bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fenestração apical decorrente de traumatismo dentário em paciente pediátrico: relato de caso
Authors: Barros Danyllo Guimarães Morais , Silva Diego Filipe Bezerra , Gomes Daliana Queiroga de Castro
Published: February 2021

Introdução: A alveólise é uma condição patológica ósseo-gengival de baixa ocorrência, decorrente do deslocamento da raiz do dente decíduo em direção à lâmina óssea alveolar externa, com rompimento do osso e da gengiva ou mucosa alveolar, até se tornar clinicamente visível na cavidade oral. Objetivo: Relatar um caso clínico de alveólise, do tipo fenestração apical (FA), em paciente pediátrico com história de traumatismo dentário na região anterior da maxila. Relato do caso: Paciente do sexo masculino, seis anos de idade, apresentou-se com dente 51 mesializado, extruído, com exposição do ápice da raiz na região vestibular maxilar da cavidade oral, com tecido circundante edemaciado e eritematoso, sem sintomatologia dolorosa. Durante a anamnese, a mãe do paciente relatou que o mesmo sofreu uma queda há aproximadamente quatro anos, com consequente traumatismo dentário na região anterior da maxila, porém não procurou-se atendimento odontológico após o ocorrido. A análise radiográfica confirmou a formação dos dentes permanentes sucessores 11 e 21. O dente 61 estava em processo de rizólise, enquanto que a raiz do dente 51 encontrava-se sem evidências desse processo fisiológico. O diagnóstico clínico foi de alveólise, do tipo FA, e o tratamento de escolha foi a exodontia do dente 51. Após nove dias do procedimento, o paciente retornou e foi observado que a região onde havia sido realizada a exodontia estava apresentando cicatrização satisfatória. Considerações finais: Conclui-se que a alveólise é uma condição de fácil diagnóstico e o tratamento de escolha é a exodontia do dente envolvido e apresenta bom prognóstico.
Crystal chemistry of arsenian pyrites: A Raman spectroscopic study
Authors: Zhang He , Qian Gujie , Cai Yuanfeng , Gibson Christopher , Pring Allan
Published: February 2021

A Raman spectroscopic study on the nature of As-S substitution in natural arsenian pyrite [Fe(S,As)2] is presented, covering a compositional range of 0.01–4.6 at% As. Three Raman-active modes were identified in the Raman spectrum of a nearly pure pyrite: Eg (344 cm−1), Ag (379 cm−1), and Tg(3) (432 cm−1). The Raman vibrational modes exhibit one-mode behavior, and the wavenumbers of optical modes vary approximately linearly with As content, correlating with the change in bond constants with increasing substitution of As for S. The linewidth of the Ag mode increases with increasing As substitution, which may be attributed to the increase in lattice strain associated with the substitution of As for S. This study provides experimental evidence for As-induced structural evolution of pyrite from being stable to metastable before decomposing into other phases. Our results, together with those of another Raman study of arsenian pyrite whose As substitution is more complex, indicate that one cannot use Raman band shifts to determine As content, but for a given As content, can characterize the nature of As substitution, i.e., As for S or As for Fe or both.
OXIDAÇÃO ANÓDICA PARA DESCONTAMINAÇÃO DE UM EFLUENTE CONTAMINADO COM O HERBICIDA GLIFOSATO UTILIZANDO ANODO DE DIAMANTE DOPADO COM BORO
Authors: Lima Maycon , Fajardo Ana , Santos Elaine , Sales-Solano Aline , Silva Djalma , Martínez-Huitle Carlos
Published: February 2021

ANODIC OXIDATION FOR DECONTAMINATION OF CONTAMINATED EFFLUENT WITH GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE USING BORON DOPED DIAMOND ANODE. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in various crops. Based on the existing literature, this herbicide has carcinogenic characteristics, being able to be found in water courses, not only for its leaching in soils, but also in the effluents of the industries that produce it. Due to its negative impact on living beings, this work aims to investigate the applicability of the electrochemical treatment of a synthetic solution containing glyphosate with boron-doped diamond anode. Two electrochemical systems were tested (magnetic stirring and recirculation flow) for studying the applied current density (j = 30-200 mA cm-2), initial glyphosate concentration (250-850 mg L-1) and initial pH (3-9) as operating conditions. Best removal efficiencies were achieved at 100 mA cm-2, 850 mg L-1 of glyphosate and the natural effluent pH (≈5,0). The performance of the electrochemical systems was evaluated in terms of removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and energy requirements. After 120 min of treatment, comparing the magnetic stirring system to the recirculation it was verified that the first one is the most economically viable with an energy consumption of 56 kWh m-3. However, the results at both electrochemical systems are mor
NANOFIBRAS ELETROFIADAS E SUAS APLICAÇÕES: AVANÇOS NA ÚLTIMA DÉCADA
Authors: Mercante Luiza , Andre Rafaela , Macedo Juliana , Pavinatto Adriana , Correa Daniel
Published: February 2021

