bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALISIS KESALAHAN SISWA DALAM PEMAHAMAN KONSEP OPERASI HITUNG PADA PECAHAN
Authors: Damayanti Nia Wahyu , Mayangsari Sizillia Noranda
Published: December 2020

AbstrakPemahaman matematika sangat diperlukan siswa dalam menyelesaikan masalah matematika. Siswa dituntut untuk memahami konsep matematika agar dapat menyelesaikan masalah matematika dengan benar. Namun, pemahaman konsep yang dimiliki antar siswa berbeda-beda. Perbedaan ini muncul disebabkan adanya kesalahan siswa dalam memahami konsep matematika. Selain itu, kesalahan siswa terjadi karena adanya skema yang belum dimunculkan dalam menyelesaikan soal  matematika. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis kesalahan siswa terhadap pemahaman konsep operasi hitung pada pecahan. Penelitian termasuk jenis penelitian kualitatif deskriptif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini, kesalahan yang dilakukan siswa yaitu berupa kesalahan pemahaman konsep operasi hitung pecahan. Oleh karena itu peran guru dalam memfasilitasi siswa dalam memahami konsep matematika mutlak diperlukan.Kata Kunci: analisis kesalahan, operasi hitung, pecahan.
Media Pembelajaran Berbasis Android Mata Pelajaran Desain Grafis Kelas X
Authors: Kuswanto Joko
Published: December 2020

This study aims to develop android-based learning media on the subjects of grafic design class X. The research method used is research development with stages of designing, production, evaluation, and analyzing data by percentage. Based on different stages the trial was being done to experts: media experts (78,30) , the design (78), and the matter (80). So the percentage of overall value on the validation experts have eligibility criteria good. To scale individuals (80), small group (80,05) and field test (80,5). So the total value of the average percentage on of respondents with criteria good.
PEMANFAATAN ANALISIS BIAYA DAN MANFAAT DALAM PERHITUNGAN KELAYAKAN INVESTASI TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI
Authors: Sulistiani Heni , Miswanto Miswanto , Alita Debby , Dellia Prita
Published: December 2020

CV Laut Selatan Jaya merupakan perusahaan yang bergerak di bidang pendistribusian dalam penjualan kosmetik di Bandar Lampung. CV Laut Selatan Jaya telah mengembangkan sebuah sistem untuk mengelola transaksi penjualan. Dalam pengembangan sistem tersebut, CV Laut Selatan Jaya mengeluarkan biaya yang tidak sedikit. Perusahaan perlu melakukan pengukuran investasi teknologi informasi agar sistem penjualan yang telah dikembangkan sesuai dengan kebutuhan perusahaan dan sejalan dengan visi misi perusahaan. Pengukuran ini juga diperlukan agar perusahaan tidak mengalami kegagalan dalam menginvestasikan dananya dalam pengembangan teknologi informasi. Dalam penelitian ini akan dilakukan analisis perhitungan biaya dan manfaat yang dirasakan oleh CV Laut Selatan Jaya. Berdasarkan hasil identifikasi dan perhitungan biaya yang dikeluarkan CV Laut Selatan Jaya untuk mengembangkan sistem penjualan sebesar Rp. 164.950.000, sedangkan manfaat yang dirasakan oleh perusahaan sebesar Rp. 182.029.000.
A Generalization of t-Practical Numbers
Authors: Baddai Saad abood
Published: December 2020

This paper generalizes and improves the results of Margenstren, by proving that the number of -practical numbers  which is defined by   has a lower bound in terms of . This bound is more sharper than Mangenstern bound when  Further general results are given for the existence of -practical numbers, by proving that the interval contains a -practical for all
Quantitative Linear Dichroism Imaging of Molecular Processes in Living Cells Made Simple by Open Software Tools
Authors: Bondar Alexey , Rybakova Olga , Melcr Josef , Dohnálek Jan , Khoroshyy Petro , Tichacek Ondrej , Timr Štěpán , Miclea Paul , Sakhi Alina , Lazar Josef
Published: December 2020

