans-Joachim , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael , Keppler Oliver , Wölfel Roman , Moosmann Andreas , Antwerpen Markus 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
​​Since its recent zoonotic spill-over severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is constantly adapting to the human host as illustrated by the emergence of variants of concern with increased transmissibility and immune evasion. Prolonged replication in immunosuppressed individuals and evasion from spike-specific antibodies is known to drive intra-host SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Here we show for the first time the major role of CD8 T cells in SARS-CoV-2 evolution. In a patient with chronic, ultimately fatal infection, we observed three spike mutations that prevented neutralisation by convalescent plasma therapy. Moreover, at least four mutations in non-spike proteins emerged that hampered CD8 T-cell recognition of mutant epitopes, two of these occurred before spike mutations. A comparison with worldwide sequencing data showed that several of these T-cell escape mutations had emerged independently as homoplasies in multiple circulating lineages. We propose that human leukocyte antigen class I contributes to shaping the evolutionary landscape of SARS-CoV-2.
Integrating Pathway Knowledge with Deep Neural Networks to Reduce the Dimensionality in Single-Cell RNA-Seq Data
Authors: Gundogdu Pelin , Loucera Carlos , Alamo-Alvarez Inmaculada , Dopazo Joaquin , Nepomuceno Isabel 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
BackgroundSingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data provides valuable insights into cellular heterogeneity which is significantly improving the current knowledge on biology and human disease. One of the main applications of scRNA-seq data analysis is the identification of new cell types and cell states. Deep neural networks (DNNs) are among the best methods to address this problem. However, this performance comes with the trade-off for a lack of interpretability in the results. In this work we propose an intelligible pathway-driven neural network to correctly solve cell-type related problems at single-cell resolution while providing a biologically meaningful representation of the data.ResultsIn this study, we explored the deep neural networks constrained by several types of prior biological information, e.g. signaling pathway information, as a way to reduce the dimensionality of the scRNA-seq data. We have tested the proposed biologically-based architectures on thousands of cells of human and mouse origin across a collection of public datasets in order to check the performance of the model. Specifically, we tested the architecture across different validation scenarios that try to mimic how unknown cell types are clustered by the DNN and how it correctly annotates cell types by querying a database in a retrieval problem. Moreover, our approach demonstrated to be comparable to other less interpretable DNN approaches constrained by using protein-protein interactions gene regulation data. Finally, we show how the latent structure learned by the network could be used to visualize and to interpret the composition of human single cell datasets.ConclusionsHere we demonstrate how the integration of pathways, which convey fundamental information on functional relationships between genes, with DNNs, that provide an excellent classification framework, results in an excellent alternative to learn a biologically meaningful representation of scRNA-seq data. In addition, the introduction of prior biological knowledge in the DNN reduces the size of the network architecture. Comparative results demonstrate a superior performance of this approach with respect to other similar approaches. As an additional advantage, the use of pathways within the DNN structure enables easy interpretability of the results by connecting features to cell functionalities by means of the pathway nodes, as demonstrated with an example with human melanoma tumor cells.
Analysis of Industry Convergence Based on Improved Neural Network
Authors: Ma Nan 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Economic growth in the information age is no longer a stage driven by unipolarity. It has entered a multi-polar driving stage characterized by integration, fusion, and integrated development on a larger scale between regions, and the trend of group competition with urban agglomerations as carriers has become increasingly obvious. This paper improves the neural network algorithm based on the needs of industrial economic integration in the digital age, and proposes an industry convergence analysis model based on the improved neural network algorithm. Moreover, this article combines industry models to analyze actual needs and constructs an industry convergence analysis model based on improved neural networks, and analyzes the integration of different industries. In addition, this article conducts experiments through multiple sets of data, and combines the neural network model of this article to conduct research. Through experimental research, we know that the model constructed in this paper can play an important role in the analysis of industry convergence.
