bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treating paediatric hepatitis C in the era of direct‐acting antiviral agents
Authors: Alqahtani Saleh A. , Colombo Massimo G. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe prevalence and burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in children are poorly understood mainly as a result of the fact that studies in this population have largely been done in high‐risk groups and in highly endemic regions. Epidemiological studies estimate the viraemic prevalence in the paediatric population aged 0‐18 years at 0.13%, corresponding to 3.26 million children with HCV in 2018. While vertical transmission occurs in up to 5% of neonates born to infected mothers, with preference for those with high viral load and co‐infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, injection drug use is the prevalent modality of HCV infection among adolescents. Notwithstanding the fact that HCV usually has an indolent course in children and adolescents, hepatitis C may progress to significant liver disease in a fraction of patients. The finding of severe disease or cirrhosis in a minority of paediatric patients with HCV underscores the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent long‐term morbidity. Universal screening of HCV in pregnant women is key to identify infants exposed to such a risk and link them to care. Recently, direct‐acting antiviral drugs proved to be as safe and effective in young HCV patients as in adults, and these agents are now approved for treatment of paediatric patients as young as 3 years. This review provides a contemporary overview of the HCV disease burden in children, with a particular focus on its treatment in the era of direct‐acting antiviral agents.
A systematic review of economic evaluations for donor human milk versus standard feeding in infants
Authors: Zanganeh Mandana , Jordan Mary , Mistry Hema 
Published: February 2021

AbstractReviews on the cost/outcome of donor human milk (DHM) for infants requiring care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting have been undertaken. However, the cost‐effectiveness evidence is unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of published full economic evaluations of DHM versus standard feeding in infants in neonatal care with the aim of undertaking a narrative synthesis of the cost‐effectiveness evidence and critical appraisal of the methods used. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) and PROSPERO databases were searched. Studies were included if they were full economic evaluations (model‐based or trial‐based), the participants were infants in neonatal units requiring nutritional support, the intervention was DHM and the comparator was any standard feeding option. There were no restrictions on outcome measures. Two authors independently assessed eligibility, extracted data, assessed quality and cross‐checked results, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Information extracted focused on study context, and economic evaluation methods and results. Of 2861 studies, seven were included. Six (86%) studies originated from high‐income countries. Four (57%) of the studies were model‐based. Although we could not directly compare the different studies, due to the heterogenous nature of health and economic parameters used in the studies, all DHM interventions indicated cost‐effective or cost saving results. This review suggests that economic evaluation of DHM interventions is an expanding area of research. Although these interventions show promise, future economic evaluations of DHM interventions need to explicitly provide more details on long‐term costs and consequences.
Love and breakup letter methodology: A new research technique for medical education
Authors: Laughey William F. , Brown Megan E. L. , Liu Ariel , Dueñas Angelique N. , Finn Gabrielle M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn everyday life, feelings are important to us, influencing our decision‐making and motivating our actions. This is equally true within medicine and medical education, where feelings influence key aspects such as clinical decision‐making, empathy, resilience, professional identity, reflection, team dynamics, career choices and questions of prejudice and bias. Feelings are therefore legitimate targets in medical education research, but asking research participants to talk openly about feelings can be challenging for participants and researchers alike. Within the disciple of User Experience (UX)—a relatively new research discipline used in the world of technology—researchers also seek to understand their customer's feelings, which are central to aspects of brand loyalty and choice of software platforms. UX researchers have developed innovative ways to explore feelings, in particular through the use of Love and Breakup Methodology (LBM)—participants are asked to write love and breakup letters to the product or app under study, and the letters are then used to guide the focus group discussion that follows. Methods: In this article, we describe the theoretical underpinnings of LBM, including ontological considerations. We also consider how LBM can be successfully used in medical education research and outline how we have adapted it in our own research studies and programme evaluations. Conclusions: Love and breakup letters are creative ways of understanding participants’ positive and negative emotions about the matter under study. LBM has been utilised extensively by UX researchers in technology, but has been little used in medical education. It has rich potential to enhance research approaches to aspects of medicine that are influenced by feelings, including empathy and resilience, team working and many other aspects of professional practice. Although principally a focus group research tool, it can be adapted to other approaches, including questionnaire surveys and individual interviews.
