bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traditional use of medicinal plants in the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor, Panchthar District, Kangchenjunga Landscape, Nepal
Authors: Bhandari Prabin , Gurung Min Bahadur , Subedi Chandra Kanta , Chaudhary Ram Prasad , Basnet Khadga Bahadur , Gurung Janita , Uprety Yadav , Neupane Ajay , Shrestha Krishna Kumar
Published: October 2020

Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through three focus group discussions and 47 key informant interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 diseases categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal diseases. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed 90 new therapeutic use reports for 42 ailments belonging to 64 plant species.Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their cultivation, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.
Antioxidant, Antifungal and Insecticidal Activity of Triterpenoids Spinasterol, 22,23-Dihydrospinasterol Isolated from Colocynthis (Citrullus colocynthis L.) Leaves.
Authors: Ahmed Maqsood , Mingshan Ji , Qin Peiwen
Published: October 2020

Terpenoids from natural plants resources are valuable for diverse biological activities which exhibited important part in medical and agrochemicals industry. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant, antifungal and insecticidal activity of a mixture of Spinasterol, 22,23-dihydrospinasterol isolated from Citrullus colocynthis leaves. 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used to assess the antioxidant activity whereas, antifungal activity was tested by mycelium growth inhibition assay on three pathogenic fungi Magnaporthe grisea, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora infestans. Insecticidal activity against Brevicoryne brassicae was also determined by using In-vitro and In-vivo assays. The outcome of the study exposed that Spinasterol, 22, 23-dihydrospinasterol afforded prominent antioxidant activity even at lower concentrations i.e. 19.98, 31.52, 36.61 and 49.76% at 0.78, 3.0, 12.5 and 50µgmL-1 respectively. However, moderate fungicidal activity of Spinasterol, 22; 23-dihydrospinasterol was recorded as being EC50 values 129.5 and 206.1µgmL-1 against R. solani and M. grisea respectively. On the other hand, Boscalid and Carbendazim being a positive control proved highly effective against all fungi except for M. grisea and P. infestans with EC50 values 868 and 272109µgmL-1 respectively. The pronounced insecticidal activity of Spinasterol, 22,23-dihydrospinasterol was afforded via residual as well as greenhouse assay being LC50 values as 42.46, 54.86, 180.9 µgmL-1 and 32.71, 42.46 and 173.8µgmL-1 at 72, 48 and 24 h respectively. The study concluded that isolated compound Spinasterol, 22,23-dihydrospinasterol possess promising antioxidant and aphicidal activity with moderate fungicidal activity which could be a suitable candidate as an alternative to synthetic pesticidal agents.
BCG vaccination provides protection against COVID 19: A Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khera Daisy , Chugh Ankita , Khasbage Sameer , Singh Surjit
Published: October 2020

Context: Lower morbidity and mortality in few geographic locations on the globe suffering with SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with the existing or previously followed long standing BCG vaccination policy amongst infants. But does that hold true that today after years of BCG vaccination few adults have better prognosis or is it just confounding due to differential disease burden, population density, testing facilities or improper reporting. The purpose was to evaluate and correlate this effect systematically.Evidence acquisition: Detailed electronic search for randomised controlled trials and observational studies in PubMed, Cochrane database and clinicaltrials.gov for eligible studies was performed. We performed a meta-analysis to provide pooled esimate of correlation of mortality with BCG vaccination policy from 4 studies.Results: 114 number of studies were yielded on search strategy and 28 observational studies were finally included for analysis. From our results we can say that BCG vaccination causes a decrease in COVID-19 incidence and mortality. But these results must be interpreted cautiously as lot of confounding factors were present in included studies, which can affect the outcome.Conclusion: The evidence of BCG vaccination for protection against COVID-19 can’t be ruled out as evidence from many studies support the hypothesis but the evidence of well conducted RCTs and observational studies can strengthen the evidence.
Knowledge Management Support to Public Health in Humanitarian Emergency
Authors: Boshara Mohamed Abdalla Elamein , Woods Peter Charles , Elshaiekh Nour Eldin Mohamed
Published: October 2020

