bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Implementation of Sequential Trauma Education Programs (STEPs) Course on Missed Injuries in Emergency Polytrauma Patients, Ismailia, Egypt
Authors: Elbaih Adel Hamed , El-Setouhy Maged , Hirshon Jon Mark , El-Hariri Hazem Mohamed , El-Shinawi Mohamed
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Trauma deaths account for 8% of all deaths in Egypt. Patients with multiple injuries are at high risk but may be saved with a good triage system and a well-trained trauma team in dedicated institutions. The incidence of missed injuries in the Emergency Department (ED) of Suez Canal University Hospital (SCUH) was found to be 9.0% after applying Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines. However, this rate is still high compared with many trauma centers.Aim: Improve the quality of management of polytrauma patients by decreasing the incidence of missed injuries by implementing the Sequential Trauma Education Programs (STEPs) course in the ED at SCUH.Methods: This interventional training study was conducted in the SCUH ED. The study was conducted during the 1-month precourse and for 6 months after the implementation of the STEPs course for ED physicians. Overall, 458 polytrauma patients were randomly selected, of which 45 were found to have missed injuries after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We assessed the clinical relevance of these cases for missed injuries before and after the STEPs course.Results: Overall, 45 patients were found to have missed injuries, of which 15 (12%) were pre-STEPs and 30 (9%) were post-STEPs course. The STEPs course significantly increased adherence to vital data recording, but the reduction of missed injuries (3.0%) was not statistically significant in relation to demographic and trauma findings. However, the decrease in missed injuries in the post-STEPs course group was an essential clinically significant finding.Conclusion: STEPs course implementation decreased the incidence of missed injuries in polytrauma patients. Thus, the STEPs course can be considered at the same level of other advanced trauma courses as a training skills program or possibly better in dealing with trauma patients. Repetition of this course by physicians should be mandatory to prevent more missed injuries. Therefore, the validation of STEPs course certification should be completed at least every 2 years to help decrease the number of missed injuries, especially in low-income countries and low-resource settings.
Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome After Traumatic Rectal Injury: A Case Report
Authors: Park Yunchul , Kang Ji-Hyoun
Published: November 2020

Background: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, progressive, life-threatening condition of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) that is characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and renal impairment. The mechanisms of aHUS are still unknown. To our knowledge, there is currently no report establishing aHUS after traumatic injury. We herein present a case of aHUS after traumatic injury.Case presentation: A 55-year-old man with a medical history of percutaneous coronary intervention due to ST elevation myocardial infarction visited the emergency room after a traumatic injury caused by a tree limb. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a rectal wall defect with significant air density in the perirectal space and preperitoneum, implying rectal perforation and, therefore, an emergency operation was performed. As there was an absence of intraperitoneal intestinal perforation, we performed diverting sigmoid loop colostomy. An additional intermittent simple repair was performed due to perianal and anal injuries. One day after the operation, his urine output abruptly decreased and serum creatinine level increased. In addition, his platelet level decreased, and a spiking fever occurred after 2 days. The patient was diagnosed with acute renal failure secondary to aHUS and was treated with fresh frozen plasma replacement. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was also started for oliguria and uremic symptoms. The patient received CRRT for 3 days and intermittent hemodialysis thereafter. He received four weekly sessions of hemodialysis for 2 weeks. After hemodialysis and subsequent supportive treatment, his urine output and renal function continuously improved. Similarly, his hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia also gradually improved. His dialysis was terminated on day 22 of admission and he was discharged after recovery. His improved state has since been maintained.Conclusions: This case suggests that a traumatic event can be a triggering factor for aHUS, and it should be considered in patients who have thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia after trauma. Early diagnosis and appropriate management can be critical to achieve favorable outcomes in posttraumatic patients with aHUS.
Labor Induction And The Incidence of Intrapartum Maternal Fever In Epidural Labor Analgesia: A Retrospective Case-Control Study
Authors: Wang Min , Li Yiting , Gu Zhongya , Manlin Duan
Published: November 2020

Background: To assess the influence of labor induction on the intrapartum maternal fever in epidural labor analgesia and to determine its association with intrapartum fever.Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed during 2016–2018 in a first-class tertiary hospital. All patients who received epidural labor analgesia were allocated into either case (parturients who received labor induction and had intrapartum fever) or control (parturients who did not receive labor induction but had intrapartum fever) groups. Maternal demographic and intrapartum data, epidural infusions records, and neonatal short-term outcome were studied.Results: A total of 710 epidural labor analgesia occurred during the study period and 119 (16.76%) women had intrapartum fever. Intrapartum fever occurred in 66 (25.68%) women who received labor induction and in 53 (11.70%) who did not. After correction for confounding factors, labor induction (OR 2.818, 95% CI, 1.778–4.467, P<0.001), number of vaginal examinations (OR 1.242, 95% CI, 1.048–1.471, P=0.012), baseline maternal temperature (OR 6.702, 95% CI, 2.065–21.755, P=0.002), admission white blood cell count (OR 1.171, 95% CI, 1.052–1.303, P=0.004), and neonatal birth weight (OR 3.015, 95% CI, 1.739–5.227, P<0.001) were risk factors for intrapartum maternal fever during epidural labor analgesia.Conclusion: Labor induction was significantly associated with an increased risk of intrapartum maternal fever during epidural labor analgesia.
The PD-L1 Metabolic Interactome Intersects with Choline Metabolism and Inflammation
Authors: Pacheco-Torres Jesús , Penet Marie-France , Mironchik Yelena , Krishnamachary Balaji , Bhujwalla Zaver M
Published: November 2020

