bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospective Systematic Data Collection in Early COVID-19 Patients: A Protocol for Individualized Treatment and Outcomes Research
Authors: Dantas de Oliveira Flávio José
Published: July 2020

Human infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) is a new pandemic disease with devastating effects worldwide. There is no scientifically proved effective prophylaxis or treatment in the early phase of the disease. To prevent harm, In parallel with the running of randomized controlled trials, there is room for developing prospective systematic data collection studies correlating therapeutic measures with safety and effectiveness outcomes, on the assumption that a medical practice is effective if it produces more good than harm. The protocol aims to provide doctors with information on reduction of harm in early COVID-19 patients by different and individualized strategies for treating them, including comparison with no treatment strategies. Besides laboratory confirmation of COVID-19, the evaluation of the clinical status is done with an individualized symptom score for each patient, self-perception of overall severity of disease, clinical improvement ordinal scale developed for WHO clinical studies on COVID-19 and doctors´ global impression on clinical prognosis at the first consultation and evolution at the closing. It respects the autonomy and preferences of doctors and patients to decide the best options for treatment in uncertain situations and allows the gathering of useful information for future more rigorous clinical trials, trying to link science, ethics, and personal clinical experience. A case report form was developed that could easily be built in free software platforms as well as dedicated platforms. All data are anonymized and could be analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.
Informatics and the Challenge of Determinism
Authors: Moore Philip , Pham Hai
Published: July 2020

Motivation: there is a paradox at the heart of informatics where practical implementation generally fails to understand the socio-technical impact of novel technologies and disruptive innovation when adopted in `real-world’ systems. This phenomenon, termed technological determinism, is manifested in a time-lag between the adoption of novel technologies and an understanding of the underlying theory which develops following research into their adoption. Methods: we consider informatics theory as it relates to: social informatics and how humans’ function in society, the relationship between society and technology, information systems, information systems design, and human-computer interactions. The challenges posed by novel technologies and disruptive innovation are considered as they relate to information systems and information systems design. Open research questions with directions for future research are discussed with an introduction to and our proposed approach to socio-technical information system design. Significance: we conclude that the adoption of disruptive innovation presents both opportunities and threats for all stakeholders in computerised systems. However, determinism is a topic requiring research to generate a suitable level of understanding and technological determinism remains a significant challenge.
Improving Research Practices in Energy: Practical Guidance for Greater Transparency, Reproducibility and Quality
Authors: Huebner Gesche , Fell Michael , Watson Nicole
Published: July 2020

Energy use is of crucial importance for the global challenge of climate change but also an essential part of daily life. Hence, research on energy needs to be robust and valid. Other scientific disciplines have experienced a reproducibility crisis, that is, existing findings could not be reproduced in new studies, and energy research might be impacted as well. In this paper, we suggest the ‘TReQ’ approach to improve the research practices in the energy field and arrive at greater Transparency, Reproducibility, and Quality. We acknowledge the specific challenges of energy research and suggest a highly adaptable suite of tools that can be applied to research approaches across this multi-disciplinary and fast-changing field. In particular, we introduce preregistration of studies, making data and code publicly available, using preprints, and employing reporting guidelines to heighten the standard of research practices within the energy field. We argue that through wider adoption of these tools, we will be able to have greater trust in the findings of research used to inform evidence-based policy and practice in the energy field.
The Impact of Social Media on the Brand Capital of Famous People
Authors: Wróblewski Łukasz , Grzesiak Mateusz
Published: July 2020

The article is of a research nature. The aim of the article is to identify the role of social media in shaping personal brand. To this end, the first part discusses the concept of personal brand, components of brand capital in case of famous people, including consumer-based capital. Attention was also paid to the great importance of social media and the growing role of their users in the process of shaping personal brand. Based on the analysis of the source literature, a research gap was identified, related to the lack of empirical verification of the relationship between users’ online activity and the brand capital of famous people, also known as celebrities, associated with artistic and cultural activities. The article uses the results of direct research carried out in the years 2019-2020. The second (empirical) part of the article presents research hypotheses, methodology, as well as results and conclusions from the research. Based on 26 in-depth individual interviews that were conducted with people famous in Poland (mainly engaged in artistic and cultural activities) and surveys on a group of 324 social media users, it was shown, among others, that online activity of Internet users stimulates the brand capital of famous people. Statistically significant relationships were observed for such components of the personal brand as awareness / associations with the personal brand and for the relationship regarding the perception of the quality of activities carried out by a famous person.
Solar3D: A 3D Extension of GRASS GIS r.sun for Estimating Solar Radiation in Urban Environments
Authors: Liang Jianming , Gong Jianhua , Xie Xiuping , Sun Jun
Published: July 2020

