bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19: A Drug Repurposing and Biomarker Identification by Using Comprehensive Gene-Disease Associations through Protein-Protein Interaction Network Analysis
Authors: Kumar Suresh
Published: March 2020

COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) is a pandemic disease with an estimated mortality rate of 3.4% (estimated by the WHO as of March 3, 2020). Until now there is no antiviral drug and vaccine for COVID-19. The current overwhelming situation by COVID-19 patients in hospitals is likely to increase in the next few months. About 15 percent of patients with serious disease in COVID-19 require immediate health services. Rather than waiting for new anti-viral drugs or vaccines that take a few months to years to develop and test, several researchers and public health agencies are attempting to repurpose medicines that are already approved for another similar disease and have proved to be fairly effective. This study aims to identify FDA approved drugs that can be used for drug repurposing and identify biomarkers among high- risk and asymptomatic groups. In this study gene-disease association related to COVID-19 reported mild, severe symptoms and clinical outcomes were determined. The high-risk group was studied related to SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and life cycle by using Disgenet and compared with curated COVID-19 gene data sets from the CTD database. The overlapped gene sets were enriched and the selected genes were constructed for protein-protein interaction networks. Through interactome, key genes were identified for COVID-19 and also for high risk and asymptomatic groups. The key hub genes involved in COVID-19 were VEGFA, TNF, IL-6, CXCL8, IL10, CCL2, IL1B, TLR4, ICAM1, MMP9. The identified key genes were used for drug-gene interaction for drug repurposing. The chloroquine, lenalidomide, pentoxifylline, thalidome, sorafenib, pacitaxel, rapamycin, cortisol, statins were proposed to be probable drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. However, these predicted drug candidates need to be validated through randomized clinical trials. Also, a key gene involved in high risk and the asymptomatic group were identified, which can be used as probable biomarkers for early identification.
Балансно-характеристические разностные схемы для уравнений параболического типа
Authors: Глотов Вячеслав Юрьевич , Glotov Vyacheslav Urievich , Головизнин Василий Михайлович , Goloviznin Vasilii Mikhailovich , Четверушкин Борис Николаевич , Chetverushkin Boris Nikolaevich
Published: March 2020

Предложен новый численный алгоритм для решений параболических уравнений по
балансно--характеристическим разностным схемам, объединяющим достоинства
консервативных и характеристических разностных схем. Основным достоинством
нового алгоритма является то, что он является явным и реализуется на максимально компактном вычислительном шаблоне в одну пространственно-временную расчетную ячейку. Он идеально масштабируется и оказывается чрезвычайно экономичным в программных комплексах, реализующих схему КАБАРЕ, поскольку использует уже существующую там структуру данных.
Моделирование многофазных течений углеводородов в газоконденсатных и нефтяных скважинах
Authors: Усов Эдуард Викторович , Usov Eduard Viktorovich , Ульянов В Н , Ul'yanov V N , Бутов Антон Александрович , Butov Anton Alexandrovich , Чухно Владимир Игоревич , Chukhno Vladimir Igorevich , Лыхин Павел Александрович , Lykhin Pavel Aleksandrovich
Published: March 2020

Для анализа процессов, происходящих в многофазном потоке в скважине во время
добычи углеводородов, были разработаны физические и численные модели. Представлено детальное описание системы уравнений, ее численной реализации, способов расчета свойств флюида и фазовых переходов в нем, а также замыкающих соотношений для расчета трения и теплообмена в двухфазном потоке. Реализованные
модели позволяют моделировать как стационарное распределение параметров по
стволу скважины во время добычи, так и нестационарные процессы, реализующиеся, например, при изменении частоты вращения вала насоса во время добычи нефти. Разработанные подходы были внедрены в программное средство DataFlow для
анализа гидродинамики многофазных течений углеводородов с учетом теплообмена с породами, окружающими скважину, и фазовых переходов во флюиде. С использованием программного пакета были проведены тестовые расчеты, демонстрирующие работоспособность предложенных и реализованных моделей.
Comparative Histological Study of the Stomach in Two Species of Iraqi Vertebrates (Magpie Pica pica L. and Small Asian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus E.)
Authors: Et al. AL –Nakeeb
Published: March 2020

A histological study showed the wall of the stomach in Pica pica and Herpestes javanicus consists of four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa and serosa. Also, the present study showed many  differences in the histological structures of the stomach for each in both types. The stomach of P. pica consists of two portions: the proventiculus and gizzard, while the stomach of H. javanicus consists of three portions: cardiac, fundic and pyloric regions. The mucosa layer formed short gastric folds, named plicae. In the proventiculus of P. pica, sulcus is found between each two plicae, but the folds called gastric pits in the gizzard, which are full with koilin. Lamina properia in both types contained gastric glands (straight simple tubular glands) named superficial glands, as well as another gastric gland found in the submucosa layer of the proventiculus in P. pica only named deep gastric glands. The gastric gland in the stomach of H. javanicus contained: mucous neck cells and parietal cells positive to AB/PAS stains in cardiac portion, as well as chief cells in fundic portion, but pyloric portion had just mucous neck cells. Muscularis externa in both types formed two muscle layers: inner and outer layer.
Studying Reactivity Relationships of Copolymers N-naphthylacrylamide with (Acrylicacid and Methylacrylate)
Authors: Mohammed Ameen Hadi
Published: March 2020

