bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health beliefs and health seeking behavior towards lymphatic filariasis morbidity management and disability prevention services in Luangwa District, Zambia: Community and provider perspectives
Authors: Maritim Patricia , Silumbwe Adam , Zulu Joseph Mumba , Sichone George , Michelo Charles 
Published: February 2021

Background
Morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services are essential for the management of chronic stages of lymphatic filariasis (LF) infection. However, there is limited information on health beliefs and health seeking behavior towards MMDP services for LF in endemic regions of Zambia. This study sought to document health beliefs and health seeking behavior towards MMDP services for LF in Luangwa District, Zambia.

Methods
This was an exploratory qualitative study conducted with community members including LF patients, community health workers and healthcare providers. Data was collected through a series of four focus group discussions stratified by sex and 26 in-depth interviews. Data was analyzed by thematic analysis using NVivo software.

Results
The perceived causes of the chronic manifestations of LF included; contact with animal faeces, use of traditional herbal aphrodisiacs (mutoto), witchcraft and sexual contact with women who were menstruating or had miscarried. LF patients opted to visit traditional healers before going to health facilities. Hydrocele patients were afraid of hydrocelectomies as they were thought to cause infertility or death. Very few community members were able to identify any home and facility-based care strategies for lymphoedema. Health system and cultural barriers to seeking healthcare included; long distances to the health facilities, lack of awareness of existing MMDP services, perceived costs of accessing MMDP services, gender and social norms, and fear of stigmatization.

Conclusion
Health seeking behavior for LF in the district is mainly driven by negative beliefs about the causes of the disease and lack of awareness of available MMDP services and homecare strategies. Lymphatic filariasis programs should promote strategies that seek to empower patients and community members with the required information to access and use the MMDP services at the health facilities, as well as adhere to self-care practices in their households.
Circulating microparticles and activated platelets as novel prognostic biomarkers in COVID-19; relation to cancer
Authors: Zahran Asmaa M. , El-Badawy Omnia , Ali Wageeh A. , Mahran Zainab Gaber , Mahran Essam Eldeen M. O. , Rayan Amal 
Published: February 2021

Background and aim
The study aimed to determine whether the MPs levels and platelet activation are affected by the COVID-19 infection in both malignant and non-malignant patients compared to healthy individuals and define their contribution to the COVID-19 associated coagulopathy and the relation of these MPs to other hematologic parameters.

Patients and methods
We recruited 23 malignant patients with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive COVID-19, also, 19 COVID-19 non-malignant patients, and 20 healthy volunteers were also enrolled for comparison. Blood samples were collected from patients and healthy donors into 5 mL vacutainer tube containing 3.5% buffered sodium citrate solution for measurement of total microparticles (TMPs), platelet microparticles (PMPs), endothelial microparticles (EMPs), CD62 activated platelets, and CD41 platelet marker.

Results
COVID-19 malignant patients had significantly lower hemoglobin and platelets compared to COVID non-malignant ones, while they had significantly higher C-reactive protein, LDH, AST, Albunim, creatinine, and prognostic index (PI) compared to COVID-19 non-malignant patients. significant accumulations of TMPs, PMPs, EMPs, and activated platelets in COVID-19 affected patients compared to healthy controls. TMPs, and EMPs were significantly accumulated in COVID-19 malignant compared to COVID-19 non-malignant patients with no significant difference in PMPs between both.

Conclusion
Circulating MPs and activated platelets may be promising novel prognostic biomarkers capable of identifying potentially severe COVID-19 patients who require immediate care especially in cancer patients.
Prediction model for best focus, power, and spherical aberration of the cornea: Raytracing on a large dataset of OCT data
Authors: Langenbucher Achim , Szentmáry Nóra , Weisensee Johannes , Wendelstein Jascha , Cayless Alan , Menapace Rupert , Hoffmann Peter 
Published: February 2021

Purpose
To analyse corneal power based on a large optical coherence tomography dataset using raytracing, and to evaluate corneal power with respect to the corneal front apex plane for different definitions of best focus.

