bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Determines Indigenous Chepang Farmers’ Swidden Land-Use Decisions in the Central Hill Districts of Nepal?
Authors: Mukul Sharif A. , Byg Anja
Published: July 2020

Swidden or shifting cultivation is a widespread yet controversial land-use in the tropical forest–agriculture frontier. In recent years, the extent of land under swidden and the people who rely on it for subsistence and income have declined. We report swidden land-use changes in two central hill districts of Nepal by indigenous Chepang communities—a stronghold of swidden cultivation in mountainous Nepal. Despite a common trend of swidden decline, as in other parts of South and Southeast Asia, we found that swidden is important in the life and livelihoods of smallholder rural Chepang farmers in the area. Swidden cultivation was found to be more important to farmers with limited off-farm opportunities and in areas where alternative land-uses were scarce. We discuss biophysical, socio-economic, institutional, and other key drivers affecting farmers’ decision to shift away from or continue with swidden in the area. Using linear mixed effect models, we also examined households’ attributes that may expedite swidden decisions in the area. Our study recommends greater access to alternative land-use(s) and other income-generating options for the wellbeing of smallholder indigenous Chepang farmers, as well as the sustainability of this age-old land-use practice.
All on Board? New Evidence on Board Characteristics from a Large Panel of UK FTSE Indices
Authors: Yusuf Abdelrhman , Sherif Mohamed
Published: July 2020

This study analyses whether the board characteristics (diversity attributes, competitive capital, time commitment) of companies listed on the Financial Times Stock Exchange FTSE100 exhibit a different performance compared to those associated with conventional benchmark indices (FTSE250, FTSE SMALLCAP (small capitalisation), FTSE Fledgling, and FTSE All-Shar). Using multivariate analysis and unbalanced panel data over the period 2000−2014, we provide novel evidence on how the UK stock market indices react to diversity in board characteristics. Our findings reveal that different aspects of board characteristics are significantly correlated with the performance of FTSE indices. This study further confirms that boards with high levels of diversity maintain better and more effective levels of governance, in particular for companies listed on FTSE100 and FTSE250. Interestingly, we report that the competitive capital and busyness associated with boards of companies listed on FTSE100 have professional, well-educated, and socially connected boards, and show a clear pattern whereby boards become significantly less competitive as firm size decreases.
Identifying the Influencing Factors on Investors’ Investment Behavior: An Empirical Study Focusing on the Chinese P2P Lending Market
Authors: Yang Xi , Fan Wenjuan , Yang Shanlin
Published: July 2020

Our study explores the factors influencing investors’ behavior in the peer-to-peer (P2P) lending market in China, and the relationships among them from the perspective of investors. The primary component analysis method was used to divide the P2P lending platforms into five categories. Then, a structural equation model was applied to analyze the interrelationship. Our results show that more exceptional operating ability, profitability, and security of the platform help to improve investor’s investment behavior. Operation ability is the most significant influencing factor, which also influences other factors to different degrees. After the analysis of the results, we found that the security degree of P2P lending platforms in China differs, and the risk due to the lack of bank depository for platforms is the most serious. In terms of the background, investors are less interested in the state-owned platforms compared to the bank- or listed-company-owned platforms, although the background strength of the state-owned platforms is more powerful.
Local and Non-Local Invasive Measurements on Two Quantum Spins Coupled via Nanomechanical Oscillations
Authors: Maroulakos Dimitrios , Chotorlishvili Levan , Schulz Dominik , Berakdar Jamal
Published: July 2020

Symmetry plays the central role in the structure of quantum states of bipartite (or many-body) fermionic systems. Typically, symmetry leads to the phenomenon of quantum coherence and correlations (entanglement) inherent to quantum systems only. In the present work, we study the role of symmetry (i.e., quantum correlations) in invasive quantum measurements. We consider the influence of a direct or indirect measurement process on a composite quantum system. We derive explicit analytical expressions for the case of two quantum spins positioned on both sides of the quantum cantilever. The spins are coupled indirectly to each others via their interaction with a magnetic tip deposited on the cantilever. Two types of quantum witnesses can be considered, which quantify the invasiveness of a measurement on the systems’ quantum states: (i) A local quantum witness stands for the consequence on the quantum spin states of a measurement done on the cantilever, meaning we first perform a measurement on the cantilever, and subsequently a measurement on a spin. (ii) The non-local quantum witness signifies the response of one spin if a measurement is done on the other spin. In both cases the disturbance must involve the cantilever. However, in the first case, the spin-cantilever interaction is linear in the coupling constant Ω , where as in the second case, the spin-spin interaction is quadratic in Ω . For both cases, we find and discuss analytical results for the witness.
Low Doses of Mycotoxin Mixtures below EU Regulatory Limits Can Negatively Affect the Performance of Broiler Chickens: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kolawole Oluwatobi , Graham Abigail , Donaldson Caroline , Owens Bronagh , Abia Wilfred A. , Meneely Julie , Alcorn Michael J. , Connolly Lisa , Elliott Christopher T.
Published: July 2020