The organation ⁄monomer N-naphthylacrylamide (NAA) was prepared; subsequently the synthesized monomer was successfully copolymerized with acrylicacid (AA) and methylacrylate (MA) by free radical technique using dry benzene as solvent and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. The overall conversion was kept low (≤ 10% wt/wt) for all studies copolymers samples. The synthesized monomer and copolymers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and their thermal properties were studied by DSC and TGA. The copolymers compositions were determined by elemental analysis. Kelen-Tudes and Finmman-Ross graphical procedures were employed to determine the monomers reactivity ratios. The derived reactivity ratios (r1, r2) are: (0.048, 0.687) for (NAA-co-AA) and (0.066, 0.346) for (NAA-co-MA). Based on the average reactivity ratios, sequence distribution of monomers in the copolymers and the microstructure of copolymers were calculated by statistical method and found that these values are in agreement with the derived reactivity ratios.
New Fluorometric Method for the Determination of Ketotifen Fumarate Using Continuous Flow Injection Analysis via ISNAG-fluorimeter
Authors: Et al. Turkie
Published: March 2020

A newly developed analytical method was conducted for the determination of Ketotifen fumarate (KTF) in pharmaceuticals drugs via quenching of continuous fluorescence of 9(10H)-Acridone (ACD). The method was applied using flow injection system of a new homemade ISNAG fluorimeter with fluorescence measurements at ± 90◦ via 2×4 solar cell. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 1-45 mmol/L, with correlation coefficient r = 0.9762 and the limit of detection 29.785 µg/sample from the stepwise dilution for the minimum concentration in the linear dynamic ranged of the calibration graph. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Ketotifen fumarate in two different pharmaceutical drugs. A comparison was made between the newly developed method analysis and the classical method using the standard addition method via the use of individual and paired t-test and F-test. It was noticed that there was no significant difference between the two methods at 95 % confidence level.
Thermoplasmonic of Single Au@SiO2 and SiO2@Au Core Shell Nanoparticles in Deionized Water and Poly-vinylpyrrolidoneMatrix
Authors: Et al. Gatea
Published: March 2020

Metal nanoparticles can serve as an efficient nano-heat source with confinement photothermal effects. Thermo-plasmonic technology allows researchers to control the temperature at a nanoscale due to the possibility of precise light propagation. The response of opto-thermal generation of single gold-silica core-shell nanoparticle immersed in water and Poly-vinylpyrrolidone surrounding media is theoretically investigated. Two lasers (CW and fs pulses) at the plasmonic resonance (532 nm) are utilized. For this purpose, finite element method is used via COMSOL multiphysics to find a numerical computation of absorption cross section for the proposed core –shell NP in different media. Thermo-plasmonic response for both lasers is studied. The heat profile of different nanostructures is estimated. The results revealed that the temperature distribution profile was varied due to changing in the relative volume fraction between the core and the shell of nanoparticle.
Viral infection and glioma: a meta-analysis of prognosis.
Authors: Cai Ze-Hao , Yang Shou-Bo , Li Xiao-Yan , Chen Feng , Li Wen-Bin
Published: March 2020

Background: Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor, occurring due to the carcinogenesis of glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. Many aspects of the mechanism of its tumorigenesis remain unknown. The relationship between viral infection and glioma is one of the most important research aspects in this field. Currently, there is a lack of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to evaluate the effect of viral infection on the prognosis of glioma patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between viral infection and the prognosis of glioma patients, aimed at evaluating the prognostic value of the detection of viral infection.Methods: Through careful and comprehensive retrieval of results from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases, eligible articles were selected strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The regional sources, detection methods, detection indicators, patient survival, and other data from the samples in the papers were extracted, and the integrated analysis was conducted using Stata 15.1. We conducted a subgroup analysis of the relationship between the degree of infection and prognosis in cytomegalovirus (CMV) patients.Results: A total of 11 studies were included in the analysis. Among them, 7 studies involved the relationship between CMV infection and the prognosis of patients with glioma, 2 studies involved human papillomavirus (HPV), 2 studies involved human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), and one study involved simian virus 40 (SV40), woolly monkey sarcoma virus (WMSV) and human endogenous retrovirus K113 (HERV-K113). In the CMV study, the pooled Hazard ratio (HR) of Overall survival (OS) was 1.024 (CI: 0.698–1.501), with a P value of 0.905. The pooled HR of Progression free survival (PFS) was 1.067 (CI: 0.770–1.478), with a P value of 0.697. The pooled HR value of low-degree infection versus high-degree infection was 1.476 (CI: 0.799–2.727), with a P value of 0.213. In the HPV study, the pooled HR of OS was 1.467 (CI: 0.552–3.901), with a P value of 0.443.Conclusion: CMV infection has no significant effect on the prognosis of glioma patients. Using the IEA as the detection index, the degree of CMV infection was found to have a significant impact on the prognosis of glioma patients; it was not found to possess a significant prognostic value after the integration of different indicators. Neither HPV nor HHV-6 infection has a significant effect on the prognosis of glioma patients. SV40 and WMSV infection are associated with poor prognosis in patients with low-grade glioma.Registration: this meta-analysis registered in https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO ID: CRD42019127648.
Self- Care Practices and Associated Factors among Adult Diabetic Patients in Public Hospitals of Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Getie Asmare , Geda Biftu , Alemayhu Tadesse , Bante Agenehu , Aschalew Zeleke , Alemu Biresaw wassihun
Published: March 2020

