bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gateways Not Pathways: Student Perceptions of the Portals to Employability
Authors: Lock Edward , Kelly Kate
Published: May 2022

The expectation that tertiary education leads to employment is one that most commencing students hold. A problem arises when there is a gap between the knowledge and skills students expect to acquire and the knowledge and skills course designers and teachers expect students to develop. The present study interviewed 22 first year students and 12 final year students to explore their expectations and experiences of employability teaching and learning, and compared these to the conceptions of employability articulated in their institution’s policy documentation. The findings suggest that most students believed that, to achieve their career goals, their primary focus should be on completing their academic studies, and that all relevant knowledge and skills would be unveiled during this process. As such, they viewed their time at university as a distinct stage in their development, one that must be completed before they move on to engage with the challenge of employment. Such expectations differ in important ways from those of the institution at which participants were enrolled, which sets employability within the context of an ever-changing job market and the consequent need for life-long learning. Moreover, while the institution clearly articulates the skills that they believe are embedded within their units and courses, this is not being conveyed to students. Implications of this research highlight the need to carefully consider what expectations students are bringing with them regarding the enhancement of employability and how institutions can best act to bridge the gap between students’ expectations and their own.
Aprendizagem Cooperativa
Authors: Suhr Inge , Voigt Souza Elisangela
Published: May 2022

O presente trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa exploratória, de caráter bibliográfico e qualitativo, sobre a Aprendizagem Cooperativa (AC). Compreende-se que apesar deste mundo ser cada vez mais individualista e injusto, é necessário buscar propostas educacionais que façam o caminho contrário, ou seja, rumo a uma educação libertadora. Tem-se como objetivo identificar possíveis aproximações da AC com a concepção pedagógica freireana. Para tanto o artigo percorre os fundamentos da AC a partir de pesquisas publicadas e busca possíveis aproximações desta proposta com as concepções freireanas. Foram utilizados os princípios da Análise de Conteúdo e os resultados da pesquisa apontam que a proximidade da AC com o referencial freireano se situa, principalmente, nos conceitos pedagógicos e práticos. Entretanto, quando analisados os conceitos mais críticos e políticos que caracterizam o pensamento de Paulo Freire, há variações entre as abordagens dos autores que se referem à AC, desde os mais críticos aos que se propõem apenas a mudanças pedagógicas sem questionar o status quo. É possível considerar que embora a AC não dê conta de transformar a realidade opressora, pode contribuir para uma Educação Libertadora, desde que seja desenvolvida no bojo do compromisso político com as classes populares.
Ecotoxicological Assays of Selected and Potentiated Antiretroviral and Antibiotics
Authors: Omotola Elizabeth O. , Genthe Bettina , Ndlela Luyanda , Olatunji Olatunde S
Published: May 2022

The effects of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the environment are not fully characterized, hence the need for comprehensive evaluation. In this study Allium cepa, Daphnia magna, and Salmonella typhimurium were employed in three bioassays to investigate the eco-toxicities of lone APIs, namely lamivudine (L) (an antiretroviral), ciprofloxacin (C) and sulfamethoxazole (S) (antibiotics), and cocktails of their mixtures at environmental concentration range between 10 and 100 ppb. Study results showed that exposure of daphnids to lone APIs; L, C, and S, had fatal impacts, with mortality rates of 100, 75, and 95%, respectively, after 48 hr. Sulfamethoxazole showed mutagenic tendency, with mutation ratio (background/sample ratio) of 2.0. Lamivudine had lethal impact on the root length of Allium cepa (P>0.05, P = 3.60E-3). Further microscopic examination of the Allium cepa root tip exposed to each of the 3-APIs revealed chromosomal aberrations. The ecotoxicology bioassays result of the LCS-mix indicated a synergistic effect on the daphnids, probably due to potentiation. While the LCS mix had a cytotoxic effect (evidenced by the absence of bacteria colonies) on exposed TA 98 P450 Salmonella typhimurium strain, this effect was not observed in other bacterial strain. Microscopic examination of Allium cepa exposed to the LCS-mix, revealed an aberration in the mitotic stage of the cell cycle. In general, the impact of the combined 3-API mix was greater than observed for tested individual pharmaceutical.
Recycle of lead-zinc tailings in blended cement: mechanical property and stabilization/solidification of heavy metals
Authors: Luo Zhongtao , Tang Changbo , Mu Yuandong , Liu Xiaohai
Published: May 2022

Due to the increasing output and toxicity of heavy metals, the pollution problems of lead-zinc tailings (LZTs) need to be solved urgently. This paper investigated the properties and heavy metal stabilization/solidification of blended cement containing different replacement ratios of ground LZTs. The compressive strength, hydration products, chemically bound water content and microstructure of specimens were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, TG-DSC and SEM tests. The results showed that the addition of LZTs reduced the compressive strength of blended cement. 10% cement replacement by LZTs can be considered as the optimum for blended cement uses. With the increase of LZTs dosage, Ca(OH)2 content was significantly reduced and the formation of ettringite was promoted. Leaching tests revealed that the leaching concentration of Pb and Zn was much lower than threshold limit. EDS analysis indicated that hydration products (primarily C-S-H gel) played an important role in the stabilization/solidification of heavy metals by means of physical adsorption and encapsulation. This research provides a guidance for the resource utilization of LZTs.
Comparative study of stunting measurement in children using WHO procedure and stunting mat in Ghana
Authors: Bukari Nafisatu , Danaa Alhassan , Mubarak Abdullai , Forfoe Wilfred W. , Gariba Ayishetu , Ali Zakari
Published: May 2022

