bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolomic Connections between Schizophrenia, Antipsychotic Drugs and Metabolic Syndrome: A Variety of Players
Authors: Molina Juan D. , Avila Sonia , Rubio Gabriel , López-Muñoz Francisco
Published: August 2021

Background:

Diagnosis of schizophrenia lacks reliable medical diagnostic tests and robust biomarkers
applied to clinical practice. Schizophrenic patients undergoing treatment with antipsychotics suffer
reduced life expectancy due to metabolic disarrangements that co-exist with their mental illness and predispose
them to develop metabolic syndrome, which is also exacerbated by medication. Metabolomics is an emerging
and potent technology able to accelerate this biomedical research.

Aim:

This review focus on a detailed vision of the molecular mechanisms involved both in schizophrenia and
antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome, based on innovative metabolites that consistently change in nascent
metabolic syndrome, drug-naïve, first episode psychosis and/or schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects.

Main Lines:

Supported by metabolomic approaches, although not exclusively, noteworthy variations are reported
mainly through serum samples of patients and controls in several scenes: 1) alterations in fatty acids, inflammatory
response indicators, amino acids and biogenic amines, biometals, and gut microbiota metabolites
(schizophrenia); 2) alterations in metabolites involved in carbohydrate and gut microbiota metabolism, inflammation
and oxidative stress (metabolic syndrome), some of them shared with schizophrenia; 3) alterations of
cytokines secreted by adipose tissue, phosphatidylcholines, acylcarnitines, Sirtuin 1, orexin-A, and changes in
microbiota composition (antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome).

Conclusion:

Novel insights into the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and metabolic side-effects associated with
its antipsychotic treatment represent an urgent request for scientists and clinicians. Leptin, carnitines, adiponectin,
insulin, or interleukin-6 represent some examples of candidate biomarkers. Cutting-edge technologies like
metabolomics have the power to strengthen research for achieving preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutical solutions
for schizophrenia.
DHODH Hot Spots: An Underexplored Source to Guide Drug Development Efforts
Authors: Froes Thamires Quadros , Zapata Luana Carlos Campisano , Akamine Juliana Sayuri , Castilho Marcelo Santos , Nonato Maria Cristina
Published: August 2021

Background:

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) has long been recognized as an
important drug target for proliferative and parasitic diseases, including compounds that exhibit trypanocidal
action and broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Despite numerous and successful efforts in
structural and functional characterization of DHODHs, as well as in the development of inhibitors,
DHODH hot spots remain largely unmapped and underexplored.

Objective:

This review describes the tools that are currently available for the identification and
characterization of hot spots in protein structures and how freely available webservers can be exploited
to predict DHODH hot spots. Moreover, it provides for the first time a review of the antiviral
properties of DHODH inhibitors.

Method:

X-ray structures from human (HsDHODH) and Trypanosoma cruzi DHODH
(TcDHODH) had their hot spots predicted by both FTMap and Fragment Hotspot Maps web
servers.

Result:

FTMap showed that hot spot occupancy in HsDHODH is correlated with the ligand efficiency
(LE) of its known inhibitors, and Fragment Hotspot Maps pointed out the contribution of selected
moieties to the overall LE. The conformational flexibility of the active site loop in
TcDHODH was found to have a major impact on the druggability of the orotate binding site. In addition,
both FTMap and Fragment Hotspot Maps servers predict a novel pocket in TcDHODH
dimer interface (S6 site).

Conclusion:

This review reports how hot spots can be exploited during hit-to-lead steps, docking
studies or even to improve inhibitor binding profile and by doing so using DHODH as a model,
points to new drug development opportunities.
Topomer CoMFA and HQSAR Study on Benzimidazole Derivative as
NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor
Authors: Jian-Bo Tong , Xing Zhang , Shuai Bian , Ding Luo , Tian-Hao Wang
Published: August 2021

Background:

In recent years, the number of people infected with the hepatitis C virus
(HCV) is increasing rapidly. This has become a major threat to global health, therefore, new anti-
HCV drugs are urgently needed. HCV NS5B polymerase is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
(RdRp), which plays an important role in virus replication, and can effectively prevent the replication
of HCV sub-genomic RNA in daughter cells. It is considered a very promising HCV therapeutic
target for the design of anti-HCV drugs.

Methods:

In order to explore the relationship between the structure of benzimidazole derivative and
its inhibitory activity on NS5B polymerase, holographic quantitative structure-activity relationship
(HQSAR) and Topomer comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) were used to establish benzimidazole
QSAR model of derivative inhibitors.

Results:

The results show that for the Topomer CoMFA model, the cross-validation coefficient q2
value is 0.883, and the non-cross-validation coefficient r2 value is 0.975. The model is reasonable,
reliable, and has a good predictive ability. For the HQSAR model, the cross-validated q2 value is
0.922, and the uncross-validated r2 value is 0.971, indicating that the model data fit well and has a
high predictive ability. Through the analysis of the contour map and color code diagram, 40 new
benzimidazole inhibitor molecules were designed, and all of them have higher activity than template
molecules, and the new molecules have significant interaction sites with protein 3SKE.