Solar3D is an open-source software application designed to interactively calculate solar irradiation at three-dimensional (3D) surfaces in a virtual environment constructed with combinations of 3D city models, digital elevation models (DEMs), digital surface models (DSMs) and feature layers. The GRASS GIS r.sun solar radiation model computes solar irradiation based on two-dimensional (2D) raster maps for given day, latitude, surface and atmospheric conditions. With the increasing availability of 3D city models and demand for solar energy, there is an urgent need for better tools to computes solar radiation directly with 3D city models. Solar3D extends GRASS GIS r.sun from 2D to 3D by feeding the model with input, including surface slope, aspect and time-resolved shading, that is derived directly from the 3D scene using computer graphics techniques. To summarize, Solar3D offers several new features which, as a whole, distinguish itself from existing 3D solar irradiation tools: (1) the ability to consume massive heterogeneous 3D city models, including massive 3D city models such as oblique airborne photogrammetry-based 3D city models (OAP3Ds or integrated meshes); (2) the ability to perform near real-time pointwise calculation for duration from daily to annual; (3) the ability to integrate and interactively explore large-scale heterogeneous geospatial data. (4) the ability to calculate solar irradiation at arbitrary surface positions including at rooftops, facades and the ground. Solar3D is publicly available at https://github.com/jian9695/Solar3D.
VSM-box: General-purpose Interface for Biocuration and Knowledge Representation
Authors: Vercruysse Steven , Zobolas John , Touré Vasundra , Andersen Maria K. , Kuiper Martin
Published: July 2020

VSM is a recently introduced method for entering and displaying any type of knowledge, in a form that is both semantically precise for computation and intuitive for human understanding. VSM is the combination of a new semantic model, and the design for a dedicated user interface to support it. Here we present the implementation of this user interface, as a sophisticated HTML-element, , that can be embedded in any web-based curation app. We show how developers can use it for biocuration projects, customize it to particular end-user needs, and contribute to its growth. Vsm-box is open-source at https://github.com/vsmjs/vsm-box under the AGPL license, as a JavaScript (ES6) Vue.js web-component that runs in all modern web browsers. It is the capstone of the Vsmjs organization at https://github.com/vsmjs that groups its supporting modules. Extensive supplementary material on VSM and vsm-box is available at https://vsmjs.github.io.
In silico study of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein-Protein Interactions and Potential Candidates for their Stabilization
Authors: Lavecchia Martin , Fernandez Julian
Published: July 2020

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has caused a global health crisis. Unfortunately, only a few treatments have proved to be effective, and their worldwide distribution remains as a challenge. Due to the urgency of the situation, drug repurposing remains as the fastest way to identify possible therapeutic options. Recent studies have shown that the stabilization of non-native Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) of the nucleocapsid protein of MERS coronavirus is a valid strategy to inhibit viral replication, but no study up to date has been done in SARS-CoV-2. In this work, a novel protocol for the discovery of PPIs stabilizers is presented and applied to SARS-CoV-2 N protein with a drug repurposing approach. This enabled us to identify that catechin, a structural motif present in widely distributed natural products, might be a privileged scaffold for this type of stabilization. Since many of the compounds presented in this work are generally considered nutraceuticals and have also been exhaustively studied, even though some of them contain PAINS substructures, could be good candidates for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid inhibition and be considered for further in vitro testing against COVID-19.
Fractionally Charged Anyon Generated by Topological Path Fusion in Magnetic Flux Lattice
Authors: Si Tieyan
Published: July 2020

Anyon usually exists as collective excitation of two dimensional electron gas subjected to strong magnetic field, carrying fractional charges and exotic statistical character beyond fermion and boson. Fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) is the only experimental system showing solid evidence of anyon and a serial of fractional charges so far. Searching for new serial of fractional charges in FQHE or other physical system is still a challenge for both theoretical and experimental study. Here a topological fusion theory of propagating paths winding around a pair of fluxes is proposed to explore the physical origin of fractional charges. This topological path fusion theory not only generated all of the existed serial of fractional charges in FQHE and found the exact correspondence between FQHE and integral quantum Hall effect (IQHE), but also predicted new serial of fractional charges in FQHE. Further more, serial irrational charges like $2/(3+\sqrt{2})$ in one dimensional lattice of magnetic fluxes as well as that in two dimensional lattice of magnetic fluxes, such as $(1+\sqrt{2})$, are predicted. Even in three dimensional network of magnetic fluxes, a serial of fractionally charged anyon is predicted by this topological path fusion theory, which has exactly correspondence with the knot lattice model of anyon. In fact, in a multi-connected space time without magnetic field, this topological path fusion theory still holds, revealing an universal existence of fractional charge and mass in quantum material with strong confinement of particles (such as photonic crystal with porous nano-structures) and paving a new way for topological quantum computation.
Replication Experiments and Microstructure Evolution of the Ancient Co-fusion Steelmaking Process
Authors: Shangxiao Qiao , Qian Wei
Published: July 2020

