bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Combined Effects of Regular Classroom and Remedial Learning Programs on the Reading Achievement of First Grade Pupils
Authors: Steve Bissonnette , Boyer Christian , Morneau-Guérin Frédéric 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
In 2003, two school-based programs for teaching reading in English were introduced in Québec: the Accelerated Development of Reading (ADOR) program for first graders and, for ADOR pupils with weak reading skills, the Intensive Intervention in Reading (IIR) support program. Explicit and direct instruction provides the framework for ADOR and IIR. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted to measure the effects of the ADOR and IIR programs compared to regular reading instruction and remediation. In both studies, the combined effects of ADOR and IIR were measured on two separate cohorts of grade 1 pupils over a full school year. This study shows that the ADOR and IIR programs result in superior reading performance and the largest effects were on subtests measuring reading comprehension.
Comparison of 18F-DOPA and 18F-DTBZ for PET/CT Imaging of Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Shi Xinchong , Yang Yang , Jiang LuLu , Chen Jinhua , Yi Chang , Luo Ganhua , Wu Lei , Chu Jianmin , Wang Jian , Zhang Xiangsong , Chen Ling 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Objective: To compare the two imaging tracers 18F-DOPA and 18F-DTBZ for PET/CT imaging in idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Methods: 32 patients with final diagnosis of idiopathic PD and 12 healthy controls were recruited in our study. The clinical symptoms of PD patients were evaluated by using the UPDRS-III and modified H-Y stage. All subjects underwent both 18F-DOPA and 18F-DTBZ PET/CT, and the results were interpreted by visual analysis and semi-quantitative analysis. Semi-quantitative analysis was performed to calculate the specific uptake ratios (SURs) in the subregions of striatum with the occipital cortex as reference area. A one-way ANOVA test was used to compare the clinical data and the SURs among the patients at different stages. Regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between the SURs and the clinical data. A kappa test was used to evaluate the consistency of the visual inspection results. Results: Among the PD patients, there were 7 patients in H-Y stage I, 14 patients in stage II, and 11 patients in stage III. No statistical difference in age or gender was found among the three groups (p >0.05). The semi-quantitative analysis of 18F-DOPA and 18F-DTBZ PET images showed that PD patients in different stages had significantly lower SURs in the striatum than the healthy controls (p <0.05), and the SURs generally decreased with the progression of PD staging (p<0.05). An exponential correlation was found between the SURs of each tracer in the putamen with the UPDR-III score (p <0.05), and a linear correlation was found in striatum SURs between two tracers (p<0.05). By visual analysis, 18F-DOPA detected 29 cases with bilateral uptake decrease and the other 3 stage I cases with unilateral uptake decrease, while 18F-DTBZ detected 26 cases with bilateral uptake decrease and 6 cases with unilateral uptake decrease. The overall consistency of visual analysis between these two tracers was 90.63% (Kappa=0.62, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Both 18F-DTBZ and 18F-DOPA are reliable imaging tracers for PET/CT imaging in PD patients with good consistency, and they have the same level of striatal SURs decline percent for PD patients in early stages.
Evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination websites using DISCERN and Quality Evaluation Scoring (QUEST) Tools
Authors: Prabhune Akash Gajanan , Mallawaram Aishwarya , Bhat Sachin S , Pandey Samridhi , Reddy Ashitha , H Vinay Sri 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background: The objective of this paper was to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine registration website across UN-recognized member states for their portal quality, reliability, Ease Use and help to the general population in informed decision making.Methods: 12 UN member states (Countries) were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria mentioned in the methodology section of this paper. PPS technique was used for sampling and selection of 12 countries from 193 UN member states. Post selection of UN member states the study used 2 step evaluation techniques, Step 1 The DISCERN checklist consists of 16 questions in three sections and is aimed to assess the reliability of information and quality of information; Step 2 The QUEST tool consists of 6 items with a subitem, Authorship, Attribution, Conflict of Interest, Complementarity, Currency, Tone. The authors developed a standard set of instructions for evaluating Vaccination Portals to bring uniformity in understanding and context setting.Results: DISCERN tool overall reliability score on the Likert scale of 0 to 5 was 4 (SD ± 1.28). On Quality of information regarding treatment choices, the average score was 3.4 (SD ± 1.67). The QUEST tool on ease of use, concision, and comprehensiveness demonstrated an average score of 18.1 (SD ± 8.3) out of 28.The vaccine registration portal of the Czech Republic was found to be most informative and was able to provide a piece of scientifically valid information on safety, efficacy, long-term short effects, choice of vaccine with attributable authors details. India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa scored relatively low to missing critical information on the website. The United Arab Emirates, Republic of South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, and Argentina had minor elements missing.Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination portals vary in the quality of information, and many were found unable to provide critical information for decision making on getting vaccinated.
