bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time Series Modeling of Air Pollution and Its Association with Season and Climate Variables in Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: al-najjar hazem , Al-Rousan Nadia , Elhaty Ismail A.
Published: May 2020

Air pollution depends on seasons, wind speed, temperature, wind direction and air pressure. The effect of different seasons on air pollution is not fully addressed in the reported works. The current study investigated the impact of season on air pollutants including SO2, PM10, NO, NOX, and O3 using NARX method. In the applied methodology, a feature selection was used with each pollutant to find the most important season(s). Afterward, six models are designed based on the feature selection to show the impact of seasons in finding the concentration of pollutants. A case study is conducted on Esenyurt which is one of the most populated and industrialized places in Istanbul to validate the proposed framework. The performance of using all of the designed models with different pollutants showed that using season effect led to improving the performance of predictor and generating high R2 and low error functions.
Environmental Exposure to Cooking Oil Fume and Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Zhang Shun , Lin Jie , Ni Saili , Shi Qili , Xiong Zi , Kang Junfei , Sun Xiaohua , Gao Yumeng , Zhang Huijing , Liu Shanyi , Cai Ting
Published: May 2020

Background: Evidence on effect of cooking oil fume, which contains numerous carcinogens, on development of fatty liver disease is limited. The present study aims to investigate the association between exposure to cooking oil fume and the risk of fatty liver disease.Method: A total of 55959 participants aged between 40 and 75 years old participated in a community-based survey in Ningbo, China. Information on exposure to cooking oil fume and fatty liver disease were collected by face-to-face interview. Stratified analysis was used with participants being divided into two groups according to gender. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between cooking oil fume exposure and fatty liver risk. Furthermore, ordered logistic regression was conducted to investigate the association between cooking oil fume exposure and the severity of fatty liver disease.Results: Fatty liver disease prevalence was 8.79% in none oil fume exposure group, 10.52% in light oil fume exposure group, 23.47% in moderate oil fume exposure group and 41.45% in heavy oil fume exposure group. After adjusting for confounding factors, participants in the light, moderate and heavy cooking oil fume exposure groups all had significantly higher odds ratios as compared with participants in the none oil fume exposure group. In addition, an interaction effect between cooking oil fume exposure and gender on the prevalence and severity of fatty liver disease was observed. Females with heavyoil fume exposure had the highest odds ratios of fatty liver disease and severer disease extent. In the stratified analysis, compared to participants in the smokeless group, males and females in light, moderate and heavy cooking oil fume exposure groups all had significantly higher risk of fatty liver disease and severer disease extent, while participants with heavier cooking oil fume exposure tended to have higher risk of fatty liver disease and severer disease extent.Conclusion: Exposure to cooking oil fume is associated with incident and severity of fatty liver disease in 40-75 years old Chinese. The associations might be dose-responsive. In addition, heavy oil fume exposure and female sex might have a synergistic effecton incident and severity of fatty liver disease.
Kanglexin promotes diabetic wound healing through activating FGFR/ERK1/2 signaling pathway mediated angiogenesis.
Authors: Yixiu Zhao , Wang Xinhui , Yang Shuang , Song Xia , Chen Chao , Sun Na , Zhang Yannan , Yao Dahong , Huang Jian , Wang Jinhui , Zhang Yan , Yang Baofeng
Published: May 2020

Background: Diabetic wounds (DWs), especially leg or foot ulcers, are common diabetic complications, accounting for about 20% of diabetic patients. At present, there is still lack of effective measures to treat DWs in clinical practice. Kanglexin (KLX) is an anthraquinone compound with vasoprotective effect. This study will explore the therapeutic effects of KLX on DWs and the underlying mechanisms.Method: KM mice were injected with streptozocin (180 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to establish animal model of Type 1 Diabetes. The full-thickness skin wounds with the diameter of 5 mm were prepared on the back of diabetic mice with a skin punch. KLX is dissolved in sterile injection oil and applied to the wound once a day for 14 consecutive days. The wounds were photographed every day and the wound size was analyzed by Image Pro Plus software. On the 3rd, 7th, 11th day after KLX administration, skin tissues with a diameter of 1cm around the wound were fixed in paraformaldehyde and subjected to HE, Masson and immunohistochemical staining. Collagen deposition were evaluated by hydroxyproline kit. Angiogenesis of wound skin was evaluated by recording the formation of new blood vessels on its subsurface. In vitro study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with advanced glycation end products (AGEs, 100 μg/mL) to establish the cell model of DWs. The proliferation, migration and tubular structure formation of HUVECs were measured by MTT, scratch and tubule formation experiments, respectively. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was detected by Western blot analysis.ResultsFirstly, in-vivo study showed that KLX significantly accelerated the closure of diabetic wounds through promoting granulation tissue formation, collagen synthesis and angiogenesis. Secondly, in vitro study results further confirmed that KLX promoted the proliferation, migration and tubular structure formation of HUVECs. Besides, KLX significantly up-regulated phospho-ERK1/2 both in diabetic wounds and AGEs-treated HUVECs. Thirdly, molecular docking simulation results indicated that there were multiple hydrogen bonds between KLX and FGFR amino acid residues, and FGFR inhibitor PD173074 significantly reversed KLX’s promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and angiogenesis. Conclusions:KLX promotes angiogenesis and accelerates the healing of diabetic wounds by activating FGFR and ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Do Health Programs Reduce Conflict and Violence? A Case-Control Study
Authors: Waller Stephen G
Published: May 2020

