bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Young people’s experiences of a CDH1 pathogenic variant: Decision‐making about gastric cancer risk management
Authors: Hoskins Cass , Tutty Erin , Purvis Rebecca , Shanahan Mary , Boussioutas Alex , Forrest Laura 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe most effective option for gastric cancer risk management in individuals with a CDH1 germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant (PV) in Australia is prophylactic total gastrectomy (PTG). There is, however, increasing confidence in endoscopic surveillance as a risk management strategy thus affording individuals with a CDH1 PV with challenging decisions regarding their gastric cancer risk management. For young people, this decision‐making comes at a complex development stage of emerging and young adulthood. This study aims to explore the factors that influence young people's decision‐making about their gastric cancer risk management due to a CDH1 PV. Potential participants were identified and approached through the Parkville Familial Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis was used to interpret and analyze the data. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 people with a CDH1 PV aged 18 to 39 years, inclusive. The interviews found that participants’ familial and shared experiences of cancer and risk management, perceived tolerance of uncertainty, and desire for control over their cancer risk were fundamental in their decision‐making about their gastric cancer risk management. The participants’ young adult life stage was also deemed particularly important in decisions about the timing of PTG. The findings of this study are vital to inform decisional counseling discussions with this unique population.
Cycle threshold values in RT‐PCR to determine dynamics of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral load: An approach to reduce the isolation period for COVID‐19 patients
Authors: Aranha Clara , Patel Vainav , Bhor Vikrant , Gogoi Dimpu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) has affected all inhabited continents, and India is currently experiencing a devastating second wave of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19). Here, we examined the duration of clearance of SARS‐CoV‐2 in respiratory samples from 207 infected cases by real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). A substantial proportion of COVID‐19 positive cases with cycle threshold (Ct) values more than or equal to 31 (45.7%) were subsequently tested negative for SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA within 7 days of initial detection of the viral load. A total of 60% of all the patients with COVID‐19, irrespective of their Ct values, cleared SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA within 14 days of the initial detection. Longitudinal assessment of RT‐PCR test results in individuals requiring 15–30 days to clear SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA showed a significant reduction of the viral load in samples with high or intermediate viral loads (Ct values ≤ 25 and between 26 and 30, respectively) but the follow‐up group with low viral RNA (Ct values ≥ 31) exhibited a stable viral load. Together, these results suggest that COVID‐19 positive cases with Ct values more than or equal to 31 require reduced duration to clear SARS‐CoV‐2, and thus, a shorter isolation period for this group might be considered to facilitate adequate space in the COVID Care Centres and reduce the burden on healthcare infrastructure.
Lomerizine 2HCl inhibits cell proliferation and induces protective autophagy in colorectal cancer via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Tan Xiang‐Peng , He Yan , Huang Yun‐Na , Zheng Can‐Can , Li Jun‐Qi , Liu Qin‐Wen , He Ming‐Liang , Li Bin , Xu Wen‐Wen 
Published: July 2021

AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies currently. Despite advances in drug development, the survival and response rates in CRC patients are still poor. In our previous study, a library comprised of 1056 bioactive compounds was used for screening of drugs that could suppress CRC. Lomerizine 2HCl, which is an approved prophylactic drug for migraines, was selected for our studies. The results of in vitro and in vivo assays suggested that lomerizine 2HCl suppresses cell growth and promotes apoptosis in CRC cells. Moreover, lomerizine 2HCl inhibits cell migration and invasion of CRC. RNA sequencing analysis and Western blotting confirmed that lomerizine 2HCl can inhibit cell growth, migration, and invasion through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and induces protective autophagy in CRC. Meanwhile, autophagy inhibition by 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) increases lomerizine 2HCl‐induced cell apoptosis. Taken together, these results imply that lomerizine 2HCl is a potential anticancer agent, and the combination of lomerizine 2HCl and autophagy inhibitors may serve as a novel strategy to increase the antitumor efficacy of agents in the treatment of CRC.