Invoking culture in medical education research: A critical review and metaphor analysis
Authors: Bearman Margaret , Mahoney Paige , Tai Joanna , Castanelli Damian , Watling Christopher 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIntroduction‘Culture’ is a word frequently invoked within medical education literature to explain challenges faced by learners in practice. While social settings and practices are widely acknowledged as critical influences on medical education, there is vast variability in how the term ‘culture’ is employed. This may lead to confusion, resulting in assumptions and oversights.ObjectiveThis critical literature review aims to characterise how the term ‘culture’ is explicitly and implicitly conceptualised in medical education research.MethodsFour leading English language journals in the medical education field were searched in a twelve‐month period for research papers or reviews that mentioned culture in title or abstract in a substantive way. A content analysis was undertaken of extracted definitions. In addition, metaphor analysis was used to identify conceptual metaphors, which were subsequently clustered thematically.ResultsOur search yielded 26 papers, 8 of which contained definitions, mostly from the organisational literature. We interpreted nine conceptual metaphors related to how the term culture was employed (terroir, divider, dominant force, toxic force, obstacle, microclimate, object, brand and holdall) in four categories (unchanging, powerful, can adapt around, can be used).DiscussionThis critical review reveals that medical education as a field: 1) draws most explicitly from the organisational literature; 2) invokes culture in multiple means but in ways that privilege either acontextual human agency or all‐powerful social forces; and 3) regards culture as a negative or neutral force but rarely a positive one. There is a notable absence around conceptualisations of 'culture' that allow educator, student and administrator agency but at the same time acknowledge the deep forces that various social settings and practices exert. Other literatures investigating learning cultures and cultural reflexivity focus on this nexus and may provide possible means to advance considerations of culture within medical education research.
Validation and implementation of a commercial real‐time PCR assay for direct detection of Candida auris from surveillance samples
Authors: Mulet Bayona Juan V. , Salvador García Carme , Tormo Palop Nuria , Gimeno Cardona Concepción 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundRapid and reliable laboratory methods are required for detecting the nosocomial yeast Candida auris. AurisID® (Olm Diagnostics) is a real‐time PCR assay approved for detecting C. auris in fungal cultures and directly from blood samples, involving a nucleic acid extraction as a prior step.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to validate the AurisID® kit for direct detection of C. auris from surveillance samples without prior DNA extraction and to analyse the results of implementing this methodology to our daily laboratory routine protocol for C. auris surveillance studies.MethodsOur PCR method using the AurisID® kit was compared with our routine protocol, consisting of culture in CHROMagar® Candida and identification by mass spectrometry. A total of 113 swabs were used for validation and 136 pair of surveillance samples were tested. Limit of detection (LOD) was determined by using swabs in Amies transport medium, which were spiked in a series of dilutions of a C. auris standardised suspension (0.5 McFarland).ResultsThe PCR method showed high sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive value and predictive negative value (96.6%, 100%, 100% and 98.2%, respectively) when compared with the routine protocol. LOD was 500 CFU/ml, which corresponds to approximately 1 CFU/PCR.ConclusionsOur PCR method using the AurisID® kit allows a reduction in the turnaround time for surveillance of C. auris compared with other methods. These results are expected to contribute to control C. auris outbreaks, allowing isolation of patients and cleaning of environmental surfaces in advance.