The study of co-fusion was one of the essential topics in the history of metallurgy in China. Simulation experiments had been an essential concept in the study of the co-fusion steelmaking process. This paper mainly studied the simulation experiments of co-fusion from two aspects: the replication of co-fusion swords by three different methods, and the micro-analysis of the co-fusion samples. The experimental results indicated that several co-fusion swords could be made by different processes, but the carbon content and surface hardness were quite different. During repeated forging welded, the microstructure of the samples transformed from laminated to homogenized, finally the steel with a uniform carbon content was obtained. It was challenging to find the characteristics of co-fusion from the homogenized samples. The results prompted people to rethink the microstructure characteristics of ancient co-fusion artifacts.
Cycling Exercise Training Enhances Mitochondrial Bioenergetics of Platelets in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lin Ming-Lu , Fu Tieh-Cheng , Hsu Chih-Chin , Huang Shu-Chun , Lin Yu-Ting , Wang Jong-Shyan
Published: July 2020

Exercise training influences the risk of vascular thrombosis in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Mitochondrial functionalities in platelets involve the cellular bioenergetics and thrombogenesis. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of cycling exercise training (CET) on platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics in PAD patients. Forty randomly selected patients with PAD engaged in general rehabilitation (GR) with CET (i.e., cycling exercise at ventilation threshold for 30 min/day, 3 days/week) (GR+CET, n=20) or to a control group that only received GR course (n=20) for 12 weeks. Systemic aerobic capacity and platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics that included oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and electron transport system (ETS) were measured using automatic gas analysis and high-resolution respirometry, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that GR+CET for 12 weeks significantly (i) elevated VO2peak and lowered VE-VCO2 slope, (ii) raised resting ankle-brachial index and enhanced cardiac output response to exercise, (iii) increased the distance in 6-minute walk test and raised the Short Form-36 physical/mental component scores, and (iv) enhanced capacities of mitochondrial OXPHOS and ETS in platelets by activating FADH2 (Complex II)-dependent pathway. Moreover, changes in VO2peak levels were positively associated with changes in platelet OXPHOS and ETS capacities. However, no significant changes in systemic aerobic capacity, platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) occurred following GR alone. Hence, we conclude that CET effectively increases the capacities of platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics by enhancing Complex II activity in patients with PAD. Moreover, the exercise regimen also enhanced functional exercise capacity, consequently improving HRQoL in PAD patients.
COVID-19 Related Organ Dysfunction and Management Strategies on the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Sherren Peter , Ostermann Marlies , Agarwal Sangita , Meadows Chris , Ioannou Nicholas , Camporota Luigi
Published: July 2020

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a significant surge of critically ill patients and an unprecedented demand on intensive care services. The rapidly evolving understanding of pathogenesis, limited disease specific evidence and demand-resource imbalances have posed significant challenges for intensive care clinicians. COVID-19 is a complex multisystem inflammatory vasculopathy with a significant mortality implication for those admitted to intensive care. Institutional strategic preparation and meticulous intensive care support are essential to maximising outcomes during the pandemic. The significant mortality variation observed between institutions and internationally, despite a single aetiology and uniform presentation, highlights the potential influence of management strategies on outcome. Given that optimal organ support and adjunctive therapies for COVID-19 have not yet been well defined by trial-based outcomes, strategies are predicated on existing literature and experiential learning. This review outlines the relevant pathophysiology and management strategies for critically ill patients with COVID-19, and shares some of the collective learning accumulated in a high volume Severe Respiratory Failure centre in London.
Migration of Natural Hydrogen from Deep-seated Sources in the São Francisco Basin, Brazil
Authors: Donze Frederic Victor , Truche Laurent , Sheraki Namin Parisa , Lefeuvre Nicolas , Bazarkina Elena
Published: July 2020

Hydrogen gas is seeping from the sedimentary basin of São Franciso, Brazil. The seepages of H2 are accompanied by helium whose isotopes reveal a strong crustal signature. Geophysical data indicates that this intra-cratonic basin is characterized by i) a relatively high geothermal gradient, ii) deep faults delineating a horst and graben structure and affecting the entire sedimentary sequence, iii) an archean to paleoproterozoïc basements enriched in radiogenic elements and displaying mafic and ultramafic units, and iv) a possible karstic reservoir located 400 m below the surface. The high geothermal gradient could be due to a thin lithosphere enriched in radiogenic elements, which can also contribute to a massive radiolysis process of water at depth, releasing an important amount of H2. Alternatively, ultramafic rocks that may have generated H2 during their serpentinization are also documented in the basement. The seismic profiles show that the faults seen at the surface are deeply rooted in the basement, and can drain deep fluids to shallow depths in a short time scale. The carbonate reservoirs within the Bambuí group which forms the main part of the sedimentary layers are crossed by the fault system and represent good candidates for temporary H2 accumulation zones. The formation by chemical dissolution of sinkholes located at 400 m depth might explain the presence of sub-circular depressions seen at the surface. These sinkholes might control the migration of gas from temporary storage reservoirs in the upper layer of the Bambuí formation to the surface. The very high fluxes of H2 escaping out of these structures which have been recently documented are, however, in disagreement with the newly developed H2 production model in the Precambrian continental crust. They either question the validity of these models or the measurement methodology.
Long-Term Effects of Elevated Co2 on the Population Dynamics of The Seagrass Cymodocea Nodosa: Evidence from Volcanic Seeps
Authors: Mishra Amrit Kumar , Cabaco Susana , de los Santos Carmen , Apostolaki Eugenia , Vizzini Salvatrice , Santos Rui
Published: July 2020