Background: In public health, decisions are mainly taken based on data and a move is needed towards evidence-based decision. Healthcare can profit from the several benefits that Knowledge management (KM) can provide. Several challenges still need to be overcome, some of which concern KM and others of which are specific to healthcare. Knowledge management is a discipline that has become an established part of many applications and techniques, but its adoption in healthcare has been challenging. This is because the healthcare sector tends to rely on knowledge and evidence-based medicine in the performance of its daily healthcare activities. Methods: Bottom-up KM strategy is used for the study as the research is conducted into the activities of staff involved in key business processes. Interviews are conducted with participants selected by mixed purposeful sampling consisting of expert sampling (experience of health emergencies and indicators) and convenience sampling (ease of accessibility). Direct workplace observation is also used to obtain findings. A qualitative methodology is used in order to understand the findings. Results: The study investigated the importance of KM support to public health and to the work performance during health emergencies. The research framework explores various aspects of KM to provide a clear understanding of KM and how it may affect the work performance during health emergencies in Sudan.Conclusions: The key outcomes of the research findings associated to Knowledge management support to public health in humanitarian emergency are offered such as improve disaster risk management knowledge base system, strengthen central emergency expert team and KM support to the application of health indicators of emergency.
Expression and Gene Regulatory Network of SNHG1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zheng Chaoran , Yu Shicheng
Published: October 2020

Background: Small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), is a transcript that negatively regulates tumour-suppressor genes, such as the p53 gene. Abnormal SNHG1 expression is associated with cell proliferation and tumours. We used sequencing data downloaded from the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) to analyse the expression and interaction networks of SNHG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Expression was analysed using the limma package of R and verified by GEPIA. We also obtained miRNA expression data from StarBase to determine the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA–related RNA regulatory network in HCC. Kaplan Meier (KM) analysis was performed using the survival package of R. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation of the genes was carried out using the Metascape. RESULTS: We found that SNHG1 was overexpressed and often amplified in HCC patients. In addition, SNHG1 upregulation was associated with the promotion of several primary biological functions, including cell proliferation, transcription and protein binding. Moreover, we found a competitive relationship among SNHG1, E2F8, FANCE and LMNB2. Additionally, in the SNHG1-associated network, higher expression levels of SNHG1 (log-rank P value = 0.0643), E2F8 (log-rank P value=0.000048), FANCE (log-rank P value=0.00125) and LMNB2 (log-rank P value=0.0392) were significantly associated with poor survival. We found that E2F8 may play an important role in tumorigenesis or cancer development by Single cell analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the utility of multiple data for understanding the functional potential regulatory networks of SNHG1 and the role of SNHG1 in tumours.
Electromagnetic Navigation Reduces Radiation Exposure and Provides Excellent Accuracy for Retrograde Drilling in Osteochondrosis Dissecans of the Talus
Authors: Berger-Groch Josephine , Jungesblut Oliver D , Hoffmann Michael , Schroeder Malte , Krajewski Kara L , Stuecker Ralf , Rupprecht Martin
Published: October 2020

Background: Retrograde drilling in osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is a widely used surgical intervention. A radiation-free electromagnetic navigation system (ENS)-based method was compared with the standard freehand fluoroscopic (SFF) method regarding clinical applicability.Methods: We performed a clinical cohort study at a department of Orthopaedics in a Level 1 children’s hospital with 40 patients (20 SFF and 20 ENS). Retrograde drilling of the talar dome was used in patients with unstable medial OCD (MRI stage 2 according to Hepple’s revised classification; stage 2 according to the International Cartilage Repair Society). The outcome measurements were: a) Intraoperative fluoroscopy exposure and length of surgery and b) Postoperative serial follow-up MRIs every 6 months.Results: 22 female and 18 male patients aged 13.8 ± 1.6 years (range: 11-17 years) were included. Using the ENS technique, length of surgery was significantly reduced to 20.2 ± 6.4 min compared to 36.1 ± 11.8 min (p<0.01) for the SFF technique. The average x-ray radiation time for the SFF technique was 23.5 ± 13.5 sec and 1.9 ± 1.7 sec for the ENS technique (p<0.01). Radiation exposure was significantly reduced from 44.6 ± 19.7 mSv (SFF technique) to 5.6± 2.8 mSv (ENS technique) (p<0.01). Intraoperative perforation of cartilage occurred once in the SFF group. Correct placement of the drilling channel was verified in all patients on follow-up MRI after six months and a timely healing was seen after two years. No differences were detected on follow-up MRI between the two methods.Conclusions: The ENS method provides for a significant reduction in length of surgery and radiation exposure. ENS was without intraoperative cartilage perforation. The clinical and radiological follow-up parameters are comparable for SFF- and ENS-guided retrograde drilling.Trial registration: WF – 085/20, 05/2020 “retrospectively registered”
Association Between Lipid Biomarkers and Osteoporosis: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhao Qianqian , Kan Bo , Wang Lijuan , Xue Shanshan , Cai Hanqing , Yang Shuman
Published: October 2020