Probabilistic feature extraction, dose statistic prediction and dose mimicking for automated radiation therapy treatment planning
Authors: Zhang Tianfang , Bokrantz Rasmus , Olsson Jimmy 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPurposeWe propose a general framework for quantifying predictive uncertainties of dose‐related quantities and leveraging this information in a dose mimicking problem in the context of automated radiation therapy treatment planning.MethodsA three‐step pipeline, comprising feature extraction, dose statistic prediction and dose mimicking, is employed. In particular, the features are produced by a convolutional variational autoencoder and used as inputs in a previously developed nonparametric Bayesian statistical method, estimating the multivariate predictive distribution of a collection of predefined dose statistics. Specially developed objective functions are then used to construct a probabilistic dose mimicking problem based on the produced distributions, creating deliverable treatment plans.ResultsThe numerical experiments are performed using a dataset of 94 retrospective treatment plans of prostate cancer patients. We show that the features extracted by the variational autoencoder capture geometric information of substantial relevance to the dose statistic prediction problem and are related to dose statistics in a more regularized fashion than hand‐crafted features. The estimated predictive distributions are reasonable and outperforms a non–input‐dependent benchmark method, and the deliverable plans produced by the probabilistic dose mimicking agree better with their clinical counterparts than for a non‐probabilistic formulation.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that prediction of dose‐related quantities may be extended to include uncertainty estimation and that such probabilistic information may be leveraged in a dose mimicking problem. The treatment plans produced by the proposed pipeline resemble their original counterparts well, illustrating the merits of a holistic approach to automated planning based on probabilistic modeling.
Truthful Decentralized Blockchain Oracles
Authors: Cai Yuxi , Irtija Nafis , Tsiropoulou Eirini Eleni , Veneris Andreas 
Published: July 2021

SummaryBlockchain systems rely on oracles to bridge external information to the decentralized applications residing in the systems. Astraea protocols are decentralized oracle designs utilizing majority‐voting mechanism to determine the oracle outcomes and/or rewards to voters. However, the voters are indifferent between voting through a single or multiple identities, as the potential rewards by the decentralized oracles grow linearly with the voters stakes. Additionally, the majority‐voting mechanism may facilitate herd behaviors among the voters, as the voters are rewarded only if they are in agreement with the majority outcomes. In this paper, a novel oracle protocol is introduced by proposing a peer prediction‐based scoring scheme along with non‐linear staking rules, aiming at extracting subjective data truthfully. Specifically, an incentive compatible scoring scheme is designed so that voters uniquely maximize their expected score by honest reporting. The voters are rewarded when their report achieves a relatively high score compared to the rest of the voters, as opposed to the existing schemes, where a reward is only given when they agree to the majority. Furthermore, a non‐linear stake scaling rule is proposed to discourage Sybil attacks. Detailed simulation results are presented to show the operation of the proposed oracle protocol and its improvement compared to indicative mechanisms proposed in the existing literature.
Guest‐selective gate‐opening by pore engineering of two‐dimensional Kagomè lattice porous coordination polymers
Authors: Bonneau Mickaele , Sugimoto Kunihisa , Otake Ken‐ichi , Tsuji Yukiko , Shimanaka Nanae , Lavenn Christophe , Kitagawa Susumu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPorous coordination polymers (PCPs) with pore decoration have been used as materials for excellent storage and separation functions. The cooperative properties of flexible PCPs can be utilized to achieve the separation of mixtures of gaseous molecules having highly similar properties. The key to efficient molecular recognition and separation lies in increasing the degrees of freedom of the structure without sacrificing the stability of the system. However, the mechanism study of such behavior is still scarce in the literature. Here, we focused on PCPs with two‐dimensional Kagomè lattice structures and functionalized the pores with various alkoxy pendant groups; this facilitated systematic tuning of the pore aperture size, the interlayer spacing, as well as the interactions between the host and adsorbed molecules. The combination of characterization techniques allowed us to observe a unique deformation of the lattice upon gas sorption, allowing the separation of gas molecules with similar physicochemical properties, such as propane and propylene.Key pointsFlexible porous coordination polymers (PCPs) can create an excellent mechanism for recognizing gases with very similar properties. Here, PCPs with a Kagomè framework, in which hexagonal (H) and triangular (T) pores are adjacent to each other, can achieve a high level of propylene/propane separation by controlling the cooperativity of the H‐T pores with ligand substituents.
