bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Влияние продолжительности светового воздействия на микроциркуляторное русло кожи по данным лазерной допплеровской флоуметрии в эксперименте
Authors: Злобина О.В. , Пахомий С.С. , Смолина Е.В. , Милашевская Т.В. , Долгов А.А. , Иванов А.Н. , Бугаева И.О.
Published: March 2021

We studied the effect of long-term light exposure (model 18:6) on the functioning of regulatory mechanisms of the skin microcirculatory channel in the experiment. The study of microcirculation was performed using the method of laser Doppler flowmetry. It was found that prolonged light exposure causes impaired regulation of blood flow in the microcirculatory bed (reduction of amplitudes of endothelial, neurogenic and myogenic oscillations) and reduced tissue perfusion. The severity of hemodynamic disorders increases with increasing duration of light exposure. Decrease in perfusion and progression of violations of active factors regulating the processes of microcirculation indicate a negative effect of light exposure on tissue perfusion, which may serve as a risk factor for cardiovascular pathology.
Изменение функциональной активности тромбоцитов при длительном световом воздействии в эксперименте
Authors: Злобина О.В. , Киричук В.Ф. , Пахомий С.С. , Иванов А.Н. , Каретникова А.Ю. , Терехина Е.С. , Шляпников Н.В. , Бугаева И.О.
Published: March 2021

We studied the effect of intensive light exposure on the aggregation activity of white male rats' platelets using the experimental Light-Dark (18:6) lighting model. Analysis of platelet aggregation activity was carried out using a computerized 230LA "Biola" aggregation analyzer using the method of V.A. Gabbasov. It was established that in case of prolonged light exposure in the body of laboratory animals there was a disturbance of aggregation activity accompanied by an increase in the parameters of the curve of the average weighted radius of platelets and the parameters of the light transmittance curve. Violation of the daytime regime in the form of artificial prolongation of illumination causes increase of platelet aggregation activity and provokes development of microcirculatory disturbances. Forming changes in the hemostasis system increase in proportion to the duration of the experiment. The most pronounced changes in the vascular-platelet mechanism of hemostasis are formed on the 21st day of the experiment, indicating the development of processes of maladaptation followed by exhaustion of the organism.
Исследование фотокаталитической антимикробной активности нанокомпозитов на основе TiO-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=--Al-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=-O-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=- при воздействии светодиодного излучения (405 nm) на стафилококки
Authors: Светлакова А.В. , Sanchez Mendez М. , Тучина Е.С. , Ходан А.Н. , Traore М. , Azouani R. , Kanaev А. , Тучин В.В.
Published: March 2021

The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposites based on theta-modification of aluminum oxide Al2O3 with different TiO2 content for heterogeneous photocatalysis and biodegradation of pathogenic microorganisms under the action of LED radiation with a wavelength of 405 nm has been studied. It was found that all the investigated nanocomposites have photocatalytic activity. The maximum antibacterial efficiency of composites with a TiO2 content of 8 wt% (reduction of CFU of Staphylococcus aureus 209 P to 86%), which allows us to recommend this nanomaterial as a promising antimicrobial coating.
Аномалии в стехиометрическом кристалле ниобата лития в диапазоне температур 100-400 K
Authors: Сидоров Н.В. , Сандлер В.А. , Палатников М.Н.
Published: March 2021

Показано, что различия в аномальном температурном поведении термолюминесценции и интенсивностей линий в спектрах комбинационного рассеяния света конгруэнтного и стехиометрического кристаллов ниобата лития обусловлены разным температурным поведением различных типов электронных ловушек и различием в величине релеевского фотоиндуцированного рассеяния света в этих кристаллах. Ключевые слова: стехиометрический и конгруэнтный кристаллы ниобата лития, комбинационное и фотоиндуцированное рассеяние света, термолиз мелких электронных ловушек.
Водорастворимые КТ InP/ZnS как маркеры дибутилфталата. Влияние спирта на растворимость фталатов
Authors: Кулагина А.С. , Данилов В.В. , Шилов В.Б.
Published: March 2021

The interaction of semiconductor water-soluble InP/ZnS-PEG-COOH quantum dots (QDs) with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in fresh and sea water samples has been studied. It was found that an increase in the DBP concentration in a fresh water with QDs leads to an increase in the QD luminescence (PL) amplitude. The PL increase is caused by the DBP molecules localization in the QD Onsager cavity and the passivation of its surface. An increase in the ethanol concentration enhances the solubility of DBP and can serve as a means of raising the sensitivity when registering phthalates in aqueous media. Observations of the PL dynamics in sea water samples from the Black, Mediterranean, and White seas showed the individual character of the interaction of InP/ZnS QDs with DBP, as well as in the case of an increase in ethanol concentration. It has been established that plastic packaging containing substances with a few percentage of alcohol is potentially hazardous to human health.
Attitudes and Engagement of Pregnant and Postnatal Women With a Web-Based Emotional Health Tool (Mummatters): Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)
Authors: Reilly Nicole , Austin Marie-Paule
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Mummatters is a web-based health tool that allows women to self-assess the symptoms of depression and the presence of psychosocial risk factors throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. It aims to increase women’s awareness of their own symptoms or risk factors and their knowledge of the available support options, to encourage engagement with these support options (as appropriate), and to facilitate communication about emotional health issues between women and their health care providers.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to report the uptake of mummatters; the sociodemographic and psychosocial risk profiles of a subsample of users; and the acceptability, credibility, perceived effect, and motivational appeal of the tool. The help-seeking behaviors of the subsample of users and barriers to help seeking were also examined.

