julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Clubfoot treatment with Ponseti method – Parental distress during plaster casting
2020-04-09

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background: </bold>Clubfoot is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal congenital defects. Gold standard treatment of idiopathic clubfoot is the conservative Ponseti method, including the reduction of deformity with weekly serial plaster casting and percutaneous Achilles tenotomy. It is well known that parents of children with severe and chronic illnesses are mentally stressed, but in recent studies regarding clubfoot treatment, parents were only asked about their satisfaction with the treatment. Largely unknown is parental distress before and during plaster casting in clubfoot.Therefore, we want to determinate first, how pronounced the parents' worries are before treatment and if they decrease during the therapy. Second, we hypothesized that parents faced with an extreme deformity (high Pirani-Score), reveal more distress, than parents whose children have a less pronounced deformity (low Pirani-Score). Therefore, we wanted to investigate weather the Pirani score correlates with the parents' mental resilience in relation to the therapy of the child as a global distress parameter.<bold>Methods: </bold>To answer this question, we developed a questionnaire with the following emphases: Physical capacity, mental resilience, motion score, parents score and child score with point scores 1 (not affected) to 6 (high affected). Subsequently, we interviewed 20 parents whose children were treated with clubfeet and determined the Pirani score of the infants at the beginning (T<sub>0</sub>) and at the end (T<sub>E</sub>) of the treatment with plaster casting.<bold>Results: </bold>High values were obtained in child score (Mean (M) = 3.11), motion score (M = 2.63) and mental resilience (M = 2.25) and. During treatment, mental resilience improved (p = 0.015) significantly. The Spearmann correlation coefficient between Pirani-Score (T<sub>0</sub>) and mental resilience (T<sub>0</sub>) is 0.21, so the initial hypothesis had to be rejected. <bold>Conclusion: </bold>The issues of the children are in the focus of parental worries concerning clubfoot treatment, especially the assumed future motion and the assumed ability to play with other children. Particular emphasis should be placed on educating parents about the excellent long-term results in the function of the treated feet especially as this topic shows the greatest parental distress.
Prediction of mortality rate in acute type A dissection: the German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection score
2020-04-10

Abstract OBJECTIVES The goal was to develop a scoring system to predict the 30-day mortality rate for patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection on the basis of the German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (GERAADA) data set and to provide a Web-based application for standard use. METHODS A total of 2537 patients enrolled in GERAADA who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2015 were analysed. Variable selection was performed using the R-package FAMoS. The robustness of the results was confirmed via the bootstrap procedure. The coefficients of the final model were used to calculate the risk score in a Web-based application. RESULTS Age [odds ratio (OR) 1.018, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.009–1.026; P &amp;lt; 0.001; 5-year OR: 1.093], need for catecholamines at referral (OR 1.732, 95% CI 1.340–2.232; P &amp;lt; 0.001), preoperative resuscitation (OR 3.051, 95% CI 2.099–4.441; P &amp;lt; 0.001), need for intubation before surgery (OR 1.949, 95% CI 1.465–2.585; P &amp;lt; 0.001), preoperative hemiparesis (OR 1.442, 95% CI 0.996–2.065; P = 0.049), coronary malperfusion (OR 1.870, 95% CI 1.386–2.509; P &amp;lt; 0.001), visceral malperfusion (OR 1.748, 95% CI 1.198–2.530; P = 0.003), dissection extension to the descending aorta (OR 1.443, 95% CI 1.120–1.864; P = 0.005) and previous cardiac surgery (OR 1.772, 95% CI 1.048–2.903; P = 0.027) were independent predictors of the 30-day mortality rate. The Web application based on the final model can be found at https://www.dgthg.de/de/GERAADA_Score. CONCLUSIONS The GERAADA score is a simple, effective tool to predict the 30-day mortality rate for patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. We recommend the widespread use of this Web-based application for standard use.
A Vanadium(III) Complex with Blue and NIR-II Spin-Flip Luminescence in Solution
2020-04-10

