bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Keanekaragaman jenis-jenis epifit pteridophyta dan epifit spermatophyta di kawasan Kebun Raya Bogor
Authors: Nabila Fitriya , Sulistyowati Dewi , Isolina Indarti , Yani Rahmaa , Sigit Diana Vivanti , Miarsyah Mieke
Published: February 2021

Kenakaragaman hayati yang sangat tinggi banyak ditemukan di negara tropis salah satunya meliputi negara Indonesia. Indonesia berada pada garis khatulistiwa dengan faktor-faktor lingkungan yang mendukung kehidupan beragam tumbuhan. Adapun jenis tumbuhan yang sering dijumpai di Indonesia merupakan epifit. Kebun Raya Bogor sebagai daerah konservasi mempunyai beranekaragam koleksi jenis-jenis epifit diantaranya epifit jenis pteridophyta dan spermatophyta. Kenekaragaman epifit Pteridophyta dan epifit Sprematophyta di Kebun Raya Bogor sangat menarik untuk diteliti dan memberi informasi data keanekragaman epifit. Penelitian ini bertujuan memberikan informasi keanekaragaman data hayati epifit pteridophyta serta spermatophyta di Kebun Raya Bogor. Penelitian dilakukan di Lokasi Koleksi Paku-pakuan (Fern Collection) Kebun Raya Bogor. Metode penelitian yag digunakan ialah descriptive method lalu pengambilan sampel dengan teknik purposive dengan menggunakan plot berukuran 10x10 meter dengam total luas area 640 meter. Data yang diamati dalam setiap plot adalah nama jenis epifit, jumlah individu (densitas) dan jumlah kemunculan (frekuensi). Indeks Nilai Penting (INP) spesies yang tergolong tinggi yaitu Asplenium nidus dengan nilai INP sebesar 78,93% dan INP terendah terdapat pada spesies Drynaria sparsisora, Pyrrosia lanceolata, dan Trichomanes sp. sebesar 2,32%. Indeks Keanekaragaman Shannon-Wiener (H’) keseluruhan diperoleh hasil sebesar 1,20 dengan rincian indeks keanekaragaman epifit pteridophyta sebesar 1,00 dan epifit spermatophyte 0,65 maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa indeks keanekaragaman jenis epifit Pteridophyta dan epifit Spermatophyta di Kebun Raya Bogor dikategorikan sedang. Berdasarkan hasil tersebut maka perlu dilakukan pelestarian tumbuhan epifit beserta inangnya. Penelitian lebih lanjut perlu juga dilakukan dengan menggunakan sampling wilayah yang lebih luas.
Survei keberagaman lumut dan pohon inang di kawasan Kebun Raya Bogor
Authors: Lestiani Alfira , Lestari Retno Sri Dewi , Rizkia Rinjani Ayu , Pratiwi Asri Mutia , Azrai Eka Putri , Rini Daniar Setyo
Published: February 2021

Lumut (Bryophyta) adalah kelompok tumbuhan tingkat rendah. Lumut memiliki peran yang sangat penting bagi ekosistem yaitu untuk menjaga sirkulasi hara, keseimbangan air, menjadi habitat penting bagi organisme lain, dan dapat digunakan sebagai indikator biologis lingkungan. Lumut hidup menempel pada berbagai macam substrat diantaranya batu, pohon, kayu, dan tanah. Kebun Raya Bogor merupakan kawasan konservasi ex situ dan merupakan representasi kekayaan tumbuhan Indonesia, salah satunya adalah lumut. Terdapat banyak tumbuhan tingkat tinggi di Kebun Raya Bogor yang berpotensi menjadi tempat hidup dan basis tumbuh kembang lumut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman jenis lumut dan substratnya di Kebun Raya Bogor. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada 25 November 2020. Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan mengindentifikasi spesies tanaman Lumut beserta pohon inangnya di sepanjang jalan Kenari di Kebun Raya Bogor. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode survei eksploratif dengan teknik sampling menggunakan kuadrat. Hasil penelitian dapat diketahui bahwa Jumlah total spesies lumut yang ditemukan pada 7 pohon inang adalah 11 spesies yang dapat diidentifikasi yaitu  Isopterygium sp., Lejeunea sp., Ectropothecium sp., Barbula unguiculata, Neckeropsis sp., Cirriphyllum piliferum, Radula javanica, Lopholejeunea sp., Symphyogyna sp., Sphagnum sp., dan Taxiphullum sp.. Jenis lumut yang paling banyak ditemukan di pohon (substrat) sekitar jalan Kenari Kebun Raya Bogor adalah jenis Lejeuneae sp.
Keanekaragaman kupu-kupu (Lepidoptera) di Danau Kenanga, Universitas Indonesia Depok, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Authors: Mutiasari Nadila Restu , Widyasari Nurlaela , Eka Putri Fitria Kristanti , Wanti Ihiya Aprisia , Djamahar Refirman , Sartono Nurmasari
Published: February 2021

