bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theory, practice, and politics - Policy decision-making process based on epidemiology and public health evidence proved to be feasible in multistage research on blood-borne infections in Poland.
Authors: GĘBSKA-KUCZEROWSKA ANITA , Gajda Robert
Published: March 2020

Background That it is necessary to involve several stakeholders in a decision-making process. This study presented a research methodology used to prepare the proposal of assumptions regarding the strategy for preventing blood-borne diseases in Poland. Methods The project was carried out from 18th July to 30th November 2016. The tasks under that project were assigned to an outsourcing company to avoid the tendency in respondents’ answers. The research was divided into three stages. The first stage diagnosed the problem from the perspectives of service providers, practitioners, and epidemiologists – persons who encounter problems related to blood-derivative infections at work. The second stage involved analysis at the level of local and country health policy – the institution of supervision, authorities, and administration through the engagement of experts, and public healthcare specialists. In the third stage, decision makers were interviewed (key representatives– that is, the opinions of leaders were sought) and asked to summarize and define priorities regarding conclusions determined in the earlier phases of the project, i.e., during the first and second stages. Results The final output of the entire project is a list of key problems/challenges and solution proposals associated with medical and nonmedical services that are connected to the breakage of tissue continuity. Conclusions Results composed from the multi-stage survey regarded proposed assumptions for the strategy for the prevention of blood-borne infections in Poland. Statistical data allowed the assessment of the health effects, while the methodology applied also allowed diagnosis of the processes leading to these effects.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Errors in Classical Trigeminal Neuralgia: a Multicenter Survey
Authors: Antonaci Fabio , Arceri Sebastiano , Rakusa Martin , Mitsikostas Dimos D. , Milanov Ivan , Todorov Vasil , Ramusino Matteo Cotta , Costa Alfredo
Published: March 2020

Background Classical Trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) is a severe, disabling form of painful cranial neuropathy. Even though CTN has a typical clinical picture, diagnosis it is often missed or delayed in clinical practice. This study was carried over to investigate the occurrence of diagnostic and therapeutic errors in CNT. Methods We studied 102 patients suffering from CTN recruited through a multicentric survey. All the patients were evaluated using telephone/frontal interviews conducted by headache/pain specialists using an ad hoc questionnaire. Results Patients were mostly females (F:M ratio 2.64:1); in 50% of cases age ranged between 51 and 70 years. Eighty-six percent of the patients consulted a physician at the time they experienced the first pain attacks. Specialists consulted before CTN diagnosis was finally made were: primary care physicians (43.1%), dentists (in 30.4% of cases), otorhinolaryngologists (3.9%), neurosurgeons (3.9%), neurologists or headache specialists (14.7%), others (8%). In most cases (85.3%) the final diagnosis was made by a neurologist or headache specialist, and the mean interval between the disease onset and the specialist consultation was 10.8±21.2 months. The correct diagnosis were made after 7.2±12.5 months, being the misdiagnoses at the first consultation in 42.1% of cases. Ten patients underwent erroneous dental extraction. Instrumental and laboratory investigations were carried out in 93.1% of the patients before the final diagnosis of CTN. Conclusions Our results emphasize the need to improve the neurological knowledge in order to promptly recognize the clinical picture of CTN and properly adhere to the specific treatment guidelines.
Superb micro-vascular imaging of placental microcirculation in pregnant women with preeclampsia
Authors: Huang Dai , Liu Dongxia , Jin Ying , Sun Li , Chen Lina , Li Ningning , Xue Hongyuan , Ye Yuquan , Wang Li
Published: March 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the association of placental microcirculation with the risk of preeclampsia using superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI).Methods: A case-control study was conducted in 2017 with 38 healthy pregnant women and 37 women with preeclampsia from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Hebei General Hospital. The vessel counts per unit area (n/cm2) and the hemodynamic parameters of the central part of the placenta microartery, including the pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity and diastolic velocity ratio (S/D), and time average velocity (TAV), were evaluated using superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI). The expression of CD34 in the placental tissue and the microvessel density were also calculated.Results: The mean ages of women in the case and control groups were 31.43 and 31.24 years, respectively. Crude analyses indicated that women with preeclampsia were associated with a lower TAV (p<0.001) and vessel counts per unit area (p<0.001), whereas no significant differences were found between groups for PI (p=0.849), RI (p=0.069), and S/D (p=0.129) under SMI. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that RI (OR: 309.94; 95%CI: 2.97-32369.62; p=0.016), TAV (OR: 0.51; 95%CI: 0.36-0.71; p<0.001), and vessel counts per unit area (OR: 0.01; 95%CI: 0.00-0.86; p=0.042) under SMI were associated with the risk of preeclampsia, whereas PI (OR: 0.05; 95%CI: 0.00-1.34; p=0.074) and S/D (OR: 1.08; 95%CI: 0.39-2.96; p=0.885) under SMI were not associated with the risk of preeclampsia. Finally, the microvessel density of placental tissue in the preeclampsia group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.001).Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that RI, TAV, and vessel counts per unit area under SMI could reflect placental microcirculation in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
CENPF driven lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma with immune infiltrates
Authors: Li Lei , Zheng Pengfei
Published: March 2020