Background Diabetes is a huge growing problem, and causes high and escalating costs to the society. Self- care practice for adults with diabetes is not well addressed in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. To prevent serious morbidity and mortality, diabetes treatment requires commitment to demanding self-care practice. The aim of this study was to assess self- care practices and its associated factors among adults with diabetes in Dire Dawa public hospitals of Eastern, Ethiopia. METHODS This Cross-sectional study was conducted among 513 adults with diabetes. The Study participants were selected through systematic random sampling. Data was collected from February 1 st to March 1 st , 2018. Patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-data version 3.3.1 and exported to SPSS version 22.0 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression with crude and adjusted odds ratios along with the 95% confidence interval was computed and interpreted accordingly. A P-value of <0.05 was considered to declare a result as statistically significant. RESULT The result of the study showed that 55.9%, (95% CI: 51.4, 60.3) of participants had good self-care practices. Good self-care practice was associated with having family support, treatment satisfaction, diabetes education, having glucometer, higher educational status, duration of the disease, high economic status and having good knowledge. There were statistical association between good diabetes knowledge (AOR= 2.14, 95% CI:1.37, 3.35), family support system (AOR= 2.69, 95% CI:1.56, 4.62), treatment satisfaction (AOR= 2.07, 95% CI:1.18, 3.62), diabetes education (AOR= 2.21, 95% CI: 1.35, 3.63), high economic status (AOR= 1.89, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.48), having glucometer,(AOR=2.69, 95% CI:1.57, 4.63),higher educational status (AOR= 2.68, 95% CI: 1.31, 5.49), and duration of disease greater than 10 years AOR=2.70, 95% CI: 1.17, 6.26) with good self-care practice. Conclusion In this study a substantial number of the patients had poor self-care practices especially dietary practice and self-monitoring of blood glucose which have critical roles in controlling diabetes. Provision of diabetes self-care education and counseling especially on importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose, and dietary practice should be considered by responsible bodies.
High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration and acute kidney injury after noncardiac surgery
Authors: Zhou Yan , Yang Hong-Yun , Zhang Hui-Li , Zhu Xiao-Jin
Published: March 2020

Background: Abnormal High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration is closely related to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgeries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration and acute kidney injury after non-cardiac surgeries.
Method: This was a single-center cohort study for elective non-cardiac non-kidney surgery from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2017. The endpoint was the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) 7 days postoperatively in the hospital. Preoperative serum High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration was examined by multivariate logistic regression models before and after propensity score weighting analysis.
Results: Of the 74284 surgeries, 4.4% (3159 cases) suffered acute kidney injury. The odds ratio for HDL (0.96-1.14 as reference, < 0.96, 1.14 -1.35, > 1.35) was 1.28 (1.14 - 1.41), P < 0.001; 0.91 (0.80 - 1.03), P = 0.150; 0.75 (0.64 - 0.85), P < 0.001, respectively. Using a dichotomized cutoff point for propensity analysis, Preoperative serum HDL < 1.03 mmol/L (> 1.03 as reference) was associated with increased risk of postoperative AKI, with odds ratio 1.32 (1.21 - 1.46), P < 0.001 before propensity score weighting, and 1.32 (1.18 - 1.48), P < 0.001 after propensity score weighting. Sensitivity analysis with other cut values of HDL showed similar results.
Conclusions: Using multivariate regression analyses before and after propensity score weighting, in addition to multiple sensitivity analysis methods, this study found that following non-cardiac surgery, low HDL cholesterol levels were independent risk factors for AKI.
Performance of ultrasonography screening for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Lei , Wang Shengfeng , Zhang Liwen , Sheng Chao , Song Fengju , Huang Yubei
Published: March 2020

