bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-care Practice and Associated Factors Among Hypertensive Follow Up Patients at East Gojam Zone Public Hospitals, North West Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Zeleke Haymanot Mitiku , Assefa Birtuka , Sergo Teshager , Mekonnen Nakachew
Published: March 2021

Background: Self-care practice is crucial for the prevention and management of Hypertension. Poorly controlled hypertension leads to cardiovascular complication as well as organ damage. Despite the availability of several effective pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies, hypertension control remains suboptimal. Self-care practices allow hypertensive patients to have improved quality of life by avoiding complication and decrease health care expenditure. Objective: we assessed self-care practice and its associated factors among Hypertensive Follow up patients at East Gojjam Zone public hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020.Methods: Institution based cross sectional study was conducted by both quantitative and qualitative methods from October 1-30, 2020. Epi data version 3.1 and SPSS version 25.0 were used for data entry and for analysis respectively. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis was employed. Adjusted odds ratios were used to ascertain effect sizes for any association between the dependent and associated variables while significance level at p value of 0.05 was determined using 95% confidence intervals. Result: Out of 480 patients included in the study 51% have Poor self-care practices. About 44.6%, 92.5%, 82.8%, 62.5% of respondents were poor adherent to antihypertensive medications, low diet quality, poor practiced to physical activity, poor practice to weight management respectively. Some of the respondents 3.3%, 9.8% were smokers and were alcohol drinkers respectively. Educational status who cannot read and write (AOR=3.153, 95% CI: 1.674-5.939), no co morbidity (AOR = 0.418, 95% CI: 0.263-0.663), uncontrolled blood pressure status (AOR = 2.141, 95% CI: 1.271- 3.609), poor social support status (AOR = 2.587, 95% CI: 1.544-4.334) and unfavorable attitude (AOR= 3.193, 95% CI: 1.951-5.225) showed significant statistical association with poor self-care practice.Conclusion: The level of hypertension self-care practices found to be low. Therefore, education towards hypertension self-care practices should be strengthened for patients living with hypertension. Special attention should be given to patients with low educational level that cannot read and write, patients with co morbidity, uncontrolled state of hypertension, poor social support and those with unfavorable attitude towards hypertension management modalities.
Roles of water vapor sources and transport in the intraseasonal and interannual variation in the peak monsoon rainfall over East China
Authors: Chu Qucheng , Wang Qiguang , Feng Guolin , Jia Zikang , Liu Gang
Published: March 2021

ERA-Interim reanalysis data from 1979–2017 are utilized to analyze the intraseasonal and interannual variabilities in the moisture transport associated with the summer rainfall over East China. Three key issues of moisture sources for East China summer precipitation are discussed in this study: the identification of the primary moisture sources of summer precipitation, determination of their individual contributions to the intraseasonal variation in summer precipitation, and determination of the extent to which each source affects the interannual variation in precipitation during the peak monsoon rainfall period (PMRP). Through the Lagrangian method, the water vapor is divided into six sources, namely, the land area source (LD source), East China source (EC source, except for the target region), Indian Ocean source (IO source), Pacific Ocean source (PO source), South China Sea source (SCS source), and regional evapotranspiration sources. This study proposes that the rainfall over South China (SC) during the PMRP is mainly influenced by the IO source water vapor transport (52.4%). For the middle and lower Yangtze River valley (YRV), the rainfall contribution from southwesterly moisture transport accounts for approximately 50% of the total rainfall during the PMRP and determines the intraseasonal and interannual variation in the summer rainfall. The water vapor from terrestrial evaporation, which includes EC source water vapor (38.9%) and NC source water vapor (21.8%), is the most important moisture source for rainfall over North China (NC) during the PMRP.
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived Exosomes Inhibit the Growth of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells via Regulating miR-23b-5p/TRIM14 Pathway
Authors: cheng hui , Ding Jie , Tang Gusheng , Huang Aijie , Gao Lei , Yang Jianmin , Chen Li
Published: March 2021

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy commonly seen in adults. Previous studies indicated that TRIM14 played a tumorigenic role in various types of cancer and miR-23b-5p was down-regulated in human mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (HMSC-exos) of AML patients. However, their roles in AML remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the role of TRIM14 and miR-23b-5p in the pathogenesis of AML.Materials and methods: The blood specimen was collected from AML patients and healthy donators. Exosomes were extracted from the culture medium of human mesenchymal stem cells under ultracentrifugation. Then exosomes were co-cultured with AML cells to determine the effect of their contents. The cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 assay, whereas the cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of miR-23b-5p and TRIM14 was silenced or overexpressed to explore their biological functions in AML. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to validate the interaction between miR-23b-5p and TRIM14. Gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblots.Results: TRIM14 was significantly increased in AML patients and cell lines. The inhibition of TRIM14 significantly reduced the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of AML cells via activating PI3K/AKT pathway, whereas its overexpression exhibited reversed effects. HMSC-exos could suppress the proliferation of AML cells through the delivery of miR-23b-5p. Moreover, miR-23b-5p inhibited the transcription of TRIM14 by binding on its 3’UTR region. Overexpression of TRIM14 exhibited reversed effect against the function of miR-23b-5p mimic.Conclusion: TRIM14 could promote the proliferation of AML cells via activating PI3K/AKT pathway, which was reversed by HMSC-exos through delivering miR-23b-5p. These findings indicated that miR-23b-5p and TRIM14 could be applied as potential targets for the treatment of AML.
Entrustment in Physician -patient communication: a modified Delphi study using the EPA approach
Authors: Younas Ayesha , Khan Rehan Ahmed , Yasmin Raheela
Published: March 2021

