bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical and magnetic resonance analysis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) transcranial nerve into brain-induced brainstem encephalitis
Authors: Han Jingzhe , Xie Yanan , Kang Zhilei , Zhang Huiqing
Published: December 2019

Background: In this study, we summarize the clinical and magnetic resonance characteristics of patients with varicella-zoster virus transcranial brain-induced brainstem encephalitis. Methods: The patient's baseline data meet the inclusion criteria were collected. All patients were admitted to the hospital for routine blood, urine, and stool, blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids, homocysteine, liver function, renal function, electrolytes, eight items before the operation, autoantibodies, 24-hour dynamic EEG. All patients underwent a head MRI scan, and the patients underwent lumbar puncture, perfecting routine cerebrospinal fluid, biochemical and cytological examinations, and high-throughput examination of cerebrospinal fluid pathogens. Result: Seven patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were associated with skin herpes in the area of cranial nerve distribution. Herpes is complicated with V-cranial nerve in 1 case, facial nerve (6 cases), vestibular nerve (5 cases), tongue pharynx, vagus nerve (1 case). The interval of central nervous system injury after 6 cases of skin herpes were 3-20 days. Laboratory and EEG examinations showed that all patients had no abnormalities in autoantibodies and preoperative eight items; low blood routines showed elevated white blood cells in 4 cases, elevated blood glucose in 4 cases, and abnormal liver function in 2 cases. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the disease involved 2 cases of the dorsolateral medulla, 6 cases with bridge arm, 1 case with multiple lesions, and 1 case without abnormal findings. Conclusion: CZV-induced cranial nerve palsy and encephalitis can leave serious sequelae, even life-threatening, early diagnosis and early treatment are essential. For VZV infections confined to the cranial nerve, MRI is necessary even without evidence of brain stem injury, especially DWI sequences and 3D-CISS imaging can show extent of affected early cranial nerve.
Generating realistic simulated administrative health data for population-based drug safety and effectiveness research and training
Authors: Ayilara Olawale , Platt Robert W , Dahl Matthew , Coulombe Janie , Ginestet Pablo Gonzalez , Chateau Dan , Lix Lisa M
Published: December 2019

Background: Administrative health records (AHRs), which are generated primarily for management and billing purposes, are now widely used in drug safety and comparative effectiveness studies. The development of analytic methods for multi-site studies can benefit from the availability of simulated data, which do not require ethical approvals and data access permissions. We simulated AHRs using both the Observational Medical Dataset Simulator II (OSIM2) proposed by the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership, and a modified OSIM (ModOSIM) method developed by the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES). Our objective was to compare the simulated data to real-world AHR data to assess the representativeness of the simulated data.Methods: The real-world data comprised prescription drug records for all individuals with healthcare coverage at any point in a 10-year period (2008 – 2017) from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository (MPRDR) in the province of Manitoba, Canada. OSIM2 and ModOSIM, which are empirical simulation models for longitudinal patient data, were used to simulate AHRs. The data were described using frequencies and percentages. We estimated agreement of prescription drug use measures in MPRDR, OSIM2 and ModOSIM using the concordance coefficient.Results: The MPRDR cohort included 169,586,633 drug records and 1,395 drug types for 1,604,734 individuals. Data for 50,000 individuals were simulated using OSIM2 and ModOSIM. Sex and age group distributions were similar in the real-world and simulated data. There were significant differences in the total number of drug records and number of unique drugs for OSIM2 and ModOSIM when compared with MPRDR; the median number of unique drugs in MPRDR, OSIM2 and ModOSIM was 9.0, 6.0 and 10.0, respectively. For average number of days of drug use, concordance was 16% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12% – 19%) for MPRDR and OSIM2 and 88% (95% CI: 87%-90%) for MPRDR and ModOSIM.Conclusions: ModOSIM data were more similar to MPRDR than OSIM2 data on many measures of prescription drug use. Simulated AHRs that are consistent with those found in real-world settings can be generated using ModOSIM; these simulated data will benefit methodological studies and data analyst training.
Identification of a nonsense mutation in TNNI3K associated with cardiac conduction disease and dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Liu Jiang , Liu Da , Li Muzheng , Wu Keke , Liu Na , Zhao Chenyu , Shi Xiaoliu , liu qiming
Published: December 2019

