bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial Distribution and Antibiotic Susceptibility in Patients with Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections of the Extremities in North-Eastern China
Authors: Ma Jie , Song Yanqing , Wang Xiangfeng , Yan Huiyu , Zhang Yue , wang nan
Published: June 2020

Background For complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs), inappropriate initial anti-infective treatment often leads to treatment failure. The microbial distribution in patients with extremities’ cSSTIs has been rarely reported. Moreover, whether gram-negative bacteria (GNB) should be covered in addition to gram-positive bacteria (GPB) has been always a difficult issue in the treatment of cSSTIs. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the microbial distribution and antibiotic susceptibility in 149 hospitalized patients with extremities’ SSTIs, and discussed the risk factors of extremities’ cSSTIs caused by GNB. Results 188 strains of pathogens were isolated, including 113 strains of GPB (64.9%), 61 strains of GNB (32.4%), and 5 strains of fungi (2.7%). Diabetes mellitus (OR=3.606, P =0.034), SSTI severity [moderate infection (OR=19.499, P <0.0001), severe infection (OR=20.114, P <0.0001)], and necrotizing infection (OR=6.064, P <0.0001) were risk factors of extremities’ cSSTIs caused by GNB. For patients with risk factors, ceftazidime, cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam and carbapenems could be empirical anti-infective agents. Conclusions The results of our study showed that the most common bacteria identified in cSSTIs of the extremities were GPB. For patients with risk factors of extremities’ cSSTIs caused by GNB, the coverage of GNB should be taken into account.
Prediction of cross-tension strength of self-piercing riveted joints using finite element simulation and XGBoost algorithm
Authors: Lin Jianping , Qi Chengwei , Wan Hailang , Min Junying , Chen Jiajie , Zhang Kai , Zhang Li
Published: June 2020

Self-piercing riveting (SPR) has been widely used in automobile industry, and the strength prediction of SPR joints always attracts the attention of researchers. In this work, a prediction method of the cross-tension strength of SPR joints was proposed on the basis of finite element (FE) simulation and extreme gradient boosting decision tree (XGBoost) algorithm. An FE model of SPR process was established to simulate the plastic deformations of rivet and substrate materials and verified in terms of cross-sectional dimensions of SPR joints. The residual mechanical field from SPR process simulation was imported into a 2D FE model for the cross-tension testing simulation of SPR joints, and cross-tension strengths from FE simulation show a good consistence with the experiment result. Based on the verified FE model, the mechanical properties and thickness of substrate materials were varied and then used for FE simulation to obtain cross-tension strengths of a number of SPR joints, which were used to train the regression model based on the XGBoost algorithm in order to achieve prediction for cross-tension strength of SPR joints. Results show that the cross-tension strengths of SPR steel/aluminum joints could be successfully predicted by the XGBoost regression model with a respective error less than 7.6% compared to experimental values.
Can 68Ga-prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography / computerized tomography provide an accurate lymph node staging for patients with medium / high risk prostate cancer? A Diagnostic Meta-Analysis
Authors: Peng Lei , Li Jinze , Meng Chuanyang , Li Jinming , You Chengyu , Tang Dandan , Wei Tangqiang , Xiong Wei , Li Yunxiang
Published: June 2020

Objective: This article aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of68Gallium-PSMA positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET/CT) for lymph node (LN) staging in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) by a meta-analysis of diagnostic tests.Methods: We systematically retrieved articles from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science with a limited period from January 1, 2016, to December 1, 2019, and Stata 15 was used for calculation and statistical analyses.Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio (PLR, NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) be used to evaluate the diagnostic value. A total of 10 studies were included in our meta-analysis, which included 701 individuals. The results of each consolidated summary are as follows: sensitivity of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.55-0.95), specificity of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.87-0.98), PLR and NLR was 17.19 (95% CI: 6.27, 47.17) and 0.17 (95% CI: 0.05-0.56), respectively. DOR of 4.6 (95% CI: 2.91-6.30), AUC of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.98).Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT has a high overall diagnostic value for LN staging in patients with moderate and high-risk PCa. But our conclusions still require a larger sample size, multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial to verify.
Protective roles of flu infections and BCG vaccination in lowering Covid-19 mortality
Authors: Pathak Sanmoy , Jolly Mohit Kumar , Nandi Dipankar
Published: June 2020