Penelitian mengenai Keanekaragaman kupu-kupu (Lepidoptera) di Danau Kenanga Universitas Indonesia dilaksanakan pada bulan November 2020. Metode yang digunakan ialah eksploratif dengan menjelajahi jalur lokasi penelitian. Hasil dari data yang telah diperoleh yaitu 6 spesies kupu-kupu yang berasal 3 famili yaitu Lycaenidae, Pieridae, dan Nymphalidae, serta berjumlah 40 individu kupu-kupu. Hasil dari analisis indeks keanekaragaman pada kupu-kupu dengan menggunakan rumus Shanon-Wienner didapatkan (H’) sebesar 1,54 yang artinya memiliki keanekaragaman sedang dan hasil dari analisis indeks dominansi kupu-kupu dengan menggunakan rumus dominansi Simpson diperoleh (D) sebesar 0,25 yang artinya memiliki kategori rendah yaitu hampir tidak ada spesies yang mendominasi. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa Ruellia simplex (kencana ungu) merupakan tumbuhan pakan serta tumbuhan inang kupu-kupu, Oxalis barrelieri (calincing tanah) merupakan tumbuhan pakan kupu-kupu, dan Dimocarpus longan (kelengkeng) merupakan tumbuhan inang kupu-kupu.
Keanekaragaman makrofungi di hutan kota Srengseng dan Pesanggrahan Sangga Buana Jakarta
Authors: Nur Ian Fadilah , Sihombing Anggieta Daniella , Fazriati Nandita , Az-Zahra Rania , Utami Annisa Wulan Agus , Ristanto Rizhal Hendi
Published: February 2021

Hutan kota merupakan ruang terbuka hijau di wilayah perkotaan yang memberikan manfaat bagi lingkungan dimana salah satu komponen yang berperan penting dan belum sepenuhnya dimanfaatkan dengan baik adalah dekomposer. Makrofungi termasuk ke dalam kelompok utama organisme pendegradasi yang keanekaragamannya dipengaruhi oleh habitat dan beberapa faktor lingkungan. Keberadaan makrofungi dapat dijadikan indikator penting dari komunitas hutan yang dinamis. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman makrofungi di kawasan Hutan Kota Srengseng dan Hutan Kota Pesanggrahan Sangga Buana. Metode penelitian menggunakan metode plot yaitu peletakkan plot berukuran 3 x 3 m berjumlah 30 plot dengan teknik purposive sampling di masing-masing kawasan Hutan Kota. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jumlah jenis makrofungi yang ditemukan adalah 43 jenis dengan komposisi 21 jenis makrofungi ditemukan di Hutan Kota Pesanggrahan Sangga Buana dan 22 jenis makrofungi ditemukan di Hutan Kota Srengseng. Secara keseluruhan Indeks Nilai Penting tertinggi yang terdapat pada Hutan Kota Pesanggrahan Sangga Buana yaitu jenis Pleurocybella porrigens (37.25%) sedangkan INP tertinggi pada Hutan Kota Srengseng yaitu jenis Xylaria polymorpha (45.82%). Indeks keanekaragaman jenis Shannon Wienner diperoleh Hutan Kota Srengseng memiliki nilai keanekaramanan lebih tinggi (H’=2.90) dibandingkan Hutan Kota Pesanggrahan Sangga Buana (H’=2.65).
Evaluation of Lithology Variations in Layered Red Beds with Depth: An Example of the Yellow River Guxian Dam, NW China
Authors: Li Qing-Bo , Wang Jun-Zhi , Wang Gui-Jun , Liu Qing-Liang , Yan Chang-Bin
Published: February 2021

Lithology variations, which are recognized as rock type differences, significantly affect the physical properties of rock masses in red beds. In this paper, we introduce a statistical method for quantitatively evaluating the degree of lithology variations in layered red beds with depth. The core of this method is to use borehole logs as random variables for statistical analysis to calculate the percentage of a specified lithology at a given elevation, which involves seven steps of attitude calculation, reference point selection, distance calculation, elevation modification, data discretization, data statistics, and curve plotting. The Yellow River Guxian Dam is chosen as a field case study. We classify rock types of feldspar sandstone, fine sandstone, and conglomerate into hard rocks and that rock types of calcareous siltstone, argillaceous siltstone, and mudstone into soft rocks. Borehole logs recorded during the geological investigation are used to plot the percentage curve of hard rocks. We find that the degree of lithology variations for each lithology group differs greatly, the general behaviors of lithology variations on two sides of the Guxian Dam riverbed are quite similar but still with some differences, and that some thick lithology groups can be finely divided into several subgroups. On the basis of the hard rock percentage curve, we introduce a lithology variation index to quantitatively characterize the degree of lithology variations, which can be used as an important index to supplement the traditional methods when performing rock mass classifications in red beds. We also plot the trilithology percentage curve of sandstone, calcareous siltstone, and argillaceous siltstone, which serves for the determination of physical parameters of the dam foundation rock mass, the identification of the potential shear sliding surface, and the search for an impervious grouting bottom. Moreover, we find that the crest and trough, which are local high and low points in the hard rock percentage curve, can be used to show some characteristics of shear zones. The locations of shear zones are well represented in the form of troughs and that the development of shear zones has a good linear relationship with the hard rock percentage of the corresponding crest. The method proposed in this paper can be promoted and applied in similar projects or studies.
Annotating and Detecting Topics in Social Media Forum and Modelling the Annotation to Derive Directions-A Case Study
Authors: B Athira , Jones Josette , Idicula Sumam Mary , Kulanthaivel Anand , Zhang Enming
Published: February 2021