Background Cardiac conduction disease(CCD) and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) are two common cardiovascular diseases which can lead to life-threatening conditions. The importance of heredity in these two diseases has been realized in recent years. Several casual genes have been found to be implicated in CCD and DCM such as LMNA,SCN5A,TTN,TNNI3K and so on. Rare genetic mutations in TNNI3K have been identified to be in connection with CCD and DCM.Methods Next generation sequencing(NGS) was carried out in order to identify the underlying disease-causing mutation in a Chinese family with CCD and DCM. The mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing.Results A nonsense mutation in TNNI3K(NM_015978.2: g.170891C>T,c.1441C>T) was identified in this family and validated by Sanger sequencing.Conclusions This study described a Chinese family with CCD and DCM caused by a nonsense TNNI3K mutation.TNNI3K harboring the mutation(c.1441C>T) possibly implicated a loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. This research enriches the phenotypic spectrum of TNNI3K mutations, casting a new light upon the genotype-phenotype correlations between TNNI3K mutations and cardiovascular diseases.
Self-medication within the context of medical pluralism in Yaounde, Cameroon
Authors: Pemunta Ngambouk Vitalis , Nzefa Léonie Dapi , Ngo Valery
Published: December 2019

BackgroundThis paper documents the experiences of patients who use the knowledge and practices of the “African chemist’’, and the determinants of this therapeutic recourse in their ‘quest for therapy’ as ‘quest for relief’ within the context of medical pluralism in Yaounde, Cameroon. MethodThe study adopts a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodological approach comprised of 30 individual in-depth interviews and the administration of 100 questionnaires to participants.ResultThis study neither found that self-medication is wholely nor exclusively preoccupied with therapy for minor physical ailments, but also for diseases and problems with perceived supernatural undertones and for the achievement of personal success and desires. It suggests that social relations, personal experiences and perceptions of trust are central to the choice of the ‘African pharmacy’ as a therapeutic recourse. ConclusionThe popularity of this informal healthcare institution that can be categorized neither under traditional healing nor under modern medicine contradicts the focus on the latter stages of the illness referral system when a patient seeks help from a specialist. This practical case of medical pluralism articulates the need to focus on the local context, on the everyday realities of illness and therapy seeking and to prioritise experiences and social relations that are often obscured in health statistics and development policies.
Knowledge and Practice of Pesticides among the Farmer of Bhaktapur Municipality, Nepal
Authors: Humagain Nisha , Humagain Nitu , Maharjan Kishor , Sah Anil Kumar , Neupane Joshan
Published: December 2019

Background and Objectives: Pesticides are the substance which is used in agriculture to prevent, destroy and control the unwanted pests, weeds and other plant disease to enhance the production, processing, storage and transport food and agriculture commodities. The use of pesticides dramatically increases agricultural production and productivity. However, there are some negative externalities from such use of pesticides, as the use of pesticides raises the negative impact also increases. So the objective of this study is to assess knowledge and practice of pesticide use among farmers of Bhaktapur municipality. Methods: A self-designed questionnaire about knowledge and practice of pesticide use was distributed to the farmers of Bhaktapur municipality. The questionnaires were collected, processed, analyzed and tabulated to find out the existing knowledge and practices of farmers about pesticides use. Results: This study comprising of 54.1% (n=106) female and 45.9 %( n=90) female in the suburb of Bhaktapur shows majority (80.1%) of the pesticides users aware of pros and cons of pesticides. Only 40.8% store in dedicated pesticide store and 69.4% of the respondents got information for using pesticides from the sales man. However, only 58.2% the respondents take into account the preventive measure of Acute Pesticides Poisoning (APP). Conclusions: Despite having adequate knowledge of pesticides use, farmers seem to be less aware regarding the hazard of pesticides. Certain efforts must be placed not only to provide additional knowledge on risks of pesticide use but also on the execution of Personal Protective Measures (PPM) which is also necessary to decrease the pesticide exposure of farm workers. Various awareness programs and easy provisions/ supply of PPE would significantly reduce the risk of pesticides. Keywords: Pesticides, Acute Pesticides Poisoning, Bhaktapur municipality.
The prevalence and predictors of high blood pressure in Kherameh cohort study: a population based study on 10663 persons in south of Iran
Authors: Jafari Fatemeh , Rezaianzadeh Abbas , Sadeghi Seyed Ebrahim , Rahimikazerooni Salar
Published: December 2019