Fluorescence-detected linear dichroism microscopy allows observing various molecular processes in living cells, as well as obtaining quantitative information on orientation of fluorescent molecules associated with cellular features. Such information can provide insights into protein structure, aid in development of genetically encoded probes, and allow determinations of lipid membrane properties. However, quantitating and interpreting linear dichroism in biological systems has been laborious and unreliable. Here we present a set of open source ImageJ-based software tools that allow fast and easy linear dichroism visualization and quantitation, as well as extraction of quantitative information on molecular orientations, even in living systems. The tools were tested on model synthetic lipid vesicles, and applied to a variety of biological systems, including observations of conformational changes during G-protein signaling in living cells, using fluorescent proteins. Our results show that our tools and model systems are applicable to a wide range of molecular systems and polarization-resolved microscopy techniques, and represent a significant step towards making polarization microscopy a mainstream tool of biological imaging.
NEUBOrg: artificially induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoid to model and study genetics of Alzheimer’s disease progression.
Authors: Esmail Sally , Danter Wayne
Published: December 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of neurodegenerative diseases. There are over 44 million people living with the disease worldwide. While there are currently no effective treatments for AD, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids have the potential to provide a better understanding of Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. Nevertheless, developing brain organoid models is expensive, time consuming and often does not reflect disease progression. Using accurate and inexpensive computer simulations of human brain organoids can overcome the current limitations. Induced whole brain organoids (aiWBO) will greatly expand our ability to model AD and can guide wet lab research. In this study, we have successfully developed and validated artificially induced a whole brain organoid platform (NEUBOrg) using our previously validated machine learning platform, DeepNEU (v6.1). Using NEUBorg platform, we have generated aiWBO simulations of AD and provided a novel approach to test genetic risk factors associated with AD progression and pathogenesis.
Effect of Elective Induction of Labor on Pregnancy Outcome in Low-Risk Pregnant Women At or Beyond Later Than Term
Authors: Zhang Qinjian , Chen Siwen , Xu Xia , Zhang Huale , Yan Jianying
Published: December 2020

Background Singleton low-risk pregnant women without obstetric or medical complications,can expect to terminate pregnancy by selective induced labor until 41 weeks later.But recent researches showed it is reasonable to offer elective induction of labor to low-risk nulliparous women 39 weeks 0 days of gestation, and this recommend need further research be conducted to measure the impact of this practice.The fundamental question is whether this operation will increase the additional risk of mother and fetus. Objective To investigate the effect of induced labor on maternal and fetal pregnancy outcome.Methods The method of this study is a retrospective case-control study.In this study, a total of 4386 pregnant women with singleton low-risk who underwent regular prenatal examination and successful vaginal delivery at or more than 41 weeks 0 days of gestation in Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018. Review the clinical data,according to the mode of labor initiation, they were divided into induced labor group (2007 cases) and spontaneous onset of labor group (2361 cases). Further stratified analysis was carried out according to age and parity. Two-sample independent t-test and χ 2 test were used to analyze the differences of clinical characteristics such as maternal age and parity between the two groups. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of induced labor on pregnancy outcome.Results The total duration of labor in the induced labor group was significantly longer than that in the spontaneous onset of labor group[ (9.37±5.37)vs (8.82±5.13)h,P＜0.001],associated with more postpartum blood loss[ (219.18±188.32)vs (199.95±124.69)mL,P=0.01], and the incidence of severe postpartum hemorrhage(sPPH) was significantly higher[0.8%(16/2007) vs 0.33% (8/2361),P =0.041];increase but no significant difference in the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage(PPH) [3.8 %(77/2007) vs 2.8% (66/2361),P =0.054].However,operative vaginal birth was more common in the induced labor group[3.8 %(77/2007) vs 2.8% (66/2361),P =0.054].Compared with spontaneous onset of labor,NICU admissions were higher with induction[3.8 %(77/2007) vs 2.8% (66/2361),P =0.054];but not significantly increase the risk of the third degree amniotic fluid contamination,placental abruption,birth weight and its distribution, sex of newborn, incidence of neonatal brain injury, incidence of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage, perinatal death, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, neonatal septicemia, neonatal pneumonia and Apgar ≤ 7 at birth (P＞0.05). After adjusting for age, the operation of induced labor in nulliparous is more likely to occur PPH[2.74 %(55/2007) vs 1.65 %(39/2361);RR=1.557;95%CI:1.039~2.332,P＜0.05].Conclusion Selective induction of labor increases the complications of mother and child.Low-risk pregnant women should try to avoid induction without medical indications.
Impact of integrated genetic information on diagnosis and prognostication for myeloproliferative neoplasms in the next-generation sequencing era
Authors: Lee Jong-Mi , Lee Howon , Eom Ki-Seong , Lee Sung-Eun , Kim Myungshin , Kim Yonggoo
Published: December 2020