Several studies have reported a wide range of severe health effects as well as clinical signs, when livestock animals are exposed to high concentration of mycotoxins. However, little is known regarding health effects of mycotoxins at low levels. Thus, a long-term feeding trial (between May 2017 and December 2019) was used to evaluate the effect of low doses of mycotoxin mixtures on performance of broiler chickens fed a naturally contaminated diet. In total, 18 successive broiler performance trials were carried out during the study period, with approximately 2200 one-day-old Ross-308 chicks used for each trial. Feed samples given to birds were collected at the beginning of each trial and analysed for multi-mycotoxins using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Furthermore, parameters including feed intake, body weight and feed efficiency were recorded on a weekly basis. In total, 24 mycotoxins were detected in samples analysed with deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisins (FBs), apicidin, enniatins (ENNs), emodin and beauvericin (BEV), the most prevalent mycotoxins. Furthermore, significantly higher levels (however below EU guidance values) of DON, ZEN, FBs, BEV, ENNs and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) were detected in 6 of the 18 performance trials. A strong positive relationship was observed between broilers feed efficiency and DON (R2 = 0.85), FBs (R2 = 0.53), DAS (R2 = 0.86), ZEN (R2 = 0.92), ENNs (R2 = 0.60) and BEV (R2 = 0.73). Moreover, a three-way interaction regression model revealed that mixtures of ZEN, DON and FBs (p = 0.01, R2 = 0.84) and ZEN, DON and DAS (p = 0.001, R2 = 0.91) had a statistically significant interaction effect on the birds’ feed efficiency. As farm animals are often exposed to low doses of mycotoxin mixtures (especially fusarium mycotoxins), a cumulative risk assessment in terms of measuring and mitigating against the economic, welfare and health impacts is needed for this group of compounds.
Characterization of a Novel Rat Hepatitis E Virus Isolated from an Asian Musk Shrew (Suncus murinus)
Authors: Bai Huimin , Li Wei , Guan Dawei , Su Juan , Ke Changwen , Ami Yasushi , Suzaki Yuriko , Takeda Naokazu , Muramatsu Masamichi , Li Tian-Cheng
Published: July 2020

The Asian musk shrew (shrew) is a new reservoir of a rat hepatitis E virus (HEV) that has been classified into genotype HEV-C1 in the species Orthohepevirus C. However, there is no information regarding classification of the new rat HEV based on the entire genome sequences, and it remains unclear whether rat HEV transmits from shrews to humans. We herein inoculated nude rats (Long-Evans rnu/rnu) with a serum sample from a shrew trapped in China, which was positive for rat HEV RNA, to isolate and characterize the rat HEV distributed in shrews. A rat HEV strain, S1129, was recovered from feces of the infected nude rat, indicating that rat HEV was capable of replicating in rats. S1129 adapted and grew well in PLC/PRF/5 cells, and the recovered virus (S1129c1) infected Wistar rats. The entire genomes of S1129 and S1129c1 contain four open reading frames and share 78.3–81.8% of the nucleotide sequence identities with known rat HEV isolates, demonstrating that rat HEVs are genetically diverse. We proposed that genotype HEV-C1 be further classified into subtypes HEV-C1a to HEV-C1d and that the S1129 strain circulating in the shrew belonged to the new subtype HEV-C1d. Further studies should focus on whether the S1129 strain infects humans.
Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Urachal Anomalies in Cats and Dogs: Retrospective Study of 98 Cases (2009–2019)
Authors: Perondi Francesca , Puccinelli Caterina , Lippi Ilaria , Della Santa Daniele , Benvenuti Michelangelo , Mannucci Tommaso , Citi Simonetta
Published: July 2020

This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of different urachal anomalies (UA) in cats (n = 60) and dogs (n = 38) and their association with clinical symptoms and urinalysis alterations. Among UA, the vesicourachal diverticulum was the most prevalent UA diagnosed in both cats (96.7%) and dogs (89.5%): the intramural vesicourachal diverticulum was diagnosed in 76.7% of cats and 71.1% of dogs, followed by extramural vesicourachal diverticulum (20.0% and 18.4% respectively). In both cats and dogs, bladder wall diffuse or regional thickening was the most prevalent alteration. The most common alterations of the urinary bladder content were urolithiasis sediment in cats (33.3%) and in dogs (31.6%). Dogs with UA were more often asymptomatic (p = 0.01). No difference was found in cats. Stranguria, hematuria, and urethral obstruction were the most frequently reported clinical signs, while hematuria and leukocyturia were the most prevalent abnormalities at urinalysis. In conclusion, our study confirmed UA as uncommon, and often incidental findings, with a high prevalence of animals without clinical signs.
A Simplified Hydro-Economic Model of Guadalquivir River Basin for Analysis of Water-Pricing Scenarios
Authors: M. Borrego-Marín María , A. Expósito , J. Berbel
Published: July 2020