Background: CENPF (centromere protein F) is a critical gene that associates with the centromere-kinetochore complex and plays an important role in the tumor development. However, the associations of CENPF expression and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in lung cancer remain unknown. Methods: CENPF expression and prognostic factor was analyzed via the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) site. The correlation between CENPF and cancer immune infiltrates was investigated via and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site. Further, correlations between CENPF expression and gene marker sets of immune infiltrates were analyzed by TIMER. Results: The TCGA database of Lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD) and Lung squamous cell carcinoma(LUSC) patients showed that high CENPF expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS HR=1.5,P=0.01) and disease-free survival (DFS HR=1.4,P=0.027) in LUAD. Specifically, high CENPF expression have no correlated with worse OS(OS HR=0.78,P=0.071) and DFS(DFS HR=1,P=0.87) in LUSC. CENPF expression was positively correlated with infiltrating levels of B cells, macrophage in LUAD, B cells, and CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells (DCs) in LUSC. CENPF expression showed strong correlations with diverse immune marker sets in LUAD, and LUSC. After down-regulating the expression of CENPF, the proliferative capacity of Lung adenocarcinoma and Lung squamous cell carcinoma cells was inhibited. Conclusions: This report suggest that CENPF is high expression, correlated with poor prognosis and immune infiltrating levels of, including those of B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and DCs in in LUAD and LUSC. In addition, CENPF expression is potentially closely related to the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells. These studies suggest that CENPF can be used as a new prognostic target for determining prognosis and immune infiltration in Lung adenocarcinoma and Lung squamous cell carcinoma.
Awareness of prenatal genetic tests and attitude towards termination of pregnancy regarding fetal congenital heart defects among clinicians in China: a multi-center cross-sectional study
Authors: wang jian , li zhuoyan , yang jianping , lu yanan , wu yurong , xie ailan , zhang yongwei , chai jiannong , han bo , zhou yuqing , li tiangang , chen sun , sun kun
Published: March 2020

Background: This study was aim to figure out the level of awareness about providing genetic tests and the attitude towards termination of pregnancy (TOP) regarding fetal congenital heart defects (CHD) among clinicians in China.Methods: A total of 501 clinicians were divided into 2 groups: clinicians whose working hospital were available of prenatal genetic service were assigned into group 1, whose working hospital were not available of prenatal genetic service were assigned to group 2. The level of awareness and the attitude were evaluated according to scores of a questionnaire. Results: Among the 501 total clinicians, only 27.94% received a high score and 53.09% received a medium score, indicating a low level of awareness about prenatal genetic tests among clinicians. 31.62% clinicians in group 1, but only 24.19% in group 2 showed good awareness of providing genetic tests (P=0.023). About 44.3% of clinicians in group 1, but only by 29.4% of those in group 2 held optimistic attitudes towards minor CHDs and were less favor of TOP in minor CHDs (P=0.023). Conclusion: Prenatal genetic tests and counseling in hospital are necessary and should be improved in the management of fetal CHD in China.
DBT-based skills training for family members of suicidal patients - open clinical feasibility trial in a psychiatric outpatient context’
Authors: Rajalin Mia , Hirvikoski Tatja , Salander-Renberg Ellinor , Jokinen Jussi
Published: March 2020

Background: The involvement of significant others is an objective in suicide prevention and there is a need for development of interventions for this group. The aim of this open naturalistic study was to evaluate the feasibility and the preliminary efficacy of Family Connections (FC) for significant others of suicidal patients, a nine-week manualized skills training program based on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in a clinical context.Methods: The intervention program aims to enhance the knowledge of symptoms and behaviors connected with attempted suicide. Furthermore it introduces stress-coping strategies and emotion regulation skills. Out of 132 participants in total, 104 (79%) completed the program. Included in the analysis were the 86 (65%) participants who completed the program and also had both pre- and post-intervention assessments. The Burden Assessment scale (BAS), the Questions About Family Members scale (QAFM), and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), were used to assess perceived burden, relationship climate and five facets of mindfulness respectively. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in perceived burden, measured with BAS and a significant change in the mindfulness scale FFMQ subscale Acting with Awareness, which indicates an enhanced ability to be present in the moment. None of the four subscales in QAFM showed significant changes between the pre- and post-intervention assessments.Conclusions: The results support the feasibility and potential value of the implementation of an intervention for significant others of suicidal patients in psychiatric care. Randomized controlled studies are needed to generate further evidence.
Prevalence And Factors Associated With Depression Among Medical Students In Africa; A Systematic Review Study
Authors: Ngasa Stewart Ndutard , Sama Carlson Babila , Dzekem Bonoventure Suiru , Chang Neh , Tindong Maxime , Neba Kilton Nforchu
Published: March 2020