BackgroundHealth programs are often implemented in conflict zones in hopes of ‘winning hearts and minds’ and preserving the peace. We find no scientific evidence for this policy but hypothesize that programs to mitigate health problems have a role in keeping the peace in conflict states. The evidence for our theory to date is anecdotal.MethodsWe carefully examined hundreds of conflicts in a robust international database (NAVCO 2.0) for the presence of health programs by warring parties and were unable to demonstrate a statistical correlation between the presence of a health program and the subsequent peaceful resolution of conflict. Using this empirical analysis and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), a comprehensive international database of health conditions, we performed a matched case-control analysis of the association between the GBD prevalence of 254 different health conditions and NAVCO database conflict status. We identified 14 countries with new-onset conflict as our cases and 42 similar countries without conflict during the same year as our controls.ResultsNone of the 254 common health conditions had changes in prevalence that correlated with the subsequent conflict status of that nation.ConclusionsWe were unable to show that any of the health conditions we analyzed is a predictive ‘leading indicator’ of conflict. Without such an association or causal link, the role of health programs in reducing conflict and violence remains unconvincing and ambiguous. We believe this work is a novel insight into ways the international community might reliably mitigate conflict and should provoke more research on this topic.
A qualitative study to identify factors that influence patients’ decisions to call Emergency Medical Services for syncope
Authors: Williamson Tamara M. , Runte Mary , Runte Tigana , Raj Satish , Blanchard Ian , Sheldon Robert , Campbell Tavis , King-Shier Kathryn
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Emergency medical services (EMS) assessment and presentation to the emergency department (ED) for syncope (fainting) often results in hospital admission and costly diagnostic testing that rarely benefits patients. Protocols that support paramedics to assess, treat and refer low-risk syncope may allow for ED transport of only high-risk patients. The development and successful uptake of such protocols is limited by a dearth of information about factors patients consider when deciding to seek EMS care following syncope.
OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore decision-making processes of individuals with syncope when deciding whether (or not) to call EMS after fainting as a starting point in the development of prehospital risk-stratification protocols.
METHODS

Twenty-five adults (aged 18–65 years) with a history of ≥ 1 syncopal episode were recruited across four Canadian provinces. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed. Straussian grounded theory methods were used to identify common themes and a core (overarching) category.
RESULTS

Four common themes were identified: (a) previous experiences with the healthcare system (e.g., feeling dismissed), (b) individual patient factors (e.g., age, comorbidities), (c) attitudes and beliefs (e.g., concerns about burdening the health care system, believing syncope is “not serious enough” to seek care), and (d) contextual factors (i.e., influence of important others, symptom severity). Perceived judgement of the patient by EMS was identified as the overarching core category that influenced patients’ decision-making to seek care.
CONCLUSION

The decision to seek EMS care after syncope is a complex process involving patient consideration of past experiences, pre-existing attitudes and beliefs, and individual- and contextual factors. Patients’ previous experiences of judgement and dismissal by EMS for fainting may interfere with patient receptiveness to traditional EMS protocols for syncope. These barriers could be targets for training and education for paramedics and help to inform the development of prehospital protocols to improve care and satisfaction among patients with syncope.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among armed forces personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fathalipour Mohammad , Hassanipour Soheil , Sepandi Mojtaba , Taghdir Maryam , Abbaszadeh Sepideh
Published: May 2020

Background

Previous studies of diabetes among armed forces personnel did not assess a comprehensive disease prevalence. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among the military personnel and police officers.
Methods

We carried out a systematic search on electronic databases from January 2000 to January 2020. Cross-sectional and cohort studies with a report of the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, or both were selected. Random- or fixed-effects model, along with subgroup analysis on diabetes or prediabetes as well as the component of armed forces, was carried out to determine the overall prevalence.
Results

Among 258 citations, 17 studies were entered into the meta-analysis, involving 1559737 individuals. The meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the police officers (13.78%; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 10.14–17.60) was higher than that of the military personnel (7.32%; CI: 4.22–10.42). The overall prevalence of prediabetes among the military personnel and the police officers were 7.41% (CI: 3.35–11.48) and 6.30% (CI: 5.11–7.49), respectively.
Conclusion

The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among armed forces were consistent with global reports among general population. Future investigations are warranted to estimate the exact prevalence of diabetes among this occupational group.
Acupuncture therapy for stable angina pectoris: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zhihan , Wang Yitong , Xue Bing , Liu Caijiao , Li Sijing , Ren Yulan
Published: May 2020