Non‐dermatophyte fungi in onychomycosis—Epidemiology and consequences for clinical practice
Authors: Reinel Dieter 
Published: February 2021

AbstractOnychomycoses are difficult‐to‐treat fungal infections with a high recurrence rate that relates to the anatomic and pathophysiological conditions in the nail organ and the required extended duration of treatment. Clinical‐epidemiological studies demonstrated that non‐dermatophyte molds and yeasts are the primary causative agents in 20%–30% of onychomycoses. Mixed infections with dermatophytes are observed as well. Therefore, the causative agents should be determined by fungal culture and the antifungal treatment regimen should reliably cover non‐dermatophytes, if appropriate. Systemic‐topical combination therapy involving a broad‐spectrum, locally applied antifungal may increase the mycological and clinical cure rates compared to monotherapy with systemic drugs.
Food allergy history and reaction to propofol administration in a large pediatric population
Authors: Bagley Lisa , Kordun Anna , Sinnott Sean , Lobo Kimberly , Cravero Joseph 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundAnaphylaxis to propofol is rare; however, providers face a clinical quandary as medication warnings still exist regarding propofol administration to egg‐, soy‐, and peanut‐allergic patients.AimsThe primary aim evaluated the rate of allergic reactions during propofol‐containing anesthesia in patients listed allergic to egg, soy, or peanut compared with nonallergic patients who received propofol. The secondary aim evaluated the relationship between food allergy history and allergy testing data.MethodsA retrospective chart review conducted between May 2012 and October 2018 identified pediatric patients listed allergic to egg, soy, and/or peanut, who received propofol. Allergy testing and results are presented. Evidence of allergic reaction to propofol during anesthesia was evaluated, and compared with a large nonallergic cohort who received propofol.ResultsOf the 232 392 anesthetics administered, 177 360 (76%) included propofol and 11308 (6%) involved a patient listed allergic to at least 1 index food. A large number of patients had no food allergy testing (n = 6153) or negative testing (n = 2198). Of the 3435 patients listed egg‐allergic, 976 tested positive; 750 tested negative; and 1709 had no testing. Of the 2011 patients listed soy‐allergic, 322 tested positive; 585 tested negative; and 1104 had no testing. Additionally, 5862 patients were listed peanut‐allergic; 1659 tested positive; 863 tested negative and 3340 had no testing. One record of proven propofol anaphylaxis occurred; it was in a patient without a history of food allergies. There were 6 other cases of suspected allergy to propofol. One had a peanut and tree nut allergy and was lost to follow‐up; one had no testing available, while 4 patients had positive propofol allergy testing and positive allergy tests to other medications. The rate of proven propofol anaphylaxis during anesthesia in the nonallergic cohort was 0.06/10 000, and the rate in egg‐ and soy‐allergic patients was 0/5446. One patient with a listed peanut allergy had a possible reaction to propofol.ConclusionsIn the listed food‐allergic cohort, the majority had no allergy testing or negative testing. We found no evidence of a relationship between food allergy history and perioperative propofol reaction. We suggest multiply allergic and atopic patients may have a similar likelihood of propofol reaction as with other medications.
A piggyBac‐mediated transgenesis system for the temporary expression of CRISPR/Cas9 in rice
Authors: Nishizawa‐Yokoi Ayako , Toki Seiichi 
Published: February 2021

SummaryTargeted mutagenesis via CRISPR/Cas9 is now widely used, not only in model plants but also in agriculturally important crops. However, in vegetative crop propagation, CRISPR/Cas9 expression cassettes cannot be segregated out in the resulting progenies, but must nevertheless be eliminated without leaving unnecessary sequences in the genome. To this end, we designed a piggyBac‐mediated transgenesis system for the temporary expression of CRISPR/Cas9 in plants. This system allows integration into the host genome of piggyBac carrying both CRISPR/Cas9 and positive selection marker expression cassettes from an extrachromosomal double‐stranded transfer DNA (dsT‐DNA), with subsequent excision of the transgenes by the re‐transposition of piggyBac from the host genome after successful induction of targeted mutagenesis via CRISPR/Cas9. Here, we demonstrate that the transgenesis system via piggyBac transposition from T‐DNA works to deliver transgenes in rice. Following positive–negative selection to exclude transgenic cells randomly transformed with T‐DNA, piggyBac‐mediated transgenesis from the extrachromosomal dsT‐DNA was successful in ca. 1% of transgenic callus lines. After temporary expression of CRISPR/Cas9 within piggyBac, we confirmed, in a proof‐of‐concept experiment, that piggyBac could be excised precisely from the genome via the stably transformed transposase PBase. Even after excision of piggyBac, CRISPR/Cas9‐induced targeted mutations could be detected in the endogenous gene in regenerated rice plants. These results suggest that our piggyBac‐mediated transgenesis system will be a valuable tool in establishing efficient CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated targeted mutagenesis in vegetatively propagated crops.