ELECTROSPUN NANOFIBERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS: ADVANCES IN THE LAST DECADE. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the development of nanomaterials with improved properties compared to their counterparts at the micro- and macroscopic scale. In this context, nanofibers obtained by electrospinning technique are highly attractive due to the unique combination of high surface area/volume ratio, porosity, flexibility, mechanical performance, simple processing and relatively low cost. In addition, the possibility to buildup nanofibers with different compositions, structures and properties allows the design of nanostructures for a wide range of applications. In this review, we will discuss the advances of the last decade in the use of the electrospinning to obtain nanofibers with different compositions and morphologies for varied applications. Specifically, we are interested in providing an overview of the state of the art in relation to the application of nanofibers in different areas, including healthcare, environment, sensing and energy. Finally, we will discuss the real perspective in terms of industrial application and future trends that have been pursued to improve the performance of electrospun nanofibers. This review will help researchers to understand the evolution and challenges of the area and will also stimulate even more interest in the development of new devices based on electrospun nanofibers
Effects of magnetized fresh water on seed germination and seeding growth of cotton
Authors: Zhang Jihong , Wei Kai , Wang Quanjiu , Sun Yan , Mu Weiyi
Published: February 2021

Magnetized water treatment technology is usually used to improve poor quality water, and there is still a lack of study on fresh water. To understand the biological effects of different strength magnetized fresh water (MFW), seed germination and potted experiments on cotton were carried out to study the effects of MFW with different magnetic intensity (0, 100, 300, 500 mT). Results showed that the surface tension coefficient of MFW reduced by 7.3–10.5%, whilst dissolved oxygen concentrations increased by 8.8–12.7%. Germination strength indexes of cotton cultivated with MFW significantly increased, showing potential and vigor indexes of 16.8–22.4% and 47.4–78.0%, respectively. The emergence rate of cotton irrigated with MFW was faster and higher, with recorded values of 7.7–13.1%. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE) of cotton increased significantly, whereas the stomatal limit value (Ls) decreased. In all, results suggest the total biomasses of MFW irrigated cotton have significantly increased. Therefore, it is suggested that MFW may more effectively promote the utilization of water and light in cotton under magnetic field intensities of 300–500 mT. The results can provide guidance for the efficient utilization of magnetized fresh water in arid and semi-arid areas.
Removal of Acid Brown 354 from wastewater by aminized cellulose acetate nanofibers: experimental and theoretical study of the effect of different parameters on adsorption efficiency
Authors: Namjoufar Mehran , Farzi Ali , Karimi Afzal
Published: February 2021

Wastewater effluents usually involve dyes that are dangerous for aquatic life and other environments. Many of these dyes are toxic, carcinogenic, and can cause skin and eye irritation. In this study, firstly aminized cellulose acetate was prepared from cellulose acetate and applied for the adsorption of Acid Brown 354 from aqueous solutions. The effects of different parameters including adsorbent dosage, pH, temperature, and initial concentration of dye on adsorption capacity were examined. Results showed that removal efficiency of dye declined by increasing values of all parameters. Finally, maximum removal of dye was achieved in the presence of 0.1 g adsorbent, pH of 2, and 10 mg/L of initial dye concentration at a temperature of 25 °C. Also, different adsorption isotherms were investigated including Langmuir, Temkin, and Freundlich models and results demonstrated that the adsorption isotherm of dye followed the Freundlich model with a correlation coefficient of 0.988 revealing that the bond between the dye and the adsorbent is strong. Finally, kinetic study indicated that the adsorption of dye is exactly governed by pseudo-second-order kinetics explaining that the adsorption process is chemical and the adsorbent can not be reused.
Adsorptive removal of direct red 80 and methylene blue from aqueous solution by potato peels: a comparison of anionic and cationic dyes
Authors: Ben Jeddou Khawla , Bouaziz Fatma , Ben Taheur Fadia , Nouri-Ellouz Oumèma , Ellouz-Ghorbel Raoudha , Ellouz-Chaabouni Semia
Published: February 2021

Adsorption of direct red 80 (DR 80) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions on potato peels (PP) has been compared. The use of peels in decontamination technology is very promising given the near zero-cost for the synthesis of those adsorbents. The selected potato peels were first analyzed by scanning using electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Then the adsorption behavior was studied in a batch system. The adsorption process is affected by various parameters such as the solution pH (2–11), the initial concentration of the dye (20, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg L−1), the adsorbent dose (0.1–3%), the temperature (303.16 K, 313.16 K, and 323.16 K), agitation (up to 250 rpm), as well as the contact time. Adsorption isotherms of the studied dye on the adsorbent were determined and compared with the Langmiur, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption models. The results show that the data was most similar to the Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.99). The maximum adsorption capacities (Qmax) of MB and DR 80 by the PP at temperatures 303.16 K, 313.16 K and 323.16 K were found to be approximately 97.08 mg g−1; 45.87 mg g−1; 61.35 mg g−1 and 27.778 mg g−1; 45.45 mg g−1; and 32.258 mg g−1. The kinetic data was compared to the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models. This revealed that adsorption of methylene blue onto PP abided mostly to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Calculations of various thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (ΔH), entropy change (ΔS), and free energy change (ΔG) display the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process.
A Review on Rotenoids: Purification, Characterization and its Biological Applications
Authors: P.K Praveen Kumar , Priyadharshini A  , Muthukumaran Sivanandham
Published: February 2021