Background: Since next-generation sequencing has been widely used in clinical laboratory, diagnosis and risk stratification of hematologic malignancies are greatly dependent on genetic aberrations. Methods: In this study, we analyzed the genomic landscape of 200 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) using targeted panel sequencing covering including 86 genes. Conventional BM karyotyping was also performed to determine chromosomal aberration. We analyzed relationships between genetic profiles and clinical outcomes including acute transformation, bone marrow fibrosis and death.Results: Mutations in JAK2, CALR, and MPL were detected in 76.4% of MPNs. The proportion of patients with clonal genetic markers increased up to 86.4% when all detectable genetic aberrations were included. Significant co-occurring genetic aberrations potentially associated with phenotype and/or disease progression, including those in JAK2/SF3B1 (P=0.017) and TP53/del(13q), del(5q), -7/del(7q) and complex karyotypes (P=0.038, P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively) were detected. We also identified genetic aberrations associated with patient outcomes: TP53 and -7/del(7q) for inferior survival (HR, 95% CI: 64.2, 3.8-1096.5, P=0.0041, HR, 95% CI: 14.0, 1.5-132.7, P=0.0219), RUNX1, TP53 and IDH1/2 for leukemic transformation (HR, 95% CI: 68.1, 3.6-1300.4, P=0.005, HR, 95% CI: 16.3, 1.2-222.7, P=0.0364, HR, 95% CI: 32.5, 2.8-371.1, P=0.0051), SF2B1, IDH1/2, ASXL1 and del(20q) for fibrotic progression (HR, 95% CI: 31.5, 4.1-243.3, P=0.0009, HR, 95% CI: 21.2, 3.4-132.2, P=0.0011, HR, 95% CI: 4.3, 1.1-16.4, P=0.0358, HR, 95% CI: 44.5, 6.1-323.0, P=0.0002). We compared risk stratification systems and found that mutation-enhanced prognostic scoring systems could identify lower risk polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia and higher risk primary myelofibrosis (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the new risk stratification systems showed better predictive capacity of patient outcome. Conclusions: These results collectively indicate that integrated genetic information can enhance diagnosis and prognostication in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Midwives Experiences and Views of Their Working Conditions in Vietnamese Maternity Care – A Qualitative Study
Authors: Holmlund Sophia , Lan Pham , Edvardsson Kristina , Ntaganira Joseph , Graner Sofie , Small Rhonda , Mogren Ingrid
Published: December 2020

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
5335 Days of Implementation Science: Using Natural Language Processing to Examine Publication Trends and Topics
Authors: Scaccia Jonathan P. , Scott Victoria C.
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Moving evidence-based practices into the hands of practitioners requires the synthesis and translation of research literature. However, the growing pace of scientific publications across disciplines makes it increasingly difficult to stay abreast of research literature. Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods are emerging as a valuable strategy for conducting content analyses of academic literature. We sought to apply NLP to identify publication trends in the flagship journal field, Implementation Science, including key topic clusters and the distribution of topics over time. A parallel study objective was to demonstrate how NLP can be used in research synthesis. Methods: We examined 1711 Implementation Science abstracts published from February 22, 2006 to October 1, 2020. We retrieved the study data using PubMed’s Application Programming Interface (API) to assemble a database. Following standard preprocessing steps, we use topic modeling with latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to cluster the abstracts following a minimization algorithm.Results: We examined 30 topics and computed topic model statistics of quality. Analyses revealed that published articles largely reflect i) characteristics of research, or ii) domains of practice. Emergent topic clusters encompassed key terms both salient and common to implementation science. HIV and stroke(s) represent the most commonly published clinical areas. Systematic reviews have grown in topic prominence and coherence, whereas articles pertaining to knowledge translation (KT) have dropped in prominence since 2013. Articles on HIV and implementation effectiveness have increased in topic exclusivity over time. Discussion. We demonstrated how NLP can be used as a synthesis and translation method to identify trends and topics across a large number of (over 1700) articles. With applicability to a variety of research domains, NLP is a promising approach to accelerate the dissemination and uptake of research literature. For future research in implementation science, we encourage the inclusion of more equity-focused studies to expand the impact of implementation science on disadvantaged communities.
Effect of Positive Hepatitis B Surface Antigen on The Risk of Synchronous Liver Metastasis: A Retrospective Study of 868 Consecutive Patients of Newly Diagnosed Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Tingya , Zhang Haijun
Published: December 2020

Background. The study aimed to explore the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the risk of synchronous gastric cancer liver metastasis (synGCLM).Methods. This was a retrospective study which enrolled 868 patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer (GC). The study compared the prevalence of synGCLM between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive (HBsAg+) and -negative (HBsAg-) patients. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to analyze the risk factors for synGCLM. Among patients with and without synGCLM, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), liver fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status were further analyzed. Results. The prevalence of synGCLM in the HBsAg+ patients was higher than that in the HBsAg- patients, which was statistically significant (P = 0.025). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that HBsAg, the elevated level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were risk factors for synGCLM. Among the HBsAg+ patients, both ARPI and FIB-4 were significantly higher in the patients with synGCLM (synGCLM+) than those without synGCLM (synGCLM-) (ARPI: P = 0.045; FIB-4: P = 0.047); HBeAg positivity was detected in 20.0% of synGCLM+ patients compared to 6.0% of synGCLM- patients, but the difference was of no significance (P = 0.190). Conclusions. HBV infection significantly increases the risk of synGCLM, and elevated ARPI and FIB-4 may be pro-metastatic especially among the HBsAg+ GC patients.
Evaluation of Xa7 Introgressed Lines Against Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) Disease and Their Agronomic Performances
Authors: Yazid Siti Norhidaya , Ghaffar Mohd Bahagia Ab , Razak Shahril Ab , Rahman Zuraida Abd , Ramachandran Kogeethavani , Hashim Habibuddin , Mohamad Siti Nor Aziemah , Ahmad khairulmazmi
Published: December 2020