Background: Harnessing the power of the immune system by using immune checkpoint inhibitors has resulted in some of the most exciting advances in cancer treatment. The full potential of this approach has, however, not been fully realized for treating many cancers such as pancreatic and breast cancer. Cancer metabolism influences many aspects of cancer progression including immune surveillance. An expanded understanding of how cancer metabolism can directly impact immune checkpoints may allow further optimization of immunotherapy. We therefore investigated, for the first time, the relationship between the overexpression of choline kinase-α (Chk-α), an enzyme observed in most cancers, and expression of the immune checkpoint PD-L1. Methods: We used small interfering RNA to downregulate Chk-a, PD-L1 or both in two triple negative human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and SUM-149) and two human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines (Pa09C and Pa20C). The effects of the downregulation were studied at the genomic, proteomic and metabolomic levels. The findings were compared with results obtained by analysis of public data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program.Results: We identified an inverse dependence between Chk-α and PD-L1 at the genomic, proteomic and metabolomic levels. We also found that prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (COX-2) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) play an important role in this relationship. We independently confirmed this relationship in human cancers by analyzing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program. Conclusions: Our data identified previously unknown roles of PD-L1 in cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, and revealed the immunosuppressive increased PD-L1 effect of Chk-α downregulation. These data suggest that PD-L1 regulation of metabolism may be mediated through Chk-α, COX-2 and TGF-β. The observations provide new insights that can be applied to the rational design of combinatorial therapies targeting immune checkpoints and cancer metabolism.
Investigation on the Absorption Bands Around 3.3 μm in CRISM Data
Authors: Manzari Paola , Marzo Cosimo , Ammannito Eleonora
Published: November 2020

Recently, the methane seepage detected by Mars Sample Laboratory (MSL) in the Gale crater area during 2013 was confirmed by methane detection by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS). While analyzing NIR-IR CRISM data on a site in Oxia Planum area, in the view of a future comparison with data that will be collected by the Rosalind Franklin rover onboard the ExoMars2022 mission, a 3.3 μm absorption was noted in some pixel spectra. Since methane, like other hydrocarbons, shows absorptions in the range 3.1-3.6 μm, we begun to study this band in CRISM data to explore the possibility to look for seepages on Mars surface. The datasets chosen for this study, aside the site in Oxia Planum area, include some sites of observations on Gale Crater and other sites in Nili Fossae area. We used the Planetary Spectrum Generator to simulate CRISM spectra of the different sites, with the diverse concentrations of CH4 spikes. These simulations served to establish the relation between concentration and methane band depths, as seen by CRISM spectrometer. Then, mapping the Modified Gaussian Model fit on CRISM data, we extracted the band parameters of the absorptions in the 3.3 μm spectral region. Aside rare, suspected absorptions, an artifact was highlighted. Therefore, we have set a threshold on the depth to consider as depth of potential true absorptions, on the basis of the standard deviation (s) of absorption depth map. Finally, we concluded to favor as potential absorptions: distribution of clusters of pixels in the band mapping not vertically stacked and a threshold value >μ (average)+5σ (standard deviation) of the depth map. These threshold values set the lower limit for each observation on the methane concentration potentially detectable by CRISM. The threshold value varies from one observation to another, in a range between 0.0136-0.0237, that would correspond in a range of lower limit concentrations of 180 and 600 ppbv. We found interesting cluster of pixels which spectra overcome the imposed threshold. We still consider that part of them could still be a kind of unknown artifact. Nevertheless, the aim of this paper is to show that CRISM data can show potential absorptions of methane in such quantities that in some observations are compatible with the order of the methane spikes effectively detected in literature. Even if this work does not confirm nor deny the occurrences of methane seepages in the investigated images it shows a possible method for assessing a confidence limit in the detection of this band in CRISM data.
Knowledge and Understanding of Obstetric Danger Signs Among Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Clinic at the National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tamang Saran Tenzin , Dorji Thinley , Yoezer Sonam , Phuntsho Thinley , Dorji Phurb
Published: November 2020