Conclusion:

The 3D-QSAR model established by Topomer CoMFA and HQSAR has good prediction
results and the statistical verification is valid. The newly designed molecules and docking results
provide theoretical guidance for the synthesis of new NS5B polymerase inhibitors and for the identification
of key residues that the inhibitors bind to NS5B, which helps to better understand their inhibitory
mechanism. These findings are helpful for the development of new anti-HCV drugs.
Anti-evolution Drugs: A New Paradigm to Combat Drug Resistance
Authors: Peraman Ramalingam , Chinni Santhivardhan , Sure Sathish Kumar , Kutagulla Vinay Kumar , Peraman Muthukumaran , V.N. Azger , Y. Padmanabha Reddy
Published: August 2021

:

Drug resistance confronts chemotherapy of neoplasm and microbial infections. A vast
array of molecular mechanisms was implicated in drug resistance, including generation of drug efflux
transporters, mutation of drug targets, and alteration of drug metabolism. With the alarming rate
of increase in drug resistance, pathogens are bolstering in such a way that many new drugs face efficacy
problems within a short span of entry into the market. Evolution is the driving force towards the
development of drug resistance. By adopting the modern genomic and functionomic analytical techniques,
scientists have now identified novel genes and signalling proteins involved in the evolution
of drug resistance in microorganisms. Given the current knowledge of bacterial evolution, antibiotic
drug discovery is ready for a paradigm shift to explore the newer ways to tackle drug resistance. The
article discusses such recent developments and reviews their merits and demerits in an attempt to
envisage the findings in this new domain of medicine.
Beyond Ejection Fraction: Novel Clinical Approaches Towards Sudden
Cardiac Death Risk Stratification in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pour-Ghaz Issa , Heckle Mark , Ifedili Ikechukwu , Kayali Sharif , Nance Christopher , Kabra Rajesh , Jha Sunil K. , Jefferies John L. , Levine Yehoshua C.
Published: August 2021

:

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) therapy is indicated for patients at risk for
sudden cardiac death due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The most commonly used risk stratification
algorithms use Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) to determine which patients qualify
for ICD therapy, even though LVEF is a better marker of total mortality than ventricular tachyarrhythmias
mortality. This review evaluates imaging tools and novel biomarkers proposed for better
risk stratifying arrhythmic substrate, thereby identifying optimal ICD therapy candidates.
Robust Engineering-based Unified Biomedical Imaging Framework for
Liver Tumor Segmentation
Authors: Nguyen Hien , Pham Vuong , Nguyen Hai , Pham Bao , Nguyen Thien
Published: August 2021

Background:

Computer vision in general and semantic segmentation has experienced
many achievements in recent years. Consequently, the emergence of medical imaging has provided
new opportunities for conducting artificial intelligence research. Since cancer is the second-leading
cause of death in the world, early-stage diagnosis is an essential process that directly slows down
the development speed of cancer.

Methods:

Deep neural network-based methods are anticipated to reduce diagnosis time for pathologists.

Results:

In this research paper, an approach to liver tumor identification based on two types of medical
images has been presented: computed tomography scans and whole-slide. It is constructed
based on the improvement of U-Net and GLNet architectures. It also includes sub-modules that are
combined with segmentation models to boost up the overall performance during inference phases.

Conclusion:

Based on the experimental results, the proposed unified framework has been emerging
to be used in the production environment.
Stem Cells in Mammary Health and Milk Production
Authors: Choudhary Ratan K . , Zhao Feng-Qi
Published: August 2021

:

Adult stem cells like mammary and mesenchymal stem cells have received significant attention
because these stem cells possess therapeutic potential in treating many animal diseases. These
cells can be administered in an autologous or allogenic fashion, either freshly isolated from the
donor tissue or previously cultured and expanded in vitro. The expansion of adult stem cells is a prerequisite
before therapeutic application because sufficient numbers are required in dosage calculation.
Stem cells directly and indirectly (by secreting various growth factors and angiogenic factors
called secretome) act to repair and regenerate injured tissues. Recent studies on mammary stem
cells showed in vivo and in vitro expansion ability by removing the blockage of asymmetrical cell
division. Compounds like purine analogs (xanthosine, xanthine, and inosine) or hormones (progesterone
and bST) help increase stem cell population by promoting cell division. Such methodology
of enhancing stem cell number, either in vivo or in vitro, may help in preclinical studies for translational
research like treating diseases such as mastitis. The application of mesenchymal stem cells
has also been shown to benefit mammary gland health due to the ‘homing’ property of stem cells.
In addition to that, the multiple positive effects of stem cell secretome are on mammary tissue; healing
and killing bacteria is novel in the production of quality milk. This systematic review discusses
some of the studies on stem cells that have been useful in increasing the stem cell population and
increasing mammary stem/progenitor cells. Finally, we provide insights into how enhancing mammary
stem cell population could potentially increase terminally differentiated cells, ultimately leading
to more milk production.
Pharmacological Basis of Breast Cancer Resistance to Therapies - An Overview
Authors: Crucitta Stefania , Cucchiara Federico , Sciandra Francesca , Cerbioni Annalisa , Diodati Lucrezia , Rafaniello Concetta , Capuano Annalisa , Fontana Andrea , Fogli Stefano , Danesi Romano , Re Marzia Del
Published: August 2021