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has caused a great loss of lives as well as affected economies in several countries. The loss of Covid-19 deaths is far greater in some countries compared to others. This observation led us to perform epidemiological analysis using disease and vaccination data in the public domain with respect to measles, hepatitis B virus, polio, tuberculosis and flu from twenty five countries across the globe. There is no correlation between Covid-19 incidences or deaths, as well as vaccination coverage, with respect to diseases such as measles, hepatitis B virus and polio. However, countries with lower cases of tuberculosis and higher cases of flu have a significant correlation with respect to Covid-19 deaths. In fact, countries with high BCG vaccination coverage show a significant negative correlation with Covid-19 deaths. Surprisingly, countries such as the USA, Italy, France and Spain which have flu vaccination, but not BCG vaccination, show maximum number of Covid-19 deaths. It appears that high numbers of flu infections are protective and can decrease the number of Covid-19 deaths. Importantly, countries with high flu cases and BCG vaccination, such as India, Egypt, South Africa etc, show relatively lower Covid-19 deaths, reinforcing the protective roles of BCG vaccination. Notably, these general trends are statistically significant for Covid-19 deaths but not Covid-19 incidences. The implications of our results are discussed with respect to the roles of microbial infections in the respiratory tract, vaccinations and other factors in lowering Covid-19 deaths.
Fatal Central Nervous System Co-Infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Tuberculosis in a Healthy Child
Authors: Freij Bishara J. , Gebara Bassam M. , Tariq Rabail , Wang Ay-Ming , Gibson John , El-Wiher Nidal , Krasan Graham , Patek Paul M. , Levasseur Kelly A. , Amin Mitual , Fullmer Joseph M.
Published: June 2020

Background. Central and peripheral nervous system symptoms and complications are being increasingly recognized among individuals with pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infections, but actual detection of the virus or its RNA in the central nervous system has rarely been sought or demonstrated. Severe or fatal illnesses are attributed to SARS-CoV-2, generally without attempting to evaluate for alternative causes or co-pathogens.Case presentation. A five-year-old girl with fever and headache was diagnosed with acute SARS-CoV-2-associated meningoencephalitis based on the detection of its RNA on a nasopharyngeal swab, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Serial serologic tests for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA showed seroconversion, consistent with an acute infection. Mental status and brain imaging findings gradually worsened despite antiviral therapy and intravenous dexamethasone. Decompressive suboccipital craniectomy for brain herniation with cerebellar biopsy on day 30 of illness, shortly before death, revealed SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cerebellar tissue using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-nCoV Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase-PCR Diagnostic Panel. On histopathology, necrotizing granulomas with numerous acid-fast bacilli were visualized, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA was detected by PCR. Ventricular cerebrospinal fluid that day was negative for mycobacterial DNA. She had no known exposures to tuberculosis and no chest radiographic findings to suggest it. All 6 family members had normal chest radiographs and negative interferon-γ release assay results. The source of her tuberculous infection was not identified, and further investigations by the local health department were not possible because of the State of Michigan-mandated lockdown for control of SARS-CoV-2 spread.Conclusion. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cerebellar tissue and the demonstration of seroconversion in IgG and IgA assays was consistent with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection of the central nervous infection. However, the cause of death was brain herniation from her rapidly progressive central nervous system tuberculosis. SARS-CoV-2 may mask or worsen occult tuberculous infection with severe or fatal consequences.
COVID-19 Therapeutics Outcome: Systematic Review and Data Analysis
Authors: Tobaiqy Mansour , Helmi Nawal , Majrashi Mohammed , Al-Dahery Shrooq , Mujallad Alaa
Published: June 2020

Background: Several medications already placed in the world therapeutic guidelines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were given to affected patients and produced positive and negative outcomes.Aims of the study: This review evaluated therapeutic outcomes (recovery and mortality) used for COVID-19 patient management in clinical settings since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 the causative agent of (COVID-19).Method: The PRISMA-P and PRISMA statements were used to facilitate the development and reporting of this systematic review. Included articles were full-text articles, written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals from March 26, 2020. Recent eligible systematic review articles were also included for interpretation and analysis. Data were reported as percentage changes compared to the total number of patients in each study. For each drug, the proportion of positive outcomes were compared to the proportion of negative outcomes using a z-test (p < 0.05) to determine statistical significance.Results: The total number of eligible studies included in this review was 69, and 48 different therapeutics were reported. The data analysis showed positive outcomes for COVID-19 patient treatments using hydroxychloroquine (66.6%), azithromycin (55.5%), lopinavir/ritonavir (54.9%), systemic corticosteroids (52%), umifenovir (51.2%), interferon (50%), remdesivir (45.9%), Ribavirin (43.5%), moxifloxacin (35.3%) and oseltamivir (33.6%). Negative outcomes were related mainly to systemic corticosteroids (21.3%), followed by remdesivir (16.9%), moxifloxacin (13.4%) and oseltamivir (12.5%). However, when comparing the proportions of positive outcomes to negative outcomes for reported drugs, the only statistically significant outcomes were observed among the hydroxychloroquine (p < 0.05) treatment group.Conclusion: This study systematically reviewed 69 research articles linking therapies to clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients. This review has provided insight into recovery and mortality outcomes associated with available COVID-19 therapeutic options. Data analysis showed positive outcomes for COVID-19 patient treatments primarily with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and lopinavir/ritonavir.
STUDI PERILAKU PENGGUNAAN RUANG GANG DI KAMPUNG SERANGAN, KELURAHAN NOTOPRAJAN, KECAMATAN NGAMPILAN, KOTA YOGYAKARTA
Authors: Casnugi
Published: June 2020

Title: Behavioral Study of Spatial Utilization of Alley in Kampung Serangan, Notoprajan Sub- District, Ngampilan District, Yogyakarta City