Background: Osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are two major public health problems. Osteoporosis and CVDs may be linked but the association between lipid profile and osteoporosis is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) with osteoporosis.Methods: Using inpatients’ electronic medical records (EMR) and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) database stored at The Second Hospital of Jilin University, we included 481 patients with complete and valid lipid and bone mineral density (BMD) data in 2017. Serum samples were used to measure TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG. Femoral neck and total hip BMD were measured by DXA; osteoporosis was defined as femoral neck or total hip T-score ≤ -2.5. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the associations of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG with osteoporosis.Results: The mean age for included patients was 62.7 years (SD = 8.6 years); 60.1 % of them were female. Each standard deviation (SD) increase in TC (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.43; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.03-1.99) and TG (OR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.12-2.30) were associated with increased risk of osteoporosis; LDL-C and HDL-C levels were not associated with osteoporosis. Age, sex and body mass index (BMI) did not interact the relationships of TC and TG with osteoporosis (all P > 0.10). Conclusions: Higher TC and TG levels were associated with greater risk of osteoporosis.
The Impact of Marital Status on Stage at Diagnosis and Survival of Female Patients with Breast and Gynecologic Cancers: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yuan Ruixia , Zhang Chao , Li Qi , Ji Mei , He Nannan
Published: October 2020

Background: The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effect of marital status on the stage at diagnosis and survival of female patients with breast and gynecologic cancers.Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE) till March 31, 2020. Publications investigating the association of marital status with stage at diagnosis and/or cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and/or overall survival (OS) in female patients with breast or gynecologic cancers were retrieved. After studies were selected according to inclusion criteria, data extraction, quality assessment and data analysis were performed. Results: 55 articles were eligible for inclusion, consisting of 1195773 female cancer patients with breast, vulvar, cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers. Unmarried female cancer patients had higher odds of being diagnosed at later stage [odds ratio (OR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-1.36)] and worse survival outcomes in CSM [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.16-1.28] and OS (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.14-1.25). This estimate did not vary by level of social support, number of adjustment factors, or between America and Europe. Conclusions: Being married is associated with timely diagnosis and favorable prognosis in most women’s cancers. Unmarried female cancer patients have a higher risk of late-stage diagnosis and worse survival outcomes than the married. Greater concern shall be demonstrated towards unmarried female cancer patients. Furthermore, the impact of lacking economic and emotional support on survival outcomes in unmarried female cancer patients deserves particular attention.
Substitution of ROTEM FIBTEM A5 for A10 in Trauma: An Observational Study Building a Case for More Rapid Analysis of Coagulopathy
Authors: Blayney Alexander , McCullough James P. A. , Wake Elizabeth , Walters Kerin , Campbell Don , Ho Debbie , Chan Erick , Chalasani Aashish , Winearls James
Published: October 2020

BackgroundRotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) allows guided blood product resuscitation to correct trauma induced coagulopathy in bleeding trauma patients. FIBTEM amplitude at 10 minutes (A10) has been widely used to identify hypofibrinogenaemia; locally a threshold of < 11 mm has guided fibrinogen replacement. Amplitude at 5 minutes (A5) carries an inherent time advantage. The primary aim was to explore the relationship between FIBTEM A5 and A10 in a large cohort of trauma patients and subgroups. Secondary aim was to investigate the use of A5 as a surrogate for A10 within a fibrinogen-replacement algorithm.MethodsRetrospective observational cohort study of 1539 consecutive trauma patients at a Level 1 trauma centre in Australia who received ROTEM on arrival to hospital. Consistency of agreement between FIBTEM A5 and A10 was assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plot. Sub-group analysis was performed for number of packed red blood cell transfusions and by International Trauma Severity Score (ISS). A new fibrinogen replacement threshold was developed for A5 using the A5 – A10 bias and clinically compared to the existing A10 threshold.ResultsFIBTEM A5 displayed excellent consistency of agreement with A10. ICC = 0.972 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.969 – 0.974) in the whole cohort. This was maintained within the sub-group analyses. Bias of A5 to A10 was -1.49 (95% CI 1.43 -1.56) mm. 19.34% patients met the original local threshold of A10 < 11 mm; 19.28% patients met the new, bias-adjusted threshold of A5 < 10 mm.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that ROTEM FIBTEM A5 reliably predicts A10 within the trauma setting. Importantly, this strength of agreement is demonstrated within major haemorrhage patients and those with major trauma. This further validates use of the A5 result over A10 for more rapid interpretation of results in time-critical resuscitation of trauma patients. Early analysis suggests that a modification of -1 to the A10 threshold might be appropriate for use with the A5 value in trauma patients. Further work is required to analyse this prospectively.
Computed Tomography-based determinants for predicting death and ICU requirement in patients suffering COVID-19
Authors: Dehgan Marzie , Khalesi Nasrin , Akbari Masumeh , Fallah Rogheyeh , Hosseininezhad Neda
Published: October 2020