Breast Cancer (BC) is a molecular heterogeneous disease and patients with similar clinico-pathological characteristics often display different response to treatment. Cellular processes, including uncontrolled cell-cycle, constitutive activation of signalling pathways and alterations in DNA-repair mechanisms are the main altered features in breast cancer. These cellular processes play significant roles in the emergence of resistance to therapies. The introduction of target therapies and immunotherapy significantly improved the survival of breast cancer patients. The incorporation of novel biomarkers together with the introduction of new therapeutic options may help to overcome treatment resistance. Molecular profiling promises to help in refine personalized treatment decisions and catalyse the development of further strategies when resistances inevitably occurs. This review provides a summary of genetic and molecular aspects of resistance mechanisms to available treatments for BC patients, and its clinical implications.
Melatonin and Sleep Disturbances in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Prodhan A.H.M. Safayet Ullah , Cavestro Cinzia , Kamal Mohammad Amjad , Islam Mohammad Asiful
Published: August 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by
sleep, behavioral, memory, and cognitive deteriorations. Sleep disturbance (SD) is a major disease
burden in AD, which has a reciprocal relationship with AD pathophysiology. It aggravates memory,
behavioral, and cognitive complications in AD. Different studies have found that melatonin hormone
levels reduce even in the pre-clinical stages of AD. Melatonin is the primary sleep-regulating
hormone and a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective roles. The decrease in melatonin levels can
thus promote SD and AD neuropathology. Exogenous melatonin has the potential to alleviate neuropathology
and SD in AD by different mechanisms. Various studies have been conducted to assess
the efficacy of exogenous melatonin to treat SD in AD. Though most of the studies suggest
that melatonin is useful to ameliorate SD in AD, the remaining studies show opposite results. The
timing, dosage, and duration of melatonin administration along with disease condition, genetic, environmental,
and some other factors can be responsible for the discrepancies between the studies.
More extensive trials with longer durations and higher dosage forms and studies including bright
light therapy and melatonin agonists (ramelteon, agomelatine, and tasimelteon) should be performed
to determine the efficacy of melatonin to treat SD in AD.
Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Rosehip in Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Disorders and Its Active Molecules
Authors: Pekacar Sultan , Bulut Semih , Özüpek Burçin , Orhan Didem D.
Published: August 2021

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal
system, which greatly reduce the quality of life of people. In addition to non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs used in treatment, molecules isolated from natural sources are also considered
as new options in the treatment of these inflammatory diseases. In this review, in vitro, in vivo
and clinical studies on standardized rosehip (Rosa canina L.) fruits without seed used for joint
health due to their anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant effects and active compounds isolated
from these fruits are presented. It is reported that the anti-inflammatory action mechanism of
standardized rosehip powder is due to its antioxidant activity, inhibiting NF-B signaling and pro-inflammatory
enzymes, decreasing inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, and lowering
C reactive protein levels. The galactolipid (2S)-1,2-di-O-[(9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-
trienoyl]-3-O-ß-D-galactopyranosyl glycerol (GOPO), isolated from rosehip seeds and fruits, has
been found to exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects in vitro, clinically reducing the complaints
of patients with osteoarthritis and improving their quality of life. Additionally, triterpene acid mixture
(ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and betulinic acid), also isolated from rosehip, has been reported
to reduce the production of interleukin-6 and Tumor necrosis factor-α. Studies on the anti-inflammatory
mechanism of action of rosehip and its active ingredients and their effects on osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis have shown that more detailed clinical studies are required on standardized
rosehip powders and preparations enriched in active compounds.
Pathological and Biochemical Index Changes in Different Tissues of Cyprinus carpio Exposed to Cadmium
Authors: Di Guilan , Li Yanfei , Li Hui , Chen Xinhua
Published: August 2021

Background:

Cadmium (Cd) is among the most toxic metals and is widely distributed in
aquatic environments.

Objective:

Histopathological lesions and biochemical indices can be used to reflect the toxic effects
of cadmium in fish target organs.

Methods:

In the present study, the common carp Cyprinus carpio was exposed to 0.5 mg/L of CdCl2
for 21 days. Histopathological analyses were performed in the spleen, liver, kidney, gills and head
kidney tissues of C. carpio, and tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and observed
under an optical microscope. The acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and lysozyme activities
were determined.

Results:

The results showed that there were various pathological changes in five major tissues of C.
carpio. The kidney, gills, and liver were the most affected organs during cadmium exposure, and
deformation and disorganization of epithelial cells, vacuolization formation, serious hemorrhages
and necrosis were also observed. In addition, 0.5 mg/L cadmium exposure significantly increased
serum lysozyme and acid phosphatase activities and inhibited alkaline phosphatase activity. The
present study showed that cadmium stress causes significant pathological tissue changes and influences
lysozyme, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities in C. carpio. Acid phosphatase
and lysozyme activities are sensitive to cadmium.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the toxicity of cadmium caused varying degrees of pathological and biochemical
changes in fish tissues in C. carpio.
PEGylated DPPC/Anti-SNAP25 Antibody Targeted Liposomes from Langmuir Monolayer Study to Formulations
Authors: Gew Lai Ti , Misran Misni
Published: August 2021

Background:

Molecule compatibility is an important factor to be considered before preparing
antibody-targeted liposomes, stealth-liposomes, and stealth antibody-targeted liposomes.