Background: The third Sustainable Development Goal aims to reduce maternal and newborn deaths. Pregnant women’s understanding of danger signs is an important factor in seeking timely care during emergencies. We assessed knowledge of obstetric danger signs using both recall and understanding of appropriate action required during obstetric emergencies.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Bhutan’s largest hospital in Thimphu. Recall was assessed against seven obstetric danger signs outlined in the Mother and Child Health Handbook (7 points). Understanding of danger signs was tested using 13 multiple choice questions (13 points). Knowledge was scored out of 20 points and reported as “good” (≥80%), “satisfactory” (60 – 79%) and “poor” (<60%). Association between knowledge score and participant characteristics were tested using Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact and t-tests. Corresponding non-parametric tests were performed where appropriate. Correlation between participant characteristics and knowledge score as well as number of danger signs recalled was tested using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results with p<0.05 were considered significant.Results: Four hundred and twenty-two women responded to the survey (response rate = 96.0%). Mean (±SD) knowledge score was 12 (±2.5). Twenty women (4.7%) had “good knowledge”, 245 (58.1%) had “satisfactory knowledge” and 157 (37.2%) had “poor knowledge”. The median number of danger signs recalled was 2 (IQR 1, 3) while 68 (20.3%) women could not recall any danger signs. Women were most knowledgeable about pre-labour rupture of membranes (96.0%) and least knowledgeable about spotting during pregnancy (19.9%). Knowledge level was significantly associated with reading Mother and Child Health Handbook, mother’s education level, husband’s education level, number of antenatal care visits, gestational age and past surgery on reproductive tract. Both knowledge score and number of danger signs recalled significantly correlated with the period of gestation. Conclusions: Most pregnant women had satisfactory knowledge score but recognized the appropriate actions warranted during obstetric emergencies. The MCH Handbook has played a significant role in improving knowledge and understanding of danger signs.
Primary Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma in Oral-maxillary Area: Retrospective Study and Molecular Analysis
Authors: Xiao Meng , You Yuanhe , Du Zhong , Tian Zhuowei , Xu Guisong , Shi Rongxin , Wang Lizhen , Wang Yanan
Published: November 2020

BackgroundUndifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) in oral-maxillary area is rarely reported. Herein, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, prognosis, and molecular features of the oral-maxillary UPS. MethodsRetrospectively, we reviewed the UPS patients who were diagnosed and treated in our department. The medical histories, imaging features, histopathological characteristics, treatment strategies, clinical outcomes were summarized and analyzed. Besides, the molecular features were demonstrated by whole exonic sequencing. ResultsTotally, 10 cases with primary oral-maxillary UPS were included. The rapidly progressive UPS can easily develop at advanced and life-threatening stage, especially concerning the complex anatomical structures and spaces in the oral-maxillary area. The finial diagnosis for UPS greatly depends on histological findings and immunohistochemistry under the exclusion of all the possible differential diagnosis. Retrospectively, the treatment strategies for the involved cases still referred to those of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Statistically, the median overall survival (OS) for all the included cases was 7.75 months (range: 5-17 months). Comparatively, 3 cases had improved OS (median survival: 17 months, range: 17-18 months) experienced PR/SD with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (anlotinib). Cancer driver genes detection revealed GBP4 as a candidate driver gene for the oral-maxillary UPS. Additionally, a missense mutation in gene PIK3CA (p.E545K) was also identified. ConclusionOur findings can greatly expand the knowledge about the oral-maxillary UPS, and provide molecular evidences to improve the therapeutic options for the oral-maxillary UPS. Further studies are warranted to validate our discoveries on the oral-maxillary UPS.
Evaluation of Xpert® MTB/RIF for the Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Sputum-Smear Negative Patients Using Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
Authors: Oyeh Ernest , Zhang Zhenghao , Wang Yanan , Xu Peng , Jin Faxiang , Xu Wenfang
Published: November 2020

BackgroundAn estimated three million cases of tuberculosis (TB) are missed annually and much time elapse for the diagnosis of suspected sputum-smear negative cases, hence, the need for rapid and accurate diagnostic test. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the use of the Xpert®MTB/RIF assay on BALF specimens in TB diagnosis in terms of time to treatment initiation and its effect on empirical treatment.MethodsBronchoscopy was offered to sputum smear-negative patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Collected BALF was tested by fluorescent microscopy, MGIT960, and Xpert®MTB/RIF assay. First-line drug sensitivity tests were performed on positive samples. Similar tests were done using sputum.ResultsBetween November 2017 and November 2019, a total of 395 suspected TB patients underwent bronchoscopy in our hospital. BALF samples were collected and analysed using different methods. Using BALF culture as the standard reference test, the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert®MTB/RIF for TB diagnosis using BALF specimens were 79.2% and 95.8%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 87.5% and 93.0%, respectively. Rifampin resistance was highly predictive of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) using Xpert®MTB/RIF, with a value of 72.7%.The median time to treatment initiation using BALF was 5 days (IQR=4-7 days) for fluorescent staining, 6 days (IQR=3-8 days) with Xpert®MTB/RIF and 31 days (IQR=29-35 days) for culture.Further, 179(45.3%) out of the 395 sputum smear-negative patients suspected of PTB were already started on empirical treatment before bronchoscopy. After bronchoscopy, 96(24.3%) tested positive for TB whilst 83(21%) tested negative with Xpert®MTB/RIF using BALF.ConclusionXpert®MTB/RIF done using BALF for sputum smear-negative patients suspected of PTB increases the diagnostic accuracy of TB and decreases the time to treatment initiation of PTB as well as the rate of empirical treatment use.
The Fundamental Role of Prophylactic Anticoagulation Therapy and the Complications of Hypercoagulability in Patients infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Authors: Alwaeli Haidar , Shabbir Mahvesh , Sobi Mali Khamissi , Demirjian Jack , Ahmad Arham , Musallam Serene
Published: November 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is predominately an upper respiratory infectious disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although most patients infected with COVID-19 generally present with acute respiratory distress symptoms, we are now learning that the virus can cause a multitude of disruption in physiological and pathophysiological homeostasis. Moreover, there are increasingly reported cases of thromboembolic events occurring in infected patients, resulting in widespread use of anticoagulation therapy. This case series presents seven patients who have received anticoagulation therapy over the course of the disease. Additionally, the correlation between thromboembolic complications secondary to COVID-19, prophylactic use of anticoagulation therapy and the significant pathological findings that might arise will be assessed and discussed in great details.
Well perioperative glycemic control improves outcomes in neonates with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis in a tertiary referral center: a retrospective study
Authors: Guo Nan , Ji Haiyin , Tong Dongyi , Yao Jiaxin , Zhao Ping
Published: November 2020