Background To investigate the performance of primary ultrasound (P-US) screening for breast cancer, and that of supplemental ultrasound (S-US) screening for breast cancer after negative mammography (MAM). Methods Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published between January 2003 and May 2018. Only high-quality or fair-quality studies reporting any of the following performance values for P-US or S-US screening were included: sensitivity, specificity, cancer detected rate (CDR), recall rate (RR), biopsy rate (BR), proportion of invasive cancers among screening-detected cancers (ProIC), and proportion of node-negative cancers among screening-detected invasive cancers (ProNNIC). Results Twenty-three studies were included, including 12 studies in which S-US screening was used after negative MAM and 11 joint screening studies in which both primary MAM (P-MAM) and P-US were used. Meta-analyses revealed that S-US screening could detect 96% [95% confidential intervals (CIs): 82% to 99%] of occult breast cancers missed by MAM and identify 93% (95% CIs: 89% to 96%) of healthy women, with a CDR of 3.0/1000 (95%CIs: 1.8/1000 to 4.6/1000), RR of 8.8% (95%CIs: 5.0% to 13.4%), BR of 3.9% (95%CIs: 2.7% to 5.4%), ProIC of 73.9% (95%CIs: 49.0% to 93.7%), and ProNNIC of 70.9% (95%CIs: 46.0% to 91.6%). Compared with P-MAM screening, P-US screening led to the recall of significantly more women with positive screening results [1.5% (95%CIs:0.6% to 2.3%), P =0.001] and detected significantly more invasive cancers [16.3% (95%CIs: 10.6% to 22.1%), P < 0.001]. However, there were no significant differences for other performance measures between the two screening methods, including sensitivity, specificity, CDR, BR, and ProNNIC. Conclusions Current evidence suggests that S-US screening could detect occult breast cancers missed by MAM. P-US screening has shown to be comparable to P-MAM screening in women with dense breasts in terms of sensitivity, specificity, cancer detection rate, and biopsy rate, but with higher recall rates and higher detection rates for invasive cancers.
Effect of high-intensity interval training in young heart transplant recipients: results from two randomized controlled trials
Authors: Nytrøen Kari , Rolid Katrine , Yardley Marianne , Gullestad Lars
Published: March 2020

Background Little is known about the effect of exercise in young heart transplant recipients, and results on group level is lacking. This study summarizes the findings of the youngest participants in two previous randomized controlled trials. Method This is a hypothesis-generating study reporting the main results from the youngest participants in two larger randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIT). The article summarizes the main results from 28 young participants (< 40 year of age) who have participated in two previous studies which evaluated the effect of HIT vs. controls in adult heart transplant recipients. One of the studies included de novo heart transplant recipients and the other included maintenance heart transplant recipients. All study tests were performed in-hospital, in the specialist health care setting, but the exercise intervention was carried out locally, in cooperation with the primary health care. In both studies the exercise intervention lasted for 9-12 months. In one study, HIT (85%-95% of peak effort) was compared to controls (no specific intervention), and in the other study HIT was compared to moderate, continuous exercise (MICT, 60-70% of peak effort). The main outcome measure was peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and a secondary endpoint was muscle strength. Results The summarized findings from the youngest heart transplant recipients in these two studies demonstrated mainly that the improvement in peak oxygen uptake among the younger recipients (< 40 years) was much larger (4.7 vs. 1.2 ml/kg/min and 7.0 vs. 2.2 ml/kg/min) compared to the improvement among the older recipients (≥ 40 years), and in accordance with results from adult heart transplant populations: HIT, compared to MICT, induced the largest improvement in peak oxygen consumption, also in the younger heart transplant recipients. Conclusions These results suggest that young heart transplant recipients have a greater effect of HIT than of MICT and may also suggest that younger recipients benefit more from high-intensity interval training than their older co-patients. However, larger randomized studies focusing on the young heart transplant population is strongly needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Identification of transcription factors MYC and C/EBPβ mediated regulatory networks in heart failure based on Gene Expression Omnibus datasets
Authors: Wang Haiwei , Wang Xinrui , Xu Liangpu , Cao Hua
Published: March 2020

Background: Heart failure is one of leading cause of death worldwide. However, the transcriptional profiling of heart failure is unclear. Moreover, the signaling pathways and transcription factors involving the heart failure development also are largely unknown. Using published Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, in the present study, we aim to comprehensively analyze the differentially expressed genes in failing heart tissues, and identified the critical signaling pathways and transcription factors involving heart failure development.
Methods: The transcriptional profiling of heart failure was identified from previously published gene expression datasets deposited in GSE5406, GSE16499 and GSE68316. The enriched signaling pathways and transcription factors were analyzed using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) website and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) assay. The transcriptional networks were created by Cytoscape.
Results: Compared with the normal heart tissues, 90 genes were particularly differentially expressed in failing heart tissues, and those genes were associated with multiple metabolism signaling pathways and insulin signaling pathway. Metabolism and insulin signaling pathway were both inactivated in failing heart tissues. Transcription factors MYC and C/EBPβ were both negatively associated with the expression profiling of failing heart tissues in GSEA assay. Moreover, compared with normal heart tissues, MYC and C/EBPβ were down regulated in failing heart tissues. Furthermore, MYC and C/EBPβ mediated downstream target genes were also decreased in failing heart tissues. MYC and C/EBPβ were positively correlated with each other. At last, we constructed MYC and C/EBPβ mediated regulatory networks in failing heart tissues, and identified the MYC and C/EBPβ target genes which had been reported involving the heart failure developmental progress.
Conclusions: Our results suggested that metabolism pathways and insulin signaling pathway, transcription factors MYC and C/EBPβ played critical roles in heart failure developmental progress.
Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 among people living with HIV in Mbeya, Tanzania
Authors: Mwakyula Issakwisa Habakkuk , Mbwile Gloria Reginald , Mbwanji Godlove Fred , Nassoro David Daniel , Ntinginya Nyanda Elias , Nsojo Anthony Ambikile
Published: March 2020