Objective:

To determine the intermolecular interaction of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamide-
N-[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)-2000] (ammonium salt), DOPE PEG2000 and Anti-SNAP25
(AS25) in 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DPPC) monolayer, and their liposomes.

Methods:

In this study, DPPC was used to create a monolayer mimicking the half membrane of liposomes
to investigate its interactions with a polyclonal antibody, AS25, and DOPE PEG2000,
which are based on Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) techniques. The surface morphology of DPPC-AS25
and DPPC-DOPE PEG2000-AS25 bilayers were also imaged and analyzed by using atomic force
microscopy (AFM) to support the LB findings. The LB findings were then utilized as a reference
to prepare DPPC liposomes in this work.

Results:

The best mole ratio of DPPC-DOPE PEG2000, determined to be 50 to 1, was used to
study the interaction with the polyclonal antibody AS25. The free energy of mixing (ΔGmix) of DPPC-
DOPE PEG2000-AS25 was more negative than DPPC-AS25 in the entire investigated ranges,
indicating that the ternary mixture of DPPC-DOPE PEG2000-AS25 was more compatible than the
binary mixture of DPPC-AS25. The presence of DOPE PEG2000 in DPPC-AS25 increased the
fluidity of the membrane, which resulted in a greater interaction of AS25 with DPPC.

Conclusion:

The constant values of particle size and zeta potential measurements of DPPC-DOPE
PEG2000-AS25 liposomes showed agreement with the LB findings, indicating that LB is a good
technique to predict precise liposomal formulations.
Una aproximación al senado colombiano desde la Biopolítica
Authors: García Gamboa Daniela Fernanda , Patiño Marin Luisa Fernanda
Published: August 2021

Regarding biopolitics, it has adopted two contrasting meanings, one based on the philosopher Michael Foucault, which associated this concept with control, that is, how from political power human life can be structured and controlled. On the other hand, biopolitics have also been defined as a subdiscipline that has the basis of incorporating life sciences with political science, comparing the different phenomena and political behaviors based on biology, genetics, evolutionary theories, neurosciences, among others, aiming at a better understanding OF the various political phenomena.   From the previous clarification the following article points out analyzing the Colombian Senate (2014 -2018) taking into account the biopolitical approach, examining the behavior of the political parties that have been taken part in, comparing it with different animal behaviors, with the aim of using a novel and poorly implemented perspective in the field of Political Science
A Semiautomated Chart Review for Assessing the Development of Radiation Pneumonitis Using Natural Language Processing: Diagnostic Accuracy and Feasibility Study
Authors: McKenzie Jordan , Rajapakshe Rasika , Shen Hua , Rajapakshe Shan , Lin Angela
Published: August 2021

Background

Health research frequently requires manual chart reviews to identify patients in a study-specific cohort and examine their clinical outcomes. Manual chart review is a labor-intensive process that requires significant time investment for clinical researchers.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of an assisted chart review program, using an in-house rule-based text-extraction program written in Python, to identify patients who developed radiation pneumonitis (RP) after receiving curative radiotherapy.

Methods

A retrospective manual chart review was completed for patients who received curative radiotherapy for stage 2-3 lung cancer from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015, at British Columbia Cancer, Kelowna Centre. In the manual chart review, RP diagnosis and grading were recorded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. From the charts of 50 sample patients, a total of 1413 clinical documents were obtained for review from the electronic medical record system. The text-extraction program was built using the Natural Language Toolkit Python platform (and regular expressions, also known as RegEx). Python version 3.7.2 was used to run the text-extraction program. The output of the text-extraction program was a list of the full sentences containing the key terms, document IDs, and dates from which these sentences were extracted. The results from the manual review were used as the gold standard in this study, with which the results of the text-extraction program were compared.

Results

Fifty percent (25/50) of the sample patients developed grade ≥1 RP; the natural language processing program was able to ascertain 92% (23/25) of these patients (sensitivity 0.92, 95% CI 0.74-0.99; specificity 0.36, 95% CI 0.18-0.57). Furthermore, the text-extraction program was able to correctly identify all 9 patients with grade ≥2 RP, which are patients with clinically significant symptoms (sensitivity 1.0, 95% CI 0.66-1.0; specificity 0.27, 95% CI 0.14-0.43). The program was useful for distinguishing patients with RP from those without RP. The text-extraction program in this study avoided unnecessary manual review of 22% (11/50) of the sample patients, as these patients were identified as grade 0 RP and would not require further manual review in subsequent studies.