Phytochemicals play a vital role as drugs for the treatment of various autoimmune, viral,
and cancerous diseases. Rotenoids, a type of isoflavone compounds present in plants genus Boerhaavia
sp., Mirabilis sp. and Abronia sp. which belong to the Nyctaginaceae family, are traditionally used
as pesticides and insecticides. Boeravinones are groups of rotenoid compounds widely used as drugs
or drug adjuvants for the treatment of various diseases. Extraction of rotenoids in various solvents,
purification of rotenoids in various chromatographic technique studies, and the characterization of
functional groups of rotenoids in various spectroscopic techniques have been reported. Biological applications
of rotenoids such as anti-cancerous, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic
activities have been discussed. This review summarizes the extraction, isolation, purification,
and characterization of rotenoid compounds and their effect on the treatment of cancer, inflammatory,
spasmolytic, autoimmune, and microbial diseases.
Autoantibodies Among HIV-1 Infected Individuals and the Effect of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) on It
Authors: Steve Runal John , Alex Diviya , Yesudhason Binesh Lal , Prakash John Antony Jude , Mathews Nitty Skariah , Daniel Dolly , Ramalingam Veena Vadhini , Demosthenes John Paul , Ghale Ben Chirag , Anantharam Raghavendran , Rebekah Grace , Rupali Priscilla , Varghese George Mannil , Kannangai Rajesh
Published: February 2021

Background::

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has led to a decline in autoimmune diseases
but lacks studies on its effect on autoantibodies.

Methods:

It is a cross-sectional study with archived samples from 100 paired HIV-1 infected ART
naïve and experienced individuals and 100 prospectively collected matched blood-donor controls.
Antinuclear antibody, IgG anticardiolipin antibody, IgM and IgG β2 glycoprotein-1 antibodies, and
total IgG levels were detected. Results are expressed as mean with standard deviation (SD), median,
percentage positivity, and a p<0.05 is considered significant. The study was approved by the
Institutional Review Board.

Results:

The median viral load of the treatment naïve samples was 4.34 Log copies/mL, while all
were virally suppressed post ART with a median duration of treatment for 12 months (range: 3-36
months). The percentage of antinuclear antibody positivity was 5% among ART naïve and controls,
with a decrease of 2% post ART (p= 0.441). The positivity for anti-cardiolipin antibody was
15% among ART naïve while none of the ART experienced or controls were positive (p<0.05).
IgM β2 glycoprotein-1 were 4%, 1% and 3% among ART naïve, treated and controls, respectively
(p<0.05). IgG β2 glycoprotein-1 was 2% among ART naïve while none of the treated and controls
were positive (p<0.05). The mean total IgG level among ART naïve, experienced, and controls
were 21.82 (SD 6.67), 16.91 (SD 3.38), 13.70 (SD 2.24) grams/Litre, respectively (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

ART has a significant effect on IgG anti-cardiolipin antibody and total IgG but only a
marginal effect on ANA, IgM, and IgG β2 glycoprotein-1 antibodies.
Direct Synthesis of Aromatic Imine Schiff Bases from β-Phenol Hydroxy
Ketone
Authors: Liu Chang , Wu Haomin , Feng Feng , Liu Wenyuan , Jiang Xueyang
Published: February 2021

A facile methodology has been developed to build carbon nitrogen double bond from ketones
promoted by the hydroxyl groups in β-phenol hydroxy ketone. It is noteworthy that the halogenated
β-phenol hydroxy ketone can chemoselectively react with the amine to afford halogenated phenol
imine. It is suitable for certain natural products and also suitable for water-based heteroamines. The
method possesses low toxicity and is widely applicable. This strategy is usually used to obtain moderate
to good yields of aromatic amine Schiff base.
Intrauterine Cleaning after Placental Delivery at Cesarean Section: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Doosti Rana , Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi Sakineh , Ahmadpour Parivash , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

The increasing rate of cesarean section and its greater number of complications
compared to vaginal childbirth invoke efforts to reduce perioperative complications through
evidence-based techniques.

Objective:

The present study mainly aims to assess the effect of intrauterine cleaning after
placental delivery in the cesarean section on the frequency of endometritis (primary outcome)
and postpartum hemorrhage (secondary outcome).