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is an important risk factor for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity among Iranians. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HTN and some of its related factors in south of Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on the data of the Persian cohort study in Kherameh. The participants consisted of 10663 people aged 40-70 years. HTN was defined as either Systolic/Diastolic Blood Pressure (SBP/DBP) greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg or taking medications. Pre-HTN was defined as SBP = 120-139 mmHg and/or DBP = 80-89 mmHg. The logistic regression method was used to identify the factors associated with pre-HTN and HTN.Results: The prevalence of pre-HTN and HTN was 18.8% and 27.7%, respectively. Male gender, old age, being unemployed, low education level, high Body Mass Index (BMI), no smoking, diabetes, Cerebro-cardiovascular disease, suffering from another chronic disease, family history of CVD, and negative family history of cancer and other chronic diseases were independently associated with pre-HTN (p<0.05). All variables, except for gender, smoking, and family history of cancer, were significantly associated with HTN. Drug abuse was also correlated to HTN (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study revealed the increased prevalence of HTN in rural and urban areas. Therefore, the health system needs to develop strategies to raise the accessibility of screening and diagnostic services. Keywords: Prevalence, Risk factor, Blood pressure, Pre-hypertension
Enhancing understandings of social determinants of health in China: Linkage and analysis of a national multilevel population health surveillance with routinely collected mortality records for 98 058 people in 31 provinces of mainland China
Authors: Liu Yunning , Astell-Burt Thomas , Feng Xiaoqi , Mao Fan , Liang Ruiming , Yin Peng , Wang Limin , Wang Lijun , Zhou Maigeng
Published: December 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to enhance capability in research on social determinants of health in China by linking and analyzing routinely-collected death records over 5 years with national population health surveillance.Methods: Linkage of 98 058 participants in the 2010 China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance (CCDRFS) to records in the national death surveillance data from 2011 to 2015 was conducted through a matching program involving identification numbers, name, gender and residential address, followed by a structured checking process. Multilevel regressions were used to investigate five-year odds of all-cause, non-communicable disease (NCD), infectious disease and injury mortality in relation to person- and county-level factors.Results: A total of 3,365 deaths were observed in the linked mortality and population health surveillance. Cross-checks and comparisons with national mortality distributions provided assurance that the linkage was reasonable. Geographic variation in mortality was observed via age and gender adjusted median odds ratios for all-cause mortality (>1.30), infectious disease (>2.01), NCD (>1.24) and injury (>1.12). Increased odds of all-cause and all three cause-specific mortality outcomes were higher with age and among men. Low educational attainment was a predictor of all-cause, NCD and injury mortality. Longer mean years of education at the county-level was only associated with lower injury mortality. Divorcees had a higher odd of all-cause and NCD mortality than singletons. Rurality was a predictor of all-cause and NCD mortality.Conclusion: The results of this study provide utility for future investigations of social determinants of health and mortality using linked data in China.
Objectively-measured sedentary time and physical activity in a bi-ethnic sample of young children: variation by socio-demographic, temporal and perinatal factors
Authors: Collings Paul , Dogra Sufyan A , Costa Silvia , Bingham Daniel D , Barber Sally E.
Published: December 2019

Background: Evidence suggests that South Asian school-aged children and adults are less active compared to the white British population. It is unknown if this generalises to young children. We aimed to describe variability in levels of physical activity and sedentary time in a bi-ethnic sample of young children from a deprived location.Methods: This observational study included 202 South Asian and 140 white British children aged 1.5 to 5y, who provided 3,181 valid days of triaxial accelerometry. Variability in sedentary time and physical activity levels were analysed by linear multilevel modelling. Logistic multilevel regression was used to identify factors associated with physical inactivity (failing to perform ≥180 minutes of total physical activity including ≥60 minutes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day).Results: There were no significant ethnic differences in the overall levels of behaviours; South Asian and white British children spent half of their daily time sedentary, just over 40% in light physical activity, and the remaining 7.5 to 8% of time in MVPA. Sedentary time was lower and physical activity levels were higher in older children, and levels of MVPA and vector magnitude counts per minute (CPM) were higher at weekends compared to weekdays. In South Asian children, sedentary time was lower at weekends. Sedentary time was lower and physical activity levels were higher in spring compared to winter in white British children, and in all seasons compared to winter in South Asian children. South Asian children born at high birth weight performed more MVPA, and in both ethnicities there was some evidence that children with older mothers were more sedentary and less active. Sedentary time was higher and light physical activity was lower in South Asian children in the highest compared to the lowest income families. South Asian girls performed less MVPA, registered fewer vector magnitude CPM, and were 3.5 times more likely to be physically inactive than South Asian boys.Conclusions: Sedentary time and physical activity levels vary by socio-demographic, temporal and perinatal characteristics in young children from a deprived location. South Asian girls have the most to gain from efforts to increase physical activity levels.
Comparison of rapid cassette test and micro ELISA method for Helicobacter pylori diagnosis in patients with gastric complaints
Authors: Akgun Sadik , Barutcu Sezgin , Capuk Sumeyya , Tanriverdi Arzu , Emikoglu Serihan Kübra , Kucukkaya Yunus
Published: December 2019

