bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Online Symptoms Self-Assessment During Covid-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of a Covid-19 Portal Responses from Canada.
Authors: Egbujie Bonaventure , Francisco Krizia , Alarakhia Mohamed , Hirdes John P 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
BackgroundCovid-19 case was first identified in Canada on January 25, 2020, on a Toronto resident who had travelled to Wuhan China, and not long after, the WHO declared the viral infection a pandemic. Ontario health West created an online self-assessment portal that allowed individuals in the health region and adjourning areas to report any covid related symptoms.MethodRecord level data obtained the Ontario Health West self-assessment portal were analyzed. Descriptive statistics using charts and graphs were used to characterize the distribution of responses to the portal. In-depth analysis using correlation, lead-lag analysis, and trend comparison with actual Public Health Canada covid-19 cases for the region were also conducted.ResultsA total of 34,144 distinct responses were recorded on the portal between April 10 and July 29, 2020, with 1,250 (3.7%) responding positively to one of the emergency symptoms questions. Trend analysis showed a peak portal response in May 2020 with a smaller rise subsequently in July 2020, coinciding with actual covid-19 peak in the region. The five most reported symptoms on the portal were sore throat (17.2%), headache (12.9%), fatigue (12.3%), digestive problems (12.2%) and cough (9.1%). For four sub-regions, trend of self-report on the portal positively lagged actual public health covid-19 cases, while for one sub-region, the trend positively led the actual public health covid-19 cases for the area.ConclusionWe found correlation between online covid-19 self- assessment data and the confirmed covid-19 cases in the Southwestern region of Ontario. Trends in the covid-19 associated emergency symptoms reported on the portal also tracked confirmed covid-19 cases in the community. Peak response to the portal coincided with the peak volume of confirmed cases in Ontario during the first wave of covid-19 pandemic in Canada7, suggesting some consistency between the experiences of portal users and patterns of COVID-19 illness in the community. The portal was a useful tool at the person-level because it provided guidance to individuals about how to access appropriate health services according to the symptoms that they reported and connected them with primary care, reducing unnecessary visit to health facilities for covid-19 related care.
The Importance of Metabolic Syndrome Status for the Risk of Non-Viral Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Authors: Cho Yuri , Cho Eun Ju , Yoo Jeong-Ju , Chang Young , Chung Goh Eun , Choi In Young , Park Sang-Hyun , Han Kyungdo , Kim Yoon Jun , Yoon Jung-Hwan , Shin Dong Wook , Yu Su Jong 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The positive association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been suggested. However, no studies have yet looked at how the risk of developing HCC varies with changes in MetS status. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between changes in MetS and subsequent HCC development. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. 5,975,308 individuals who participated in health screenings both in 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 were included. Subjects were divided into four groups according to change in MetS status during the two-year interval screening (from 2009 to 2011): sustained non-MetS, transition to MetS, transition to non-MetS, and sustained MetS. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the hazard ratios of HCC. During a median of 7.3 years follow-up, 25,880 incident HCCs were identified. Compared to the sustained non-MetS group, age, sex, smoking, alcohol, regular exercise, and body mass index-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for HCC development were 1.01 (0.97–1.05) for the transition to MetS group; 1.05 (1.003–1.09) for the transition to non-Met group; and 1.07 (1.03–1.10) for the sustained MetS group. Stratified analyses according to age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease showed similar results. A significantly increased HCC risk was observed in the sustained MetS and transition to non-MetS groups. The baseline status of MetS was associated with the risk of HCC development. Strategies to improve MetS, especially targeting insulin resistance might prevent HCC development.