The widespread influence of social media impacts every aspect of life, including the healthcare sector. Although medics and health professionals are the final decision makers, the advice and recommendations obtained from fellow patients are significant. In this context, the present paper explores the topics of discussion posted by breast cancer patients and survivors on online forums. The study examines an online forum, Breastcancer.org, maps the discussion entries to several topics, and proposes a machine learning model based on a classification algorithm to characterize the topics. To explore the topics of breast cancer patients and survivors, approximately 1000 posts are selected and manually labeled with annotations. In contrast, millions of posts are available to build the labels. A semi-supervised learning technique is used to build the labels for the unlabeled data; hence, the large data are classified using a deep learning algorithm. The deep learning algorithm BiLSTM with BERT word embedding technique provided a better f1-score of 79.5%. This method is able to classify the following topics: medication reviews, clinician knowledge, various treatment options, seeking and providing support, diagnostic procedures, financial issues and implications for everyday life. What matters the most for the patients is coping with everyday living as well as seeking and providing emotional and informational support. The approach and findings show the potential of studying social media to provide insight into patients' experiences with cancer like critical health problems.
The Prognostic Value of Long Non-Coding RNA SNHG7 in Human Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.
Authors: Yu Kexun , Chen Lu , Chen Zihua , Yuan Weijie , Zeng Pengwei , Xiao Lei , Huang Changhao , Xiao Runsha
Published: February 2021

Background: The long non-coding RNA SNHG7 is upregulated in many types of cancer and plays a role as an oncogene. However, its overall predictive ability in human cancer prognosis has not been assessed using existing databases. Therefore, further study of its prognostic value and clinical significance in human malignancies is warranted.Methods: We systematically collected relevant literature from multiple electronic document databases about the relationship between SNHG7 expression level and prognosis in patients with solid cancers. We further screened them for eligibility. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the prognostic value. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% CIs were collected to evaluate the relationship between the expression of SNHG7 and clinicopathological features, including lymph node metastasis (LNM), tumour size, tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage and histological grade.Results: Fourteen original studies involving 971 patients were enrolled strictly following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that SNHG7 expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.64–2.26, p < 0.001) in human cancer patients. In addition, the pooled OR indicated that overexpression of SNHG7 was associated with earlier LNM (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.44–2.32; P <0.001), and advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.44–2.30; P <0.001).Meanwhile, there was no significant heterogeneity between the selected studies, proving the reliability of the meta-analysis results.Conclusions: High SNHG7 expression may predict poor oncological outcomes in patients with multiple human cancers, which could be a novel prognostic biomarker of unfulfilled clinicopathological features. However, further high-quality studies are needed to verify and strengthen the clinical value of SNHG7 in different types of cancer.
Observation of Retinal Neovascularization using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography after Panretinal Photocoagulation for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: He Feng , Dong Fangtian , Yu Weihong
Published: February 2021

Background: To describe the longitudinal changes of retinal neovascularization elsewhere (NVE) on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) treated by panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Methods: Each patient included in this prospective clinical study was newly diagnosed PDR and NVE on both fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and OCTA. They received PRP of 4 sessions using multi-wavelength laser. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and OCTA images encompassing NVE were obtained before each PRP session and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. Paired sample t-test was used to investigate differences between BCVA and NVE area before and after PRP. Results: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with a mean age of 50.56 ± 7.05 years were included. We found statistically significant reduction in the NVE size at all timepoints compared with the baseline except at 6 months (all P < 0.05). Further analysis demonstrated no statistically significant change of NVE size between two adjacent timepoints except from baseline to post-1st PRP and from 3 months to 6 months (both P < 0.05). BCVA at 3 months showed a statistically significant improvement compared with baseline (P < 0.05), but no significant changes of BCVA were observed during other visits.Conclusions: Using OCTA we found an overall regression in the NVE size following PRP starting as early as 1 week after 1st session and lasting until 3 months. OCTA provides quantitative information of vascular changes and could be a practical method for the longitudinal evaluation of neovascularization.
Genetic Alteration of Chinese Patient With Rectal Mucosal Melanoma
Authors: Li Huan , Yang Lujing , Lai Yumei , Wang Dongliang , Li Xiaojuan , Hu Nana , Kong Yan , Si Lu , Li Zhongwu
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUNDRectal mucosal melanoma (RMM) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. Due to the rarity of RMM, few studies about genetic mechanism of the malignant tumor have been conducted. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the mutation spectrum of RMM in China and lay a foundation for targeted therapy.METHODSNext-generation sequencing was performed in 36 patients with primary RMM in Peking University Cancer Hospital from May 2010 to March 2019. TMB estimates were determined applying the TruSight Oncology 500 targeted sequencing panel. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier, log-rank test.RESULTSNRG1 deletions, BRAF mutations and mitotic index were significant prognostic factors in the univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis in overall survival of the prognostic factors in primary RMM patients, it revealed 2 significant variables: NRG1 deletions [HR = 8.830 (95%CI: 1.026–76.026), P = 0.047)]and BRAF mutations [HR = 7.877 (95%CI: 1.158–53.603), P = 0.035].CONCLUSIONSThis is the first study to show genetic alterations exclusively to Chinese patients with RMM. Although the sample size of the current study is relatively small, we confirmed genetic mutations of RMM differs from cutaneous melanoma. Our study indicates that BRAF and NRG1 may be potential therapeutic targets for rectal mucosal melanoma treatment. AKT3/KCNH1 fusion was correlated with a poor prognostic of RMM.
The Impact of Pre-emptive Large Dose of Methylprednisolone Combined With Gabapentin on Pain Treatment and Convalescence After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Elderly. A Randomized Control Study
Authors: Liszka Henryk , Zając Małgorzata , Gądek Artur
Published: February 2021