METHODS

Mummatters was launched in November 2016. Women who completed the mummatters baseline assessment were invited to complete a web-based follow-up survey 1 month later.

RESULTS

A total of 2817 women downloaded and used mummatters between November 13, 2016, and May 22, 2018, and 140 women participated in the follow-up study. Approximately half of these women (51%; 72/140) were Whooley positive (possible depression), and 43% (60/140) had an elevated psychosocial risk score on the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire. Mummatters was rated favorably by pregnant and postnatal women in terms of its acceptability (94%-99%), credibility (93%-97%), appeal (78%-91%), and potential to affect a range of health behaviors specific to supporting emotional wellness during the perinatal period (78%-93%). Whooley-positive women were more likely to speak with their families than with a health care provider about their emotional health. Normalizing symptoms and stigma were key barriers to seeking help.

CONCLUSIONS

Although mummatters was rated positively by consumers, only 53% (19/36) to 61% (22/36) of women with possible depression reported speaking to their health care providers about their emotional health. There was a trend for more prominent barriers to seeking help among postnatal women than among pregnant women. Future studies that investigate whether social barriers to seeking help are greater once a woman has an infant are warranted. Such barriers potentially place these women at greater risk of remaining untreated, as the demands on them are greater.
Understanding On-Campus Interactions With a Semiautomated, Barcode-Based Platform to Augment COVID-19 Contact Tracing: App Development and Usage (Preprint)
Authors: Scherr Thomas Foster , Hardcastle Austin N , Moore Carson Paige , DeSousa Jenna Maria , Wright David Wilson
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced drastic changes to daily life, from the implementation of stay-at-home orders to mandating facial coverings and limiting in-person gatherings. While the relaxation of these control measures has varied geographically, it is widely agreed that contact tracing efforts will play a major role in the successful reopening of businesses and schools. As the volume of positive cases has increased in the United States, it has become clear that there is room for digital health interventions to assist in contact tracing.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of a mobile-friendly app designed to supplement manual COVID-19 contact tracing efforts on a university campus. Here, we present the results of a development and validation study centered around the use of the MyCOVIDKey app on the Vanderbilt University campus during the summer of 2020.

METHODS

We performed a 6-week pilot study in the Stevenson Center Science and Engineering Complex on Vanderbilt University’s campus in Nashville, TN. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff >18 years who worked in Stevenson Center and had access to a mobile phone were eligible to register for a MyCOVIDKey account. All users were encouraged to complete regular self-assessments of COVID-19 risk and to key in to sites by scanning a location-specific barcode.

RESULTS

Between June 17, 2020, and July 29, 2020, 45 unique participants created MyCOVIDKey accounts. These users performed 227 self-assessments and 1410 key-ins. Self-assessments were performed by 89% (n=40) of users, 71% (n=32) of users keyed in, and 48 unique locations (of 71 possible locations) were visited. Overall, 89% (202/227) of assessments were determined to be low risk (ie, asymptomatic with no known exposures), and these assessments yielded a CLEAR status. The remaining self-assessments received a status of NOT CLEAR, indicating either risk of exposure or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (7.5% [n=17] and 3.5% [n=8] of self-assessments indicated moderate and high risk, respectively). These 25 instances came from 8 unique users, and in 19 of these instances, the at-risk user keyed in to a location on campus.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital contact tracing tools may be useful in assisting organizations to identify persons at risk of COVID-19 through contact tracing, or in locating places that may need to be cleaned or disinfected after being visited by an index case. Incentives to continue the use of such tools can improve uptake, and their continued usage increases utility to both organizational and public health efforts. Parameters of digital tools, including MyCOVIDKey, should ideally be optimized to supplement existing contact tracing efforts. These tools represent a critical addition to manual contact tracing efforts during reopening and sustained regular activity.
Blended Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Face-to-face Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Older Adults With Anxiety Symptoms in Primary Care: Pragmatic Single-blind Cluster Randomized Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Witlox Maartje , Garnefski Nadia , Kraaij Vivian , de Waal Margot W M , Smit Filip , Bohlmeijer Ernst , Spinhoven Philip
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Anxiety symptoms in older adults are prevalent and disabling but often go untreated. Most trials on psychological interventions for anxiety in later life have examined the effectiveness of face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). To bridge the current treatment gap, other treatment approaches and delivery formats should also be evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

This study is the first to examine the effectiveness of a brief blended acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention for older adults with anxiety symptoms, compared with a face-to-face CBT intervention.