This study describes an economic model in the Guadalquivir river basin (Southern Spain) that considers inter-sectoral and hydrological effects of changes in water use as a response to various water-pricing policy scenarios. The main economic variables include water use, gross regional product, return flows in the river basin, and employment at sectoral and basin levels. The response of the different sectors to water pricing and of the sectoral productivity is derived from official data. The background of the model is based on previous research for the implementation of the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounts and on the application of this framework to the Guadalquivir basin. Results based on the elicited curves illustrate that the structure of the demand function for irrigated agriculture passes from inelastic to elastic sections, while the function corresponding to the remaining economic sectors shows a continuous decreasing function with minor change in the elasticity structure of the curve. Results show that the impact of extreme measures of water pricing reduces water abstraction by up to 42% vs. the baseline scenario, with an economic reduction in regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 1%.
Comparison of the MUSLE Model and Two Years of Solid Transport Measurement, in the Bouregreg Basin, and Impact on the Sedimentation in the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Reservoir, Morocco
Authors: Ezzaouini Mohamed , Mahé Gil , Kacimi Ilias , Zerouali Abdelaziz
Published: July 2020

The evaluation and quantification of solids transport in Morocco often uses the Universal Soil Loss Model (USLE) and the revised version RUSLE, which presents a calibration difficulty. In this study, we apply the MUSLE model to predict solid transport, for the first time on a large river basin in the Kingdom, calibrated by two years of solid transport measurements on four main gauging stations at the entrance of the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah dam. The application of the MUSLE on the basin demonstrated relatively small differences between the measured values and those expected for the calibrated version, these differences are, for the non-calibrated version, +5% and +102% for the years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 respectively, and between −33% and +34% for the calibrated version. Besides, the measured and modeled volumes that do not exceed 1.78 × 106 m3/year remain well below the dam’s siltation rate of 9.49 × 106 m3/year, which means that only 18% of the dam’s sediment comes from upstream. This seems very low because it is calculated from only two years. The main hypothesis that we can formulate is that the sediments of the dam most probably comes from the erosion of its banks.
Optimal Operation of Complex Flood Control System Composed of Cascade Reservoirs, Navigation-Power Junctions, and Flood Storage Areas
Authors: Zhu Di , Mei Yadong , Xu Xinfa , Chen Junhong , Ben Yue
Published: July 2020

As more and more water projects are built on rivers, the flood control operation becomes more complex. Studies on the optimal flood control operation are very important to safeguard human life and property. This study focused on optimizing the operation of a complex flood control system composed of cascade reservoirs, navigation-power junctions, flood storage areas, and flood control points. An optimal model was established to jointly maximize flood peak reduction rates of downstream flood control points. A hybrid algorithm named the Dynamic Programming-Progressive Optimality Algorithm (DP-POA) was used to solve this model, and the middle and lower reaches of the Ganjiang River were selected as a case study. The results show that flood reduction at three downstream flood control points ranged from 1080 to 5359 m3/s for designed floods with different return periods, which increased by about 333~1498 m3/s in comparison with the conventional operation. Considering that the maximum water level of reservoirs using DP-POA and the conventional operation is the same, this indicated that DP-POA can make full use of the reservoirs’ flood control storage to reduce downstream flood peaks. In addition, the flood diversion volume of the flood storage area using DP-POA ranged from 0.33 × 108 to 1.79 × 108 m3 for designed floods with 200-year, 300-year, and 500-year return periods, which is smaller than that using the conventional operation.
Urban Water Demand Prediction for a City That Suffers from Climate Change and Population Growth: Gauteng Province Case Study
Authors: Zubaidi Salah L. , Ortega-Martorell Sandra , Al-Bugharbee Hussein , Olier Ivan , Hashim Khalid S. , Gharghan Sadik Kamel , Kot Patryk , Al-Khaddar Rafid
Published: July 2020

The proper management of a municipal water system is essential to sustain cities and support the water security of societies. Urban water estimating has always been a challenging task for managers of water utilities and policymakers. This paper applies a novel methodology that includes data pre-processing and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) optimized with the Backtracking Search Algorithm (BSA-ANN) to estimate monthly water demand in relation to previous water consumption. Historical data of monthly water consumption in the Gauteng Province, South Africa, for the period 2007–2016, were selected for the creation and evaluation of the methodology. Data pre-processing techniques played a crucial role in the enhancing of the quality of the data before creating the prediction model. The BSA-ANN model yielded the best result with a root mean square error and a coefficient of efficiency of 0.0099 mega liters and 0.979, respectively. Moreover, it proved more efficient and reliable than the Crow Search Algorithm (CSA-ANN), based on the scale of error. Overall, this paper presents a new application for the hybrid model BSA-ANN that can be successfully used to predict water demand with high accuracy, in a city that heavily suffers from the impact of climate change and population growth.
Assessment of malpractice litigation following spine surgery
Authors: Iacob Gabriel , Ciurea Alexandru Vlad
Published: July 2020

Medical litigation in spine surgery is a serious concern today, with a high volume of clinical negligence claims, substantial financial cost and significant burden, who is threatening the future of this surgery.