Dissecting the transcriptional regulation of proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin biosynthesis in soybean (Glycine max)
Authors: Lu Nan , Rao Xiaolan , Li Ying , Jun Ji Hyung , Dixon Richard A. 
Published: February 2021

SummaryProanthocyanidins (PAs), also known as condensed tannins, are plant natural products that are beneficial for human and livestock health. As one of the largest grown crops in the world, soybean (Glycine max) is widely used as human food and animal feed. Many cultivated soybeans with yellow seed coats lack PAs or anthocyanins, although some soybean cultivars have coloured seed coats that contain these compounds. Here, we analyse the transcriptional control of PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis in soybean. Ectopic expression of the transcription factors (TFs) GmTT2A, GmTT2B, GmMYB5A or R in soybean hairy roots induced the accumulation of PAs (primarily in phloem tissues) or anthocyanins and led to up‐regulation of 1775, 856, 1411 and 1766 genes, respectively, several of which encode enzymes involved in PA biosynthesis. The genes regulated by GmTT2A and GmTT2B partially overlapped, suggesting conserved but potentially divergent roles for these two TFs in regulating PA accumulation in soybean. The two key enzymes anthocyanidin reductase and leucoanthocyanidin reductase were differentially upregulated, by GmTT2A/GmTT2B and GmMYB5A, respectively. Transgenic soybean plants overexpressing GmTT2B or MtLAP1 (a proven up‐regulator of the upstream reactions for production of precursors for PA biosynthesis in legumes) showed increased accumulation of PAs and anthocyanins, respectively, associated with transcriptional reprogramming paralleling the RNA‐seq data collected in soybean hairy roots. Collectively, our results show that engineered PA biosynthesis in soybean exhibits qualitative and spatial differences from the better‐studied model systems Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula, and suggest targets for engineering PAs in soybean plants.
Pediatric palliative care from nursing and PharmD perspectives
Authors: Abuhammad Sawsan , Alzoubi Karem H. , Muflih Suhaib , Almasri Roaa 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundThis research aimed to survey a sample of nursing students and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in Jordan about their knowledge of pediatric palliative care (PPC) in the context of treating terminally ill children.MethodA descriptive, cross‐sectional, correlational design was used to fulfill the goal of this research. A convenience sample of nursing and PharmD students currently studying in Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan was recruited to complete a survey that contained 20 statements about issues on and around the subject of PPC.ResultsThe results showed that there was a significant difference in PPC between nurses and PharmD students. The mother’s education (t = 2.158, P = 0.032) and being a nursing or PharmD student (t = 1.969, P = 0.050) were associated with knowledge about PPC. Other listed factors such as gender, working ward, and age were not associated with knowledge of PPC.ConclusionThis was the first study in Jordan to survey a sample of nursing students and PharmD students in Jordan about their knowledge of PPC. The current study found that knowledge of nursing and PharmD students regarding PPC was satisfactory, depending on the scale used.