We used population reconstruction techniques to assess for the first time the population dynamics of a seagrass, Cymodocea nodosa, exposed to long-term elevated CO2 near three volcanic seeps and compare them with reference sites away from the seeps. Under high CO2, the density of shoots and of individuals (apical shoots), and the vertical and horizontal elongation and production rates, were higher. Nitrogen effects on rhizome elongation and production rates and on biomass, were stronger than CO2 as these were highest at the location where the availability of nitrogen was highest. At the seep where the availability of CO2 was highest and nitrogen lowest, density of shoots and individuals were highest, probably due to CO2 effects on shoot differentiation and induced reproductive output, respectively. In all three seeps there was higher short- and long-term recruitment and growth rates around zero, indicating that elevated CO2 increases the turnover of C. nodosa shoots.
Whole Transcriptomic Analysis of Mechanisms of Tolerance and Resistance to Chlorhexidine in Clinical Strains of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Producers of Carbapenemase
Authors: Bleriot Ines , Blasco Lucia , Delgado Mercedes , Gual de Torrella Ana , Ambroa Anton , Fernandez-Garcia Laura , Lopez-Diaz Maria , Oteo Jesús , Wood Thomas , Pascual Alvaro , Bou Germán , Fernandez-Cuenca Felipe , Tomas Maria
Published: July 2020

Although the failure of antibiotic treatment is normally attributed to resistance, tolerance and persistence display a significant role in the lack of response to antibiotics. Due to the fact that several nosocomial pathogens show a high level of tolerance and/or resistance to chlorhexidine, in this study we analyzed the molecular mechanisms associated with chlorhexidine adaptation in two clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae by phenotypic and transcriptomic studies. These two strains belong to ST258-KPC3 (high-risk clone carrying β-lactamase KPC3) and ST846-OXA48 (low-risk clone carrying β-lactamase OXA48). Our results showed that K. pneumoniae ST258-KPC3CA and ST846-OXA48CA strains exhibited a different behavior under CHLX pressure, adapting to this biocide through resistance and tolerance mechanisms, respectively. Furthermore, the appearance of cross-resistance to colistin was observed in the ST846-OXA48CA strain (tolerant to CHLX), using the broth microdilution method. Interestingly, this ST846-OXA48CA isolate contained a plasmid that encodes a novel type II toxin/antitoxin (TA) system, PemK/PemI. We characterized this PemK/PemI TA system by cloning both genes into the IPTG-inducible pCA24N plasmid, and found their role in persistence and biofilm formation. Accordingly, the ST846-OXA48CA strain showed a persistence biphasic curve in the presence of a chlorhexidine-imipenem combination, and these results were confirmed by the enzymatic assay (WST-1).
Reduction of Allergenic Potential in Bread Wheat RNAi Transgenic Lines Silenced for CM3, CM16 and 0.28 ATI Genes
Authors: Kalunke Raviraj M. , Tundo Silvio , Sestili Francesco , Camerlengo Francesco , Lafiandra Domenico , Lupi Roberta , Larré Colette , Denery-Papini Sandra , Islam Shahidul , Ma Wujun , D'Amico Stefano , Masci Stefania
Published: July 2020

Although wheat is used worldwide as a staple food, it can give rise to adverse reactions, for which the triggering factors have not been identified yet. These reactions can be caused mainly by kernel proteins, both gluten and non-gluten proteins. Among these latter, -amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATI) are involved in baker’s asthma and realistically in Non Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS). In this paper, we report characterization of three transgenic lines obtained from the bread wheat cultivar Bobwhite silenced by RNAi in three ATI genes CM3, CM16 and 0.28. We have obtained transgenic lines showing an effective decrease of the activity of target genes that, although showing a higher trypsin inhibition as a pleiotropic effect, generate a lower reaction when tested with sera of patients allergic to wheat, accounting for the important role of the three target proteins in wheat allergies. Finally, these lines show unintended changes differences in high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) accumulation, involved in technological performances, but do not show differences in terms of yield. The development of new genotypes accumulating a lower amount of proteins potentially or effectively involved in such pathologies, not only offers the possibility to use them as a basis for the production of varieties with a lower impact on adverse reaction, but also to test if these proteins are actually implicated in those pathologies for which the triggering factor has not been established yet.
THE RIGHT TO ACCESS BANKING DATA IN A CLAIM FOR A DIVISION OF COMBINED ASSETS THAT IS FILED SEPARATELY FROM A DIVORCE CLAIM
Authors: Kurniawan Faizal , Nugraha Xavier , Abrianto Bagus Oktafian , Ramadhanti Syifa
Published: July 2020