METHODS

Adults aged between 55-75 years (n=314) with mild to moderately severe anxiety symptoms were recruited from general practices and cluster randomized to either blended ACT or face-to-face CBT. Assessments were performed at baseline (T0), posttreatment (T1), and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups (T2 and T3, respectively). The primary outcome was anxiety symptom severity (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). Secondary outcomes were positive mental health, depression symptom severity, functional impairment, presence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V anxiety disorders, and treatment satisfaction.

RESULTS

Conditions did not differ significantly regarding changes in anxiety symptom severity during the study period (T0-T1: B=.18, P=.73; T1-T2: B=−.63, P=.26; T1-T3: B=−.33, P=.59). Large reductions in anxiety symptom severity (Cohen d≥0.96) were found in both conditions post treatment, and these were maintained at the 12-month follow-up. The rates of clinically significant changes in anxiety symptoms were also not different for the blended ACT group and CBT group (χ21=0.2, P=.68). Regarding secondary outcomes, long-term effects on positive mental health were significantly stronger in the blended ACT group (B=.27, P=.03, Cohen d=0.29), and treatment satisfaction was significantly higher for blended ACT than CBT (B=3.19, P<.001, Cohen d=0.78). No other differences between the conditions were observed in the secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that blended ACT is a valuable treatment alternative to CBT for anxiety in later life.

CLINICALTRIAL

Netherlands Trial Register TRIAL NL6131 (NTR6270); https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6131
The Implementation Science for Genomic Health Translation (INSIGHT) Study in Epilepsy: Protocol for a Learning Health Care System (Preprint)
Authors: Feofanova Elena Valeryevna , Zhang Guo-Qiang , Lhatoo Samden , Metcalf Ginger A , Boerwinkle Eric , Venner Eric
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Genomic medicine is poised to improve care for common complex diseases such as epilepsy, but additional clinical informatics and implementation science research is needed for it to become a part of the standard of care. Epilepsy is an exemplary complex neurological disorder for which DNA diagnostics have shown to be advantageous for patient care.

OBJECTIVE

We designed the Implementation Science for Genomic Health Translation (INSIGHT) study to leverage the fact that both the clinic and testing laboratory control the development and customization of their respective electronic health records and clinical reporting platforms. Through INSIGHT, we can rapidly prototype and benchmark novel approaches to incorporating clinical genomics into patient care. Of particular interest are clinical decision support tools that take advantage of domain knowledge from clinical genomics and can be rapidly adjusted based on feedback from clinicians.

METHODS

Building on previously developed evidence and infrastructure components, our model includes the following: establishment of an intervention-ready genomic knowledge base for patient care, creation of a health informatics platform and linking it to a clinical genomics reporting system, and scaling and evaluation of INSIGHT following established implementation science principles.

RESULTS

INSIGHT was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on May 15, 2020, and is designed as a 2-year proof-of-concept study beginning in December 2021. By design, 120 patients from the Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program are to be enrolled to test the INSIGHT workflow. Initial results are expected in the first half of 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

INSIGHT’s domain-specific, practical but generalizable approach may help catalyze a pathway to accelerate translation of genomic knowledge into impactful interventions in patient care.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/25576
Using a Convolutional Neural Network and Convolutional Long Short-term Memory to Automatically Detect Aneurysms on 2D Digital Subtraction Angiography Images: Framework Development and Validation (Preprint)
Authors: Liao JunHua , Liu LunXin , Duan HaiHan , Huang YunZhi , Zhou LiangXue , Chen LiangYin , Wang ChaoHua
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

It is hard to distinguish cerebral aneurysms from overlapping vessels in 2D digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images due to these images’ lack of spatial information.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to (1) construct a deep learning diagnostic system to improve the ability to detect posterior communicating artery aneurysms on 2D DSA images and (2) validate the efficiency of the deep learning diagnostic system in 2D DSA aneurysm detection.

METHODS

We proposed a 2-stage detection system. First, we established the region localization stage to automatically locate specific detection regions of raw 2D DSA sequences. Second, in the intracranial aneurysm detection stage, we constructed a bi-input+RetinaNet+convolutional long short-term memory (C-LSTM) framework to compare its performance for aneurysm detection with that of 3 existing frameworks. Each of the frameworks had a 5-fold cross-validation scheme. The receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the curve (AUC) value, mean average precision, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used to assess the abilities of different frameworks.