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most common and devastating diseases that occurs in neonates, and often requires surgical intervention. Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia can easily occur in newborns, due to their metabolic immaturity. It remains unknown how factors associated with anesthesia especially perioperative glucose level affect the surgical outcomes of neonates with NEC. In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the risk factors associated with prolonged hospitalization among neonates who received surgical treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis.Methods: From January 2016 to October 2019, a total of 204 infants with a gestational age of 28 weeks to 40 weeks underwent open surgery for NEC at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. Among those infants, 111 patients were assigned to the well glycemic control group and 93 patients were assigned to the poor glycemic control group. The primary study outcome was the length of postoperative hospital stay. Risk factors that may affect surgical outcomes were collected and analyzed via multivariate logistic regression to determine their association with postoperative hospital stay.Results: A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high preoperative weight (OR=0.995, 95%CI=0.992-0.997, p<0.001) and well glycemic control (OR=0.129, 95%CI=0.031-0.535, p=0.005) were independent protective factors for prolonged hospital stay, whereas long duration of endotracheal intubation in NICU(OR=1.239, 95%CI=1.016-1.512, p=0.035) and long days of antibiotics use (OR=1.421, 95%CI=1.233-1.637, p<0.001) were independent risk factors for prolonged hospital stay. Patients with perioperative blood glucose control within the prespecified range(47-150mg/dL) had shorter postoperative hospital stays than those with perioperative blood glucose measurements outside those limits (22 [18,26] vs 29 [24.5,36.5] days, p <0.001).Conclusions: Perioperative glucose levels outside a pre-specified range were an independent risk factor for a prolonged hospital stay in a population of neonates who underwent surgical repair for NEC.
Factors associated with awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among 3,579 hypertensive adults in China: data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Wei junxiang , Mi Yang , Li Yan , Xin Bo , Wang Youfa
Published: November 2020

Background: The prevalence of hypertension is high and rising in China, but most people with hypertension do not have their blood pressure under control. This study investigated hypertension awareness, treatment, and control and their associated factors among Chinese adults. Methods: Data collected from the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 12,991 Chinese adults were used. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg, self-reported prior diagnosed hypertension, or taking antihypertensive medications. Hypertension awareness, treatment, and control were defined as a self-reported diagnosis of hypertension, current use of antihypertensive medication, and blood pressure < 140/90 mm Hg, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine factors associated with hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. Results: Overall, 3,579 (27.6%) of the CHNS adult participants had hypertension, of whom 55.7% were aware of their diagnosis, 46.5% were treated with antihypertensive medications, but only 20.3% had their blood pressure under control. Higher hypertension treatment was associated with older age (OR=2.57; 95%CI, 1.65-4.02), urban residency (1.50; 1.14-1.97), living in the Eastern region (1.52; 1.14-2.01), and being overweight/obese (1.99; 1.39-2.84). Hypertension awareness was associated with similar factors as hypertension treatment but was also associated with being female (1.37, 1.12-1.66). Poor hypertension control was associated with being overweight/obese (0.56; 0.42-0.76) and minority ethnicity (0.52; 0.31-0.86). Conclusion: Hypertension is a major public health challenge in China. The prevalence of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control are still low despite existing public health policies and programs to reduce the burden of hypertension. More intensive hypertension screening and treatment programs are warranted in China.
Analysis of risk factors of severe COVID-19 patients
Authors: Yin Qin , Fu Zhen , Xie Jiao , Yang Jie , Li Fengqin , Zhu Wangcai , Yu Yihan , Zhang Jixian
Published: November 2020