Background: What has received special attention in recent months is the use of a combination of clinical findings, laboratory markers, and, in addition, the findings of lung Computed Tomography (CT) scan in the design and delivery of risk scoring systems for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID -19) patients. The present study aimed to determine main lung CT-related correlates of disease severity (Intensive Care Units (ICU) requiring) as well as death in COVID -19 patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 515 consecutive patients with definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted to one of the COVID -19 referral hospitals in Tehran. All patients' information was collected through a review of their archives. All patients were evaluated by CT scan of the lungs.Results: The mean follow-up of patients from the time of admission was 10.85±6.11 days between 1 and 30 days. During this period, a total of 29.1% were admitted to the ICU. Also, the mortality rate of patients was equal to 28.2%. According to multivariable logistic regression model with the presence of death-related correlates, crazy paving pattern, diffuse distribution of lesions, CT Severity Score (CTSS) score >12, the presence of plural effusion or emphysema were the main determinants of COVID -19 related death and should be considered for presenting new scoring system for predicting death following COVID -19 disease. In similar model, CTSS score >12 along with the presence of plural effusion, emphysema, or pulmonary hypertension were the main determinants of requiring ICU admission. Conclusion: The CT score higher than 12 along with observing the pattern of diffuse distribution of lesions especially accompanied with emphysema, pleural effusion or pulmonary hypertension can predict patient mortality or will determine the need for hospitalization in the ICU.
Evaluation of classical swine fever E2 (CSF-E2) subunit vaccine efficacy in the prevention of virus transmission and its potential application for virus eradication in field farms
Authors: Chen Jing-Yuan , Wu Chi-Ming , Chen Zeng-Weng , Liao Chih-Ming , Deng Ming-Chung , Chia Min-Yuan , Huang Chienjin , Chien Maw-Sheng
Published: October 2020

Background: Classical swine fever (CSF) is one of the most devastating pig diseases that affect the swine industry worldwide. Besides stamping out policy for eradication, immunization with vaccines of live attenuated CSF or the CSF-E2 subunit is an efficacious measure of disease control. However, after decades of efforts, it is still hard to eliminate CSF from endemically affected regions and reemerging areas. Most of previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of different CSF vaccines in laboratories under high containment conditions, which may not represent the practical performance in field farms. The inadequate vaccine efficacy induced by unrestrained factors may lead to chronic or persistent CSF infection in animals that develop a major source for virus shedding among pig populations. In this study, a vaccination-challenge-cohabitation trial on specific-pathogen-free (SPF) pigs and long-term monitoring of sows and piglets were used to evaluate the efficacy and the impact of maternally derived antibody (MDA) interference on CSF vaccines in farm applications.Results: The trials demonstrated higher neutralizing antibody (NA) titers with no clinical symptoms and significant pathological changes in the CSF-E2 subunit vaccine immunized group after CSFV challenge. Additionally, none of the sentinel pigs were infected during cohabitation indicating that the CSF-E2 subunit vaccine could provoke adequate acquired immunity to prevent horizontal transmission. In field farm applications, the CSF-E2 subunit vaccine significantly reduced CSF viral RNA detection via saliva monitoring in a sow population that was routinely immunized with live attenuated CSF vaccine long term. Moreover, no adverse effects and an average of higher, long-lasting and consistent NA level could be detected in sows immunized with CSF-E2 subunit vaccine before parturition. Furthermore, early application of the CSF-E2 subunit vaccine in 3-week-old piglets illustrated no MDA interference on primary immunization whereas interference of MDA was noted in piglets vaccinated with live attenuated CSF.Conclusions: The CSF-E2 subunit vaccine demonstrated more flexibility and efficacy for immunization in both pregnant sows and piglets. These advantages could provide a novel approach to avoid possible virus shedding in sow population and MDA interference in piglets for control of CSF in field farm applications.
Assessments of Geotechnical Condition of Landslide Sites and Slope Stability Analysis Using Limit Equilibrium Method in Goncha Siso Eneses Area, Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Wubalem Azemeraw
Published: October 2020