Objective: Height data is not useful immediately without further processing. The Stunting mat was designed to stunting. However, the mat has not been validated for use in Ghana. This study compared stunting measured with the mat and stunting measured following the WHO recommended procedure. We sampled 163 children aged 6-24-m in the Bono region of Ghana. We compared stunting prevalence measured with the mat and WHO recommended procedure. We also explored the acceptability and interpretability of the two procedures among mothers and healthcare givers.Results: The prevalence of stunting was 3.7% and 11.7% using the Stunting mat and WHO procedures respectively. However, in younger aged children, the Stunting mat was more accurate in detecting stunting: Both healthcare workers and caregivers found it easy to interpret the stunting status of children using the Stunting mat. Therefore, we can conclude that the Stunting mat was less sensitive at detecting child stunting compared to the current gold way of measuring stunting in younger children. There are possibilities to improve the accuracy and utility of the Stunting mat for measuring stunting in low-resource settings by re-designing the mat to be more age appropriate.
Identification of cry genes in Bacillus thuringiensis by multiplex real-time PCR
Authors: Queiroz Paulo , Posso Marina Cassago , Martins Érica Soares , Grynberg Priscila , Togawa Roberto , Monnerat Rose Gomes
Published: May 2022

Bacillus thuringiensis is an important bacterium of the group Bacillus cereus sensu lato due to its insecticidal properties. This microorganism has high genetic variability and its strains produce different Cry toxins, known as δ-endotoxins, which are mainly responsible for its toxic effect on insects that are agricultural pests or vector human diseases. Each strain can express a variety of cry genes, out of a total of 789 cry genes described so far. The detection of these genes is very important to characterize strains, as they may indicate their toxic potential. Several methods have been used to characterize B. thuringiensis strains, but one of the most common techniques is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) from primers that detect the presence of cry genes. This technique has been optimized to make real-time multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays faster, more efficient, and safer, because the presence of three genes can be detected in a single reaction. In this work, a multiplex assay was developed to identify the presence of genes from the cry1A, cry1C, and cry1F families whose respective toxins are present in both bioinsecticides and commercial transgenic plants used to control caterpillars. Specific primers were designed to identify the families of the cited genes and the system was validated with samples that were sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The system was implemented and used to characterize 214 strains. Of these, eight were submitted to conventional PCR, and the results matched, again validating the system. Thus, the application of the proposed technique allows the reliable evaluation through this system to detect the presence of the genes of the families cry1A, cry1C, and cry1F in samples of B. thuringiensis.
Cross-domain heterogeneous signcryption with keyword search for wireless body area network
Authors: Luo Ming , Huang Dashi , Qiu Minrong , Gao Yi
Published: May 2022

In wireless body area network (WBAN), the WBAN sensors usually transmit encrypted data for the sake of security. But because of this, finding and getting the required data quickly becomes a challenge. Thus, many scholars have proposed searchable encryption (SE) schemes. Regrettably, many proposed SE schemes are not resistant to inside keyword guessing attack (IKGA), and most schemes are not suited for cross-domain communication in WBAN because they use single cryptosystem and the same cryptographic system parameters. To address the aforementioned issues, we put forward a new SE scheme for WBAN based on the public key cryptosystem in this paper. Our scheme allows WBAN sensors in certificateless public key cryptography (CLC) and receivers in public key infrastructure (PKI) environment use different cryptographic system parameters to realize cross-domain heterogeneous communication. At the same time, our scheme can effectively resist IKGA. Compared to the five existing schemes, the total computation cost of our scheme reduced by at least 59.99%.
A green one pot three component synthesis of tetrazole under microwave irradiation using Ni Schiff base complex of mixed ligands on MCM-41 as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: M Bharathi , S Indira , G Vinoth , C Denzil Britto , K Shanmuga Bharathi
Published: May 2022

Syntheses of 5-substituted tetrazole derivatives have been reported by one-pot three-component reaction of various aldehydes (aryl, aryl with fused ring, aryl with extended conjugation, heterocyclic and aliphatic), hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium azide in the presence of potent, reusable, low cost and thermally stable catalyst, Ni-complex MCM-41 under conventional heating / microwave irradiation. The prepared materials were characterized by FT-IR, PXRD analysis, N2 adsorption and desorption, EDX, SEM and TEM microscopy, ICP-OES and TGA. The effect of solvent, temperature, catalyst loading and time for the syntheses of tetrazoles were optimized. The efficiency of Ni-MCM-41 catalyst is compared and discussed against the literature reports. The catalyst can be successively recovered by simple filtration method and reused upto five times with excellent yields upto 94%. In general, microwave irradiation technique gave better yields when compared to conventional heating irrespective of the nature of the substrate and their substituents.
Long term survival and disease burden from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Singapore: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Ho Andrew Fu Wah , Lim Mervyn Jun Rui , Earnest Arul , Blewer Audrey , Graves Nicholas , Yeo Jun Wei , Pek Pin Pin , Ling Tiah , Ong Marcus Eng Hock , Investigators Singapore PAROS
Published: May 2022