Bank Secrecy remains as one of the most essential principles of banking. In Indonesia, however, this principle is not absolute. According to Article 40 (1) of Law No.10 of the Year 1998 regarding changes to Law Number 7 of the Year 1992 regarding Banking alongside Article 2 (4) of Bank Indonesia Number : 2/19/PBI/2000 regarding several exceptions in implementing Bank Secrecy. In its implementation, these exceptions have yet to adjust to recent social development. One problematic case is when it relates to a claim of combined assets that is filed in conjunction with a claim for divorce. In recent development, the Constitutional Court has asserted that the one of the exceptions for Bank Secrecy can occur for cases of divorce, in its Judgement Number 64/PUU-X/2012. However, this decision has yet to answer a problematic issue when the claim for divorce is filed separately from the claim for the division of combined assets. Such decision does not consider cases in which the two aforementioned claims are filed separately. This presents a problem for couples who are not muslim and are confined to divorce laws in which the two claims must be filed separately. Thus, does a claim for the division of combined assets that is filed separately from the claim of divorce fall under the Scope of Constitutional Court Decision Number 64/PUU-X/2012? According to the following research, such cases indeed fall under the scope of Constitutional Court Decision Number 64/PUU-X/2012. This conclusion is based on historical interpretation and Extensive Interpretation. According to historical interpretation, the original intent of the judges in drafting Constitutional Court Decision Number 64/PUU-X/2012 is to provide both the husband/wife equal share of their wealth. According to extensive interpretation, the concept of filing both claims separately is to an extension of the concept explicitly addressed in such Constitutional Court decision.

 

 
Women’s Empowerment and HIV Testing Uptake: A Meta-analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys from 33 Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Yaya Sanni , Shibre Gebretsadik , Idriss-Wheeler Dina , Uthman Olalekan A
Published: July 2020

Background: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that women’s empowerment can help achieve better health behaviours and outcomes. However, few have looked at the impact of women’s empowerment on HIV testing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study investigated the association between women’s empowerment and HIV testing among women in 33 countries across SSA.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2005-2018) of 33 countries in SSA were used. Confounder adjusted logistic regression analysis was completed separately for each of the 33 DHS datasets to produce the adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) for the association between women empowerment and HIV testing. The regression analysis strictly accounted for the three design elements (weight, cluster and strata) to produce an estimate representative of the respective countries. Finally, an Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis approach was used to statistically pool the effect of women empowerment on HIV testing.

Results: There was a wide variation in the percentage of women who were empowered among the countries studied, with only a few countries such as South Africa, Angola and Ghana having a high prevalence of negative attitudes toward wife beating. HIV testing was higher in Angola, Lesotho, Uganda and South Africa. While participation in one or two of the three decisions had been marginally associated with lower odds of HIV testing across the SSA regions (0.89; 95%CI: 0.83, 0.97); the corresponding prediction interval crossed the null. Being involved in the three decisions (0.92; 95%CI: 0.84, 1.00) and disagreement to wife-beating (0.99; 95%CI: 0.94, 1.05) had no statistical relationship with HIV testing uptake.

Conclusion and Global Health Implications: The two indirect indicators of women empowerment could not predict HIV testing uptake. Further studies are recommended to establish the nature of the relationship between HIV testing and women’s empowerment that is measured through standard tools.

Key words: • HIV/AIDS prevention • Women • Empowerment • Gender equality • Global health • Sub-Saharan Africa

 

Copyright © 2020 Yaya et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited.
Endocrine Tests and/or Testicular Volume Are Not Predictive of Successful Sperm Retrieval by Multiple Testicular Sperm Extraction in Non-Obstructive Azoospermia
Authors: Le Minh Tam , Nguyen Thanh Tam Thi , Nguyen Dac Nguyen , Tran Nhu Quynh Thi , Nguyen Quoc Huy Vu
Published: July 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the role of pre-surgical markers in the prediction of sperm retrieval in infertile Vietnamese men with azoospermia. Patients and Methods:Retrospective descriptive analysis of 136 infertile men with azoospermia, examined from August 2014 to July 2018. Patients underwent stepwise surgical sperm retrieval via percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration, testicular sperm aspiration then multiple testicular sperm extraction in up to 3 locations until sperm were detected. Factorswere analyzed to determine the prediction of sperm retrieval.Results: The overall success rate of sperm retrieval was 49.3% including 88.3% and 18.4% in the OA and NOA group, respectively. The results of sperm retrieval were significantly associated only with the OA and NOA group, not with endocrine test or testicular volume. We found no significant difference in the endocrine test and testicular volume’s result between successful and unsuccessful sperm retrieval in either group.Conclusions: Neither an endocrine test nor testicular volume should be used for predicting the results of surgical sperm retrieval in infertile Vietnamese males with azoospermia.
A Five-Year Trend Analysis of Malaria Surveillance Data in Selected Zones of Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Lankir Damtie , Solomn Samrawit , Gize Addisu
Published: July 2020

