bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalencia de mastitis subclínica en tambo lechero en Paraguay
Authors: Rodríguez Jara Lisa María
Published: June 2020

El presente trabajo de investigación se llevó a cabo en un tambo del distrito de Nueva Italia, situado en el departamento Central. El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar la prevalencia de mastitis subclínica. Para el efecto, se contó con 147 animales de la especie bovina, hembras de razas holando, cruces jersey-holando y holando-gyr, de diferentes edades y periodos de lactación, con y sin síntomas de mastitis. Se realizó la prueba California Mastitis Test (CMT) y, de las 147 muestras analizadas, 110 dieron positivo a mastitis subclínica, lo que representa una prevalencia de 74,83 %. De los 551 cuartos estudiados, 315 fueron positivos, equivalentes al 57 %. Los cuartos posteriores resultaron ser el 50,6% de los cuartos totales. Según grados de CMT los resultados fueron: negativo, 43 % (236); trazas, 17 % (91); grado 1, 25 % (138); grado 2: 13,7 % (76), y grado 3: 1,8 % (10). La merma fue de 129.6 litros de leche por ordeñe. Teniendo en cuenta que el precio por litro de leche es Gs 2300 (USD 0,35), el total fue de Gs 298 080 (USD 45,6), que representa el 8,6 % de pérdida
Ensino de dança em tempos de resistência (Editorial)
Authors: Andraus Mariana Baruco M. , Costas Ana Maria Rodriguez
Published: June 2020

A Conceição/Conception torna pública uma edição especial dedicada ao ensino de dança, especialmente, em um cenário marcado por alterações legislativas no que tange ao seu entendimento não mais como área de conhecimento independente, mas como conteúdo a ser trabalhado de forma transversal por professores sem formação específica, o que representa um enorme retrocesso em termos educacionais. Quando se entende o ser humano em sua integridade, promover um relacionamento sensível com o próprio corpo e com sua capacidade de expressão - que pode se revelar (e historicamente se revela) por meio da arte - é competência necessária à formação do indivíduo não somente quando ele vem a optar pelo trabalho como artista da dança, mas também em outras profissões.
A writer’s suicide: On creativity, mental health, gender and ethics
Authors: Urmila G
Published: June 2020

The correlation between creativity and mental illness has been at the centre of ongoing debates for quite some time. This has its roots in the Romantic era (late 18th to mid-19th century), when melancholia and madness were considered to be the signs of creativity and genius. Because of this, writers like Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and many other prominent creative minds have been represented in popular narratives as having reached the heights of their creative careers while struggling with their mental health. This paper addresses the need for moving away from Romantic era notions of the relationship between madness, genius, and melancholia that reinforce the inseparability of the writer and the text, thereby trivialising the real causes and effects of mental illness. The paper also addresses the need for a health humanities intervention within the Indian literary public, using examples from the existing narratives on the late Malayalam writer Rajelakshmy ‒ an established woman writer in the 1960s ‒ who died by suicide in her mid-thirties. This paper will also reflect on the author’s own experience of reading and working with Rajelakshmy’s writings over the years.
Effect of Multimedia Instructional Strategy on Students’ Academic Achievement in Mechanical Trades in Technical Colleges
Authors: Eze T. I. , Olumoko B. O. , Obi M. N.
Published: June 2020

The need to improve academic performance of technical college students in mechanical trades necessitated this study. Thus the study proceeded to determine the effect of teaching mechanical trades concepts with multimedia on students’ academic achievement in technical colleges. One research question guided the study and one null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 alpha level. The study employed a pretest, posttest, quasi-experimental design involving two non-equivalent intact groups, (experimental group and the control group). The population was 123 National Technical College II (NTC II) students offering mechanical trades in Ondo State Nigeria. A sample of 84 students participated in the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two intact classes in Government technical colleges from two different local government areas of the State. Three data collection instruments, namely, the lesson plan for the experimental group, the lesson plan for the control group and the Mechanical Trade Achievement Test (MTAT) were used for the study. These were validated by three experts (one from Measurement and Evaluation unit and two from Technology and Vocational Education) all from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The MTAT was subjected to a reliability test using Kuder Richardson 21 (KR-21) formula to yield the reliability coefficient of 0.82. Mean as well as Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze at 0.05 level of significance the data collected for the study. Findings of the study revealed that teaching with multimedia was more effective in enhancing student’s achievement in mechanical trade. Based on the findings, it was concluded that multimedia technology is more effective in improving student’s achievement in mechanical trade. Consequently it was recommended that technical college mechanical trade teachers should adopt teaching with multimedia.
Effects of Demographic Characteristics on Trust in Driving Automation
Authors: Lee Jieun , Abe Genya , Sato Kenji , Itoh Makoto ,   University of Tsukuba  1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan,   Japanese Automobile Research Institute  2530 Karima, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0822, Japan
Published: June 2020