The further study of alley as space in the midst of urban settlement communities is needed. The alley as space be utilized by various community activities as well as for socializing. With the limited available space in the middle of the urban settlement community of Serangan village, Notoprajan sub-district, Ngampilan sub-district, Yogyakarta, there is an apparent phenomenon of multiple community behavior in using the alley such as social interaction, drying clothes, parking a motorcycle and even cooking. Besides being used as circulation path, it makes users of the alley must also share with children who play in the alley and in between buildings. Seeing the uniqueness of the alley as a place for such community activity, the behaviors that need to be known further. The purpose of this study was to describe the behavior of urban village residents in utilizing alley as a space for social interaction. The research method used is descriptive qualitative, namely by conducting observations, interviews, documentation with photographs, measurements, observations and environmental sketches. Thus, it can be further understood that there is a sense of togetherness, tolerance in the utilization or occupying of the aisles. Community deliberations in the RT (Rukun Tetangga) area, are a mean for discussing and deciding around issues in their neigbourhood area. It is held periodically based on shared values and usually run well. Social relations and kinship among the neighbors are very important and it is significantly make the community able to live in relatively limited space and environmental resources. The strong sense of tolerance among communities in the village of Serangan can be used for development purposes. Engagement among community members can be enhanced into participatory development programs for taking care of urban settlement environments, especially in terms of slums. Kampong improvement program can be focused on taking care of physical development. The existence of community participation is one of the key success factor of development programs or improvement of urban kampong.
The impact of real exchange rates on price competitiveness in Eastern European countries
Authors: Proskurnina Nadiia , Kähler Jürgen , Cervantes-Martinez Rosario
Published: June 2020

The subject of this paper is empirical research on studies of exchange rates in Eastern European countries, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, (North) Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, in order verify the validity of theories that explain these changes. This research aims to explain the mixed evidence of the Balassa-Samuelson effect in Ukraine, taking into account the intentions of Ukraine to become a member of the European Union. Unlike previous works, the attention is shifted to a review of empirical evidence and the identification of main factors that limit the ability to verify the theory. The main conclusion is that all the currencies studied underwent substantial real appreciations during the study period. Thus, it can be concluded that an adequate monetary policy in countries under study is very important, given that local exchange markets are not sustainable enough and the volatility of exchange operations is higher than in countries with developed economies. However, the Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis (BSH) can explain the impact of the real exchange rate due to changes in productivity in countries in transition.
The role of plant antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in response to biotic and abiotic environmental factors
Authors: Kulaeva Olga , Kliukova Marina , Afonin Alexey , Sulima Anton , Zhukov Vladimir , Tikhonovich Igor
Published: June 2020

Plants are continuously exposed to various biotic and abiotic factors that may trigger cascade reactions aimed at maintaining homeostasis. One of the most important components of plant protection from biotic factors is the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are a large group of peptides present in insects, animals and plants. Plant innate immunity is provided by AMPs from different families that are categorized according to sequence similarity, the number and order of amino acid residues, and the tertiary structure of the mature peptide. AMPs may also participate in plant response to abiotic stresses such as high salinity, drought, high or low temperature, and heavy metals. In nitrogen-fixing nodules of some members of the Fabaceae family, AMP-like molecules named NCR peptides promote the differentiation of the symbiotic bacteria into bacteroids. Thus, AMPs are used by plants for fine tuning their responses to biotic and abiotic factors alike.
Okul Öncesi ve Sınıf Öğretmenlerinin Disiplinlerarası Yaklaşımın Temel Eğitimde Kullanımına Yönelik Görüşleri
Authors: Yurttaş Arefe , Erdaş Kartal Eda , Çağlar Atila
Published: June 2020

Bu çalışmanın amacı, okul öncesi ve ilköğretim birinci kademede görev yapan sınıf öğretmenlerin disiplinlerarası yaklaşım hakkındaki görüşlerinin ortaya koyulmasıdır. Araştırmada nitel araştırma desenlerinden betimsel tarama (survey) deseni ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın örneklemini 2019-2020 akademik yılında, Türkiye’nin orta ölçekli bir ilinde, farklı okullarda okul öncesi ve ilköğretim birinci kademede görev yapan 14 öğretmeni (7 okul öncesi, 7 sınıf öğretmeni) oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın verileri öğretmenler ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılarak toplanmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından oluşturulan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda sınıf öğretmenlerinin disiplinlerarası yaklaşımı tanımlama konusunda okul öncesi öğretmenlerine göre daha iyi durumda oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Öğretmenlerin konuları çoğunlukla Türkçe, Müzik, Fen Bilimleri, Matematik ve Görsel Sanatlar ile ilişkilendirdikleri tespit edilmiştir. Disiplinlerarası yaklaşımı kullanmak için ders saatlerinin, öğrenci seviyelerinin, okul imkanlarının ve zümreleri arasındaki iletişimin / etkileşimin yeterliliği konusundaki görüşlerin branşlara göre farklılaştığı ortaya koyulmuştur. Öğretmenlerin disiplinlerarası yaklaşımı sınıflarında kullanmaları açısından hizmetiçi eğitimlerle desteklenmeleri önerilmiştir.
An Expert System to Diagnose Spinal Disorders
Authors: Dashti Seyed M.S. , Dashti Seyedeh F.
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Until now, traditional invasive approaches have been the only means being leveraged to diagnose spinal disorders. Traditional manual diagnostics require a high workload, and diagnostic errors are likely to occur due to the prolonged work of physicians. In this research, we develop an expert system based on a hybrid inference algorithm and comprehensive integrated knowledge for assisting the experts in the fast and high-quality diagnosis of spinal disorders.