Background

Competency based curricula across the globe stress on the importance of effective physician patient communication. A variety of courses have been used to train physicians for this purpose. However, few of them link competencies with practice resulting in confusions in implementation and assessment. This issue can be resolved by treating certain specific patient communication related tasks as acts of entrustment or entrustable professional activities (EPAs). In this study, we aimed to define a competency-based framework for assessing patient physician communication using the language of EPAs.
Methods

A modified Delphi study was conducted in three stages. The first stage was an extensive literature review to identify and elaborate communication related tasks which could be treated as EPAs. The second stage was content validation by medical education experts for clarity and representativeness.The third stage was three iterative rounds of modified Delphi with predefined consensus levels. The McNemar test was used to check response stability in the Delphi Rounds
Results

Expert consensus resulted in development of 4 specific EPAs focused on physician-patient communication with their competencies and respective assessment strategies all aiming for level 5 of unsupervised practice. These include Providing information to the patient or their family about diagnosis or prognosis; Breaking Bad news to the patient or their family; Counseling a patient regarding their disease or illness; Resolving conflicts with patients or their families.
Conclusions

The EPAs for Physician-patient communication are a step toward an integrative, all-inclusive competency-based assessment framework for patient-centered care. They are meant to improve the quality of physician patient interaction by standardizing communication as a decision of entrustment. The EPAs can be linked to competency frameworks around the world and provide a useful assessment framework for effective training in patient communication. They can be integrated into any post graduate curriculum and can also serve as a self -assessment tool for postgraduate training programs across the globe to improve their patient communication curricula.
Variants of the Cry 1 Gene May Influence the Effect of Fat Intake on Resting Metabolic Rate In Overweight and Obese Women: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Mirzababaei Atieh , Daneshzad Elnaz , Shiraseb Farideh , Pourreza Sanaz , Setayesh Leila , Clark Cain C. T. , Tangestani Hadith , Keshavarz Seyed Ali , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: March 2021

Background: Previous studies have shown that the minor allele (C allele) for Cry 1 rs2287161, may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Low resting metabolic rate (RMR) caused by the diet has been shown to have, potentially, unfavorable effects on obesity. This study sought to investigate the interactions between the Cry 1 Gene and fat intake on RMR in overweight and obese women.Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 377 Iranian women with overweight and obesity. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), with 147 items, was used to assess dietary intake. Individuals were categorized into two groups based on the rs2287161 genotype. Body composition, dietary intake, and RMR were assessed for all participants.Results: There was a significant difference between genotypes for FBS (P=0.04), fat free mass (FFM) (P=0.0009), RMR per FFM (P =0.05), RMR per body mass index (BMI) (P=0.02), and RMR deviation (P=0.01). Our findings also showed significant interactions between total fat and C allele carrier group on RMR per kg, RMR per body surface area (BSA), RMR per FFM, and RMR deviation (P for interaction <0.1), in addition to a significant interaction between CC+CG group genotype and PUFA intake on RMR per BMI (P for interaction =0.009) and RMR per kg (P for interaction=0.02) and RMR per BSA (P=0.07), compared to the GG group, after control for confounder factors.Conclusion: These results highlight that dietary compositions, gene variants, and their interaction, should be acutely considered in lower RMR.
Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of heat shock protein 110, 90, 70 and 60 families
Authors: Yan Li-rong , Shen Shi-xuan , Wang Ang , Yuan Yuan , Xu Qian
Published: March 2021