Material and Methods:

In this systematic review we have followed Preferred Reporting Items
for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Both English and Persian
databases were searched (with no time limit) for clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies
that had investigated the effect of intrauterine cleaning after placental delivery in the cesarean
section on the frequency of endometritis and hemorrhage compared to a control group (no
intrauterine cleaning).

Results:

The meta-analysis on three clinical trials with 696 participants showed no significant
difference between intervention and control groups in the frequency of endometritis (RR= 1.33;
95% CI: 0.74 to 2.41; P= 0.34) and postpartum hemorrhage (RR= 1.06; 95% CI: 0.55 to 2.06;
P= 0.86).

Conclusions:

Based on the meta-analysis results, intrauterine cleaning after placental delivery
in the cesarean section does not affect endometritis and postpartum hemorrhage. Further and
more robust studies based on the Consort Declaration are required to investigate this method
to be recommended for use in clinical practice.
Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Pyrvinium Pamoate Nanoliposomes in an Experimental Model of Melanoma
Authors: Hatamipour Mahdi , Jaafari Mahmoud R. , Zangui Mahtab , Shakour Neda , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: February 2021

Background:

Pyrvinium Pamoate (PP) is an old drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of pinworm
infections. Recently, it has been introduced as an anti-tumor agent, however, low aqueous solubility
severely limits its potential effects. In this study, we developed a liposomal formulation of pyrvinium pamoate
to investigate its in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo efficacy against melanoma cells.

Materials & Methods:

As drug carriers, liposomes were fabricated using the thin-film method. PP was encapsulated
within the liposomes using a remote loading method. We evaluated the morphology, particle size, and Zeta
potential of the liposomes. Additionally, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed
for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Then we investigated our liposomal PP for its in vitro cytotoxicity as
well as the tumor growth inhibition in C57BL/6 mice bearing B16F0 melanoma tumors.

Results:

Based on the analytical result, the liposomal drug delivery system is a homogeneous and stable colloidal
suspension of PP particles. The images of Atomic force microscopy and particle size data showed that all
the prepared nanocarriers were spherical with a diameter of approximately 101 nm. According to both in vitro
and in vivo studies, nanoliposomal PP exhibited an improved anti-proliferative potential against B16F10 melanoma
tumor compared to free PP.

Conclusion:

Liposomal encapsulation improves the water solubility of PP and enhances its anti-cancer activity.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus Displaying Reduced
Susceptibility to Vancomycin and High Biofilm-Forming Ability
Authors: Dier-Pereira Ana Paula , Trevizani Thihara Isabella Ramos , Duarte Felipe Crepaldi , da Silva Raquel Soares , Santos Jussevania Pereira , Tavares Eliandro Reis , de Oliveira Caio Ferreira , Pinge-Filho Phileno , Kerbauy Gilselena , Perugini Márcia Regina Eches , Yamauchi Lucy Megumi , Yamada-Ogatta Sueli Fumie
Published: February 2021

Background:

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is one of the most frequently coagulasenegative
staphylococci isolated from healthcare-associated infections, mainly those related to implanted
medical devices.

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile and biofilm
forming capacity of S. haemolyticus isolated from bloodstream infections.

Methods:

A total of 40 S. haemolyticus isolates were characterized according to their genetic relatedness
by repetitive element sequence based-PCR (REP-PCR), antimicrobial susceptibility profile,
SCCmec typing, ability to form biofilm on abiotic surface and occurrence of putative genes related
to biofilm formation.

Results:

One S. haemolyticus was susceptible to all antimicrobials. The other isolates (n=39)
were resistant to cefoxitin; and among them 34 (87.2%) harbored the mecA gene into the SCCmec
type I (5.9%), type III (29.4%), type IV (5.9%) and type V (20.6%); and 38.2% isolates
were designated as NT. Apart from cefoxitin, 94.9% of the isolates were resistant to at least four
antimicrobial classes, and 32.5% displayed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values higher
than 4.0 μg/mL for vancomycin. All isolates formed biofilm on polystyrene surface and were
classified as strong biofilm-producers, except for one isolate. All isolates were negative for icaA
gene, and the prevalence of the other genes was as follows: atl, 100%; fbp, 92.5%; aap, 90.0%;
and bap, 20.0%.

Conclusion:

This study reports a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. haemolyticus displaying
decreased susceptibility to vancomycin with the ability to form strong biofilms on abiotic surface.
The results support the importance of controlling the adequate use of antimicrobials for the
treatment of staphylococcal infections.
A Patent Data Analysis in Nanotechnology Applied to Essential Oils
Authors: Oliveira Tainara Santos , de Lima Silva Vanessa , Assunção Larissa Santos , de Jesus Freitas Tayane , Machado Bruna Aparecida Souza , Otero Deborah Murowaniecki , Nunes Itaciara Larroza , de Castro Almeida Rogeria Comastri , Ribeiro Camila Duarte Ferreira , Druzian Janice Izabel
Published: February 2021

Background:

Essential oils (EOs) are natural substances that serve as sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Objective:

This prospecting aimed to understand intellectual property related to patent documents on EOs and nanotechnology.