With the successful introduction of advanced driver assistance systems, vehicles with driving automation technologies have begun to be released onto the market. Because the role of human drivers during automated driving may be different from the role of drivers with assistance systems, it is important to determine how general users consider such new technologies. The current study has attempted to consider driver trust, which plays a critical role in forming users’ technology acceptance. In a driving simulator experiment, the demographic information of 56 drivers (50% female, 64% student, and 53% daily driver) was analyzed with respect to Lee and Moray’s three dimensions of trust: purpose, process, and performance. The statistical results revealed that female drivers were more likely to rate higher levels of trust than males, and non-student drivers exhibited higher levels of trust than student drivers. However, no driving frequency-related difference was observed. The driver ratings of each trust dimension were neutral to moderate, but purpose-related trust was lower than process- and performance-related trust. Additionally, student drivers exhibited a tendency to distrust automation compared to non-student drivers. The findings present a potential perspective of driver acceptability of current automated vehicles.
Environmental Informatics and Educational Opportunities in Post Graduate level—Indian Potentialities based on International Scenario
Authors: Paul P. K. , Aithal P. S. , Bhuimali A.
Published: June 2020

The academic sector is changing rapidly and different components have been added in the academic components. The education systems including academic bodies, programs, educational institutes change different aspects in the recent past. The interdisciplinary sciences are booming internationally. Among the interdisciplinary subjects, Environmental Sciences is an important one. On the other hand, Information Science is also truly interdisciplinary. This Information Science is also called as Informatics. The fusion or combination of these two subjects led the new academic body called ‘Environmental Informatics’. Environmental Informatics is very close with exiting field Geo-Informatics and thus it is also called as an extension of Geo-Informatics. Environmental Informatics is the solution to different environmental affairs, issues, problems, etc. Internationally, many universities have started academic programs on Environmental Informatics leading to Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors, Masters, MPhil, PhD in the subject. The present paper is an overview of Environmental Informatics including its features, functions, stakeholders emphasizing the availability of Post Graduate Programs in the field. Paper highlighted the course contents, job prospects, carrier opportunities in brief. Paper also proposed the possible programs at Masters levels; which can be a good solution both for abroad and the Indian education system.
Pesantren for elderly: Study of the spiritual empowerment of elderly women in Pondok Sepuh Payaman, Magelang
Authors: Agustina Dwi
Published: June 2020

This study aims to determine the spiritual empowerment in Sepuh Payaman Cottage, Magelang. Spiritual empowerment is an effort to reduce the anxiety of the elderly about death. In old age humans are often associated with death that is getting closer. Preparing elderly mental health in the face of death is a basic requirement for the community in addition to physical and social health. In this study used a qualitative method approve case study, with the process of collecting data using interviews and observations. In order to analyze the data we used the disengagement theory of social gerontology. The findings in this study that spiritual empowerment was carried out within 24 hours and framed through ritual and social worship. The teaching pattern is emphasized in lecture-listening and learning by doing. The motivation of the elderly and family support is a driving factor for the elderly, while the decline in physical function is a limiting factor. In the pattern of spiritual empowerment, implications are found including, 1) Obtaining inner peace; 2) Getting closer to God; 3) Increasing the faith of the elderly; 4) Able to read Al-Qur’an; 5) Growing humanity; and 6) Establishment of new relations. The findings of this study can be used as an alternative and answer to reduce the level of anxiety in the elderly related to death.
Monitoring of selected parasites and other foodborne microorganisms in vegetable products at point of sale
Authors: Moravkova Monika , Vasickova Petra , Mikel Pavel , Slany Michal , Kolackova Ivana , Karpiskova Renata , Kralik Petr
Published: June 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Outcomes of a 12-month patient-centred medical home model in improving patient activation and self-management behaviours among primary care patients presenting with chronic diseases in Sydney, Australia: A before-and-after study.
Authors: John James , Tannous Kathy , Jones Amanda
Published: June 2020