Background

Despite the significant decline in the prevalence of HIV in Tanzania, the prevalence rates in the Mbeya, Iringa, and Njombe regions are higher than the national average and have remained stable for years. The current stable HIV prevalence may be driven by factors such as a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and high-risk behaviours. In sub-Saharan Africa, it has previously been observed that up to 50% of HIV cases were attributed to herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) among low-risk populations. Because the proportion of sexually transmitted HSV-1 is rising and HSV-1 tends to cause the shedding of oropharyngeal mucosal ulcers, it is essential to study the interaction between HSV-1 and HIV infections.
Methods

We conducted a study in the Mbeya region using the archived blood sera of participants from the recently completed EU-funded EMINI project. A specially designed questionnaire was used to obtain the social and demographic characteristics of the study participants in the database. We tested archived participants’ sera for herpes simplex virus type 1 using Virotech HSV-1 (gG1) IgG ELISA (Enzygnost, Behring, Germany). Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models were used to identify factors associated with HSV-1.

Results

A total of 640 adults were randomly recruited after stratification by HIV status, age, and sex. The overall seroprevalence of HSV-1 in the study population was 92.1%. The extrapolated prevalence estimate of herpes simplex virus type 1 in the general population was 95.0% (96.0% in males versus 94.0% in females). Males and females were equally affected by HSV-1. HSV-1 was less prevalent in HIV-positive individuals than in HIV-negative individuals.Conclusion

People living with HIV were less likely to be HSV-1 seropositive. Further cohort studies can evaluate whether herpes simplex virus type 1 can reduce the incidence of HIV infection.
Adults' dental treatment in 2001-2013 in Finnish Public Dental Service
Authors: Linden Jari , Widström Eeva , Sinkkonen Janne
Published: March 2020

Background All adults over 17 years of age have access to the Public Dental Service after the Finnish Dental Care Reform in 2001-2002. This study aimed to survey the treatment needs and treatment measures provided for adult patients and changes in these during the period 2001–2013. Methods Using each person’s unique identifier, demographic data on dental visits during the period 2001 - 2013 were collected from municipal databases in five PDS-units covering 320,000 inhabitants. The numbers of visitors, those in need of basic periodontal or caries treatment (CPI >2 and D + d > 0) were calculated for three age groups. Treatment provided was also calculated in 13 treatment categories. Trend analyses were performed to study changes during the study period. Results Restorative treatments (968,772; 23.6%), examinations (658,394; 16.1%), radiographs taken (529,875; 12.9%) anaesthesia used (521,169; 12.7%) and emergency treatments (348,229; 8.5%) made up 73.8% of all treatment measures during the entire study period. Periodontal treatment (7.8%) and caries prevention (3.9%) made up a small part of the care provided and prosthetics and treatment of TMJ disorders were extremely uncommon (fewer than 1%). Treatments related to caries (restorative treatment, examinations, endodontics, emergencies, anaesthesia and radiographs) made up 60.4% of the dental personnel’s treatment time. During the study period, statistically significant increasing trends were found for radiographs (p<0.001***), anaesthesia (p=0.003**) and total number of treatments (p=0.009**). There was a slight decreasing trend in treatment need among the youngest adults (18-39years; p=0.033*). Conclusion Compared with the results of national epidemiological studies, insufficient periodontal treatment is provided and prosthetic treatment is almost totally neglected in the PDS. Rather, adults’ dental treatment concentrates on treatment of caries. The unmet needs may be due to tradition, inadequate treatment processes or a lack of resources or failed salary incentives.
Household Expenditures And Direct Medical Costs Among Older Adults In Ghana: Evidence From Who-sage Wave 2
Authors: Blankson Paa-Kwesi , Hewlett Sandra Ama , Ndanu Thomas Akuetteh , Amoah Gyaami , Boamah Matthew Owusu , Tormeti Daniel , Ampofo Patrick , Mensah George , Minicuci Nadia , Kowal Paul , Lartey Margaret , Biritwum Richard , YAWSON ALFRED
Published: March 2020

Background: The Ghanaian population aged 60 years and older will almost double to reach 10% of the total population by 2050. Ascertaining the pattern of health expenditures among this growing population group is important to inform policy makers about the targets for financial risk protection as part of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. This study aimed to estimate household expenditures among older adults and determine the direct medical costs.Methods : The World Health Organization's Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 2 was conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, and South Africa between 2014 and 2015, as a follow-up to Wave 0 in 2003 to 2004 and Wave 1 in 2007 to 2010. Survey questions explored sources of income and total direct expenditures in the year preceding interview. SAGE Ghana was implemented using face-to-face interviews in a nationally representative sample of persons aged 50+ years with a comparison sample of younger adults aged 18–49 years.Findings : Analyses included a total of 4,735 participants, with 1,948 (41.1%) males and 2,787 (58.9%) females, of median and mean ages of 58 years and 57.6 (±16.7), respectively. The average annual household expenditures were US$ 1,893.44 (±3,501.14). Older adults had higher expenditure levels at US$ 1,902 (± 3,876), as compared to younger adults, US$ 1,867 (±1,937). Direct health-related costs and food expenditure accounted for 18% and 46% respectively of the total household expenditure of older Ghanaian adults. The prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure among older adults in Ghana was 4.5% (95% CI 3.5% to 5.8%)Conclusion: These updated estimates on household expenditure among older adults provide needed evidence to support the inclusion of social protection mechanisms in the national ageing agenda. The National Health Insurance as presently did not reduce the financial burden for households with older adults.
An integrative systems biology approach to identify the molecular basis of sperm quality in swine
Authors: Godia Marta , Reverter Antonio , Gonzalez-Prendes Rayner , Ramayo-Caldas Yuliaxis , Castello Anna , Rodriguez-Gil Joan Enric , Sanchez Armand , Clop Alex
Published: March 2020