Knowledge and attitude towards anesthesia for cesarean section and its associated factors among pregnant women attending Antenatal care
Authors: Endalew Mekides , Endalew Nigussie , Agegnehu Abatneh , Mekonnen Zemenay , Teshome Destaw 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Cesarean section is an effective technique for preventing maternal and perinatal mortality when performed properly. Evidence suggested that pregnant women who have had good knowledge about their condition are able to participate in shared decision-making and can alleviate fears related to anesthesia. However, only a few studies conducted in Ethiopia assess the level of knowledge and attitude of pregnant women towards anesthesia for cesarean section.Methods: Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 18 to June 25, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select a total of 362 pregnant women attending antenatal care. Pretested and structured questionnaires were used to collect the data using a face-to-face interview. Both bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. The adjusted odds ratio was used as the measure of association. P-value less than 0.05 at 95% CI was considered as statistically significant.Results: A total of 354 pregnant women attending at ANC clinic participated with a response rate of 97.8%. The overall proportion of good knowledge and positive attitude towards anesthesia for cesarean section were 56.5% (95% CI: 51.4%, 61.9%) and 50.8% (95% CI: 45.8%, 56.2%), respectively. Pregnant women who had previous operations (AOR=4.47, 95% CI: 1.77, 11.32) and had any health information about anesthesia (AOR=10.06, 95% CI: 5.41, 18.69) were significantly associated with good knowledge towards anesthesia for cesarean section. While, pregnant women who have had secondary education (AOR=6.71, 95% CI: 1.19, 37.99), college and above education (AOR=13.63, 95% CI: 2.26, 82.21), and had health information about anesthesia (AOR=2.02, 95% CI: 1.09, 3.77) significantly associated with a positive attitude towards anesthesia for CS.Conclusion: This finding means that a significant number of pregnant women still have poor knowledge and attitude towards anesthesia for CS. Previous operation and health information about anesthesia were significantly associated with knowledge while higher education and health information about anesthesia were significantly associated with a positive attitude towards anesthesia for cesarean section. Health professionals need to provide health information during ANC visits and in the operating theater areas for mothers who have indications for CS.
A Theoretical Study of Broadband Extraordinary Optical Transmission in Gold Plasmonic Square Nanohole Arrays and its Application on Refractive Index Sensor
Authors: Shafiq Rehan , Iqbal Javed , Khan Adnan Daud , Rehman Anees Ur 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) behaviour is investigated in a subwavelength plasmonic nanostructure, consisting of a gold film perforated with a square nanohole array and deposited on a silicon dioxide substrate. The essential aspect of the proposed structure is the periodic disorder that enables broadband transmission peaks in the visible and near-infrared region and reduces the structure's size, which mainly arises from the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). Optical cavity modes formed in the nanoholes and the hybridization of plasmon modes. Further, the performance of the proposed nanostructure as a plasmonic sensor is analyzed by increasing the index of refraction of the local environment; the EOT exhibit remarkable refractive index sensitivity of up to 944 nm/RIU, a figure of merit of 9.25 and a contrast ratio of 47% are realized. The proposed structure has some practical significance for designing low-cost and effective sensing devices.
A Method for Quantitatively Separating the Piezoelectric Component from the as-received "Piezoelectric" Signal
Authors: Chen Chaojie , Zhao Shilong , Pan Caofeng , Zi Yunlong , Wang Fangcheng , Yang Cheng , Wang Zhong Lin 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Polymer-based piezoelectric devices are promising for developing future wearable force sensors, nanogenerators, and implantable electronics etc. The electric signals generated by them are often assumed as solely coming from piezoelectric effect. However, triboelectric signals originated from contact electrification between the piezoelectric devices and the contacted objects can produce non-negligible interfacial electron transfer, which is often combined with the piezoelectric signal to give a triboelectric-piezoelectric hybrid output, leading to an exaggerated measured “piezoelectric” signal. Herein, a simple and effective method is proposed for quantitatively identifying and extracting the piezoelectric charge from the hybrid signal. The triboelectric and piezoelectric parts in the hybrid signal generated by a poly(vinylidene fluoride)-based device are clearly differentiated, and their force and charge characteristics in the time domain are identified. This work presents an effective method to elucidate the true piezoelectric performance in practical measurement, which is crucial for evaluating piezoelectric materials fairly and correctly.
Predicting the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer with a Scoring System Based on Novel Biomarkers
Authors: Jethwani Durvesh Lachman , Sivamoorthy Lameena Lalitha , Toh Charng Chee , Malek Rohan 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Objective: To predict prostate cancer using novel biomarker ratios and create a predictive scoring system.Materials and Methods: Data of a total of 703 patients who consulted Urology Department of Selayang Hospital between January 2013 and December 2017 and underwent prostate biopsy were screened retrospectively. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, prostate volumes (PV), neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Prostate specific antigen density (PSAD)and histopathology were evaluated. Results: Ages ranged from43-89 years, divided into 2 groups as per biopsy results; positive for prostate cancer (n=290, 41.3%) and negative for malignancy (n=413; 58.7%). Intergroup comparative evaluations were performed. Independent variables with p<0.001 in the univariate analysis were age, DRE, PV, NLR, PSAD.A scoring system was modelled using NLR <0.9, PSAD >0.4, Age >70 and DRE. A score of 2 or more predicted prostate cancer with a Sensitivity of 83.8% and Specificityof 86.4%Conclusions: NLR is shown to be good predictor for prostate cancer its usage in this scoring system affords more disease specificity as compared to PSA alone.