Background The aim of the study was to assess whether administration of gabapentin and methylprednisolone as “pre-emptive analgesia” in a group of patients above 65 years of age would be effective in complex pain management therapy following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Material and Methods One hundred seventy, above 65 years old patients were qualified for the study, and 10 patients were excluded due to clinical situation. One hundred sixty patients were double-blind randomized into two groups: the study (eighty patients) and controls (eighty patients). The study group received as “pre-emptive” analgesia a single dose of 300 mg oral gabapentin and 125 mg intravenous methylprednisolone, while the others placebo. Perioperatively, all the patients received opioid and nonopioid analgesic agents calculated for 1 kg of body weight. We measured the levels of inflammatory markers (leukocytosis, C-reactive protein - CRP), pain intensity level at rest (numerical rating scale - NRS), the life parameters and all complications. Results Following administration of gabapentin and methylprednisolone as “pre-emptive” analgesia CRP values being lower on all postoperative days ( 1, 2 days - p<0,00001, 3 day – p=000538), leukocytosis on day 2 (p<0,0086) and 3 (p<0,00042), the NRS score at rest 6, 12 (p<0,000001), 18 (p<0,00004) and 24 (p=0,005569) hours postoperatively . Methylprednisolone with gabapentin significantly decreased the dose of parenteral opioid preparations (p=0,000006). The duration time of analgesia was significantly longer in study group (p<0,000001). No infectious complications were observed; in the control group, one patient manifested transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Conclusion The use of gabapentin and methylprednisolone at a single dose decreases the level of postoperative pain on the day of surgery, the dose of opioid analgesic preparations, the level of inflammatory parameters without infectious processes.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Transcriptional Expressions and Prognostic Value of S100A Family in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Hong-Bin , Wang Jian-Li , Jin Xiao-Dong , Zhao Lei , Ye Hui-Li , Ma Yong , Jiang Xiang-Yan , Yu Ze-Yuan
Published: February 2021

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a treatment-refractory malignancy with poor prognosis. It is urgent to identify novel and valid biomarkers to predict the progress and prognosis of PDAC. The S100A family have been identified as being involved in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation progression of various cancer types. However, the expression patterns and prognostic values of S100As in PDAC remain to be analyzed.
Methods

We investigated the transcriptional expressions, methylation level and prognostic value of S100As in PDAC patients from the Oncomine, GEPIA2, Linkedomics, and cBioPortal databases. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expressions of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in four pancreatic cancer cell lines and pancreatic cancer tissues from PDAC patients undergoing surgery. To verify the results further, immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in 43 PDAC patients’ tissue samples. The drug relations of S100As were also analyzed by using Drugbank.
Results

The results suggested that, the expression levels of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 were elevated to PDAC tissues than in normal pancreatic tissues, and the promoter methylation levels of S100A S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in PDAC (n = 10) were lower compared with normal tissue (n = 184) (P < 0.05). In addition, their expressions were negatively correlated with PDAC patient survival.
Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggest that S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 might be served as prognostic biomarkers for survivals of PDAC patients.
Need of Care in Interpreting Google Trends-Based COVID-19 Infodemiological Study Results: Potential Risk of False-Positivity
Authors: Sato Kenichiro , Mano Tatsuo , Toda Tatsushi , Iwata Atsushi
Published: February 2021

Background
Google Trends (GT) is being used as an epidemiological tool to study coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by identifying keywords in search trends that are predictive for the COVID-19 epidemiological burden. However, many of the earlier GT-based studies include potential statistical fallacies by measuring the correlation between non-stationary time sequences without adjusting for multiple comparisons or the confounding of media coverage, leading to concerns about the increased risk of obtaining false-positive results. In this study, we aimed to apply statistically more favorable methods to validate the earlier GT-based COVID-19 study results.
Methods
We extracted the relative GT search volume for keywords associated with COVID-19 symptoms, and evaluated their Granger-causality to weekly COVID-19 positivity in eight English-speaking countries and Japan. In addition, the impact of media coverage on keywords with significant Granger-causality was further evaluated using Japanese regional data.
Results
Our Granger causality-based approach largely decreased (by up to approximately one-third) the number of keywords identified as having a significant temporal relationship with the COVID-19 trend when compared to those identified by the Pearson correlation-based approach. “Sense of smell” and “loss of smell” were the most reliable GT keywords across all the evaluated countries; however, when adjusted with their media coverage, these keyword trends did not Granger-cause the COVID-19 positivity trends (in Japan).
Conclusions
Our results suggest that some of the search keywords reported as candidate predictive measures in earlier GT-based COVID-19 studies may potentially be unreliable; therefore, caution is necessary when interpreting published GT-based study results.
Frequency and Determinants of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Multicenter Study in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Shamsi Uzma , Azam Iqbal , Shamsi Azra , Shamsi Dua , Callen David
Published: February 2021