Background: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a class of molecular chaperones that function in protein folding and maintain protein structure and function. No study has performed a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of HSPs. Here we carried out a panoramic analysis of the expression and prognosis of HSP110, HSP90, HSP70 and HSP60 families in 33 tumors, with the aim of deepening the systematic understanding of HSPs in cancer. Materials and Methods: Next-generation sequencing data of multiple tumors were downloaded from TCGA, CCLE and Oncomine databases. RStudio 3.6.1 was used to analyze the expressions, mutations, copy number variations (CNVs), cancer-related signaling pathways, immune cell infiltration and prognosis profiles of HSP110, HSP90, HSP70, and HSP60 families in 33 tumors. Results: HSPA6 and HSPA7 were generally highly expressed while HSPA12A, HSPA12B, HSPA2 and HSPA4L were mainly expressed at low levels in different cancer tissues. The results revealed mainly positive correlations among the expressions of HSPs in different cancers. Expressions of HSP family members were generally associated with poor prognosis in respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive system tumors and associated with good prognosis in cholangiocarcinoma, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma. TCGA mutation analysis showed that HSP gene mutation rate in cancers was 0­%–23%. CCLE mutation analysis indicated that HSP gene mutation rate in 828 cell lines from 15 tumors was 0%–17%. CNV analysis revealed that HSPs have different degrees of gene amplifications and deletions in cancers. Gene mutations of 15 HSPs influenced their protein expressions in different cancers. Copy number amplifications and deletions of 22 HSPs also impacted protein expression levels in pan-cancer. HSP gene mutation was generally a poor prognosis factor in cancers, except for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. CNVs in 14 HSPs showed varying influences on survival status in different cancers. HSPs may be involved in the activation and inhibition of multiple cancer-related pathways. HSP expressions were closely correlated with 22 immune cell infiltrations in different cancers. Conclusion: Our results show that HSP families play an important role in the occurrence and development of various tumors and are potential tumor diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as anti-cancer therapeutic targets.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ce/Zr co-substituted BiFeO3: R3c-to-P4mm Phase Transition and Enhanced Room Temperature Ferromagnetism
Authors: Adineh Zahra , Gholizadeh Ahmad
Published: March 2021

A facile hydrothermal method was used for fabricating phase-pure Bi1 − xCexFe1−xZrxO3 (x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06) multiferroic ferrites, and the dependence of structural, optical, and magnetic properties on the composition have been investigated. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. Structural results show that the structure of Bi1 − xCexFe1−xZrxO3 ferrites is indexed to a rhombohedral structure with R3c space group. However, the weakening in the intensity, the expansion of the line-width of all bands, and some band shifts observed in Raman spectra indicate a structural transition from rhombohedral (R3c) to pseudo-tetragonal (P4mm) phase as the content of Ce/Zr increases. Also, a significantly enhanced intensity of the A1-2 mode in Raman spectra means that there is a novel behavior of magnetic anisotropy in the Ce/Zr co-substituted samples. A significant increase in optical band gap with increasing of the Ce/Zr co-substitution suggests that the materials are suitable for technological applications. Magnetic properties of the samples show a magnetic transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase due to the presence of the rhombohedral to the tetragonal phase transition, and exchange interaction between the 4f orbitals of the Ce3+/Ce4+ and the 3d orbitals of the Fe3+/Fe2+.
A qualitative Study of TB Health Workers’ and Stakeholders’ Conceptualisation, Screening and Treatment of Mental Distress Experienced by TB Patients in Zambia
Authors: Mainga Tila Mwinde , Gondwe Melleh , Stewart Robert C , Mactaggart Islay , Shanaube Kwame , Ayles Helen , Bond Virginia
Published: March 2021

BackgroundThere is an increased recognition to integrate mental health services into routine TB care. For a successful integration TB health workers and stakeholders need to be receptive to mental health services being delivered in tandem with TB services. Additionally, policy makers need to understand the current practices by TB health workers around treatment of mentally distressed TB patients. In this qualitative study we aimed to understand how TB health workers and other TB stakeholders viewed mental distress linked to TB and how they screened and treated mental distress in their patients. MethodsThe study draws on qualitative data collected in 2018 as part of the Tuberculosis Reduction through Expanded Antiretroviral Treatment and Screening for active TB trial (TREATS). TREATS was conducted in 8 urban communities in Zambia. The data was collected through 17 focus group discussions with local health committees (n=96) and TB stakeholders (n=57), and in-depth interviews with TB health workers (n=9). Thematic analysis was conducted. ResultsTB stakeholders and health workers had an inadequate understanding of mental ill health and commonly described mental distress experienced by TB patients using the stigmatizing term “madness” . Mental distress was also described as “ overthinking”, which participants attributed to psychosocial drivers of distress and inadequate knowledge of TB by TB patients rather than a condition that would benefit from a mental health intervention. ConclusionsTB stakeholders and health care workers in Zambia are cognisant of the mental health implication of TB on TB patients. There are no standard screening or treatment options for mental distress in TB patients. TB health workers in Zambia could benefit from mental health training which should aim to increase knowledge about mental health and chronic illness while shifting negative attitudes around mental illnessTrial registration number: NCT03739736
Numerical and experimental investigation of magnesium/aluminum laser welding with magnetic field
Authors: Zhou Jiafu , Zhou Dianwu , Liu Jinshui
Published: March 2021

A three-dimensional numerical model for thermal-fluid-metallurgical coupling was established to inspect the effect from a stable longitudinal magnetic field on molten pool of magnesium/aluminum laser welding. Magnetic field-assisted laser welding platform was built to test the morphology and spectrum of the metal vapor/plasma. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) were used to determine the morphology and element distribution of molten pool cross section. Simulation results showed that temperature gradient of molten pool was reduced, heat distribution became uniform, and keyhole area was enlarged. In addition, the flow velocity of molten pool was increased, the vorticity of molten pool was improved, and the flow region of liquid metal was enlarged. Experimental results showed that penetration of molten pool was deeper, the shape of welding pool tended to be symmetrical and the density of Al element distribution in welding pool was increased by magnetic field. Thus, heat and mass transfer in welding pool was promoted due to the application of magnetic field, the elements exchange and the convection of liquid metal were accelerated, and the distribution of Mg-Al compounds should be dispersed under the agitation of Lorentz force. It’s predicted that the distribution of Mg-Al compounds in magnesium/aluminum laser welding would be positively affected by magnetic field, which was beneficial to control the weld quality. Hence, numerical results and experimental verification shared good consistency.
Tree-shaped Hybrid Fractal Antenna for Biomedical Applications using ANN and PSO
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Sivia Jagtar Singh
Published: March 2021