Methods:

First, for each spinal anomaly, the accurate and integrated knowledge was acquired from related experts and resources. Second, based on probability distributions and dependencies between symptoms of each anomaly, a unique numerical value known as certainty effect value was assigned to each symptom. Third, a new hybrid inference algorithm was designed to obtain excellent performance, which was an incorporation of the Backward Chaining Inference and Theory of Uncertainty.

Results:

The proposed expert system was evaluated in two different phases, real-world samples, and medical records evaluation. Evaluations show that in terms of real-world samples analysis, the system achieved excellent accuracy. Application of the system on the sample with anomalies revealed the degree of severity of disorders and the risk of development of abnormalities in unhealthy and healthy patients. In the case of medical records analysis, our expert system proved to have promising performance, which was very close to those of experts.

Conclusion:

Evaluations suggest that the proposed expert system provides promising performance, helping specialists to validate the accuracy and integrity of their diagnosis. It can also serve as an intelligent educational software for medical students to gain familiarity with spinal disorder diagnosis process, and related symptoms.
Technical Metrics Used to Evaluate Health Care Chatbots: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Abd-Alrazaq Alaa , Safi Zeineb , Alajlani Mohannad , Warren Jim , Househ Mowafa , Denecke Kerstin
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Dialog agents (chatbots) have a long history of application in health care, where they have been used for tasks such as supporting patient self-management and providing counseling. Their use is expected to grow with increasing demands on health systems and improving artificial intelligence (AI) capability. Approaches to the evaluation of health care chatbots, however, appear to be diverse and haphazard, resulting in a potential barrier to the advancement of the field.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify the technical (nonclinical) metrics used by previous studies to evaluate health care chatbots.

METHODS

Studies were identified by searching 7 bibliographic databases (eg, MEDLINE and PsycINFO) in addition to conducting backward and forward reference list checking of the included studies and relevant reviews. The studies were independently selected by two reviewers who then extracted data from the included studies. Extracted data were synthesized narratively by grouping the identified metrics into categories based on the aspect of chatbots that the metrics evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 1498 citations retrieved, 65 studies were included in this review. Chatbots were evaluated using 27 technical metrics, which were related to chatbots as a whole (eg, usability, classifier performance, speed), response generation (eg, comprehensibility, realism, repetitiveness), response understanding (eg, chatbot understanding as assessed by users, word error rate, concept error rate), and esthetics (eg, appearance of the virtual agent, background color, and content).

CONCLUSIONS

The technical metrics of health chatbot studies were diverse, with survey designs and global usability metrics dominating. The lack of standardization and paucity of objective measures make it difficult to compare the performance of health chatbots and could inhibit advancement of the field. We suggest that researchers more frequently include metrics computed from conversation logs. In addition, we recommend the development of a framework of technical metrics with recommendations for specific circumstances for their inclusion in chatbot studies.
The Impact of COVID-19 Management Policies Tailored to Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: Policy Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Telles Charles Roberto , Roy Archisman , Ajmal Mohammad Rehan , Mustafa Syed Khalid , Ahmad Mohammad Ayaz , de la Serna Juan Moises , Frigo Elisandro Pires , Rosales Manuel Hernández
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Daily new COVID-19 cases from January to April 2020 demonstrate varying patterns of SARS-CoV-2 transmission across different geographical regions. Constant infection rates were observed in some countries, whereas China and South Korea had a very low number of daily new cases. In fact, China and South Korea successfully and quickly flattened their COVID-19 curve. To understand why this was the case, this paper investigated possible aerosol-forming patterns in the atmosphere and their relationship to the policy measures adopted by select countries.

OBJECTIVE

The main research objective was to compare the outcomes of policies adopted by countries between January and April 2020. Policies included physical distancing measures that in some cases were associated with mask use and city disinfection. We investigated whether the type of social distancing framework adopted by some countries (ie, without mask use and city disinfection) led to the continual dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 (daily new cases) in the community during the study period.