WITHDRAWN: Prognostic Impact of the Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection After Surgery: A 3-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Liu Peng , Zhang Feng , Wang Zibin , Zhang Miao , Niu Xupeng , Han Yaru 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Background
The aim of this study is to explore whether or to what extent the metabolic syndrome (METs) and its components was associated with poor outcome in acute type A aortic dissection patients (ATAAD) after surgery.
Methods
This study involved 353 ATAAD patients undergo surgery. Data on demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Subgroup analysis, mixed models regression analysis, score systems and receiver-operating characteristic curves (ROC) analysis were done.
Results
Overall, 353 inpatients were assigned to the poor outcome group (n = 69) and control group (n = 284) with or without METs. Compared to control group, the incidence of METs was higher in poor outcome group. Poor outcome were present in 0%, 4.4%, 12.3%, 47.6%, 71.4% and 100% of the six groups, who met the diagnostic criteria of MetS 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 times. For multivariable logistic regression, quartiles of BMI remained the risk factors of poor outcome after adjustment other risk factors. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, METs was an independent risk factors in several models. Assigning a score of one for each components, the AUC were 0.877 (95%CI: 0.823-0.923) in all patients, 0.864 (95%CI: 0.7945-0.935) in METs and 0.700 (95%CI: 0.567-0.833) in non-METs by Receiver-operating characteristic.
Conclusions
METs, especially for BMI, confers greater risk for poor outcome in ATAAD after surgery during 3-year follow up.
The Clinical Value of miRNA-21 in Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Investigation Based on Microarray Datasets
Authors: Deng zhimin , Zhou Chen-Liang , Dai Fang-Fang , Liu Shi-Yi , Yang Dong-Yong , Jia Yi-Fan , Cheng Yan-Xiang 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) is implicated in cervical cancer (CC). However, little is known regarding its associations with clinical parameters. We first conducted a meta-analysis using data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarrays and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, enrichment analysis and hub gene screening were performed by bioinformatics methods. Finally, the roles of the screened target genes in CC were explored. From the meta-analysis, more miR-21 was expressed in cancer tissues than in adjacent nontumor tissues (P < 0.05). In addition, 46 genes were predicted as potential targets of miR-21. After enrichment analyses, it was detected that these genes were enriched in various cancer pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol signaling system and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In this study, bioinformatics tools and meta-analysis validated that miR-21 may function as a highly sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of CC, which may provide a novel approach to the diagnosis and treatment of CC.