Background: Studies report that increased levels of patient activation is associated with increased engagement with the health care system, better adherence to treatment protocols, and improved health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate outcomes based on a 12-month Patient-Centred Medical Home (PCMH) model called ‘WellNet’ on activation levels of patients with one or more chronic diseases in general practices across Sydney, Australia.Methods: A total of 636 patients aged 40 years and above with one or more chronic conditions consented to participate in the WellNet program delivered across six general practices in Northern Sydney, Australia. The WellNet intervention includes a team-based care with general physicians and trained chronic disease management care coordinators collaborating with patients in designing a patient-tailored care plan with improved self-management support and care navigation according to the level of risk and health care needs. Level of patient activation was measured using the validated PAM 13-item scale at baseline and follow-up. A before and after case-series design was employed to determine adjusted differences between baseline and 12-months using repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Additionally, backward stepwise multivariate regression models were employed to identify significant predictors of activation at follow-up.Results: Of the 626 patients, 420 reported their PAM scores at follow-up. The mean (SD) baseline PAM score was 57.9 (13.0). The adjusted model showed significant mean difference in PAM scores of 6.5 (95% CI 5.0-8.1; p-value<0.001) after controlling for baseline covariates. Multivariate regression models showed that older age (B = -0.14; 95% CI -0.28, -0.01) and private insurance (uninsured patients) (B = -3.41; 95% CI -6.50, -0.32) were significantly associated with lower PAM scores at 12 months whereas higher baseline PAM scores (B = 0.48; 95% CI 0.37, 0.59) was significantly associated with higher follow-up PAM scores.Conclusion: The WellNet study is the first of its kind in Australia to report on changes in the patient activation levels among patients with one or more chronic diseases. PCMH has the potential to improve patient activation and engagement which can lead to long-term health benefits and sustained self-management behaviours.
Study of Influential Factors of Provincial Health Expenditure -Analysis of Panel Data After the 2009 Healthcare Reform in China
Authors: Hou Ji-Fei , Tian Li-Qi , Zhang Yun , Liu Yan-Zheng , Li Jing , Wang Yue
Published: June 2020

Background: Total Healthcare Expenditure (THE) has increased substantially in all countries. Since the health system reform and health policy environment differ from each country, it is necessary to analyze the motivations of THE in a specific country. Methods: The objective of this study was to analyze the influential factors of Provincial THE (PTHE) per capita in China by using spatiotemporal panel data across 31 provinces (including provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, all called provinces in here) from 2009-2016 at the provincial and annual level. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was used to identify the influential factors of PTHE per capita. Results: The number of beds per 10,000 population explained most of the variation of PTHE per capita. The results also showed that health expenditure in China reacts more to mortality compared with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. But mortality and Out-Of-Pocket Payments (OOP) as a percentage of THE were associated with PTHE per capita negatively. The rate of infectious diseases and THE as a percentage of GDP had no statistical significance. And the Proportion of the Population Aged 65 and Over (POP65) impact PTHE per capita positively. But the coefficient was small. Conclusions: In response to these ﬁndings, we conclude that the impact of the increasing percentage of OOP in THE diminishes the PTHE. Furthermore, we find that both the "baseline" health level and health provision are positively correlated with PTHE, which outweighs the effect of GDP.
The Impact of Age on Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: lemaire anthony , Soto Cassandra , Salgueiro Lauren , Ikegami Hirohisa , Russo Mark J. , Lee Leonard Y.
Published: June 2020

Objective As the population ages, increasing number of older patients are undergoing adult cardiac surgery. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of age on postoperative outcomes in patients that undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).Methods Patients that are ≥70 years old who underwent CABG were selected from the Nationwide/National Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2015 using ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes. The patients who were 70–79 years old were compared to patients aged 80–89 years old to determine if the age difference of the patients had an impact on surgical outcomes. In addition, a secondary endpoint is to compare surgical outcomes between the 2 genders of the patients 80-89 years old. The rates of postoperative complications, and mortality were compared.Results A total of 67,568 patients were identified who were ≥70 years old and underwent CABG. Compared to the Septuagenarians, the Octogenarians were more likely to develop cardiac complications (OR [odds ratio] =1.20, 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.12-1.23. They were also more likely to develop renal complications (P <0001), and respiratory complications (P <0001). The Octogenarians were also more likely to bleed postoperatively (P <0.0001) and have a higher mortality (P <0001). Furthermore, the female Octogenarians had a higher mortality (OR 1.25 95% CI 1.07–1.46) compared to males in the same age group.Conclusions The patients who were ≥80 – 89 years old had worse postoperative outcomes. The Octogenarians who were females had a higher mortality compared to their male counterparts.
Facile method for the selective recover of Gd and Pr from LCD screen wastes using ultrasound-assisted leaching
Authors: Toache-Pérez Astrid D. , Bolarín-Miró Ana M. , Jesús Félix Sánchez-De , Lapidus Gretchen T.
Published: June 2020