Methods and Results:

The nanotechnology growth curve applied to EOs demonstrated that the period from 2015 to 2017 was the most prominent, with a peak in 2016. China is the dominant country, mainly through research developed in the academic area. The food industry area had the highest number of patents filed, highlighting the preservation line. Ginger essential oil, chitosan and Tween 80 were preferentially used as a core, wall material and an emulsifier, respectively. In the market, the use of EOs is more associated with the pharmaceutical/cosmetics industry. In addition, the food industry market is betting more on products based on hemp oil nanocapsules.

Conclusion:

EO nanotechnology is promising for the development of sustainable food systems. However, this nanotechnology in Brazil has not yet advanced enough in the food industry, although there are government incentives that may change this paradigm in the future. The profile of the patent documents and the products in the market differ between the application and the types of oils. In addition, there is a gap between the volume of patent documents investigated and the transfer of technology to the commercial sector, but this constitution could be better explored, given the properties of EOs.
Metal Nanoparticles in Dye Wastewater Treatment – Smart Solution for Clear Water
Authors: Kerkez Djurdja , Bečelić-Tomin Milena , Gvoić Vesna , Dalmacija Božo
Published: February 2021

Background:

In past years, nanomaterials have been actively studied and developed
and successfully used in many fields. Due to water scarcity, the application of nanomaterials in
water and wastewater treatment has drawn significant attention. Due to their superior features,
they represent functional materials with great potential for pollution removal and environmental
applications.

Objective:

This literature review aims to summarize and present the metal nanoparticles used for
dye wastewater treatment. The discussion subject is metallic nanoparticles for mentioned use,
with a special focus on iron-based, bimetallic, and photocatalytic nanomaterials.

Methods:

Reference search of “metal nanoparticles in dye wastewater treatment” was conducted
in detail through the Serbian Library Consortium for Coordinated Acquisition (KoBSON). Published
papers search was mainly based on Web of Science and ScienceDirect database focusing
on the latest research on this topic. The corresponding literature was carefully read, analyzed, and
evaluated.

Results:

Two hundred and twenty-four scientific and review articles, thesis, and book chapters,
patents were evaluated in order to summarise current trends in metal nanoparticle use in
wastewater treatment. An increasing trend in scientific research regarding metal nanoparticles can
be observed for the removal of different inorganic and organic pollutants. Among the most extensively
tested are dye molecules, representing challenging species in terms of degradation and consequent
removal. Modification, layering, combination, and green synthesis of metal nanoparticles
result in materials capable of efficient and environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment.

Conclusion:

In this paper, extensive review of metal nanoparticles in dye wastewater treatment is presented. With rapid water demand, development of sustainable materials and technology is necessary. Use of these materials represents eco-friendly, energy efficient and sustainable water purification solution. However, matter of usage commercialization is still to be addressed.
Evaluating the Risk of Covid-19 Transmission from Conjunctival and Lacrimal Discharge: A Review
Authors: Sanyal Shalini , Law Sujata
Published: February 2021

:

The ocular surface, which is constantly exposed to the external environment, is one of
the most sensitive zones and any complications which have a detrimental impact on it leading to reduced
vision and/or blindness, severely impact the quality of life. The most commonly afflicted
parts of the eye are the conjunctiva, eyelid, and cornea due to their position. Since the eye is moderately
susceptible to microbial infection from bacteria, fungi or even viruses; there has been much
speculation about whether or not the novel coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can lead to ocular disorders.
Given the high rate of transmission for this disease, it is of great importance to evaluate the
risk of disease communication from the eye, such as by conjunctival and/ lacrimal discharge.

:

While there are many articles on the topic exploring the ocular aspect of COVID-19/ SARS-CoV-2
infection; there is a significant volume of data that may or may-not seem contradictory at first
glance. This is primarily due to the still-emerging nature of this disease and new data that is being
unearthed every day. The problem is compounded by the fact that despite the over-all concordance,
the different clinical teams have varying diagnostic criteria. This review attempts to consolidate the
data available thus far regarding the risk of COVID-19 transmission from conjunctival/lacrimal
discharge apart from the known modes of transmission, thereby allowing us to speculate whether
additional protective measures are required to combat the zoonotic coronavirus pandemic currently
ravaging the world.
COMPANY PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL USING THE BALANCE SCORECARD METHOD TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC COMPANIES JASA TIRTA I
Authors: Eko Prasetiyo Supriyadi , Burhan Mohammad , Apriyanto Gaguk
Published: February 2021