Lidocaine infusions and reduced opioid consumption—Retrospective experience in pediatric hematology and oncology patients with refractory pain
Authors: Anghelescu Doralina L. , Morgan Kyle J. , Frett Michael J. , Wu Diana , Li Yimei , Han Yuanyuan , Hall Elizabeth A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundDespite a more robust experience with lidocaine infusions for pain management in adults and general pediatric population, there is limited evidence of efficacy of lidocaine infusions for pain management in patients with pediatric hematology and oncology diagnoses.MethodsData pertaining to continuous intravenous lidocaine infusions prescribed between January 2009 and June 2019 were reviewed, including patients’ demographic characteristics, hematology/oncology and pain diagnoses, concurrent pain medications, and lidocaine infusion dose regimens and duration. Pain scores and opioid consumption calculations based on morphine equivalent doses (mg/kg/day) of patient‐controlled analgesia were collected 1 day before infusion (D1), during infusion (D2), and 1 day after infusion (D3).ResultsThe mean opioid consumption on D3 was significantly lower than that on D2 (p = .01). The pain scores on D3 were significantly lower than those on D1 when measured as average pain scores per 24 hours (p < .001) or as single pain scores immediately before and after infusions (p < .001). No significant associations were found between cumulative doses of lidocaine (loading dose plus total infusion dose) and either a decrease in the opioid consumption or a decrease in pain scores.ConclusionsIn this retrospective series of pediatric hematology and oncology cases, we report positive outcomes in reducing opioid consumption and pain scores after lidocaine infusions. Prospective investigations designed in a collaborative, multi‐institutional fashion, including a variety of pediatric populations are needed to further investigate the efficacy of lidocaine infusions.
Bone health in long‐term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An assessment by peripheral quantitative computed tomography
Authors: Barr Ronald D. , Inglis Dean , Athale Uma , Jaworski Maciej , Farncombe Troy , Gordon Christopher L. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundLoss of bone mineral is a common concomitant of the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) due mainly to chemotherapy, especially with corticosteroids. Osteopenia/osteoporosis may be encountered long into survivorship. Measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry is limited to two‐dimensionality and cannot distinguish trabecular from cortical bone.MethodsA sample of 74 subjects, ages 13.5–38.3 years more than 10 years from diagnosis, underwent peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at metaphyseal (trabecular bone) and diaphyseal (cortical bone) sites in the radius and tibia. pQCT provides three‐dimensional assessment of bone geometry, density, and architecture.ResultsAverage values in multiple metrics were similar to those in healthy individuals, but deficits in both trabecular and cortical bones were revealed by lower Z scores using an ethnically comparable sample of healthy individuals. Connectivity, a measure of bone architecture and a surrogate measure of bone strength, was lower in females than males. Survivors of standard‐risk ALL had greater connectivity in and more compact trabecular bone than high‐risk survivors who had received more intensive osteotoxic chemotherapy. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the metrics at any of the sites between subjects who had or had not a history of fracture, cranial irradiation, or use of a bisphosphonate.ConclusionsThese long‐term survivors of ALL have somewhat compromised bone health, but data in comparable healthy populations are limited. Longitudinal studies in larger and more ethnically diverse cohorts will provide greater insight into bone health in this vulnerable population.