Rare earth elements (REE) are essential for the production of technological devices. However, their high demand and low availability, together with an increase in electronic waste generation, compel the development of efficient, economic and green methods for recovering these elements from electronic waste. In this work, a facile method for selective recovering of REE from Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen wastes, employing ultrasound assisted leaching is presented. The screen wastes were milled and sieved to pass through a -325 mesh sieve. The milled powder was subjected to ultrasound-assisted leaching in an aqueous medium, at room temperature (25 °C) and pH 6 for 60 minutes. Subsequently, a magnetic separation was applied to the leach residue. ICP was employed to quantitatively analyze the composition of the LCD powders and determine the effectiveness of the extraction process. SEM-EDS allowed qualitative chemical analysis of the solid materials. The results shown that the LCD screen wastes are formed, mainly, by amorphous oxides of Si, Fe, In, Sn and REE. The amount of Gadolinium (Gd) and Praseodymium (Pr) in the wastes were 93 mg kg-1 and 24 mg kg-1, respectively, which justifies their recovery. X-ray diffraction analysis of the magnetic portion of the leach residue, confirmed the presence of an amorphous phase together with crystalline metallic iron alloy. The magnetic behavior, obtained by Vibration Sample Magnetometry, helped to understand the nature of the residues. The formation of this metallic alloy is attributed to the effect of high power ultrasonic during the leach. It was confirmed that the magnetic residues concentrates and recovers 87 wt. % of Gd and 85 wt. % of Pr contained in the original material. Therefore, ultrasound-assisted leaching is a selective and facile method for recovering Gd and Pr from waste LCD.
Research on simulation technology of wireless sensor in swimming mechanics
Authors: Xu Zhiwen
Published: June 2020

In order to improve the quantitative teaching level of swimming sports, it is necessary to carry out quantitative analysis of swimming sports mechanics. A method of swimming mechanics analysis based on computer simulation technology is proposed. The ARMA model is used to analyze the mechanics of the limb movement of swimming, the Lagrange dynamics model is used to model the characteristics of the mechanics of swimming movement, and the distributed characteristic parameter model of the dynamics of swimming is analyzed in the space of six degrees of freedom. The dynamic distribution space of swimming motion is obtained by using the forward kinematics analysis model, and the inverse kinematics of multiple degrees of freedom is solved by analytic method, and the global and local joint force and force parameters in swimming are estimated. The model of swimming mechanics is realized. The simulation results show that the proposed method is accurate and accurate in estimating the mechanical parameters of swimming movement, and it can effectively guide swimming training.
Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Active Fungi in Pesticides Contaminated Soils for Degradation of Glyphosate
Authors: Njoku Kelechi L. , Eludini Peter O. , Adesuyi Adeola A. , Ude Emea O. , Oyelami Ayodeji O.
Published: June 2020

Pesticide contamination is a substantial problem in controlling agricultural pests. Understanding the physiological and molecular characteristics of naturally occurring fungi in the pesticide contaminated environment is crucial to managing glyphosate contamination. The study was aimed at isolating and characterizing soil fungi for their physiological roles towards glyphosate degradation. Pure cultures of fungi were isolated from soil contaminated with glyphosate at farms in Lagos, Nigeria. The cultures were grown on minimal salt agar media amended with glyphosate. The best isolates exhibiting good tolerance to the glyphosate were characterized using molecular techniques. The BLAST search indicated that the fungi belong to four Aspergillus species (Aspergillus flavus strain JN-YG-3-5, Aspergillus niger strain APBSDSF96, Aspergillus fumigatus strain FJAT-31052 and Aspergillus flavus strain APBSWTPF130, Trichoderma gamsii and Penicillium simplicissimum. The biodegradation study of the glyphosate by the selected fungi species showed the presence of Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA) except for Aspergillus fumigatus strain FJAT-31052. This validates AMPA as a valid pathway for degradation of glyphosate by fungi. Annotation analysis of the partial gene sequence shows that the strains possess protein coding gene clusters for glyphosate utilization and other physiological activities. A comparative genome analysis revealed that the genomes of the fungi were highly similar with genomes of environmental samples especially to Clostridium perfringens The GhostKOALA output confirmed that CYP2W1 gene (Cytochrome P450, fungi type) was present in Aspergillus fumigatus strain FJAT-31052 which was absent in genome of other fungi. The physiological and molecular characteristics of Aspergillus fumigatus strain FJAT-31052 clearly show that this isolate is a useful organism for managing contamination by glyphosate pesticide. Consequently, the isolated microorganism strains can be used in other soils as microbial inoculants for bio-augmentation combining them for their probable ability to degrade pesticides along with their biotechnological applications like enzyme-based remediation.
Prediction of curve flattening time for COVID-19 infected countries using trends from recovered countries
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev
Published: June 2020

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a serious pandemic situation which the world is going through since the beginning of the year 2020. Given this, the infected countries are constantly increasing their lockdown period and therefore, experiencing an adverse impact on their socio-economic structure. With these motivations, this paper is an attempt to estimate the time that a country would take more to recover from COVID-19 situation. In this work, for curve fitting, the polynomial model has been used deliberately for easier interpretation of the technique. The methodology captures the characteristic trends of the already flattened curves from recovered countries and utilizes them to estimate the curve flattening time for the infected countries. The approach requires only the minimum set of data, i.e., the number of infected persons per day for a given country.
Assessment of mitochondrial genomes for heterobranch gastropod phylogenetics
Authors: Varney Rebecca M , Brenzinger Bastian , Malaquias Manuel António E. , Meyer Christopher P. , Schrödl Michael , Kocot Kevin
Published: June 2020