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a serious public health problem, even in sun-drenched cities like Karachi, Pakistan. We investigated the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency VDD and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, and lifestyle factors among Pakistani women (n = 784). Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect information from premenopausal and menopausal women and serum 25(OH)D was measured after the interview. Results: The mean age of the women was 46.2 years, and the mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D (+/- SD) levels were 22.9 ng/ml (+/-20.3). A total of 57% of women were vitamin D deficient with higher vitamin D deficiency found among premenopausal (64.7%) women compared to menopausal women (49%). Factors associated with vitamin D deficiency were lower socioeconomic status (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.15–3.48), younger age with highest vitamin D deficiency in < 35 years of age (OR 3.11; 95% CI 1.76–5.51), and winter season (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.07-2.15) after adjusting for multiple confounders. The use of vitamin D supplement use (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38-0.92) and vigorous exercise (OR 0.20, 95 % CI 0.05-0.80) was protective against vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions: The study shows a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, with detrimental health effects among younger women belonging to lower socioeconomic status during the winter season. The use of vitamin D supplements and vigorous exercise were protective measures. Public health campaigns are needed for education and awareness about vitamin D deficiency to improve vitamin D status for younger women living in poor environments.
A Novel Approach to Support New Foundation Doctor Transition
Authors: Kwan Tsun Yu , Vadeyar Sharvari , Amuthalingam Thuvarahan
Published: February 2021

Background

It is a long-standing problem that medical students feel unprepared for practice following graduation. Disruptions to final year education during the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated this situation.
Methods

An online webinar series called “FY1 Survival Guide” was designed to cover the topics of the hidden curriculum. New medical graduates from the globe were invited to attend. An online survey was conducted afterwards in order to assess the improvement in confidence levels and the effectiveness of web-based teaching.
Results

76 responses were included. 85.5% showed an increase in preparedness after attending the series. 96.1% revealed the topics were not covered in medical school. Over half (55.3%) favoured online teaching in general.
Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that online teaching is tantamount to face-to-face training. It could be the prospective new practice of foundation doctor training, yet further research should be conducted on exploring how to standardise and promote this pedagogy.
Atomic-scale one-dimensional materials identified from graph theory
Authors: Li Shunning , Chen Zhefeng , Wang Zhi , Weng Mouyi , Li Jianyuan , Zhang Mingzheng , Lu Jing , Xu Kang , Pan Feng
Published: February 2021

The past decades have witnessed an exponential growth in the discovery of functional materials, benefited from our unprecedented capabilities in characterizing their structure, chemistry, and morphology with the aid of advanced imaging, spectroscopic and computational techniques. Among these materials, atomic-scale low-dimensional compounds, as represented by the two-dimensional (2D) atomic layers, one-dimensional (1D) atomic chains and zero-dimensional (0D) atomic clusters, have long captivated scientific interest due to their unique topological motifs and exceptional properties. Their tremendous potentials in various applications make it a pressing urgency to establish a complete database of their structural information, especially for the underexplored 1D species. Here we apply graph theory in combination with first-principles high-throughput calculations to identify atomic-scale 1D materials that can be conceptually isolated from their parent bulk crystals. In total, two hundred and fifty 1D atomic chains are shown to be potentially exfoliable. We demonstrate how the lone electron pairs on cations interact with the p-orbitals of anions and hence stabilize their edge sites. Data analysis of the 2D and 1D materials also reveals the dependence of electronic band gap on the cationic percolation network determined by graph theory. The library of 1D compounds systematically identified in this work will pave the way for the predictive discovery of material systems for quantum engineering, and can serve as a source of stimuli for future data-driven design and understanding of functional materials with reduced dimensionality.
Development and Validation of the Medical Professionals Resilience Scale 
Authors: Rahman Mardhati Ab , Yusoff Muhamad Saiful Bahri , Roslan Nurhanis Syazni , Mohammad Jamilah Al-Muhammady , Ahmad Anisa
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Most of the resilience scales were developed for the non-medical population, therefore the purpose of this study was developing and validating a resilience scale for medical professionals – namely Medical Professionals Resilience Scale (MeRS).Methods: A questionnaire development and validation study was conducted. The resilience domains and items were identified and generated through a literature review. The content validation was carried out by content experts and the content validity index (CVI) was calculated. The face validation was performed by medical officers and the face validity index (FVI) was calculated. The final MeRS was administered to 167 medical officers, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis were performed to assess MeRS’s factorial structure and internal consistency. Results: Four domains with 89 items of medical professionals’ resilience were developed. Following that, the content and face validation was conducted, and a total of 41-items remained for construct validation. EFA extracted four factors, namely growth, control, involvement, and resourceful, with a total of 37 items. The items’ CVI and FVI values were more than 0.80. The final MeRS’s items had factor loading values ranged from 0.41 to 0.76, and the Cronbach’s alpha values of the resilience domains ranged from 0.72 to 0.89. Conclusion: MeRS is a promising scale for measuring medical professionals’ resilience as it showed good psychometric properties. This study provided validity evidence in terms of content, response process, and internal structure that supported the validity of MeRS in the measurement of resilience domains among medical professionals.
Combined Management can Decrease Blood Pressure: A Health-seeking Behaviors Investigation among Hypertensive Patients in Urban Communities in China
Authors: Wang Si , Liu Kai , Zhang Xin , Meng Qingtao , Li Xinran , Ye Runyu , Zhang Zhipeng , Chen Xiaoping
Published: February 2021

