EchinoDB: An update to the web-based application for genomic and transcriptomic data on Echinoderms.

Here we release a new version of EchinoDB (https://echinodb.uncc.edu). EchinoDB is a database of genomic and transcriptomic data on echinoderms. The initial database consisted of groups of 749,397 orthologous and paralogous transcripts arranged in orthoclusters by sequence similarity. The new version of EchinoDB includes RNA-seq data of the brittle star Ophioderma brevispinum and high-quality genomic assembly data of the green sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. In addition, we enabled keyword searches for annotated data and installed an updated version of Sequenceserver to allow BLAST searches. The data are downloadable in FASTA format. The first version of EchinoDB appeared in 2016 and was implemented in GO on a local server. The new version has been updated using R Shiny to include new features and improvements in the application. Furthermore, EchinoDB now runs entirely in the cloud for increased reliability and scaling. EchinoDB enjoys a user base drawn from the fields of phylogenetics, developmental biology, genomics, physiology, neurobiology, and regeneration. As use cases, we illustrate how EchinoDB is used in discovering pathways and gene regulatory networks involved in the tissue regeneration process.

Competitive Poaching in Search Advertising: Two Randomized Field Experiments

Keyword searches with brand names enable firms to generate traffic from search advertising by bidding not only on their own keywords but also on competitors’ keywords. The strategy of bidding on competitors’ keywords, known as competitive poaching, presents unique opportunities for practitioners. This study examines factors that influence the effectiveness of competitive poaching. We collected data from two randomized field experiments, one with a business school in the Northeastern United States and the other one with a leading automobile dealership company, where these firms bid on keywords of competing brands and randomly display different types of ad copies in the sponsored search listings. We find that, when poaching on keywords of high-quality brands, ad copies that feature vertical differentiation through quality signals are more effective than the control ad copies that do not convey any differentiation or prescriptive messages. We also find that when poaching from low-quality brands, ad copies featuring horizontal differentiation through nonquality attributes perform better than the control ad copies. Finally, the presence of the poached brand’s own ad has a positive association with the ad effectiveness of the poaching brand when that poached brand is high quality and a negative association when the poached brand is low quality.

Anti-cancer Research on Arnebiae Radix-derived Naphthoquinone in Recent Five Years

Background: In recent years, many naphthoquinone compounds with anticancer activity have been identified in Arnebiae Radix, and some of them have the potential to be developed into anticancer drugs. Objective: This article aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the anticancer effects of naphthoquinone compounds through a detailed review of literature and Chinese patents, and discuss their potential to be developed as anticancer drugs for clinical application. Methods: Research papers were collected through the databases of PubMed, Cnki and SciDirect using keyword searches “naphthoquinone compounds” and “anticancer”. The keywords of “shikonin” and “shikonin derivatives” were also used in PubMed, Cnki and SciDirect databases to collect research articles. The Chinese patents were collected using the Cnki patent database. Results: Naphthoquinone compounds have been found to possess anti-cancer activity, and their modes of action are associated with inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, promoting autophagy in cancer cells, anti-cancer angiogenesis and inhibition of cell adhesion, invasion and metastasis, inhibiting glycolysis and inhibiting DNA topoisomerase activity. Conclusion: Most of the naphthoquinone compounds show effective anti-cancer activity in vitro. The structure modification of naphthoquinone aims to develop anti-cancer drugs with high efficacy and low toxicity.

FEATURES OF CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION IN PATIENTS WITH MORBID OBESITY

Resume. Resuscitation of the obese patient presents a challenge for even the most skilled physician. Changes in anatomy, metabolic, cardiopulmonary reserve, ventilation, circulation, and pharmacokinetics require special consideration. This article focuses on critical components in the resuscitation of the obese patient, namely circulatory resuscitation, defibrillation, approach to the obese airway and mechanical ventilation, pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular drugs. Materials and methods: Electronic databases of Scopus and PubMed were searched using keyword searches Conclusions. Obesity causes important anatomical and physiological changes that affect resuscitation measures. Healthcare professionals should take into account the specifics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with morbid obesity to increase the effectiveness of resuscitation in this group of patients

Are some feasibility studies more feasible than others? A review of the outcomes of feasibility studies on the ISRCTN registry

Background Feasibility studies are often conducted before committing to a randomised controlled trial (RCT), yet there is little published evidence to inform how useful feasibility studies are, especially in terms of adding or reducing waste in research. This study attempted to examine how many feasibility studies demonstrated that the full trial was feasible and whether some feasibility studies were inherently likely to be feasible or not feasible, based on the topic area and/or research setting. Methods Keyword searches were conducted on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number (ISRCTN) registry to identify all completed feasibility studies which had been conducted in the UK. Results A total of 625 records from the 1933 identified were reviewed before it became evident that it would be futile to continue. Of 329 feasibility studies identified, 160 had a known outcome (49%), 133 (83%) trials were deemed to be feasible and only 27 (17%) were reported to be non-feasible. There were therefore too few studies to allow the intended comparison of differences in non-feasible studies by topic and/or setting. Conclusions There were too few studies reported as non-feasible to draw any useful conclusions on whether topic and/or setting had an effect. However, the high feasibility rate (83%) may suggest that non-feasible studies are subject to publication bias or that many feasible studies are redundant and may be adding waste to the research pathway.