● Background: Heterobranchia is a diverse clade of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial gastropod molluscs. It includes such disparate taxa as nudibranchs, sea hares, bubble snails, pulmonate land snails and slugs, and a number of (mostly small-bodied) poorly known snails and slugs collectively referred to as the “lower heterobranchs.” Evolutionary relationships within Heterobranchia have been challenging to resolve and the group has been subject to frequent and significant taxonomic revision. Mitochondrial (mt) genomes can be a useful molecular marker for phylogenetics but, to date, sequences have been available for only a relatively small subset of Heterobranchia.● Results: To assess the utility of mitochondrial genomes for resolving evolutionary relationships within this clade, eleven new mt genomes were sequenced including representatives of several groups of “lower heterobranchs.” Phylogenetic analyses of concatenated matrices of the thirteen protein coding genes found weak support for most higher-level relationships even after several taxa with extremely high rates of evolution were excluded. Bayesian inference analysis with the CAT + GTR model resulted in a reconstruction that is much more consistent with the current understanding of heterobranch phylogeny than maximum likelihood analyses using site-homogeneous models. Interestingly, dramatic gene rearrangements were detected within and between multiple clades. However, a single gene order is conserved across the majority of heterobranch clades.● Conclusions: Mitochondrial genomes provide support for shallow nodes within Heterobranchia, but despite a relatively conserved gene order and recovery of a topology largely consistent with the current understanding of heterobranch phylogeny, mitochondrial genomes appear to be too variable to serve as good phylogenetic markers for resolving deeper splits within this clade.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Firms: A survey in Guangdong Province, China
Authors: ZOU PENG , Huo Di , Li Meng
Published: June 2020

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all sectors of the economy and society. To understand the impact of the pandemic on firms in China and suggest responding public policies, we investigated firms in Guangdong Province (a Province with the highest Gross Domestic Product in China). Methods: The survey sample included 524 firms in 15 cities in Guangdong Province. We chose these firms from list published by the government, considering the industrial characteristics of Guangdong province and firm size. The questionnaire comprised of four categories and included 17 questions was developed based on previous studies carried out by OECD. The executives of firms were contacted by phone or WeChat, and were invited to answer self-administered questionnaires through an on-line survey platform. The data was analyzed by SPSS.Results: The following findings are worth to be noticed: (1) 48.7% of firms maintained stability, and 35.1% of the firms experienced a halt in operation or faced closure; (2) Nearly 70%-90% of the firms are or are willing to transform to online marketing, remote office work, and digital operations. (3) 46% of firms believe that there will be a certain loss this year, and 83.5% expected a decreasing trend of the city's GDP growth.Conclusions: firms in Guangdong Province have faced great challenges in the epidemic. The firms’ production and operation activities are limited, and risks are faced. It is necessary to effectively implement supporting policies to profoundly lower production costs for firms, and help firms survive the difficult period, and even gradually transit to normal business operation status.
The effect of NPM1 silencing on the tumorigenesis of drug-resistant bladder cancer and related signaling pathway
Authors: Luo Chenshuo , Lei Ting , Zhao Man , Meng Qian , Man Zhang
Published: June 2020

Background: NPM1 can provide abundant information of bladder cancer changes, but the effect of NPM1 differential expression on tumor and tumor related molecular mechanism has not been elucidated.Methods: NPM1 silencing cell line was established by lentivirus. The tumorigenic ability was judged by wound-healing assay, transwell invasion assay and nude mice tumorigenicity assay. The proteome of NPM1 deficient bladder cancer cell line was analyzed by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The results of mass spectrometry are comprehensively analyzed by bioinformatics analysis for tumor related molecules. The signal pathways involved in tumor related molecules will be verified by KEGG and UniProt databases.Results: Compared with the corresponding negative control group, NPM1 silencing cell line T24/DDP Lv-NPM1 showed strong migration ability and high invasive ability. There was no significant difference in migration ability and the invasive cells proportion between NPM1 overexpressing cell line and related negative control group. The tumorigenesis in nude mice also showed that NPM1 silencing tumor had larger tumor volume. Among all differential proteins analyzed by mass spectrometry, 20 proteins with signal transduction activity showed the most significant difference (Fold change > 1.5). 6 of them were associated with NF-κB signaling pathway, which may play an important role in the development of tumor.Conclusions: The loss of NPM1 may indicate the poor outcome of bladder cancer. Abnormal expression of NF-κB signaling pathway is an important factor in the progression of bladder cancer. Monitoring NPM1 expression can effectively adjust the treatment strategy of bladder cancer.
Microstructure evolution of tailing-based nanocrystalline glass-ceramics under microwave irradiation
Authors: Bai Qingwei , Wen Ming
Published: June 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Challenges encountered with the use of mobile phones to deliver public health services in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana- A qualitative study
Authors: Hammond Alex Ebo , Abor Patience Aseweh , Abuosi Aaron Asibi , Adzei Francis Anderson
Published: June 2020