Background: Hypertensive patients can freely choose the informal medical facilities such as pharmacies, community health service centers, and cardiology clinics in secondary or tertiary hospitals, as the routine places for medical treatment in China at present. It is not clear the proportion, influencing factors and the effects on blood pressure (BP) of different health-seeking behaviors among hypertensive patients in urban communities. The aim of the study is to investigate the health-seeking behaviors and the effect on BP of different health-seeking behaviors among hypertensive patients in urban communities in China.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of hypertension was conducted in urban communities in Chengdu. 437 hypertensive patients seeking medical help regularly were sequentially enrolled to fill out the questionnaire on health-seeking behaviors.Results: The average age was 67.1±7.5 years. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 144.2±17.9 mmHg and 75.4±10.4 mmHg, respectively, and the control rate of BP was 41.0%. Among the hypertensive patients investigated, 5.2% of which chose the informal medical facilities, 62.8% chose the community health service center, 21.5% chose the cardiology clinics in secondary or tertiary hospitals, and 10.5% chose both community health service center and cardiology clinics as the usual places for medical treatment. There were statistical differences in education levels, proportions of home BP monitoring, establishing chronic disease archives in community, medication compliance and side effects of drugs among the four groups. The SBP was 150.9 ±19.8, 145.1±18.0, 143.8±17.5 and 136.3±15.1 mmHg (P=0.007) in the four groups respectively and it was significantly lower in the combined management group than in the other three groups. The control rate of BP was 23.8%, 39.4%, 43.0% and 54.8% (P=0.100), respectively. Compared with patients choosing the informal medical facilities, patients in the combined management group had significant higher BP control rate (OR = 3.679, P = 0.035).Conclusions: Combined management with both community health service center and higher-level hospitals can decrease BP.
Development and Psychometric Properties of Surveys to Assess Patient and Family Caregiver Experience With Care Transitions
Authors: Sorra Joann , Zebrak Katarzyna , Carpenter Deborah , Famolaro Theresa , Rauch John , Li Jing , Davis Terry , Nguyen Huong Q. , McIntosh Megan , Mitchell Suzanne , Hirschman Karen B. , Levine Carol , Clouser Jessica Miller , Brock Jane , Williams Mark
Published: February 2021

Background
The purpose of this study was to develop and administer surveys that assess patient and caregiver experience with care transitions and examine the psychometric properties of the surveys. The surveys were designed to include the transitional care services or components of care, provided in the hospital and at home, that matter most to patients and their family caregivers, as well as their assessments of the overall quality of the transitional care they received.
Methods
Patients were recruited prior to discharge from 43 U.S. hospitals. The analysis dataset included responses from 9,282 patients, 1,245 Time 1 caregivers (who helped the patient in the hospital), and 1,749 Time 2 caregivers (who helped the patient at home). The psychometric properties of the survey items and composite measures were examined for each of the three surveys, including (1) item response variability and missing data, (2) exploratory factor analysis, (3) internal consistency and site-level reliability, and (4) correlations among the outcome composite measures and with other survey items. Items that performed poorly across multiple analyses were dropped from the final instruments.
Results
Overall, the final patient and caregiver surveys had acceptable psychometric properties, with a few exceptions. Exploratory factor analyses supported the composite measures, which had acceptable internal consistency reliability—Overall Quality of Transitional Care (patient and caregiver surveys), Patient Overall Health (patient survey) and Caregiver Effort/Stress (caregiver surveys). All surveys had acceptable site-level reliability except when the sample sizes needed to achieve 0.70 site-level reliability were higher than the actual sample sizes in the dataset. In all surveys, the Overall Quality of Transitional Care composite measure was significantly correlated with other composite measures and most of the survey items.
Conclusions
The final patient, T1 caregiver, and T2 caregiver surveys are psychometrically sounds and can be used by health systems, hospitals, and researchers to assess patient and caregiver experience with care transitions. Results from these surveys can be used as the basis for making improvements to transitional care delivery that are centered on what matters most to patients and their family caregivers.
Skyrmion Control of Majorana States in Planar Josephson Junctions
Authors: Mohanta Narayan , Okamoto Satoshi , Dagotto Elbio
Published: February 2021