RESULTS

A total of 255 patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysms and 20 patients without aneurysms were included in this study. The best AUC values of the RetinaNet, RetinaNet+C-LSTM, bi-input+RetinaNet, and bi-input+RetinaNet+C-LSTM frameworks were 0.95, 0.96, 0.92, and 0.97, respectively. The mean sensitivities of the RetinaNet, RetinaNet+C-LSTM, bi-input+RetinaNet, and bi-input+RetinaNet+C-LSTM frameworks and human experts were 89% (range 67.02%-98.43%), 88% (range 65.76%-98.06%), 87% (range 64.53%-97.66%), 89% (range 67.02%-98.43%), and 90% (range 68.30%-98.77%), respectively. The mean specificities of the RetinaNet, RetinaNet+C-LSTM, bi-input+RetinaNet, and bi-input+RetinaNet+C-LSTM frameworks and human experts were 80% (range 56.34%-94.27%), 89% (range 67.02%-98.43%), 86% (range 63.31%-97.24%), 93% (range 72.30%-99.56%), and 90% (range 68.30%-98.77%), respectively. The mean accuracies of the RetinaNet, RetinaNet+C-LSTM, bi-input+RetinaNet, and bi-input+RetinaNet+C-LSTM frameworks and human experts were 84.50% (range 69.57%-93.97%), 88.50% (range 74.44%-96.39%), 86.50% (range 71.97%-95.22%), 91% (range 77.63%-97.72%), and 90% (range 76.34%-97.21%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our results, more spatial and temporal information can help improve the performance of the frameworks. Therefore, the bi-input+RetinaNet+C-LSTM framework had the best performance when compared to that of the other frameworks. Our study demonstrates that our system can assist physicians in detecting intracranial aneurysms on 2D DSA images.
Severity Assessment and Progression Prediction of COVID-19 Patients based on the LesionEncoder Framework and Chest CT (Preprint)
Authors: Feng You-Zhen , Liu Sidong , Cheng Zhong-Yuan , Quiroz Juan C. , Rezazadegan Dana , Chen Ping-Kang , Lin Qi-Ting , Qian Long , Liu Xiao-Fang , Berkovsky Shlomo , Coiera Enrico , Song Lei , Qiu XiaoMing , Cai Xiang-Ran
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Automatic severity assessment and progression prediction can facilitate admission, triage, and referral of COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the potential use of lung lesion features in the management of COVID-19, based on the assumption that lesion features may carry important diagnostic and prognostic information for quantifying infection severity and forecasting disease progression.

METHODS

A novel LesionEncoder framework is proposed to detect lesions in chest CT scans and to encode lesion features for automatic severity assessment and progression prediction. The LesionEncoder framework consists of a U-Net module for detecting lesions and extracting features from individual CT slices, and a recurrent neural network (RNN) module for learning the relationship between feature vectors and collectively classifying the sequence of feature vectors.

RESULTS

Chest CT scans of two cohorts of COVID-19 patients from two hospitals in China were used for training and testing the proposed framework. When applied to assessing severity, this framework outperformed baseline methods achieving a sensitivity of 0.818, specificity of 0.952, accuracy of 0.940, and AUC of 0.903. It also outperformed the other tested methods in disease progression prediction with a sensitivity of 0.667, specificity of 0.838, accuracy of 0.829, and AUC of 0.736.

CONCLUSIONS

The LesionEncoder framework demonstrates a strong potential for clinical application in current COVID-19 management, particularly in automatic severity assessment of COVID-19 patients. This framework also has a potential for other lesion-focused medical image analyses.

CLINICALTRIAL

we performed a retrospective in China. This multicentre study was approved by the institutional review board of the principal investigator’s hospital. Informed consent from patients was exempted due to the retrospective nature of this study.
Patient-Generated Data Analytics of Health Behaviors of People Living With Type 2 Diabetes: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Nagpal Meghan S , Barbaric Antonia , Sherifali Diana , Morita Plinio P , Cafazzo Joseph A
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Complications due to type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be mitigated through proper self-management that can positively change health behaviors. Technological tools are available to help people living with, or at risk of developing, T2D to manage their condition, and such tools provide a large repository of patient-generated health data (PGHD). Analytics can provide insights into the health behaviors of people living with T2D.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to investigate what can be learned about the health behaviors of those living with, or at risk of developing, T2D through analytics from PGHD.

METHODS

A scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework was conducted in which a comprehensive search of the literature was conducted by 2 reviewers. In all, 3 electronic databases (PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library) were searched using keywords associated with diabetes, behaviors, and analytics. Several rounds of screening using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were conducted, after which studies were selected. Critical examination took place through a descriptive-analytical narrative method, and data extracted from the studies were classified into thematic categories. These categories reflect the findings of this study as per our objective.

RESULTS

We identified 43 studies that met the inclusion criteria for this review. Although 70% (30/43) of the studies examined PGHD independently, 30% (13/43) combined PGHD with other data sources. Most of these studies used machine learning algorithms to perform their analysis. The themes identified through this review include predicting diabetes or obesity, deriving factors that contribute to diabetes or obesity, obtaining insights from social media or web-based forums, predicting glycemia, improving adherence and outcomes, analyzing sedentary behaviors, deriving behavior patterns, discovering clinical correlations from behaviors, and developing design principles.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased volume and availability of PGHD have the potential to derive analytical insights into the health behaviors of people living with T2D. From the literature, we determined that analytics can predict outcomes and identify granular behavior patterns from PGHD. This review determined the broad range of insights that can be examined through PGHD, which constitutes a unique source of data for these applications that would not be possible through the use of other data sources.
Artificially intelligent mobile apps for mental health: A scoping review of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies (Preprint)
Authors: Milne-Ives Madison , Selby Emma , Inkster Becky , Meinert Edward
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Mental health conditions can have significant negative impacts on wellbeing and healthcare systems. Despite their high prevalence worldwide, there is still insufficient recognition and accessible treatments. Many mobile apps are available to the general population that aim to support mental health needs; however, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. Mobile apps for mental health are beginning to incorporate artificial intelligence and there is a need for an overview of the state of the literature on these apps.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the current research landscape and knowledge gaps regarding the use of artificial intelligence in mobile health apps for mental health.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study (PICOS) frameworks were used to structure the review and the search. PubMed was systematically searched for randomised controlled trials and cohort studies published in English since 2014 that evaluate artificial intelligence-enabled mobile apps for mental health support. Two reviewers collaboratively screened references, selected studies for inclusion based on the eligibility criteria, and extracted the data, which were synthesised in a descriptive analysis.