Luminescence from Earth-abundant metal ions in solution at room temperature is a very challenging objective due to the intrinsically weak ligand field splitting of first-row transition metal ions, which leads to efficient nonradiative deactivation via metal-centered states. Only a handful of 3d<sup><i>n</i></sup> metal complexes (<i>n</i> ≠ 10) show sizable luminescence at room temperature. Luminescence in the near-infrared spectral region is even more difficult to achieve as further nonradiative pathways come into play. No Earth-abundant first-row transition metal complexes have displayed emission >1000 nm at room temperature in solution up to now. Here, we report the vanadium(III) complex <i>mer</i>-[V(ddpd)<sub>2</sub>][PF<sub>6</sub>]<sub>3</sub> yielding phosphorescence around 1100 nm in valeronitrile glass at 77 K as well as at room temperature in acetonitrile with 1.8 × 10<sup>-4</sup>% quantum yield (ddpd = <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>'-dimethyl-<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>'-dipyridine-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine). In addition, <i>mer</i>-[V(ddpd)<sub>2</sub>][PF<sub>6</sub>]<sub>3</sub> shows very strong blue fluorescence with 2% quantum yield in acetonitrile at room temperature. Our comprehensive study demonstrates that vanadium(III) complexes with d<sup>2</sup> electron configuration constitute a new class of blue and NIR-II luminophores, which complement the classical established complexes of expensive precious metals and rare-earth elements.
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is under global metabolic control by PII signaling
2020-04-10

Abstract Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is the second major carbon‐fixing enzyme in photoautotrophic organisms. PEPC is required for the synthesis of amino acids of the glutamate and aspartate family by replenishing the TCA cycle. Furthermore, in cyanobacteria, PEPC, together with malate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme, forms a metabolic shunt for the synthesis of pyruvate from PEP. During this process, CO 2 is first fixed and later released again. Due to its central metabolic position, it is crucial to fully understand the regulation of PEPC. Here, we identify PEPC from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (PEPC) as a novel interaction partner for the global signal transduction protein P II . In addition to an extensive characterization of PEPC, we demonstrate specific P II –PEPC complex formation and its enzymatic consequences. PEPC activity is tuned by the metabolite‐sensing properties of P II : Whereas in the absence of P II, PEPC is subjected to ATP inhibition, it is activated beyond its basal activity in the presence of P II . Furthermore, P II –PEPC complex formation is inhibited by ADP and PEPC activation by P II ‐ATP is mitigated in the presence of 2‐OG, linking PEPC regulation to the cell's global carbon/nitrogen status. Finally, physiological relevance of the in vitro measurements was proven by metabolomic analyses of Synechocystis wild‐type and P II ‐deficient cells.
Cheater Detection Using the Unrelated Question Model
2020-04-10

Randomized response techniques (RRTs) are useful survey tools for estimating the prevalence of sensitive issues, such as the prevalence of doping in elite sports. One type of RRT, the unrelated question model (UQM), has become widely used because of its psychological acceptability for study participants and its favorable statistical properties. One drawback of this model, however, is that it does not allow for detecting cheaters—individuals who disobey the survey instructions and instead give self-protecting responses. In this article, we present refined versions of the UQM designed to detect the prevalence of cheating responses. We provide explicit formulas to calculate the parameters of these refined UQM versions and show how the empirical adequacy of these versions can be tested. The Appendices contain R-code for all necessary calculations.
Extubation and Noninvasive Ventilation of Patients Supported by Extracorporeal Life Support for Cardiogenic Shock: A Single-Center Retrospective Observational Cohort Study
2020-04-10