Jasa Tirta I Public Company is a state-owned company engaged in the management of water resources. The quality of the performance of an organization can be known by measuring the performance of the achievement of performance indicators. Comprehensive planning of performance indicators is needed. This study aims to determine the performance measurement of Perum Jasa Tirta I by the Balanced Scorecard method and then analyzed by the PDCGA (Plan-Do-Check-Goal-Action) method for continuous improvement to improve company performance. The research method used in this study uses a mixed-method approach. The results showed that the measurement of public performance based on the Balanced Scorecard Perum Jasa Tirta I 2015-2019 method is divided into 4 approaches: financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process perspective, and learning & growth perspective including good performance. Judging from the financial perspective it is included in the very good category. From the customer perspective, it is included in the excellent category. From the internal business perspective it is classified as quite good, Electricity Raw Water Service indicators reached 93% of the 100% target and environmental management achieved 97% of the 100% target. From the perspective of learning & growth in the excellent category.
The competence of the full jurisdiction to settle administrative contracts disputes
Authors: Hama Zana Rauf , Muhammad Rasheed Awaz Khalid
Published: February 2021

As general rule countries that have dual judiciary system, have allocated a specialized judiciary to look into administrative disputes, including administrative contract disputes, and gives full jurisdiction to the judiciary without the mandates of cancellation. The reference of the full jurisdiction of the judiciary in administrative contract disputes is a form of the personal judiciary, where the dispute revolves around an assault or threat to attack a personal legal position of the contestant, and it aims to contest the self-legal acts that affect the acquired rights, and then the reference for disputes related to the contract is the jurisdiction of the judiciary  The complete matter commensurate with the nature of these disputes regarding their association with the acquired rights of individuals.
Digital Health Solutions to Control the COVID-19 Pandemic in Countries With High Disease Prevalence: Literature Review
Authors: R Niakan Kalhori Sharareh , Bahaadinbeigy Kambiz , Deldar Kolsoum , Gholamzadeh Marsa , Hajesmaeel-Gohari Sadrieh , Ayyoubzadeh Seyed Mohammad
Published: February 2021

Background

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic, affecting most countries worldwide. Digital health information technologies can be applied in three aspects, namely digital patients, digital devices, and digital clinics, and could be useful in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

Recent reviews have examined the role of digital health in controlling COVID-19 to identify the potential of digital health interventions to fight the disease. However, this study aims to review and analyze the digital technology that is being applied to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of the disease.

Methods

For this review, the Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched in August 2020 to retrieve publications from December 2019 to March 15, 2020. Furthermore, the Google search engine was used to identify additional applications of digital health for COVID-19 pandemic control.

Results

We included 32 papers in this review that reported 37 digital health applications for COVID-19 control. The most common digital health projects to address COVID-19 were telemedicine visits (11/37, 30%). Digital learning packages for informing people about the disease, geographic information systems and quick response code applications for real-time case tracking, and cloud- or mobile-based systems for self-care and patient tracking were in the second rank of digital tool applications (all 7/37, 19%). The projects were deployed in various European countries and in the United States, Australia, and China.

Conclusions

Considering the potential of available information technologies worldwide in the 21st century, particularly in developed countries, it appears that more digital health products with a higher level of intelligence capability remain to be applied for the management of pandemics and health-related crises.
Telemedicine Use and Health-Related Concerns of Patients With Chronic Conditions During COVID-19: Survey of Members of Online Health Communities (Preprint)
Authors: Horrell Lindsey Nicole , Hayes Sara , Herbert Leslie Beth , MacTurk Katie , Lawhon Lauren , Valle Carmina G , Bhowmick Amrita
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

It has been widely communicated that individuals with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of severe disease due to COVID-19 than healthy peers. As social distancing measures continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts encourage individuals with underlying conditions to engage in telehealth appointments to maintain continuity of care while minimizing risk exposure. To date, however, little information has been provided regarding telehealth uptake among this high-risk population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to describe the telehealth use, resource needs, and information sources of individuals with chronic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary objectives include exploring differences in telehealth use by sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

Data for this study were collected through an electronic survey distributed between May 12-14, 2020, to members of 26 online health communities for individuals with chronic disease. Descriptive statistics were run to explore telehealth use, support needs, and information sources, and z tests were run to assess differences in sociodemographic factors and information and support needs among those who did and did not use telehealth services.