Classical spinal surgery should be performed with very well documented indication, in order to improve the expected results, with clear aims: decompression of the neural elements of the spine from tightness, stabilizing the spine to protect the nerves, eliminate the pain resulting from abnormal loading from the different movements.

Spinal surgery today means a wide analysis, understanding and realization of spinal decompression, also osteosynthesis and fusions, using high-performance gestures, with increased addressability especially in the elderly, for a varied pathology, which involves anaesthetic-surgical risks, complications. In such a context, surgical damage does not necessarily result from an error or from surgical misconduct and the surgeon is not always responsible for the damage in the absence of a proven fault in the legal sense.

The paper aims to briefly review the main problems, but also useful recommendations to meet various challenges, expectations, maintaining the quality of life of each patient, reducing risks of getting sued, also to increase the odds of a successful defence.

In conclusion: education, vigilance, improved patient-safety strategies, investigation, implementation and sharing of lessons learned from litigation claims remain important components of spinal surgeons training, to reduce future cases of negligence and improve patient care, quality of life, as many of the cases of successful litigation had a preventable cause.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy for obstructive hydrocephalus
Authors: Dixon Hassan Z.A. , Hamandi Yasir M. , Mahmmoud Ammar M.A. , Hoz Samer S. , Al-Sharshahi Zahraa F.
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Obstructive hydrocephalus has long been managed by valve-regulated shunts. These shunts are associated with a myriad of short and long-term complications. This has fueled interest in Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) which provides a more physiological pathway for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion while avoiding many shunt-related complications.

Aim: The objective of this study is to analyze the outcomes of ETV at our institution, focusing on the indications, success rates, and short-term complications.

Methods: Between July 2010 and September 2015, 47 patients with obstructive hydrocephalus underwent ETV at the Neurosurgery Teaching Hospital in Baghdad/ Iraq. We retrospectively analyzed the data of these patients using hospital health records. Simple statistics were performed using  SPSS Version 20. A standardized surgical technique was employed in all cases.

Results: The mean age was 4.4 years (range 40 days - 38 years). The male: female ratio was 1.23:1 (55% males and 45% females). The most common cause of obstructive hydrocephalus in patients undergoing ETV was aqueductal stenosis (62%; N=29). The second most common cause was posterior fossa tumours (23%; N=11). The overall success rate for ETV was 68%. The net post-operative complication rate was 13% (N=6). CSF leak and seizures were the only two charted post-operative complications at the rates of 9%(N=4) and 4% (N=2), accordingly. No deaths were recorded.

Conclusion: ETV is a viable alternative to shunt insertion in a select group of patients with obstructive hydrocephalus, with acceptable success rate and safety profile.
Conspiracy Theory as a Working Method of Political Propaganda
Authors: Ižák Štefan
Published: July 2020

The paper Conspiracy theory as a working method of political propaganda deals with using of conspiracy theories by the specific (pro-Kremlin) kind of propaganda to spread certain ideological content. In the paper, the conspiracy theory The European Union organizes migration to Islamize Europe is analyzed. In the paper the internal logic of this conspiracy theory is revealed. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the argumentation strategies of this conspiracy theory and find out what kind of binarities analyzed conspiracy theory uses to legitimize its construction of reality. For the text analysis, a discourse analysis is chosen. This method allows me to analyze key discursive patterns characteristic for the set of collected news. The empirical part composed by the analysis of the research material follows the theoretical part of the paper, where the concept of conspiracy theory as the type of the discursive construction of reality and as a part of the political propaganda is presented. Results of research show that analyzed conspiracy theory disseminates concrete ideological views in favor of Eurosceptical, populist forces.
Phenotypic Distribution of Serine- and Zinc-Type Carbapenemases Among Clinical Bacterial Isolates in a Tertiary Hospital in Benin, Nigeria
Authors: Ibadin Ephraim E. , Eghiomon Angela , Idemudia Nosakhare L. , Anogie Nana A. , Eriamiatoe Richard E. , Dedekumah Eghonghon I. , Aguh Obiorah D. , Igbarumah Isaac O. , Omoregie Richard
Published: July 2020

Background: Serine and zinc type carbapenemases are distributed in many genera of bacteria and are typically associated with specific regions or countries. Objectives: This study phenotypically determined the prevalence of serine and zinc-type carbapenemases among Gram-negative bacilli recovered from clinical specimens in Benin, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Totally, 158 consecutive non-duplicate bacterial isolates (gram-negative bacilli) recovered from clinical samples were screened for serine and zinc-type carbapenemases using the simplified carbapenemase inactivation (sCIM) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid -double-disc synergy test methods. Results: The isolates recovered from clinical specimens included 126 Enterobacteriaceae (79.7%), 7 Acinetobacter spp (3.7%), and 28oxidase positive gram negative bacilli (17.7%). Twenty-eight isolates (17.7%) out of the 158 tested samples were carbapenemase positive. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of serine- and zinc-type carbapenemases (P=0.0748). However, the prevalence of zinc-type carbapenemase was significantly higher in Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with other isolates (P=0.0028) while that of serinetype carbapenemase was not affected by the type of clinical isolates (P=0.7216). Finally, the prevalence of both serine- and zinc-type carbapenemases were not affected (P>0.05) by clinical specimens and the source of isolates (in-patient vs. out-patient) respectively. Conclusion: In general, the prevalence of zinc-type (12%) carbapenemases was insignificantly higher than that of serine-type (5.7%) carbapenemases. The measures to reduce infections caused by carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) are advocated accordingly.
Molecular Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Enterotoxin-Producing Staphylococcus aureus Isolated From Samosa and Falafel in Iran
Authors: Kahledian Saeed , Pajohi-Alamoti Mohammadreza , Mahmoodi Pezhman
Published: July 2020