Conclusions

This feasibility study showed that the text-extraction program was able to assist with the identification of patients who developed RP after curative radiotherapy. The program streamlines the manual chart review further by identifying the key sentences of interest. This work has the potential to improve future clinical research, as the text-extraction program shows promise in performing chart review in a more time-efficient manner, compared with the traditional labor-intensive manual chart review.
Participatory Surveillance of COVID-19 in Lesotho via Weekly Calls: Protocol for Cell Phone Data Collection
Authors: Greenleaf Abigail R , Mwima Gerald , Lethoko Molibeli , Conkling Martha , Keefer George , Chang Christiana , McLeod Natasha , Maruyama Haruka , Chen Qixuan , Farley Shannon M , Low Andrea
Published: August 2021

Background

The increase in cell phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has created an opportunity for low-cost, rapid data collection by calling participants on their cell phones. Cell phones can be mobilized for a myriad of data collection purposes, including surveillance. In LMIC, cell phone–based surveillance has been used to track Ebola, measles, acute flaccid paralysis, and diarrheal disease, as well as noncommunicable diseases. Phone-based surveillance in LMIC is a particularly pertinent, burgeoning approach in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participatory surveillance via cell phone could allow governments to assess burden of disease and complements existing surveillance systems.

Objective

We describe the protocol for the LeCellPHIA (Lesotho Cell Phone PHIA) project, a cell phone surveillance system that collects weekly population-based data on influenza-like illness (ILI) in Lesotho by calling a representative sample of a recent face-to-face survey.

Methods

We established a phone-based surveillance system to collect ILI symptoms from approximately 1700 participants who had participated in a recent face-to-face survey in Lesotho, the Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) Survey. Of the 15,267 PHIA participants who were over 18 years old, 11,975 (78.44%) consented to future research and provided a valid phone number. We followed the PHIA sample design and included 342 primary sampling units from 10 districts. We randomly selected 5 households from each primary sampling unit that had an eligible participant and sampled 1 person per household. We oversampled the elderly, as they are more likely to be affected by COVID-19. A 3-day Zoom training was conducted in June 2020 to train LeCellPHIA interviewers.

Results

The surveillance system launched July 1, 2020, beginning with a 2-week enrollment period followed by weekly calls that will continue until September 30, 2022. Of the 11,975 phone numbers that were in the sample frame, 3020 were sampled, and 1778 were enrolled.

Conclusions

The surveillance system will track COVID-19 in a resource-limited setting. The novel approach of a weekly cell phone–based surveillance system can be used to track other health outcomes, and this protocol provides information about how to implement such a system.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/31236
Authors’ Response to Peer Reviews of “Social Media Polarization and Echo Chambers in the Context of COVID-19: Case Study” (Preprint)
Authors: Jiang Julie , Ren Xiang , Ferrara Emilio
Published: August 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

These are author responses to peer review.
Video Relay Interpretation and Overcoming Barriers in Health Care for Deaf Users: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Rivas Velarde Minerva , Jagoe Caroline , Cuculick Jessica
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Persons who are deaf are more likely to avoid health care providers than those who can hear, partially because of the lack of means of communication with these providers and the dearth of available interpreters. The use of video remote interpretation, namely the video camera on an electronic device, to connect deaf patients and health providers has rapidly expanded owing to its flexibility and advantageous cost compared with in-person sign language interpretation. Thus, we need to learn more about how this technology could effectively engage with and respond to the priorities of its users.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify existing evidence regarding the use of video remote interpretation (VRI) in health care settings and to assess whether VRI technology can enable deaf users to overcome barriers to interpretation and improve communication outcomes between them and health care personnel.

METHODS

We conducted a search in 7 medical research databases (including MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar) from 2006 including bibliographies and citations of relevant papers. The searches included articles in English, Spanish, and French. The eligibility criteria for study selection included original articles on the use of VRI for deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) sign language users for, or within, health care.

RESULTS

From the original 176 articles identified, 120 were eliminated after reading the article title and abstract, and 41 articles were excluded after they were fully read. In total, 15 articles were included in this study: 4 studies were literature reviews, 4 were surveys, 3 were qualitative studies, and 1 was a mixed methods study that combined qualitative and quantitative data, 1 brief communication, 1 quality improvement report, and 1 secondary analysis. In this scoping review, we identified a knowledge gap regarding the quality of interpretation and training in sign language interpretation for health care. It also shows that this area is underresearched, and evidence is scant. All evidence came from high-income countries, which is particularly problematic given that most DHH persons live in low- and middle-income countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Furthering our understanding of the use of VRI technology is pertinent and relevant. The available literature shows that VRI may enable deaf users to overcome interpretation barriers and can potentially improve communication outcomes between them and health personnel within health care services. For VRI to be acceptable, sign language users require a VRI system supported by devices with large screens and a reliable internet connection, as well as qualified interpreters trained on medical interpretation.
Evaluación de los candidatos políticos por estudiantes mexicanos de Puebla en el año 2019
Authors: Gutiérrez Sánchez Héctor
Published: August 2021