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is one of the major rice diseases in Malaysia. The disease can potentially cause a 30 to 50% yield loss to the rice crop. Hence, the utilization of resistant rice varieties to BLB is a crucial approach to prevent potential yield loss and to ensure the sustainability of the rice industry in Malaysia. This study aims to incorporate BLB resistant trait into a susceptible, high yielding, popular commercial variety MR219. The identified donor parent is IRBB7, harboring Xa7, a broad-spectrum BLB resistant gene which closely linked to two STS markers, the ID7 and ID15. Backcrossing was initiated, using IRBB7 as the donor and MR219 as the recurrent parents. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) was applied to monitor and confirm the introgression of Xa7 in the progenies of the cross based on alleles produced by the markers. We managed to generate 19 BC3F4 lines harboring homozygous Xa7 gene that were phenotypically resistant when challenged with Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae through an artificial inoculation. The improved lines exhibited similar morphological and yield performance of the recurrent parent. Two lines, PB-2-107 and PB-2-34 were identified for their outstanding performances which are comparable to MR219. This study demonstrates the advantage of MAS application in the improvement of disease resistance traits in the elite rice cultivars.
Transcriptomic and Targeted Metabolomic Analysis Identifies Genes Controlling for Early Bolting and Flowering in Angelica Sinensis
Authors: Li Mengfei , Li Jie , Yao Ruyu , Jin Ling , Xing Hua , Yang Delong , Wei Jianhe , Paré Paul W.
Published: December 2020

Background: The root of the perennial herb Angelica sinensis is a widely used source for traditional Chinese medicines. While the plant thrives in cool-moist regions of western China, early bolting and flowering (EBF) for young plants, significantly reduces root quality and yield. Approaches to inhibit EBF by changes in physiology during the vernalization process have been investigated, however the mechanism for activating EBF has not been identified. Here, transcript profiles for bolted and unbolted plants (BP and UBP, respectively) are compared.Results: A total of over 72,000 unigenes were detected with ca. 2,600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) observed in the BP compared with UBP. While various signaling pathways participate in flower induction, it is genes associated with floral development and the sucrose pathway that are observed to be coordinated in EBF plants, to coherently up and down regulate flowering genes that activate and inhibit flowering, respectively. Down-stream signal accumulation including gibberellic acids and sucrose metabolites were also monitored by HPLC-MS/MS for EBF plants.Conclusions: The signature transcripts pattern for the developmental pathways that drive flowering provides insight into the molecular signals that activate plant EBF.
The Feasibility of Anterior Occipital Condyle Screw for the Reconstruction of Craniovertebral Junction: A Digital Anatomical and Cadaveric Study of a Novel Technique
Authors: Xu Dingli , Mao Haijiao , Wang Yang , Gan Kaifeng , Ma Weihu
Published: December 2020

Background: Anterior occipital condyle screw (AOCS) could be a feasible technique apply to the reconstruction of craniovertebral junction. This study was to analyze the feasibility of AOCS.Method: The craniovertebral junction computed tomography (CT) scans of 40 adults were enrolled and imported into Mimics software. Then the three-dimensional reconstruction digital model of craniovertebral junction were established to determine entry point, insertion angle and screw’s trajectory. After AOCS inserted into ten human cadaver spine specimens, CT scans were performed to verify the location between screws and important structures. Result: The optimal entry point is located caudally and medial to the ventral of occipital condyle. The optimal trajectory is in inclination angle (5.9°±3.4°) in the sagittal plane and diverge angle (26.7°±6.0°) in the axial plane with the screw length around 21.6±1.2mm. There were no screws invaded into hypoglossal canal and vertebral artery in all specimens.Conclusion: AOCS fixation is a feasible novel technique for anterior craniovertebral junction reconstruction, and it could be an effective alternative operation for anterior reconstruction with titanium mesh cage.
Using Identification and Quantification to Decipher The Dynamic Changes of Main Chemical Components In The Processing of Stir-Frying Codonopsis Radix With Rice By HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Wang Qinghao , Zheng Yinghao , Wang Yun , Yu Dingrong , Lei Zhenhong , Wang Yulong , Liu Tianliang , Zhang Cun
Published: December 2020

Background: Codonopsis Radix (CR) as the tonic Chinese herbis is good at benefiting Qi and promoting saliva, while rice-processed CR (RCR) can alleviate the original dryness and more specialize in invigorating the spleen and stopping diarrhea. Despite CR and RCR are long-standing medicines commonly used in clinic, information on their differences in substance basis is limited, let alone dynamic changes of their main chemical components. Given this, a more comprehensive understanding of processing principles in CR is needed.Methods: In this study, a strategy for rapid separation and identification of chemical constituents in crude CR and RCR was developed by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Moreover, chemical constituents (lobetyolin and atractylenolide III) with significant content change were quantitatively determined by HPLC-QQQ-MS, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) was quantified by HPLC, and codonopsis pilosula polysaccharides (CPPS) was measured by phenol-sulphuric acid method.Results: A total of 28 compounds were identified from CR and RCR, including 12 organic acids, 6 phenylpropanoids, 5 hexanol glycosides and hexylene glycosides, 2 polyacetylenes, 1 alcohol compound, 1 sesquiterpene and 1 aldehyde. In order to explore the dynamic changes from raw CR to processed RCR, the content of representative components in several samples collected during processing was determined. The quantitative results indicated that the contents of lobetyolin, atractylenolide III and CPPS were lower in RCR than these in CR, and 5-HMF was newly formed in processed products, which manifested chemical composition change before and after processing. Conclusions: Processing principles and dynamic changes of CR were preliminarily elucidated. Lobetyolin, atractylenolide III, 5-HMF and CPPS were recommended as quality markers to distinguish CR from RCR. Since the established method is rapid, accurate and readily applicable, it will be helpful for quality control and identification of crude CR and RCR.
Integrative Analysis of Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Depicts the Impact of Obesity on Breast Cancer
Authors: xiong zhenchong , Yang Lin , Fu Jianchang , Li Xing , Xie Xinhua , Kong Yanan , Xie Xiaoming
Published: December 2020