Background: Depression in its severe form can lead to suicide. In Africa, a couple of studies have been carried to evaluate depression in medical students. These studies have provided variable findings on the prevalence of depression in medical students and associated factors. Given the considerable variability and somewhat controversial findings in the different studies, there is a need for a systematic review study to critically appraise the existing literature.Methods: This was a systematic review of studies published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019 in the selected databases. We used Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) combining relevant keywords to search the databases.Results: Data was extracted from 4 studies included in this review involving a total number of 1848 medical students. The prevalence of depressive symptoms range from 23.3 to 76.5% and major depression was reported in 15.6% and 30.6% of participants in 2 studies. Female gender and being a student in higher level of studies were significantly associated with depression in all included studies. Other factors associated with higher levels of depression included smoking, alcohol consumption, being unmarried, major life events, presence of other mental health condition and the presence of chronic medical condition.Conclusion: Despite paucity of research on depression among medical students in Africa, this review shows that depressive symptoms are common and associated with a number of socioeconomic factors. Being a female student and/or higher level of medical education is associated with depression. There is need for more robust studies to evaluate the impact of depression on medical students.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio exhibits the different correlation with psychiatric symptoms in the different status of antipsychotic therapy in schizophrenia: a large-scale retrospective cross-sectional study.
Authors: Shen Hong , Zhou Xia , Wang Xiaolan , Li Rui , Xiao Ying , Li Weiguang
Published: March 2020

Background There are some conflicting results regarding the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the severity of disease in patients with schizophrenia. Inconsistent findings among the studies might be caused by several limitations, such as, heterogeneous patient populations lacking stratification by antipsychotic therapy, small sample sizes lacking statistical power, ignoring multicollinearity between NLR and other related factors, and lack of controlling for potential confounding factors. In this study, we evaluated the possible correlation between NLR and disease severity as manifested in clinical scores in patients with schizophrenia. In particular, NLR is correlated with discrepant psychiatric symptoms in the different status of antipsychotic medication administration. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in our hospital. We identified inpatients with schizophrenia between July 12, 2018 and March 27, 2019 and who had NLR, Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGIS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores. Results The records of 1144 identified patients (32.4% male, 76.6% with NLR ≤ 1.98, and 10.8% drug-free patients) were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression showed that NLR was positively associated with worse psychiatric symptoms, both the CGIS score (moderately ill: OR: 63.578, p = 0.011; severely ill: OR: 53.617, p = 0.015) and the BPRS total score (moderately ill: OR: 4.049, p = 0.055; severely ill: OR: 4.312, p = 0.045). In the drug-therapy subgroup, there was a negative correlation between NLR and severe negative symptoms (severely ill: OR: 0.850, p = 0.018) after controlling for potential confounding factors. Conclusions The study is the first to confirm the hypothesis that NLR is independently associated with severe psychopathology in schizophrenia. There is the different correlation between NLR and psychiatric symptoms in the different status of antipsychotic therapy. Therefore, NLR is not appropriate to be an inflammatory biomarker for assessment of disease severity, but provide potential mechanistic insights on specific pathological cellular processes, as well be a potential target to improve the course of the psychotic disorder.
Development of a Food Image Recognition Algorithm Using Machine Learning
Authors: Assaad Serge , Carin Lawrence , Viera Anthony Joseph
Published: March 2020

Background: Researchers and consumers have limited options for objectively collecting or tracking data related to food choices. Objective: To develop and pilot test an algorithm that could accurately categorize food items from a meal photograph. Methods: We used a dataset of 7721 meal photographs taken by patrons in a cafeteria setting. We designed 22 broad categories recognizable by image that are parents of the original 1239 types of items in the photographs. We split the dataset into 3 mutually exclusive subsets: a training set (5250 images), a validation set (1312 images), and a test set (1159 images). Using a convolutional neural network and standard machine learning techniques, we tested the operating characteristics of the algorithm. Results: Salad recognition had the lowest specificity (0.74), while multiple categories had specificities close to 1.0 (e.g. cereals, pastries, sushi, yogurt). Areas under the ROC curve (AUCs), reflecting trade-offs between sensitivity and specificity, ranged from 0.73 (for yogurt) to 0.97 (for sushi). Conclusions: This work provides proof-of-concept for an algorithm that can categorize food items from a meal photograph.
Reference Equations for Spirometry Healthy Adult Population in Brazil
Authors: campos mariane , Ripka Wagner Luis , Ulbricht Leandra
Published: March 2020