Background Stable angina pectoris (SAP) is a common cardiovascular disease, which brings health burden to society. Acupuncture therapy is effective in improving SAP as adjunctive therapy, nevertheless, there were controversies on the effect of acupuncture on disease-affected meridian (DAM), sham acupoints and nonaffected meridian (NAM). This study evaluated the effect of acupuncture on DAM as adjunctive therapy, and the difference in acupuncture on DAM, sham acupoints, and nonaffected meridian NAM. Methods Thirteen online databases were searched from inception to December 2, 2019. Risk of bias and quality of evidence for outcomes were respectively assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and the GRADE approach. RevMan 5.3 was adopted to conduct meta-analysis. Results Thirteen RCTs including 1026 participants were included in this study. Acupuncture therapy could be effective in the improvement of angina severity, ECG results, 6-MWT, SAQ results (physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction, disease perception), anxiety, HRV (LF, LF/HF), ET, CRP, and reduction of nitroglycerin intake. Acupuncture on DAM could be more beneficial than acupuncture on sham acupoints in aspects of angina severity, 6-MWT, SAQ results (angina stability, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction, disease perception). Compared to acupuncture in NAM, acupuncture on DAM could be more effective in SAQ results (angina stability, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction). Moreover, acupuncture on DAM did not increase the risk of dropout and adverse effect. Conclusions Acupuncture on DAM could effectively improving SAP, and it could be more effective compared with acupuncture on sham acupoints or NAM. However, these conclusions were limited by low-quality of most of included studies. Registration Open Science Framework registration (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/F9DTW).
The performance of Chest CT and Its Imaging Features for Diagnosing Coronavirus Disease 2019: a Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Zhao Zhewei , Li Chen , Zhang Wen , Zhang Shuyang
Published: May 2020

Early diagnosis and isolation of cases are particularly crucial for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in global pandemic. The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performance of chest computed tomography (CT) and imaging features for diagnosing COVID-19. Diagnostic accuracy studies of CT and RT-PCR in patients with clinically suspected COVID-19, which were published up to April 25th, 2020 from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Twelve studies (n=2,204) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of chest CT for detecting COVID-19 were 94.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 89.5 to 97.2%) and 41.8% (95% CI 24.2 to 61.6%), 1.6 (95% CI: 1.6-2.3), 0.13 (95% CI: 0.06-0.31), and 12.4 (95% CI: 4.0-38.5), respectively. Initial RT-PCR revealed a better diagnostic performance. Peripheral lesions, bilateral involvement, multiple lesions, and ground-glass opacities (GGO), revealed to be with better diagnostic value than other CT manifestations. Using chest CT for COVID-19 diagnosis has a high sensitivity and a relatively low specificity. Bilateral multiple peripheral lesions and GGO revealed to be with better diagnostic value. For areas with high prevalence, chest CT could be a good screening test to preliminary screen patients with COVID-19 quickly.
Maternal and perinatal outcomes and pharmacological management of Covid-19 infection in pregnancy: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Thomas Binny , Hail Moza Al , Abdulrouf Pallivalappila , Elkassem Wessam , Tarannum Asma , Hail Fatema Al , Rijims Mohammed , Parappil Hussain , Bayo Arabo Ibrahim , Ahmad Shamsa , Nazar Zachariah , Stewart Derek
Published: May 2020

BackgroundOver 4.2 million confirmed cases and more than 285,000 deaths, COVID-19 pandemic continues to harm significant number of people worldwide. Several studies have reported the impact of COVID-19 in general population, however, there is scarcity of information related to pharmacological management, maternal and perinatal outcomes during the pandemic. Altered physiological, anatomical and immunological response during pregnancy makes it more susceptible to infections. Furthermore, during pregnancy, a woman undergoes multiple interactions with the health care system that increases her chance of getting infected, therefore managing pregnant population presents a unique challenge. Research Question(s)This systematic review seeks to answer the following questions in relation to COVID-19,What are the different clinical characteristics presented in maternal and perinatal population?What are the different maternal and perinatal outcome measures reported?What are the distinct therapeutic interventions reported to treat Covid-19?Is it safe to use ‘medications’ used in the treatment of COVID-19 during antenatal, perinatal, postnatal and breastfeeding?Method The search will follow a comprehensive, sequential three step search strategy. Several databases relevant to COVID-19 and its impact on pregnancy including Medline, CINAHL, LitCovid etc. will be searched from the inception of the disease until the completion of data collection. The quality of this search strategy will be assessed using Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies Evidence-Based Checklist (PRESS EBC). An eligibility form will be developed for a transparent screening and inclusion/exclusion of studies. All studies will be sent to Refworks and abstraction will be independently performed by two researchers. Risk of bias will be assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials, Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for non-randomized studies and for case reports Murad et al tool will be used. Decision to conduct metanalysis will be based on several factors including homogeneity and outcome measures reported, otherwise a narrative synthesis will be deemed appropriate. Discussion This systematic review will summarise the existing data on effect of COVID-19 on maternal and perinatal population. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review addressing therapeutic management and safety of medicines to treat COVID-19 during pregnancy and breastfeeding.Systematic review registrationProspero (CRD42020181163)
An Improved WENO-Z Scheme with Symmetry-Preserving Mappin
Authors: Hong Zheng , Ye Zhengyin , Ye Kun
Published: May 2020