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a significant contributor of various gastrointestinal disorders and cancers all around the world. Its diagnosis is dependent on several qualitative and quantitative methods. The present study aims to compare the results of rapid cassette and micro ELISA test methods for diagnosis of H. pylori and determining associations with patient endoscopy reports. Methods: The study was performed using blood samples collected from 224 patients (142 (63%) females and 82 (37%) males) in various clinics between January 2018 and August 2019, which were sent to the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Training Hospital. Serum samples obtained after centrifugation of the blood samples were initially tested with rapid H. pylori IgG cassette method, and afterwards in the auto analyzer using ELISA assays specific for H. pylori. Results: Upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy was performed in 88 of these patients, and biopsy results confirmed definitive diagnosis of H. pylori infection in 63 of the patients. Rapid H. pylori cassette test results of the 224 patients were negative for 158 (70.5%) patients and positive for 66 (29.5%) patients, whereas micro ELISA IgA test results were negative for 110 (49.1%) patients and positive for 114 (50.9%) patients. Micro ELISA IgG test results were negative for 85 (37.9%) patients and positive for 139 (62.1%) patients. Conclusions: Invasive diagnostic methods for H. pylori infection may sometimes be inconvenient, and therefore the diagnosis may have to rely on non-invasive tests. Bases on the study results, we believe micro ELISA test results are more reliable with regard to avoidance of missed diagnosis. Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, Rapid casette test, ELISA, Gastric ulcer
Preliminary results of a screening programme for Chlamydia in an asymptomatic young population
Authors: Yuguero Oriol , Fernández-Armenteros Jose Manuel , Vilela Álvaro , Aramburu Jesus , Lain Raquel , Godoy Pere
Published: December 2019

Introduction Chlamydia trachomatis infection has increased in recent years, reaching 127 million cases in 2016. Possible complications, especially among women, require intervention for early detection. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia infection in a young, sexually active, asymptomatic population.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among young patients aged 18 to 25 years attending the emergency room for any reason. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis and other STIs in urine was determined.Results Twenty-two patients enrolled in the screening (7.4%) were diagnosed with Chlamydia. A further nine patients among the partners of those affected were detected. Young people with two or more sexual partners in the last month and those suffering from infection by ureaplasma were at greater risk of infection by Chlamydia. Up to 50% of participants do not use barrier methodsConclusion The prevalence of infection by Chlamydia in the asymptomatic young population is higher than expected. The scarce use of barrier methods among this population may be one of the causes of this increase and one of the targets to work on in order to reduce the prevalence of the infection.
Etiology of acute diarrhea in children in Shanghai, 2015-2018
Authors: Chang Hailing , Guo Jiayin , Wei Zhongqiu , Huang Zheng , Wang Chuning , Qiu Yue , Xu Xuebin , Zeng Mei
Published: December 2019

Background Diarrhea is still a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. This hospital-based study aimed to monitor the consecutive epidemiological trend of etiology in children with acute diarrhea in Shanghai.Methods Outpatient children with diarrhea were prospectively enrolled within 7 days after onset of diarrheal symptoms during 2015-2018. Fresh stool samples were collected for testing enteropathogens. Enteric bacteria were identified and typed through culture and serotyping. Enteric viruses were identified through real-time PCR assay. hadResults Enteric pathogens were identified in 1572 (58.4%) of the 2692 enrolled children with acute diarrhea. Viruses were more frequently detected than bacteria (41.3% versus 25.0%), and co-infection with 2 or more pathogens was found in 13% of outpatients. Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp . (NTS) was the most common bacteria with 10.3% of isolate rate, followed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (6.5%), enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) (6.2%), Campylobacter spp . (3.6%), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (1.1%), Shigella spp . (0.2%), and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) (0.1%). Rotavirus was the most common virus with 16.0% of detection rate, followed by norovirus (15.5%), adenovirus (7.2%), sapovirus (3.0%) and astrovirus (2.7%).Conclusions Infectious diarrhea remains the major cause of diarrhea in children in Shanghai. Rotavirus, norovirus and NTS were the major enteric pathogens responsible for diarrhea in Shanghainese children. Improving uptake of rotavirus vaccine and strengthening prevention of foodborne pathogens will be helpful to reduce the burden of diarrheal diseases in children in Shanghai.
Interaction analysis on transmissibility of main pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Xi’an: a modelling study
Authors: Bai Yao , Liu Kun , Shao Zhongjun , Chen Zhijun , Chen Tianmu
Published: December 2019

Objectives: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has spread widely and led to high disease burden in many countries, but the interaction among the pathogens of the disease remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze the interaction of the main pathogens of HFMD using a mathematical model. Method: A dataset on reported HFMD cases was collected in Xi’an City. A long-term etiological surveillance was conducted focusing on the pathogens of the disease including Enterovirus A71 (EV71), Coxsachievirus A16 (CoxA16), and other enteroviruses. A susceptible–infectious–recovered model was adopted to calculate the reproduction number during the ascending period of reported cases (defined as Rasc) and the descending period (defined as Rdes). Results: In Xi’an, Rasc and Rdes of HFMD was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.31 – 1.48) and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65 – 0.74), respectively. CoxA16 and other enteroviruses interacted with each other and decreased the value of Rasc. However, Rdes of CoxA16 was increased by other enteroviruses directionally.However, during the reported cases decreasing period, interactions only occurred between EV71 and other enteroviruses and between CoxA16 and other enteroviruses. These interactions all decreased Rasc but increased Rdes of affected pathogens. Conclusions: The interaction of the pathogens exists in Xi’an City. The reproduction number of the affected pathogen is adjusted and verges to 1 by the interaction.
Transfers of care between healthcare professionals in obstetric units of different sizes: the MidconBirth study
Authors: Martin-Arribas Anna , Vila-Candel Rafael , O'Connel Rhona , Dillon Martina , Vila-Bellido Inmaculada , Beneyto Maria Angeles , Molina-Fernández Inmaculada de , Rodríguez-Conesa Noelia , González-Blázquez Cristina , Escuriet Ramon
Published: December 2019