Background Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a set of diseases, has as its main characteristics a limitation of the ventilatory flow. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, COPD will be the third-largest cause of death. However, for the effective diagnosis, it is necessary to use reference curves appropriate to the population in which the individual belongs, thus it is possible to identify probable limits and abnormalities.Methods This is a cross-sectional and retrospective study conducted in a metropolitan region comprising 29 municipalities in southern Brazil. Individuals of both genders aged between 18 and 59 years, non-smokers, self-identified with white skin, participated in the study. The spirometric collections were done following the American Thoracic Society guidelines. And beyond them, mass and height were collected for determination of the Body Mass Index. The correlations between pulmonary and anthropometric variables were tested by regression analysis univariate after the selection of variables through multivariate analysis and logarithmic regression.Results In this sample, 800 participants were evaluated, of these 533 females and 267 males. Both sexes had considerable spirometry variables values as FVC, FEV6, and FEV1, used in the development of prediction models. The only variable, with a positive correlation in both genders, was height. For the males model, the best fit variable was FVC, with R 2 = 0.417 and for females FEV, with R 2 = 0.462. Among males, was seeing a lower value for all individuals in both variables. Whereas women had similar behavior, for CVS, with slight differences in the ends of the curves, comparing FEV1, the values were higher in all evaluated.Conclusion The prediction equations showed the previous curves were very restrictive and could be leading to false-positives. Thus, this update in the reference values would support clinical decisions on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD.
Mean arterial pressure within 24 hours of admission predicts short-term prognosis in patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk pulmonary embolism
Authors: Chen Jialong , Lin Jing , Wu Dansen , Guo XiaoLan , Li XiuHua , shi songjing
Published: March 2020

Objective: Pulmonary embolism is a terrible cardiovascular condition with considerable morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have investigated systolic blood pressure (systolic BP) and diastolic blood pressure (diastolic BP) as being related to 30-day and in-hospital mortality. We aimed to determine whether the average mean arterial pressure (aMAP) in the first 24 hours of hospital admission is useful in predicting short-term outcomes of intermediate-risk and high-risk PE patients. Method: We conducted a single-center retrospective study. From May 2012 to April 2019, 122 intermediate-risk and high-risk PE patients were included. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was adverse events. ROC curves and cut-off values for aMAP predicting in-hospital death were computed. According to cut-off values, we categorized five groups defined as follows: group 1: aMAP<70 mmHg; group 2: 70 mmHg≤aMAP<80 mmHg; group 3: 80 mmHg≤aMAP<90 mmHg; group 4: 90 mmHg≤aMAP<100 mmHg; and group 5: aMAP≥100 mmHg. Cox regression models were calculated to investigate associations between aMAP and in-hospital death. Results: In the study group of 122 patients, 15 patients (12.30%) died in the hospital due to PE. ROC analysis for MAP predicting in-hospital death revealed an AUC of 0.729 with a cut-off value of 79.4 mmHg. Cox regression models showed a significant association between in-hospital death and aMAP group 1 (ref), aMAP group 2 (OR 1.680, 95% CI 0.020-140.335), aMAP group 3 (OR 0.003, 95% CI 0.0001-0.343), aMAP group 4 (OR 0.006, 95% CI 0.0001-1.671), and aMAP group 5 (OR 0.003, 95% CI 0.0001-9.744). In particular, those with an aMAP of 80-90 mmHg suffer from minimum adverse events. Conclusion: The prognostic role of MAP during the first 24 hours of hospital admission should be emphasized in patients with PE. The optimal range of MAP for intermediate-risk and high-risk PE patients may be 80 to 90 mmHg.
Hairball Buster: A Graph Triage Method for Viewing and Comparing Graphs
Authors: Allen Patrick , Matties Mark , Peterson Elisha
Published: March 2020

Hairball buster (HB) (also called node-neighbor centrality or NNC) is an approach to graph analytic triage that uses simple calculations and visualization to quickly understand and compare graphs. Rather than displaying highly interconnected graphs as ‘hairballs’ that are difficult to understand, HB provides a simple standard visual representation of a graph and its metrics, combining a monotonically decreasing curve of node metrics with indicators of each node’s neighbors’ metrics. The HB visual is canonical, in the sense that it provides a standard output for each node-link graph. It helps analysts quickly identify areas for further investigation, and also allows for easy comparison between graphs of different data sets. The calculations required for creating an HB display is order M plus N log N, where N is the number of nodes and M is the number of edges. This paper includes examples of the HB approach applied to four real-world data sets. It also compares HB to similar visual approaches such as degree histograms, adjacency matrices, blockmodeling, and force-based layout techniques. HB presents greater information density than other algorithms at lower or equal calculation cost, efficiently presenting information in a single display that is not available in any other single display.
Academic Collaboration via Resource Contributions: An Egocentric Dataset
Authors: Bojanowski Michał , Czerniawska Dominika , Fenrich Wojciech
Published: March 2020

In order to understand scientists’ incentives to form collaborative relations, we have conducted a study looking into academically relevant resources, which scientists contribute into collaborations with others. The data we describe in this paper are an egocentric dataset assembled by coding originally qualitative material. It is 40 multiplex ego networks containing data on individual attributes (such as gender, scientific degree), collaboration ties (including alter–alter ties), and resource flows. Resources are coded using a developed inventory of 25 types of academically relevant resources egos and alters contribute into their collaborations. We share the data with the research community with the hopes of enriching knowledge and tools for studying sociological and behavioral aspects of science as a social process.
Degradation of acetamiprid using graphene-oxide-based metal (Mn and Ni) ferrites as Fenton-like photocatalysts
Authors: Tabasum Asma , Bhatti Ijaz Ahmad , Nadeem Nimra , Zahid Muhammad , Rehan Zulfiqar Ahmad , Hussain Tajamal , Jilani Asim
Published: March 2020