Since the classical weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme is proposed, various improved versions have been developed, and a typical one is the WENO-Z scheme. Although better resolution is achieved, it is shown in this article that, the result of WENO-Z scheme suffers evident distortion in the long-time simulation of the linear advection equation. In order to fix the problem of WENO-Z scheme, a symmetry-preserving mapping method is proposed in this article. In the original mapping method, the weight of each substencil is used to map, which is demonstrated to cause asymmetric improvement about a discontinuity. This asymmetric improvement will lead to a distorted solution, more severe with longer output time. In the symmetry-preserving mapping method, a new variable related to the smoothness indicator is selected to map, which has the same ideal value for each substencil. Using the new mapping method can not only fix the distortion problem of WENO-Z scheme, but also improve the resolution. Several benchmark problems are conducted to show the improved performance of the resultant scheme.
Expenditure Cuts and Access to Healthcare Under the Great Recession in Europe: Income Groups Are Unequally Affected
Authors: Torfs Lore , Adriaenssens Stef , Lagaert Susan , Willems Sara
Published: May 2020

Background:The Great Recession,starting in 2008, was characterized by an overall reduction in living standards. This pushed governmentsacross the European Unionto restrict expenditures, also in the area of healthcare. Theseausterity measures are known to have affectedthe access to healthcare, probably unevenly among social groups.This study examines the unequal effects of cuts in healthcare expenditures on the access to medical carefor differentincome groups across European countries.Method:Using data of two waves (2008 and 2014) of the European Union Statistics of Income and Living Conditionssurvey (EU-SILC), a difference-in-differences (DD) approach was used to analyse the overall change in unmet medical needs over time withinand between countries.By adding an additional level thedifferences in the effects between income quintiles (difference-in-difference-in-differences: DDD) were estimated.To do so, three relevant comparisons weremade: Greece versus the other countries, Iceland versus Sweden, and Ireland versus the United Kingdom.The latter two are comparisons of countries with recessions equal in magnitude, but with different levels of healthcare cuts, in order to isolate the effect of these cuts .Results:The DD-estimates show a higher increase of unmet medical needs during the Great Recession in Greece comparted with the other countries (+4.15pp). Although this first model gave only a view of the overall effect of the recession, the same but weaker effects were found in the two other models (Iceland vs Sweden: +3.24pp and Ireland vs United Kingdom: +1.15pp).The DDD-estimates shows difference results over the three models. In Greece and Iceland the lowest income groups were most affected, while this was not the case in Ireland.Conclusion: Restrictions on health expenditures during the Great Recessioncaused an increase in self-reported unmet medical needs.The burden of these effects is not equally distributed; in most cases the lower income groups suffer most. The case of Ireland, nevertheless, shows that certainpolicy measures may sparelower income groups, whiledisproportionately affecting middle class income groups.These results bring in evidence that policies can reduce and even overshoot the general effect of income inequalities on access to healthcare.
Synthesis, Ultra-Microscopic and Comparative Studies of Silver and Nickel Nanoparticles
Authors: Tailor Giriraj , Chaudhary Jyoti , Verma Deepshikha
Published: May 2020

Silver and nickel nanoparticles were synthesized from urea and formaldehyde by using chemical method, followed by calcination at 8000C. The chemical composition and crystallographic structure of silver and nickel nanoparticles were confirmed by XRD. Surface imaging studies like AFM was carried out for estimating surface morphology and particles size distribution. The spherical and porous like morphology of silver and nickel nanoparticles confirmed by SEM and TEM. White spots are observed in the presence of silver and nickel metal ions in spherical forms. The particles size of silver and Nickel metal ions were found to be obtained through XRD 41.43 nm and 13.71 nm respectively.
Persistence of P. Falciparum Ring-Stage Parasites 42 Days After Artemisinin and Non-Artemisinin Combination Therapy in Naturally Infected Malians
Authors: Mahamar Almahamoudou , Lanke Kjerstin , Graumans Wouter , Diawara Halimatou , Sanogo Koualy , Diarra Kalifa , Niambele Sidi Mohamed , Gosling Roly , Drakeley Chris , Chen Ingrid , Dicko Alassane , Bousema Teun , Roh Michelle
Published: May 2020