El resultado de la elección mexicana ocurrida en 2018 genera dudas sobre algunos elementos de teorías políticas clásicas, principalmente del enfoque sociológico y del modelo Michigan. De este último, hay cuestionamientos en lo referente al papel de los partidos. Pareciera que la ciudadanía mexicana ahora se guía más por quiénes son los candidatos que los partidos, por lo que se investigó qué rasgos de los primeros determinan la preferencia electoral. Se realizó una encuesta aprovechando la elección de gobernador en Puebla en el año 2019. Se trata de un trabajo de limitada representatividad, pero en los datos no se encontró una relación relevante entre el partido y la preferencia electoral; en cambio, se halló que rasgos pragmáticos y —sobre todo— morales de los candidatos sí se relacionan con el voto. Esta prioridad de los candidatos sobre los partidos parece oponerse al acento que el modelo Michigan pone en los segundos, pero —interesantemente— no apunta de forma directa hacia un enfoque racional, aun cuando éste ha ponderado constantemente a los candidatos por encima de los partidos. A largo plazo sería productivo probar estas conclusiones en una elección nacional con una muestra mucho mayor.
Réplica y notas complementarias al estudio de las opciones por la democracia en los ciudadanos neoleoneses
Authors: Aguirre Sala Jorge Francisco
Published: August 2021

A partir del estudio de José María Infante en el que el investigador indaga las opciones por la democracia en los ciudadanos neoleoneses, se elabora una réplica y notas complementarias para mostrar la proclividad a otras opciones. Se extiende el desarrollo teórico y se hace hincapié en cuatro opciones omitidas de la encuesta utilizada, las cuales son afines a la democracia líquida. Los resultados aquí presentados, a diferencia de los de Infante, muestran otras predilecciones y una jerarquización preferencial en atingencia al modelo líquido que entrevera las diversas modalidades democráticas representativas con las participativas. Las conclusiones difieren de las de Infante respecto a la intencionalidad por la democracia delegativa y la interpretación de los especialistas para tomar decisiones comunitarias; también justifican las sugerencias para elevar la calidad de la democracia.
Periodismo y COVID-19. Homogeneización de contenidos en Argentina Un análisis de caso
Authors: Pereyra Rocío
Published: August 2021

En este artículo se analizan los procesos de homogeneización de la información periodística en Argentina, con base en el estudio de una noticia publicada por el diario Clarín que involucró al presidente Alberto Fernández y que durante el mes de abril de 2020 fue publicada, con mínimas modificaciones, en 102 medios de diferentes ciudades del país. Se propone como técnica metodológica el análisis de contenido para estudiar la consonancia informativa y el vínculo entre las agendas de medios (intermedia agenda setting), a partir de la revisión de la teoría de la agenda setting, en general, y del concepto proceso arterial de Breed, en particular. Los resultados dan cuenta de una rápida propagación de la noticia, de una descontextualización de los hechos, de la omisión de la procedencia de la información y de la falta de verificación o chequeo de fuentes. En las conclusiones se discuten las prácticas del periodismo digital que instala una agenda por medio de la réplica de noticias y tensa la pluralidad informativa, con lo cual socava la construcción crítica y reflexiva de la opinión pública.
Screening of Antagonistic Bacteria from Endophytes against Walnut Blight Pathogen Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis
Authors: Fu Benzhong , Yu Lei , Wang Bokai , Zheng Cao
Published: August 2021

Walnut blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) is the most important bacterial disease in walnut production worldwide. To seek biocontrol agents against Xaj, we screened 152 endophytic bacteria isolated from 87 plants. Through dual-culture method screening, we obtained four antagonistic bacteria, ATE17, BME17, CIE17, and OFE17 which were isolated from Amaranthus tricolor, Bambusa multiplex, Canna indica, and Osmanthus fragrans plants respectively. The inhibition ratios of ATE18, BME17, CIE18, and OFE17 against Xaj on plates were 1.5, 1.6, 1.3, and 1.6, respectively. These indicated they have good biocontrol potential for walnut bacterial blight. Subsequently, the four endophytic bacteria were identified by morphology, Gram staining, Microbial Identification System (fatty acid methyl ester analysis), as well as 16S rDNA and gyrB sequencing. It turns out that all four strains were identified as Bacillus sp. Furthermore, the two strains BME17 and OFE17 can suppress multiple plant fungal pathogens and bacterial pathogens on plates.
Effect of Culture Medium Incorporated with Ocimum sanctum Extract in Enhancing Anti-MRSA activity of Endophytic Fungus, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae
Authors: Jalil Mohd Taufiq Mat , Zakaria Nurul Aili , Ibrahim Darah
Published: August 2021

The effect of incorporating plant extract in the culture medium on anti-MRSA activity of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae IBRL OS-64, was investigated in the present study. On disk diffusion assay, the ethyl acetate fungal extract from culture medium supplemented with host plant extract (HPE) of Ocimum sanctum leaves demonstrated good anti-MRSA activity with a diameter inhibition zone of 22.6±0.6 mm. Meanwhile, the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) values of the extract from YES broth and YES broth incorporated with HPE were 1000 µg/mL and 250 µg/mL, respectively. The MBC values were 8000 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL, respectively. The YES + HPE extracts exerted bactericidal effect against the test bacteria since the MBC/MIC ratio was less than or equal to 4. The time-kill study revealed a 90% of growth reduction of MRSA ATCC 33591 after 16 h exposure to the fungal extract cultured in YES + HPE. Ironically, for fungal extract grown in YES broth, time-kill curve showed a regrowth pattern of bacterial cells after 24 h exposed to the extract. Therefore, the present study suggested that the addition of HPE in the culture medium could enhance the anti-MRSA activity of endophytic fungus, L. pseudotheobromae IBRL OS-64 against MRSA ATCC 33591.
Detection of H275Y Mutation Conferring Oseltamivir Drug Resistance in Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 Virus
Authors: Trivedi Khushbu , Malhotra Bharti , Dubey Widhi , Sharma Pratibha , Deeba Farah , Tiwari Jitendra , Chauhan Aradhana
Published: August 2021