Background: Understanding the long-term outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is important to understand the overall health burden of OHCA. Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) have recently been utilised to measure disease burden in OHCA, but data in Asia remains limited. We aimed to quantify long-term survival in OHCA and the annual disease burden of OHCA estimated using DALYs in a national multi-ethnic Asian cohort.Methods: We conducted an open cohort study through linking the Singapore Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS) and the Singapore Registry of Births and Deaths from 2010 to 2019. We quantified long-term survival using standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for each year of follow up and the annual disease burden using DALYs. Predictors of long-term survival were identified using Cox-proportional hazards models. Results: We included 802 cases in the analysis. The mean age was 56.0 (SD 17.8) and the majority was male (631 cases, 78,7%) and of Chinese ethnicity (552 cases, 68.8%). At one year, the SMR was 14.9 (95%CI: 12.5-17.8), and this decreased to 1.2 (95%CI: 0.7-1.8) at three years, and 0.4 (95%CI: 0.2-0.8) at five years. Age at arrest (HR:1.03, 95%CI: 1.02-1.04, p<0.001), shockable first arrest rhythm (HR:0.75, 95%CI: 0.52-0.93, p=0.015) and CPC category (HR:4.62, 95%CI: 3.17-6.75, p<0.001) were independently associated with mortality. The annual DALYs due to OHCA varied from 304.1 in 2010 to 849.7 in 2015, then to 547.1 in 2018. The mean DALY decreased from 12.162 in 2010 to 3.599 in 2018. Conclusions: OHCA survivors had an increased mortality rate compared to the general population for the first three years, which subsequently normalised to that of the general population. Annual disease burden of OHCA in DALY trended downwards from 2010 to 2018. Improved surveillance and OHCA treatment strategies may improve long-term survivorship and decrease the global burden of OHCA.
Gender-specific dimorphic association between bicarbonate and uric acid serum levels among healthy adults. Qatar Biobank data
Authors: Ibrahim Wisam Nabeel , Shi Zumin , Abdallah Atiyeh , Abu-Madi Marawan Abdelhamid
Published: May 2022

Background: Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. When present at a high level it may predispose individuals to multiple chronic diseases such as Gout, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and renal diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the gender-specific association between serum bicarbonate and uric acid levels among healthy Qataris using Qatar biobank data. Methodology: The study was carried out in the General healthy population using a retrospective cross-sectional design including the data of 2989 healthy Qatari adults (36.4 ± 11.1 years) from the Qatar biobank database. The analysis included the estimation of serum uric acid and bicarbonate serum levels alongside other serological markers. The study participants were divided into four quartiles based on the level of serum bicarbonate. Results: In men, low serum uric acid was significantly associated with the higher serum bicarbonate levels after adjustment for age. The association remained significant after further adjustment for BMI, smoking, and renal function. The restricted cubic spline method confirmed a significant dose-response association between the variation coefficients of uric acid by serum bicarbonate level in men with adjustments for age, BMI, smoking, and renal function. While in women, no significant association was found between quartiles of serum bicarbonate and uric acid level following the same adjustments. However, using the restricted cubic spline method, a significant bidirectional relation was demonstrated between serum bicarbonate and the variation coefficients of uric acid that was positive for serum bicarbonate levels below 25 mEq/L and negative at higher levels. Conclusion: Serum bicarbonate levels are linearly associated with reduced serum uric acid levels among healthy Qatari men. This might be one of the privileges in men to protect against the complications of hyperuricemia. However, this finding demand further investigations to outline the underlying mechanisms.
Intracameral air bubble tamponade in routine cataract surgery
Authors: Chen Yen-Ting , Chen Kuan-Jen , Yeh Lung-Kun , Tan Hsin-Yuan , Hsiao Ching-Hsi , Wu Wei-Chi , Chen Hung-Chi
Published: May 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency, safety, and postoperative outcomes of intracameral air bubble tamponade (IABT) following phacoemulsification cataract surgery.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients receiving phacoemulsification from 2016 to 2017 performed by one ophthalmic surgeon HCC. Incisions were closed with either non-IABT or IABT. In IABT group, air bubble was injected into the anterior chamber until its size reached 80% of the corneal diameter. Operation time, visual acuity (VA), and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated pre- and post- operatively. Patients with intraoperative complications or with ocular diseases that may affect VA or IOP were excluded. Results: A total of 434 eyes of 331 patients were enrolled, with 201 cases in the IABT group and 233 cases in the non-IABT group. The operation time was significantly shorter in the IABT group (1365 vs. 1514 seconds, P= .005). There was no significant difference in logMAR VA (P=0.639) and IOP (P=0.860) between two groups in preoperative, postoperative 3 days, 10 days, 1 month, and 3 months. In 168 cases that had complete data of pre- and post-operative specular microscope examination, secondary analysis showed no significant difference in pre- and post-operative endothelial cell density, coefficient of variance, and hexagonal cells between both groups. Conclusion: IABT is a safe and effective method for sealing clear corneal incision in phacoemulsification cataract surgery.
Effects of nursing support workers participation on negative emotions, quality of life and life satisfaction of patients with cerebral hemorrhage:A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Luo Qinglian , Luan Xingzhao , Xia Chenglin , Hou Liming , Wang Qisheng , Zhao Mingkuan , Tang Hua , Zheng Haowen , He Haiping , Xiang Wei , Wang Jianmei , Zhou Jie
Published: May 2022