Background

The adoption and application of medical technologies is one of the six health system building blocks of the World Health Organization that ensures access and quality of health services for which the mobile phone is identified as a potential tool due to its general adoption and use by people, including healthcare providers. In spite of this there are some challenges that restrict the opportunities that the mobile phone technology could offer for delivery of public health services. This study explored the challenges encountered in the use of the mobile phone to deliver public health services in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
Methods

Qualitative research approach was employed in the study and data analysis done conducted with the use of NVIVO version 11 software package to facilitate thematic analysis of data.
Results

The key findings of the challenges encountered by healthcare providers in the provision of public health services comprised Management and leadership, Finance, Access, Infrastructure, Technical and Human resources.
Conclusions

The implication of this study is that despite the high adoption of the mobile phone by healthcare providers, there were also key challenges constraining the uptake of mHealth for public health services. A new analytical framework was developed to aid analysis of mHealth Challenges.
Clinical Practice and Post-Operative Rehabilitation After Knee Arthroscopy: Comparison Between Polish Experts and Non-Experts.
Authors: Bąkowski Paweł , Bąkowska-Żywicka Kamilla , Piontek Tomasz
Published: June 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical practices between polish expert and non-expert arthroscopy knee surgeons.Methods: 205 registered orthopedic surgeons took part in surveys. The survey included 35 questions regarding general arthroscopy and postoperative management, including physician’s level of expertise, arthroscopy anesthesia, postoperative treatment, rehabilitation and procedures performed. Comparisons were made between knee arthroscopy experts (> 100 arthroscopies performed per year) and non-experts (≤ 100 cases) on aspects of patient care.Results: The most important finding of this study is an agreement in almost all aspects of knee arthroscopy approach. A consensus between polish surgeons was noticed in choosing regional anesthesia for knee arthroscopy, no need for knee braces nor knee medications, using LMW heparin as thromboprophylaxis, 1-2 days hospitalization, recommendation of rehabilitation and magnetic resonance as a diagnostic test for meniscus damage. Surgical expertise was significantly associated with the performance of meniscus sewing procedures (p = 0.009). Experts recommended starting rehabilitation already on the day of surgery (p=0.007) and more likely used objective physical tests (p=0.003). Nonexpert surgeons recommended longer period from meniscus suture to a full range knee motion (p=0.001) and admitted that patient’s age does matter for meniscus repair qualification (0.002).Conclusions: Clinical practice varies among orthopeadists performing knee arthroscopy procedures, based on their level of expertise. Polish knee arthroscopy experts agreed with non-experts in the type of anesthesia during knee arthroscopy and numerous aspects of postoperative treatment. Surgical expertise was associated with the performance of advanced meniscus suturing techniques.
N/OFQ modulates orofacial pain induced by tooth movement through CGRP-dependent pathways
Authors: Yan Xinyu , Han Han , Zhang Shizhen , Lu Yanzhu , Ren Linghuan , Tang Yufei , Li Xiaolong , Wang Yan , Long Hu , Lai Wenli
Published: June 2020

Background: Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) has been revealed to play bidirectional roles in orofacial pain modulation. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a well-known pro-nociceptive molecule that participates in the modulation of orofacial pain. We aimed to determine the effects of N/OFQ on the modulation of orofacial pain and on the release of CGRP.Methods: Orofacial pain model was established by ligating springs between incisors and molars in rats for the simulation of tooth movement. The expression level of N/OFQ was determined and pain level scored in response to orofacial pain. Both agonist and antagonist of N/OFQ receptor were administered to examine their effects on pain and the expression of CGRP in trigeminal ganglia (TG). Moreover, gene therapy based on the overexpression of N/OFQ was delivered to validate the modulatory role of N/OFQ on pain and CGRP expression.Results: Tooth movement elicited orofacial pain and an elevation in N/OFQ expression. N/OFQ exacerbated orofacial pain and upregulated CGRP expression in TG, while UFP-101 alleviated pain and downregulated CGRP expression. N/OFQ-based gene therapy was successful in overexpressing N/OFQ in TG, which resulted in pain exacerbation and elevation of CGRP expression in TG.Conclusions: N/OFQ exacerbated orofacial pain possibly through upregulating CGRP.
A base-line study of the wear of burs used for chairside milling of ceramic crowns of different hardness: effect on internal fit and surface roughness
Authors: Ahmed Ayman Abd Alla
Published: June 2020