Planar Josephson junctions provide a versatile platform, alternative to the nanowire-based geometry, for the generation of the Majorana bound states, due to the additional phase tunability of the topological superconductivity. The proximity induction of chiral magnetism and superconductivity in a two-dimensional electron gas showed remarkable promises to manipulate topological superconductivity. Here, we consider a Josephson junction involving a skyrmion crystal and show that the chiral magnetism of the skyrmions can create and control the Majorana bound states without the requirement of an intrinsic Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Interestingly, the Majorana bound states in our geometry are realized robustly at zero phase difference at the junction. The skyrmion radius, being externally tunable by a magnetic field or a magnetic anisotropy, brings a unique control feature for the Majorana bound states.
Risk Factors Associated With Failure of Initial Treatment for Cesarean Scar Pregnancy
Authors: Cao Lili , Yan Jinyu , Tang Yibo , Cao Nanyu , Huang Lili
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to provide reference for CSP treatment. It’s a cohort study. Ultrasound-guided evacuation, hysteroscopy-guided evacuation and uterine artery embolization were used during the initial treatment. The treatment methods failed in 77 of the CSP patients (study group). 1560 of the CSP patients were treated successfully (control group). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that in model 1, distance between gestational sac and serosal layer (OR: 0.04, 95%CI: 0.00–0.82, p= 0.037) and fetal heartbeat (OR: 8.91, 95%CI: 3.81–20.81, p= 0.000) are risk factors for CSP initial treatment failure. Model 2 showed that gestational age (OR: 0.96, 95%CI: 0.92–1.00, p= 0.043) and fetal heartbeat (OR: 2.15, 95%CI: 1.02–4.52, p= 0.000) are the risk factors. Model 3 indicated that mean sac diameter (OR: 1.56, 95%CI: 1.21–2.01, p= 0.001), fetal heartbeat (OR: 4.75, 95%CI: 2.23–10.14, p= 0.000) and pretreated with UAE (OR: 5.05, 95%CI: 2.36–10.83, p= 0.000) are risk factors. In model 4, fetal heartbeat (OR: 2.87, 95%CI: 1.28–6.42, p= 0.010) and pretreated with UAE (OR: 4.24, 95%CI: 1.98–9.07, p= 0.000) are the risk factors. In conclusion, for CSP patients with different treatment, if the relevant risk factors exist, it should be more cautious.
The Impact of A Gross Anatomy Course on Medical Students’ Emotional Reactions in Taiwan: The Role of High-Level Emotions
Authors: Chiou Ruei-Jen , Tsai Po-Fang , Han Der-Yan
Published: February 2021

Background

A gross anatomy is an important course for medical students; however, seeing a cadaver often makes them feel uncomfortable. According to the broaden-and-build theory, the present study tried to reduce students’ negative emotions by sequential activities, such as interviews and ceremony, which induced gratitude and other positive emotions.
Methods

One hundred and five medical students in their third year filled Emotional Reactions Towards Cadavers Scale for three times in one semester, and paired-sample t-tests and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the changes of emotional reaction.
Results

Three-wave data showed that participants’ high-level emotions increased, negative emotions decreased, and the former simultaneously predicted the latter.
Conclusions

Combining dissection course with medical humanities helped students to successfully handle negative emotions during gross anatomy course.
Research on the Correlation Between Activating Transcription Factor 3 Expression in the Human Coronary Artery and Atherosclerotic Plaque Stability
Authors: Peng J. , Le C. Y. , Xia B. , Wang J. W. , Liu J. J. , Li Z. , Zhang Q. J. , Zhang Q. , Wang J. , Wan C.W.
Published: February 2021

Background: Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is an early response gene that is activated in response to atherosclerotic stimulation and may be an important factor in inhibiting the progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, we directly measured the expression of ATF3 and inflammatory factors in human coronary atherosclerotic plaques to examine the relationship between ATF3 expression, inflammation and structural stability in human coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: A total of 68 coronary artery specimens were collected from the autopsy group, including 36 cases of sudden death from coronary heart disease (SCD group) and 32 cases of acute death caused by mechanical injury with coronary atherosclerosis (CHD group). Twenty-two patients who had no coronary heart disease were collected as the control group (CON group). Haematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe changes in arterial structure. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the expression and distribution of ATF3, Full list of author information is available at the end of the article-2-inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) in the coronary artery. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyse the correlation between ATF3 protein expression and inflammatory factors and between ATF3 protein expression and structure-related indexes in the lesion group. Results: Compared with those in the control group, the intima and necrotic core in the coronary artery were thickened, the fibrous cap became thin and the degree of vascular stenosis was increased in the lesion group, while the intima and necrotic core became thicker and the fibrous cap became thinner in the SCD group than in the CHD group (P < 0.05). There was no or low expression of ATF3, inflammatory factors, VCAM1 and MMP-9 in the control group, and the expression of inflammatory factors, VCAM1 and MMP-9 in the SCD group was higher than that in CHD group, while the expression of ATF3 in the SCD group was significantly lower than that in CHD group (P < 0.05). In the lesion group, the expression of ATF3 was negatively correlated with intimal and necrotic focus thickness, positively correlated with fibrous cap thickness (P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with inflammatory factors, VCAM1 and MMP-9 (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The expression of ATF3 may be related to the progression and stability of atherosclerotic plaques, and may affect the structural stability of atherosclerotic plaques by regulating the inflammatory response, thus participating in the regulation of atherosclerotic progression.
Increased TG/HDL Ratio Is A Risk Factor for Insulin Resistance:: A Cross-Sectional Study From the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2017–2018
Authors: Gong Rongpeng , Li Zheng , Liu Ya , Luo Gang , Yang Lixin , Wei Xiaoxing
Published: February 2021