Objective: This study aimed to determine the contamination rate of Staphylococcus aureus in Samosa and falafel as most popular snacks, detect the classic enterotoxins, mecA, and tst genes and investigate antimicrobial resistance in the isolates. Materials and Methods: The samples were examined using bacterial culture and the suspected isolates were characterized by biochemical tests. The identity of S. aureus isolates and the presence of enterotoxin-encoding genes were assessed using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and antibiotic resistance of the isolates was determined. Results: The results revealed that 56 (46.67%) samples were contaminated with S. aureus, among which 45 isolates (80.35%) were characterized as enterotoxigenic S. aureus. The highest prevalence rate belonged to sea encoding gene as 20 isolates (35.71%) were positive for this gene followed by sed gene which was detected in 14 S. aureus isolates (25%). Most isolates (75%) were resistant to cefoxitin. Moreover, the results of PCR assays indicated that 10 (17.58%) and 7 (12.5%) isolates were positive for mecA and tst genes, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that staphylococcal contamination of Samosa and falafel should be considered as a potential health risk for consumers.
Antimicrobial Activity of Polylactic Acid Film Incorporated With Marjoram and Clove Essential Oils on Microbial and Chemical Properties of Minced Beef During Refrigerated Storage
Authors: Partovi Razieh , Talebi Fazele , Babaei Amir , Sharifzadeh Aghil
Published: July 2020

Background: Active packaging is one of the new packaging technologies which causes interaction between packaging material and food with the aim of food shelf life extension while maintaining food safety and quality. Biodegradable films like polylactic acid (PLA) can be good alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics because of environmental pollution and concerns about the limitations of petroleum resources. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove essential oils (EOs) (0.5 and 1% v/v) in maintaining the microbial and chemical quality of minced beef during refrigerated storage. Materials and Methods: Minced beef was packaged with PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove EOs (0.5 and 1% v/v) alone and in combination and stored at refrigerator temperature for 10 days. Then, microbiological and chemical analyses were done at 0, 2, 4, 7 and 10 days of examination. Results: A reduction of 1 log CFU/g in total count was observed between groups with simultaneous use of EOs and control group (P<0.05) at day 7; however, there was not any significant difference between the mentioned groups at day 10. Active packaging with marjoram and clove EOs decreased the number of psychrotrophs in comparison to the control group and it was more evident at days 7 and 10. The number of Enterobacteriaceae in control and 1% clove EO/1% marjoram EO groups showed a difference of 3 log units at day 10. TVB-N of 1% clove EO/1% marjoram EO and 0.5% clove EO/1% marjoram EO showed significant differences from control at day 10 (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study have shown that the active PLA films can be a promising approach in order to maintain microbial and chemical quality of minced beef at refrigerator temperature for 10 days.
Adults and Social Supports for Older Parents in Peri-Urban Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Salami Kabiru k. , Okunade Olugbenga O.
Published: July 2020