Background: In the CAD/CAM environment, wear of the milling burs may affect the accuracy of the milled crown. However, no studies have related bur wear to both the resultant internal fit of the crown or to the surface roughness. The aim of this study was to study this, using diamond burs and a feldspathic ceramic (Sirona Blocs C, Dentsply Sirona, Germany) and tungsten carbide burs and Zirconia (inCoris TZI puck, Dentsply Sirona, Germany).Methods: Thirty of each of the two materials were milled from the same standard preparation. One set of diamond burs was used for the feldspathic ceramic and one set of tungsten-carbide burs for the Zirconia. Before and after the 10th, 20th and 30th milling times, diamond particle loss was counted and cutting blade changes of the tungsten-carbide burs measured. Internal fit was measured using a silicone replica technique and surface roughness with a 3D measuring laser microscope.Results: Increasing wear of the diamond burs as measured by an average 26% loss of diamond particles after 30 crowns, which resulted in a 6% decrease in internal luting space and a 16% increase in surface roughness. Increasing wear of the tungsten-carbide burs resulted in a 13% decrease in the luting space, but there was an overall 16% increase in surface roughness. Conclusions: This is the first study to compare the wear of diamond and tungsten-carbide milling burs with the internal fit and surface roughness of the crown. The wear of milling burs affects the luting space, reducing it as the burs wear, and therefore the milling parameters must be adjusted to compensate for this.
Sustainable support solutions for Community-Based Rehabilitation Workers in refugee camps: Piloting telehealth acceptability and implementation
Authors: Mitchell-Gillespie Bria , Hashim Hiba , Griffin Megan , AlHeresh Rawan
Published: June 2020

Background
The lack of training and education of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers poses one of the most significant barriers to receiving effective occupational, physical and speech therapy for individuals with disabilities in Low-to-Middle Income Countries (LMIC), especially in countries with significant refugee populations. The aim of this study was to successfully implement a telehealth support system for CBR workers, evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention’s implementation among CBR workers in the CBR setting, and further identify strategies to address the deficit of skilled rehabilitation workers in LMIC through technological intervention.
Methods
This pilot study included CBR workers and CBR managers to inform feasibility, acceptability, and sustainable implementation. The RE-AIM and Dynamic Sustainability Framework were incorporated to guide procedural design, survey development, data collection, data evaluation, and increase success of telehealth implementation. CBR workers participate in trainings, telehealth sessions, surveys and focus groups to inform feasibility and acceptability. CBR Managers participated in focus groups to inform feasibility and sustainable implementation. NVIVO 12 Software was utilized to develop themes from CBR worker and CBR manager responses.
Results
Findings from this study demonstrate the need for additional training support for CBR workers in CBR settings throughout the entire treatment process. The telehealth system demonstrated successful short-term implementation across several domains of feasibility. Telehealth utilization was also proven acceptable, appropriate and necessary. Cultural beliefs, CBR worker training, and CBR Center infrastructure pose the most significant barriers to implementation of telehealth technologies in CBR Centers. CBR workers and managers confirmed the demand for future telehealth-based support systems, strengthening effort towards sustainability and scale-up.
Conclusions
Telehealth can be utilized to support CBR workers that serve vulnerable and marginalized populations, and in turn improve the global health status among refugee populations by reducing inequitable access to quality health care. The results support the need for further research to rigorously evaluate effectiveness of telehealth interventions to support CBR workers.
Regional Differences in Postnatal Care Service Utilisation and Child Morbidity in Nigeria: Evidence from 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)
Authors: Uzobo Endurance , Ayinmoro Aboluwaji D.
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Modern Postnatal Care Services (PNC) in Nigeria is vital tool for providing quality health for mothers and newborns. Nonetheless, many regions in Nigeria are still struggling to achieve optimum utilisation of modern PNC services due to variation in associated socioeconomic factors of mothers based on their regions. This study aims at assessing regional socioeconomic factors associated with PNC services utilisation and its relationship with child morbidity in Nigeria.
Methods

Data for this study was extracted from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018 birth recoded file dataset, with a sample size of 30713 women (aged 15–49). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Test and logistic regression. The main predictor variable was the region, while others included the type of PNC service utilised and various demographic variables of the respondents – age, education, type of residence, religion, ethnicity among others.
Results

The average age of the respondents was 29.5 ± 6.8. The use of modern PNC services ranged from South-West (20.3%), South-South (10.9%), South-East (23.0%), North-Central (22.0%), North-East (13.0%) to North-West (10.9%). The prevalence of child morbidity ranged from South-West (8.5%), South-South (9.8%), South-East (11.4%), North-Central (15.3%), North-East (26.3%) to North-West (28.7%). Child morbidity is significantly higher in the South-South (OR = 1.46), South-East (OR = 1.50), North-Central (OR = 1.13), North-East (OR = 2.31) and North-West (OR = 1.35) compared to the South-West.
Conclusion