Comparisons among measurement approaches to determine blood loss with different environmental sanitary effects

Labour and delivery are hazardous processes for bleeding. It will have complications, and even death for maternal because of overdue recognition and identification of the early signs of bleeding. Postpartum hemorrhage is still a problem and a major cause of maternal death. The definition, bleeding threshold, and method of assessing blood loss are still being debated today. This literature review aimed to determine the methods that had been used in measuring the amount of blood loss and risk to the mother. The review used Science Direct and Pubmed electronic online databases with related keyword searches. Measurement of blood loss was categorized into several methods, including visual estimation, direct measurement, gravimetry, and photometry. These methods were explained and then compared with various similar methods. Several studies indicated that measuring the amount of blood loss still often used conventional methods, even though this method was very improper and tends to underestimate blood loss. Several accurate and objective quantification methods had been introduced, but they were still very complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. Based on the review results, various types of blood loss measurement methods were displayed, but they were still not practical, accurate, and reliable. Researchers continue to carry out improvement research in finding methods so that postpartum hemorrhage can be prevented and treated.

A Narrative Review on Disinfection Tunnel for Covid-19: A Friend or Foe?

T The use of a disinfection tunnel has become increasingly popular to eliminate the Covid-19 on the body particularly during the pandemic, however insufficient attention paid to its effectiveness and safety. We undertake a narrative review on the disinfection tunnel and evaluate their effectiveness and safety. The keyword searches of Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, EBM reviews database and manual searches of Google Scholar and US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) was used. An analysis of the papers reviewed were categorized into three main themes: technical design of disinfection tunnel; effectiveness of disinfectant used; and safety or harmful effect. To date, no relevant specific scientific studies or evidence retrieved about disinfection tunnel for public usage including effectiveness and safety. We found a various designs of disinfection in the market today. It mainly originated from an innovative idea to assist in limiting the spread of Covid-19. However, current available evidence does not support its effectiveness and safety. Although it may lead to a false sense of security, this potential approach appears attractive thus creates an opportunity for further research.

Trace the Untraceable: Online Image Search Tools for Researching Late Antique Art

In the context of digital humanities and access to cultural heritage online, this paper explores the discoverability of Late Antique material in some searchable museum collections and in some major archaeological and art historical image and object databases. It follows an exploratory approach by using simple keyword searches, such as ‘late antique’ or ‘byzantine’, and comparing the results with chronological searches when a date or period filter is available. Although Late Antique material often comprises a smaller number of objects compared to more popular periods like the Roman and the Renaissance, these are difficult to research due to inconsistent labelling practices and the frequent lack of a customizable date range filter. The ongoing debates on proper periodization and nomenclature also need to be taken into consideration.

Role of genes involved in the regulation of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of genital endometriosis. A literature review

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence, the lack of reliable data on the etiology, as well as the complexity of diagnosis and treatment of genital endometriosis indicate the urgency of the problem. AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze and summarize scientific publications devoted to the study of single-nucleotide polymorphisms involved in apoptosis and their association with endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on keyword searches for gene, SNP, apoptosis, and endometriosis, a selection of papers published in open sources (PubMed and Google Scholar) in the period from 2010 to 2020 was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: An analysis of the main and auxiliary apoptotic pathways was performed, with the protein regulators and their genes detailed in accordance with the implementation of the programmed cell death cascade in genital endometriosis. The review identified the significance of a number of proteins (TNF-, FADD, CASP3, CASP7, CASP10) in the pathogenesis of hyperproliferative diseases. However, many apoptotic regulators (BCL2, BIK, BMF, HRK, BAD, Survivin) in genital endometriosis were found to have been understudied, which makes future research in this direction promising.

Leveraging the organizational mission statement to communicate identity, distinctiveness and purpose to primary and secondary stakeholders during COVID-19

PurposeThis study examines comprehensiveness and responsiveness of mission statements for the top 100 retailers on the 2020 National Retailers Federation list in order to (1) evaluate how effectively they communicate organizational identity, values and purpose, (2) underscore a distinctive commitment to stakeholders and (3) what extent these efforts are reflected in revised mission statements or addenda to meet global pandemic challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a 4-question metric to measure comprehensiveness and a two-pronged qualitative method of analysis consisting of keyword searches followed by content analysis.FindingsRetailer statements are considerably comprehensive in describing purpose and audience yet very few articulate stakeholder value, differentiate themselves as distinctive or substantively reaffirm their core mission and values. Retailers seem more invested in strategic communication around diversity, equity and inclusion, based on web content in their consumer, job seeker and investor touchpoints.Research limitations/implicationsCoding and interpreting language through content analysis methods may introduce some level of subjectivity, particularly when dealing with unstructured data. Implications for how organizations acclimated in order to survive and thrive, while maintaining focus on stakeholders and strategy. Examining organizational mission statements and their contexts yields perspective into how organizations define themselves and what they do during times of crisis.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into the content, structure and functions of the statements against a specific comprehensiveness metric and reveals patterns about the texts and their contexts during a pandemic and strong cultural and societal movements.