Goncha Siso Eneses area is located in northwestern Ethiopia where landslide incidence is active. The landslide incidence in the area resulted in the devastation of 233.1 hectares of cultivated and non-cultivated land, death of eight people, demolition of five houses, displaced 90 households, and 45 households are under risk. The slope failure in this area also caused tilting of the power line, tilting of two houses, cracking of three-houses floor, failed of bridge and blocking of streams as well as springs. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the cause, failure mechanism, landslide distribution, geotechnical condition of the site, slope stability analysis, and factor of safety determination. Soil sampling, laboratory test, terrain characteristics, groundwater-surface manifestation characterization, groundwater depth determination, slope stability analysis, and factor of safety calculation were the most important activities employed in this research work. Using disturbed and undisturbed soil samples of the selected slope section, Atterberg limit (liquid limit & plastic limit), natural soil moisture, unit weight, specific gravity, and shear strength parameters (cohesion & internal friction angle) test were carryout as ASTM standard. The most marginal factor of safety of the area is determined based on the general limit equilibrium method that encompasses different methods inside using slope/w in GeoStudio 2018 software package considering various groundwater conditions for all selected slope sections. The factor of safety for all selected slope sections of the various method under different groundwater conditions is less than one. Based on the finding of field observation and laboratory results, landslide types (rock/soil slides, rock/earth fall, debris/earth flow, & soil creeping) and landslide factors of the study area (slope angle, slope shape, slope modification, land use, groundwater, soil type, and rainfall) are determined. This research finds out that the soil has a great contribution to slope failure in the study area, besides the soil moisture and improper land use practice.
Divulgação de informações ambientais por empresas da área da saúde: uma análise de conteúdo dos websites institucionais
Authors: Vieira Flávia Monaco , Pires Vanessa Martins
Published: October 2020

A divulgação de informações corporativas permite maior proximidade entre as instituições e seus usuários, podendo ser utilizada como estratégia para redução da assimetria informacional. Levando em consideração a gestão ambiental estratégica, essa pesquisa buscou analisar o nível de divulgação de informações ambientais das empresas da área da saúde. Para tanto, foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo dos websites das onze maiores empresas do setor, estabelecidas no Rio Grande do Sul. Índices de divulgação de informações ambientais foram construídos, permitindo analisar o grau de divulgação global e de informações gerais, socioeconômicas e ambientais. O valor médio obtido para o Índice de Divulgação Total (IDT) foi de 0,4714, demonstrando que o nível de transparência das empresas pode ser aprimorado. A categoria de informação socioeconômica obteve o maior índice de divulgação, antecedendo as categorias de informação ambiental e geral. As organizações mais transparentes foram aquelas que disponibilizaram relatórios de desempenho sobre as ações desenvolvidas.
Técnicas utilizadas para o tratamento do lixiviado gerado por aterros sanitários
Authors: Silva Andreia Freitas , Martildes Jéssica Araújo Leite , Cezário Janaína Aparecida , Silva Tássio Jordan Rodrigues Dantas da , Nascimento Maxsuel Bezerra do , Medeiros José Ludemario da Silva , Paiva William de
Published: October 2020

No âmbito dos resíduos sólidos urbanos (RSU) a metodologia mais indicada para a disposição final de resíduos são os aterros sanitários, que apesar das vantagens, tais como o baixo custo de implantação e operação em relação as outras técnicas, gera um subproduto líquido denominado lixiviado, o qual é caracterizado por ser um líquido altamente poluidor, necessitando de um tratamento adequado para sua disposição final em corpos hídricos. Portanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa descritiva-exploratória, comparando incialmente os dados referentes à disposição final de resíduos sólidos urbanos nos anos de 2017 e 2018 no Brasil, e em seguida destacando-se a Região Nordeste e alguns aterros sanitários presentes, visando a conhecer a técnica de tratamento utilizada para tratar o lixiviado gerado. Assim, pode-se observar que o Brasil ainda enfrenta grandes dificuldades quanto à evolução de políticas públicas para o avanço da gestão e gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos urbanos, e quando se destaca a Região Nordeste percebe-se que o crescimento da implantação de aterros sanitários foi de apenas 1% no período estudado. Sobre o tratamento do subproduto líquido gerado, têm-se as lagoas de estabilização e tratamentos biológicos, como o mais utilizado.
A Study of Reliability and Validity for Citizenship Knowledge and Skill Scale
Authors: İÇEN Mustafa
Published: October 2020