Background: Due to the high nursing pressure of patients with Cerebral hemorrhage and the general shortage of clinical nurses, nursing support workers often participate in clinical nursing work, but the influence of nursing support workers' participation on the negative emotion, quality of life and life satisfaction of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage is unknown. Methods: A total of 107 ICH patients admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to March 2022 were enrolled, including 60 patients receiving conventional care (CG control group) and 47 patients receiving nursing support worker participation (RG research group). All patients were recorded with self-perceived Burden Scale (SPBS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Quality of Life Scale (SF-36), Somatic Self rating Scale (SSS), Patient self-care ability assessment scale（Barthel）and Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) scores. Results: Patients with high negative emotion were more willing to participate in clinical nursing work (P<0.05). Nursing support workers involved in cerebral hemorrhage patients can alleviate negative emotions, improve life quality, improve nursing satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusion: The participation of nursing support workers can alleviate the negative emotions of ICH patients, enhance their self-management ability, and improve their life quality.
Construction of cohorts of similar patients from automatic extraction of medical concepts
Authors: Gérardin Christel , Mageau Arthur , Mékinian Arsène , Tannier Xavier , Carrat Fabrice
Published: May 2022

Objective: We aimed to provide an automated end-to-end extraction of cohorts of similar patients from electronic health records for systemic diseases. Materials and Methods: Our multistep algorithm includes a named-entity recognition step, a multilabel classification using Medical Subject Headings ontology and the computation of patient similarity. A selection of cohorts of similar patients on a priori annotated phenotypes was performed. Six phenotypes were selected for their clinical significance: P1-osteoporosis, P2-nephritis in systemic erythematosus lupus, P3-interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis, P4-lung infection, P5-obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome, and P6-Takayasu stroke. We used a training set of 151 clinical notes and an independent validation set of 256 clinical notes, with annotated phenotypes, both extracted from the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris data warehouse. We evaluated the precision of the 3 patients closest to the index patient for each phenotype with the precision-at-3, and the recall and average precision. Results: For P1-P4, the precision-at-3 ranged from 0.85 to 0.99, the recall ranged from 0.53 to 0.83, and the average precision ranged from 0.58 to 0.88, respectively. P5-P6 phenotypes could not be analysed due to a limited number of phenotypes. Conclusion: Using a method close to clinical reasoning, we built a scalable and interpretable end-to-end algorithm to extract cohorts of similar patients.
Applied nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 strut in anterior reconstructive surgery for lumbar spinal tuberculosis： a comparison with autogenous iliac bone graft.
Authors: Ye Jiekai , Fei Jun , Zhang Peng , Hu Shengping , Zhang Chenwei
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 strut （n-HA/PA66 group） with autogenous iliac bone grafts（AIBG group） in anterior reconstructive surgery for lumbar spinal tuberculosis（LSTB）. A total of 67 patients with LSTB who underwent one-stage combined anterior-posterior surgery using an n-HA/PA66 strut or an autogenous iliac bone graft were studied retrospectively at a mean follow-up of 33.8±7.0 months. The Data about erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, American Spinal Injury Association（ASIA ）grade, and Cobb's angle were recorded and compared between the two groups before surgery, three months after surgery and at the last follow-up. At the last follow-up, both groups achieved satisfactory bony fusion without recurrence of tuberculosis, while ESR, CRP, VAS, ASIA grade, and Cobb angle were significantly improved at the last follow-up compared to the preoperative. The n-HA/PA66 group was superior in operation time(P < 0.05), intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.05), VAS at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.05), and surgical complications as compared with the AIBG group. But the bone fusion time of the n-HA/PA66 group (8.4±1.3 months) was slightly longer than the TMC group (7.5±1.6 months)( P < 0.05). The nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 strut can achieve good clinical efficacy comparable to autologous iliac bone grafts when treating tuberculosis of the lumbar spine. The less traumatic， lower incidence of complications， and similar excellent bony fusion indicated it could serve as a superior material in the anterior reconstructive surgery for lumbar spinal tuberculosis.
Application of Factorial and Binomial identities in Cybersecurity and Communications
Authors: Annamalai Chinnaraji
Published: May 2022

This paper focuses on the application of factorial and binomial identities in computing, communication, and cybersecurity in connection with the symmetric and asymmetric encryptions. We can use the binomial identities and theorem in factorials as an effective security algorithm to protect the computing systems, programs, and networks. In this connection, binomial expansions which are equal to multiples of 2 with non-negative exponents, and its relations are given in this article. MSC Classification codes: 05A10, 40A05 (65B10)
Research on the quality, mineralogical and structural conditions of silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) phases in iron ore sinter
Authors: Bölükbaşı Ömer Saltuk
Published: May 2022

Silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA), a significant equilibrium crystalline phase in the Fe2O3-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 ternary structure, is an effective bonding form in the sintering process of fine iron ore. The current study investigates the effects of using pellet dust instead of iron ore in sinter blend in SFCA phases. Investigation of the internal structure of the sinter is critical in terms of its physical and metallurgical properties. In this study, the sinter pot experimental conditions were simulated to the actual sinter mill situation. The chemical structure of SFCA compounds was defined as both SFCA and SFCA-I phases in the SiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 and Si-Ca-Fe ternary-phase system. The comparison of the sinter samples with each other revealed that the sinter mixture with a pellet dust fraction of 13.53% in the Sin-3 probably achieved the best similarity in reaction rate and formed the larger ratios in SFCA and SFCA-I. In addition, this research optimized the chemical composition in the sintering process (especially CaO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2, etc.), investigated the correlation between the SFCA phases (SFCA and SFCA-I), and controlled the main parameters that affect on the sintering process and its functioning.
Protein signature of human white blood cells enables biochemical tracking of rare neurological diseases
Authors: Hentschel Andreas , Rademacher Nina , Schara-Schmidt Ulrike , Meyer Nancy , Sickmann Albert , Güttsches Anne-Katrin , Vorgerd Matthias , Schorling David , Roos Andreas
Published: May 2022

Background: The identification of pathomechanisms leading or contributing to the clinical manifestation of rare neurological diseases such as neuromuscular diseases (NMD) is crucial. The study of the molecular basis of these diseases is also important for the definition of starting points for (new) therapeutic intervention concepts as well as for testing of pathogenicity of genetic variants identified by sequencing approaches. However, these studies are frequently limited by the availability of human biomaterial. Methods: Human white blood cells were used to generate a spectral library using pH8-fractionation followed by nano liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. To demonstrate the suitability of this approach, we next subjected proteins isolated from white blood cells derived from two CHKB patients to a data independent acquisition approach. Paradigmatic proteomic findings were confirmed by immunofluorescence in a muscle biopsy derived from one of these patients.Results: To investigate if human white blood cells might serve as valuable biomaterial for (molecular) studies of NMD, we generated a protein library cataloguing 7543 proteins covering 52.2 % of proteins for which mutations in corresponding genes are known to be causative for NMDs. Based on these findings, we aimed to further demonstrate the suitability of this in vitro model to study the etiopathology of a rare NMD caused by bi-allelic variants within CHKB. Dysregulation of paradigmatic proteins could be confirmed in the quadriceps muscle biopsy of one of these patients and protein-functions provided new insights into the underlying pathophysiology indicating affection of subcellular structures (functionally) connected to mitochondria such as the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) and cytoskeleton. Moreover, altered protein clearance is indicated by our combined proteomic and immunofluorescence findings.Conclusions: Our combined data reveal that human white blood cells may serve as an in vitro system to study the molecular etiology of rare neurological diseases exemplified on a rare mitochondrial NMD based on pathogenic variants affecting CHKB in an unbiased fashion.
Association Between Muscle Mass Quantity and Quality and Muscle Strength in Adults with Obesity
Authors: Streb¹ Anne Ribeiro , Benedet¹ Jucemar , Rosa¹ Fernanda , Barcelos¹ Guilherme Tadeu , Gerage¹ Aline Mendes , Duca¹ Giovani Firpo Del
Published: May 2022

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to verify the association between muscle quantity and quality and muscle strength in obese adults.Methods: Lean mass (LM) and intracellular water (ICW) were obtained using bioelectrical impedance. Muscle quantity was expressed in kg for LM, while muscle quality was determined by ICW and the ratio of ICW/LM. Maximum strength was measured by the one-repetition maximum test (1RM) in bench press and leg press exercises at 45º. The score for total strength (Z-score) was given by the average of scores for each test. The statistical analysis included Spearman's correlation, whose results were expressed as correlation coefficients (r); crude and adjusted linear regression, expressed as adjusted coefficients of determination (R2); Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC); and Akaike Information Criteria (AIC). Results: Sixty-nine adults of both sexes with a mean age of 34 (± 7.1) years participated in the study. A strong positive correlation was found between the amount of LM and muscle strength (r = 0.83; p < 0.001). There was also a positive correlation between ICW and the ratio of ICW/LM, indicators of muscle quality, and muscle strength, resulting in strong (r = 0.83 p < 0.001) and moderate (r = 0.40 p < 0.001) magnitudes, respectively. Additionally, ICW had better predictive power for muscle strength (R2 adjusted = 0.98; AIC: 161.8483; BIC: 175.253).Conclusion: Muscle quantity and quality presented good predictive capacity for muscle strength. Assessing muscle quality can provide further clarification on how the muscle is able to produce strength in adults with obesity.
The effect of serum estrogen levels in early pregnancy on the rate of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy after frozen embryo transfer: a case control study
Authors: Hsieh Yun-Chiao , Kao Tzu-Ching , Yang Ih-Jane , Yang Po-Kai , Chao Kuang-Han , Chen Mei-Jou , Yang Jehn-Hsiahn , Chen Shee-Uan
Published: May 2022