Mitigation of Total Body Irradiation-Induced Mortality and Hematopoietic Injury of Mice by a Thrombopoietin Mimetic (JNJ-26366821)
Authors: Kumar Vidya P. , Holmes-Hampton Gregory P. , Biswas Shukla , Stone Sasha , Sharma Neel Kamal , Hritzo Bernadette , Guilfoyle Mary , Eichenbaum Gary , Guha Chandan , Ghosh Sanchita P. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
The threat of a nuclear attack has increased in recent years highlighting the benefit of developing additional therapies for the treatment of victims suffering from Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). In this work, we evaluated the impact of a PEGylated thrombopoietin mimetic peptide, JNJ-26366821, on the mortality and hematopoietic effects associated with ARS in mice exposed to lethal doses of total body irradiation (TBI). JNJ-26366821 was efficacious as a mitigator of mortality and thrombocytopenia associated with ARS in both CD2F1 and C57BL/6 mice exposed to TBI from a cobalt-60 gamma-ray source. Single administration of doses ranging from 0.3 to 1 mg/kg, given 4, 8, 12 or 24 hours post-TBI (LD70 dose) increased survival by 30 – 90% as compared to saline control treatment. At the conclusion of the 30-day study, significant increases in bone marrow colony forming units and megakaryocytes were observed in animals administered JNJ-26366821 compared to those administered saline. In addition, enhanced recovery of FLT3-L levels was observed in JNJ-26366821-treated animals. Probit analysis of survival in the JNJ-26366821- and saline-treated cohorts revealed a dose reduction factor of 1.113 and significant increases in survival for up to 6 months following irradiation. These results support the potential use of JNJ-26366821 as a medical countermeasure for treatment of acute TBI exposure in case of a radiological/nuclear event when administered from 4 to 24 hours post-TBI.
Genome-wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Cucumber PP2C Genes Family
Authors: Zhang Guobin , Zhang Zeyu , Luo Shilei , Li Xia , Lyu Jian , Liu Zeci , Wan Zilong , Yu Jihua 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background: Type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2Cs) is a negative regulator of ABA signaling pathway, which play important roles in stress signal transduction in plants. However, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), as an important economic vegetable, has little research on its PP2C genes family. Results: This study conducted a genome-wide investigation of CsPP2C gene family. Through bioinformatics analysis, 56 CsPP2C genes were identified in cucumber. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the PP2C genes of cucumber and Arabidopsis were divided into 13 groups. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that CsPP2C genes in the same group had similar gene structure and conserved domains. Collinearity analysis showed that segmental duplication events played a key role in the expansion of cucumber PP2C genes family. In addition, the expression of CsPP2Cs under different abiotic treatments was analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that CsPP2C family genes showed different expression patterns under ABA, drought, salt and cold treatment, and a significantly responsive gene CsPP2Cs was obtained (CsPP2C3). By predicting the cis-elements in the promoter, we found that all CsPP2C members contained ABA response elements (ABRE) and drought response elements (MYC). Additionally, the expression patterns of CsPP2C genes were specific in different tissues. Conclusions: The results of this study provide a reference for the genome-wide identification of PP2C gene family in other species, and provide a basis for future studies on the function of PP2C gene in cucumber.
An Assessment of Implementation of Mass Drug Administration for Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Selected Southern Malawi Districts
Authors: Makaula Peter , Kayuni Sekeleghe Amos , Mamba Kondwani Chidzammbuyo , Bongololo Grace , Funsanani Mathias , Musaya Janelisa , Juziwelo Lazarus Tito , Furu Peter 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background

Mass drug administration (MDA) is one of the key interventions recommended by WHO for prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases. In Malawi, MDA is widely carried out annually since 2012 for prevention and control of schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths (STH). No study has been carried out to assess effectiveness of the approach and to document perceptions of health providers and beneficiaries regarding use of MDA. This study aimed to examine perceived strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, as well as health providers’ and beneficiaries’ perspectives of implementing the strategy in Malawi.
Methods

As a cross-sectional implementation research, the study was carried out in three southern Malawi districts of Chiradzulu, Mangochi and Zomba. In each district, four health centres and 16 villages were randomly selected to participate. A mixed-methods approach to data collection focusing on quantitative data for coverage and knowledge, attitudes and practices assessments; and qualitative data for assessing perceptions of health providers and beneficiaries regarding MDA was used. Quantitative data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 26 while qualitative data were analysed using NVivo 12 for Windows.
Results

Knowledge levels about schistosomiasis and STH in the districts varied according to disease aspects asked about. Majority are more knowledgeable about what schistosomiasis is (78%) and whether STH are treatable with drugs (97%); with least knowledgeable about the organism that transmits schistosomiasis (18%), types of schistosomiasis (11%) and what causes STH (20%). In 2018 and 2019 the districts registered high coverage rates for praziquantel and albendazole using community-based MDA (73%-100%) and using school-based MDA (75%-91%). Both the health authorities and community members perceived the MDA approach as good because it brings treatment closer to people.