Background: In Europe, the majority of healthy women give birth at conventional obstetric units with the assistance of registered midwives. Childbirth assistance offered in highly technological settings and the variability found in the intrapartum interventions performed are causes for concern. This study examines the relationships between the intrapartum transfer of care from midwife to obstetrician-led maternity care, obstetric unit size (OUS) with different degrees of midwifery autonomy, intrapartum interventions and birth outcomes. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study promoted by the COST Action IS1405 was carried out at eight public hospitals in Europe. Data were collected through an online platform in 2016-2019. The primary outcome was transfer of care (TOC). The secondary outcomes included type of onset of labor, oxytocin stimulation, epidural analgesia, type of birth, episiotomy/perineal injury, postpartum hemorrhage, early initiation of breastfeeding and early skin-to-skin contact. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the women’s characteristics. The Chi-square test was used to analyze the statistical significance of the differences in the percentages of hospital groups between the variable categories; an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% CI, was calculated. A logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of studied co-variables on the likelihood that participants had a transfer of care. The significance level was set at p <0.05. Results: Out of a total of 2,126 low-risk women, those whose intrapartum care was initiated by a midwife (1,772) were selected. There were statistically significant differences between transfer of care and OUS (S1=29.0%, S2=44.0%, S3=52.9%, S4=30.2%, p<0.001). Statistically significant differences between OUS and onset of labor, oxytocin stimulation, type of birth and episiotomy or perineal injury were observed (p=0.009, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Findings suggest that the model of care and OUS have a significant effect on the prevalence of intrapartum transfer of care and the birth outcomes. Future research should examine how models of care differ as a function of the OUS in a hospital, as well as the cost-effectiveness for the health care system. Keywords: Midwife-led care; obstetrician-led care; continuity of care; transfer of care, maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes
Peculiarities of Personal Self-Improvement in Early and Late Adolescence
Authors: Gorbaniuk Julia , Serhіeіenkova Oksana , Yablonska Tetiana
Published: December 2019

The article analyzes the peculiarities of personal self-improvement in early and late adolescence. The age, individual psychological and gender characteristics of adolescents influencing their real and ideal self-images, the directions of desired changes and selfimprovement motivation are revealed. The peculiarities of self-improvement of girls and boys are characterized; self-improvement tendencies during the specified age periods are analyzed. The process of personal self-improvement has distinct individualpsychological colors, which is determined primarily by the peculiarities of personal characteristics, self-awareness and motivations.
Images of own Future of Mothers Having Children with Disabilities
Authors: Kovalenko Alla , Traverse Tetyana , Hryshchuk Eliso
Published: December 2019

The article presents the results of research on images of own future for mothers having children without health problems and with disabilities. The differences in the psychological characteristics and time perception of the mothers having children without health problems and with disabilities were found: the mothers having children with disabilities are more negatively perceive the past and estimate higher the present (both hedonistic and fatalistic); mothers having children without health problems percept the past more positively. It’s also shown that there is the statistically significant difference between the groups concerning time perception. The article determines that the peculiarities of time perception are determined by the psychological characteristics of mothers, such as their awareness of life and its components, self-actualization and its components, which is reflected in multiple correlations.
Tendencies of the Development of General Education School Heads’ and Teachers’ Leadership
Authors: Gumuliauskienė Aušrinė , Vaičiūnienė Asta
Published: December 2019

The article deals with the problems of the development of school heads’ and teachers’ leadership: the relevance of the development of leadership for systemic qualitative changes of school activity has been emphasized, referring to the results of the research the opportunities and conditions of the development of teachers’ leadership in school have been described, the relations of the development of leadership with the changes in school governance and culture have been substantiated, the tendencies of five years of the development of leadership in school have been revealed.
The role of the sharia banking service quality in creating customers’ satisfaction and happiness (a survey of state-owned sharia banks in Indonesia)
Authors: Sulistiyawan Edy , Salim Ubud , Rofiq Ainur , Rofiaty
Published: December 2019