BackgroundEstrogen (E2) is a key regulator of trophoblast invasion and remodeling of uterine decidual spiral arterioles during placentation. However, there is little research on the effects of E2 in early pregnancy on placentation and subsequent preeclampsia. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the rate of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and serum estrogen levels in early pregnancy following frozen embryo transfer (FET).MethodsThis retrospective study included all patients who conceived after FET with singleton delivery in the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2020. A total of 729 patients were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was the rate of HDP.ResultsSerum estrogen levels at the fourth and fifth gestational weeks were significantly different between women with and without HDP after FET (393.4 ± 235.7 vs 479.0 ± 261.2 pg/ml, p=0.007 and 492.0 ± 274.5 vs 563.9 ± 263.0 pg/ml, p=0.015, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations showed that each 100-pg/mL increase in estrogen levels increased the risk of HDP by 12% (p = 0.006) after adjustment for confounders. In a subanalysis stratified using FET protocol type (natural cycle, n = 225; hormone replacement cycle, n = 504), an increased rate of HDP (P-trend = 0.021 and 0.014, respectively) was observed with increasing estrogen level quartile at the fourth and fifth gestational weeks in the hormone replacement cycles, but not in the natural cycles.ConclusionsHigher estrogen levels in early pregnancy were associated with a higher rate of HDP. For better obstetric outcomes, we may alter the estradiol supplementation in FET hormone replacement cycles or choose FET natural cycles. Our results indicate a link between estrogen levels in early pregnancy and the rate of HDP. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanism.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered
Development of environmental contamination in a new hospital setting
Authors: Arkel Andreas L.E. van , Willemsen Ina , Weterings Esther , Kievits Heidi , Kluytmans Jan
Published: May 2022

Background
ATP measurement is frequently used to determine surface contamination in hospitals. Development of surface contamination in a new hospital building after entry into service is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the development of surface contamination in a new hospital setting.
Methods
Repeated ATP measurements were performed on 10 pre-defined fomites in eight patient rooms on two separate wards. Six rounds of ATP measurements with increasing time intervals were performed; another three rounds were performed directly after cleaning. Development of surface contamination over time was assessed. The lowest achievable RLU values were assessed by performing ATP measurements directly after cleaning.
Results
In total 580 ATP measurements were conducted. The first six rounds consisted of 480 ATP measurements. The three rounds after cleaning consisted of 100 ATP measurements. The median RLU value per round in chronological order was: 100, 396, 670, 273, 733, 351. The median RLU value per round after cleaning in chronological order was 226, 412, 226. Significant differences in median RLU values before and after opening of the new hospital were found and median RLU values directly after cleaning were significantly lower than in routine use.
Conclusions
Before commissioning of the new hospital, low surface contamination is found based on RLU values. An equilibrium in surface contamination is quickly achieved with substantial fluctuations in cleanliness between rounds of measurements.
First data on the ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, and lice) of the stone marten, Martes foina (Erxleben) in Turkey
Authors: KESKİN Adem , DİK Bilal
Published: May 2022

Turkey is a natural land bridge connecting Europe and Asia, and has a rich terrestrial mammalian fauna, with more than 150 species within the seven orders. However, there is limited information on ectoparasites of wild animals, especially carnivores, in Turkey. In the present study, we provide the first data of ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, and lice) of stone marten, Martes foina (Erxleben) (Mammalia: Carnivora) in Turkey. A total of 38 ectoparasite specimens, three flea species [Monopsyllus sciurorum sciurorum (Schrank) (1 male), Pulex irritans L. (1 female), Chaetopsylla rothschildi Kohaut (3 males, 8 females)], two tick species [Haemaphysalis erinacei Pavesi (18 males, 4 females), Ixodes redikorzevi Olenev (1 female)], and a louse species [Stachiella retusa (Burmeister) (1 male and 1 nymph)], were collected from two road-killed stone marten in two different localities in Tokat province of Turkey. Martes foina is a new host record for all ectoparasite species detected in this study for Turkey. In addition, the presence of Stachiella retusa was reported in Turkey for the first time.
A multicenter study on surgical procedure selection and risk factor analysis of postoperative complications after TIP and Duckett hypospadias repair
Authors: Fang YiWei , Sun Ning , Song HongCheng , Zhang WeiPing , Tang YunMan , Huang LuGang , Yang Yi , Chao Min , Ma Hong , Zhang JingTi , Zhang XuHui , Li ShouLin , Li Ning , Chen Chao , He DaWei , Wu WenBo , Xie Hua , Guan Yong
Published: May 2022