In the present scenario, there is a rapid development in the field of designing efficient medical devices for advanced health care purposes. A distinct hybrid fractal approach for designing tree-shaped antenna using artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimization is explored in this research paper. ANN modelling provides a promising solution, especially for solving various problems that are usually encountered in science and engineering. A Koch–like structure is added to a Giuseppe Peano-like structure for the construction of a parent hybrid shape. The overall volume of the FR4 based designed prototype is 24 x 20 x 1.6 mm 3 . The tree-like geometry is excited by a microstrip line feed, placed at the centre axis of the selected substrate. The ground plane dimension ‘L g ’ has been optimized specifically with particle swarm optimization technique. To realize the effectiveness of the hybrid fractal approach, the projected antenna is experimentally analyzed. The designed structure is compact, geometrically appealing and offers sufficient bandwidth. The projected antenna operates over 2.41 to 2.44 GHz, with fundamental frequency of 2.42 GHz. The S11 ≤ -10 dB bandwidth examined at the working frequency is 1.44% (35.1 MHz). Moreover, the projected antenna offers promising gain and stable radiation patterns at the claimed frequency. A simplified ANN strategy is also utilized for the estimation of selected output parameters. For completeness, simulated, estimated, optimized and experimental responses are reported to examine the reliability of the proposed hybrid fractal approach. Furthermore, the performance is effectively described by analyzing the behavior of projected antenna with different excitation methods. Excellent outcomes validate that this compact device makes it an ideal choice for bimedical applications.
Quantity of Relaxin Receptors in the Ligament of Head of Femur in Infants with Developmental Hip Dysplasia
Authors: Ayanoglu Semih , Çabuk Haluk , Çabuk Fatmagül Kuşku , Beng Kubilay , Yıldırım Timur , Bozkurt Süheyla Uyar
Published: March 2021

BackgroundDevelopmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) etiology is still a controversial issue. While many factors involved in the etiology, one of which is the hormone relaxin. Relaxin concentrations in patients with DDH may lead to pathodynamic changes during hip development by altering the physiological nature of the ligament, as well as by long-term exposure to relaxin during pregnancy. Our objective in this study was to determine the quantity of relaxin receptors in the ligamentum teres and their part in causing DDH.MethodsWe identified infants between birth and 3 years of age who had undergone open reduction for DDH between 2010 and 2012. 12 hips of 12 miss abortus fetus between 20 to 35 weeks of gestation were used as control group. Specimens obtained from two groups were stained with Relaxin-2 antibody and the amount of staining for relaxin receptors was determined using an ordinal H score. ResultsThe mean H scores of infants with DDH were significantly higher than those of controls (p=0.00). ConclusionAs a result, increased number of relaxin receptors in the ligamentum teres could be a risk factor for DDH and the number of relaxin receptors is an important clue in explaining the female:male ratio and clinical prognosis of early dysplastic hips.Level of Evidence: Level 2, Prospective comparative study
Solvothermal Synthesis of Bi2s3 Nanoparticles for Active Photocatalytic and Energy Storage Device Applications
Authors: Sambathkumar C. , Manirathinam V. , Manikandan A. , Kumar M. Krishna , Sudhakar S. , Devendran P.
Published: March 2021

High edge energy storage with large life-span stable materials have become the most significant and major requirement in near future. Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) Nanoparticles (NPs) was effectively synthesized by utilizing Bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate (Bi[DTC]) complex as single-source antecedent. The synthesized Bi2S3 NPs were affirmed by structural, morphological and thermal analysis with various analytical studies. The electrochemical performance of Bi2S3 NPs reveals that, exhibit redox behavior from cyclic voltammetry analysis, the charge-discharge analysis was examined by the galvanostatic chronopotentiometry. Bi2S3 NPs exhibit excellent supercapacitor behavior with value of the specific capacitance 470 Fg-1 at current density 0.5 Ag-1 and the retentivity of 79 % after 1000 cycles. The Bi2S3 NPs were further utilized as photocatalytic discoloration of Congo Red (CR) dye in aqueous medium under UV-light irradiation. Which shows, excellent catalytic behaviour, up to 98% of CR dye degrade within 150 min. and it is exhibit good catalytic stability and reusability.
Cardiac and Respiratory Arrest in a 12-Year-Old Girl with Acute Permethrin Toxicity: A Case Report
Authors: Atashi Hesam Adin , Arani Hamid Zaferani , Ghorani Seyyed Mojtaba , Khorasani Mahya Sadat Teimouri , Moalem Masoumeh
Published: March 2021