Introduction: The absence of comprehensive supports systems for older persons in Nigeria has put them on psychosocial challenges at old age. Thus, this study profiled the social supports provided by the adults to older persons in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized mixed method approach to administer a standardized questionnaire among 460 consented adults who had older parents, and conducted twelve in-depth interviews (IDIs) among male and female participants in Apete, a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed respectively using SPSS ver. 20 and content analysis. Results: Most (67.2%) of the respondents were females, and 77.2% were not living with their older parents. Older parents of 32.4% of the respondents relied on children as a source of income, whereas nearly half (47.0%) of the respondents perceived the care of the elderly as government responsibility. Financial care (48.5%) from significant others was perceived the most unmet social needs of the elderly, while lack of money (44.6%) was perceived the cause of the unmet social needs of the elderly. There was significant relationship (χ2=0.056) between the average monthly income and the time frame the children give money to older parents. Conclusion: There exist social supports to the elderly in peri-urban Nigeria. The social support systems available to the elderly were influenced by the culture, blessing/prayer-needs from parents, and reciprocity factors.
Is Telenursing an Effective Method to Control BMI and HbA1c in
Illiterate Patients Aged 50 Years and Older With Type 2 Diabetes? A
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Shahsavari Arezoo , Bakhshandeh Bavarsad Maryam
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Telenursing is a simple method to provide and maintain nursing care for patients with chronic illness such as diabetes. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of telenursing on body mass index (BMI) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in illiterate patients aged 50 years and older with type 2diabetes. Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed. Sixty patients with type 2 diabetes who referred to Aligoodarz diabetes clinic (Lorestan, Iran) were randomly assigned to the intervention and control group. Each patient was assessed before and after intervention for the following clinical parameters: HbA1c by Drew-DS5 analyzer and weight by scale (Sahand BMI electronic scale /Iran). All patients received diabetes self-care training for 3 days before the study. Telephone follow ups were applied in intervention group for 12 weeks. The data were analyzed using chi-square, paired t test and independent t test by SPSS11. Results: Results showed statistically significant decrease in BMI at the end of the training from 29.28 (3.29) to 28.35 (3.37) kg/m2 and statistically significant decrease in HbA1c from 8.96 (1.24) to 7.56 (0.71) in the intervention group. The effect size base on Cohen’s formula for BMI and HbA1c was Cohen’s d=2.85, effect size r=0.81 and Cohen’s d=2.04, effect size r=0.71, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicate that nurse-led telephone follow up can increase adherence from treatment program and has beneficial effects on HbA1c and BMI in illiterate patients aged 50 years and older with type 2 diabetes.
The Relationship between Nurses’ Moral Sensitivity and Patients’
Satisfaction with the Care Received in the Medical Wards
Authors: Amiri Elham , Ebrahimi Hossein , Namdar Areshtanab Hossein , Vahidi Maryam , Asghari Jafarabadi Mohamad
Published: July 2020

Introduction: The quality of care affects patients’ satisfaction. To provide high quality care,
nurses face ethical challenges in daily practice. Moral sensitivity is the first phase in moral
implementation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between nurses’ moral sensitivity
and patients’ satisfaction in medical wards.
Methods: In descriptive correlational study 198 nurses and 198 patients in 17 medical wards
filled out the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ) and Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care
Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ), respectively. Nurses were sampled by the census method.
For each nurse, a patient was selected randomly from the same ward. Data were analyzed using
SPSS version 13.
Results: The highest scores were in the dimensions of “relational orientation” and “following the
rules”, and the lowest scores were in the dimensions of “autonomy” and “experiencing moral
conflicts”. The highest level of patients’ satisfaction was with “nurses’ professional performance”
3.98 (1.09), and the lowest level was with “nurses’ routine work” 2.69 (1.22). There was no
significant relationship between the mean of patient satisfaction and moral sensitivity of nurses.
Conclusion: Considering that nurses had a higher score in dimension of “following the rules”
and a lower score in dimension of “autonomy”, it seems ethical performance in the real situation
is not merely due to the nurses’ moral sensitivity and it seems the complexity of the organization
causes nurses face difficulties in making decisions related to clinical practice; therefore, policy
makers in the health system should be able to identify barriers.
Inaugural experience and early results of minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery in Auvergne region, France
Authors: Sawadogo Adama , Nguyen Hoang Nam , D'Ostrevy Nicolas , Camilleri Lionel , Azarnoush Kasra
Published: July 2020

Introduction
: Minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery has become an established and common technique in many cardiac surgery centres throughout the world. We report how we safely introduced minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery in our department and we aim to demonstrate that this approach is feasible in any medium-size cardiac surgical centre. Methods: it consisted of retrospective and descriptive study on 60 patients who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve (45) or aortic valve surgery (15) from January 2017 to Februry 2018. The approach was 3 to 6-cm right thoracotomy through the 4th and 5th intercostal space. The Cor-KnotTM system was used to tie the knots of the prosthesis in case of mitral valve replacement and aortic valve replacement and the ring if mitral valve repair. Results: There was no conversion of thoracotomy to sternotomy. The average duration in ICU was 4.3± 2.3 days and 3.3 ± 1.5 respectively for mitral and aortic valve surgery. Four mitral patients and 1 aortic patient were reoperated for bleeding. No in-hospital death was observed. The postoperative discharge echocardiogram was normal in 95.6% of the mitral valve patients the trans-aortic mean gradient for the aortic valve patients was 16.3 ± 6 mm Hg. The thirty-day mortality was zero. In the majority of the patients, the scar of the thoracotomy were almost unseen. Conclusion: It is possible to safely implement this new approach in any mid-size cardiac centers. The use of modern technology such as 3D video and Cor Knot allows achievement of excellent short term outcomes.
Association of dietary energy density with cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome in Tehranian older adults
Authors: Shahinfar Hossein , Safabakhsh Maryam , Mansouri Sara , Djafarian Kurosh , Clark Cain C. T. , Shab-Bidar Sakineh
Published: July 2020