Objective: To explore relevant risk factors for severity of patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). Methods: The clinical data of 292 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese & Western Medicine from January 1, 2020 to February 29, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into mild or severe group according to the Guidance for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (7th version) released by the Chinese National Health Committee. The clinical data were collected at the time of admission, including demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, imaging characteristics and outcomes of treatments. We applied univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with severity of the disease.Results: The median age of patients in the severe group ((68.19±12.51) years) was significantly older than mild group ((54.14 ± 13.62) years). The male sex was more predominant in severe group (63.45%) than that of mild group (38.1%). There were more smokers (8.97% vs 1.36%) and drinkers (4.14% vs 0%) in severe group than that of mild group. Patients in the severe group had more underlying diseases. Hypertension（48.97% vs 23.81%），coronary heart disease (22.07% vs 1.36%, P<0.0001) , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.21% vs 1.36%), malignant tumor (7.59% vs 2.04%) and chronic kidney disease (3.45% vs 0%) were more frequent in severe group than in mild group. The dyspnea, chest tightness and dry cough were more common in severe group (43.45%, 66.9% and 66.21%) than in mild group (23.13%, 44.22% and 53.74%). Abnormality of chest radiography were more frequent in the severe group, there were more ground glass opacities, consolidation of lung and white lung in the severe cases (88.97%, 44.07% and 46.21%) than in mild cases (78.91%, 19.05% and 2.04%). Patients in the severe group were more likely to receive methylprednisolone, oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation. Lasso algorithm showed that age, C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK) and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (α-HBDB) were independent risk factors for severe COVID-19, but the count of CD4+T lymphocyte was the protective factor. Conclusion: This retrospective study of 292 COVID-19 patients revealed that age, CRP, CK, α-HBDB and the count of CD4+T lymphocyte were independent risk factors for severity of COVID-19. Identifying patients with risk factors at an early stage of the disease are helpful for outcome prediction and clinical management.
Factors Associated with Duration of Breastfeeding in Bangladesh: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014   
Authors: Ayesha Ummay , Mamun ASMA , Sayem Md. Abu , Hossain Golam
Published: November 2020

Background: Breastfeeding for optimum duration is one of the most effective ways to reduce infant morbidity and mortality and confirm expected growth and development of children. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of socio-demo­graphic and anthropometric determinants on duration of breast­feeding among Bangladeshi mothers.Methods: The data was extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS)-2014. A total of 3541 married non–pregnant Bangladeshi mothers in reproductive age who had at least one child aged 6-36 months were included in this study. Independent sample t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to find the significance difference in duration of breastfeeding between two and more than two groups respectively. Multiple linear regression model was utilized to determine the effect of some quantitative variables on duration of breastfeeding. Results: This study raveled that the mean and median duration of breastfeeding among Bangladeshi mothers was 18.91 (95% CI: 18.65-19.17) and 19.00 months respectively. Independent sample t-test and ANOVA showed that duration of breastfeeding among Bangladeshi mothers was significantly influenced by (i) ANC service, (ii) religion, (iii) mode of delivery, (iv) parents’ education, (v) geographical location and (vi) household wealth quintile. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that mothers’ age, mothers’ body mass index, total number of children and mothers’ age at first birth were important predictors of duration of breastfeeding.Conclusions: Healthcare providers and decision makers can consider these findings to make plan for counseling of mothers and family members to promote optimum duration of breastfeeding practice in first two years of baby’s life.
Immediate and legacy effects of snow exclusion on soil fungal diversity and community composition
Authors: Xu Zhenfeng , Zhang Li , Ren Yuzhi , Yang Kaijun , Li Zhijie , Tan Bo , Liu Yang , Li Han , You Chengming , Liu Sining , Wang Lixia , Yin Rui , Zhang Jian
Published: November 2020

Background: Soil fungi play crucial roles in ecosystem functions. However, how snow cover change associated with winter warming affects soil fungal communities remains unclear in the Tibetan forest.Methods: We conducted a snow manipulation experiment to explore immediate and legacy effects of snow exclusion on soil fungal community diversity and composition in a spruce forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Soil fungal communities were performed by the high throughput sequencing of gene-fragments.Results: Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two dominant fungal phyla and Archaeorhizomyces, Aspergillus and Amanita were the three most common genera across seasons and snow manipulations. Snow exclusion did not affect the diversity and structure of soil fungal community in both snow-covered and snow-free seasons. However, the relative abundance of some fungal communities was different among seasons. Soil fungal groups were correlated with environmental factors (i.e., temperature and moisture) and soil biochemical variables (i.e., ammonium and enzyme).Conclusions: These results suggest that the season-driven variations had stronger impacts on soil fungal community than short-term snow cover change. Such findings may have important implications for soil microbial processes in Tibetan forests experiencing significant decreases in snowfall.
Fast Inverse Design of Microstructures via Generative Invariance Networks
Authors: Lee Xian Yeow , Waite Joshua , Yang Chih-Hsuan , Pokuri Balaji , Joshi Ameya , Balu Aditya , Hegde Chinmay , Ganapathysubramanian Baskar , Sarkar Soumik
Published: November 2020