Background: Obesity has been reported to be a risk factor for breast cancer, but how obesity affects BC is unclear. Although BMI is the most commonly used marker for obesity, it is insufficient to evaluate the obesity-related pathophysiological changes in breast tissue. The purpose of this study was to establish a DNA-methylation-based biomarker for obesity and to explore the association of obesity with BC. Methods: Lasso regression was used to developed DNA-methylation-based BMI index (DM-BMI). Linear regression and paired t-test were used to assess the accuracy of DM-BMI in BMI prediction. A deconvolution algorithm based on DNA methylation data was used to calculate the proportion of adipose cell in tissues. The Estimate and Cibersort algorithm were used to assess the degree of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.Results: Using DNA methylation data from TCGA and GEO, we developed DM-BMI to evaluate the degree of obesity in breast tissues. In tissues from non-BC and BC population, the DM-BMI model exhibited high accuracy in BMI prediction. In BC tissues, DM-BMI correlated with increased adipose tissue content and BC tissues with increased DM-BMI exhibited higher expression of pro-inflammatory adipokines. Next, we identified the gene expression profile relating to DM-BMI. Using GO and KEGG database, we observed that the DM-BMI-related genes mostly involve in the process of cancer immunity. DM-BMI is positively correlated with T cell infiltration in BC tissues. Further, we observed that DM-BMI positively correlated with immune checkpoint inhibitors [1] response markers in BC. Conclusions: Collectively, we developed a new biomarker for obesity and discovered that BC tissues from obese individuals exhibit an increased degree of immune cell infiltration indicating that obese BC patients might be the potential beneficiaries for ICI treatment.
Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome sequences of six species of Wikstroemia (Thymelaeaceae) revealed paraphyletic relationship to the monotypic genus Stellera.
Authors: He Liefen , Zhang Yonghong , Lee Shiou Yih
Published: December 2020

Wikstroemia (Thymelaeaceae) is a diverse genus, spanning both Asia and Australia and also recorded from the Hawaiian Islands. However, due to its medicinal properties and resource utilization in pulp production, genetic studies on these important species have been overshadowed. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequences of six species of Wikstroemia were sequenced and analyzed. The chloroplast genomes of the six species ranged between 172,610 bp (W. micrantha) and 173,697 bp (W. alternifolia), and exhibited a typical genome structure consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy (SSC) region. The six chloroplast genomes were similar with a predicted 139 genes that consisted of 92 or 93 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC contents were identical (36.7%). Genome comparative analyses were conducted with the inclusion of two additional published species of Wikstroemia in which the sequence divergence and expansion of IRs in the chloroplast genomes were determined. The phylogenetic analysis inferred that Wikstroemia in its current circumscription is paraphyletic to Stellera chamaejasme, while the ITS-based tree analyses could not properly resolve the phylogenetic relationship between Stellera and Wikstroemia. This finding kindled interest in the proposal to synonymize Stellera with Wikstroemia, which was previously brought up, but rejected due to taxonomic conflicts. Nevertheless, this study provides valuable genomic information to aid in the taxonomic implications and phylogenomic reconstruction of Thymelaeaceae.
Scleral Buckling Surgery in the Treatment of Retinal Detachment in Children – Own Results
Authors: Barchanowska Dorota , Filipek Erita
Published: December 2020