Methods
A large OCT dataset (10,218 eyes of 8,430 patients) from the Casia 2 (Tomey, Japan) was post-processed in MATLAB (MathWorks, USA). Using radius of curvature, corneal front and back surface asphericity, central corneal thickness, and pupil size (aperture) a bundle of rays was traced through the cornea. Various best focus definitions were tested: a) minimum wavefront error, b) root mean squared ray scatter, c) mean absolute ray scatter, and d) total spot diameter. All 4 target optimisation criteria were tested with each best focus plane. With the best-fit keratometer index the difference of corneal power and keratometric power was evaluated using a multivariate linear model.

Results
The mean corneal powers for a/b/c/d were 43.02±1.61/42.92±1.58/42.91±1.58/42.94±1.59 dpt respectively. The root mean squared deviations of corneal power from keratometric power (nK = 1.3317/1.3309/1.3308/1.3311 for a/b/c/d) were 0.308/0.185/0.171/0.209 dpt. With the multivariate linear model the respective RMS error was reduced to 0.110/0.052/0.043/0.065 dpt (R² = 0.872/0.921/0.935/0.904).

Conclusions
Raytracing improves on linear Gaussian optics by considering the asphericity of both refracting surfaces and using Snell’s law of refraction in preference to paraxial simplifications. However, there is no unique definition of best focus, and therefore the calculated corneal power varies depending on the definition of best focus. The multivariate linear model enabled more precise estimation of corneal power compared to the simple keratometer equation.
Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections and associated risk factors among patients of Jimma health center requested for stool examination, Jimma, Ethiopia
Authors: Belete Yohannes Alemu , Kassa Tilahun Yemane , Baye Minale Fekadie 
Published: February 2021

Background
Intestinal parasitic infections are still a serious public health problem in poor and developing countries like Ethiopia. Local epidemiological data is crucial to design and monitor prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections and associated risk factors among patients requested for stool examination at Jimma health center, Southwest, Ethiopia.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 384 patients in Jimma health center, Southwest, Ethiopia. Stool samples were collected and examined using direct wet-mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. Data were analyzed using the Chi-Square (X2) test and SPPS Version 24 and P Value<0.05 was considered for statistically significance.

Results
The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infections was found to be 79(20.6%). The infection rate was slightly higher in females 261(68%) than in males 123(32%). Eight types of intestinal parasites were identified and the highest prevalence was Giardia lamblia 25(6.5%) followed by A. lumbricoides 22(5.7%). Single parasitic infection was found among 67(17.4%) of the patients and double infection was 12(3.1%). Shoe wearing habits, Status of fingernail, Handwashing before a meal and after defecation, Source of water for bathing and drinking were significant factors(p<0.05) for intestinal parasitic infection.

Conclusion
A relatively low prevalence of intestinal parasite infections was observed among patients of Jimma health center requested for the stool examination.
Association of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor levels with fibrotic and vascular manifestations in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Butt Sheraz , Jeppesen Jørgen L. , Iversen Line Vinderslev , Fenger Mogens , Eugen-Olsen Jesper , Andersson Charlotte , Jacobsen Søren 
Published: February 2021