BackgroundPermethrin (PER) is widely employed as the most frequently used type I synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. Despite its worldwide application, reports of pediatric toxicity following permethrin administration are scarce.Case presentationThe present case report involves a 12-year-old Afghan girl, with no previous medical problems, who drank an unknown insecticide covertly at home. Two hours after ingestion, she was taken to the emergency room with neither breathing signs nor a heartbeat. She was immediately transferred to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) room, and her spontaneous circulation was returned after a few minutes of CPR. She was then intubated, volume resuscitated with intravenous normal saline, and connected to the mechanical ventilator after being transferred to the ICU ward. The patient remained comatose without spontaneous breathing, her pupils became bilateral mydriasis, and central diabetes insipidus became evident after three days due to apnea and hypoxic brain damage following insecticide ingestion. The chemical analysis of the insecticide bottle showed 10% permethrin without organophosphates, as initially expected. Unfortunately, after seven days, the patient passed away due to resistant hypotension and severe brain damage.ConclusionPermethrin is widely used globally as an insecticide. However, there are many unmet needs in permethrin toxicity treatment, and the treatment is mainly supportive. Depending on the amount and dose of permethrin, the most common symptoms can vary from headache, dyspnea, and vomiting to metabolic acidosis and cardiac and respiratory arrest, which can lead to hypoxic brain damage and death, as was the outcome in our case.
Genetic Mapping Reveals Complex Architecture and Candidate Genes Involved in Common Bean Response to Meloidogyne Incognita Infection
Authors: Giordani Willian , Gama Henrique Castro , Chiorato Alisson Fernando , Marques João Paulo Rodrigues , Camargo Luis Eduardo Aranha , Huo Heqiang , Benchimol-Reis Luciana Lasry , Garcia Antonio Augusto Franco , Vieira Maria Lucia Carneiro
Published: March 2021

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), particularly Meloidogyne incognita, are among the most damaging and prevalent agricultural pathogens due to their ability to infect roots of almost all crop species, including common bean. The best strategy for their control is through the use of resistant cultivars. However, laborious phenotyping procedures make it difficult to assess nematode resistance in breeding programs. For common bean, this task is especially challenging since little has been done to discover resistance genes or find markers to assist selection. In this study, we performed genome-wide association studies and QTL mapping to explore the genetic architecture and genomic regions underlying the resistance to M. incognita and to identify candidate resistance genes. Phenotypic data were collected by a high-throughput assay, and the number of egg masses and root-galling index were evaluated 30 days after inoculation. Complex genetic architecture and independent genomic regions were associated with each trait according to the Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Unification. SNPs located on chromosomes Pv06, Pv07, Pv08 and Pv11 were associated with the number of egg masses, and on Pv01, Pv02, Pv05 and Pv10 with root-galling. A total of 215 candidate genes were identified, including 14 resistance gene analogs and five differentially expressed in a previous RNA-seq analysis. The histochemical analysis indicated that the reactive oxygen species might play a role in the resistance response. Our findings open new perspectives to improve selection efficiency for RKN resistance in common bean, and the candidate genes are valuable targets for functional investigation and gene editing approaches.
Raising Up Gender Equity Voices: Report from an International Virtual Assembly in Global Surgery
Authors: Campos Letícia Nunes , Pawlak Natalie , Velin Lotta , Ruzgar Nensi Melissa , Gerk Ayla , Reid Kevouy , Iraqi Habab Ali , Bentounsi Zineb , Drejza Michalina , Patil Dhrumil , Nassour Nour , Tatere Heaven Yeshaneh , Riaz Mehr Muhammad Adeel , Zakrison Tanya
Published: March 2021

Background: The adaptation of conferences to virtual platforms has allowed more international colleagues and underrepresented members of the surgical workforce to access educational opportunities. With the purpose of addressing the gap in open-access gender equity education, the Gender Equity Initiative in Global Surgery (GEIGS) held its first general assembly in 2020 as a pathway to promote capacity building on this topic.Objectives: This article aims to report the organization and outcomes of the GEIGS general assembly as an example of opportunities to develop capacity on gender equity and diversity in global surgery using virtual platforms. Project Design and Implementation: The GEIGS General Assembly was a two-day event held on December 12th and December 20th, 2020. The project was led by an organizing committee, composed of 11 individuals of diverse backgrounds, who were divided into logistics, advocacy, and sessions teams. The assembly planning was facilitated through weekly meetings under the supervision of the GEIGS steering committee.Main Achievements: GEIGS piloted a virtual global-scale general assembly that encompassed small-group and international community building, interactive learning, and advocacy. In terms of regional representation, there were 199 attendees from 46 different countries. The event highlighted the need to promote inclusion of non-English speakers in the global surgery community, and sessions about intersectionality; equity, social justice, and diversity; and national surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia planning garnered the most participant engagement. Moreover, social media engagement mirrored an increased utilization of online platforms for educational, advocacy and promotional purposes, enhancing both scholarly dissemination and capacity building. Policy Implications: Engaging in global surgery demands identifying leaders who will build awareness, workforce diversity, and capacity. Our report demonstrates that the topic of gender equity has not held a prominent place in global surgery, and that this first intersectional conference was an initial step to align both agendas and debate the role of female and non-binary health workers in surgical, anesthesia and obstetric specialties in an international, socially engaging, and region-specific context.
Effect of ferroelectric material activity on dielectric properties of ferroelectric-dielectric composite ceramics
Authors: Jin Jingjing , Xin Le , Shen Shiting , Li Zhengxin , Xue Yuze , Ren Luchao , Guo Xue , Chen Long , Zhai Jiwei , Zhang Mingwei
Published: March 2021

Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramic doped with MgO was prepared by a conventional solid state reaction method. The effects of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 pre-sintering at different temperatures on the phase composition, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of composite ceramics were studied. The effect of different pre-sintering temperatures on composite ceramics is mainly reflected in different ion diffusion degree. The results show that the different pre-sintered ceramics have two crystal phases of perovskite structure Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 and cubic phase MgO. As the pre-sintering temperature increases, the dielectric permittivity of the composite ceramic decreases, and the grain size decreases obviously. When the pre-sintering temperature rises above 1200℃, the Curie peak of composite ceramic was strongly suppressed and broadened. The tunability at room temperature increases with the increase of the pre-sintering temperature of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3, which is due to the lower ion diffusion weakens Tc movement to low temperature. In addition, the loss tangent of the samples at room temperature was kept at a low level. When the pre-sintering temperature of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 is 1250℃, the tunability is up to 29% (at 30 kV/cm), and the best Q value 132 (at 1.37GHz) was generated which is the most obvious improvement in dielectric properties compared to other pre-sintering temperature. This indicates that with the decrease of ion diffusivity, the properties of the ferroelectric-dielectric composite ceramics were significantly improved.
What Matters among Non-pharmaceutical Interventions on COVID-19 in Europe?
Authors: Yu Chuanhua , Liu Yan , Yu Qiuyan , Wen Haoyu , Shi Fang , Wang Fang , Zhao Yudi
Published: March 2021

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to describe the situation of the COVID-19 in European countries and identify important factors related to prevention and control.
Methods

We obtained data from World Health Statistics 2020 and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). We caculated the Rt values of 51countries in Europe under different prevention and control measures. We used lasso regression to screen factors associated with morbidity and mortality. For variables selected, we used quantile regression to analyze the relevant influencing factors in countries with different levels of morbidity or mortality.
Results

The government has a great influence on the change of Rt value through prevention and control measures. The most important factor for personal and group prevention and control is the mobility index, testing, the closure of educational facilities, restrictions on large-scale gatherings, and commercial restrictions. The number of ICU beds and doctors in medical resources are also key factors. Basic sanitation facilities, such as the proportion of safe drinking water, also have an impact on the COVID-19 epidemic.
Conclusions

This study describes the current status of COVID-19 in European countries. We found key factors in individual prevention and control measures and group prevention and control measures.
Absorbency of Biodegradable Materials for Menstrual Hygiene Management Products in Low-and Middle-income Countries
Authors: Foster Jasmin , Montgomery Paul
Published: March 2021

IntroductionGirls in low-and middle-income countries struggle to maintain good menstrual hygiene in part due to a lack of affordable sanitary products. The unaffordability of reliable sanitary products can lead to school absenteeism and is a barrier to education attainment and gender equality for girls in low income contexts. Further the lack of adequate disposal facilities can lead to social embarrassment and environmental pollution.MethodsLow-cost biodegradable absorbents (cotton terry cloth, linen, hemp cloth and bamboo wadding) were investigated in gelatine solution in terms of their absorptivity for use in menstrual hygiene.ResultsBamboo wadding exhibits the highest absorptivity index (7.86), greater than cotton terry cloth (0.84), hemp cloth (1.4), linen (1.57) and a commercial sanitary pad (4.38).ConclusionsThough the absorptivity index of bamboo wadding is promising, especially in the light of the vast availability of bamboo in tropical low-and middle income countries, challenges lie in overcoming complex extraction processes from bamboo plants which is discussed.
Covalently Engineered Nanobody Chimeras for Targeted Membrane Protein Degradation
Authors: Zhang Heng , Han Yu , Yang Yuanfan , Lin Feng , Lin Jian , Chen Peng
Published: March 2021

Targeted degradation of membrane proteins would afford an attractive and general strategy for treating various diseases that remain difficult with the current PROTAC methodology. We herein report a covalent nanobody-based PROTAC strategy, termed GlueTAC, for targeted membrane protein degradation with high specificity and efficiency. We first designed a MS-based screening platform for rapid development of covalent nanobody (Gluebody) that allowed proximity-enabled ligation with surface antigens on cancer cells. By conjugation with the cell-penetrating peptide and lysosomal-sorting sequence, the resulting GlueTAC chimera exhibited enhanced internalization with high efficacy and sustained eradication of tumor surface antigens such as PD-L1 and EGFR both in vitro and in vivo, which has broad applications in biomedical research and therapeutics.
An Offset Laser Measurement Method for the Deviation Analysis of Cylindrical Gear
Authors: Mei Ning , Song Aiping , Yu Chenwei , Pan Jianzhou
Published: March 2021