Background: Trend analysis of malaria surveillance data is essential to inform stakeholders on progress towards malaria control. From the total 387,096 cases of malaria reported in Amhara region in 2017, 167,079 (43.2%) cases were in Central, North and West Gondar zones. From this total figure of zones, 15,445 (9.2%) were ≤5 years which contributes 4 % of cases in the region. So, the purpose of this study was to analyze trends of malaria parasite in Selected Zones of Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia Methods: A Retrospective study was conducted on purposely selected Central, North and West Gondar zones from July 1- 30/ 2018. Data were collected, entered, cleaned, analyzed and interpreted using Microsoft Excel-2010. Different tables, figures and maps were used to present results. Result: A total of 2,827,722 cases have been received a diagnostic test of; Microscopy 1,712,193(60.56%) and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) 1,115,529(39.44%). Trends of total patients treated as confirmed and clinical malaria cases in July 2017- June 2018 were decreased to 139297 (14%) as compared from July 2015- June 2016, 249571(25%). From total cases received diagnostic tests only 1,003,391 (36%) were confirmed and clinical cases treated with antimalaria. Of these Plasmodium falciparum and vivax malaria cases were confirmed to be 1,002,946 (99.96%) and clinical malaria cases were 445(0.04%), respectively. Conclusion: Risk of infection and diagnostic effort were high in West Gondar Zone. The Amhara public health institute including health Bureau, stakeholders and all responsible bodies should give special standing to highest malaria districts of West Gondar zone.
The current status of gender equity in medicine in Korea: An online survey
Authors: Shin Hyun-Young , Lee Hang Aie
Published: July 2020

Background: Although the number of women doctors has increased in South Korea, and efforts to improve gender awareness have gained importance in recent years, the issue of gender equity in the medical field has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the current status of gender equity in the medical profession in Korea. Methods: An online survey on gender discrimination was conducted for two months, with both men and women doctors participating. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 1,170 doctors responded to the survey (9.2% response rate). The survey found that 47.3% of the women respondents and 18.2% of the men had experienced gender discrimination in the resident selection process (p value<0.001); 17.2% of the women and 8.7% of the men had experienced discrimination during the fellowship application process (p value<0.001); and 36.2% of the women and 8.0% of the men had experienced discrimination during the professorship application process (p value<0.001). Both men and women cited the issue of childbirth and parenting as the number one cause of gender discrimination against women doctors.Conclusions: This study revealed the presence of perceived gender discrimination in the Korean medical society. To address discrimination, a basic approach is necessary to change the working environment so that it is flexible for women doctors, and to change the current culture where the burden of family care, including pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, is the primary responsibility of women.
Protocol registration issues of systematic review and meta-analysis studies: a survey of global researchers
Authors: Tawfik Gehad Mohamed , Giang Hoang Thi Nam , Ghozy Sherief , Altibi Ahmed M. , Kandil Hend , Le Huu-Hoai , Eid Peter Samuel , Radwan Ibrahim , Makram Omar Mohamed , Hien Tong Thi Thu , Sherif Mahmoud , Hossain As-Saba , Thang Tai Luu Lam , Puljak Livia , Salem Hosni , Numair Tarek , Moji Kazuhiko , Huy Nguyen Tien
Published: July 2020

Background: Although protocol registration of systematic reviews/meta-analysis (SR/MA) is still not mandatory, authors are strongly suggested to publish their SR/MA protocols prior to submitting their manuscripts for publication as recommended by the Cochrane guidelines for conducting SR/MAs. We aimed to assess awareness, obstacles, and opinions of SR/MA authors about the protocol registration process. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study included all authors who published SR/MAs during the period from 2010 to 2016 were contacted for participation in our survey study. They were identified through the literature search of SR/MAs in Scopus database. Upon receiving their approval to join our study, an online questionnaire was sent via e-mail to each participant. We received 275 responses from 6650 successfully sent emails. Results: A total of 270 authors' responses were complete and were included in the final analysis. Our results showed that PROSPERO was the most commonly used database for protocol registration (71.3%). The registration-to-acceptance interval in PROSPERO was less than one month (99.1%). Almost half of the authors (44.2%) did not register their protocols prior to publishing their SR/MAs and their opinion that lack of knowledge of its importance and mandance to be registered was the most commonly reported reason (44.9%). A significant proportion of respondents (37.4%) believed that people would steal their ideas from protocol databases, while only 5.3% reported that their SR/MA had been stolen. However, the majority (72.9%) of participants agreed that protocol registries have a role in preventing unnecessary duplication of reviews. Finally, 37.4% of participants agreed that SR/MA protocol registration should be mandatory. Conclusion: About half of the participants seemed that the primary reason for not registering such protocols, that was not knowing that protocols must or should be mandatory. Therefore, tools should be available to mandate protocol registration of any SRs beforehand and increasing awareness about the benefits of protocol registration among researchers.
Genetic diagnostic features after failure of initial treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors among non-small-cell lung cancer patients harboring EGFR mutations
Authors: Takeda Yuichiro , Naka Go , Yamaguchi Yoh , Hashimoto Masao , Suzuki Manabu , Izumi Shinyu , Sugiyama Haruhito
Published: July 2020