METHODS

We examined the policies used as a preventive framework for virus community transmission in some countries and compared them to the policies adopted by China and South Korea. Countries that used a policy of social distancing by 1-2 m were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of countries that implemented social distancing (1-2 m) only, and the second comprised China and South Korea, which implemented distancing with additional transmission/isolation measures using masks and city disinfection. Global daily case maps from Johns Hopkins University were used to provide time-series data for the analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that virus transmission was reduced due to policies affecting SARS-CoV-2 propagation over time. Remarkably, China and South Korea obtained substantially better results than other countries at the beginning of the epidemic due to their adoption of social distancing (1-2 m) with the additional use of masks and sanitization (city disinfection). These measures proved to be effective due to the atmosphere carrier potential of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm that social distancing by 1-2 m with mask use and city disinfection yields positive outcomes. These strategies should be incorporated into prevention and control policies and be adopted both globally and by individuals as a method to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Usability and Accuracy of a Smartwatch for the Assessment of Physical Activity in the Elderly Population: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Martinato Matteo , Lorenzoni Giulia , Zanchi Tommaso , Bergamin Alessia , Buratin Alessia , Azzolina Danila , Gregori Dario
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Regular physical activity (PA) contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and reduces the risk of premature death. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a variety of chronic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases (eg, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), depression, and colon and breast cancer. Population aging and the related increase in chronic diseases have a major impact on the health care systems of most Western countries and will produce an even more significant effect in the future. Monitoring PA is a valuable method of determining whether people are performing enough PA so as to prevent chronic diseases or are showing early symptoms of those diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting.

METHODS

Participants aged 70 to 90 years with the ability to walk safely without any walking aid for at least 300 meters, who had no walking disabilities or episodes of falling while walking in the last 12 months, were asked to walk 150 meters at their preferred pace wearing a vívoactive HR device (Garmin Ltd) and actual steps were monitored and tallied by a researcher using a hand-tally counter to assess the performance of the device at a natural speed. A Bland-Altman plot was used to analyze the difference between manually counted steps and wearable device–measured steps. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed (with a 95% confidence interval) between step measurements. The generalized linear mixed-model (GLMM) ICCs were estimated, providing a random effect term (random intercept) for the individual measurements (gold standard and device). Both adjusted and conditional ICCs were computed for the GLMM models considering separately the effect of age, sex, BMI, and obesity. Analyses were performed using R software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) with the rms package.

RESULTS

A total of 23 females and 26 males were enrolled in the study. The median age of the participants was 75 years. The Bland-Altman plot revealed that, excluding one observation, all differences across measurements were in the confidence bounds, demonstrating the substantial agreement between the step count measurements. The results were confirmed by an ICC equal to .98 (.96-.99), demonstrating excellent agreement between the two sets of measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting that was found in this study supports the idea of considering wrist-wearable nonmedical devices (widely available in nonspecialized stores) as reliable tools. Both health care professionals and informal caregivers could monitor the level of PA of their patients.
Immunobiological Markers in Prophylaxis Post-exposure with Single Dose of Rifampicin and BCG Vaccine in Contacts of Multibacillary Leprosy Cases: Study Protocol (Preprint)
Authors: Sato Camila Massae , Domínguez Omar Ariel Espinosa , de Sousa Gutembergue Santos , da Silva Fabiane Verônica , Pinheiro Roberta Olmo , Moraes Milton Ozório , Gaíva Maria Aparecida Munhoz , Cortela Denise Da Costa Boamorte , Ignotti Eliane , Ferreira Silvana Margarida Benevides
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Leprosy contacts are sensitive indicator of the magnitude of severity, and a high risk for infection and disease, especially if the individuals are exposed to the bacillus with multibacillary cases, which reinforces the need for chemoprophylactic measures, such as the use single-dose rifampicin (SDR) combined with BCG vaccine.

OBJECTIVE

Our study will analyze the serological response of anti-NDO-LID, HO-1/HMOX and serum IFN-γ concentration as a prophylactic measure after the use of single-dose rifampicin (SDR) combined with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) among multibacillary leprosy household contacts.

METHODS

Intervention study based on a prospective cohort of household contacts of new cases of multibacillary leprosy diagnosed and registered in the Information System on Diseases of Compulsory Declaration (SINAN – Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação) and residents in the municipalities of Cuiabá and Cáceres, Mato Grosso, in the years 2019 and 2020. Contacts with no signs and symptoms compatible with the disease of the intervention group will receive single-dose rifampicin (SDR) combined with BCG vaccine and will be compared to the control group. The follow-up of the cohort will last 12 months. The analyses of the anti-NDO-LID, HO-1/HMOX and serum concentration of IFN-γ tests as immunological markers before, 6 and 12 months after the intervention will be conducted in a reference laboratory (FIOCRUZ).

RESULTS

The study is still recruiting participants and is expected to be completed in September 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study seeks to analyze the response of anti-NDO-LID, HO-1/HMOX tests and serum IFN-γ concentration as a prophylactic measure after the use of single-dose rifampicin (SDR) combined with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) in home contacts of multibacillary leprosy cases.

CLINICALTRIAL

Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC), RBR-6yg2z9. Retrospectively registered on 3 de Out. de 2019.
Diagnostic Model for In-Hospital Bleeding in Patients with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Algorithm Development and Validation (Preprint)
Authors: Li Yong
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Bleeding complications in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been associated with increased risk of subsequent adverse consequences.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to develop and externally validate a diagnostic model of in-hospital bleeding.