Genetic and Functional Characterization of ANGPTL7 as a Therapeutic Target for Glaucoma
Authors: Praveen Kavita , Patel Gaurang , Gurski Lauren , Ayer Ariane , Persaud Trikaladarshi , Still Matthew , Miloscio Lawrence , Zyl Tavé Van , Gioia Silvio Alessandro Di , Brumpton Ben Michael , Krebs Kristi , Asvold Bjorn Olav , Chen Esteban , Chavali Venkata , Fury Wen , Gudiseva Venkata , Hyde Sarah , Jorgenson Eric , Lefebvre Stefanie , Li Dadong , Li Alexander , McIninch James , Patel Brijeshkumar , Rabinowitz Jeremey , Salowe Rebecca , Schurmann Claudia , Seidelin Anne-Sofie , Stahl Eli , Sun Dylan , Teslovich Tanya , Tybjærg-Hansen Anne , Willer Cristen , Waldron Scott , Walley Sabrina , Yang Hua , Zaveri Sarthak , Hu Ying , Hveem Kristian , Melander Olle , Milani Lili , Stender Stefan , O'Brien Joan , Jones Marcus , Abecasis Goncalo , Cantor Michael , Weyne Jonathan , Karalis Katia , Economides Aris , Gatta Giusy Della , Ferreira Manuel , Yancopoulos George , Baras Aris , Romano Carmelo , Coppola Giovanni 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Current glaucoma medications work by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP), a risk factor for glaucoma, but most treatments do not directly target the pathological changes leading to increased IOP, which can manifest as medication resistance as disease progresses. To identify physiological modulators of IOP, we performed genome- and exome-wide association analysis in >129,000 individuals with IOP measurements and extended these findings to an analysis of glaucoma risk. We report the identification and functional characterization of rare coding variants (including loss-of-function variants) in ANGPTL7 associated with reduction in IOP and glaucoma protection. We validated the human genetics findings in mice by establishing that Angptl7 knockout mice have lower (~2 mmHg) basal IOP compared to wild-type, with a trend towards lower IOP also in heterozygotes. Conversely, increasing mAngptl7 levels via injection into mouse eyes increases the IOP. We also show that acute gene silencing via siRNA knockdown of Angptl7 in adult mice lowers the IOP (~2-4 mmHg), reproducing the observations in knockout mice. Collectively, our data suggest that ANGPTL7 is important for IOP homeostasis and is amenable to therapeutic modulation to help maintain a healthy IOP that can prevent onset or slow the progression of glaucoma.
Analysis of the Energy Justice in Natural Gas Distribution with Geographically Weighted Regression
Authors: Kurkcuoglu Muzeyyen Anil Senyel 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Households are expected to have access to variety of modern, convenient and efficient urban energy alternatives, while limited or no access to urban energy services results in energy injustice. The amount of natural gas investments is affected from the socio-economic and physical characteristics of the communities. Natural gas distribution has been carried out for more than 15 years in Izmir, but still not all neighborhoods have access to the network in the city, which points to the presence of energy injustice. Revealing the local factors contributing to the injustice is key for decision makers to develop effective energy policies in emerging economies, such as Turkey. Results: Both GWR and OLS are employed to find out the variables affecting the amount of natural gas investments, while GWR provides improved results than OLS. Population, employment, income, and physical and legal status of the neighborhoods affect the amount of total investments at the neighborhood level. Higher population, higher average income, and higher employment lead to more investments. Disadvantaged areas, on the other hand, have negative impact on the amount of investments. GWR accounts for the location specific variations while mapping the spatial distribution of the factor coefficients shows the prominence of factors in investments throughout the study area visually. Conclusions: Energy injustice is observed at some level, unless variety of energy choices are available for the society. Energy injustice appears to be two-fold, since it is related to demand and supply sides, and specific policies are needed addressing to both. Population and employment are the factors related to the number of potential customers, accordingly leading to higher investments. Income, on the other hand, depends on the purchasing power of the customers, and there are economic barriers that need to be regulated for the low-income households to switch to natural gas. Disadvantaged areas in terms of their legal and physical attributes, either declared as urban transformation areas or currently under urban transformation, lack the natural gas service provision in general. However, natural gas can be invested in those areas when the transformation is completed in accordance with the new development plans.