Background: Malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa relies upon prompt case management with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Ring-stage parasites, measured by sbp1 quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR), were previously reported to persist after ACT treatment and hypothesized to reflect temporary arrest of the growth of ring-stage parasites (dormancy) following exposure to artemisinins. Here, we examined the persistence of ring-stage parasitemia following ACT and non-ACT treatment. Methods: We used samples from naturally infected Malian gametocyte carriers who received dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) or sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP-AQ) with or without gametocytocidal drugs. Gametocytes and ring-stage parasites were quantified by qRT-PCR during 42 days of follow-up. Results: At baseline, 89% (64/73) of participants had measurable ring-stage parasites. Following treatment, the proportion of ring-stage parasite-positive individuals and ring-stage parasite densities declined for all four treatment groups. Participants who received DP had 81% lower post-treatment ring-stage parasite density compared to participants who received SP-AQ (p<0.001). Gametocytocidal drugs did not influence ring-stage parasite persistence. Ring-stage parasite densities on days 14 and 28 after initiation of treatment were higher among individuals who subsequently experienced recurrent parasitemia compared to those who remained free of parasites until day 42 after initiation of treatment (pday 14=0.011 and pday 28=0.068). We observed no association of ring-stage persistence with gametocyte carriage. Conclusions: Our findings of lower ring-stage persistence after ACT treatment without an effect of gametocytocidal partner drugs affirms the use of sbp1 as ring-stage marker and argues against preferential persistence of low densities of rings following ACT treatment. The implications of our findings for monitoring drug sensitivity require further study.
Transcriptional expression of ZICs as an independent indicator of survival in gliomas
Authors: Han Zhao cheng , Jia Jingnan , Lv Yangting , Wang Rongyanqi , Cao Kegang
Published: May 2020

Background: The functional significance of the zinc-finger of the cerebellum (ZIC) gene family in gliomas remains to be elucidated. Methods: Clinical data from patients with gliomas, containing expression levels of ZIC genes, were extracted from CCLE, GEPIA2 and The Human Protein Atlas(HPA). Univariate survival analysis adjusted by Cox regression via OncoLnc was used to determine the prognostic significance of ZIC expression. We used cBioPortal to explore the correlation between gene mutations and overall survival (OS). ZIC expression was found to be related to immune cell infiltration in gliomas via TIMER analysis. GO term and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed with Metascape. PPI networks were constructed using STRING. Result: The expression levels of ZIC1/2/4 in gliomas were significantly different from those in normal samples. High expression levels of ZIC1/2/5 were associated with poor OS in brain low-grade glioma (LGG) patients, while low ZIC3 expression combined with high ZIC4 expression was related to favourable OS in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). ZIC mutations were associated with poor prognosis in LGG patients and related to favourable prognosis in GBM patients. We observed that the expression of ZICs was related to immune cell infiltration in glioma patients. ZICs were enriched in several pathways and biological processes involving arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and tissue morphogenesis. The PPI network revealed that some coexpressed proteins of ZICs played a role in the pathogenesis of gliomas. Conclusions: Differences in the expression levels of ZIC genes could provide a significant marker for predicting prognosis in gliomas.
Genetic Analysis of Children with Congenital Ocular Anomalies in Three Ecological Regions of Nepal: A Phase II of Nepal Pediatric Ocular Diseases Study
Authors: Adhikari Srijana , Thakur Neelam , Shrestha Ujjowala , Shrestha Mohan , Shrestha Murari Man , Thapa Bijaya , Poudel Manish , Kunwar Ajay
Published: May 2020

Background: Genetic eye diseases constitute a large and heterogeneous group of childhood ocular morbidity. Individual diseases may cause multiple structural anomalies and developmental features. The Nepal Pediatric Ocular Disease Study (NPODS) was a population-based epidemiological study conducted across three ecological regions of Nepal to determine the prevalence and etiology of childhood ocular morbidity and blindness. In Phase II of this study, genetic analysis was performed for children who were found to have congenital ocular anomalies. Methodology: It was a cross sectional descriptive study. A total of 10,270 children across three different ecological regions in Nepal (terai, hills, and mountains) underwent ocular examinations. 374(3.6%) of these children were found to have ocular abnormalities, 30 of whom were thought to be congenital in nature. Targeted genetic analysis, including genotyping for specific genes specific to the presenting phenotype, was performed for 25 children using serum samples. Results: Out of 25 children, 18 children had meaningful genetic results. Analysis revealed one missense alteration G12411T of ZFHX4 gene in one participant among 10 with congenital ptosis and another missense variation T>C P.Y374Cof STRA6 gene in one participant among 3 with microphthalmos. Conclusion: The study is first of its kind from Nepal and mutant genes were unique to Nepalese Population. Further analysis of genetic factors is crucial to better understand genetic association with ocular diseases and conditions . This helps further in genetic counseling and probably gene therapy to prevent blindness from these conditions.
Development and Validation of a New Risk Score for Infection From Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) [Ri.S.I.Co], That We Learned on the Field Treating Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Patients
Authors: Fugazzola Paola , Favi Francesco , Tomasoni Matteo , Zaghi Claudia , Casadei Chiara , Prosperi Enrico , Sermonesi Giacomo , Corbella Davide , Coccolini Federico , Praticò Beniamino , Agnoletti Vanni , Ansaloni Luca
Published: May 2020