RESULTS

1,022 studies were identified in the initial search and 6 were included in the final review. The mobile apps investigated incorporated artificial intelligence for a variety of purposes (risk prediction, classification, and personalisation) and aimed to address a wide range of mental health needs (including developmental disabilities, depression, stress, and suicide risk). The studies’ characteristics also varied in terms of methods, sample size, and study duration.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the studies demonstrated the feasibility of using artificial intelligence to support mental health apps, but the early stages of the research and weaknesses in the study designs highlight the need for more research into artificial intelligence-enabled mental health apps and stronger evidence of their effectiveness. This research is essential and urgent, considering the easy availability of these artificial intelligence-enabled mental health apps to a large population.
Online Peer Support for Mental Health in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Huang Millie YQ , Segal Andrea G , Sisti Dominic A
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Online peer-to-peer support is characterized by individuals with mental illnesses engaging in mutual connections through the internet, often on social media platforms and mental health forums, to share experiences, discuss health concerns, and ask for advice. Previous literature has demonstrated that online peer-to-peer support is especially beneficial for those who live in geographically remote locations or experience considerable social isolation in their day-to-day lives. Online support has been acutely relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period with marked population-level mental health concerns.

OBJECTIVE

This paper investigates the role of online peer-to-peer connections during the early months (January-April 2020) of the pandemic through the thematic analysis of mental health threads posted on the site mentalhealthforum.net.

METHODS

Content analysis followed a basic thematic approach to coding and was performed on the initial posts of n=4 moderator-pinned threads and n=100 of the subsequent most-viewed user-generated threads as of April 24th, 2020.

RESULTS

Overall, two key aspects of online peer-to-peer support were identified. Individuals (1) engaged in discussions about concerns related to symptoms or risk factors of mental illness and personal circumstances incidental to COVID-19, and (2) shared pandemic-related health advice, resources, and reassurance.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that online peer-to-peer support is a valuable resource to supplement other online behavioral health modalities during the pandemic. Moreover, systematic study and monitoring of online mental health forums can inform public health policies and population-level interventions.
Teaching Telemedicine: The Next Frontier for Medical Educators (Preprint)
Authors: Alcocer Alkureishi Maria , Lenti Gena , Choo Zi-Yi , Castaneda Jason , Weyer George , Oyler Julie , Lee Wei Wei
Published: March 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed telemedicine to the forefront of health care delivery, and for many clinicians, virtual visits are the new normal. Although telemedicine has allowed clinicians to safely care for patients from a distance during the current pandemic, its rapid adoption has outpaced clinician training and development of best practices. Additionally, telemedicine has pulled trainees into a new virtual education environment that finds them oftentimes physically separated from their preceptors. Medical educators are challenged with figuring out how to integrate learners into virtual workflows while teaching and providing patient-centered virtual care. In this viewpoint, we review principles of patient-centered care in the in-person setting, explore the concept of patient-centered virtual care, and advocate for the development and implementation of patient-centered telemedicine competencies. We also recommend strategies for teaching patient-centered virtual care, integrating trainees into virtual workflows, and developing telemedicine curricula for graduate medical education trainees by using our TELEMEDS framework as a model.
The Husbands’ Support: The Experiences of off-Campus Married Muslim Student Mothers in Private and Religious Institutions of Higher Learning in Uganda—A Case of Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)
Authors: Madinah Nabukeera , Michael Bwengye , Rose Nabaggala
Published: March 2021