The study aims to explore the effect of the quality of state-owned sharia banks’ services on consumers’ satisfaction and happiness. It contributes to knowledge of marketing management theory and management practices. The expected final effect is that the right quality of customers` service practice can increase customers’ satisfaction and happiness in the Islamic context. The study uses quantitative approach. It relies on primary data obtained from questionnaire results and secondary data in the form of information from state-owned sharia banks including Bank BRI Syariah, Bank BNI Syariah and Bank Syariah Mandiri. The study considers PLS-SEM as the right tool for data analysis. The findings of the study are as follows: 1) only two of seven dimensions of service quality that significantly affect consumers’ satisfaction, are the Islamic Service System and the Responsiveness System, while the remaining effects come from other hypotheses not included in the model; 2) consumers’ satisfaction has a significant effect on consumers` happiness, and the remaining effects come from other concepts that are worth exploring.
Klasifikasi Berita Hoax Dengan Menggunakan Metode Naive Bayes
Authors: Mustofa Hery , Mahfudh Adzhal Arwani
Published: December 2019

Hoaxes contain false news or non-sourced news. Today, hoaxes are very widely spread through internet media. The development of information technology that has so quickly triggered the spread of hoax information through the internet has become uncontrolled. So we need an intelligent system that can classify hoax news content that is spread through internet media. The hoax classification process can be done through the preprocessing stage then weighting the word and classification using naive bayes. Measurements were made using the 10-ford cross validation method. The results obtained from these measurements, it is known that the value of fold 6 has the highest accuracy, which is equal to 85.28% which is classified as relevant documents as much as 307 and irrelevant as much as 53 or an error rate of 14.72%. While the average value based on hoax news and true news value precision 0.896 and recall 0.853
Steganografi Pada Digital Image Menggunakan Metode Least Significant Bit Insertion
Authors: Nur’aini Siti
Published: December 2019

Steganography is a way to hide messages or confidential data in a medium called a carrier file. Embedding is done by the Least Significant Bit Insertion method, which is to replace the lowest bit of Red Green Blue (RGB) each pixel with the data bit you want to insert. With this method the difference between pixels that have not been pasted by messages and pixels that have been pasted by messages cannot be distinguished by human eye sight. Because the LSB insertion method is used, it is necessary to consider the type of digital image format used, this is necessary to avoid the loss of messages when extracting. And the best digital image format used is the 24-bit BMP because the BMP format is lossless compression
Effective saturation-based weighting for interblock hydraulic conductivity in unsaturated zone soil water flow modelling using one-dimensional vertical finite-difference model
Authors: Shanmugam Mohanasundaram , Kumar G. Suresh , Narasimhan Balaji , Shrestha Sangam
Published: December 2019

Richards equation is solved for soil water flow modeling in the unsaturated zone continuum. Interblock hydraulic conductivities, while solving for Richards equation, are estimated by some sort of averaging process based on upstream and downstream nodes hydraulic conductivity values. The accuracy of the interblock hydraulic conductivity estimation methods mainly depends on the distance between two adjacent discretized nodes. In general, the accuracy of the numerical solution of the Richards equation decreases as nodal grid discretization increases. Conventional interblock hydraulic conductivity estimation methods are mostly mere approximation approaches while the Darcian-based interblock hydraulic conductivities involve complex calculations and require intensive computation under different flow regimes. Therefore, in this study, we proposed an effective saturation-based weighting approach in the soil hydraulic curve functions for estimating interblock hydraulic conductivity using a one-dimensional vertical finite-difference model which provides a parametric basis for interblock hydraulic conductivity estimation while reducing complexity in the calculation and computational processes. Furthermore, we compared four test case simulation results from different interblock hydraulic conductivity methods with the reference solutions. The comparison results show that the proposed method performance in terms of percentage reduction in root mean square and mean absolute error over other methods compared in this study were 59.5 and 60%, respectively.
Phonological and perceptual factor symbiosis in loanword adaptation
Authors: Rwamo Alice , Ntiranyibagira Constantin
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the two-way interaction of perceptual and production factors in the light of resolving French and English loan structures in Kirundi. The investigation is framed within the view that loanword adaptation results from attempts to match the non-native perception of the L2 input, within the confines of the L1 grammar. Neither a purely perceptual nor a purely grammatical account can explain the facts. Based on 239 French and 44 English corpora of loans, this study examines loanword adaptation at both the phonemic and the phonotactic levels. We prove how the constraint-ranking Optimality Theory (OT) can account for the phonological adaptations of loans but with limitations. The adaptation cannot be fully understood unless perceptual similarity and auditory factors are integrated in the grammar. This study enriches our understanding of the role of perceptual similarity and perceptual salience in phonology and their relationship to constraint ranking.
Anti-Androgen Drugs in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nomani Homa , Mohammadpour Amir Hooshang , Moallem Seyed Mohammad Hassan , YazdanAbad Mahdi Jannati , Barreto George E. , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: December 2019

Objective:

This study aimed to systematically investigate whether anti-androgens could
significantly reduce Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms compared to placebo or usual
care in OCD patients.