Conclusion

With the high MDA coverage obtained in schools and communities, the implementation of MDA in the target districts is satisfactory. There are, however, several challenges including disproportionate knowledge levels, which are hampering progress towards attainment of the 2030 global NTD goals. There is a need for promotion of community participation and partnerships as well as implementation of other recommended interventions for sustainable prevention and control of schistosomiasis and STH.
The Influence of Long and Short Cycle Schemes of Self-Cycling Fermentation on the Growth of E. Coli and S. Cerevisiae
Authors: Tan Yusheng , Stein Lisa Y. , Sauvageau Dominic 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Self-cycling fermentation (SCF), a cyclic process in which cells divide once per cycle, has been shown to lead to improvements in productivity during bioconversion and, often, whole-culture synchronization. Previous studies have found that in some cases, the completion of synchronized cell replication occurred simultaneously with depletion of a limiting nutrient. However, exceptions were also observed when the end of cell doubling occurred before the exhaustion of the limiting nutrient. In order to better understand the underlying mechanisms and impacts of these growth patterns on bioprocessing, we investigated the growth of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in long- and short-cycle SCF strategies. Three characteristic events linked to SCF cycles were identified: (1) the completion of synchronized cell replication, (2) the depletion or a plateau of the limiting nutrient, and (3) characteristic points of control parameters (e.g., the minimum of dissolved oxygen and the maximum of carbon dioxide evolution rate). Three major trends stemming from this study and SCF literature were observed: (A) co-occurrence of the three key events in SCF cycles, (B) cycles for which cell replication ended prior to the co-occurrence of the other two events, and (C) cycles for which the time of depletion or a plateau of the limiting nutrient occurred later than the concurrence of the other two events. Based on these observations, a novel definition for SCF is proposed.
Hypertriglyceridemic-Waist Phenotype is Strongly Associated With Cardiovascular Risk Factor Clustering In Chinese adolescents
Authors: Cai Rongrong , Zhou Jinyu , Bai Lin , Dong Yangyang , Ding Wenqing 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
There is limited research on the relationship between the Hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTW) phenotype and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in adolescents, and its association with cardiovascular risk factor clustering (CVRFC) is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the association between HTW phenotype and CVRFs and CVRFC in adolescents. A total of 1478 adolescents aged 12-18 years were classified into normal triglyceride normal waist (NTNW, 66.4%), hypertriglyceridemia (HTG, 5.5%), enlarged waist (EW, 22.2%) and hypertriglyceridemia-waist (HTW, 5.8%) according to whether triglycerides (TG)≥1.47 mmol/L and waist circumference (WC) ≥90th percentile by gender and age. CVRFs in this study included elevated blood pressure(BP), impaired fasting glucose(IFG), high total cholesterol(TC), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C). After adjusting for gender and age, the HTW phenotype had a higher risk of Elevated BP, High TC, Low HDL-C and High LDL-C compared to the NTNW phenotype(the OR and 95% CI were 6.00 (3.79-9.52), 4.58 (2.68-7.83), 4.21 (2.44-7.26) and 6.15 (3.39-11.14), respectively). And the HTW phenotype increased the risk of CVRFC ≥ 2 and CVRFC ≥ 3 compared to the NTNW phenotype, the OR and 95% CI were 6.64 (4.08-10.80) and 11.74 (5.95-23.13), respectively. And similar results were obtained for both sexes when stratified by gender. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for TG combining WC in the prediction of the CVRFC ≥ 2 and CVRFC ≥ 3 were 0.690 (0.651-0.728) and 0.697 (0.659-0.734) in boys, and the AUC were 0.684 (0.647-0.722) and 0.695 (0.657-0.732) for girls(all P<0.01), which were higher than TG or WC alone. These results revealed that the HTW phenotype is closely associated with cardiovascular risk factors clustering, and TG combining WC performed better than TG or WC alone in detecting cardiovascular risk factor clustering in both genders.