Background:Retinal detachment it is a condition in which there is a disconnection between neuronal layer and choroidal layer of the retina, which is the pigment epithelium. The aim of our work was to evaluate the changes of visual acuity to the distance and to the nearest before and after surgery, and during the observation period, the assessment of anatomical length changes of the eyeball , the assessment of the intraocular pressure in the eyes after the procedure, the assessment of changes of the anatomical success to the retina using ultrasound in the projection (B).Methods:An 5- year retrospective study involved 73 children aged 5-17 years ( average age 11 years), who were operated due to retinal detachment. Patients were treated in the years 2013-2018 (June) in Pediatric Department of Ophthalmology in Katowice. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis using the STATISTICA 13.3 software program. We used the non- parametric Mann- Whitney U- test.Results:Among a group of operated children in 39% of retinal detachment due to head trauma or orbital area. About 29% children had average or high myopia due to the value-14.0 Dsph. 14% of children had retinal detachment due to retinopathy of prematurity, which had the vitrectomy at the end of the therapy. 18% of retinal detachment are caused by other factors-for example: infection of Toxocara or recurrent uveitis. The effect of application of the retina managed to get in 71% of eyes in the test group. 28% of eyes in this group require additional application of laser retinal as a complement to the residual retinal detachment. So obtained secondary effect of application of retinal eye surgery. While 29% of the eyes needed vitrectomy with vitreoproliferation and in the course of the retinopathy of prematurity.Conclusion:Retinal detachment is a very serious ophthalmologic condition that requires rapid surgical intervention.The latitudinal enlacement treatment is a treatment that does not disturb the proper development of the eyeball. The effect of the treatment is not predictable.The anatomical condition described as the retinal application does not always lead to a functional effect.
Automated Amharic Hate Speech Posts and Comments Detection Model Using Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Tesfaye Surafel Getachew , Kakeba Kula
Published: December 2020

During the last few years, social activities over the internet especially on social media platforms increased drastically, but unfortunately, social networks have also become the place for hate speech proliferation by which most people’s social lives are disturbed because of hate speech posts and conflicts triggered by those posts. Studies confirm that online hate speech has different offline consequences. Even though there are a lot of researches on automated hate speech detection most of them are for other language and there is a scarcity of labeled data to apply automated analysis and detection methods on Amharic dataset. Therefore the research on automatic detection of hate speech posts attracted our attention.
As a solution to those problems, this research aimed to prepare a labeled huge Amharic dataset by collecting posts and comments from selected Facebook pages of activists that participated actively. Those Facebook data sets are labeled manually as hate and free based on the guidelines given from researcher and pre-processed by applying data cleaning and normalization techniques. In this research the recurrent neural network models for automated hate speech posts detection from Amharic posts on Facebook is developed by using Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) with word n-grams for feature extraction and word2vec to represent each unique word by vector representation. The experiment conducted on those two models by using 80% of the data set for training and 10% for validation to train the model and to select the best hyper-parameters combination for automated hate speech posts detection. The remaining 10% of the dataset used for testing the model after training.
As a result LSTM based RNN of Batch size 128, and learning rate 0.001 with RMSProp optimizer and 0.5 dropout achieves an accuracy of 97.9% to detect posts as hate speech or free by training with 100 epochs. Which is assured by testing the models using models performance test and inference on user-generated data.
Protective Immunity Against Neospora Caninum Infection Induced by 14-3-3 Protein in Mice
Authors: Li Shan , Zhang Nan , Liu Shaoxiong , Li Jianhua , Liu Li , Wang Xiaocen , Li Xin , Gong Pengtao , Zhang Xichen
Published: December 2020

BackgroundNeospora caninum causes infections in a wide range of intermediate hosts and remains a threatening disease worldwide because of the lack of effective drugs and vaccines. Our previous studies demonstrated that N. caninum 14-3-3 protein (Nc14-3-3), which is included in N. caninum extracellular vesicles (NEVs), can induce effective immune responses and stimulate cytokine expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages. However, whether Nc14-3-3 has a protective effect and its mechanisms are poorly understood.MethodsHere, we evaluated immune responses and protective effects of Nc14-3-3 against 2×107 Nc-1 tachyzoites. Antibody (IgG, IgGl and IgG2a) levels and Th1-type (IFN-γ and IL-12) and Th2-type (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines in mouse serum; survival rates; survival time; and parasite burdens were detected.ResultsIn the present study, the immunostimulatory effect of Nc14-3-3 was confirmed, as it triggered Th1-type cytokine (IFN-γ and IL-12) production in mouse serum two weeks after the final immunization. Moreover, the immunization of C57BL/6 mice with Nc14-3-3 induced high IgG antibody levels and significant increases in CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleens of mice, indicating that a significant cellular immune response was induced. Mouse survival rates and survival times were significantly prolonged after immunization survival rates were 40% for Nc14-3-3 immunization and 60% for NEV immunization, while mice that received GST, PBS, or blank control all died at 13, 9, and 8 days after intraperitoneal N. caninum challenge. In addition, qPCR analysis indicated that there was a lower parasite burden and milder pathological changes in the mice immunized with Nc14-3-3.Conclusions﻿Our data demonstrate the vaccination of mice with Nc14-3-3 elicits both cellular and humoural immune responses and provides partial protection against acute neosporosis. Thus, Nc14-3-3 could be an effective antigen candidate for vaccine development for neosporosis.
What do maternity services produce? An exploration of potential output measures to assess the efficiency and productivity of maternity services in Australia.
Authors: Eklom Bonnie , Callander Emily , Tracy Sally
Published: December 2020