This study aims to explore the photocatalytic potential of graphene-oxide-based metal ferrites for the degradation of acetamiprid (an odorless neonicotinoid pesticide). Metal (Mn and Ni) ferrites (along with their graphene oxide composites) were prepared by the hydrothermal method while graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using a modified Hummer's method. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalysts were studied for their Fenton-like advanced oxidation process to degrade acetamiprid. The composites showed excellent activity against acetamiprid degradation (>90%) in 60 min under UV irradiation. The detailed optimization study was carried out to investigate the influential variables (such as pH, catalyst dose, pollutant concentration, irradiation time, oxidant dose, etc.) to achieve enhanced degradation efficiency. Moreover, the findings were endorsed by central composite design (CCD). It was concluded that degradation was enhanced in an appropriate combination of photocatalyst and hydrogen peroxide. The magnetic character of the metal ferrites and their composites played an important role in the easy separation and reusability of these materials. The present findings result in highly effective, easy to handle and stable heterogeneous photo-Fenton materials for wastewater remediation.
An Ethnomedicinal Survey of Antidiabetic Plants and Preliminary Evaluation of Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic Activity Maesa indica Leaves, a Folk Antidiabetic Plant of Manipur, India
Authors: Chakraborty Raja , Sen Saikat , Chanu Nongmaithem Randhoni , Singh Akoijam Bishaljit , Lyngkhoi Crescent , Kharlyngdoh Sanwat , Kalita Pratap
Published: March 2020

Background:

Manipur is a small state of India, well known for its
folk medicine. Folk medicine practitioners of the state use a number of plants to
manage diabetes mellitus.

Objective:

This is an ethnomedicinal survey to find folk antidiabetic plants of the
Thoubal district of Manipur, India. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant
and hypoglycemic potential of the chosen medicinal plant.

Methods:

An ethnomedicinal survey was carried out in Thoubal district, Manipur
to find out antidiabetic plants regularly used by tribal/folk medicinal practitioners.
Based on the information, Maesa indica leaves extracts (ethanol extract,
MIE; ethyl acetate extract, MIEA; petroleum ether extract, MIPE) were further
investigated for in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activity. Acute hypoglycemic
activity (streptozotocin-induced diabetes model) was evaluated and NGOGTT
tests were conducted to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of Maesa indica
leaves.

Results:

Ethnomedicinal survey revealed that folk medicinal practitioners regularly
used 15 antidiabetic plants. Maesa indica is a plant of choice of folk medicinal
practitioners. MIE was found to possess strong oxidative haemolysis inhibition,
nitric oxide radical and DPPH radical scavenging effect with IC50 values of
54.5, 34.1 and 19.2 μg/mL, respectively. MIE inhibited α-glucosidase and α-amylase
with IC50 values of 18.2 and 31.2 μg/mL, respectively. MIE and MIEA produced
considerable hypoglycemic activity when tested through the NG-OGTT
model. MIE (500 mg/kg, b.w.) asserted significant acute hypoglycemic activity
by reducing blood glucose level after 1h, 2h, 3h, 5h, and 12h of drug administration
in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Conclusion:

The present study showed that the ethanol extract of Maesa indica
leaves possesses better activity compared to ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extract.
This study also confirmed the ethnobotanical claim about traditional use of
plant and antidiabetic potential of M. indica leaves.
The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action Text Message–Based mHealth Intervention for Maternal Care in South Africa: Qualitative User Study
Authors: Coleman Jesse , Eriksen Jaran , Black Vivian , Thorson Anna , Hatcher Abigail
Published: March 2020

Background

Using mobile technology to support health care (mobile health [mHealth]) has been shown to improve health outcomes across a multitude of health specialties and across the world. Exploring mHealth user experiences can aid in understanding how and why an intervention was successful. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) was a free maternal mHealth SMS text messaging service that was offered to pregnant women in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the goal of improving maternal, fetal, and infant health outcomes. We conducted focus group discussions with MAMA users to learn about their experiences with the program.

Objective

The aim of this qualitative study was to gather opinions of participants of the MAMA maternal mHealth service regarding health care atmosphere, intervention use, and intervention feedback.

Methods

Prenatal and postnatal women (N=15) from public antenatal and postnatal care sites in central Johannesburg who were receiving free maternal health text messages (MAMA) participated in 3 focus group discussions. Predefined discussion topics included personal background, health care system experiences, MAMA program recruitment, acceptability, participant experiences, and feedback.