Introduction:The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the consumption of an energy-dense diet and cardiometabolic risk factors in Iranian older adults.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 226 older adults who were living in Tehran, Iran. Dietary energy density (DED) was calculated as energy per weight of food, kcal/g. The usual intake of participants was measured using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, fasting blood sugar, serum lipid profile and blood pressure and were assessed. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-III (NCEP ATP III).Results:Those who were in the third tertile of DED compared to the first tertile had 19% lower odds of having the cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome (MetS) 0.81 (0.39,1.68) but the association was no significant (P=0.58). There was a significant inverse association between DED and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (β=-0.14,P=0.03) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (β=-0.17,P=0.01). We did not find any significant association between intake of energy-dense foods and serum levels of triglyceride (TG) (P=0.62), fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P=0.06), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P=0.72) and waist circumference (WC) (P=0.28).Conclusion:DED is negatively associated with SBP and DBP in Iranian older adults. Prospective studies are needed to establish a causal link between DED and MetS and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Association of epicardial fat thickness assessed by echocardiography with the severity of coronary artery disease
Authors: Rostamzadeh Alireza , Khademvatani Kamal , Seyed Mohammadzadeh Mir Hossein , Ashori Shahrzad , Hajahmadi Poorrafsanjani Mojgan , Rahimi Behzad , Ghadrdoost Behshid
Published: July 2020

Introduction
: Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) can reflect risk of cardiovascular disease particularly coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of EFT assessed by echocardiography and presence as well as severity of CAD. Methods: Two hundred and twenty consecutive patients who candidate for coronary angiography because of possible CAD were studied. EFT was evaluated in standard parasternal long axis (PlAX) and parasternal short axis (PSAX) view from 3 cardiac cycles at the end of systole and diastole. The severity of CAD was defined in two ways: (1) SYNTAX score, (2) number of vessels with significant lesion. Results: PLAX (EFTS ) (EFT in systole) and PLAX (EFTd ) (EFT in diastole) were significantly higher in patients with CAD in comparison with patients without CAD (P = 0.046, P = 0.041 respectively). There was a significant correlation between PLAX (EFTS ) (P = 0.05), PLAX (EFTd ) (P = 0.04) and SYNTAX score. There was no statistically significant relationship between EFT and number of diseased vessel (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis was done for adjusting the effects of confounding factors and it showed that EFT (OR: 10.53, P = 0.004) was significantly correlated severe CAD as assessed by the SYNTAX score. Conclusion: EFT assessed by transthoracic echocardiography was higher significantly in patients with CAD than in normal patients. EFT as an easily available and cost-effective echocardiographic feature might be useful to predict complexity of CAD.
Asthma and metabolic syndrome: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Karamzad Nahid , Izadi Neda , Sanaie Sarvin , Ahmadian Elham , Eftekhari Aziz , Sullman Mark J.M. , Safiri Saeid
Published: July 2020

Introduction: This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among patients with asthma and to measure the association asthma has with MetS.Methods:The Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar were searched using the "Asthma", "Metabolic Syndrome", "Dysmetabolic Syndrome", "Cardiovascular Syndrome", "Insulin Resistance Syndrome", "Prevalence", "Odds Ratio", "Cross-Sectional Studies", and "Case-Control Studies" keywords. All observational studies reporting the prevalence of MetS among people with and without asthma were included in the study. In the presence of heterogeneity, random-effects models were used to pool the prevalence and odds ratios (OR), as measures of association in cross-sectional and case-control/ cohort studies, respectively.Results: The prevalence of MetS among patients with asthma (8 studies) and the OR comparing the prevalence of MetS among patients with and without asthma (5 studies) were pooled separately. The pooled prevalence of MetS among patients with asthma was found to be 25% (95% confidence interval (CI): 13%–38%). In contrast, the overall pooled OR for MetS in patients with asthma, compared to healthy controls, was 1.34 (95% CI: 0.91–1.76), which was not statistically significant.Conclusion: The prevalence of MetS was relatively high in patients with asthma. Furthermore, the odds of MetS was higher in patients with asthma, compared to healthy controls, although this difference was not statistically significant. More original studies among different populations are needed in order to more accurately examine the association between asthma and MetS, as well as the relationship asthma has with the individual components of MetS.
Exercise improves aging-related decreased angiogenesis through modulating VEGF-A, TSP-1 and p-NF-Ƙb protein levels in myocardiocytes
Authors: Pourheydar Bagher , Biabanghard Abdolrahman , Azari Reza , Khalaji Naser , Chodari Leila
Published: July 2020

