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Various communication and behavioral theories have been adopted to address health infodemics. However, there is no framework specially designed for social listening studies using social media data, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques. We aimed to propose a novel yet theory-based conceptual framework for infodemic research. We collected theories and models used in COVID-19 related studies published in peer-reviewed journals, ranging from health behavior, communication, to infodemic studies. These were analyzed and critiqued for their components, and we subsequently proposed a conceptual framework with a demonstration. Accordingly, we proposed our “Social Media Listening for Public Health Behavior” conceptual framework by not only integrating important attributes of existing theories, but also adding new attributes. The proposed conceptual framework can be used to better understand public discourse on social media, and can be integrated with other data analyses to gather a more comprehensive picture.

Objective: The goal of this study is to understand the attitudes and beliefs towards mandatory vaccination policies in Alberta, Canada in September 2021, during the fourth wave of COVID-19.Methods: 9400 posts between 1st September and 30th September 2021 were collected from the subreddit r/Alberta with Pushshift.io. Posts and comments were manually screened to determine their relevance to research objectives, and then coded using inductive coding and iterative qualitative analysis methods.Results: Inductive coding methods yielded five key themes: 1) opinions related to autonomy and consent, 2) concerns about COVID-19 vaccine passport enforcement, 3) concerns about government, 4) concerns about the logistics of passports, and 5) opinions relating to the necessity of passports to prevent lockdowns.Conclusion: Overall, the data presented favorable opinions towards an Albertan vaccine passport within r/Alberta. Anti-vaccine and anti-mandate opinions were often less extreme than those present in the literature, although this may be due to r/Alberta subreddit moderators removing those more extreme comments. Most reservations were due to issues of bodily autonomy, though concerns about the government and logistics also played a meaningful role.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-induced dorsal root ganglia (DRG) toxicity has been observed in several nonclinical species, where lesions are characterized by neuronal degeneration/necrosis, nerve fiber degeneration, and mononuclear cell infiltration. As AAV vectors become an increasingly common platform for novel therapeutics, non-invasive biomarkers are needed to better characterize and manage the risk of DRG neurotoxicity in both nonclinical and clinical studies. Based on biological relevance, reagent availability, antibody cross-reactivity, DRG protein expression, and assay performance, neurofilament light chain (NF-L) emerged as a promising biomarker candidate. Dose- and time-dependent changes in NF-L were evaluated in male Wistar Han rats and cynomolgus monkeys following intravenous or intrathecal AAV injection, respectively. NF-L profiles were then compared against microscopic DRG lesions on day 29 post-dosing. In animals exhibiting DRG toxicity, plasma/serum NF-L was strongly associated with the severity of neuronal degeneration/necrosis and nerve fiber degeneration, with elevations beginning as early as day 8 in rats (≥5 × 1013 vg/kg) and day 14 in monkeys (≥3.3 × 1013 vg/dose). Consistent with the unique positioning of DRGs outside the blood-brain barrier, NF-L in cerebrospinal fluid was only weakly associated with DRG findings. In summary, circulating NF-L is a promising biomarker of AAV-induced DRG toxicity in nonclinical species.

To predict the two-year recurrence-free survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we propose a prediction model using radiomic features of the inner and outer regions of the tumor. The intratumoral region and the peritumoral regions from the boundary to 3 cm were used to extract the radiomic features based on the intensity, texture, and shape features. Feature selection was performed to identify significant radiomic features to predict two-year recurrence-free survival, and patient classification was performed into recurrence and non-recurrence groups using SVM and random forest classifiers. The probability of two-year recurrence-free survival was estimated with the Kaplan–Meier curve. In the experiment, CT images of 217 non-small-cell lung cancer patients at stages I-IIIA who underwent surgical resection at the Veterans Health Service Medical Center (VHSMC) were used. Regarding the classification performance on whole tumors, the combined radiomic features for intratumoral and peritumoral regions of 6 mm and 9 mm showed improved performance (AUC 0.66, 0.66) compared to T stage and N stage (AUC 0.60), intratumoral (AUC 0.64) and peritumoral 6 mm and 9 mm classifiers (AUC 0.59, 0.62). In the assessment of the classification performance according to the tumor size, combined regions of 21 mm and 3 mm were significant when predicting outcomes compared to other regions of tumors under 3 cm (AUC 0.70) and 3 cm~5 cm (AUC 0.75), respectively. For tumors larger than 5 cm, the combined 3 mm region was significant in predictions compared to the other features (AUC 0.71). Through this experiment, it was confirmed that peritumoral and combined regions showed higher performance than the intratumoral region for tumors less than 5 cm in size and that intratumoral and combined regions showed more stable performance than the peritumoral region in tumors larger than 5 cm.