Background: Osimertinib, a third - generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), can be used as second-line treatment for lung cancer patients harboring the T790M substitution. Although osimertinib is more effective than the first-generation EGFR-TKIs used for first-line treatment, its efficacy with respect to long-term patient survival remains unclear even upon the administration of a complete sequence of EGFR-TKI therapy, and limited information is available regrading genetic diagnostic approaches after EGFR-TKI naïve treatment. This study investigated the characteristics of EGFR-mutated lung cancer patients harboring the T790M substitution resistant to EGFR-TKIs and the advantages of rebiopsy and liquid biopsy for these patients. Methods: The medical records of patients screened for EGFR mutations were reviewed. Upon failure of naïve treatment with EGFR-TKIs, except for osimertinib, single plexus cobas version 2 was repeatedly used to detect the T790M substitution in EGFR via tissue or liquid biopsy. Results: From April 2016 through May 2019, 113 patients were determined to harbor EGFR mutations. Sixty patients were treated with EGFR-TKIs, among which 46 underwent tissue or liquid biopsy. Twenty-nine of these 46 (63%) patients harbored the T790M substitution. In total, 141 rebiopsies were performed. The T790M substitution was detected in 24 of 43 tissue and 11 of 98 liquid biopsies. If patients displayed an EGFR exon 19 deletion, had a new lesion, and were administered gefitinib as first-line therapy, patients harboring an EGFR mutation were suspected to harbor the T790M substitution. Furthermore, the T790M substitution was detected through rebiopsy in patients with co-existing original mutations, brain metastases, tumor enlargement by ≥ 12 mm, or metastases at minor sites. Conclusion: Repeated biopsy can help maximize the detection rate of the T790M substitution. Furthermore, the advantages of repeated tissue or liquid biopsy should be considered among patients with positive T790M factors , and these biopsies can be repeated numerous times .
Beneficial effects of walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil-derived polyunsaturated fatty acid prevents hyperlipidemia and oxidant status in pregnant rats with diabetes
Authors: Sun Bingmei , Yan Hua , Li Chao , Yin Linlin , Li Fei , Zhou Lianxiang , Han Xiuqing
Published: July 2020

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus has a long-term effect on pregnant women. Walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil-derived polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) possesses multifarious pharmacological activities. This study investigated the beneficial effects of PUFA on the gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to study the underlying mechanism in pregnant rats with diabetes.Methods: The GDM rat model was generated by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) on gestational day (GD) 6, GD7 and GD8. The differences between groups were estimated using one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey’s multiple comparison test for post-hoc analysis.Results: The results indicated that PUFA could mitigate GDM in pregnant diabetic rats, as embodied by the decrease of fasting blood glucose and the increase of plasma insulin and hepatic glycogen levels. Also, PUFA could suppress oxidative stress in pregnant diabetic rats, as reflected by the decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and gutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. PUFA could also mitigate the abnormal changes of lipid profiles in plasma and hepatic tissue. Moreover, the relative mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1 (SREBP-1), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), was suppressed by PUFA in pregnant diabetic rats.Conclusions: These results suggested that PUFA supplementation during the pregnancy might be beneficial in preventing diabetic complications in the mother.
The effects of family, society and national policy support on treatment adherence among newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Xu , Du Liang , Wu Ruiheng , Xu Jia , Ji Haoqiang , Zhang Yu , Zhu Xuexue , Zhou Ling
Published: July 2020