Methods:

PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform
(ICTRP) databases were searched up to October 2018 using relevant keywords. All randomized and if
not available non-randomized studies conducted on a population including OCD patients who were
administered with anti-androgen, which reported changes in their symptoms, were included. The studies
on compulsive hypersexuality were excluded. Required data were extracted from full-text of the
included articles by two independent authors. One randomized and four non-randomized trials were
found.

Results:

The only randomized trial showed that flutamide, an anti-androgen agent, was effective in
reducing compulsion scores in male OCD patients with comorbid Tourette syndrome, compared to
placebo. Three out of four non-randomized trials showed that different anti-androgens including
finasteride, cyproterone acetate and triptorelin were effective in reducing OCD symptoms. The only
study, which failed to show the efficacy of an anti-androgen agent, administered OCD patients with
flutamide. Despite the positive results, available studies provide the evidence with low quality based
on the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group
(GRADE) approach.

Conclusions :

Available studies are not sufficient for a precise answer to our study question. There is
still a need for further large randomized blinded clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of antiandrogens
in OCD patients. It is recommended that gender, comorbidities and subscales of Yale-
Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Score (Y-BOCS) should be considered in designing the studies and
interpreting their results.
Standardisation of Technique and Volume of Iodinated Contrast Administration During Infrainguinal Angioplasty
Authors: Bates Kersten Morgan , Ghanem Huthayfa , Hague Julian , Matheiken Sean Joy
Published: December 2019

Background:

Acute Kidney injury is recognised to occur after administration of iodinated contrast during endovascular interventions for peripheral arterial disease. There are no standardised protocols for contrast delivery during infrainguinal angiography.

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to review published practice regarding the technique of conventional infrainguinal angiography and intervention, and describe a standard set of subtraction views, injection rates and contrast volumes for infrainguinal angioplasty.

Methods:

Database searches and review of papers containing (Angioplasty or Angiography) and (“lower limb” or peripheral or infrainguinal) and (method or technique or guidelines or protocol) was performed and defined procedures assessed.

Results:

A small number of papers provided specific technical details relating to contrast volumes and angiography views. There was considerable variation from authors who have described the contrast volumes used for lower limb angiography. We describe our simple and consistent method. The precise pathophysiology of contrast related nephropathy is under scrutiny. There is interest in new technology to minimise contrast induced kidney injury.

Conclusion:

Few publications specify iodinated contrast doses, injection volumes or imaging views for infrainguinal arteriography. Standard infrainguinal angioplasty can be performed with conventional equipment using relatively small volumes of contrast by following a systematic technique.
Exosomes: Carriers of Pro-Fibrotic Signals and Therapeutic Targets in Fibrosis
Authors: Li Mengyu , Jiang Mao , Meng Jie , Tao Lijian
Published: December 2019

:

Exosomes are nano-sized extracellular vesicles that are released by a variety of cells. Exosomes contain cargo from cells they derived, including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. The bilayer lipid membrane structure of exosomes protects these contents from degradation, allowing them for intercellular communication. The role of exosomes in fibrotic diseases is increasingly being valued. Exosomes, as carriers of profibrotic signals, are involved in the development of fibrotic diseases, and also regulate fibrosis by transmitting signals that inhibit fibrosis or inflammation. Exosomes mobilize and activate a range of effector cells by targeted delivery of bioactive information. Exosomes can also reflect the condition of cells, tissues and organisms, and thus become potential biomarkers of fibrotic diseases. Exosomes from bone marrow stem cells support biological signaling that regulates and inhibits fibrosis and thus initially used in the treatment of fibrotic diseases. This article briefly summarizes the role of exosomes in the pathogenesis and treatment of fibrotic diseases and raises some issues that remain to be resolved.
Ultrasonic Block Compressed Sensing Imaging Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Wavelet Sparse Representation
Authors: Dai Guangzhi , He Zhiyong , Sun Hongwei
Published: December 2019

Background:

This study is carried out targeting the problem of slow response time and
performance degradation of imaging system caused by large data of medical ultrasonic imaging.
In view of the advantages of CS, it is applied to medical ultrasonic imaging to solve the above
problems.

Objective:

Under the condition of satisfying the speed of ultrasound imaging, the quality of imaging
can be further improved to provide the basis for accurate medical diagnosis.

Methods:

According to CS theory and the characteristics of the array ultrasonic imaging system,
block compressed sensing ultrasonic imaging algorithm is proposed based on wavelet sparse representation.

Results:

Three kinds of observation matrices have been designed on the basis of the proposed algorithm,
which can be selected to reduce the number of the linear array channels and the complexity
of the ultrasonic imaging system to some extent.