Introduction:
Aging-dependent decline in the angiogenesis of heart is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study was aimed to characterize effect of exercise on angiogenesis alterations and molecular mediators which are related to angiogenesis in the heart under aging condition. Methods: Twenty-one male Wistar rats were assigned into three groups: young, aged, and exercise. Aged animals in the exercise group run on treadmill for 8 weeks. At the end, heart samples were collected and used for histological evaluation , determination of angiogenesis by immunostaining for PECAM-1/ CD31 and expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) levels by ELISA. P<0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Results: Our results showed that angiogenesis, and VEGF-A levels were significantly decreased, TSP1 (P>0.0001) and p-NF-κB (P>0.001) levels were significantly increased in the heart of aged group compared to young group. Exercise group showed significant increase in angiogenesis, VEGF-A (P>0.0001), and p-NF-κB (P>0.001) and showed significant decrease in TSP-1 levels (P>0.001) compared to aged group. Moreover, compared to the young group, aged group showed histological changes in the heart, such as interstitial edema, and congestion, whereas, treatment with exercise improved these undesirable changes in the heart of exercise groups. Conclusion: These findings indicated that aging-related decrease in angiogenesis in the heart may mediated by downexpression of VEGF-A and overexpression of TSP-1 proteins. Also, we showed that p-NF-κB protein was increased in the heart of aged rats, this probably mediated by compensatory mechanism. It was also showed that exercise as novel non-pharmacological therapy modifies VEGF-A and TSP-1 and increases p-NF-κB protein levels in the aged heart.
Nicotine and smoking in the COVID-19 era
Authors: Tajlil Arezou , Ghaffari Samad , Pourafkari Leili , Mashayekhi Sina , Roshanravan Neda
Published: July 2020

Introduction
: The knowledge regarding the demographic characteristics of patients with Covid-19 and risk factors distribution is still evolving. Considering the role of cigarette smoking in the pathogenesis of lung diseases and the effect of nicotine on expression of the entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is important to determine the implications of smoking in COVID-19. Methods: In this brief report, by using the published articles in the literature, we aimed to compare the reported prevalence of smoking in patients with COVID-19 to the prevalence of smoking in the general population of the corresponding report. Binomial tests were conducted and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the screened papers, we found 12 peer-reviewed articles in which epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients, including smoking status, were stated. Based on the descriptive reports of characteristics of COVID-19 patients, we observed a significantly lower proportion of COVID-19 patients with smoking history compared to what is expected, given the population average for each study’s geographic area. Conclusion: This analysis of available data showed a lower prevalence of smoking in COVID-19 patients in comparison to the regional average. Considering the limitations of the study, the results should be interpreted with great caution and be viewed just as a preliminary report to motivate related basic and clinical researches.
Does the novel coronavirus 2019 like heart more than the other family members of coronaviruses?
Authors: Ansari Ramandi Mohammad Mostafa , Baay Mohammadreza , Naderi Nasim
Published: July 2020

The disaster due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the world has made investigators enthusiastic about working on different aspects of COVID-19. However, although the pandemic of COVID-19 has not yet ended, it seems that COVID-19 compared to the other coronavirus infections (the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [MERS] and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]) is more likely to target the heart. Comparing the previous presentations of the coronavirus family and the recent cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 can also help in predicting possible future challenges and taking measures to tackle these issues.
Jainism and Buddhism in the life of the Tamil Subaltern People
Authors: R Suresh , V Kalathi
Published: July 2020

A keen reading on the religious activities in Tamil speaking region down the centuries evidently exposes the two different predominant traditions existed with influence, namely ‘Vaithiga’ and ‘Avaithiga’ (Non-Vaithiga) religious traditions. These two indeed by their institutionalised reorganization largely influenced and initiated considerable changes in the socio-political and cultural life of Tamils. Apart form these institutionalised two, a few forms of the local deity worships were also in practice. However, this paper limits its focus on the institutionalised religions in general and Buddhism and Jainism in particular. It seems that the the Vaithiga religion, right from the beginning, has habitually extended its support and has also been supported by the Kings and Chieftains of power/authority whereas Buddhism and Jainism on the other hand have earned their support largely from the subaltern mass. This paper therefore argues that the success story of Buddhism and Jainism among the subaltern mass has not simply related to any external practices of the religions, but invariably structured within the very ‘humanistic’ ideology of the said religions themselves.
FERTILISASI DAN DAYA TETAS TELUR IKAN TAWES (Puntius javanicus) DARI SPERMA PASCA PENYIMPANAN PADA TEMPERATUR 4oC
Authors: Lismawati Nuri , Hendri Afrizal , Mahendra Mahendra
Published: July 2020

This research aims to know the level of fertilization and hatching rate of tawes fish eggs (Puntius javanicus) after cryopreservation sperm in temperature 4oC. This research has been carried out in the mini laboratory (Meunasah Krueng Village of Beutong Subdistrict Nagan Raya Regency) on 19-20 August 2015. This research is both experimental, using a complete Randomized Design with 5 treatments and 3 replicates. Sperm that is used is the result of storage with the dilution of physiological NaCl and green coconuts water including P1 0% NaCl only, P2 3%, P3 5%, P4 7% and P5 9%. The results showed that the addition of green coconut water on sperm storage provides a real effect against fertilization and hatching rate of tawes fish eggs (p < 0.05). The highest levels of fertilization found in the treatment of P4 (64.3%, 0.7 mL of diluent in green coconut water + physiological NaCl solution), while the lowest fertilization found on P1 registration (25%, physiological NaCl solution). For the level of hatching rate, the highest value is found in the treatment of P4 (61.7%), and the lowest is present on the P1 registration (14.3%).