The study aims to develop a current scale that has a higher validity and reliability and reveals high school students’ perceptions of measuring their citizenship knowledge and skills. The study was conducted with two different groups. The first group is the group where data is collected to conduct Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and it consists of 258 students. The second group is the group where the data is collected to carry out Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and it consists of 180 students. A total of 438 students participated in the study providing different students were in both groups. As a result of the analyzes, it was determined that the Citizenship Knowledge and Skill Scale, which includes a total of 24 items, consists of a 5-factor structure. These factors are termed as “Participation in Social Life”, “Right to Education”, “Individual Duties”, “Duties of the State” and “Common Rights”. The total variance explained by the scale is 61.79%. Additionally, there is a significant relationship between these 5 factors and there is no autocorrelation problem. Item-factor and item-test correlation coefficients were calculated for all items of the scale and it was determined that each item was consistent not only with the factor it contained but also with the whole test. Cronbach Alpha reliability of the general of Citizenship Knowledge and Skill Scale is 0.91 and Omega reliability is 0.92. It can be said that the reliability and validity of the scale are applicable and high.
Filmski spektakl i kinematička kultura
Authors: Vuger Dario
Published: October 2020

U radu autor uspostavlja i brani tezu o postavljanju filma strave osamdesetih godina prošloga stoljeća kao paradigme djelovanja spektakla kao sustava udaljavanja pojedinca od života njegovim bitnim vezanjem za slikovne fenomene. Time se u svezu dovode tri do sada odvojena elementa koje autor smatra presudnim za razumijevanje medija te ukupne medijske teorije dvadesetog i prvih desetljeća dvadeset i prvog stoljeća, a to su Heideggerova ideja o dobu slike svijeta, Debordov pojam spektakla i Deleuze-Bellerova filozofija filma i napose konceptualno određena filmska filozofija kao sažimanje mogućnosti odgovora na suvremeno stanje društva u kojemu se filmski spektakl odražava u bitno kinematiziranoj kulturi, odnosno društvu pokrenutom kroz isključiv odnos slikovnih reprezentacija.
Myth and reality of community ownership and control of community-managed piped water systems in Ghana
Authors: Fielmua Nicholas
Published: October 2020

Water supply has remained centralised and governments advanced several reasons (health benefits and increase in rural productivity) for the state-led water services delivery. This approach had budgetary and sustainability challenges. This led to a community-based management approach in which communities were required to contribute towards water supply and own the water supply. This paper explores households’ perception of who owns and controls community water systems that were provided under the ambit of community-based management regimes. The study was conducted in four communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Data were collected using two main sources: (i) a household survey, using questionnaires; and (ii) a platform, comprising 14 participants. The study found that there is a relationship between community contribution and ownership of the water systems. Community level actors argue that communities own the water systems, because they contributed towards capital cost and are responsible for operations and maintenance. Community level actors have control over the decisions of the water systems. Legal ownership resides in the government and communities manage the water systems and appropriate the returns, thus creating a sense of ownership of the water systems. As such, there is a dualistic ownership of the water systems.
Biosorption of chromium and nickel from aqueous solution using pine cones, eucalyptus bark, and moringa pods: a comparative study
Authors: Matouq Mohammed , Saleh Moatasem , Al-Ayed Omar , El-Hasan Tayel , Hiroshi Yamada , Tagawa Tomohiko
Published: October 2020

Low-cost local plants (eucalyptus bark, moringa pods, pine cones) have been successfully used to remove heavy metals from simulated wastewater. Two types of heavy metals were chosen to study the removal capacity, nickel (Ni) and chrome (Cr), with a concentration of 400, 600, 900 ppm. The results show that moringa pods have the best removal capacity for heavy metals with percentages of 90–99% for both metals, Ni and Cr, for the eucalyptus bark the removal capacity percentages reach 50–98%, while for the pine cones revealed a lower removing capacity with percentages of 40–99%, indicating that this is the lowest removal capacity. The data has been best fitted to the Langmuir adsorption model for all plants, while the Freundlich adsorption model could not fit the obtained results at the experimental conditions. The kinetic study has revealed that the first-order kinetic model successfully describes the kinetics of Ni adsorption, while the second-order describes the kinetics of Cr adsorption. The removal of heavy metals (Ni, Cr) was obtained when moringa was used; its highest removal efficiency was reached within 20 minutes. On the other hand, other plants (eucalyptus bark, pine cone) removal efficiency was attained in more than two hours. The removal is remarkable even at a high concentration of heavy metals, especially with the moringa plant.
Applications of Green Synthesized Nanomaterials in Water Remediation
Authors: Singh Nakshatra B. , B.H. Susan Md. Abu , Guin Mridula
Published: October 2020