In the treatment of influenza, Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) (Oseltamivir and Zanamivir) play a major role. The emergence of variants of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus resistant to Oseltamivir is a matter of great concern as it limits its usage. Therefore, vigilant monitoring for Oseltamivir-resistant viruses has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our study aimed to screen the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus for NAI drug resistance during the outbreak of 2015-16 in North-Western India. A total of 640 H1N1pdm09 virus-positive samples were screened for drug resistance to Oseltamivir by WHO allelic discrimination real-time RT-PCR protocol. The allelic discrimination PCR protocol can detect the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the H275Y mutation is detected by this method which causes resistance to Oseltamivir. Sanger sequencing of partial fragment of NA gene (fragment IV), of 90 samples were performed to confirm the presence of NA-H275Y mutation. Neuraminidase susceptibility of 20 randomly selected isolates to Oseltamivir was tested using NA inhibition chemiluminiscence based assay. Among 640 H1N1pdm09 positive samples tested, H275Y mutation was detected in one sample (0.15%) by PCR and confirmed by Sanger sequencing also. All the 20 isolates tested for NAI susceptibility by NA star assay were found to be sensitive to Oseltamivir. WHO allelic discrimination PCR is an easy, rapid and sensitive method for high-throughput detection of resistance to Oseltamivir. Systematic regular drug resistance surveillance of Influenza A is essential to monitor the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains.
Serological Detection and Epidemiological Factors Associated with Scrub Typhus among Undifferentiated Febrile Illness Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Somasunder V.M. , Akila K. , Sijimol S. , Senthamarai S. , Sivasankari S. , Anitha C. , Subha V.J.
Published: August 2021

Scrub typhus is an arthropod-borne zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. It presents clinically as a non-specific febrile illness that needs a high index of clinical suspicion for diagnosis. The mortality rate can be as high as 30% if not treated appropriately. Laboratory diagnosis is therefore important for confirming the cause of illness prior to initiating appropriate therapy. Hence we aimed to detect scrub typhus in serum samples of undifferentiated febrile illness patients and to correlate with the socioeconomic status of these individuals. We also aimed to study the seasonal variation associated with the disease. Serum samples from 143 febrile patients who were negative for other febrile illnesses were subjected to scrub typhus IgM ELISA. Scrub typhus IgM antibodies were found in 14 (9.8%) individuals of which 41-60 years being the most affected age group. Scrub typhus positivity was high during the months of October to December (P value 0.0056) with the individuals from the rural areas being the most affected (P value 0.027). To conclude, this study emphasises the importance of serological tests to detect scrub typhus and to include it as a differential diagnosis among undifferentiated febrile illnesses.
Medición del grado de transparencia de las empresas pymes de la ciudad de Medellín, versión año 2019
Authors:   Corporación Universitaria Remington, González Velásquez María Riguey , Quintero Quintero Jorge Alcides ,   Corporación Universitaria Remington, Muñoz-Ruiz Jorge Armando ,   Corporación Universitaria Remington, Rico Buitrago Jesús Daniel ,   Corporación Universitaria Remington
Published: August 2021

El trabajo que a continuación se presenta, tuvo como objetivo principal realizar una medición del nivel de transparencia en las pymes de la ciudad de Medellín durante el año 2019. La investigación se basó en la aplicación del modelo de indicadores para la medición del nivel de transparencia empresarial diseñado por Quintero (2018). Este trabajo se desarrolló dentro del marco del plan operativo del grupo de investigación Capital Contable de la Facultad de Ciencias Contables de la Corporación Universitaria Remington. En su fase metodológica, la investigación se tipificó con un nivel descriptivo y explicativo. Como técnica de recolección de datos se empleó la encuesta y como instrumento, el cuestionario. Para la medición de este estudio se implementó la fórmula de alfa de Cronbach, cuyo coeficiente resultó ser de 0,871. Los resultados de este trabajo de investigación demostraron que, del 100 % de las pymes evaluadas, un 77 % se mostró mínimamente vulnerable en sus prácticas de transparencia, mientras que un 23 % se mostró completamente vulnerable. Las variables relacionadas a protección del empleado, colaboradores, soborno, lavado de dinero y lavado de activos, malversación y apropiación indebida de los activos y corrupción, fueron aquellas sobre las cuales las empresas objeto de estudio, mostraron mayor comportamiento ético y transparente en sus decisiones corporativas, mientras que las variables relacionadas con el uso del medio ambiente, fraude, protección a clientes o consumidores y extorsión, fueron las que mostraron un comportamiento poco transparente en el actuar dentro de las organizaciones objeto de estudio. En síntesis, este trabajo representa un gran referente científico y de gestión social por cuanto permitió clarificar, dentro de las pymes de la ciudad de Medellín, tanto las decisiones que se corresponden a acciones socialmente transparentes, como aquellas conductas que traen consigo acciones poco transparentes y cuyas realidades empresariales deben ser atendidas por la gerencia de las organizaciones sujetas a estudio a los fines de fortalecer su sistema de control interno dentro del cual se incluya, la existencia, divulgación y cumplimiento de políticas, normas y procedimientos orientados hacia una gestión ética y con responsabilidad social.
Responsabilidad social y ambiental en empresa productora de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (AEE) de Medellín
Authors:   Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Cañas Vallejo Sandra Yaneth , Álvarez Mejía Sandra Patricia
Published: August 2021