The problem of efficient design of material microstructures exhibiting desired properties spans a variety of engineering and science applications. An ability to rapidly generate microstructures that exhibit user-specified property distributions transforms the iterative process of traditional microstructure-sensitive design. We reformulate the microstructure design process as a constrained Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). This approach explicitly encodes invariance constraints within a GAN to generate two-phase morphologies for photovoltaic applications obeying design specifications: specifically, various short circuit current density and fill-factor combinations. Such invariance constraints can be represented by deep learning-based surrogates of full physics models mapping microstructure to photovoltaic properties. To circumvent data generation bottlenecks, we utilize a multi-fidelity surrogate that reduces the requirements of expensive labels by 5X. Our approach enables fast generation of microstructures (in~190ms) with user-defined properties. Such physics-aware data-driven methods for inverse design problems are expected to democratize and accelerate the field of microstructure-sensitive design.
Integrated Approach to Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: Processed Potato and Tomato
Authors: Gustafson David , Asseng Senthold , Kruse John , Thoma Greg , Guan Kaiyu , Hoogenboom Gerrit , Matlock Marty , Mclean Morven , Parajuli Ranjan , Rajagopalan Kirti , Stöckle Claudio , Sulser Timothy , Tarar Layla , Wiebe Keith , Fraisse Clyde , Gimenez Carmen , Intarapapong Walaiporn , Karimi Tina , Kruger Chad , Li Yan , Marshall Elizabeth , Nelson Roger , Pronk Annette , Raymundo Rubi , Riddle Anne , Rosenbohm Marc , Sonke Daniel , Evert Frits van , Wu Genghong , Xiao Liujuin , Zhao Chuang
Published: November 2020

Food systems are increasingly challenged to meet growing demand for specialty crops due to the effects of climate change and increased competition for resources. We apply a novel integrated methodology that includes climate, crop, economic, and life cycle assessment (LCA) models to US potato and tomato supply chains. We assess the effectiveness of changing management strategies to address climate change and the opportunity to relocate away from regions with increased water scarcity. We find that supply chains for two popular processed products in the United States, French fries and pasta sauce, will be remarkably resilient, through planting adaptation strategies that avoid higher temperatures. Land and water footprints will decline over time due to higher yields, and GHG emissions can be mitigated by waste reduction and process modification. Our integrated methodology can be applied to other crops and geographies, and the results could inform decision-making at multiple steps along supply chains.
Genome-wide analysis of ATP-binding cassette transporters sheds light on the genes related to bioactive metabolite transportation in Salvia miltiorrhiza
Authors: Yan Li , Zhang Jianhong , Chen Hongyu , Hongmei Luo
Published: November 2020

Background: ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters have been found in plants and play important roles in metabolic transport in cells, which affect the subcellular compartmentalisation and tissue distribution of these compounds in particular. The dry roots and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, a widely used medicinal plant, known as Danshen in traditional Chinese medicine, contain biologically active secondary metabolites of tanshinone and salvianolic acid. Given an assembled and annotated genome and a set of transcriptome data of S. miltiorrhiza, we analysed and identified the candidate genes that likely involved in the bioactive metabolite transportation of this medicinal plant, starting with the members of the ABC transporter family.Results: A total of 114 genes encoding ABC transporters were identified in the genome of S. miltiorrhiza. All the ABC genes were divided into eight subfamilies, including 3ABCA, 31ABCB, 14ABCC, 2ABCD, 1ABCE, 7ABCF, 46ABCG and 10 ABCI. Gene expressional profiling analysis revealed the tissue-specific expression profiles of these ABC transporters, particularly the highly expressed transporters in the roots of S. miltiorrhiza, which might be involved in transporting bioactive compounds of this medicinal plant. Notably, 18 genes that were highly expressed in the roots of S. miltiorrhiza were selected and verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to determine the co-expression profiling of these candidate genes with the key enzyme genes involved in the tanshinone and salvianolic acid biosynthetic pathways. Finally, three ABC genes (SMil_00020022, SMil_00010949, SMil_00027268) and one gene (SMil_00016361) might be involved in tanshinone and salvianolic acid transport in cells, respectively. In addition, the biological functions of S. miltiorrhiza ABC transporters were predicted on the basis of the phylogenetic analysis and expressional profile exploration, including the transportation of lipids, hormones, ions and primary metabolites.Conclusions: Our systematic analyses on the ABC transporters in S. miltiorrhiza provided information on ABC proteins for the first time and revealed the candidate transporters involved in the bioactive compound transportation of this medicinal plant. The genome-wide identification, transcriptome profile analysis and their phylogenetic relationships would provide a new perspective on the function of ABC transporters in S. miltiorrhiza.
Povezanost izvršnih funkcija i jezika u odrasloj dobi
Authors:   Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Krilčić Paula , Šimleša Sanja ,   Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Olujić Marina ,   Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Kuvač Kraljević Jelena ,   Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb
Published: November 2020