Background:Genetic pressure in animal breeding is sparking the interest to select for elite boars with higher sperm quality to maximize ejaculate doses and fertility rates. However, the molecular basis of sperm quality remains largely unexplored. In this study, we sought to identify candidate genes, pathways and DNA variants associated to sperm quality in swine by analyzing 25 sperm-related phenotypes using a systems biology approach that integrates GWAS and RNA-seq.Results:By GWAS, we identified 12 QTL regions associated to the percentage of head and neck abnormalities, abnormal acrosomes and motile spermatozoa. Candidate genes included CHD2, KATNAL2, SLC14A2 or ABCA1. By RNA-seq, we detected 6,128 significant correlations between sperm traits and gene RNA abundances. We built a gene interaction network with the GWAS and the RNA-seq data. To build a robust gene interaction network, only the pair-wise interactions present in both the genetic co-association and the RNA co-abundance network were kept. Moreover, we also included to the Final Network both the genes which RNA abundances correlated with more than 4 semen traits as well as the miRNAs interacting with the genes on the network. The Final Network was enriched for genes involved in gamete generation and development, meiotic cell cycle, DNA repair or embryo implantation. We finally designed a panel of 73 SNPs provided from the GWAS, eGWAS and the Final Network, that explains between 5 to 36% of the phenotypic variance of the sperm traits.Conclusions:By means of a systems biology approach, we identified potential key genes affecting sperm quality. Furthermore, we propose a SNP panel that might explain a substantial part of the genetic variance for semen quality in swine and may thus be of interest for the pig breeding sector.
Ecological and Health Infrastructure Factors Affecting the Transmission and Mortality of COVID-19
Authors: Le Nicole K. , Le Alexander V. , Parikh Jeegan , Brooks Joel P. , Gardellini Tatiana , Izurieta Ricardo
Published: March 2020

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has be designated a pandemic less than 4 months after its first outbreak. Due to the novelty of the virus, there is little understanding of how ecological factors affect transmission of the coronavirus. This study aims to determine the relationship of temperature, absolute humidity, and health infrastructure on COVID-19 transmission and mortality.Methods: Epidemiological data was obtained for all US states and countries worldwide between January 22 and March 23, 2020. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were done comparing temperature, absolute humidity, and health infrastructure with cases and deaths.Results: The regression models revealed that temperature and humidity significantly affect the number of confirmed cases (p = 0.0123 and p = 0.0072, respectively).Conclusions: The transmission of COVID-19 seems to thrive in colder and drier environments. Despite this relationship, more efforts are needed to ensure compliance to “social distancing” and other public health measures rather than relying on temperature alone to reduce COVID-19 cases.
Liposome/gold hybrid nanoparticle encoded with CoQ10 (LGNP-CoQ10) suppressed rheumatoid arthritis via STAT3/Th17 targeting
Authors: Jhun Jooyeon , Moon Jeonghyeon , Ryu Jaeyoon , Shin Yonghee , Lee Seangyoun , Cho Keun-Hyung , Kang Taewook , Cho Mi-La , Park Sung-Hwan
Published: March 2020

Background: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Although CoQ10 has not been approved as medication by the Food and Drug Administration, it is widely used in dietary supplements. Some studies have shown that CoQ10 has anti-inflammatory effects on various autoimmune disorders.Methods: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of liposome/gold hybrid nanoparticles encoded with CoQ10 (LGNP-CoQ10). Both CoQ10 and LGNP-CoQ10 were administered orally to mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) for 10 weeks. The inflammation pathology of joint tissues of CIA mice was then analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin and Safranin O staining, as well as immunohistochemistry analysis. We obtained immunofluorescence staining images of spleen tissues using confocal microscopy.Results: We found that pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly decreased in LGNP-CoQ10 injected mice. Th17 cell and phosphorylated STAT3-expressed cell populations were also decreased in LGNP-CoQ10 injected mice. When human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with CoQ10 and LGNP-CoQ10, the IL-17 expression of PBMCs in the LGNP-CoQ10-treated group was significantly reduced.Conclusion: These results suggest that LGNP-CoQ10 has therapeutic potential for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Explaining the determinants of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine uptake and Strategies to Increase Its Uptake among young adults in Capital of Iran: a qualitative study
Authors: Yarmohammadi Soudabeh , Ghaffari Mohtasham , Ramezankhani Ali
Published: March 2020

Background

The HPV vaccine prevents the most common cancer in women, which is cervical cancer. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the uptake and non- uptake of HPV vaccine in the young adult in Tehran and strategies to increase their vaccine uptake.