ObjectiveWe assessed the association of suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor) plasma levels with fibrotic and vascular manifestations in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).MethodssuPAR plasma levels were measured in 121 consecutive patients with SSc and correlated to pulmonary and vascular features of SSc, including interstitial lung disease as characterized by percentage of predicted CO diffusing capacity (DLco) and forced vital capacity (FVC), pulmonary fibrosis by computed tomography, and pulmonary arterial hypertension, telangiectasias, and digital ulcers.ResultsOverall, 121 SSc patients (84% females; mean age, 57 ± 12 [range: 22–79] years) were enrolled; 35% had diffuse cutaneous SSc. suPAR plasma levels ranged from 1.3–10.2 [median: 2.9 (p25–p75: 2.3–3.9)] ng/mL. Log(suPAR) levels correlated with DLco (r = -0.41,p<0.0001) and FVC (r = -0.26,p= 0.004), also when adjusted for age, sex, and pulmonary hypertension. A suPAR cut-off level of >2.5 ng/mL showed a sensitivity of 91% for identifying patients with either DLco <50% or FVC < 60% of the predicted values. Similarly, 19 (90%) had a suPAR >2.5 ng/mL among those diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis vs. 59 (60%) among those who did not (p= 0.008). suPAR values were not associated with vascular manifestations.ConclusionsuPAR levels strongly correlated with pulmonary involvement in SSc. Future studies should test if suPAR estimation can be used for surveillance of severe pulmonary involvement in SSc.
The effect of chronic ankle instability on muscle activations in lower extremities
Authors: Lin Chiao-I , Khajooei Mina , Engel Tilman , Nair Alexandra , Heikkila Mika , Kaplick Hannes , Mayer Frank 
Published: February 2021

Background/Purpose
Muscular reflex responses of the lower extremities to sudden gait disturbances are related to postural stability and injury risk. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has shown to affect activities related to the distal leg muscles while walking. Its effects on proximal muscle activities of the leg, both for the injured- (IN) and uninjured-side (NON), remain unclear. Therefore, the aim was to compare the difference of the motor control strategy in ipsilateral and contralateral proximal joints while unperturbed walking and perturbed walking between individuals with CAI and matched controls.

Materials and methods
In a cross-sectional study, 13 participants with unilateral CAI and 13 controls (CON) walked on a split-belt treadmill with and without random left- and right-sided perturbations. EMG amplitudes of muscles at lower extremities were analyzed 200 ms after perturbations, 200 ms before, and 100 ms after (Post100) heel contact while walking. Onset latencies were analyzed at heel contacts and after perturbations. Statistical significance was set at alpha≤0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were applied to determine group differences. Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to evaluate the extent of differences.

Results
Participants with CAI showed increased EMG amplitudes for NON-rectus abdominus at Post100 and shorter latencies for IN-gluteus maximus after heel contact compared to CON (p<0.05). Overall, leg muscles (rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius) activated earlier and less bilaterally (d = 0.30–0.88) and trunk muscles (bilateral rectus abdominus and NON-erector spinae) activated earlier and more for the CAI group than CON group (d = 0.33–1.09).

Conclusion
Unilateral CAI alters the pattern of the motor control strategy around proximal joints bilaterally. Neuromuscular training for the muscles, which alters motor control strategy because of CAI, could be taken into consideration when planning rehabilitation for CAI.
Added value of clinical prediction rules for bacteremia in hemodialysis patients: An external validation study
Authors: Sasaki Sho , Raita Yoshihiko , Murakami Minoru , Yamamoto Shungo , Tochitani Kentaro , Hasegawa Takeshi , Fujisaki Kiichiro , Fukuhara Shunichi 
Published: February 2021

IntroductionHaving developed a clinical prediction rule (CPR) for bacteremia among hemodialysis (HD) outpatients (BAC-HD score), we performed external validation.Materials & methodsData were collected on maintenance HD patients at two Japanese tertiary-care hospitals from January 2013 to December 2015. We enrolled 429 consecutive patients (aged ≥ 18 y) on maintenance HD who had had two sets of blood cultures drawn on admission to assess for bacteremia. We validated the predictive ability of the CPR using two validation cohorts. Index tests were the BAC-HD score and a CPR developed by Shapiro et al. The outcome was bacteremia, based on the results of the admission blood cultures. For added value, we also measured changes in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using logistic regression and Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI), in which each CPR was added to the basic model.ResultsIn Validation cohort 1 (360 subjects), compared to a Model 1 (Basic Model) AUC of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.59–0.80), the AUC of Model 2 (Basic model + BAC-HD score) and Model 3 (Basic model + Shapiro’s score) increased to 0.8 (95% CI: 0.71–0.88) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.63–0.83), respectively. In validation cohort 2 (96 subjects), compared to a Model 1 AUC of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.68–0.94), the AUCs of Model 2 and Model 3 increased to 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72–0.95) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76–0.94), respectively. NRIs on addition of the BAC-HD score and Shapiro’s score were 0.3 and 0.06 in Validation cohort 1, and 0.27 and 0.13, respectively, in Validation cohort 2.ConclusionEither the BAC-HD score or Shapiro’s score may improve the ability to diagnose bacteremia in HD patients. Reclassification was better with the BAC-HD score.
Impact of optical coherence tomography scan direction on the reliability of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer measurements
Authors: Venkataraman Abinaya Priya , Andersson Josefine , Fivelsdal Lina , Nilsson Maria , Domínguez-Vicent Alberto 
Published: February 2021