Brojna istraživanja upućuju na povezanost izvršnih funkcija i jezika. Ipak, zbog složenosti izvršnih funkcija, teškoća u njihovu definiranju i ispitivanju, točna priroda te veze još uvijek nije poznata. Većina dosadašnjih istraživanja izvršnih funkcija temelji se na dječjem jezičnom razvoju ili jezičnom razvoju kod specifičnih populacija. S obzirom na to da su i jezik i izvršne funkcije s obzirom na dob osjetljivi konstrukti, za spoznaje o dinamici njihova odnosa nužno je istraživanja proširiti i na odraslu dob. U skladu s time, cilj je ovog istraživanja bio ispitati povezanost pojedinih sastavnica izvršnih funkcija s jezičnim razumijevanjem u odrasloj dobi. Sudionici su bili odrasle osobe (N = 30) u dobi između 21 i 37 godina. Izvršne funkcije prostornog radnog pamćenja, prostornog planiranja, kognitivne fleksibilnosti i kognitivne inhibicije ispitane su CANTAB baterijom testova, a verbalno radno pamćenje ispitano je podljestvicom Pamćenje raspona brojeva WAIS-III testa. Jezične sposobnosti ispitane su Peabody slikovnim testom rječnika (PPVT-III-HR) i Testom razumijevanja gramatike (TROG-2:HR). Rezultati regresijske analize pokazali su doprinos izvršnih funkcija u razumijevanju složenih, ali ne i jednostavnih rečenica, niti riječi. Dobiveni rezultati mogli bi značiti da je potreba za izvršnim funkcijama tijekom jezične obrade u odrasloj dobi ograničena na razumijevanje složenijih sintaktičkih struktura koje predstavljaju veće opterećenje za obradu. Takvi rezultati u skladu su s rezultatima sličnih stranih istraživanja, no za donošenje konačnih zaključaka potrebno je uključiti ispitanike starijih dobnih skupina i varirati veći broj struktura različite razine sintaktičke složenosti. Ključne riječi: izvršne funkcije, jezik, receptivni rječnik, razumijevanje rečenica, odrasla dob
African Civet Habitat Mapping in Illu-Abbabora Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: Geospatial Approach
Authors: Suryabhagavan K. V. , Berhanu Mintesnot , Afework Bezawork , Bekele Afework , Balakrishnan M.
Published: November 2020

The African Civet (Civettictis Civetta Shreber, 1778) is one of the important natural animal resources of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the major producer of the Civet perineal gland secretion (known as “civet”) used extensively as a base in perfume industry. However, there is no improvement in civet farming processes in rural Ethiopia, and the farmers still live in a poor state. Majority of rural population in Ethiopia is depending on agriculture, and hence land-use changes during the past couple of decades are mostly linked to agricultural development. Present study was undertaken to predict the spatial distribution of land-use and land-cover and habitats of the African Civet here in after referred as civet(s) in Illu-Abbabora Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Landsat images of three years: 1985, 2000 and 2018 were classified to generate land-use/land-cover maps, locate forests and other land classes. Results of the study revealed that forest and wetland habitats decreased by an estimated 11.12 km2/yr-1 and 2.39 km2/yr-1, respectively during the period of 1985-2018. In contrast, the extent of agricultural land, urban area and Gumro tea plantation increased by an estimated 13.36 km2/yr-1, 0.59 km2/yr-1 and 0.43 km2/yr-1, respectively. Habitat suitability approach was found to have great potential in predicting potential habitats of the civets through complex non-linear models.
Secondary development process of slicer based on workflow of intracranial hematoma
Authors: Song Jingyu , Cui Yuxuan , Yu Guoqing , Chang Jincai , Cui Jianzhong
Published: November 2020

Because 3D Slicer has many applications in medical imaging and has high scalability, it has been studied by many people engaged in medical and development work. In order to facilitate the clinical use of 3D Slicer software in craniocerebral surgery, this article re-developed the graphical user interface (GUI) in the software. The development process can be divided into four steps: app, Qt and Visual Studio, software packaging and external modules. Through the application of Qt and Visual Studio, GUI can be built and modified to simplify the operation steps and operation interface, in order to meet the clinical use needs of doctors. At the same time, this paper demonstrates the operation results in the workflow, such as medical image fusion and neural bundle modeling.
CORRECTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS OF RUSSIA RELIGIOUS SECURITY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CRIMINOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Authors: TARASEVICH Ivan A. , KIRILLOV Dmitry A.
Published: November 2020