Background: Temporary extracorporeal life support (ECLS) by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an emerging therapy for patients with severe, ongoing cardiogenic shock. After stabilization of the hemodynamic status and end-organ function, sedation weaning, extubation, and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) can be attempted. The goal of this study was to analyze the feasibility of extubation and NIV during versus after ECLS for cardiogenic shock. Methods: Single-center retrospective observational study of 132 patients undergoing ECLS due to severe cardiogenic shock between January 2015 and December 2016 at a tertiary care university hospital. Results: Patients received ECLS due to acute myocardial infarction (20.6%), ongoing cardiogenic shock (15.2%), postoperative low-cardiac-output syndrome (24.2%), and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (40.2%). Overall, intensive care unit survival was 44.7%. Sixty-nine (52.3%) patients could never be extubated. Forty-three (32.6%) were extubated while on ECLS support (group 1) and 20 (15.1%) were extubated after weaning from ECLS (group 2). Patients extubated during ECLS had a significantly shorter total time on ventilator ( P = .003, mean difference: −284 hours [95% confidence limits: −83 to −484]) and more invasive ventilation free days ( P = .0018; mean difference 8 days [95%CL: 2-14]). Mortality and NIV failure rates were similar between groups. Conclusions: Extubation and NIV are feasible in patients who stabilize during ECLS therapy. Further studies need to address whether extubation has the potential to improve patients outcome or if the feasibility to extubate is a surrogate for disease severeness.
The EXOTIME project: signals in the O–C diagrams of the rapidly pulsating subdwarfs DW Lyn, V1636 Ori, QQ Vir, and V541 Hya
2020-04-10

Aims. We aim to investigate variations in the arrival time of coherent stellar pulsations due to the light-travel time effect to test for the presence of sub-stellar companions. Those companions are the key to one possible formation scenario of apparently single sub-dwarf B stars. Methods. We made use of an extensive set of ground-based observations of the four large amplitude p -mode pulsators DW Lyn, V1636 Ori, QQ Vir, and V541 Hya. Observations of the TESS space telescope are available on two of the targets. The timing method compares the phase of sinusoidal fits to the full multi-epoch light curves with phases from the fit of a number of subsets of the original time series. Results. Observations of the TESS mission do not sample the pulsations well enough to be useful due to the (currently) fixed two-minute cadence. From the ground-based observations, we infer evolutionary parameters from the arrival times. The residual signals show many statistically significant periodic signals, but no clear evidence for changes in arrival time induced by sub-stellar companions. The signals can be explained partly by mode beating effects. We derive upper limits on companion masses set by the observational campaign.
The regulation of a pigmentation gene in the formation of complex color patterns inDrosophilaabdomens
2020-04-10

Abstract Changes in cis -regulatory modules (CRMs) that control developmental gene expression patterns have been implicated in the evolution of animal morphology 1-6 . However, the genetic mechanisms underlying complex morphological traits remain largely unknown. Here we investigated the molecular mechanisms that induce the pigmentation gene yellow ( y ) in a complex spot and shade pattern on the abdomen of the quinaria group species Drosophila guttifera . We show that the y expression pattern is controlled by only one CRM, which contains a stripe-inducing CRM at its core. We identified several developmental genes that may collectively interact with the CRM to orchestrate the patterning in the pupal abdomen of D. guttifera . We further show that the core CRM is conserved among D. guttifera and the closely related quinaria group species Drosophila deflecta , which displays a similarly spotted abdominal pigment pattern. Our data suggest that besides direct activation of patterns in distinct spots, abdominal spot patterns in Drosophila species may have evolved through partial repression of an ancestral stripe pattern, leaving isolated spots behind. Abdominal pigment patterns of extant quinaria group species support the partial repression hypothesis and further emphasize the modularity of the D. guttifera pattern.
News and uncertainty about COVID-19: Survey evidence and short-run economic impact
2020-04-10

We survey households about their expectations of the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, in real time and at daily frequency. Our baseline question asks about the expected impact on output and inflation over a one-year horizon. Starting on March 10, the median response suggests that the expected output loss is still moderate. This changes over the course of three weeks: At the end of March, the expected loss amounts to some 15 percent. Meanwhile, the pandemic is expected to raise inflation considerably. The uncertainty about these effects is very large. In the second part of the paper we feed the survey data into a New Keynesian business cycle model. Because the economic costs of the pandemic have not fully materialized yet but are nonetheless (a) anticipated and (b) uncertain, private expenditure collapses, thereby amplifying and bringing forward in time the economic costs of the pandemic. The short-run economic impact of the pandemic depends critically on whether monetary policy accommodates the drop in the natural rate of interest or not.
Can an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine be developed for the older population?
2020-04-11