RESULTS

Among the 2210 respondents, 1073 (49%) reported engaging in telehealth in the past 4 months. Higher proportions of women engaged in telehealth than men (890/1781, 50% vs 181/424, 43%; P=.007), and a higher proportion of those earning household incomes of more than US $100,000 engaged in telehealth than those earning less than US $30,000 (195/370, 53% vs 241/530 45%; P=.003). Although 59% (133/244) of those younger than 40 years and 54% (263/486) of those aged 40-55 years used telehealth, aging populations were less likely to do so, with only 45% (677/1500) of individuals 56 years or older reporting telehealth use (P<.001 and P=.001, respectively). Patients with cystic fibrosis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis recorded the highest proportions of individuals using telehealth when compared to those with other diagnoses. Of the 2210 participants, 1333 (60%) participants either looked up information about the virus online or planned to in the future, and when asked what information or support would be most helpful right now, over half (1151/2210, 52%) responded “understanding how COVID-19 affects people with my health condition.”

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly half of the study sample reported participating in telehealth in the past 4 months. Future efforts to engage individuals with underlying medical conditions in telehealth should focus on outreach to men, members of lower-income households, and aging populations. These results may help inform and refine future health communications to further engage this at-risk population in telehealth as the pandemic continues.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Distress of Medical Students in Japan: Cross-sectional Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: Nishimura Yoshito , Ochi Kanako , Tokumasu Kazuki , Obika Mikako , Hagiya Hideharu , Kataoka Hitomi , Otsuka Fumio
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected medical education. However, little data are available about medical students’ distress during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to provide details on how medical students have been affected by the pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 717 medical students participated in the web-based survey. The survey included questions about how the participants’ mental status had changed from before to after the Japanese nationwide state of emergency (SOE).

RESULTS

Out of 717 medical students, 473 (66.0%) participated in the study. In total, 29.8% (141/473) of the students reported concerns about the shift toward online education, mostly because they thought online education would be ineffective compared with in-person learning. The participants’ subjective mental health status significantly worsened after the SOE was lifted (P<.001). Those who had concerns about a shift toward online education had higher odds of having generalized anxiety and being depressed (odds ratio [OR] 1.97, 95% CI 1.19-3.28) as did those who said they would request food aid (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.16-3.44) and mental health care resources (OR 3.56, 95% CI 2.07-6.15).

CONCLUSIONS

Given our findings, the sudden shift to online education might have overwhelmed medical students. Thus, we recommend that educators inform learners that online learning is not inferior to in-person learning, which could attenuate potential depression and anxiety.
Radiotherapy dose calculations in high-Z materials: comprehensive comparison between experiment, Monte Carlo, and conventional planning algorithms (Preprint)
Authors: Cheng Zhangkai , Bromley Regina , Oborn Brad , Booth Jeremy
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Despite spinal metastases accounting for 10% to 30% of new tumors diagnoses annually, and radiation therapy is a standard treatment technique, the studies discussing the effects of small-size spinal prostheses on spinal radiation therapy are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the accuracies of the AAA and AcurosXB dose calculation algorithms and to predict the change in the down-stream and lateral dose deposition of high energy photons in the presence of material with densities higher that commonly found in the body.

METHODS

Metal rods of titanium (d =4.5g/m2), stainless steel (d=8g/cm2) and tungsten (d=19.25 g/cm2) were positioned in a phantom. Film was position behind and laterally to the rods to measure the dose distribution for a 6 MV, 18 MV and 10 FFF photon beams. A DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo simulation of the experimental setup was performed The AAA and AcurosXB dose calculation algorithms were used to predict the dose distributions. The dose from film and DOSXYZnrc were compared with the dose predicted by AAA and AcurosXB.

RESULTS

AAA overestimated the dose behind the rods by 15-25% and underestimated the dose laterally to the rods by 5-15% depending on the range of materials and energies investigated. AcurosXB overestimated the dose behind the rods by 1-18% and underestimated the dose laterally to the rods by up to 5% depending on the range of material and energies investigated.

CONCLUSIONS

AAA cannot deliver clinically acceptable dose calculation results at a distance less than 10 mm from metals, for a single field treatment. Acuros XB is able to handle metals of low atomic numbers (Z ≤ 26), but not tungsten (Z = 74). This can be due to the restriction of the CT-density table in EclipseTM TPS, which has an upper HU limit of 10501.
Automatic Extraction of Lung Cancer Staging Information From Computed Tomography Reports: Deep Learning Approach (Preprint)
Authors: Hu Danqing , Zhang Huanyao , Li Shaolei , Wang Yuhong , Wu Nan , Lu Xudong
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Clinical staging of lung cancer plays a crucial role in making treatment decisions and evaluating prognosis. However, in clinical practice, approximately one-half of the clinical stages of lung cancer patients are inconsistent with their pathological stages. As one of the most important diagnostic modalities for staging, chest computed tomography (CT) provides a wealth of information about cancer staging, but the free-text nature of the CT reports obstructs their computerization.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to automatically extract the staging-related information from CT reports to support accurate clinical staging of lung cancer.