Sunscreens and Cosmetic Formulations Containing Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate and Rice Peptides for the Improvement of Skin Photoaging: A Double‐blind, Randomized Placebo‐controlled Clinical Study
Authors: Fossa Shirata Marina Mendes , Maia Campos Patrícia Maria Berardo Gonçalves 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPhotoprotective formulations containing substances with antioxidant properties in combination have been used as a strategy for the improvement of photoaged skin conditions. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of these substances in young women with signs of photoaging. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of sunscreens and cosmetic formulations containing ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate and rice peptides for the improvement of skin photoaging in young women. A double‐blind, randomized placebo‐controlled clinical efficacy study was conducted on 60 female subjects aged 20–30 years with skin changes related to photoaging and without photoprotective habits. The hydrolipidic layer conditions and structural and morphological characteristics of the skin were evaluated by biophysical and skin imaging techniques. The results showed that the daily use of the formulations under study improved the skin conditions by increasing skin hydration and dermis echogenicity. In addition, the application of the active substances reduced skin hyperpigmentation and increased epidermal cell renewal. In summary, the present study showed the importance of daily application of sunscreens and formulations with antioxidant properties for the prevention and attenuation of skin changes related to photoaging in young women.
A Third Luminous Shark Family: Confirmation of Luminescence Ability for Zameus squamulosus (Squaliformes; Somniosidae)
Authors: Duchatelet Laurent , Marion Raphaël , Mallefet Jérôme 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSince recently, shark’s bioluminescence has been recorded from two Squaliformes families, the Etmopteridae and Dalatiidae. Pictures of luminescence, light organ morphologies and physiology of the luminous control have been described for species of the Etmopteridae and Dalatiidae families. In 2015, a third luminous family, Somniosidae, was assumed to present a bioluminescent species, Zameus squamulosus. Up to now, confirmation of the luminous abilities of Z. squamulosus is lacking. Here, the luminescence of Z. squamulosus was in vivo recorded for the first time confirming the bioluminescence status of the third luminescent shark family. Additionally, photophore histology revealed the conservation of the light organ morphology across the luminous Squaliformes. Light transmittance analysis through the placoid scale added information on the luminescence efficiency and highlighted a new type of bioluminescent‐like squamation. All these data reinforced the likelihood that the common ancestor of Dalatiidae, Etmopteridae and Somniosidae may already have been luminescent for counterillumination purpose.
Heterotrimeric G protein signalling in plant biotic and abiotic stress response
Authors: Zhang H. , Xie P. , Xu X. , Xie Q. , Yu F. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractHeterotrimeric G proteins act as molecular switches to participate in transmitting various stimuli signals from outside of cells. G proteins have three subunits, Gα, Gβ and Gγ, which function mutually to modulate many biological processes in plants, including plant growth and development, as well as biotic and abiotic stress responses. In plants, the number of Gγ subunits is larger than that of the α and β subunits. Based on recent breakthroughs in studies of plant G protein signal perception, transduction and downstream effectors, this review summarizes and analyses the connections between different subunits and the interactions of G proteins with other signalling pathways, especially in plant biotic and abiotic stress responses. Based on current progress and unresolved questions in the field, we also suggest future research directions on G proteins in plants.
Earning and Learning with Varying Cost
Authors: Zhong Ying , Hong L. Jeff , Liu Guangwu 
Published: February 2021

We study a dynamic pricing problem where the observed cost in each selling period varies from period to period, and the demand function is unknown and only depends on the price. The decision maker needs to select a price from a menu of K prices in each period to maximize the expected cumulative profit. Motivated by the classical upper confidence bound (UCB) algorithm for the multi‐armed bandit problem, we propose a UCB‐Like policy to select the price. When the cost is a continuous random variable, as the cost varies, the profit of the optimal price can be arbitrarily close to that of the second‐best price, making it very difficult to make the correct decision. In this situation, we show that the expected cumulative regret of our policy grows in the order of (log T)2, where T is the number of selling periods. When the cost takes discrete values from a finite set and all prices are optimal for some costs, we show that the expected cumulative regret is upper bounded by a constant for any T. This result suggests that in this situation, the suboptimal price will only be selected in a finite number of periods, and the trade‐off between earning and learning vanishes and learning is no longer necessary beyond a certain period.