Generally, in the laser measurement of gears, the laser beam passes through the center of the gear, and the laser displacement sensor reads the spatial distance from the gear involute tooth surface to the laser displacement sensor. However, in this method, the angle between the laser beam and the normal vector of the measured tooth surface is too large, which affects the accuracy of the measurement and the stability of the data. This paper proposes an offset laser measurement method. The laser beam is offset from the center of the gear by a certain distance to form a larger incident angle with the tooth surface, which can effectively improve the problem and increase the measurement accuracy. Through the discussion of selecting the optimal offset distance, the range of optimal offset measurement position is obtained and clarified by experiments. We solved the data conversion problem caused by the change of measuring position, and measured the pitch deviation and helix angle of the gear to confirm the feasibility of this method. Based on theoretical calculation and experimental verification, it is found that this method has the advantages of better measurement accuracy and less measurement data fluctuations. It is suitable for precision gear measurement.
The Prevalence and Predictors of Fear of Childbirth Among Pregnant Chinese Women: a Hierarchical Regression Analysis
Authors: Huang Jingui , Huang Jing , Li Yan , Liao Bizhen
Published: March 2021

Background: Fear of childbirth(FOC) runs through before, during and after pregnancy, which is harmful to both the pregnant woman and fetus. To identify the prevalence and predictors of FOC can help us generate strategies for alleviating women’s FOC.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 646 pregnant women attending antenatal care at a subordinate hospital of an university in China. Data were collected using a Basic information form, Childbirth Attitude Questionnaire, Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory, and 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. We conducted hierarchical regression analysis to explore the predictors of FOC and used a structural equation model to examine the direct and indirect associations between FOC, resilience and childbirth self-efficacy further.Results: The average score on the Childbirth Attitude Questionnaire scale was 32.49 and the total prevalence of FOC was 67.1%. 45.4% women reported a mild level of fear, 19.5% reported moderate fear, and 2.2% reported a severe level of fear. The final regression analysis displayed six variables predicting FOC that explained 64.2% of variance in FOC: age (t=2.795, P<0.05), gestation age (t=2.566, P<0.05), parity (t=-5.191, P<0.01), spousal support (t=-6.119, P<0.01), resilience (t=-10.302, P<0.01) and childbirth self-efficacy (t=-16.435, P<0.01). Furthermore, childbirth self-efficacy mediated the relationship between FOC and resilience, and the mediation effect ratio was 53.5%.Conclusions: A high prevalence of FOC among pregnant Chinese women was found in this study. Age, gestation age, parity, spousal support, resilience and childbirth self-efficacy were predictors of FOC. It is suggested that the health-care professionals should pay close attention to FOC and take targeted interventions according to these predictors especially resilience and childbirth self-efficacy.
Prevalence of Hyperuricemia and the Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid Concentrations and Lipid Parameters Among King Abdulaziz University Hospital Patients
Authors: Ghamri Ranya A. , Qalai Tala A. , Ismail Raghad A. , Aljehani Joud M. , Alotaibi Dina S. , Aljahdali Maysam A.
Published: March 2021

Background: Hyperuricemia is a metabolic defect caused by high purine consumption, overproduction of uric acid, or reduced uric acid excretion. Hyperuricemia is the second most common metabolic disease after diabetes mellitus and can mediate proinflammatory endocrine imbalance in adipose tissue, which contributed to dyslipidemia. Furthermore, several studies have associated uric acid with dyslipidemia. However, no previous studies have examined patients without chronic illness. Thus, we aimed to assess the relationship between serum uric acid concentration and lipid profile parameters and to estimate the prevalence of hyperuricemia in the city of Jeddah. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among 1206 patients without chronic illness after applying the exclusion criteria. Patients had undergone laboratory blood testing over a 3-year period (2018–2020) at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, which was ethically approved. We used a predesigned checklist to collect data from electronic hospital records using Google Forms. Bivariate analysis, tables, and graphs were used to represent and identify the relationships between variables. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant.Results: Our study revealed a prevalence of 12% for hyperuricemia in the study population. Males were more frequently affected than females (8.13% vs. 3.73%, respectively). There was no association between serum uric acid concentration and lipid profile parameters, including total cholesterol (P = 0.92), triglyceride (P = 0.42), high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.47), and low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.66). There was a strong association between serum uric acid concentration and high body mass index (P < 0.001), older age (P = 0.002), male sex (P < 0.001), and nationality (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was an association between sex and mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.02) and mean triglyceride concentration (P = 0.02).Conclusion: We observed a low prevalence of hyperuricemia, and our results indicate no association between serum uric acid concentration and lipid profile parameters.
HFLBSC: Heuristic and Fuzzy based Load Balanced, Scalable Clustering Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Maratha Priti , Gupta Kapil
Published: March 2021