Purpose
To evaluate the intradevice repeatability and agreement for peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) measurements in healthy eyes with two different scan directions and two different number of B scans.

Methods
pRNFL was measured with a spectral domain optical coherence tomography on 54 healthy participants. Three-dimensional optic disc scans (6 mm x 6 mm) were performed on the right eye of the participants. Two repeated scans were performed in four different settings: H1: Horizontal scan with 512 A-scans x 96 B-scans; H2: Horizontal scan with 512 A-scans x 128 B-scans; V1: Vertical scan with 512 A-scans x 96 B-scans; V2: Vertical scan with 512 A-scans x 128 B-scans. The pRNFL thickness was evaluated in twelve clock-hour sector in a circle of 3.45 mm diameter centred at the optic disc. Repeatability and agreement were assessed with within subject standard deviation (Sw) and Bland-Altman test respectively.

Results
The repeatability of pRNFL measurements varied depending on the scan direction and sectors. The repeatability for the horizontal sectors were better with H1 and H2, with sector 9 having the best Sw (< 3 μm). The repeatability for the vertical sectors were better with V1 and V2 with sector 5 and 9 having the best Sw (< 4 μm). The repeatability with vertical scan was more symmetric among the sectors than with horizontal scans. The repeatability metrics of the sectors did not vary much between H1 and H2 (difference < 2 μm) and between V1 and V2 (difference < 3.2 μm). Comparing horizontal and vertical scans, the vertical sectors had larger limits of agreement of about 45 μm.

Conclusion
The reliability of the pRNFL thickness measurements is dependent on the direction of the scan and independent on the numbers of B-scans. Vertical scans for pRNFL gives more homogeneous repeatability across the different sectors.
Reconstructing American Historical Cinema: From Cimarron to Citizen Kane, J. E. Smyth (2009)
Authors: Sieber Hannah 
Published: February 2021

Review of: Reconstructing American Historical Cinema: From Cimarron to Citizen Kane, J. E. Smyth (2009)
Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 464pp.,
ISBN: 9780813192390 (pbk), $45.00
Double Visions, Double Fictions, Baryon Tensor Posadas (2018)
Authors: Flaherty David 
Published: February 2021

Review of: Double Visions, Double Fictions, Baryon Tensor Posadas (2018)
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 253pp.,
ISBN: 9781517902636 (pbk), $27.00,
ISBN: 9781517902629 (hbk), $74.77
The Philadelphia Story (1940) in 9 Frames
Authors: Dickerson Alexis , Nielsen Andrew P. , Pickett Ashley R. , Spillane Ashley R. , Wentz Andrew Ryan 
Published: February 2021

The Philadelphia Story (1940)
USA
Director George Cukor
Runtime 112 minutes

Blu-ray
USA, 2017
Distributed by The Criterion Collection (region A/1)
Weepers I, II, III
Authors: Baldissera Lisa 
Published: February 2021