Water is the most important component on the earth for living organisms. With industrial
development, population increase and climate change, water pollution becomes a critical issue around
the world. Its contamination with different types of pollutants created naturally or due to anthropogenic
activities has become the most concerned global environmental issue. These contaminations destroy
the quality of water and become harmful to living organisms. A number of physical, chemical and biological
techniques have been used for the purification of water, but they suffer in one or the other respect.
The development of nanomaterials and nanotechnology has provided a better path for the purification
of water. Compared to conventional methods using activated carbon, nanomaterials offer a better
and economical approach for water remediation. Different types of nanomaterials acting as nanocatalysts,
nanosorbents, nanostructured catalytic membranes, bioactive nanoparticles, nanomembranes
and nanoparticles provide an alternative and efficient methodology in solving water pollution problems.
However, the major issue with nanomaterials synthesized in a conventional way is their toxicity.
In recent days, a considerable amount of research is being carried out on the synthesis of nanomaterials
using green routes. Nanomaterials synthesized by using the green method are now being used in different
technologies, including water remediation. The remediation of water by using nanomaterials synthesized
by the green method has been reviewed and discussed in this paper.
Deciphering Role of Cytokines for Therapeutic Strategies Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Doshi Gaurav , Thakkar Ami
Published: October 2020

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic, chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory disorder
that affects both large and small synovial joints in a symmetric pattern. RA initiates as painful inflammation
of the joints leading to stiffness of joint, joint destruction and further worsens the condition
causing permanent irreversible damage to the joints, making them physically disabled. Across
the globe, there are around 1.2 million cases of RA reported. Inspite of various available therapeutic
and pharmacological agents against RA, none of the treatments assure complete cure. Understanding
the in depth-role of cytokines and interleukins in the disease pathogenesis of RA could
help in exploiting them for developing novel therapeutic strategies against RA. This review provides
insights into the pathogenesis of RA and gives a brief overview of cytokines, which play an
important role in the progression of the disease. We have also discussed the possible role of interleukins
in the context of RA, which could help future researchers to explore them for identifying
new therapeutic agents.
Perspectives for the Use of N-acetylcysteine as a Candidate Drug to Treat COVID-19
Authors: Luo Pan , Liu Yi , Liu Dong , Li Juan
Published: October 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndromerelated
coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become an ongoing pandemic worldwide. However, there
are no vaccines or antiviral drugs with proven clinical efficacy. Therefore, a remedial measure is urgently
needed to combat the devastating COVID-19. The pharmacological activities of Nacetylcysteine
(NAC) and its potential functions in inhibiting the progression of COVID-19 make it a
promising therapeutic agent for the infection. In this mini-review, we discussed the therapeutic potential
of NAC in COVID-19 from the perspective of its multisite pharmacological actions.
Comparative Safety Assessment Study for Drospirenone Induced Gallbladder Diseases Using the Adverse Drug Reaction Database of USA, Europe, and Canada
Authors: Shah Manan , Kothari Charmy
Published: October 2020

Background:

Gallstone disease (GSD) is one of the most common gastroenterological
disorders. It is known that drospirenone causes small increased risk of gallbladder diseases. However,
the risk may vary between different adverse drug reaction databases.

Objective:

The purpose of this studty is to examine the safety and risk association between hormonal
contraceptive drospirenone and gallbladder diseases using adverse drug reaction database of
USFDA’s Federal Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS), Europe’s Eudravigilance (EV) and
Canada’s Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database (CVARD).

Methods:

Individual Case Safety Reports of patients till October 2019 were downloaded from the
Federal Adverse Event Reporting System, Eudravigilance, and Canadian database. These reports
contained information on adverse events associated with all other drugs inclusive of drospirenone.
The disproportionality method of data mining was used to calculate the risk association.

Results:

The lower limit of 95% CI of PRR was 3.27, 3.47 and 3.76, PRR was 33.08, 41.35 and
115.42, ROR was 37.20, 44.61 and 127.19, Chi-square value was 126572.89, 110392.95 and
362.46, and IC-2SD value was 0.16, 0.17, and 1.21 for FAERS, EU, and CVARD respectively indicating
a week signal. Also, all the calculated parameters were above the threshold value.

Conclusion:

From our study, it was clear that the risk between drospirenone and gallbladder diseases
was very low among three databases. There was no harm in prescribing this drug for a contraceptive
action.
Efficacy of VNS for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Structural Brain Lesions
Authors: Al-Gethami Hanin , AlShahrani Ashwaq , Aldosari Mubarak , AlHameed Majed
Published: October 2020

Background:

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been used for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, especially in patients who are not candidates for surgical intervention. In fact, it was approved by the US FDA in 1997 as an adjunctive treatment for medically intractable epilepsy.

Objective:

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of VNS in drug-resistant epilepsy associated with structural brain lesions (SBLs).