Background: The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 asked to change the organization of entire hospitals to try to prevent them to become epidemiological clusters. The actually adopted diagnostic tools are lacking of sensibility or specificity. The aim of the study is to create an easy-to-get risk score (Ri.S.I.Co., RIsk Score for Infection from new COronavirus), developed on the field, to stratify patients admitted to the hospital according to their risk of Covid-19 infection.Methods: This prospective study included all patients who were consecutively admitted in the “suspected COVID-19 department” of the Bufalini Hospital, Cesena (Italy). All clinical, radiological and laboratory predictors were included in a multivariable logistic regression model to create a risk model. A simplified model was internally ed externally validated. Two score thresholds for stratifying the probability of COVID-19 infection were introduced.Results: From 11th March to 5th April 2020, 200 patients were consecutively admitted. A Ri.S.I.Co lower than 2 had an higher sensibility than SARS-Cov-2 nucleic acid detection (96,2% vs 65,4%, p<0,001). The presence of ground glass pattern at lung-CT scan had a lower sensibility than a Ri.S.I.Co lower than 2 (88,5% vs 96,2%, p<0,001) and a lower specificity than a Ri.S.I.Co higher than 6 (75,0% vs 96,9%, p<0,001). Conclusions: We believe that the Ri.S.I.Co could allow to stratify admitted patients according to their risk, avoiding hospitals becoming themselves the main Covid-19 carriers. Furthermore, it could guide clinicians in starting therapies early in severe-onset cases with a high probability of COVID-19, before molecular SARS-CoV-2 infection is confirmed.Strengths and limitations of this study:Ri.S.I.Co., (RIsk Score for Infection from new COronavirus) is an easy-to-get risk-score developed on the field, to stratify patients admitted to the hospital according to their risk of Covid-19 infection.We believe that the Ri.S.I.Co could allow to stratify admitted patients according to their risk, before molecular SARS-CoV-2 infection is confirmed, avoiding hospitals becoming themselves the main Covid-19 carriers.Ri.S.I.Co had an higher sensibility than SARS-Cov-2 nucleic acid detection and an higher sensibility and specificity of the presence of ground glass pattern at lung-CT scan.Ri.S.I.Co was developed and validated on hospitalized patients, further studies would be necessary to understand if it is generalizable to non-hospitalized patients or on the population of other countries with different mean age, different prevalence of comorbidities and different health policies.
Difficulties doctors experience during life-sustaining treatment discussion after enactment of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Act: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Yoo Shin Hye , Choi Wonho , Kim Yejin , Kim Min Sun , Park Hye Yoon , Keam Bhumsuk , Heo Dae Seog
Published: May 2020

Background

In the Republic of Korea, life-sustaining treatment (LST) for patients at the end of life should be legally discussed by a doctor according to the LST Decisions Act, which was enacted in February 2018. However, little is known about challenges doctors experience during LST discussion. This study aims to investigate the perceived difficulties of doctors during LST discussions after enactment of the new Act.
Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a tertiary hospital in August 2019 and included 686 doctors (432 attending physicians, 141 clinical fellows, and 295 residents) who care for seriously ill patients. The doctors were given a structured questionnaire, and difficulties during the discussion process were examined.
Results

A total of 132 doctors answered the questionnaire. Most (86.4%) experienced considerable difficulties during LST discussions (mean score, 7.4 ± 1.6/10). The two most common difficulties were communication with patients and family and determining when to discuss LST. Two-thirds of doctors found direct discussions with the patient difficult and said they would initiate LST discussions only with family. LST discussions were actually initiated later than considered appropriate. When medically assessing whether the patient is imminently dying, 56% of doctors experienced disagreements with other doctors, which could affect their decisions.
Conclusion

In the present study, most doctors experienced serious difficulties during LST discussions. To alleviate these difficulties, further institutional support is needed.
Utilize of genetic diversity and marker-trait association to improve drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Ghazy Mohamed I. , Salem Khaled. F. , Sallam Ahmed
Published: May 2020

Drought stress in one of the main problems for rice crop as it reduces the production and productivity of the grain yield significantly. In Egypt, many restrictions were made on the cultivation of rice due to its high water demand. Producing promising drought-tolerant rice cultivars in a combination with high yielding is one of the main targets for rice breeders. To address this challenge, a set of 22 highly diverse rice genotypes were evaluated under normal and drought conditions. Morphological, physiological, yield traits were recorded on each genotype. Drought susceptibility index (DSI) was estimated for six yield traits to identify the most drought-tolerant rice genotypes. High genetic variation was found among genotypes tested in the experiment. Under normal conditions, the highest phenotypic correlation was found between grain yield (GY) and sterility percentage (SP) (- 0.73**), while, it was among GY and chlorophyll content (CC) (0.82**) under drought conditions. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling yielding traits under drought and normal, single marker analysis was performed between all yield traits under both condition and a set of 106 simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker alleles. The genetic association analysis revealed 14 and 17 QTL under drought and normal conditions, respectively. The most drought-tolerant genotypes were selected based on DSI, the number of QTL in each selected genotypes, and the level of genetic diversity. As a result, five genotypes (Giza 178, IET1444, GZ1368-S-5-4, Nahda, Giza 14) were identified as the most promising drought-tolerant rice genotypes. Eight QTL controlling drought tolerance were identified in Giza 178, Nahda, and GZ1368-S-5-4, while, four QTL were found in IET1444. The number of different QTLs were estimated among the five selected genotypes. Giza 178 and GZ1368-S-5-4 shared the same QTLs. Seven different QTLs were found among Nahda, IET1444, GZ1368-S-5-4, and Giza 14. Combining information from phenotypic traits, genetic diversity analysis, and QTL identification was very useful in identifying the true drought-tolerant rice genotypes that can be used for crossing in the future breeding program.
Smart Grid Efficiency: a Chinese Approach
Authors: Vakulenko Ihor A.
Published: May 2020