While IUIU policies allow students to officially get married the same institution does not allow babies in halls of residence yet it has not put in place the necessary facilities and arrangements on campus to enable them juggle their multiple roles as Married Muslim Student Mothers (MMSM) in completing their academic undertakings. This poses a challenge due to constrained finances that make it difficult due to inability to pay maid thus causing frustrations which later affects their academic performance. The research adopted a Feminism theory and other supporting theories to explore the experiences of married Muslim student mothers, husbands support, institutional policies, challenges and coping strategies. The study was allocated within a qualitative research paradigm and involved semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 30 undergraduate university married Muslim student mothers. Key findings were that the married Muslim student mothers’ experiences were child care and excess workload: husbands’ support included emotional and financial support: institutional support comprised of lack of child care support, support from lectures, family and friends: challenges involved time management, lack of support from lecturers, transport costs, excess workload, fixed timetables and lack of social and financial support: coping strategies included time management skills, faith and Allah, assistance with child care, creating extra time and advise. These findings have implications for policy in terms of empowerment, support to enable them to amalgamate competing roles of student mothers. MMSM operate in a family system which influences their decisions hence failure to make independent decisions but rather seek approval from their husbands. If MMSM are to succeed with their endeavors of completing their education while married they should submit to their husband in order to receive emotional and financial support to fulfill their academic dreams and a better future.
IMPACT OF FOLIAR-APPLIED DORMANCY-BREAKING AGENTS ON FLOWERING BEHAVIOR, YIELD, FRUIT QUALITY, AND SOME CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF “EIN SHAMER” APPLE TREES
Authors: EL-YAZAL MOHAMED A SEIF , EL-YAZAL SAMIR A SEIF
Published: March 2021

Objective: This investigation was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2016 and 2017 to investigate the effect of Dormex, mineral oil, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and thiourea on bud break, growth, yield, and some chemical constituents of “Ein Shamer” apple (Malus sylvestris, Mill) variety.

Methods: The trees were grown in loamy sand soil, and sprayed with six treatments (Dormex (4%), mineral oil (5%), potassium nitrate (8%), calcium nitrate (8%), and thiourea (2%) and control.

Results: In general, it was found that all studied growth parameters, date of flower bud break, percentage of bud break, fruit-setting, fruit weight, fruit size, fruit number/tree, yield/tree (kg), and some chemical constituents of leaves (total chlorophyll, total carbohydrates, total protein, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium contents) and some chemical constituents of fruits total soluble solids (T.S.S.), T.S.S./acid ratio, Vitamin C, water content %, total free amino acids, total carbohydrates, total sugars, and reducing sugars) were increased with the application of the different treatments.

Conclusion: The best results were obtained from the treatment of Dormex at 4% and mineral oil (5%). On the contrary, the same treatment decreased total acidity and total phenols in fruits as compared to the control. It could be recommended to use Dormex at 4% and mineral oil (5%) for improving bud break, growth, yield, and chemical constituents of apple trees or fruits.
A CASE STUDY ON 3 WEEKS PREMATURE RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES CAUSED BY OROPHARYNGEAL MICROBIOTA
Authors: SM ALKASSEH AREEFA , ALKHATIB SHAIMAA JAMAL
Published: March 2021

Premature rupture of membrane (PROM) is produced when amniotic membranes tear before labor onset and is recorded in around 8 % of full-term gestations. Preterm PROMs (PPROMs) take place before the 37th week of gestation, with an incidence of 2–4 % of pregnancies, and it is associated with higher maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, mainly related to infectious processes and prematurity. Among maternal complications, which include postpartum infection, premature placental detachment, and maternal sepsis, we highlight clinical chorioamnionitis for its incidence and severity. Of decreasing frequency, perinatal complications include respiratory distress, neonatal sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and neurological lesions. Full-term PROM frequently has a physiological cause and is a consequence of uterine contractions; however, PPROM usually has a multifactorial etiology that is often unknown, although the most frequently reported cause is an infection, observed in up to 60 % of cases. Therefore, the etiology of PPROM, although probably infectious, remains unknown in most cases. The obstetric approach varies as a function of gestational age, actively inducing the pregnancy in full-term PROM but performing an overall evaluation of maternal-fetal status in PPROM. In the latter situation, an assessment is made of the relative risks and benefits of a wait-and-see attitude versus pregnancy induction, considering signs of infection and/or prematurity, and ordering antibiotic treatment when PPROM is diagnosed . Multiple combinations of antimicrobial drugs have been proposed and better perinatal and maternal outcomes have been reported for the prophylactic administration of some new combinations. This study describes a case of PPROM caused by urinary tract infection.
SONOGRAPHIC REFERENCE LUMINAL DIAMETER OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA AMONG SUBJECTS IN NIGERIA
Authors: S. OKPALEKE MICHAEL , C. IKAMAISE VALENTINE , K. AGWU KENNETH , C. UGWU ANTHONY , P. OGOLODOM MICHAEL
Published: March 2021

Objective: The objective of the study was to develop a reference luminal diameter (LD) of the abdominal aorta (AA) in Abuja, Nigeria.

Methods: The LD of the AA of 422 male and female healthy subjects was measured sonographically using standard protocol. The relationship between age, body mass index (BMI), gender, and the LD of the AA was determined in the subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient at p < 0.05 level of significance.

Results: The values of the LD of the AA in the healthy subjects were 15.16 ± 0.55 mm in males and 15.15 ± 0.55 mm in females. The 5th and 95th percentile normal reference limits of the AA were 14.20–16.10 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences in the LD measurements in male and female subjects. Age correlated strongly positively with LD (ɼ=0.90) of the AA in both genders. BMI showed weak positive correlation with LD (ɼ=0.136) of the AA in female healthy subjects only.