Majority of women in Nigeria are not using modern PNC services. Regional variations in the use of PNC services and socio-demographic characteristics of mothers influence child morbidity in Nigeria. There is need for regional-specific context sensitisation for mothers in the use of modern PNC services.
The effect of timing of breast cancer surgery during the menstrual cycle phase on the axillary lymph node, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and c-erb B2
Authors: Specialist Berrin Papila Kundaktepe , Durmus Sinem , Papila Cigdem , Velidedeoglu Mehmet , Gelisgen Remise , Uzun H
Published: June 2020

Background: Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positivity and c-erbB2 gene expression levels are important in determining breast cancer (BC) development and aggression. Although the importance of hormonal factors in tumor cell proliferation, migration and differentiation is increasing, it needs more evidence. The effect of BC surgery timing during the menstrual cycle on prognosis remains controversial. In order to clarify this hypothesis, we aimed to determine the importance of adjusting the timing of surgery according to the menstrual cycle by examining the relationship between ER, PR, c-erbB2 gene and the menstrual cycle phase in patients with premenopausal BC.﻿Method: Our study was designed retrospectively. 50 patients with premenopausal BC who were operated were included in the study.Results: Our results showed that the patients in the luteal phase had higher ER positivity, PR positivity and c-erbB2 negativity, and the number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes was lower than the patients in follicular phase. ﻿Conclusion: BC surgery during the luteal phase in pre-menopausal women is associated with a better clinical outcome. Although larger-scale studies are needed, our results suggest that better results can be achieved by performing surgery in luteal phase in BC patients during premenopausal period.
Effectiveness of Theory of Planned Behavior-Based Educational Intervention on Newborn Care in Pregnant Mothers: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Navabi Azamalsadat , shamsi mohsen , Khorsandi Mahboobeh , Zamanian Maryam
Published: June 2020

Background and Purpose: The neonatal period is one of the most sensitive stages of life, requiring proper understanding and attentive care. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of theory of planned behavior-based educational intervention on newborn care in pregnant mothers. Methodology: This study was conducted as a quasi-experimental research on 100 pregnant mothers who were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention (N=50) and control (N=50). The data were collected using a theory of planned behavior-based questionnaire. Considering the effective constructs of this theory, the educational intervention was performed in the form of four 60-minute education sessions in one month in the intervention group. One month after delivery, the data were recollected from both groups and analyzed using statistical tests.Findings: The mean and standard deviation of the mothers’ age in both intervention and control groups were 26.14±4.7 and 26.10±5.19, respectively (p=0.48). Before the educational intervention, the behavioral intention of the intervention group was 3.33 (out of 5), which significantly increased to 4.54 after the educational intervention (p<0.001). In addition, the performance of mothers regarding neonatal care was significantly enhanced from 2.86 to 4.64 one month after the delivery (p=0.001). Conclusion: The theory of planned behavior-based educational intervention, along with active follow-ups, led to better and more principled behavioral intention and care provided by pregnant mothers to their newborn infants. Therefore, providing theory of planned behavior-based education in other healthcare centers is recommended.
Do Early Antenatal Booking Predicts Maternal Services Utilization? An Analysis of Data from the 2015-16 Tanzania HIV and Malaria Indicators Survey
Authors: Moshi Fabiola Vincent
Published: June 2020

Background

Optimizing maternal and neonatal health requires adequate use of antenatal services which have both curative and preventive services. Little is known on the influence of early antenatal booking on maternal services utilization in Tanzania.
Method:

The study used data from the 2015-16 Tanzania HIV Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicators Survey (2015-16 TDHS-MIS). A total of 6924 women of active reproductive age from 15 to 49 were included in the analysis. Both univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association between early antenatal booking and maternal services utilization. Separate regression analysis was done for each antenatal service to establish the influence of early antenatal booking on antenatal services.
Results

Only 1586(22.9%) of pregnant women had early antenatal booking. After adjusting for confounders, there was a significant association between early antenatal booking and ever took iron supplement AOR = 1.603 at 95% CI = 1.362–1.887; ever took anti malaria, AOR = 1.495 at 95% CL = 1.306–1.712; ever took de-worming drugs; AOR = 1.404 at 95% CI = 1.24–1.59; adequate TT vaccination, AOR = 1.393 at 95% CI = 1.234–1.571, p < 0.001; ever checked blood pressure, AOR = 1.496 at 95% CI = 1.297–1.726; ever donated urine sample, AOR = 1.728 at 95% CI = 1.513–1.975; ever donated blood sample, AOR = 1.596 at 95% CI = 1.312–1.942 and adequate antenatal visits, AOR = 6.260 at 95% CI = 5.433–7.212.
Conclusion

The majority of pregnant women in Tanzania initiate antenatal clinics late in their pregnancy. Early antenatal booking showed a significant association with the utilization of maternal services during pregnancy. Innovative interventional studies are highly recommended to come up with cost-effective strategies which will improve timing for antenatal booking and hence use of the available maternal services in Tanzania