Results

The feedback regarding experiences with the health system were comprised of a few reports of positive experiences and many more reports of negative experiences such as long wait times, understaffed facilities, and poor service. Overall acceptability for the maternal text message intervention was high. Participants reflected that the messages were timely, written clearly, and felt supportive. Participants also reported sharing messages with friends and family.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that maternal mHealth interventions delivered through text messages can provide timely, relevant, useful, and supportive information to pregnant women and new mothers especially in settings where there may be mistrust of the health care system.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Web-Based Program (POP4Teens) to Prevent Prescription Opioid Misuse Among Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Marsch Lisa A , Moore Sarah K , Grabinski Michael , Bessen Sarah Y , Borodovsky Jacob , Scherer Emily
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND

Prescription opioid (PO) use is common among adolescents in the United States. Despite recent declines from unprecedented peaks in adolescent PO use (eg, in 2012-2013), there is seemingly paradoxical evidence that PO-related consequences (eg, opioid use disorder and overdoses) are increasing. These trends and their possible consequences emphasize the importance of prevention efforts targeting PO misuse. To our knowledge, we have developed the first interactive web-based program (POP4Teens [P4T]) focused specifically on the prevention of PO misuse among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of P4T, a web-based program designed to prevent adolescent PO misuse, in comparison with JustThinkTwice (JTT), an active control website, on PO-related attitudes, knowledge, risk perception, and intentions to use.

METHODS

We conducted a web-based randomized controlled trial in 2018. A total of 406 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) were randomly assigned to either P4T or JTT. The outcome variables were attitudes, knowledge, and risk perceptions associated with PO misuse, intentions to use POs, and program feedback. Data were collected at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months.

RESULTS

Both programs resulted in significant and sustained improvements in intention to use POs, increased perceived risk, impacted expectancies consistent with prevention, and improved PO refusal skills. P4T produced significantly greater increases in PO-related knowledge than JTT did, and it was reportedly easier to use and more liked. Baseline scores for youth reporting past-year medical use of POs, friends who engage in nonmedical use of POs, and/or poor mental health underscored their at-risk status compared with youth from the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

P4T positively impacted all study variables that are known to prevent PO misuse among teens. Moreover, its web-based nature simplifies the dissemination and implementation of this novel tool designed to help meet the challenges of the evolving national opioid crisis.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02737696; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02737696
Del feminismo a la solidaridad: el caso italiano
Authors: Gramaglia Mariella , Sanchis Enric , Curzio Leonardo
Published: March 2020

Del feminismo a la solidaridad: el caso italiano
La esencia del triángulo, o tomarse en serio el riesgo del esencialismo: teoría feminista en Italia, los E.U.A. y Gran Bretaña
Authors: De Lauretis Teresa , Mendiola Salvador
Published: March 2020

La esencia del triángulo, o tomarse en serio el riesgo del esencialismo: teoría feminista en Italia, los E.U.A. y Gran Bretaña
Diferencia sexual: ¿una jaula demasiado estrecha o un atajo demasiado fácil?
Authors: Saraceno Chiara , Ontañón Katia
Published: March 2020

Diferencia sexual: ¿una jaula demasiado estrecha o un atajo demasiado fácil?
Ganando espacios: historias de vida: Guadalupe Zúñiga, Alura Flores y Josefina Vicens
Authors: Ruiz Funes Concepción
Published: March 2020

Ganando espacios: historias de vida: Guadalupe Zúñiga, Alura Flores y Josefina Vicens
Fem: de la academia al periodismo
Authors: Moreno Hortensia
Published: March 2020

Fem: de la academia al periodismo
Corrupción y justa indignación
Authors: Bornia Mónica Beatriz
Published: March 2020

 

Resumen: La corrupción es un fenómeno muy extendido sobre todo en nuestros países latinoamericanos. La misma provoca lo que Aristóteles denomina Justa Indignación, cuando esta procede de funcionarios públicos máxime jueces, lo hace bajo la apariencia de la legalidad oculta tras la argumentación y las técnicas de la persuasión. El presente trabajo es un aporte desde la jusfilosofía a la reflexión de la temática, pues las teorías de la argumentación pretenden evadir el dilema ético el cual no corresponde más que al hombre, pero para ello tenemos que contar con un hombre justo y honesto.    

Palabras clave: corrupción; argumentación; justa indignación; persuasión; poder; moral; justicia
THE EFFECT OF GEOGEBRA-ASSISTED DIRECT INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-REGULATION
Authors: Zetriuslita Zetriuslita , Nofriyandi Nofriyandi , Istikomah Endang
Published: March 2020

This study aims to find out the effect of Geogebra Assisted Direct Instruction on students' self-efficacy and self-regulation.  This is a mixed method research with a sequential explanatory strategy, while the research design is a pretest and posttest unequivalent group design.  The experimental group applied Geogebra Assisted Direct Instruction while the control group used conventional learning.  The population in this study is the third semester students who have studied Field and Space Analytic Geometry.  The research sample was selected using cluster random sampling technique.  The research instruments were self-efficacy and self-regulation questionnaires for quantitative data and interview sheets for qualitative data.  Data analysis was performed quantitatively using inferential statistical analysis and qualitatively analyzing the results of interview with students.  The results showed that there was a significant effect of geogebra-assisted direct instruction on the achievement of students' self-efficacy and self-regulation.  From the interviews it was found that the application of Geogebra-assisted Direct Instruction can facilitate the achievement of students' self-efficacy and self-regulation.
PRIMARY STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICAL LITERACY: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Ekawati Rooselyna , Susanti Susanti , Chen Jian-Cheng
Published: March 2020