The paper considers the issues of evaluating the efficiency of smart grid projects, which is important for evaluating the performance of implemented projects and identifying the most promising projects among those proposed for implementation. The objective of the work is to identify and analyze the approaches to the assessment of smart grids used in the People's Republic of China (PRC). For this purpose, has been allocated two typical approaches that have proliferated and are widely used in China. Moreover, one of them (Grid development assessment index system) is universal: it is used to evaluate both existing and potential projects - the other (Smart grid pilot project evaluation indicator system) is used solely to evaluate pilot projects (smart grid projects that may be implemented).
The urgency of the work is justified by the need to identify the best world practices for evaluating Smart Grid projects in view of the prospects for the development of smart grids in Ukraine, and therefore the need to select the most effective projects and identify the most promising areas of energy sector development. Building smart grids is a prerequisite for integrating the Ukrainian energy system with the European Union's energy system.
The geographical choice of the People's Republic of China for research purposes is explained by the country's significant progress in building a smart grid over a limited time interval. The beginning of active activity in this area in the PRC dates back to the period when the countries of the European Union and the United States of America implemented the basic reforms necessary for the implementation of complex infrastructure projects in the field of smart energy networks.

Key words: energy, innovation, Smart Grid, evaluation techniques.
Economic and Social Challenges of Disruptive Technologies in Conditions of Industries 4.0 and 5.0: the EU Experience
Authors: Melnyk Leonid Hr. , Dehtyarova Iryna B. , Kubatko Oleksandr V. , Kharchenko Mykola O.
Published: May 2020

The paper analyses the economic and social challenges of disruptive technologies in conditions of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. The paper overviews research progress on Industry 4.0 and 5.0 and their influence on sustainable development. The research explains disruptive technologies trends for sustainable development. The paper examines the development process of “disruptive technologies”, which are numerous: telephone (replaced the telegraph), steamboats (replaced the sailing vessels), semiconductors (replaced the vacuum equipment), e-mail (instead of traditional mail), etc. The paper analyzes basic disruptive technologies for creating the Internet of Things. The paper shows potential economic characteristics of disruptive technologies for the nearest five-year perspective. It investigates the EU experience on the realization of Industries 4.0 and 5.0. The paper highlights the trends that positively impact business growth up to 2022 according to the EU Future of Jobs Report: increasing adoption of new technology and big data; advances in mobile internet; advances in artificial intelligence and cloud technology; shifts in national economic growth; expansion of education; advances in new energy supplies and technologies. The research demonstrates how disruptive technologies will accelerate by 2025 and how both positive and negative impacts on business will grow up. The article tackles the issues of the potential economic and social impact of disruptive technologies in the nearest future. It distinguishes possible consequences of the implementation of key disruptive technologies of our time: for example excessive psychological impact; the risk of creative potential reduction; increasing information dependence; reduced the privacy of personal life; risks of uncontrolled reduction of information security (for example, due to hackers); increased information vulnerability of civilization; risk of loss of human control over cyber systems, etc.

Key words: economic challenges, social challenges, Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, disruptive technology.
Effectiveness of Government Regulation of the Banking Sector: Assessment and Rating of Banks
Authors: Kryshtal Halyna O.
Published: May 2020

The article deals with the causes of the negative situation in the banking sector, as the state of the bank depends on the analysis of almost all aspects of banking activity for some time. It is determined that during the banking sector audits, the state regulator uses analytical data on the banking sector's operations with its monetary obligations, compliance with maturities and maturities of assets that operate and terms and amounts of liabilities, namely, dealing with banking sector liquidity. As their financial reliability is important in the banking sector, therefore, bank clients are a socio-economic sector, needing an objective and independent assessment, as reliability directly affects the socio-economic development of the country. The banking sector was analyzed in 2016-2019 and it was found that during this period violations of laws and regulations issued by the state regulator were made in the banking sector. A number of penalties, written warnings and administrative penalties were applied by the state regulator. The method of determining the rating of banks in respect of which penalties were applied by the state regulator is proposed. The rating allows investors and potential clients to understand the situation in the banking market and helps banks identify their weaknesses and correct their work. The application of the proposed economic and mathematical model in the rating of participants in the banking sector can have a positive effect on: improving the quality of management in the banking sector and transparency in the activities of each individual bank; standardization of technologies of rating of the banking sector under the prism of the applied sanctions by the state regulator. Therefore, there is a need for an in-depth study of the techniques used by credit rating agencies in the banking sector and the identification of the main problems in establishing the rating of the banking sector.