Summary: Bacterial adaptive immunity utilizes RNA-guided surveillance complexes comprising Cas proteins together with CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) to target foreign nucleic acids for destruction. Cas9, a type II CRISPR-Cas effector complex, can be programed with a single-guide RNA that base pairs with the target strand of dsDNA, displacing the non-target strand to create an R-loop, where the HNH and the RuvC nuclease domains cleave opposing strands. While many structural and biochemical studies have shed light on the mechanism of Cas9 cleavage, a clear unifying model has yet to emerge. Our detailed kinetic characterization of the enzyme reveals that DNA binding is reversible, and R-loop formation is rate-limiting, occurring in two steps, one for each of the nuclease domains. The specificity constant for cleavage is determined through an induced-fit mechanism as the product of the equilibrium binding affinity for DNA and the rate of R-loop formation. : Cas9 has revolutionized genome engineering applications. Gong et al. show that the rate-limiting step in Cas9 target cleavage is R-loop formation. R-loop formation is a two-step process, with RuvC adjustment occurring last. These results are consistent with an induced-fit mechanism for Cas9-mediated target cleavage. Keywords: Cas9, CRISPR, sgRNA, kinetics, R-loop, DNA cleavage

Meniscus segmentation from knee MR images is an essential step when analyzing the length, width, height, cross-sectional area, surface area for meniscus allograft transplantation using a 3D reconstruction model based on the patient’s normal meniscus. In this paper, we propose a two-stage DCNN that combines a 2D U-Net-based meniscus localization network with a conditional generative adversarial network-based segmentation network using an object-aware map. First, the 2D U-Net segments knee MR images into six classes including bone and cartilage with whole MR images at a resolution of 512 × 512 to localize the medial and lateral meniscus. Second, adversarial learning with a generator based on the 2D U-Net and a discriminator based on the 2D DCNN using an object-aware map segments the meniscus into localized regions-of-interest with a resolution of 64 × 64. The average Dice similarity coefficient of the meniscus was 85.18% at the medial meniscus and 84.33% at the lateral meniscus; these values were 10.79%p and 1.14%p, and 7.78%p and 1.12%p higher than the segmentation method without adversarial learning and without the use of an object-aware map with the Dice similarity coefficient at the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus, respectively. The proposed automatic meniscus localization through multi-class can prevent the class imbalance problem by focusing on local regions. The proposed adversarial learning using an object-aware map can prevent under-segmentation by repeatedly judging and improving the segmentation results, and over-segmentation by considering information only from the meniscus regions. Our method can be used to identify and analyze the shape of the meniscus for allograft transplantation using a 3D reconstruction model of the patient’s unruptured meniscus.

Surgery in patients with craniosynostosis is a common treatment to correct the deformed skull shape, and it is necessary to verify the surgical effect of correction on the regional cranial bone. We propose a quantification method for evaluating surgical effects on regional cranial bones by comparing preoperative and postoperative skull shapes. To divide preoperative and postoperative skulls into two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and the occipital bone, and to estimate the shape deformation of regional cranial bones between the preoperative and postoperative skulls, an age-matched mean-normal skull surface model already divided into five bones is deformed into a preoperative skull, and a deformed mean-normal skull surface model is redeformed into a postoperative skull. To quantify the degree of the expansion and reduction of regional cranial bones after surgery, expansion and reduction indices of the five cranial bones are calculated using the deformable registration as deformation information. The proposed quantification method overcomes the quantification difficulty when using the traditional cephalic index(CI) by analyzing regional cranial bones and provides useful information for quantifying the surgical effects of craniosynostosis patients with symmetric and asymmetric deformities.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of T1/T2-weighted imaging (T1/T2WI) registration to reduce the postbiopsy hemorrhage effect for prostate cancer localization on prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Twenty-one men with pathology-proven prostate cancer who underwent preoperative MRI in a single institution were selected. The zonal anatomy was divided into 16 sections. T2WI, T1/T2-weighted registered imaging (T1/T2RI), T2WI combined with diffusion-weighted imaging (T2WI+DWI), and T1/T2RI combined with DWI (T1/T2RI+DWI) were scored for the likelihood of cancer by two radiology faculty members and two trainees, and were compared with histology results. Areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUCs) were used to assess diagnostic accuracy. Results: For the trainees (Reader 3 and Reader 4), the AUC values were significantly higher (P