According to the logic of the updated RF Constitution and the UN Resolution on enlightenment religious tolerance, the latter is defined as the optimal principle of the arrangement of interreligious relations. This logic is also consistent with the goals of effective prevention of inter-religious aggression in the context of the implementation of the doctrine of religious security, since it takes into account the religious people’s mechanism of criminal behavior features. Meanwhile, the constitutional law basis of religious security, including Russian legislation on freedom of conscience, is not consistent with such a logic. This indicates the importance of correcting the existing legal approaches. The proposed statement and consideration of the question in the research aspect are new.
This study, continuing for more than ten years, touches upon a wide range of constitutional and legal issues of the religious space, and it is reflected in more than 40 articles by the authors. The research methodology is based on the dialectical methodology. The elements of other methodological approaches are also used, in particular,the methods of falsification and abstract slice. The study conducted surveys of more than nine hundred people, who identified themselves as religious people, religious agnostics, and atheists.
The purpose of this research aspect presented in this article is to justify the importance of correcting the legal regulation of interreligious relations from the point of view of the criminological significance of religious tolerance for religious security purposes. This aspect is relevant in connection with the accumulation of ideas of religious exclusivity in society, as well as the rejection of religious tolerance.
This article finds the criminological significance of religious tolerance as one of the most important factors of religious security, and it points out the inferiority of patience in matters of faith as the Russian legislative antipode of religious tolerance. The authors also highlight the absence of religious tolerance in Russia, and they propose priority measures to ensure legal institutionalization of tolerance in the religious space. These measures include, in particular, the use of the positive potential of the two largest religious communities in Russia: Sunnism and canonical Orthodoxy — and proposals for a legislation change.
STUDY OF THE FUNCTIONALITY OF A NOVEL SOLUTION BINDER OBTAINED FROM OCIMUM BASILICUM SEEDS: A MECHANISTIC APPROACH
Authors: HARDIKAR SHARWAREE R. , JAMDADE NILESH S.
Published: November 2020

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the functionality of the hydrogel isolated from the seeds of Ocimum basilicum (Gel) as a novel solution binder.

Methods: Paracetamol is known to possess poor manufacturability. Therefore it was selected as a model drug to study the efficiency of Gel as a solution binder. Paracetamol tablets were prepared at gradually increasing compression pressure from the granules prepared by using Gel of various viscosities as a solution binder. Compactibility parameter was calculated to assess the utility of Gel as a novel tablet binder. Optimization of the formulation was done by adopting factorial design as an appropriate DOE. Tablets of factorial batches were evaluated for disintegration time and crushing strength. The effect of viscosity of binder solution used to prepare granulation and compression pressure applied on granulation on the performance of the tablets was confirmed by analyzing the data using ANOVA.

Results: The addition of binder solution to prepare granulation with the viscosity ≥ 19.33 centipoises was found to be suitable to attain desired degree of agglomeration. The crushing strength of the tablets was found to be increased with an increase in compression pressure and an increase in viscosity of binder solution.

Conclusion: The compatibility parameter was observed to be increased as the viscosity of the binder solution added in the formulation was gradually increased. The Gel as a binder material was found to deform plastically at compression pressures 34.48 to 75.85 MPa. This confirmed its functionality as a solution binder in Paracetamol tablet preparation.
APPLICATION OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY FOR ENDPOINT DETERMINATION OF BLENDING AND INFLUENCE OF LOADING ORDER
Authors: SODATA PATTEERA , PEERAPATTANA JOMJAI
Published: November 2020

Objective: This study aimed to apply near-infrared spectroscopy along with a thief as a tool to determine the endpoint of the blending process.

Methods: The calibration model was constructed by partial least square regression. The best model was applied to determine the endpoint of the blending process, also the effect of loading order on the endpoint for the blending of the formulation containing a low concentration of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Results: The best partial least square regression model yielded the lowest root mean square error of calibration of 1.4004, the lowest root mean square error of prediction of 1.4108 and the highest correlation coefficient of 0.9921. Validation study revealed the reference values were not statistically different from those of the predicted values. The model could predict the endpoint of the blending process with acceptable precision and accuracy. Standard deviation of the content of active pharmaceutical ingredients was ≤ 3% of the target after eighteen minutes of the blending process, which indicated the uniformity of powder blends. Additionally, the model revealed the order of powder loading slightly affected the blending time. The protocol that loaded the active pharmaceutical ingredient first or last needed a longer time to achieve the uniformity of blend.

Conclusion: NIR spectroscopy is the rapid and effective tools that could be applied to study the blending process in the pharmaceutical manufacturing.
IN VITRO EVALUATION OF LECTINIZED CISPLATIN BEARING LIPOSOMES SYSTEM
Authors: TIWARI RAHUL , VISWANATHAN KALIYAPERUMAL , VYAS SURESH PRASAD , SONI VANDANA
Published: November 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent and mechanism anti-cancer drug-loaded liposomes using wheat germ agglutinin as a guiding molecule.

Methods: For the drug-loaded liposome synthesis, the thin film hydration method was used and the drug cisplatin was loaded during the synthesis and followed by the surface modification using wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin. The developed system was confirmed based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), particle size (PS) analyzer, polydispersity index and Zeta Potential analyzer.

Results: The results showed the surface modified by liposomes had the particle size 200±5 nm. The wheat germ agglutinin coated on the surface to liposome led to a reduction in zeta potential and drug entrapment efficiency while particle size increased. Plain liposomes containing cisplatin had less effect than WGA modified liposome on MCF-7 cell lines.

Conclusion: The MTT studies indicated that the drug molecules were initially get delivered to the inside the cell. This formulation offered new simple approach and effectively kill the cells via targeting the nucleus.