Background: In maternity services, as in other areas of healthcare, increasing emphasis is placed on improving “efficiency” or “productivity”. The first step in any efficiency and productivity analysis is the selection of relevant input and output measures. Within healthcare quantifying what is produced (outputs) can be difficult. The aim of this paper is to identify potential output measures that reflect the principles of woman-centred care and that can be used in an assessment of the efficiency and productivity of maternity services in Australia. Methods: This paper will survey available perinatal and maternal datasets in Australia to identify potential output measures; map identified output variables against the principles of woman-centred care outlined in Australia’s national maternity strategy; and based on this data, create a preliminary composite outcome measure for use in assessing the efficiency and productivity of Australian maternity services. Results: The identified composite measure consists of labour and birth outcomes indicators where data is available from the National Perinatal Data Collection. The composite measure makes it very clear that there are significant gaps in Australia’s maternity data collections with regard to measuring how well a maternity service is performing against the values of respect, choice and access. Conclusions: Adoption in Australia of the collection of woman-reported maternity outcomes would substantially strengthen Australia’s national maternity data collections and provide a more holistic view of pregnancy and childbirth in Australia beyond traditional measure of maternal and neonate morbidity and mortality.
Delivery of Smoking Cessation Services and Cessation Attempts Across a Public, Safety-Net Primary Care System
Authors: Suen Leslie W. , Rafferty Henry , Le Thao , Chung Kara , Straus Elana , Chen Ellen , Vijayaraghavan Maya
Published: December 2020

Background: Smoking cessation rates are low in safety-net settings, contributing to high smoking-related morbidity and mortality. Understanding factors associated with cessation attempts can inform interventions. Objective: To evaluate factors associated with smoking cessation attempts. Design: Retrospective analysis using electronic health record (EHR) data on individuals with at least three primary care encounters from 2016 to 2019 in the San Francisco Health Network (SFHN), a network of clinics serving publicly insured and uninsured residents in San Francisco.Participants: Patients engaged in primary care in the San Francisco Health Network.Main Measures: The outcome was recent cessation attempt, defined as change in smoking status from “current smoker” at the index visit to “former smoker” at visit 2 or 3. We measured demographics, tobacco-related comorbidities, and cessation treatment characteristics (i.e., counseling and pharmacotherapy). To better characterize subpopulations that may benefit from targeted interventions, we described characteristics of smokers with hypertension, depression, diabetes, or HIV.Key Results: Of the 51,554 adults identified across 15 SFHN primary care clinics, 11,622 (22.7%) were current smokers. Approximately 26% of smokers made a recent cessation attempt. Medical assistant (90%) and provider counseling (73%) rates were high, while behavioral assistant counseling rate (17%) was low. All counseling types had lower odds of cessation attempts in multivariable analysis. Smokers with depression (AOR 1.18, 95%CI 1.05-1.33) and ischemic heart disease (AOR 1.36, 95%CI 1.06-1.74) had higher odds of attempts. Among comorbidity groups, cessation attempts ranged from 21-26%, and smokers with HIV received the lowest rates of cessation counseling. Conclusions: Although rates of basic cessation counseling were high, efforts were associated with lower odds of making a cessation attempt. Using intensive interventions to target populations with comorbidities could be opportunities to increase cessation engagement.
The Modeling Impact of Different Food Policy Scenarios on Incidence and Mortality from type 2 Diabetes in Azar Cohort Population
Authors: kalantari naser , pourmoradian samira , zinab hassan eini , ostadrahimi alireza , tabrizi jafar sadegh , faramarzi elnaz
Published: December 2020

Background: Given the impact of high intake sugar sweetened beverages on type2 diabetes, intervention to reduce their consumption can be a top priority for any health system. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to simulate the impact of policy options related to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages on the prevalence and mortality of type 2 diabetes in Iranian men and women.Methods: A Markov micro-simulation (MM) model was used to predict the effect of several policy options on the incidence and death from type 2 diabetes in Azar Cohort Databases. Population age-and sex-specific prevalence and incidence rate of diagnosed diabetes were derived from the national health data. The PRIME model was used for coding the input parameters of simulation using R and Python software.Results: The prevalence and mortality rate of type 2 diabetes under the scenario of reduced consumption of sugar sweetened beverages indicated that the highest and lowest prevalence and mortality rates of type 2 diabetes for men and women were related to no policy condition and replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with healthy drinks such as water, respectively. Also, the maximum number of death postponed/prevented from type 2 diabetes was related to replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water and levying 10% tax on sugar sweetened beverages, respectively. Conclusion: Regarding the effect of simulating different policy options on reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, the most effective policy options were replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water.
Tasks in Group Quarantine Centers in Relation to the Emotional Distress of Personnel the Experiences from COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Yi-Fan , Chen Shu-Nuan , Chen Sung-Yun , Feng Rung-Chuang , Chan Shang-Yih , Huang Sheng-Jean , Huang Tsun-Cheng
Published: December 2020