Fibroproliferative disorders include neoplastic and reactive processes (e.g. desmoid tumor and hypertrophic scars). They are characterized by activation of β-catenin signaling, and effective pharmacologic approaches are lacking. Here we undertook a high throughput screen using human desmoid tumor cell cultures to identify agents that would inhibit cell viability in tumor cells but not normal fibroblasts. Agents were then tested in additional cell cultures for an effect on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and β-catenin protein level. Ultimately they were tested in Apc1638N mice, which develop desmoid tumors, as well as in wild type mice subjected to full thickness skin wounds. The screen identified Neofopam, as an agent that inhibited cell numbers to 42% of baseline in cell cultures from β-catenin driven fibroproliferative disorders. Nefopam decreased cell proliferation and β-catenin protein level to 50% of baseline in these same cell cultures. The half maximal effective concentration in-vitro was 0.5 uM and there was a plateau in the effect after 48 hours of treatment. Nefopam caused a 45% decline in tumor number, 33% decline in tumor volume, and a 40% decline in scar size when tested in mice. There was also a 50% decline in β-catenin level in-vivo. Nefopam targets β-catenin protein level in mesenchymal cells in-vitro and in-vivo, and may be an effective therapy for neoplastic and reactive processes driven by β-catenin mediated signaling.

Various communication and behavioral theories have been adopted to address health infodemics. However, there is no framework specially designed for social listening studies using social media data, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques. We aimed to propose a novel yet theory-based conceptual framework for infodemic research. We collected theories and models used in COVID-19 related studies published in peer-reviewed journals, ranging from health behavior, communication, to infodemic studies. These were analyzed and critiqued for their components, and we subsequently proposed a conceptual framework with a demonstration. Accordingly, we proposed our "Social Media Listening for Public Health Behavior" conceptual framework by not only integrating important attributes of existing theories, but also adding new attributes. The proposed conceptual framework can be used to better understand public discourse on social media, and can be integrated with other data analyses to gather a more comprehensive picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first empirical study to examine the comparative predictive power of Chinese national college English language program (CEP), a Western university's English for academic purpose (EAP) language program, a standardised English language proficiency (SELP) test, and business diploma for the academic performance of Chinese students in transnational business degree programs. The study analysed the academic results of 759 Chinese students who studied in the programs between 2006 and 2014. Crossover repeated measures design and multivariate regressions were used for analysis. Findings revealed that both CEP and EAP were good predictors of the performance in the first-year pathway diploma program. However, neither of them added any predictive power in later year degree subjects beyond the performance in the diploma program. There was a weak link between SELP and either CEP or EAP. This study also found that every student who failed the SELP test but had passed the diploma and the CEP and EAP programs successfully completed the degree. The study raises questions about English-speaking universities using SELP alone as an admission criteria. The study has implications for the admission policy of English-speaking universities.

This is the first study that examines the comparative validity of the Chinese National College Entrance Exam (known as Gaokao) to a Western end-of-secondary-school performance measure, Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), as admission criteria to an Australian undergraduate degree programme. The study offers a strong warning about using just an aggregate Gaokao score as a sole admission criterion. However, the findings suggest that with adjustments for gender and time, Gaokao is found to be as good an admission criterion as ATAR, hence justifying its use for selection purposes if such adjustments are made. Supplementing selection criteria by also using the Gaokao English result is found to be a further improvement. The findings can help inform the admission policy relevant to Chinese international students into undergraduate degree programmes globally.

Major curriculum review and redesign at the higher education level demand transformative academic leadership and significant time commitment. However, the traditional university culture characterised by change aversion, complex bureaucratic processes, and a research dominated academic workload allocation and promotion system poses significant obstacles to teaching quality enhancement. This article presents the critical reflections of a Program Director (academic middle leader) at an Australian university on the challenges and successes experienced while leading a major accounting curriculum reform project. Conducted between October 2019 and May 2021, this project encountered constant disruptions due to the Global Covid-19 pandemic, organisational restructuring, the new external professional accreditaiton requirements. Academic middle leader’s insights on the positive impacts and obstacles of major curriculum reform at the whole of a program level within a constantly evolving institutional environment provide valuable perspectives for both business education practice and policy reforms. The reflection has policy implications for university management to reassess strategic priorities with more balanced support for teaching and research in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The goal of this study is to understand the attitudes and beliefs towards mandatory vaccination policies in Alberta, Canada in September 2021, during the fourth wave of COVID-19. Methods: 9400 posts between 1st September and 30th September 2021 were collected from the subreddit r/Alberta with Pushshift.io. Posts and comments were manually screened to determine their relevance to research objectives, and then coded using inductive coding and iterative qualitative analysis methods. Results: Inductive coding methods yielded five key themes: 1) opinions related to autonomy and consent, 2) concerns about COVID-19 vaccine passport enforcement, 3) concerns about government, 4) concerns about the logistics of passports, and 5) opinions relating to the necessity of passports to prevent lockdowns. Conclusion: Overall, the data presented favorable opinions towards an Albertan vaccine passport within r/Alberta. Anti-vaccine and anti-mandate opinions were often less extreme than those present in the literature, although this may be due to r/Alberta subreddit moderators removing those more extreme comments. Most reservations were due to issues of bodily autonomy, though concerns about the government and logistics also played a meaningful role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]