Weepers I, II, III is a ficto-critical approach to the topic of hospitality, arising from the xacerbating conditions of academic, curatorial and institutional care. Ficto-criticism sidesteps the constraints of non-disclosure agreements and the strictures of the reputational economy, to instead posit a dreaming vision of colliding worlds and meanings.
Weepers I, II, III, considers hospitality in three related short fiction works which address the figure of the academic curator: one is an exposition of the linked codes/spheres of migration/contemporary art as it relates to asylum, emancipation and the promise of art world economies by focusing on the conditions of the security guard within a major art museum; a second examines the self-determination of a series of ‘wipers’—carers hired, groomed, academicized and ultimately fetishized, to wipe the tears of crumbling academics as a form of corporeal hospitality; to a vignette of interspecies escape and conversion, following the heart attack and subsequent cellular changes that free the academic’s father from his former life. Through these interlinking stories of grief and loss, also come the act of naming and inventing, side-stepping instrumentalized forms of academic writing to posit a dream-time, a curatorial and academic imaginary that, freed from the reputational economy and non-disclosure clauses of the career curator, dares speak its name. In form and methodology, this approach suggests an approach to an opening and a form of resistance to hospitalality and its various forms.
The Built Environment of the Precolonial West African Coast: Materials, Functions, and Housing Standards
Authors: Rönnbäck Klas 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
This article studies the built environment along the West African coast as described in European historical sources from the fifteenth to the early nineteenth century. Many early modern European observers believed housing standards in West Africa remained poor over this long period, and attributed this to a lack of development. The evidence presented in this article suggests that most European observers missed several key functions of traditional African architecture, as well as how the architecture in use might have been an adaptation to the socioeconomic context developing in relation to the Atlantic slave trade.
Modern Motherhood, Masculinity, and Family Planning in Ghana, 1960–75
Authors: Ashford Holly Rose 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis article analyzes policies related to reproduction in postcolonial Ghana, in particular pronatalist tendencies under Nkrumah, and the launch of the National Family Planning Programme (NFPP) in 1970. I argue that gendered nationalism was frequently articulated through women’s roles as mothers. Modernization under Nkrumah went further than large-scale development projects, because aspirations for the nation were reflected in expectations of modern motherhood. Like many family planning programs before and since, the NFPP was also highly gendered. Family planning was linked to economic and social development and progressive attitudes. Modern women and modern families were expected to embrace family planning. In public discourse, it was women’s responsibility for national development to act as mothers of the nation, whether that meant adhering to pronatalist principles under Nkrumah, or limiting their family size under successive later governments. Policies, especially NFPP, acknowledged and reinforced gendered roles related to sexual and reproductive behavior. Men were often seen as decision makers and the demographic that needed to be persuaded when it came to family planning. The gendered aspects of the NFPP are explored in this article to show that whereas adherence to “tradition” was discouraged in women, men’s gendered roles remained largely unchallenged.
Astrid
Authors: Shetiya Suraj , Thirumuruganathan Saravanan , Koudas Nick , Das Gautam 
Published: February 2021

Accurate selectivity estimation for string predicates is a long-standing research challenge in databases. Supporting pattern matching on strings (such as prefix, substring, and suffix) makes this problem much more challenging, thereby necessitating a dedicated study. Traditional approaches often build pruned summary data structures such as tries followed by selectivity estimation using statistical correlations. However, this produces insufficiently accurate cardinality estimates resulting in the selection of sub-optimal plans by the query optimizer. Recently proposed deep learning based approaches leverage techniques from natural language processing such as embeddings to encode the strings and use it to train a model. While this is an improvement over traditional approaches, there is a large scope for improvement.
We propose Astrid, a framework for string selectivity estimation that synthesizes ideas from traditional and deep learning based approaches. We make two complementary contributions. First, we propose an embedding algorithm that is query-type (prefix, substring, and suffix) and selectivity aware. Consider three strings 'ab', 'abc' and 'abd' whose prefix frequencies are 1000, 800 and 100 respectively. Our approach would ensure that the embedding for 'ab' is closer to 'abc' than 'abd'. Second, we describe how neural language models could be used for selectivity estimation. While they work well for prefix queries, their performance for substring queries is sub-optimal. We modify the objective function of the neural language model so that it could be used for estimating selectivities of pattern matching queries. We also propose a novel and efficient algorithm for optimizing the new objective function. We conduct extensive experiments over benchmark datasets and show that our proposed approaches achieve state-of-the-art results.