Conclusion: The reference LD of the AA in the study population was 15.16 ± 0.55 mm in males and 15.15 ± 0.55 mm in females. The LD of the AA increased proportionately with age.
DETERMINATION OF PREVALENCE RATE OF ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA AMONG CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE DIARRHEA IN KANO, NIGERIA
Authors: S ADAM JA’AFAR , G YAHAYA MUSA , S NAS FAROUK , MU’AZU LURWAN , ALI MUHAMMAD
Published: March 2021

Background: Diarrhea is a major contributor to childhood mortality and morbidity in the developing world.

Objective: The study was aimed to determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica among children diagnosed with acute diarrhea in Kura General Hospital Kano, from February to August 2017.

Methodology: A total of 236 stools samples were collected from children within the age group of 0 – 5 years diagnosed with acute diarrhea attending the Hospital. The stool samples were examined for Entamoeba Histolytica cysts and trophozoites using direct wet preparation and Formol Ether concentration techniques.

Results: The result showed that 23 samples which accounted for 9.75% of the samples were found to be positive for the parasite. Highest incidence of the parasite was found among children within the age category of 4 - 5 years. The results also indicated that males (56.5%) were more infected than females (43.5%). However, there is no statistical difference in the rate of infection among the sex and age group of the patients at p< 0.05.

Conclusion: In conclusion, maintenance of personal hygiene and improved sanitation of the environment will indeed prevent contamination of food and water sources.
A CASE REPORT ON SYSTEMIC-ONSET JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS (SOJIA) WITHOUT MULTIORGAN INVOLVEMENT
Authors: KHAN PATHAN AMANULLA , NOUSHEEN BB SARAH , BEGUM ASFIYA , JABEEN RAQSHAN , HUSSAIN YOUSUF
Published: March 2021

Systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA) is a rare form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) which manifests as quotidian fevers and arthritis in one or more joints. Features include characteristic salmon pink-colored rash associated with lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and serositis. To the best of our knowledge, this is a rare form of JIA in India and very few cases without multiorgan involvement have been published in literature. The following case reports a 12-year-old male child who presented to the hospital with a history of spiking fevers and arthritis in the knees, ankle, and hip joints. Diagnosis of SoJIA was confirmed after subsequent laboratory investigations; treatment included long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and methotrexate. However, due to increased cost of medicines and no guaranteed “cure” for the disease, the present patient switched from allopathic to homeopathic medicines. He still experiences frequent flare-ups associated with the disease, during which aceclofenac is taken for symptom relief. This case also highlights the importance of a “cure” for diseases rather than “symptom-oriented” treatment measures. When a cure is not guaranteed, patients may transition to inexpensive alternate therapies portraying limited efficacy. Further research in the field of rheumatology, specifically for rare diseases, is warranted.
RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN SERBIA
Authors: Golubović Nataša , Golubović Srđan
Published: March 2021

Renowned international organizations classify Serbia as a democracy. However, they usually assess the state of democracy on the basis of the narrow theoretical concept of electoral democracy, which easily creates a fallacy that the free elections represent not only a necessary but sufficient condition for democracy. The concept of liberal consolidated democracy, in addition to procedural aspects, implies stricter normative and analytical criteria, such as the rule of law and the mechanisms of vertical and horizontal accountability, which constitute institutional guarantees for the application of fundamental democratic principles. In the absence of these mechanisms, electoral democracies become defective. According to relevant research, Serbia is classified as a semi-consolidated (defective or flawed) democracy. Irregularities in election procedures, as well as the violation of elements that guarantee respect for democratic norms and institutions in recent years indicate a certain democratic "regression". Bearing this in mind, the paper examines the extent to which the rule of law represents support to the consolidation of democracy in Serbia and points out to the potential causes of the observed deficiencies in this area, which aggravate the consolidation of democracy.
MILOVAN MILOVANOVIĆ’S VIEWS ON SERBIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL ISSUES AT THE END OF XIX AND THE BEGINNING OF XX CENTURY
Authors: Anžel Nenad
Published: March 2021

This paper examines the most important views of the Serbian statesman, a diplomat and a lawyer Milovan Milovanovic and his view of the solution of the Serbian national and state issue in the late 19th and early 20th century. Milovanović was one of the most educated people of his time in Serbia. As a good connoisseur of the European political scene and international relations, he implemented his ideas first as Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as Prime Minister of the Serbian Kingdom.
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING (EUROPEAN) MONETARY LAW AT DOMESTIC LAW FACULTIES
Authors: Dimitrijević Marko , Golubović Srđan
Published: March 2021

This paper points to the real and logical need for academic studying of the positive law discipline of (European) Monetary law at Law Faculties in Serbia. This branch of law is necessary for the optimal legal regulation of monetary policy, state monetary conduct and preserving monetary stability as an important public good for every monetary jurisdiction in the world. The introduction of Jean Monnet Module for European Monetary Law at the Faculty of the Law, University of Niš, is a very important step in academic teaching and scientific research on the legal regulation of public monetary affairs. The authors conclude that lawyers must have specialist knowledge from this branch of law, considering the frequency of monetary disputes and implication of monetary stability on living standards of monetary habitats and their rights to have healthy and solid currency.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RIGHTS OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF COPYRIGHT LAWS IN SERBIA
Authors: Blagojević Andrej
Published: March 2021