Conclusion:

The corresponding simulation program is designed, and the result shows that this algorithm
can greatly reduce the total data amount required by imaging and the number of data
channels required for linear array transducer to receive data. The imaging effect has been greatly
improved compared with that of the spatial frequency domain sparse algorithm.
New Analytical Method for Simultaneous Analysis of Losartan and E-3174 by HPLC in Human Plasma: Application in Pharmaceutical Science
Authors: de Leon-Diaz de Leon Edgar Alejandro , Gordillo-Moscoso Antonio , Medina Úrsula , Hernández Ángel Antonio Vertiz , Almendra-Pegueros Rafael , Quijano Juan M. López
Published: December 2019

Background:

Losartan, one of the most frequently used drugs in Heart Failure (HF)
treatment, could be modified for its bioavailability (BA) by generic formulations and other factors.
Hence, the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring.

Objective:

Development and validation of a simplified analytical method using HPLC for simultaneous
quantification of losartan and E-3174 in human plasma samples. The method was tested for determining
the pharmacokinetics parameters of HF patients.

Methods:

Analytical conditions were optimized using a C18 column (4.6 X 50 mm, 3 μm. Thermo
Scientific) at 25ºC. Conditions of mobile phase: a phosphate buffer (0.01M), adjusted to pH 2.5 with
phosphoric acid (1M) and Acetonitrile (60:40 v/v). The flow rate was maintained at 1.2 mL/min, on a
running time of 5 min and a sample injection volume of 50 μL. Absorbance for measurement of
losartan and E-3174 was 200 nm. Pharmacokinetics profiles were determined with Phoenix Win-
Nonlin 8.1 software in a non-compartmental model.

Results:

Analytical method developed and validated in this work is precise and accurate for simultaneous
determination of losartan and E-3174 in human plasma samples in a range of 0.02 -10 μg/mL.
In HF subjects, lower Tmax and higher Cmax for losartan and E-3174 patent than generic formulation
were observed, which can be translated into less biological effect and more time to present it by
the generic drug.

Conclusion:

The pharmacokinetic profile is dependent on the type of formulation studied (generic/
patent) hence the importance of conducting evaluations in our patients to ensure that the expected
therapeutic effect is achieved with treatment administered.
Ginsenoside Rh2 Improves the Cisplatin Anti-tumor Effect in Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells via Superoxide and PD-L1
Authors: Chen Yingying , Zhang Yuqiang , Song Wei , Zhang Ying , Dong Xiu , Tan Mingqi
Published: December 2019

Background:

Ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) is a major biological component of ginseng that exerts antitumor activities in multiple cancers including Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLCs). Rh2 also enhances the anti-tumor effects of various chemotherapy drugs including cisplatin at relatively low concentrations. Here, the mechanistic role of Rh2 in chemotherapy-treated NSCLCs will be investigated.

Methods:

In this study, FACS, western blot and siRNA addition were used to analyze the role of Rh2 in cisplatin- treated lung adenocarcinoma A549 and H1299 cells.

Results:

Subsequent observations indicated that Rh2 enhanced cisplatin-induced NSCLCs A549 and H1299 cells apoptosis. Cisplatin-induced productive autophagy was repressed by Rh2 in A549 cells. Rh2 also enhanced cisplatin cytotoxicity by elevating superoxide dismutase activity and repressing cisplatin-induced superoxide generation. Conversely, Rh2 was found to repress cisplatin-induced phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, protein kinase B, and autophagy. Cisplatin-induced Programmed Death- Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was repressed by Rh2 via the superoxide.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that Rh2 enhanced the function of cisplatin by repressing superoxide generation, PD-L1 expression, and autophagy in lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Reliability Modeling of Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review
Authors: Xing Liudong
Published: December 2019

Background:

Through smart micro sensor devices networked via wireless links and the
Internet, wireless sensor networks offer unprecedented opportunities for diverse applications, such
as healthcare, military, industry automation, and monitoring, environmental sensing, etc. It is one
of the enabling technologies for many Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems. Due to the
mission-critical nature of these systems, it is imperative that a wireless sensor network operates
correctly throughout the intended mission time. Thus, modeling the reliability of wireless sensor
networks is a critical task for their successful operations.

Objective:

This article is aimed to review the state-of-the-art work on the reliability modeling and
analysis of wireless sensor networks.

Methods:

The existing reliability modeling works for wireless sensor networks are identified and
classified based on different aspects, including scope, topology, communication paradigms, designs,
and reliability evaluation methods. Patents contributing to the reliability of wireless sensor
networks are also discussed.

Conclusion:

A rich body of works have been suggested for the reliability modeling and analysis of
wireless sensor networks contributing to their robust design and resilient operation. However, there
is still a great need to explore more efficient and innovative solutions to capture new aspects of
system complexity related to the development and growth of wireless sensor networks in contemporary
and future critical applications.