Methods

This is the first qualitative study with the conventional content analysis approach in this context in Iran in 2018-2019. Participants, with a maximum variation in terms of age, sex, educational level, occupation, income, work experience, marital status, were selected purposefully to take part in a semi-structured interview. The data were recorded and analyzed according to the interview continued until data saturation. MAXQDA software version 10 was used for data management.

Results

The participants were 20 health professionals and 10 young adults from Tehran. Factors affecting HPV vaccine uptake and non- uptake identified as seven categories, including knowledge, health value, external stimuli, outcome expectations, perceived threat, healthcare services, and Contextual factors. Moreover, the strategies to increase vaccine uptake included Compulsory vaccination, vaccine availability, and implementing the educational process.

Conclusions

Considering the factors identified in this study, the authorities and practitioners must take steps to increase the HPV vaccine in young adults by considering the effective factors, as well as the strategies, such as Compulsory vaccination, increasing vaccine availability, and implementing educational interventions.
The sensitivity of cash flows to cash holdings: case studies at Vietnamese enterprises
Authors: Dang Ngoc Hung , Vu Thi Thuy Van , Nguyen Duy Hung
Published: March 2020

Cash management plays an important role in the business operations. However, holding too much cash results in unnecessary expenses such as opportunity costs, management costs, and representation costs due to negative cash holdings. This study examines the sensitivity of cash flows to cash holdings. The paper uses regression methods for table data, including FEM, REM, GLS, and GMM regression, with a research dataset including non-financial companies listed on Vietnam’s stock market in the period 2008–2018. Empirical results show that cash flows are positively associated with cash holdings levels. At the same time, research has shown an asymmetry in cash flows sensitivity to cash holdings. The study also classified the companies with limited and no financial restrictions. In the Vietnamese context, compared to unrestricted companies, financially restricted companies have a lower cash flows sensitivity. The research results are the basis for enterprises to manage cash better and increase business efficiency in the future.
Mitochondrial D-loop informative SNPs in identification of dog’s breed
Authors: TKACZYK ANGELIKA , KOWAL KRZYSZTOF , ŚLASKA BRYGIDA
Published: March 2020

The aim of the study was to determine differences at the molecular level between different breeds of dogs on the basis of a comparative analysis of the mtDNA D-loop sequence. The material used in the study consisted of blood collected from 40 Doberman Pinscher, Dachshund, German Shepherd, and Crossbreed dogs. The investigations involved DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of the mtDNA D-loop, as well as bioinformatic analyses. Fifteen SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) mutations were identified. This study proposes a new solution for dog breed identification, i.e. the use of SNPs specific to each breed. The analysis revealed the presence of already known SNPs in various configurations depending on the breed. Breed-specific SNP patterns were identified in 94% of the Doberman dogs, and two SNP patterns were found in 73% of the German Shepherd dogs. This subject requires further research. However, given the limited amount of data on the use of mtDNA in determination of breed affiliation, the present results seem to be promising.
High epidermal growth factor concentration associated with somatic cell count in milk of cows with subclinical mastitis
Authors: GOKCEOGLU AYRIS , YARIM GUL FATMA , GULTIKEN NILGUN , YARIM MURAT
Published: March 2020

The aim this study was to determine the milk epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentration in cows with subclinical mastitis and its relationship with the somatic cell count (SCC). The animal material of this study was composed of 40 lactating cows aged 3-6 years. Subclinical mastitis was diagnosed using the California Mastitis Test and SCC in milk. The study group consisted of 20 cows with SCC > 200.000 cells/ml, and the control group comprised 20 cows with SCC < 200.000 cells/ml. EGF concentration in milk was determined using a bovine-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The mean EGF concentration was 6.08 ± 2.91 ng/ml in the study group and 2.85 ± 1.87 ng/ml in the control group (P < 0.001). The results also indicated a significant correlation between SCC and EGF concentration in the study group (r = 0.965, P < 0.01). The findings of this study suggest that a milk EGF assay together with SCC could be useful for diagnosing mastitis as well as for monitoring udder health.
Stress-induced anatomical changes in white and gray matter: a review of literature
Authors: ŁUSZCZEWSKA-SIERAKOWSKA IWONA , JONAK KAMIL
Published: March 2020

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric abnormality caused by a drastic traumatic event or extreme stress, that exceeds the capability to adapt. There are many papers reporting anatomical brain changes induced by trauma and extreme stress, not only in white matter but in gray matter as well. Extreme stress and trauma are connected with elevation of cortisol level, which may cause damage to the hippocampus and may interfere with the anatomy of the hippocampus as well as its microstructure and cell number. Stress may inhibit the hippocampal neuroregeneration as well as hippocampal neurogenesis and even induce neuronal death within the hippocampus. Diffusor tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful method enabling the visualization of the microstructure integrity of white matter, to evaluate the changes (rate and directionality) of water diffusion within myelin tracts and provide enhanced images of white matter tracts compared to traditional MRI morphometry images. One can evaluate the differences in white matter using fractional anisotropy (FA), which is a scalar metric of the degree of anisotropy and diffusion direction of water molecules, indicating fiber density, mylination and axon diameter. Many studies report reduced gray matter volume caused by extreme stress or trauma in people both with the diagnosis of PTSD as well as stress-exposed non PTSD in comparison to healthy controls. Studies have revealed reduced volume mostly in the hippocampus but also in regions such as anterior cingulate, corpus callosum, insula, septum pellucidum, subcallosal cortex, amygdala, prefrontal cortex and total brain volume. The right hippocampus may be prone to the effect of stress much more than the left hippocampus. Moreover, comparing trauma-exposed non-PTSD and PTSD participants, they have found volumetric abnormalities only within the right hippocampus among the PTSD group. They suggest an additional pathological process underlying PTSD, connected with the right hippocampus volume.
De pueblo de misión a rancho frontereño: historia de la tenencia de la tierra en el norte de la Baja California, 1769–1861
Authors: Magaña Mancillas Mario Alberto
Published: March 2020