This paper analyses Indonesian primary students’ Mathematical literacy in solving PISA like problems. The instruments were administered to 254 sixth graders from five different regions in Surabaya, Indonesia with various social background. There were three contents (quantity, Uncertainty and data, space and shape) and three level problems (High, Medium and Easy) used to develop Mathematics Literacy Test (MLT). Three students’ categories (Good, Middle and Low) were established by cluster analysis methodology. The most students’ challenge on MLT was space and shape as well as uncertainty and data’s content problem. The description of profile of primary students’ mathematical literacy related to MLT are worthy to suggest the design of learning lines for primary students to have more opportunity to learn and solve Mathematics literacy problem.
Pengaruh Kepemilikan Asing, Komisaris Asing, Dan Direksi Asing Terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Perusahaan
Authors: Zulkarnain Zulkarnain
Published: March 2020

This study examines the effects of foreign ownership, foreign board membership, and foreign directors on firm financial performance of Indonesian food and beverages listed companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange for the periods of 2012-2016. Firm financial performance is measured by ROA. This study employs publicly available data from financial database of a sample of 41 firm observations. Using multiplied analysis linear regression with hypotheses testing of t statistics and F tests, this study finds that foreign directors, partially, had significant positive impact on ROA. The foreign ownership and foreign board membership on the other hand, partially, had no effect on ROA. The foreign ownership, foreign board membership, and foreign directors, simultaneously, had significant positive impact on ROA.Keywords: foreign ownership, foreign board membership, foreign directors, ROA.
Efficiency characteristic of electrostatic dust precipitation using solar energy
Authors: Xu Lin , Shi Haoyuan , Wang Lu , Xiao Wenjing , Li Qiong , Guo Jie
Published: March 2020

In this paper, solar photovoltaic technology and electrostatic dust removal technology are combined to design a solar electrostatic precipitator, and its operation effect and dust removal performance are studied. Starting from optimizing the structure of the dust precipitator, the electrode structure of the dust precipitator was improved, the area of dust collector per unit volume was increased, and the dust removal efficiency was improved. By changing different working conditions, different solubility, different voltage, and different dust removal efficiency. Finally, compared the dust removal efficiency of the finned tubular and snowflake dust precipitator. The results show that the snowflake dust precipitator works stably in sunny and cloudy weather, and the dust removal effect is the highest, followed by dry powder, and the cement dust removal effect is the worst. It is determined that the change of voltage within the set range has little influence on the dust removal efficiency, and the dust concentration has a great influence on the dust removal efficiency.
“What’s the Point?”: Understanding Why People With Type 2 Diabetes Decline Structured Education
Authors: Findlay-White Florence , Slevin Mary , Carey Marian E. , Coates Vivien
Published: March 2020

Structured diabetes education (SDE) is an evidence-based intervention that supports self-management in people with type 2 diabetes. In the United Kingdom, health care providers working in primary care settings are responsible for referring people with type 2 diabetes to SDE programs. However, national audits record a high percentage of nonattenders. We explored the personal experience of living with type 2 diabetes that led to individuals declining invitations to attend SDE programs. The themes suggested that emotional, cognitive, and social issues related to diagnosis and living with diabetes may be responsible for declining to attend SDE and that these factors may be masked by explanations of practical barriers. A person-centered approach to understanding the personal meaning of being diagnosed and living with type 2 diabetes may help to identify individuals’ psychosocial barriers to attending SDE.
Solidaritas Sosial dalam Ekstrakulikuler Sispala di SMA Pembangunan Laboratorium UNP
Authors: Sefrilina Sefrilina , Hasti Hasmira Mira
Published: March 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat solidaritas dalam ekstrakulikuler sispala di SMA Pembangunan Laboratorium UNP. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori solidaritas sosial yang dikemukakan oleh Emile Durkheim. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini ialah pendekatan kualitatif dengan tipe penelitian deskriptif, pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi, yang dianalisis dengan menggunakan teknik analisis data dari Miles dan Huberman. Hasil penelitian ini adalah adanya solidaritas sosial dalam ekstrakulikuler Sispala Equator di SMA Pembangunan Laboratorium UNP. Ini dikarenakan adanya rasa saling percaya dan pembagian kerja yang terjalin didalamnya
Enhancement of Film Boiling Characteristics Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis for Moving Steel Plate
Authors: Raj Ritu , Nayak Vardan Singh
Published: March 2020