METHODS

We performed multivariate logistic regression of a cohort for hospitalized patients with acute STEMI in the emergency department of a university hospital. Participants: The model development data set was obtained from 4262 hospitalized patients with acute STEMI from January 2002 to December 2013. A set of 6015 hospitalized patients with acute STEMI from January 2014 to August 2019 were used for external validation. We used logistic regression analysis to analyze the risk factors of in-hospital bleeding in the development data set. We developed a diagnostic model of in-hospital bleeding and constructed a nomogram. We assessed the predictive performance of the diagnostic model in the validation data sets by examining measures of discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

In-hospital bleeding occurred in 112 of 4262 participants (2.6%) in the development data set. The strongest predictors of in-hospital bleeding were advanced age and high Killip classification. Logistic regression analysis showed differences between the groups with and without in-hospital bleeding in age (odds ratio [OR] 1.047, 95% CI 1.029-1.066; P<.001), Killip III (OR 3.265, 95% CI 2.008-5.31; P<.001), and Killip IV (OR 5.133, 95% CI 3.196-8.242; P<.001). We developed a diagnostic model of in-hospital bleeding. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.777 (SD 0.021, 95% CI 0.73576-0.81823). We constructed a nomogram based on age and Killip classification. In-hospital bleeding occurred in 117 of 6015 participants (1.9%) in the validation data set. The AUC was 0.7234 (SD 0.0252, 95% CI 0.67392-0.77289).

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and externally validated a diagnostic model of in-hospital bleeding in patients with acute STEMI. The discrimination, calibration, and DCA of the model were found to be satisfactory.

CLINICALTRIAL

ChiCTR.org ChiCTR1900027578; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=45926
COVID-19 and Cybersecurity: Finally, an Opportunity to Disrupt? (Preprint)
Authors: Ferreira Ana , Cruz-Correia Ricardo
Published: June 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

COVID-19 has challenged cybersecurity to meet the ultimate need of guaranteeing the privacy and security of human beings. Although personal and sensitive health data are needed to better understand, detect, and control the disease, many related cybersecurity challenges and vulnerabilities require further analysis and proper discussion. The aims of this viewpoint are to explore the consequences of COVID-19 on cybersecurity and health care as well as to foster awareness regarding the need for a change in paradigm on how cybersecurity is approached. Education and information technology literacy are important when they are suitably provided; however, they are certainly not a complete solution. Disruption needs to occur at the core of human-device interactions. Building trust, providing novel means to interact with technology (eg, digital humans), and supporting people—the most important cybersecurity asset—are only some of the recommendations for a more human and resilient approach to cybersecurity, during or after the pandemic.
Usage of Social media in Pandemic: Seeking support and awareness about COVID-19 through Social Media Platforms (Preprint)
Authors: Saud Muhammad , MASHUD MUSTA’IN , IDA RACHMAH
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

The rise of social media in the global age has attracted the general public to learn medical information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. During these days, people forced to stay at home and the social media connected and supported for awareness and pandemic updates

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to highlight the present situation of Indonesian society, where the outbreak position is quite high and the number of social media followers is increasing.

METHODS

The study designed a survey questionnaire to collect data from social media aspirants and data gathered and started from the month of March and April, 2020. The total number of 348 responses was collected through random sampling techniques and the majority shows a positive attitude toward using social media and medical information instruments. The data was further categories in Microsoft Excel, SPSS and Jamovi to do analysis and preparation of results

RESULTS

The results presented in a frequency distribution, Likert scale, reliability analysis and correlation regression. The majority of the respondents are using social media accounts are most particularly, they are sharing and learning through WhatsApp’s. Social media as social support indicates that greater frequency of respondents is seeking social support from their online and offline friends, relatives and colleagues. The findings show that the usage of social media was strongly correlated with social support (r=.450***, p<.01) capacity building are (r=.488***, p<.01) and learning & knowledge (r=.512***, p<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded the usage of social media platforms is easy and accessible to every individual for share, post and like the medical information regarding COVID-19. As people are working from home, and ensuring the social distance, thus the main majority of their regular time are spending on social media platforms for talking relatives, colleagues, and friends.
Emerging Meat Processing Technologies for Microbiological Safety of Meat and Meat Products
Authors: Singh Manpreet , Novoa Rama Estefania , Kataria Jasmine , Leone Cortney , Thippareddi Harshavardhan
Published: June 2020

A consumer trend toward convenient, minimally processed meat products has exerted tremendous pressure on meat processors to ensure the safety of meat and meat products without compromising product quality and the meeting of consumer demands. This has led to challenges in developing and implementing novel processing technologies as the use of newer technologies may affect consumer choices and opinions of meat and meat products. Novel technologies adopted by the meat industry for controlling foodborne pathogens of significant public health implications, gaps in the technologies, and the need for scaling up technologies that have been proven to be successful in research settings or at the pilot scale will be discussed. Novel processing technologies in the meat industry warrant microbiological validation prior to becoming commercially viable options and enacting infrastructural changes. This review presents the advantages and shortcomings of such technologies and provides an overview of technologies that can be successfully implemented and streamlined in existing processing environments.
Leyes de semillas y maíz transgénico. Análisis desde la co-producción entre ciencia y regímenes económico-políticos en México.
Authors: Ortega Villegas María N. , Zizumbo Villarreal Lilia , Monterroso Salvatierra Neptalí , Hernández Lara Oliver G.
Published: June 2020