Barriers, Facilitators, and Proposals for Improvement in the Implementation of a Collaborative Care Program for Depression: A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Doctor and Nurse Experiences
Authors: Aragonès Enric , López-Cortacans Germán , Cardoner Narcís , Tomé-Pires Catarina , Porta-Casteràs Daniel , Palao Diego 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background: Primary care plays a central role in the treatment of depression. Nonetheless, shortcomings in its management and suboptimal outcomes have been identified. Collaborative care models improve processes for the management of depressive disorders and associated outcomes. We developed a strategy to implement the INDI collaborative care program for the management of depression in primary health care centers across Catalonia. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate a trial implementation of the program to identify barriers, facilitators, and proposals for improvement. Methods: One year after the implementation of the INDI program in 18 public primary health care centers we performed a qualitative study in which the opinions and experiences of 23 primary care doctors and nurses from the participating centers were explored in focus groups. We performed thematic content analysis of the focus group transcripts. Results: The results were organized into three categories: facilitators, barriers, and proposals for improvement as perceived by the health care professionals involved. The most important facilitator identified was the perception that the INDI collaborative care program could be a useful tool for reorganizing processes and improving the management of depression in primary care, currently viewed as deficient. The main barriers identified were of an organizational nature: heavy workloads, lack of time, high staff turnover and shortages, and competing demands. Additional obstacles were inertia and resistance to change among health care professionals. Proposals for improvement included institutional buy-in to guarantee enduring support and the organizational changes needed for successful implementation.Conclusions: The INDI program is perceived as a useful, viable program for improving the management of depression in primary care. Uptake by primary care centers and health care professionals, however, was poor. The identification and analysis of barriers and facilitators will help refine the strategy to achieve successful, widespread implementation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03285659; Registered 18th September, 2017.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yan Dandan , Jiao Yang , Yan Honglin , Liu Tian , Yan Hong , Yuan Jingping 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Objective

To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between EDCs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), poly-brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalates (PAEs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods

Relevant literatures were identified by searching Embase, Pubmed, and Web of Science through November 2021. The cohort and case-control studies reporting effect size with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of EDCs exposure and GDM were selected. The heterogeneity among the included studies were quantified by I2 statistic. Publication bias was evaluated through the Begg’s and Egger’s tests.
Results

Twenty-five articles with a total of 23, 796 participants were finally identified. The results indicated that exposure to PCBs have a significant impact on the incidence of GDM (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.00-1.31; n = 8). For PBDEs exposure, a positive association was observed for the risk of GDM (OR = 1.32; 95% CI=1.15-1.53; n = 4). Similarly, for PAEs and PFASs exposure, they were also positively associated with the risk of GDM, with summary ORs were 1.10 (95% CI = 1.03-1.16; n = 7 for PAEs) and 1.09 (95% CI = 1.02-1.16; n = 11 for PFASs), respectively. When only included the cohort studies, the summary OR between PCBs exposure and the risk of GDM was 0.99 (95% CI = 0.91-1.09; n = 5). While, for PBDEs, PAEs, and PFASs exposure, the summary ORs from cohort studies were 1.12 (95% CI = 1.00-1.26; n = 2), 1.08 (95% CI =1.02-1.15; n = 5), and 1.06 (95% CI = 1.00-1.12; n = 8), respectively. The Begg’s and Egger’s tests didn’t show publication bias and the sensitivity analyses didn’t change the results in the present meta-analysis.
Conclusion

These results support the notion that EDCs exposure increases the risk of GDM. Further large-sample epidemiologic researches and mechanistic studies are needed to verify the potential relationship and biological mechanisms. These results are of public health significance since daily EDCs exposure have been expected to increase the risk of GDM development.
Personalized Wearable Electrodermal Sensing-Based Human Skin Hydration Level Detection for Sports, Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Liaqat Sidrah , Dashtipour Kia , Rizwan Ali , Usman Muhammad , Shah Syed Aziz , Arshad Kamran , Assaleh Khaled , Ramzan Naeem 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Personalized hydration level monitoring play vital role in sports, health, wellbeing and safety of a person while performing particular set of activities. Clinical staff must be mindful of numerous physiological symptoms that identify the optimum hydration specific to the person, event and environment. Hence, it becomes extremely critical to monitor the hydration levels in a human body to avoid potential complications and fatalities. Hydration tracking solutions available in the literature are either inefficient and invasive or require clinical trials. An efficient hydration monitoring system is very required, which can regularly track the hydration level, non-invasively. To this aim, this paper proposes a machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) enabled hydration tracking system, which can accurately estimate the hydration level in human skin using galvanic skin response (GSR) of human body. For this study, data is collected, in three different hydration states, namely hydrated, mild dehydration (8 hours of dehydration) and extreme mild dehydration (16 hours of dehydration), and three different body postures, such as sitting, standing and walking. Eight different ML algorithms and four different DL algorithms are trained on the collected GSR data. Their accuracies are compared and a hybrid (ML+DL) model is proposed to increase the estimation accuracy. It can be reported that hybrid Bi-LSTM algorithm can achieve an accuracy of 97.83%.