Background: Hypospadias is a common congenital malformation in pediatric urology with surgery being the only curative treatment. Although there are hundreds of surgical methods for hypospadias, no single method can treat all types, and there are still high rates of postoperative complications. We performed this study to investigate surgical procedure selection and perform risk factor analysis of postoperative complications in hypospadias repair.Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed of complete clinical and follow-up data of children with hypospadias who were treated and followed up at 15 children's clinical centers in Mainland China from December 2018 to December 2019. Children were divided into groups according to Barcat classification and surgical methods in order to analyze the surgical choice for different types of hypospadias and the influencing factors of different surgical methods for complications.Results: In total, 1011 patients were followed up for 26 months. According to Barcat classification, there were 248 cases of distal type hypospadias, 215 of intermediate, and 549 of proximal type. Duckett and tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty were performed in 375 (37.1%) and 336 cases (33.2%), respectively. The postoperative complication rate of distal hypospadias was 23.4% (15.8%-57.1%), mid shaft 29.0% (22.7%-40.0%), and proximal 43.7% (30.2%-52.9%). Among the 375 patients in Duckett group, 192 had complications. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the length of skin island flap (OR=3.506, 95% CI:2.258-5.442) was an independent risk factor for complications after Duckett operation (P<0.001). In TIP group, there were 336 cases with 84 complications. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the width of urethral plate after longitudinal resection (OR=0.836, 95% CI:0.742-0.942) and glans width (OR=0.851, 95% CI: 0.749-0.965) were independent risk factors for postoperative complications after TIP (P=0.003, P=0.012).Conclusion: The width of the urethral plate and glans width were risk factors for postoperative complications after TIP. The length of skin island flap was a risk factor for complications after Duckett operation. For proximal hypospadias, when the flatness and elasticity of the urethral plate are poor or when the penis is severely curved, TIP operation should be used with caution, and transverse urethral plate operation or staged operation should be selected.
Effect of diabetic retinopathy on corneal endothelial parameters: An analytical cross- sectional study
Authors: Mortazavi Seyed-Ali-Akbar , Akhlaghi Mohammadreza , Dehghani Alireza , Pourazizi Mohsen , Malekahmadi Mohammad , Fazel Mohammadreza , Tavakoli Mehran
Published: May 2022

Background: To investigate the possible effect of different types of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on corneal endothelium cells in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, corneal endothelium parameters including endothelial cell density (ECD), average cell size (AVG), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), and hexagonality (Hex) were evaluated by non-contact specular microscopy.Results: One hundred and thirty-four eyes of 134 diabetic patients including 77 females (57.5%) with a mean age of 61.03 ± 8.08 years were enrolled. The overall corneal parameters in diabetic patients with and without retinopathy were not significantly different (P>0.05). There is a significant relationship between CV and the duration of the disease with age variable control (B= 0.369, p-value <0.001)Conclusions: In type-2 DM patients without and with DR, corneal endothelial parameters were not a statistically significant difference. There is a significant relationship between CV and the duration of the disease with age variable control.
Fitness Dependent Optimizer for IoT Healthcare using Adapted Parameters: A Case Study Implementation
Authors: Aladdin Aso M. , Abdullah Jaza M. , Salih Kazhan Othman Mohammed , Rashid Tarik A. , Sagban Rafid , Alsaddon Abeer , Bacanin Nebojsa , Chhabra Amit , Vimal S. , Banerjee Indradip
Published: May 2022

This discusses a case study on Fitness Dependent Optimizer or so-called FDO and adapting its parameters to the Internet of Things (IoT) healthcare. The reproductive way is sparked by the bee swarm and the collaborative decision-making of FDO. As opposed to the honey bee or artificial bee colony algorithms, this algorithm has no connection to them. In FDO, the search agent's position is updated using speed or velocity, but it's done differently. It creates weights based on the fitness function value of the problem, which assists lead the agents through the exploration and exploitation processes. Other algorithms are evaluated and compared to FDO as Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in the original work. The key current algorithms—The Salp-Swarm Algorithms (SSA), Dragonfly Algorithm (DA), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) have been evaluated against FDO in terms of their results. Using these FDO experimental findings, we may conclude that FDO outperforms the other techniques stated. There are two primary goals for this chapter: first, the implementation of FDO will be shown step-by-step so that readers can better comprehend the algorithm method and apply FDO to solve real-world applications quickly. The second issue deals with how to tweak the FDO settings to make the meta-heuristic evolutionary algorithm better in the IoT health service system at evaluating big quantities of information. Ultimately, The target of this chapter's enhancement is to adapt the IoT healthcare framework based on FDO to spawn effective IoT healthcare applications for reasoning out real-world optimization, aggregation, prediction, segmentation, and other technological problems.
In-Vitro results of EG-Covimab-H (Lab cultivated Human polyclonal antibodies) for neutralizing SARSCoV-2 Virus & safety on tissues.
Authors: Mohammed Alaa Abdelkarim , C Prof. Datuk Sri Mike
Published: May 2022