La alimentación y lo que está relacionado con ella son elementos importantes para el estudio de la crisis civilizatoria que vivimos. Fenómenos como la erosión de la biodiversidad, enfermedades por el uso de pesticidas, y efectos colaterales de la tecnología transgénica, entre muchos otros, están relacionados a una forma de vida que altera el cuerpo y el ambiente. Actualmente la agricultura industrial es la forma de producción dominante y esto incrementa la crisis ambiental gravemente. En ese contexto, las leyes juegan un papel importante en la comprensión de los cambios en las relaciones humanas con la naturaleza y la producción de alimentos. En México, las leyes de semillas han cambiado del Régimen Fordista al Neoliberal y la tecnología ha jugado un papel importante en ello. Por estas razones, el objetivo del presente artículo fue analizar las leyes de semillas y al maíz transgénico como elementos de la co-producción entre el desarrollo científicotecnológico y los regímenes económico-políticos en México, ambos como elementos importantes en el fenómeno de mercantilización de la vida. El estudio se concentra en entender cómo se despliega la relación de co-producción entre los dos elementos mencionados a través de un estudio histórico de los cambios en las leyes de semillas del Régimen Fordista al Neoliberal. El artículo muestra cómo es que la mercantilización altera las relaciones del hombre con su entorno y, apoyándose de las leyes, propicia una forma de producción de alimentos que participa activamente en la crisis civilizatoria.
PRESTÍGIO ORGANIZACIONAL PERCEBIDO, IDENTIFICAÇÃO ORGANIZACIONAL E EXAUSTÃO EMOCIONAL DO POLICIAL MILITAR
Authors: Ceribeli Harrison Bachion , Freitas Virgínia Filgueiras de , Rezende Ana Flávia , Sabino Karla Luisa Costa
Published: June 2020

Como consequência do adoecimento de muitos policiais devido a seu ofício, não apenas eles sofrem, mas também a sociedade. Por isso, torna-se essencial investigar os fatores que contribuem para reduzir o esgotamento do policial militar e, por conseguinte, a incidência de doenças diversas sobre essa categoria profissional. Nesse contexto, definiu-se como objetivo de pesquisa analisar a relação entre o prestígio organizacional percebido, a identificação organizacional e a exaustão emocional do policial militar de Minas Gerais. O método de pesquisa empregado foi a survey e, para analisar os dados coletados, aplicou-se a técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Com base nos resultados, concluiu-se que o prestígio organizacional percebido influencia positivamente a identificação organizacional e negativamente a exaustão emocional do agente vinculado à Polícia Militar de Minas Gerais. Ademais, constatou-se que a identificação organizacional exerce uma influência negativa sobre a exaustão emocional do policial militar de Minas Gerais.
O COMPORTAMENTO DA TAXA SELIC E AS OPERAÇÕES DE IN’VESTIMENTO E FINANCIAMENTO DE PESSOA FÍSICA NO PERÍODO PÓS-CRISE ECONÔMICA
Authors: Pontel Josiane , Tristão Pâmela Amado , Boligon Juliana Andreia Rudell
Published: June 2020

A recente crise econômica enfrentada pelo Brasil, no período de 2014 a 2016, ocasionou, entre outras alterações, o aumento da taxa de juros e da inflação, afetando o mercado financeiro. Neste contexto, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar o comportamento da taxa Selic e a sua relação com a evolução dos investimentos e financiamentos pessoa física no período pós-crise econômica, em uma instituição financeira privada. O procedimento metodológico utilizado foi de natureza quantitativa e descritiva, dividida em duas etapas, primeiramente foi efetuada a análise de dados no panorama brasileiro das operações de crédito e investimentos pessoa física nas instituições bancárias privadas, utilizando informações do BACEN em três períodos: período anterior à crise econômica, P1 (2013), P2 período de crise econômica (2014 a 2015) e no período pós crise econômica P3 (2016 a 2017). A segunda etapa consistiu em realizar a análise dos investimentos e financiamentos de pessoa física de uma instituição financeira privada, comparando-os com o panorama nacional. Os resultados demonstraram que no período de crise, com a taxa Selic em alta, houve crescimento em algumas modalidades de investimentos e diminuição na concessão de financiamentos. Já no período pós-crise econômica, com a taxa Selic em baixa, os investimentos tiveram redução. A concessão de financiamentos, por sua vez, apresentou leve recuperação.
PLANEJAMENTO ESTRATÉGICO EM UM ESCRITÓRIO DE CONTABILIDADE EM PROCESSO DE SUCESSÃO FAMILIAR
Authors: Rengel Rodrigo , Monteiro Januário José , Petri Sérgio Murilo , Schnorrenberger Darci
Published: June 2020