The paper aims to present the development of national legislative acts on copyright and related rights in the field of broadcasting, by focusing on the copyright norms directly related to electronic media. The goal will be achieved by providing a chronological overview and normative analysis of all legislative act son copyright and related rights adopted thus far, starting from the 1929 Copyright Act of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to the current Act on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Serbia. After presenting the initial premises, the author analyzes the norms related to electronic media (radio and television), covering the period from the adoption of the 1929 Copyright Act of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to the 2004 Act on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Serbia. Then, the article provides an overview of the copyright norms related to electronic media in the positive law by analyzing the 2009 Act on Copyright and Related Rights and its subsequent amendments. The results of this analysis should indicate the significant impact of electronic media in the process of regulating copyright issues throughout the history of national copyright law as well as in the positive copyright law.
On Certain Hessenberg Matrices Related with Linear Recurrences
Authors: Koparal Sibel , Ömür Neşe , Çolak Cemile D.
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we present the permanents and determinants of some Hessenbergmatrices. Also, some special cases for permanents are given.
FIXED POINTS OF ALMOST GENERALIZED $(\alpha,\beta)$-$(\psi, \varphi)$-CONTRACTIVE MAPPINGS IN $b$-METRIC SPACES
Authors: Babu Gutti Venkata Ravindranadh , Dula Tolera Mosissa
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we introduce almost generalized $(\alpha,\beta)$-$(\psi, \varphi)$-contractive maps, and we prove some new xed point results for this class of mappings in b-metric spaces. We provide examples in support of our results. Our results extend/generalize the results of Dutta and Choudhury [8] and Yamaod and Sintunavarat [13].
RICCI SOLITONS IN $\alfa$ COSYMPLECTIC MANIFOLDS
Authors: Singh Jay Prakash , Chawngthu Lalmalsawma
Published: March 2021

The object of the present paper is to study Ricci solitons in \alfacosymplectic manifolds. Projective, pseudo projective and Weyl conformal curvature in an \alfa cosymplectic manifolds admitting Ricci solitons have been studied under certain curvature conditions. Also gradient Ricci solitons in \alfa  cosymplectic manifolds have been studied.
NEW INEQUALITIES OF WIRTINGER TYPE FOR CONVEX AND MN-CONVEX FUNCTIONS
Authors: Mirkovic Tatjana Z.
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we obtain some inequalities of Wirtinger type by using some classical inequalities and means for convex functions and establish some applications to special means for positive real numbers.
ON mTH-COMMUTATORS AND ANTI-COMMUTATORS INVOLVING GENERALIZED DERIVATIONS IN PRIME RINGS
Authors: Raza Mohd Arif
Published: March 2021

In this manuscript, we study the $m$-th commutator and anti-commutator involving generalized derivations on some suitable subsets of rings. We attain the information about the structure of rings and the behaviour of generalized derivation in form of multiplication by some specific element of Utumi quotient ring which satisfies certain differential identities.
(CLR)-PROPERTY ON QUASI-PARTIAL METRIC SPACES AND RELATED FIXED POINT THEOREMS
Authors: Barakat Mohamed A. , Aydi Hassen Mohamed
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we initiate the concept of "common limit range" (CLR) property in theframework of quasi-partial metric spaces. By using this concept, some xed point theoremsinvolving two pairs of contraction mappings are proved without using the completenesscondition of the whole space. Our results extend some results in literature, as Nazir andAbbas [4] and Vetro et al. [7].
A NOTE ON OPERATORS CONSISTENT IN INVERTIBILITY
Authors: Kostadinov Marko
Published: March 2021

We generalize the notion of consistency in invertibility to Banach algebras and prove that the set of all elements consistent in invertibility is an upper semiregularity. In the case of bounded liner operators on a Hilbert space, we give a complete answer when the set of all CI operators will be a regularity. Analogous results are obtained for Fredholm consistent operators.
ON THE PARTIAL DIFFERENCE SETS IN CAYLEY DERANGEMENT GRAPHS
Authors: Ghorbani Modjtaba , Rajabi-Parsa Mina
Published: March 2021

Let $G$ be a finite group. The set $D\subseteq G$with $|D|=k$ is called a $(n,k,\lambda,\mu)$-partial difference set(PDS) in $G$ if the differences $d_1d_2 ^{-1}, d_2,d_2\in  D, d_1\neq d_2$, represent each non-identity element in $D$ exactly $\lambda$  times and each non-identity element in $G-\{D\}$ exactly $\mu$  times.In the present paper, we determine for which group $G\in \{D_{2n},T_{4n},U_{6n},V_{8n}\}$ the derangement set is a PDS. We also prove that the derangement set of a Frobenius group is a PDS.