The debate between the active immunisation versus the passive immunisation has been the subject of discussion since the start of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The second debate was monoclonal antibodies versus the polyclonal antibodies in the passive vaccination, which one is more potent and safer for the patients. Which one is more valuable for the industry and the patient in the same time. This research adopted the polyclonal antibodies with new technique in production to cope with the industry needs and at the same time to achieve the best results for the patients. EG-Covimab-H, is a polyclonal antibodies derived from cultivating Switched memory B-Lymphocytes from convalescent patient (2-6 weeks after testing negative and recovering from moderate to severe infection). The isolated B Lymphocytes are cultivated in special media and antibodies were harvested and used in this research. The research focus on testing the tissue toxicity and ability of EG-Covimab-H in neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 Virus that infected the tissue culture. Tissue culture was done on VERO-6 Cells. EG-Covimab-H was tested for 120 hours on different dilutions (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, up to 1/2056). The result of the toxicity test showed 90-100% safety in the dilution of 1/8 and 1/16 respectively. Therefore, the efficacy test was done with the safe dilution and in the same dilution algorithm. The result came as effectiveness is 95%- 96% success in neutralizing the virus within 96 hours. The neutralization curve did not show any surge in the number of virus copies after applying the polyclonal antibodies and the decline in the number started to show within 48 hours.
Longitudinal predictors of informant-rated involvement of people with dementia in everyday decision-making
Authors: Sabatini Serena , Martyr Anthony , Gamble Laura D , Collins Rachel , Matthews Fiona E. , Morris Robin G. , Rusted Jennifer M. , Pentecost Claire , Quinn Catherine , Clare Linda
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAims We 1) described levels of informant-rated involvement of people with dementia in everyday decision-making; 2) explored whether functional, behavioral, and psychological factors related to the person with dementia and the caregiver explain variability in involvement of people with dementia in everyday decision-making at baseline; 3) estimated change in involvement in everyday decision-making over two years.Methods We used IDEAL cohort baseline, 12- and 24-months follow-up data for 1182 people with dementia and their caregivers. Measures were informant-rated everyday decision-making, informant-rated functional ability, informant-rated neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive capacity of the person with dementia, self-rated caregiver stress, and self-ratings of relationship quality by both person with dementia and caregiver. Linear regressions and latent growth curve models were used.Results Baseline mean score on the decision-making involvement scale was 31/45; it minimally declined over time. People with dementia who were female, single, and/or whose caregiver was younger had greater involvement in everyday decision-making than those without these characteristics. Better cognitive capacity, fewer functional difficulties, fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms, less caregiver stress, and better informant-rated relationship quality were associated with higher involvement in everyday decision-making. Self-rating of relationship quality by people with dementia was not associated with everyday decision-making.Conclusions As cognitive and functional limitations and neuropsychiatric symptoms increase, people with dementia are gradually less involved in everyday decisions. Cognitive and functional rehabilitation, together with educational resources, tailored towards dementia stage, that inform caregivers about strategies that facilitate involvement of the person with dementia in everyday decision-making, could prolong involvement in everyday decision-making.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae’de Karbon Tetraklorür (CCl4) ile Oluşturulan Oksidatif Hasara Karşı Karanfil (Syzygium aromaticum L.) Ekstraktının Koruyucu Etkilerinin Glutatyon, Malondialdehit ve Total Protein Düzeyleri ile Araştırılması
Authors: BEYAZ Seda
Published: May 2022

Bitkisel ilaçların sağlık alanında kullanımları oldukça önemli yere sahiptir. Biyoaktif bileşenler bakımından zengin bir tür olan karanfil bitkisinin (Syzygium aromaticum L.) antihipertansif, antiaterojenik, antiinflamatuar, antifungal, antiviral, antimikrobiyal gibi birçok özellikleri bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae)’de karbon tetraklorür (CCl4)’ün neden olduğu oksidatif hasara karşı karanfil bitki ekstraktının (Syzygium aromaticum L.) antiinflamatuar ve antioksidan aktiviteleri araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada 4 grup oluşturulmuştur. Çalışma grupları: (i) Kontrol Grubu: Sadece maya ekilen grup; (ii) CCl4 Grubu: CCl4 (10 mM) verilen grup; (iii) Karanfil Grubu: Karanfil ekstraktı (% 10) verilen grup; (iv) Karanfil + CCl4 Grubu: Karanfil ekstraktı (% 10) + CCl4 (10 mM) verilen grup. S. cerevisiae kültürleri 1, 3, 5 ve 24 saat boyunca 30 °C'de geliştirildi. Antioksidan aktiviteleri glutatyon (GSH) analizi ile gerçekleştirilirken lipit peroksidasyonu ise malondialdehit (MDA) analizi ile spektrofotometrede ölçümleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. S. cerevisiae kültürlerinin 1, 3, 5 ve 24 saat dilimlerindeki hücre gelişimleri spektrofotometre ile ölçülmüştür. Total protein yoğunlukları SDS-PAGE elektroforezi ve Bradford yöntemi ile belirlendi. Sonuçlara göre; CCl4 grubu ile kıyaslandığında GSH seviyeleri (24 saat), hücre gelişimi (1, 3, 5 ve 24 saat) ve total protein sentezi karanfil gruplarında artarken, MDA seviyeleri (24 saat) ise azalış göstermiştir. Karanfil bitkisinin güçlü biyoaktif kimyasal bileşenleri sayesinde S. cerevisiae kültüründe CCl4 kaynaklı oksidatif stresi azaltarak hücre büyümesini ve total protein sentezini teşvik edici etkiye sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Karanfil ekstraktı oksidatif stresle ilişkili hastalıkların tedavisinde bir potansiyel taşıyabilir ancak ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.