Background: Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is the most important cause of poor TB outcomes, and improving support for TB patients is a primary priority for governments, but there has been little research on the effects of family, social and national policy support factors on TB treatment adherence. The current study evaluated treatment adherence among newly diagnosed TB patients in Dalian, north-eastern China, and determined the effects of family, society, and national policy support factors on treatment adherence.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among newly diagnosed TB patients treated at the outpatient department of Dalian Tuberculosis Hospital from September 2019 to January 2020. Data were collected using a questionnaire that measured medication adherence, family support, social support, and national policy support and so on. Differences between groups were assessed using Chi-square tests and Fisher’s exact tests. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of adherence.Results: A total of 481 newly diagnosed TB patients were recruited, of whom 45.7% had good adherence, and 27.4% and 26.8% had moderate and low adherence, respectively. Patients who had family members who frequently supervised medication (OR:0.34, 95% CI:0.16-0.70), family members who often provided spiritual encouragement (OR:0.13, 95% CI:0.02-0.72), a good doctor-patient relationship (OR:0.61, 95% CI:0.40-0.93), more TB-related knowledge (OR:0.49, 95% CI:0.33-0.72) and a high need for TB treatment policy support (OR:0.38, 95% CI:0.22-0.66) had satisfactory medication adherence. However, patients who had a college degree or higher (OR:1.69, 95% CI:1.04-2.74) and who suffered adverse drug reactions (OR:1.45, 95% CI:1.00-2.11) were more likely to have lower adherence.Conclusions: Our findings suggested that non-adherence was high in newly diagnosed TB patients. Patients who had family members who frequently supervised medication and provided spiritual encouragement and a good doctor-patient relationship and TB-related knowledge and a high need for policy support contributed to high adherence. It is recommended to strengthen medical staff training and patient and family health education and to increase financial support for improving adherence.
Single-blinded Study Highlighting the Differences between the Small Intestines of Neonatal and Weaned Piglets
Authors: Yuan Chen , Jin Yuxin , Shah Abid Ullah , Zhang En , Zhang penghao , Yang Qian
Published: July 2020

Background: The gut is the body’s major immune structure, and the gut mucosa, which contains intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and subepithelial natural immune cells, is considered the primary site for eliciting local immune responses to foreign antigens. Pigs are susceptible to intestinal infections at all life stages; however, neonates tend to be the most susceptible. This study compared the small intestine of neonatal and weaned piglets to provide a theoretical basis for preventing intestinal infectious diseases in neonatal piglets. Results: Histological analyses of weaned piglet intestines showed increased crypt depth, higher IEL count, and larger ileal Peyer’s patches compared with those of neonates. Additionally, the ileal villi of weaned piglets were longer than those of neonatal piglets. The expression of claudin-3 and occludin protein was remarkably higher in weaned piglets than in neonatal piglets. The numbers of CD3 + T cells, goblet cells, and secretory cells were also higher in the small intestine of weaned piglets than in those of neonates. The number of secretory IgA-positive cells in the jejunum was not significantly different between neonatal and weaned piglets. The gene expression of 12 pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as TLR1–10, MDA5, and RIG-I in the small intestines of both neonatal and weaned piglets was also examined. The mRNA expression of most pattern recognition receptors genes in the duodenum and jejunum was higher in weaners than in neonates; however, the inverse was true in the ileum. Compared with that in weaned piglets, there were significantly fewer CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + T cells from peripheral blood-mononuclear cells in neonatal piglets. Conclusions: In this study, the physical and immunological components of small intestines of neonatal and weaned piglets were investigated. Our results provide preliminary data on differences in the immune mechanisms between the small intestines of 0- and 21-day-old piglets. Future studies could focus on additional developmental stages of pigs and how the differences in their small intestines affect the animal’s response to pathogens
Ecological and Floristic Study of Hirmi Forest, Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Girmay Mehari , Bekele Tamrat , Demissew Sebsebe , Lulekal Ermias
Published: July 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Choice of and Equity in First-Contact Care in China’s Zhejiang and Qinghai Province: A Comparative Study
Authors: Sun Xueshan , Zhang Hao , Zhen Xuemei , Hu Xiaoqian , Gu Shuyan , Gu Yuxuan , Huang Minzhuo , Wei Jingming , Dong Hengjin
Published: July 2020

Background

The imbalance between health needs and healthcare resources has become more serious in China. The hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system has played an important role in solving the problem, one goal of which was to increase the use of basic-level medical facilities. This study aimed to compare the choice of and equity in first-contact care among residents in Zhejiang and Qinghai provinces, China.
Methods

First-hand data were obtained through a cross-sectional survey of residents of Zhejiang and Qinghai. We first compared the proportion of residents who select primary healthcare institutions as the setting for first-contact care. Then we compared horizontal equity using the concentration index decomposition method. An urban-rural subgroup analysis was carried out for both provinces.
Results

A total of 4899 residents were enrolled, 2872 from Zhejiang and 2027 from Qinghai. The proportion of residents selecting a PHI as their first-contact care provider was 82.5% in Qinghai, and 54.4% in Zhejiang. The horizontal inequity index of selecting a PHI as first-contact care was − 0.180 and 0.007 in Zhejiang and Qinghai, respectively. The HI was − 0.088, -0.160, 0.069, and − 0.058 in rural Zhejiang, urban Zhejiang, rural Qinghai, and urban Qinghai, respectively.
Conclusions

The proportion of residents selecting a PHI as their first-contact care provider in Zhejiang was lower and the extents of horizontal inequity were more serious compared with Qinghai’s. We suggest that medical reform should be implemented based on socioeconomic development, because of China’s geographic vastness and the considerable amount of difference in development among geographic areas. Larger gaps in the medical insurance reimbursement ratio between different levels of medical institutions might aid in increasing the equitable utilization of PHIs.