Abstract The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its inordinately rapid spread is posing severe challenges to the wellbeing of millions of people worldwide, health care systems and the global economy. While many younger people experience no or mild symptoms on infection, older adults are highly susceptible to life-threatening respiratory and systemic conditions which demand a full understanding and leveraging of knowledge of the differences between immunity in young and old people. Consequently, we welcome papers addressing any issues relevant to immunity and ageing in the context of SARS-CoV-2, and will endeavour to fast-track peer-review. We aim to provide a platform exclusively for discussions of individual and age differences in susceptibility and immune responses to COVID caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and how to prevent or reduce severity of disease in older adults.
Risk to cultural heritage in Baixa Pombalina (Lisbon Downtown) - a transdisciplinary approach to exposure and drivers of vulnerability
2020-04-11

This paper seeks to understand the relationship between risk and cultural heritage as a strategy to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities of populations and their cultural heritage. It focuses on the built heritage of Lisbon Downtown in its different dimensions, tangible and intangible, and argues for the concept of place identity as a way of fully understanding the cultural heritage of the city.It also analyses how changes in the urban fabric and socio-dynamics affect the exposure of Lisbon Downtown's cultural heritage to natural and human-induced hazards. Research methods rely on literature review, analysis of municipal data and reports, GIS risk mapping and fieldwork. The latter includes interviews with local people and tourists on risk perception. The cross-referencing of these multiple types of evidence highlights the need for deepening risk and vulnerability assessments studies to better prepare the city of Lisbon, and by analogy other cities, for the next disaster. This study suggests that identifying vulnerability drivers, such as recent building transformations and mass tourism, is critical to reducing risk and mitigating impacts on the city's cultural heritage.
Comprehensive molecular analysis of 61 Egyptian families with hereditary nonsyndromic hearing loss
2020-04-12

Abstract Nonsyndromic hearing loss is an extremely heterogeneous disorder. Thus, clinical diagnostics is challenging, in particular due to differences in the etiology of hearing loss between populations. With this study, we wanted to elucidate the genetic basis of hearing loss in 61 consanguineous Egyptian families. In 25 families, linkage analysis was used as a prescreening to identify regions for targeted sequencing of candidate genes. Initially, the coding regions of 12 and later of 94 genes associated with hearing loss were enriched and subjected to massively parallel sequencing (MPS) with diagnostic yields of 36% and 75%, respectively. Causative variants were identified in 48 families (79%). They were found in 23 different genes with the majority being located in MYO15A (15.3%), SLC26A4 (9.7%), GJB2 (8.3%), and MYO7A (6.4%). As many as 32 variants were novel ones at the time of detection. Five variants were shared by two, three, or even four families. Our study provides a first survey of the mutational spectrum of deaf patients in Egypt revealing less GJB2 variants than in many European populations. It underlines the value of targeted enrichment of well‐selected deafness genes in combination with MPS in the diagnostics of this frequent and genetically heterogeneous disorder.
'We always support each other – no matter what': a qualitative analysis of work-related psychosocial demands, stressors and resources in general practice teams
2020-04-12

<title>Abstract</title> Background Work-related stress has been associated with poor psychological and physical outcomes. A better understanding of work-related psychosocial demands, risks and resources can therefore contribute to the prevention of work-related stress. Compared to the general population, medical staff have reported a higher prevalence of chronic stress. Using general practices as an example for small enterprises, this study aims to gain a deeper understanding of work-related psychosocial demands, stressors and resources in the primary care setting. Methods We applied an ethnographic design, comprising a combination of participating observations, individual interviews with physicians (N = 6) and focus group discussion with physician assistants and administrative staff (N = 19) in five general practices in Germany. Access to the practice teams was established via a local general practice network. A grounded theory approach was applied to analyze all data. Results Our results identified specific psychosocial demands, stressors and resources exemplified mainly along two typical tasks in GP practices: the issuing of medical prescriptions and blood sampling. Main psychosocial risks included factors related to work content and tasks (eg, incompleteness of task), organization of work (eg, frequent interruptions), and the working environment (eg, noise). Work-related resources comprised staff’s influence on aspects related to work organization (eg, scope for action) and social support (eg, positively perceived teamwork). Conclusion Although work processes in general practices are complex and partly regulated by law, there are opportunities for practice owners and practice teams to establish working procedures in ways that reduce psychosocial risks and strengthen work-related resources.
The benefits and caveats of using clickstream data to understand student self-regulatory behaviors: opening the black box of learning processes
2020-04-13