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed the effect of VNS on 25 patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy-associated SBL, and compared the results to 19 patients with intractable epilepsy and normal neuroimaging. All patients underwent VNS insertion at the National Neurosciences Institute, King Fahad Medical City (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) between 2008 and 2018.

Results:

The response rate (RR) for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy-associated SBL was 24% after 3 months, 36% after 6 months, and 48% after 1 year, reaching 76% over time. The mean follow-up period was 63.3 months. For non-SBL patients, the RR was 10.5% after 3 months, 36.8% after 6 months, and 47.4% after 1 year, reaching 73.7% over time. The mean follow-up period was 59.2 months. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding RR, VNS settings, and other parameters, including anti-epileptic drug use and demographics data.

Conclusion:

VNS is strongly considered for intractable epilepsy in SBL patients, especially if they are not candidates for surgical intervention. Over time, those patients will receive increased benefits from VNS therapy.
Complex of morphological analysis of images for side-scan sonar on basis of Griffon hardware platform
Authors: Alekseev G. G. , Alekseeva E. A. , Sorokin A. P. , Sorokin S. A.
Published: October 2020

The article describes the developed computational complex of morphological image analysis for interferometric side-scan sonars. Examples of modeling the operation of the side-scan sonar in cases where the structure of bottom sediments is not known in advance are given. The results of the analysis of experimental data are considered. A description is given of the structure for constructing algorithms for morphological image analysis used in the operation of the complex. Recommendations are given on the effective use of the computing capabilities of the Griffon hardware platform for organizing parallel-conveyor data processing of side-scan interference sonars in real time. Hardware and software modeling has been performed to assess the most important performance characteristics of a computing complex and determine the optimal organization of data processing. The obtained results of processing sonar images streams showed that the use of the Griffon hardware platform provides advantages in terms of organizing the computing process, including parallel operation of different sections of the computing pipeline, reducing the load on the transport bus and pipeline delay, as well as reducing the load and freeing up CPU resources for morphological processing.
Data mining classification algorithms: An overview
Authors:   Department of Computer Sciences, ALNeelain University, Khartoum, Sudan, et al. Bardab
Published: October 2020

Data mining is also defined as the process of analyzing a quantity of data (usually a large amount) to find a logical relationship that summarizes the data in a new way that is understandable and useful to the owner of the data. This paper examines the various types of classification algorithms in Data Mining, their applications and categorically states the strengths and limitations of each type. The weaknesses found in each algorithm demonstrate how tasks cannot be performed well when only one type of algorithm is applied. For this reason, it is the view of the writer that further research needs to be carried out to explore the potential of combining several of these algorithms to solve machine learning problems.
Growing Collaborative Outreach Efforts to Support the Well-Being of Communities
Authors: Kohout-Tailor Jessica , Klar C. Lili
Published: October 2020

Libraries of all types provide outreach efforts for their patrons to reduce stress and promote well-being. Public, school, and academic libraries often partner with external entities to provide yoga, therapy dogs, and other creative activities for their patrons. Although collaboration is expected in public, school, and academic libraries, how to collaborate and/or grow collaborative efforts is lacking in the library literature. A former public library employee and a former school librarian came together to pilot a de-stressing program for students at their academic library and each semester have continued to grow their collaborative efforts with partners on and off-campus. Strategies for how to create partnerships and expand collaborative efforts are discussed within the framework of providing programs and activities to support the well-being of library visitors. Additional planning materials, such as a list of resources, budgets, and marketing ideas are provided.
Creating an Outreach Plan That Accounts for the Seen and Unforeseen
Authors: Bastone Zoe
Published: October 2020

Outreach is a necessary component of an academic library’s operations and often requires extensive time for the planning, approval, execution, and assessment depending on the personnel involved and the scope of the event. Recent literature has started to examine how academic libraries are planning outreach to align strategically with the goals of their larger institutions, but not how they balance these efforts when new opportunities arise throughout the academic year. This article will provide a brief analysis of the literature which addresses issues that academic librarians who plan outreach face. The second half of this article will provide a case study of how the author planned, created, and implemented an outreach plan at her academic branch library. This case study will detail the process of how she used an outreach plan to establish outreach that was efficient and impactful with limited staffing, while also aligning strategically with the goals of her library and the larger institution. In addition, this case study will detail how she used this outreach plan throughout the 2019-2020 academic year to guide decision making when new outreach opportunities would arise. This article will conclude with lessons learned from this process.
Upcoming Events
Authors: Christensen Sarah
Published: October 2020

A list of upcoming JLOE events.