Present study provides guidelines and recommendations for solving film boiling problems in steel plate production, where the surface temperature of steel plate is much higher than the saturation temperature of the liquid in contact with the plate surface and the entire steel plate surface is immersed in water. Due to the boiling mass exchange occurring at the vapor liquid interface bubbles of steam are periodically produced and emitted upward such a regime is known as film boiling. A computational fluid dynamics analysis of steel plate using VOF multiphase model moving at different velocity i.e. 0.1 to 0.5 m/sec. the volume of fraction for vapor phase have been obtained for different time interval, the generation of bubbles starts moving upwards after 0.05 sec, as time goes the formation of vapor bubbles generate and collapse more rapidly because the thermal boundary is very thin and the fluid temperature around the bubbles almost equal to the saturation temperature. The thermal properties of the steel plate are implicit to be constant with temperature for convenience because the present study is focused on the boiling heat transfer on the steel plate. The size of element is set as 0.1 mm to generate mesh and quad-4 rectangular elements used are which is a rectangular in shape with four nodes on each element are applied for the analysis. Results show that that the 37.98% of Convective heat transfer coefficient of mixture is increased and 13.1% of temperature drop has been observed with 40.67% of heat flux increased for the steel plate moving at 0.1 m/sec.
Review on The Production Of Concrete By Using Waste Coarse Material
Authors: Sonwane Rajiv , Kushwaha Pushpendra Kumar , Thomas Jiji M
Published: March 2020

Marble Industry produces large amount of waste during mining and processing stages. This waste is dumped on to open land which creates a lot of environmental problems. Similarly granite is also produced in the same manner in great amount. We get recycle aggregate from the old dumped structures and buildings. the main objective of this study was utilization of marble, granite and recycled aggregate waste with polypropylene fiber as a replacement for conventional natural coarse aggregates in concrete.
Edge Enhancement from Low-Light Image by Convolutional Neural Network and Sigmoid Function
Authors: Sharma Puspad Kumar , Gupta Nitesh , Shrivastava Anurag
Published: March 2020

Due to camera resolution or any lighting condition, captured image are generally over-exposed or under-exposed conditions. So, there is need of some enhancement techniques that improvise these artifacts from recorded pictures or images. So, the objective of image enhancement and adjustment techniques is to improve the quality and characteristics of an image. In general terms, the enhancement of image distorts the original numerical values of an image. Therefore, it is required to design such enhancement technique that do not compromise with the quality of the image. The optimization of the image extracts the characteristics of the image instead of restoring the degraded image. The improvement of the image involves the degraded image processing and the improvement of its visual aspect. A lot of research has been done to improve the image. Many research works have been done in this field. One among them is deep learning. Most of the existing contrast enhancement methods, adjust the tone curve to correct the contrast of an input image but doesn’t work efficiently due to limited amount of information contained in a single image. In this research, the CNN with edge adjustment is proposed. By applying CNN with Edge adjustment technique, the input low contrast images are capable to adapt according to high quality enhancement. The result analysis shows that the developed technique significantly advantages over existing methods.
Fenomena Migrasi Dan Urban Bias di Indonesia
Authors: Hidayat Nasrullah
Published: March 2020

AbstactPenulisan ini bertujuan mengkaji feneomena migrasi di Indonesia. Maraknya urbanisasi dalam artian migrasi pun menyebabkan kerugian baik untuk desa maupun untuk kota, hanya dalam waktu 20 tahun penduduk kota bertambah hampir 50%, sebaliknya setengah penduduk desa sekarang mengalami perubahan menjadi penduduk kota. Pada tahun 2005 jumlah penduduk kota sebesar  47,9% sementara pada tahun 2025 jumlah  penduduk kota diprediksikan akan meningkat menjadi 68% Meningkatnya urbanisasi membuat kemiskinan terkonsentrasi di kota,akan tetapi hal ini terjadi karena adanya pandangan masyarakat desa bahwa kota merupakan harapan nyata dalam memutus rantai kemiskinan kemiskinan. Terjadinya migrasi diperkotaan atau ( urbanisasi) tidak akan menjadi masalah jika pemerintah dari kota-kota tujuan para migran mampu menciptakan lapangan kerja dan fasilitas publik yang mencukupi. Namun bila saja daya dukung kota sebagai suatu tempat publik sudah berada pada level yang kritis , maka pememrintah melalui berbagai macam kebijakannnya perlu turun tangan guna mengurangi dampak buruk dari urbanisasi tersebut. Urbanisasi berlebih perlu dikendalikan agar tidak berkembang makin liar dan semakin membebani kota-kota tujuan kaum migran.Kata kunci: Fenomena, Migrasi, Urban BiasThe Study purpose to discuss the migration phenomenon in Indonesia. The rise of urbanization in the sense of migration also causes losses both for villages and for cities, in just 20 years increased by almost 50%, on the contrary half the village population is now becoming residents of the city. In 2005 the population of the city was 47.9% while in 2025 the population of the city was predicted to increase to 68%. Increased urbanization made poverty concentrated in the city, but this happened because of the view of the village community that the city represented the best hope for getting out of poverty. The occurrence of urban migration or (urbanization) will not be a problem if the government of the destination cities of migrants is able to create adequate employment and public facilities. But if the carrying capacity of the city as a public place is at a critical level, the government through various policies needs to intervene to reduce the adverse effects of urbanization. Excessive urbanization needs to be controlled so that it does not grow wilder and increasingly burden cities of migrants.Key words: Phenomenon, Migration, Urban Bias