In spite of the severe limitations on the resources of the sensor nodes such as memory, computational power, transmission range and battery, the application areas of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are increasing day by day. The main challenge in WSNs is energy consumption. It becomes significant when a large number of nodes are deployed. Although clustering is one of the solutions to cater to this problem, but it suffers from severe energy consumption due to the non-uniform selection of CHs and frequent re-clustering. In this paper, we propose a heuristic and fuzzy based load balanced, scalable clustering algorithm for WSNs called HFLBSC. In this algorithm, we have segregated the network into a layered structure using the area under intersection over union curve. We have selected the CHs by considering residual energy and distance threshold. We have stalled the frequent re-clustering by utilizing the decision made with the help of fuzzy logic. Our proposed scheme is capable enough to elongate the network lifetime. Statistical analysis and simulation results confirm the superiority of proposed work in comparison to its competitor protocol.
Serum Adiponectin, Body Adiposity and Metabolic Profile in Relation to Obesity among Egyptian Children with Down Syndrome
Authors: Yahia Sohier , El-Farahaty Reham , EL-Gilany Abdel-Hady , Shoaib Rasha , Ramadan Rowayda , Salem Nanees
Published: March 2021

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a higher risk for obesity. Adiponectin plays a crucial role in obesity-related cardiometabolic comorbidities. We aimed to determine whether body adiposity indicators, metabolic syndrome (MetS) components, serum adiponectin and insulin resistance indicies are different in "obese-DS" children compared to BMI-Z-score-matched "obese-control" and to clarify the usefulness of serum adiponectin as a biomarker for MetS in DS children. Cross-sectional study included 150 prepubertal children classfied into three groups; obese-DS (n = 50), obese-control (n = 50) and normal-weight-control (n = 50). Participants were evaluated for waist-circumference (WC), body adiposity, serum triglycerides, HDL-C, adiponectin and Homeostasis-Model-Assessment of Insulin-Resistance (HOMA-IR). MetS was defined using modified Adult Treatment Panel III-criteria. Obese-DS had significantly higher WC, %body fat, total-fat mass, trunk-fat mass, trunk/appendicular-FM ratio, triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR and significantly lower HDL-C values compared to obese-control. Higher prevalence of MetS and its components were observed in obese-DS that was evident at younger age. Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in obese-DS compared with obese-control and in obese-DS children with MetS compared to obese-control with MetS. The decrease in adiponectin with increasing grades of obesity was pronounced in obese-DS. Adiponectin exhibited strong correlations with body adiposity, several MetS components and HOMA-IR in obese-DS. Adiponectin performed better as a biomarker for MetS among obese-DS (AUC = 0.808) than among obese-control (AUC = 0.674). In conclusion, prepubertal obese-DS displayed excess body adiposity with pronounced central fat distribution, atherogenic lipid profile and higher insulin resistance compared to matched obese-control. Adiponectin performed better as potential biomarker of MetS in obese-DS than among obese-control.
Transcriptomic resources for prairie grass (Bromus catharticus): expressed transcripts, tissue-specific genes, and identification and validation of EST-SSR markers
Authors: Sun Ming , Dong Zhixiao , Yang Jian , Wu Wendan , Zhang Chenglin , Zhang Jianbo , Zhao Junming , Xiong Yi , Jia Shangang , Ma Xiao
Published: March 2021

Background: Prairie grass (Bromus catharticus) is a typical cool-season forage crop with high biomass production and fast growth rate during winter and spring. However, its genetic research and breeding has remained stagnant due to limited available genomic resources. The aim of this study was to generate large-scale genomic data using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, and perform a preliminary validation of EST-SSR markers of B. catharticus.Results: Eleven tissue samples including seeds, leaves, and stems were collected from a new high-yield strain of prairie grass BCS1103. A total of 257,773 unigenes were obtained, of which 193,082 (74.90%) were annotated. Comparison analysis between tissues identified 1803, 3030, and 1570 genes specifically expressed in the seed, leaf, and stem, respectively. A total of 37,288 EST-SSRs were identified from unigene sequences, and more than 80,000 primer pairs were designed. We synthesized 420 primer pairs and selected 52 ones with high polymorphisms to estimate genetic diversity and population structure in 24 B. catharticus accessions worldwide. Despite low diversity indicated by an average genetic distance of 0.358, the accessions from South America and Asia and wild accessions showed higher genetic diversity. Moreover, South American accessions showed a pure ancestry, but Asian accessions demonstrated mixed relationships, which indicated a different probability of gene flow among the two regions. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the studied accessions into four clades. Finally, phenotypic clustering and Mantel analysis suggested the total phenotypic variation was mostly contributed by the genetic component. Stem diameter, plant height, leaf width, and biomass yield significantly correlated with genetic data (r > 0.6, P < 0.001), and might be genetically stable in the future selection and breeding.Conclusion: A genomic resource was generated that could benefit genetic and taxonomic studies, as well as molecular breeding for B. catharticus and it relatives in the future.