Background: In order to prevent COVID-19, Taiwan Central Epidemic Command Center established group quarantine centers in January 2020 to implement isolation and epidemic prevention. The task groups in the group quarantine centers included the safety, logistics, and health groups. The objectives of this study were to understand whether the emotional distresses of group quarantine centers personnel are disturbed under high-pressure work environment. Methods: A structured questionnaire was designed. Its content contained two parts: the first part collected the demographical information of the participants, and the second part was a scale named the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5). The data collected were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0, and the difference analysis among the three groups were conducted in terms of the variables (significance level p <0.05); related factors affecting emotional scores on the BSRS-5 were identified through multiple regression analysis. Results: The online questionnaires were filled out from August 6 to August 13, 2020, and a total of 155 staffs were analyzed further. The safety group was collected 70 staffs (45.2%), the health group was collected 57 staffs (36.8%) and the logistics group was collected 28 staffs (18.0%). According to the analysis we found that three important results. First, no positive cases of COVID-19 been screened, the personnel do not feel distressed on duty in group quarantine centers. Second, when a quarantine case is screened positive for COVID-19, it will increase staff's emotional distress in all three group and the odds ratio with a BSRS-5 score greater than or equal to 6 points is 4.53 times (OR=4.53, 95%CI: 1.83-11.21) of cases that have not been screened as positive. Final, Cases screened as positive did not cause emotional problems in retired personnel serving in group quarantine centers. Conclusion: In the face of COVID-19 disease, our government should not only take care of people in the community, but also protect and take care of the front-line epidemic prevention personnel. Our government should be understand the emotional distresses of personnel and provide counseling and care, so that personnel can continue to protect people of Taiwan during epidemic prevention.
Assessing the Pattern of Utilisation and Out of Pocket Expenditure in Public and Private Hospitals in India – Lessons for Universal Health Coverage from the Healthcare Rounds of National Sample Survey 1996 to 2017
Authors: Garg Samir , Bebarta Kirtti Kumar , Tripathi Narayan
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) contributes to impoverishment and Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) and restricts equitable access to healthcare in many Low and Medium Income Countries (LMICs), including India. Indian government has implemented different strategies to expand access and to reduce OOPE in public and private hospitals in its mixed healthcare system. The study aims to assess the long-term pattern of utilization, OOPE and CHE in public and private hospitals and to draw policy lessons for Universal Health Coverage in India. Methods: Indian government conducts periodic household surveys called National Sample Survey (NSS). Unit data from the last four rounds of NSS (1996 to 2017) on healthcare utilization were analysed. Multivariate analysis was used to find out determinants of utilization, choice of provider, OOPE and CHE. Propensity Score Matching was applied to find effect of specific variables on OOPE and CHE. Results: The share of public-sector in hospital-utilisation fell from 1996 to 2004 but grew consistently after 2004, reaching 51% of utilization in 2017. Socio-economically vulnerable sections were more likely to utilize public-sector. Mean OOPE per hospitalization in public-sector registered a decline from 2004 to 2017, while it increased substantially in private-sector. OOPE in private sector was around six times greater than public sector in 2017 and incidence of CHE was nine times. Utilising private-sector was an important determinant of incurring CHE. Coverage under publicly funded insurance was ineffective in reducing OOPE or CHE. Discussion: Public sector provided effective protection to the poor from financial risk. While, the structural-adjustment policies of 1990s had resulted in reduction in public-sector utilisation, the supply-side strengthening of public sector after 2005 was more effective in improving access and financial-protection. For achieving UHC, Indian health-system needs increased public funding for strengthening public-sector, especially to provide services for NCDs and injuries. Persistently high OOPE in private-sector raises doubts whether public-funding or contracting can align provider incentives with goals of UHC. The debate on public-private provider mix and financing policies continues to hold relevance for health-systems performance across LMICs.
Primary Bone ALK Positive Anaplastic Large- cell Lymphoma: A Case Report
Authors: Zheng Wei , Yin Qiao qiao , Hui Tian cheng , Wu Wen hao , Wu Qing qing , Huang Hai jun , Cheng Mei juan , Rong Yan , Huang Yi cheng , Pan HongYing
Published: December 2020

Background:Primary bone lymphoma (PBL) is an uncommon extranodal disease that represents approximately 1-3% of lymphomas. ALK positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an extremely rare type of PBL. The aim of this report is describe the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of primary bone ALK-positive ALCL.Case presentation:A 66-year-old man presented with neck and shoulder pain and intermittent fever that lasted for one month to our hospital.After extensive evaluation, positron emission tomography (PET)-CT examination showed multiple osteolytic bone lesions without other sites lesions. CT-guided biopsy of the T10 vertebral body was performed, and the pathology results showed neoplastic cells were positive for ALK-1, CD30 and CD3. A diagnosis of primary bone ALK positive ALCL was ultimately made. The patient received four cycles of CHOP chemotherapy , and we planned to repeat the biopsy and radiological examination after completion of the fifth cycle of therapy.Conclusions:Primary bone ALK positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare disease and physicians should keep in mind that ALCL can present with isolated osseous involvement without nodal involvement, and lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of primary bone lesions.