El presente artículo busca identificar cómo desde la contabilidad y las leyes se da cumplimiento al manejo de residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (RAEE), en una empresa del sector en Medellín y determinar, con base en un análisis cualitativo, su relación con la responsabilidad social empresarial. El análisis respectivo se llevó a cabo por medio de una investigación de tipo cualitativo, inicialmente se realizó un rastreo bibliográfico en torno a las teorías desarrolladas en el sector y la normativa que predomina, adicionalmente se aplicaron entrevistas y grupos focales como instrumentos para la recolección de información necesaria de la empresa y posterior análisis. Como resultados se lograron identificar algunos estudios de caso desarrollados entre el 2014 y 2018, los cuales son relevantes para el análisis y contextualización de la temática por ser base para el reconocimiento de los procedimientos realizados y que pueden causar impactos desde el aspecto ambiental para las empresas según la normativa concerniente y que se van a ver reflejados, finalmente, en unas buenas prácticas empresariales y contribuirán en la sostenibilidad de la empresa, de su entorno y recursos.
Donation App Developed Using Flutter Technology
Authors: Soni Paras
Published: August 2021

This project is used to manage the wastage of food in a functional way. People are throw away lots of food every day. So we have to lessen that food destruction problem through online. This app is basically a Food Donation App which bridge Food Donors (Caterers, Individuals and Restaurants etc.) and the Receiver (NGOs, Individuals etc.). This app stipulation of details of the leftover food along with pickup address and other relevant details which can be viewed by the Receivers. The Receivers as per their convenience can reach the specified location to collect the food parcel. Efficient management and security of data have been taken care of while developing our product. The user’s details are maintained confidential because it maintains a separate account for each user. This project’s food redistribution ability can become an enormously extensive successful social innovation that tackles food waste and food poverty.
Iot based Fire and Gas monitoring System
Authors: Doshi Aayush
Published: August 2021

In infrastructure and industrial plants the rapid growth is creating environmental issues like pollution, climate change and malfunctioning. It has a great consequence for the requirement of an operationally adaptable, efficient, cheap and smart monitoring systems. For this purpose we come up with idea to use these kind of technology i.e the Internet of Things (IoT) in form of a solution. In this paper, we suggest wireless data gathering frameworks that enable each detector node to track the changes in the behavioural pattern of gases and to identify their role in gas leakage problem, whilst at the same time trying to minimize power consumption. In the proposed device, the temperature detector (DHT 11) the gas detector (MQ2,MQ7 and MQ135) and also humidity sensors are used to determine the environment and the undesirable gas within the manufacturing plant, gauged details can be connected to the web. In addition, our research findings demonstrated substantial energy efficiency and high-precision data analysis relative to conventional protection device strategies. For monitoring the fluctuation of parameters like air pollution levels from their normal levels in this case the sensing devices are connected to the embedded computing system.
TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON POST-OPERATIVE SELF-CARE AMONG CATARACT PATIENTS
Authors: Kamdi Pratiksha
Published: August 2021

Cataract is a significant cause of preventable blindness and vision impairment worldwide and is expected to pose a growing obstacle to health care systems as the population ages worldwide due to increased life expectancies. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of post-operative self-care among cataract patients. To assess the existing knowledge regarding post-operative self-care among cataract patients. To assess the effectiveness of a planned teaching program on post-operative self-care among cataract patients. To associate post knowledge score with demographic variables. The study was based on a descriptive evaluative research approach. The population was all post-operative cataract patients. The subject consisted of 60. Study shows that in pre-test 27(45%) of subjects are having poor level of knowledge score, 32(53.33%) were having an average level of knowledge score, 1(6.66%) were having good, were having an excellent level of knowledge 0(0%), knowledge regarding post-operative self-care among cataract patient. And the minimum score is 1, the maximum score is 9, the mean score is 5.07±1.755 and mean percentage is 31.6876%. In post-test 0(0%) of subjects are having poor level of knowledge score, 0(0%) were having an average level of knowledge score, 25(41.66%) were having good, were having an excellent level of knowledge 35(58.33%) knowledge regarding post-operative self-care among cataract patient. And the minimum score is 10, the maximum score is 15, the mean score is 12.87±1.321, and the mean percentage is 80.4375%. The shows that there is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores interpreting effective planned teaching on knowledge regarding post-operative self-care among cataract patients. The mean value of the pre-test is 5.07 and post-test is 12.87 and standard deviation values of the pre-test are 1.755 and the post-test is 1.321. The calculated t-value is 31.754 and the tabulated t- value is 2.02 and the p-value is 0.000. the study was concluded that a planned teaching program is an effective method to improve the knowledge among the patients.