Key words: banking sector, state regulator, economic sector, efficiency, rating, rating, social sector.
First report of Rotylenchulus reniformis infecting turmeric in Vietnam and consequent damage
Authors: Nguyen Huu Tien , Trinh Quang Phap , Nguyen Thi Duyen , Bert Wim
Published: May 2020

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is one of the common medicinal crops of high economical value in Vietnam. A survey in the Central Highlands of Vietnam revealed a turmeric growing area showing serious disease symptoms, including stunting of the plant, yellowing or darkening of the leaf margins and tips, and underdeveloped dry and rotten rhizomes. An inspection for plant pathogens in soil samples from this area revealed a high density and frequency of Rotylenchus reniformis, with a significant relationship between the density of R. reniformis, rhizome weight, and level of plant damage. This study provides the first report of R. reniformis found in parasitic association with turmeric in Vietnam with the support of molecular data and examines its resulting damage.
Therapy of neonatal seizures: a two-year retrospective study at Almazov National Medical Research Centre
Authors: Novoseltsev D. V. , Odintsova G. V. , Gorshkov D. V. , Shchetinina A. M.
Published: May 2020

Introduction.Neonatal seizures are the most common pathological neurological symptom of the neonatal period, requiring immediate treatment. There are 2 directions in the treatment of seizures: relief of acute life-threatening seizures and supportive antiepileptic therapy of the chronic process. Worldwide phenobarbital is still the first-line medication for neonatal seizures. However, due to contraindications the doctors have to select and prescribe other antiepileptic therapy for both stopping seizures and supportive therapy.

Objective.To introduce an algorithm for standardized phased treatment of neonatal seizures from stopping an acute debut to starting supportive chronic therapy according to clinical and electroencephalographic indications.

Characteristics of children and research methods.The authors retrospectively analyzed 449 patients born in 2016 – 2017. The inclusion criteria: full-term term newborns with clinical and/or encephalographic verification of seizures in the neonatal period. The authors studied the time distribution parameters of the primary realization of seizures from the time of birth, the genesis of convulsive activity, the effectiveness of antiepileptic therapy.

Results.Out of 449 treated children (full-term infants with somatic, surgical and cardiosurgical pathologies) 36 (8.0%) patients had neonatal seizures, 35 (97.33%) children of them had symptomatic seizures. Neonatal genetic epilepsy was diagnosed in 1 (2.77%) child (Otahar syndrome). The investigators revealed the prevalence of the primary realization of convulsive syndrome in newborns in the first 4 days of life. Occasionally the initial debut of seizures occurred in children older than 7 days with congenital metabolic disorders, represented by aminoaciduria. The seizures were stopped without anticonvulsants (correction of transient metabolic disorders – hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia) in 3 (8.33%) children, with phenobarbital monotherapy in 5 (13.89%) children, diazepam monotherapy in 4 (11.11%) children, monotherapy with sodium thiopental – in 5 children (13.89%), valproic acid preparations – in 8 (22.22%) children, a combination of first and second line drugs (sodium thiopental + diazepam; sodium thiopental + phenobrobital) – in 11 ( 30.56%) children. Supportive antiepileptic therapy was carried out using phenobarbital monotherapy in 16 (44.44%) children, valproic acid preparations in 7 (19.44%) children, levetiracetam in 4 (11.12%) children, oxcarbazepine in 2 (5.56 %) children; 7 (19.44%) children were discharged without supportive antiepileptic therapy.

Conclusion.Currently anticonvulsant monotherapy is effective in less than 50% of neonatal seizures cases; phenobarbital or diazepam remain the first-line medications. 1/3 of the patients require a combination of antiepileptic therapy. It is of great importance to diagnose and correct transient metabolic disorders before the prescription of anticonvulsant therapy.
Modern approaches to the physical development indicators in children in their first months of life
Authors: Alyamovskayа G. A. , Sakharova Е. S. , Keshishyan E. S.
Published: May 2020

The design of new growth standards for infants in first years of life is one of the important problems in pediatrics today. Clinical issues showed, that body mass indices are not representative for body composition and couldn’t be used as indicators of growth harmony. In definite periods of age, body mass indices correlate with fat-free and fat mass and can be predictors of metabolic disturbances in adulthood. Child’s feeding in first year of life substantially influences to monthly gain of weight, height and head circumference; growth rate is also determined of gestational age. For growth assessment in premature infants, especially born before 27 week of pregnancy, special centile growth curves with considering of feeding and modern nursing tactics should have be used.