Como parte de las nuevas perspectivas historiográficas se considera pertinente volver al estudio de las historias de las instituciones o de los aspectos políticos de las sociedades en el pasado. Pero además cada vez es más importante la incorporación del análisis de las identidades colectivas en la historia, y uno de los caminos por los cuales podemos estudiar esos temas caros a la historia cultural es a través de la reconstrucción de la tenencia de la tierra de los propietarios durante los siglos xviii y xix en las regiones periféricas de la Nueva España y del México independiente. Este trabajo explora la ocupación y las formas de apropiación de los misioneros, soldados y rancheros en el norte de la Baja California en un periodo de poblamiento caracterizado por el establecimiento de pueblos de misión y después su transformación en ranchos frontereños. Conocer la historia de las disposiciones legales, contrastado con las formas de apropiación de las tierras misionales, nos permite esbozar una de las identidades más significativas de ese periodo y de la región: los frontereños.
Un puente en la zona transfronteriza: representaciones sociales, identidades y conflicto. El caso Posadas–Encarnación
Authors: Linares María Dolores
Published: March 2020

Las transformaciones económicas y territoriales producidas en el marco del proceso de integración del Mercosur han influido notoriamente en aquellas zonas donde las sociedades de los distintos países miembros se encuentran cara a cara en las fronteras. La inauguración de un puente, además de las reformas aduaneras, económicas y legales, han cambiado las maneras de vivir y relacionarse en la frontera argentino–paraguaya. El puente que une la ciudad argentina de Posadas con su vecina paraguaya de Encarnación es, desde 1992, el escenario de manifestaciones sociales transfronterizas que tienen como protagonista tanto a parte de la sociedad paraguaya como de la argentina. Este artículo tiene por objetivo el análisis de las representaciones y las reivindicaciones sociales identitarias generadas en la frontera argentino–paraguaya a partir del estudio de la prensa escrita de ambos países. Nos proponemos principalmente comprender las fronteras simbólicas operacionales de cada sociedad, así como las nociones de identidad generadas, no sólo en relación con el “otro”, sino también en relación con el poder central, es decir, el Estado nacional.
Calidad del aire y su incorporación en la planeación urbana: Mexicali, Baja California, México
Authors: Corona–Zambrano Elva Alicia , Rojas–Caldelas Rosa Imelda
Published: March 2020

A escala mundial, el problema de la contaminación del aire en los asentamientos humanos presenta una tendencia creciente, resultado del incremento en las demandas de energía y emisiones que tienen las actividades productivas y domésticas, producto de los procesos de urbanización e industrialización. Desde esta perspectiva, las ciudades no se encuentran planeadas para minimizar dichos impactos a partir de la estructura y el funcionamiento de las mismas. De ahí que el trabajo cumpla un doble propósito: por un lado, plantear la evaluación de la calidad del aire en la ciudad de Mexicali, a partir del análisis de los contaminantes: O3, CO, SO2, NO2 y PM10 y su relación con la estructura urbana; y por otro, mencionar y evaluar las estrategias instrumentadas para el abatimiento de la contaminación. Finalmente, se propone un esquema de planeación y gestión urbana que incorpora aspectos de calidad del aire.
Caracterización de los patrones alimentarios para los hogares en México y Sonora, 2005-2006
Authors: Borbón-Morales Carlos , Robles Valencia Arturo , Huesca Reynoso Luis
Published: March 2020

El presente estudio es un análisis descriptivo de la caracterización de los patrones de consumo en México y Sonora. El objetivo es determinar la cantidad de gasto monetario de los hogares y la proporción que éstos destinan al consumo de bienes y servicios. Para tal clasificación se toma en cuenta el nivel de ingreso. Se realiza una comparación entre los patrones de consumo para México y Sonora para el año 2005. Se hace hincapié en el consumo alimentario total y en algunos productos alimentarios específicos como son las verduras (tomate, pepino y chiles). Posteriormente, se explora el comportamiento del consumo en México, del año 2000 al 2006, mediante el contraste de las hipótesis de Modigliani y Friedman (Dornbusch, 2004; Camacho, 2000) y la formulación matemática de Campbell y Mankiw (1989) sobre la hipótesis del consumo de la sociedad. El trabajo concluye con una serie de propuestas para análisis futuros.