Abstract Student clickstream data—time-stamped records of click events in online courses—can provide fine-grained information about student learning. Such data enable researchers and instructors to collect information at scale about how each student navigates through and interacts with online education resources, potentially enabling objective and rich insight into the learning experience beyond self-reports and intermittent assessments. Yet, analyses of these data often require advanced analytic techniques, as they only provide a partial and noisy record of students’ actions. Consequently, these data are not always accessible or useful for course instructors and administrators. In this paper, we provide an overview of the use of clickstream data to define and identify behavioral patterns that are related to student learning outcomes. Through discussions of four studies, we provide examples of the complexities and particular considerations of using these data to examine student self-regulated learning.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Cobalt(I) and Iridium(I) Complexes Bearing a Pentadentate N-Homoallyl-Substituted Bis(NHC) Pincer Ligand
2020-04-13

Two methods for the synthesis of the bis(imidazolin-2-ylidene)carbazolide cobalt(I) complex [Co(bimcaHomo)] (2) have been developed. The first route relies on the direct transmetalation of the in situ generated lithium complex [Li(bimcaHomo)] with CoCl(PPh3)3. The second route is a two-step synthesis that consists of the transmetalation of [Li(bimcaHomo)] with CoCl2 followed by reduction of the Co(II) complex to yield the desired Co(I) complex 2. The analogous iridium complex [Ir(bimcaHomo)] (4) was prepared by transmetalation of [Li(bimcaHomo)] or [K(bimcaHomo)] with [Ir(μ-Cl)(COD)]2. The catalytic activity of complexes 2 and 4 in the epoxide isomerization was tested in the absence and presence of H2. When [M(bimcaHomo)] (M = Ir (4), Rh (3)) was exposed to 1 bar of H2 at 80 °C, single crystals formed whose X-ray structure analyses revealed the hydrogenation of the N-homoallyl moieties and formation of the dimeric hydrido complexes [Ir(bimcan-Bu)(H)2]2 (7) and [Rh(bimcan-Bu)(H)2]2 (8).
MR Thermometry Data Correlate with Pathological Response for Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Lower Extremity in a Single Center Analysis of Prospectively Registered Patients
2020-04-13

Background: There is a strong biologic rationale for using locoregional hyperthermia in soft tissue sarcoma and a randomized trial reported significant improvements with hyperthermia. The aim of this study was to describe the opportunities of magnetic resonance (MR)-based thermometry in a cohort of soft tissue sarcoma patients undergoing combined radiotherapy and locoregional hyperthermia. Patients and Methods: For eleven evaluable patients, tumor volume (VTu) and a separate volume for temperature analysis with reliable temperature distribution (Vtherm) were contoured for every hyperthermia treatment (103 therapies). Temperature data were recorded for all tumors and were correlated with clinical features and pathologic response data. Results: Of 48 patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas treated with radio(chemo)therapy and locoregional hyperthermia, MR thermometry was possible in 11 (23%) patients. For all patients, the temperature superseded by 90% of VTu (T90(VTu)) and T90 (Vtherm) were in the range of 37–43 °C and 40–45 °C, respectively. Larger tumors tended to reach higher temperatures. For tumors showing a pathologic response in the resection specimen after preoperative treatment, temperature (T90 (Vtherm)) was significantly higher than in tumors without pathologic response. Conclusion: Lower extremity sarcomas undergoing preoperative treatment with locoregional hyperthermia are especially suitable for MR thermometry. MR thermometry is a promising non-invasive way for temperature measurement during locoregional hyperthermia, showing a positive dose-response relationship.