Background: Some previous studies have suggested that elevated TG/HDL ratio is a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance.There is also evidence that TG/HDL ratios are ethnically diverse.Currently, there is still insufficient evidence on whether TG/HDL is a risk factor for the occurrence of insulin resistance in the US population. Therefore, we attempted to find out whether TG/HDL represents a risk factor for the occurrence of insulin resistance in the US population by studying the NHANES database (2017-2108).Methods: After adjusting the potential influencing factors, we used the method of multiple logistic regression to analyze the risk between TG/HDL and insulin resistance, and determined whether there was a linear relationship between TG/HDL and insulin resistance by smoothing curve fitting.At the same time, in order to verify the reliability of the results, we conducted a subgroup analysis.Results: We found that in the American population, increased TG/HDL ratio was a risk factor for insulin resistance (OR=2.47 (2.01,3.04)).At the same time, we found a saturation effect between TG/HDL ratio and insulin resistance.When the ratio was <0.84, the relationship between TG/HDL and the occurrence of insulin resistance was very significant (OR=21.24 (9.29,48.56)), and when the ratio was ≥0.84, the effect value was relatively reduced (OR=1.45(1.10,1.92)).Conclusions:In this study, we found that TG/HDL is negatively correlated with insulin resistance in the American population (except Hispanic Americans), and this effect is especially significant in people with higher education.
Study of Deactivation in Mesocellular Foam Carbon (MCF-C) Catalyst Used in Gas-Phase Dehydrogenation of Ethanol
Authors: Klinthongchai Yoottapong , Prichanont Seeroong , Praserthdam Piyasan , Jongsomjit Bunjerd
Published: February 2021

Mesocellular foam carbon (MCF-C) is one the captivating materials for using in gas phase dehydrogenation of ethanol. Extraordinary, enlarge pore size, high surface area, high acidity, and spherical shape with interconnected pore for high diffusion. In contrary, the occurrence of the coke is a majority causes for inhibiting the active sites on catalyst surface. Thus, this study aims to investigate the occurrence of the coke to optimize the higher catalytic activity, and also to avoid the coke formation. The MCF-C was synthesized and investigated using various techniques. MCF-C was spent in gas-phase dehydrogenation of ethanol under mild conditions. The deactivation of catalyst was investigated toward different conditions. Effects of reaction condition including different reaction temperatures of 300, 350, and 400 °C on the deactivation behaviors were determined. The results indicated that the operating temperature at 400 ºC significantly retained the lowest change of ethanol conversion, which favored in the higher temperature. After running reaction, the physical properties as pore size, surface area, and pore volume of spent catalysts were decreased owing to the coke formation, which possibly blocked the pore that directly affected to the difficult diffusion of reactant and caused to be lower in catalytic activity. Furthermore, a slight decrease in either acidity or basicity was observed owing to consumption of reactant at surface of catalyst or chemical change on surface caused by coke formation. Therefore, it can remarkably choose the suitable operating temperature to avoid deactivation of catalyst, and then optimize the ethanol conversion or yield of acetaldehyde.
Removal of Metal Ions from Water Using Oxygen Plasmas
Authors: Khanom Sayma , Hayashi Nobuya
Published: February 2021

Zinc ion dissolved in water is attempted to be removed by generating the oxides of zinc using the oxygen gas in DBD plasma system. The removal rate of zinc oxides’ production (ZnO and Zn(OH2)) were measured at different treatment periods by the oxygen plasma penetration in water. The removal rate of the deposit increases initially and then decreases with the treatment period. The maximum removal rate (29%) of zinc from water is achieved at the treatment period of 10 min, where pH is minimum. From FTIR the generation properties of zinc oxide can be recognized. Initially the amount the deposit increases with the ozone treatment period due to production of both ZnO and Zn(OH)2. After that, the production of Zn(OH)42- increases even when the total removal rate of the deposit decreases. Therefore, to remove zinc ion from water forming metal oxide deposit, the penetration amount of the active oxygens to the water must be controlled to keep the pH lower than around 7.5. Because with increasing pH amount of removal rate of ZnO deposit decreases. The pH of the zinc dissolved water treated by ozone depends on both zinc and ozone concentration in water.
Molecular Characterization of Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Bedaquiline, Linezolid, Clofazimine, and Delamanid against Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Southwest of China
Authors: Zheng Huiwen , He Wencong , Jiao Weiwei , Xia Hui , Sun Lin , Wang Shengfen , Xiao Jing , Ou Xichao , Zhao Yanlin , Shen Adong
Published: February 2021

Objectives: To explore the drug susceptibility of levofloxacin (LFX), moxifloxacin (MFX), bedaquiline (BDQ), linezolid (LZD), clofazimine (CFZ) and delamanid (DLM) against multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates from drug resistance survey of southwest China, and to illustrate the genetic characteristics of MDR-TB isolates with acquired drug resistance. Methods: A total of 339 strains were collected from smear-positive TB patients in the drug resistance survey of southwest China between January 2014 and December 2016. The MICs were determined for MDR-TB identified by conventional drug susceptibility testing. Genes related to drug resistance were amplified with their corresponding pairs of primers. Results: MDR was observed in 88 (26.0%; 88/339) isolates. LFX had the highest resistance rate (50.0%; 44/88), followed by MFX (38.6%; 34/88). The resistance rate to LZD, CFZ, and DLM was 4.5% (4/88), 3.4% (3/88), and 4.5% (4/88), respectively, and the lowest resistance rate was observed in BDQ (2.3%; 2/88). Of the 45 isolates resistant to LFX and MFX, the most prevalent resistance mutation was found in gyrA with the substitution of codon 94 (34/45, 75.6%). All two CFZ - BDQ cross resistant strains had a mutation in the Rv0678 gene. Two of four LZD resistant isolates carried mutations in rplC gene. Of the four isolates resistant to DLM, one isolate with the mutations in codon 318 of fbiC gene and two isolates in codon 81 of ddn gene. Conclusion: This study provided evidence for further application of new anti-TB drugs in the treatment of MDR-TB in China.