Oxidant and antioxidant balance in patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Aykac Kubra , Ozsurekci Yasemin , Yayla Burcu Ceylan Cura , Gurlevik Sibel Lacinel , Oygar Pembe Derin , Bolu Nuriye Boduc , Tasar Medine Aysin , Erdinc Fatma Sebnem , Ertem Gulay Tuncer , Neselioglu Salim , Erel Ozcan , Cengiz Ali Bülent , Ceyhan Mehmet 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundA crucial balance exists between oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms in the functional immune system. We aimed to evaluate the contributions of balance between these systems to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a devastating pandemic caused by viral infection.MethodWe analyzed serum oxidant and antioxidant stress parameters according to the clinical and demographic characteristics of children and adults with COVID‐19 and compared them against the values of healthy controls. Serum native thiol (NT), total thiol (TT), disulfide, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and ischemia‐modified albumin levels were evaluated and compared between groups.ResultsA total of 79 children and 74 adults were evaluated in the present study, including 46 children and 40 adults with COVID‐19, 33 healthy children, and 34 healthy adults. TT, NT, and disulfide levels were significantly lower in the adult COVID‐19 group than in all other groups (p = .001, p = .001, and p = .005, respectively). Additionally, TT and NT levels were significantly lower in both pediatric and adult COVID‐19 cases with severe disease course than mild/moderate course. TT and NT levels were identified as predictors for the diagnosis of the adult COVID‐19 cases and as independent predictors for disease severity in both children and adults with COVID‐19.ConclusionParameters that reveal the oxidant and antioxidant capacity, including TT and NT, appear to be good candidates for the accurate prediction of the clinical course among patients with COVID‐19.
Digital tracheal intubation and finger palpation to confirm endotracheal tube tip position in neonates: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ramaswamy Viraraghavan Vadakkencherry , Abiramalatha Thangaraj , Bandyopadhyay Tapas , Pullattayil S Abdul Kareem , Trevisanuto Daniele 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundTo evaluate digital tracheal intubation (DTI) when compared to laryngoscope‐assisted TI; finger palpation of endotracheal tube (ETT) tip position when compared to any standard method.DesignA systematic review of Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, and CINAHL with synthesis of data using meta‐analysis was performed.Main outcome measureThe proportion of successful TI and correct ETT tip positioning were the main outcome measures.ResultsFive studies (one observational study and four RCTs) enrolling 310 neonates were included. 94% (81%–98%) of the DTI were successful on the first attempt (certainty of evidence [CoE]: low). The proportion of successful intubation on the first attempt was higher with DTI when compared to laryngoscope‐assisted TI (RR 95% CI: 1.81 [1.18; 2.76]) (CoE: very low). Time to successful TI with DTI was 7.4 (95% CI: 6.3, 8.5) s (CoE: low). Time to successful TI was significantly shorter with DTI when compared to laryngoscope assisted TI (MD [95% CI]: −4.9 [−7.3, −2.4] s) (CoE: very low). There was a trend towards a higher proportion of correct ETT tip positions with finger palpation when compared to weight‐based formulae alone (RR 95% CI: 1.12 [0.96; 1.31]) (CoE: very low).ConclusionsDTI and finger palpation to ascertain ETT tip position in neonates are promising strategies. Future studies with emphasis on their learning trajectory and generalizability are needed.
Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis among refugees and asylum seekers from war‐torn countries
Authors: Lavie Moran , Maymon Dror , Diamant Nir , Cahal Michal , Be'er Moria , Besor Omri , Lahat Sharon , Amirav Israel 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundBronchiolitis is a prominent illness in children with a high burden in the developing world. Our objective was to assess bronchiolitis severity among infants and toddlers of refugees and asylum seekers who fled from developing countries with high disease burden to a developed country.Study DesignA retrospective cohort comparative‐group study of children 0–24 months of age who were admitted with a diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis to a tertiary university‐affiliated medical center during 2009–2017. The refugees and asylum seekers (study group) were mostly from war‐torn African countries, and the control group was comprised of children from Israel (controls), a developed country. The primary outcome was length of stay (LOS), and the secondary outcomes were nutritional support and disease characteristics.ResultsA total of 185 patients were included (92 refugees and 93 controls). The mean LOS was higher for the former compared to the latter (4.7 ± 3.2 vs. 3.5 ± 2 days, respectively, p = .004). More hospitalized refugees required nutritional support compared to controls (48% vs. 24%, respectively, p = .002). No differences were found in vital signs, physical findings and symptoms, laboratory results, or complications.ConclusionsRefugees and asylum seekers from developing countries presented with a longer RSV bronchiolitis disease course and required more nutritional support compared to their Israeli counterparts. This may suggest a more severe disease.