Olfactory Training and Visual Stimulation Assisted by a Web-Application for Patients With Persistent Olfactory Dysfunction After SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Denis Fabrice , Septans Anne-Lise , Périers Léa , Maillard Jean-Michel , Legoff Florian , Gurden Hirac , Morinière Sylvain 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
IntroductionWe aimed to quantify the benefit of olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application for patients who experienced olfactory dysfunction for ≥1 month after Sars-Cov-2 infection and compared it with published cohorts of spontaneous recoveries.Materials and MethodsWe performed a prospective observational study. Participants performed olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web-application. Improvement was defined as a 2-point increase on a 10-point, self-assessed olfactory visual analogue scale.ResultsIn total, 1155 patients were assessable. Improvement was observed in patients who trained 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks with high concentration oils in 63.0% (58/92) and 72.9% (137/188) respectively, whereas in historical cohorts, a spontaneous improvement was observed in 7% to 27% without training respectively (p<.001). The benefit was observed regardless of the duration of the olfactory dysfunction. No or mild toxicity was reported by 86.6% (662/764) of patients. Severe toxicity leading to stop training was reported in 0.5% of patients.ConclusionsOlfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application seems to accelerate olfactive improvement in persistent olfactory dysfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially after 30 days of olfactory training. Maximal duration of training appeared to be 8 weeks.
Bentonite Clay Mixed With Different N Sources Have Variable Effect on Nitrate Leaching From Sandy Soil
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Tang Cheng , Irshad Muhammad , Khattak Riaz A. , Yao Chen , Song Di , Mohiuddin Muhammad 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Nitrate (NO3) leaching from soils results in lower soil fertility, reduced crop productivity and groundwater pollution. The present study determined NO3 leaching from bentonite [0, 2 and 4% (m/m)] treated sandy soil, under three N sources (calcium nitrate [Ca(NO3)2], ammonium chloride [NH4Cl], urea [CO(NH2)2] @ 300 kg N ha-1) with a leaching fraction of 0.3-0.4. Bentonite markedly reduced NO3 release in leachate, while 4% bentonite retained higher NO3 in soil. The NO3 leaching varied with N sources as Ca(NO3)2>NH4Cl>(CO(NH2)2. This study indicated that soil amendment with bentonite could efficiently mitigate NO3 leaching from soil and hence prevent N fertilizer losses and groundwater pollution.
Identification and Characterization of MRNAs, lncRNAs, and MiRNAs Expression Profiles and ceRNA Networks in PEDV Infection
Authors: Shi Xiaojie , Zhang Qi , Wang Jingjing , Zhang Yuting , Yan Yuchao , Liu Yi , Yang Naling , Wang Quanqiong , Xu Xingang G. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with no protein-coding ability and exert crucial effects on viral infection and host immune responses. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that seriously affects the swine industry. However, our understanding of the function of lncRNA involved in host-PEDV interaction is limited.Results: A total of 1197 mRNA transcripts, 539 lncRNA transcripts, and 208 miRNA transcripts were differentially regulated at 24 h and 48 h post-infection. Moreover, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that DE mRNAs and DE lncRNAs were mainly involved in biosynthesis, innate immunity, and lipid metabolism. Ten differentially expressed genes were randomly selected and validated by reverse-transcription qRT-PCR. In addition, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA-pathway network followed by a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network.Conclusions: The present study is the first to reveal the global expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs during PEDV infection. We comprehensively characterize the ceRNA networks which can provide new insights into the pathogenesis of PEDV.
Clinicians’ Voices on a Disciplinary Approach to Teaching Clinical Communication in the Chinese Context: Priorities, Challenges, and Scope
Authors: Pun Jack 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background: In the absence of a well-rounded syllabus to teach clinical communication, emphasising both interpersonal and medical dimensions, medical students in the early stages of their career may find it challenging to effectively communicate with patients, especially those from different cultural backgrounds. Aims: To explore the priorities, challenges and scope of teaching clinical communication in a Chinese context using a disciplinary approach, and to investigate how medical educators and clinicians teach clinical communication in their respective clinical disciplines. Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Data sources: Nine medical educators, all experienced frontline clinicians from 7 clinical disciplines, were recruited from 7 Hong Kong hospitals and 2 medical schools. They were interviewed to seek their views on teaching clinical communication in the Chinese context, specifically its priorities, challenges, and scope. Results: The interview data revealed 5 themes related to the priorities, challenges, and scope of teaching clinical communication across a wide range of clinical disciplines in the Chinese context, namely (1) showing empathy with patients; (2) using technology as a modern teaching approach to combine medical and interpersonal dimensions; (3) shared decision-making, reflecting the influence of Chinese collectivism and cultural attitudes towards death on communication with patients and their families; (4) interdisciplinary communication between medical departments; and (5) the role of language in clinician–patient communication. Conclusions: Taking a disciplinary perspective, the clinicians in this study approached the complex nature of teaching clinical communication in the Chinese context in different ways. The findings illustrated the need to teach clinical communication using a disciplinary approach in addition to teaching it generically across specialties. This is particularly important in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where clinicians frequently cooperate with physicians from other departments. This study also highlighted how non-verbal social cues, communication strategies, and the understanding of clinical communication in the Chinese context operate differently from those in the West, because of socio-cultural factors such as family dynamics and hierarchical social structures. We recommend a dynamic teaching approach using role-playing tasks, scenario-based examples, and similar activities to help medical students to establish well-rounded clinical communication experiences in preparation to overcome challenges in their future real-life clinical practice.
Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Reveal the Mechanism of Isodon Ternifolius (D. Don) Kudo Against Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Qin Le , Zhou Zhipin , Huang Hui , Wang Jingjing , Chen Yong , Nong Runan 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
BackgroundIsodon ternifolius (SanYe Xiang ChaCai, SYXCC) is a traditional Chinses medicine commonly used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China. Many studies have demonstrated the hepatoprotective or anti-fibrotic effects of SYXCC, but its pharmacological basis and mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we used in vitro models to validate the predicted results and reveal the potential mechanism of action and active ingredients with the help of network pharmacology methods and molecular docking.MethodsWe obtained the chemical structures of SYXCC by literatures. Potential targets of SYXCC were predicted by Swiss Target Prediction. The disease targets were collected through the databases of Gene Card. PPI protein interaction network was obtained using STRING database. Signaling pathway enrichment analysis was performed on drug-disease targets with of DAVID database. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cell was used to validate the results predicted by network pharmacology.Results90 pathways related to liver fibrosis were obtained by KEGG enrichment. We were interested in the top 25 core target proteins involved in the TLR4, MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways associated with liver fibrosis. RT-PCR result showed that SYXCC could reduce EGFR, ERK1, Akt1, VEFGR-2, ERK2 mRNA expression. Conclusion﻿In the study, our results suggest that a multitude of active ingredients of Isodon ternifouis play an important role in the liver fibrosis disease network. Inhibition of angiogenesis was a new potential pharmacological mechanism for the anti-hepatic fibrosis activity of Isodon ternifoius.
Sensitivity Enhancement of an Optical Sensor Based on A Binary Photonic Crystal for The Detection of Escherichia Coli by Controlling the Central Wavelength and The Angle of Incidence
Authors: Taya Sofyan A. , Alhamss Dana N. , Colak Ilhami , Patel Shobhit K. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The detection process of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in drinking water is a global problem as they can lead to hazardous conditions in the human body. In this work, a one-dimensional binary photonic crystal with the structure air/(GaAs,SiO2)N/D/(GaAs,SiO2)N/glass is proposed as an optical sensor to detect E. coli bacteria, where D is the defect layer. Water and E. coli bacteria are treated as the defect layer. The sensing mechanism of the proposed detector is based on the refractive index difference between pure water and waterborne bacteria samples. The transmission spectra of the photonic crystal are investigated and the sensitivity to E. coli bacteria is calculated. The effects of the central wavelength and the angle of incidence on the sensitivity and sensor performance parameters are studied. It is found that the central wavelength increase can enhance the sensor sensitivity and most of the performance parameters. Increasing the incidence angle can improve the sensitivity and all the performance parameters such as full width at half maximum, quality factor, detection limit, sensor resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range, detection accuracy and figure of merit.
Ulinastatin Activated The ERK5/Mer Signaling Pathway To Promote Macrophage Efferocytosis And Ameliorate Lung Inflammation
Authors: Li Jinju , Shao Rongge , Xie Qiuwen , Du XueKe 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Purpose:Ulinastatin (UTI) is an endogenous protease inhibitor with potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and organ protective effects. The inhibitor has been reported to ameliorate inflammatory lung injury but precise mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: An in vivo model of lung injury has been constructed by intratracheal infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The number of neutrophils and the phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils were observed by Diff- Quick method. Lung injury was observed by HE staining .BALF cells were counted by hemocytometer and concentrations of protein plus inflammatory factors were measured with a BCA test kit. During in vitro experiments, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with UTI (1000 and 5000U/ mL), stained with CellTrackerTM Green B0DIPYTM and HL60 cells added with UV-induced apoptosis and PKH26 Red staining. The expression of ERK5\Mer related proteins was detected by western blot and immunofluorescence.Results: An in vivo model of lung injury has been constructed by intratracheal infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). UTI treatment enhanced the phagocytotic effect of mouse alveolar macrophages on neutrophils, alleviated lung lesions, decreased the pro-inflammatory factor and total protein content of BALF and increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors. in vitro experiments ，UTI enhanced the phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Increased expression levels of ERK5 and Mer by UTI were shown by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Conclusions: UTI mediated the activation of the ERK5/Mer signaling pathway, enhanced phagocytosis of neutrophils by macrophages and improved lung inflammation. The current study indicates potential new clinical approaches for accelerating the recovery from lung inflammation.