METHODS

In this study, we developed an information extraction (IE) system to extract the staging-related information from CT reports. The system consisted of the following three parts: named entity recognition (NER), relation classification (RC), and postprocessing (PP). We first summarized 22 questions about lung cancer staging based on the TNM staging guideline. Next, three state-of-the-art NER algorithms were implemented to recognize the entities of interest. Next, we designed a novel RC method using the relation sign constraint (RSC) to classify the relations between entities. Finally, a rule-based PP module was established to obtain the formatted answers using the results of NER and RC.

RESULTS

We evaluated the developed IE system on a clinical data set containing 392 chest CT reports collected from the Department of Thoracic Surgery II in the Peking University Cancer Hospital. The experimental results showed that the bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT) model outperformed the iterated dilated convolutional neural networks-conditional random field (ID-CNN-CRF) and bidirectional long short-term memory networks-conditional random field (Bi-LSTM-CRF) for NER tasks with macro-F1 scores of 80.97% and 90.06% under the exact and inexact matching schemes, respectively. For the RC task, the proposed RSC showed better performance than the baseline methods. Further, the BERT-RSC model achieved the best performance with a macro-F1 score of 97.13% and a micro-F1 score of 98.37%. Moreover, the rule-based PP module could correctly obtain the formatted results using the extractions of NER and RC, achieving a macro-F1 score of 94.57% and a micro-F1 score of 96.74% for all the 22 questions.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the developed IE system can effectively and accurately extract information about lung cancer staging from CT reports. Experimental results show that the extracted results have significant potential for further use in stage verification and prediction to facilitate accurate clinical staging.
The promise of Telemedicine in Pakistan: A Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Mahdi Syed Sarosh , Amenta Franceso , Allana Raheel , Battineni 3rd Gopi , Khalid Tamsal , Agha Daniyal , Khawaja Mariam
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine is a medical practice of assisting remote patients and it has great potential in developing countries like Pakistan. Telemedicine solves the logistical barriers, deliver good support to weak health systems and unite worldwide networks of healthcare personals. Because of high implementation costs, yet it is not possible to adopt telehealth systems for low and middle-income nations.

OBJECTIVE

In this systematic review, we aim to present an update revision of region-based telemedical services in Pakistan.

METHODS

Libraries such as PubMed (Medline), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus (EMBASE) and Google Scholar were used for document search. Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) is adopted to conduct study quality. Majority of the studies (n-8) included in the review were of high quality as assessed through the Newcastle Ottawa scale. Selected study characteristics further analyzed based on different parameters such as publication year, sample size, study design, methods, motivation and outcomes.

RESULTS

Search produced 955 articles and 11 items were ultimately selected to conduct the review. These studies further characterized as region-based telemedicine implementation. Out of 11, eight studies were conducted in the urban region and three studies were conducted in the rural areas of Pakistan. Majority of studies produced evidence on telehealth interventions by smartphone services like SMS, apps and web-based telemedicine.

CONCLUSIONS

Telehealth interventions like mHealth, eHealth, telemedicine, and telepharmacy are starting to evaluate for the last two decades but certainly needs to become an integral part of Pakistan's current health infrastructure.
Dark Skin Representation within Mobile Applications for Dermatology Education: an Observational Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Dore Rhys
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Ethnic diversity in dermatology has previously been neglected within educational curricula. This has previously been demonstrated within many established dermatology textbooks. Many urban populations find their communities becoming increasingly diverse and medical education must match these changes. The increasing use and modernisation of mobile technology in health education may represent an avenue to provide increasingly diverse knowledge related to dermatology in dark skin populations.

OBJECTIVE

To review the representation of dark skin photography and diseases in dermatological educational resources provided via mobile application technology.

METHODS

Mobile applications related to ‘dermatology’ were reviewed within the Google Play Store. Only original mobile applications made for education of medical students or health professionals were analysed. Photographic depictions of dermatological conditions were categorised according to Fitzpatrick type 1-4, Fitzpatrick type 5-6, or uncertain. Additionally, mobile applications were reviewed for information regarding four conditions more common in people with darker skin: central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, melasma, acral lentiginous melanoma, and keloid scarring.

RESULTS

Of 200 mobile applications reviewed, 12 were included within the analysis. In total 3755 in-app photographs were categorised into Fitzpatrick type 1-4 (3398 photographs, 90.5%), Fitzpatrick type 5-6 (245 photographs, 6.5%), or uncertain (112 photographs, 3.0%). The degree of photographs showing Fitzpatrick 5-6 ranged from 0.7% to 17.6% between the different mobile applications. This was not significantly different from results previously gained from photographic depictions in dermatology textbooks. Furthermore, the number of mobile applications presenting overt educational information regarding the four conditions reviewed varied considerably; central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (1 application, 8.3%), melasma (5 applications, 41.7%), acral lentiginous melanoma (4 applications, 33.3%), and keloid scarring (6 applications, 50%). No mobile applications contained information for all four conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

There is limited depiction of dermatological conditions in darker skin tones within mobile applications aimed at educational students and professionals in dermatology.