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi desenvolver o alinhamento estratégico de um escritório de contabilidade que passa por sucessão familiar a partir de um painel de desempenho baseado no BSC. A pesquisa caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa-ação, descritiva e qualitativa. Elaborou-se o alinhamento estratégico a partir de um painel de desempenho aperfeiçoado do BSC do período de 2018/2019. Utilizou-se o método de valoração Linear, para função de valor, a demonstrar matematicamente os julgamentos de valor que os gestores atribuem a cada critério. Resultou em um painel de desempenho composto por 4 perspectivas, divididas em 17 objetivos estratégicos, com indicadores, metas, iniciativas e responsáveis estabelecidos. Por meio da pontuação global, identificou-se a situação atual de -6 pontos e atribuiu-se a meta de alcançar 67 pontos. A representação gráfica subsidiará os gestores na priorização de ações corretivas. Os resultados corroboram com estudos anteriores sobre o uso do BSC em empresas contábeis, de que seu desenvolvimento auxilia tanto na comunicação e implementação da estratégia, quanto na avaliação de desempenho organizacional. Contribui tanto com a literatura quanto com a parte prática por contemplar uma organização em fase de sucessão familiar do ramo de contabilidade, o que não havia sido explorado até então.
Editorial
Authors: Mazzioni Sady , Feuerschütte Simone Ghisi , Fossá Juliano Luiz
Published: June 2020

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An in-vitro and in Silico Anticancer Study of FDA Approved Antidiabetic Drugs Glimepiride and Empagliflozin
Authors: Uzma Faridi  , Fahad Al-Mutairi  , Humaira Parveen  , Sahar Khateeb
Published: June 2020

Drug repurposing is the way to find the role of the drug for new disease. Mostly the drug already passes human trails and approved  by FDA. Many  studies  confirmed  the role of many  drugs in the treatment  of more  than one disease.  Present research was conducted to evaluate the anticancer potential of FDA approved antidiabetic drugs Glimepiride and Empagliflozin. Glimepiride binds to ATP-sensitive  potassium  channel receptors and reduces the potassium conductance  and Empagliflozin  is a sodium glucose co-transporter-2  (SGLT-2) inhibitor. As many anti-diabetic  drugs like meantime  proved to be good anticancer drug  so these  two  drugs  were  selected  for  the  present  study  as their  pharmacodynamics  and  pharmacokinetics  studies  are already reported and both showed no side-effect in human. The purpose of this study was to repurpose the Glimepiride and Empagliflozin as anticancer agents. In-vitro anticancer study was performed on two human cancer cell-lines MCF-7 and A549. To confirm the anticancer potential, the effect of these drugs on selected apoptotic proteins was studied in-silico. Both Glimepiride and Empagliflozin have significant anticancer activity on both the cell-lines but Empagliflozin seems to have better activity in-vitro. In-silico results indicated that both the drugs have significantly high activity towards apoptotic proteins. Although both the drug showed promising  results in in-vitro and in-silico studies but the further studies like in-vivo studies are also required  to prove these drugs as anticancer as well.
Comparison Of Prevalence Of Nosocomial Infections In Opioid Addicts And Non- Addicts AdmittedTo Intensive Care Units
Authors: M. Ahmadinejad  , M. Ahmadipour  , SM. Sohrevardi
Published: June 2020

Acquired nosocomial infections include all clinical infections that the patient does not have at the time of admission to the hospital and hours after admission, the patient's natural flora acquires characteristics that become the source of bacterial infections  for  the  patient  himself.  Nosocomial  infections  dramatically  cause  illness  and  death  and  impose  high  costs  on  the hospitalized  patient.  Hence,  this  study  tends  to compare  the  prevalence  of  nosocomial  infections  in  opium  consumers  and healthy patients admitted  to intensive  care units in Bahonar  hospital of Kerman in 2018.This  cohort study was performed  on two groups of 100 patients including  one group of opioid addicts and one group of non-addicts  hospitalized  in intensive  care units of Bahonar hospital in Kerman. The two groups were compared in terms of nosocomial  infections, site of infection, and type of infectious agent, while in intensive care units. In this study, 197 patients were studied, of whom 161 (81.7%) were male and 36 (18.3%) were female; 98 (49.75%) had a history of opioid addiction, while 99 (50.25%) of them had no drug use. Of 197 patients studied, 118 (59.9%) had no infection while 79 (40.1%) had nosocomial infections. Of 98 addicted patients, 41 (41.8%) were uninfected and 57 (58.2%) were infected. Out of 99 non-addict patients, 77 (77.8%) were uninfected and 22 (22.2%) were infected. Fisher exact test showed that incidence of infection was significantly higher in addicted patients (p-value = 0.001) but there was no significant difference between the two groups in type of infection agent (p-value = 0.547). The results of our study showed that prevalence of nosocomial infections in opium addict patients was significantly higher than non-addict patients, with the highest frequency being pneumonia, UTI, wound infection and sepsis, respectively.