Impact of nonpharmacological COVID‐19 interventions in hospitalizations for childhood pneumonia in Brazil
Authors: Friedrich Frederico , e Garcia Laura de Castro , Petry Lucas Montiel , Pieta Marina Puerari , Carvalho Gustavo Eggers , Zocche Giovani , Ongaratto Renata , Lumertz Magali Santos , Brum Marcos , Stein Renato T. , Scotta Marcelo C. , Jones Marcus Herbert , Pinto Leonardo Araújo 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveThe knowledge about the impact of the nonpharmacological measures to control the COVID‐19 pandemic can give insight into ways in which they can also be applied for other respiratory diseases. To assess the impact of containment measures of the COVID‐19 pandemic on pneumonia hospitalizations in children from 0 to 14 years of age in Brazil.MethodsData from hospital admissions for pneumonia were obtained from the Department of Informatics of Brazilian Public Health System database in the period of 2015–2020 and analyzed by macroregions and age groups. To evaluate the effect of containment measures, on the incidence of pneumonia, the absolute reduction and relative reduction were calculated by analyzing the subsets 2015‐2019 vs. 2020.ResultsComparing the subsets of April–August 2015–2019 vs. April–August 2020 for Brazil (total), there was an significant reduction in the average incidence of hospitalizations, with numbers ranging from −82% [IRR 0.17 (0.14–0.21)] for <4 years (prepandemic 741.8/100,000 vs. pandemic 132.7/100.000), −83% [IRR 0.17 (0.10–0.27)] for 5–9 years (prepandemic 113.6/100,000 vs. pandemic 19.6/100.000), −77% [IRR 0.23 (0.11–0.46)] for 10–14 (prepandemic 42.0/100,000 vs. pandemic 9.8/100.000) and −82% [IRR 0.18 (0.15–0.21)] for all children ≤14 years (prepandemic 897.4/100,000 vs. pandemic 162.1/100.000).ConclusionWe found a significant decrease in cases of all cause pneumonia in children under 14 years and especially in the age group <9 years during the COVID‐19 pandemic, which may be associated with the nonpharmacological measures applied to control the SARS‐CoV‐2.
Guitarras on the Rise: Framing Youth Sierreño Bands as Translingual Ingenuity
Authors: de los Ríos Cati V. 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTMusic remains a fundamental aspect of sociocultural traditions and environments. In this article, I explore a sierreño band of translingual youth artists and their appropriation of norteño music in their designing of new forms of expression. Employing the concept of communities of practice, I examine three youth musicians’ experiences as members of a grupo sierreño (sierreño band) to highlight the nature of learning, sharing, and collaborative cultural action taking place in the membership of this collective. I use translingual literacy and translanguaging as sociocultural frames for understanding how the focal bilingual youth leverage their full semiotic and linguistic repertoires for productive musical and cultural practice and literacy. Drawing from ethnographic methods, the findings highlight the translingual ingenuity and power of the focal youth musicians as active agents in the construction of their musical and linguistic lives and their families’ financial stability through the formation of their own creative translingual economy. Attending to these cultural activities can shed light on how transnational and translingual young people negotiate and make decisions, sophisticatedly employ literacies to communicate and solve problems, and come to make sense of their social worlds. Thoughtfully considering the musicality of young people can help educators better understand them as agentic constructors of their own creative capacities, skills, knowledge, and cultural lifeworlds.