Updated Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment of Pakistan
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Erdik Mustafa 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Pakistan is carried out to compute hazard in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration (SA) for 975 and 2475 years return periods. A composite earthquake catalogue consisting of 32,700 events has been compiled having a magnitude range of Mw 4.0-8.2 in this study and used in the analysis to make computations at a rectangular grid of 5 km in the OpenQuake plateform. Ground motion values have been obtained for flat rock reference seismic site conditions with shear wave velocity of 760 m/s. The epistemic uncertainties inherent in ground motion prediction equations and maximum magnitude potential of seismic sources are taken into account through logic tree. Ground motion prediction equations are assigned equal weights in the logic tree while different various weight are assigned to the maximum magnitude potential models. Results of the study are expressed as ground motion contour maps, mean uniform hazard spectra for important cities in Pakistan. PGA ranges from 0.16 to 0.54g for 10 % of probability of exceedance, 0.23 to 0.72g of probability of exceedance 0.32 to 1.02 g for 2 % of probability of exceedance in 50 years. Spectral acceleration at 0.2 s range from 0.67 to 2.19g for 2% chance of exceedance in 50 years, respectively. While spectral acceleration at 1.0 s values range from 0.09 to 0.52g 2% chance of exceedance in 50 years. Comparison of results of this study with other well regarded references of suggest that results of the study are rational and are reliable.
COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates and Vaccine Uptake
Authors: Karaivanov Alexander , Kim Dongwoo , Lu Shih En , Shigeoka Hitoshi 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
We evaluate the impact of government mandated proof of vaccination requirements for access to public venues and non-essential businesses on COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We find that the announcement of a mandate is associated with a rapid and significant surge in new vaccinations (more than 60% increase in weekly first doses) using the variation in the timing of these measures across Canadian provinces in a difference-in-differences approach. Time-series analysis for each province and for France, Italy and Germany corroborates this finding, and we estimate cumulative gains of up to 5 percentage points in provincial vaccination rates and 790,000 or more first doses for Canada as a whole as of October 31, 2021 (5 to 13 weeks after the provincial mandate announcements). We also find large vaccination gains in France (3 to 5 mln first doses), Italy (around 6 mln) and Germany (around 3.5 mln) 11 to 16 weeks after the proof of vaccination mandate announcements.JEL codes: I18, I12, C23
Genetic Characterization and Recombinant History of a Novel Emerging HIV-1 Second-Generation Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF120_0107) Identified Among Sexually Transmitted Infections in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Zhu Bo , Zhao Jin , Wang Xiaorui , Li Hanping , Liu Yongjian , Zheng Chenli , Jia Lei , Li Tianyi , Wang Xiaolin , Chen Lin , Li Jingyun , Zhang Bohan , Han Jingwan , Li Lin 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Under the background of the main epidemic HIV strains (CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC) co-circulation in China, more HIV second-generation recombinant (SGR) strains with CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC as the backbone are emerging. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics and evolutionary history of a newly emerging HIV-1 CRF120_0107 composed of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC based on the near full-length genome (NFLG) in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. NFLG phylogenetic analysis revealed that these sequences formed a distinct monophyletic branch with a high bootstrap value (>90%), distantly related to all known HIV-1 genotypes. Recombination analysis showed that CRF120_0107 was composed of the predominant HIV-1 strains in China: CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC. Further subregional phylogenetic analysis was performed that possible parental lineages of CRF07_BC segments (Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅴ) belonged to the CRF07_BC men who have sex with men cluster (MSM cluster), other CRF01_AE segments also mainly belonged to MSM Cluster (such as CRF01_AE Cluster 5). Bayesian analysis results inferred that CRF120_0107 placed its emergence in Shenzhen approximately between 2009-2011. The appearance of CRF120_0107 further highlights that more and more HIV-1 SGR strains containing CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC will be more generated frequently and will most likely be more conducive to accelerating the spread of HIV in China. This highlighted it is necessary to monitor MSM high-risk individuals with HIV-1 CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC dual infection to prevent the generation of CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC recombinant strains, thus reducing the possibility of HIV-1 genotype resistance and the complexity of treatment in China.