bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Geohelminths among Primary School Children in Edoh Community, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Authors: Wogu M. N. , Onosakponome E. O. , Harry U. A.
Published: September 2020

Background: Geohelminths are responsible for some Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) which have significant public health impacts in sub – Saharan Africa.

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of geohelminths among primary school children.

Study Design: A cross – sectional randomized study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Salvation Army Primary School, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study was conducted from June to December, 2018 (six months).

Materials and Methods: Stool samples were collected from each study participant, examined macroscopically (to detect the presence of blood, mucous, consistency and colour) and microscopically (to detect the presence of Geohelminths) using sedimentation concentration technique.

Results: An overall Geohelminths prevalence of 58.0% was recorded in this study and only four species of Geohelminths were identified with varying prevalence; Ascarislumbricoides 35.7%, Hookworm 26.6%, Trichuristrichiura 4.2% and Strongyloidesstercoralis 2.8% (P =.05). Age groups 12–14 years and 3–5 years had the highest and least prevalence of 70.0% and 55.6% respectively while males and females had prevalence of 62.7% and 52.9% respectively.

Conclusion: Geohelminths still have significant public health effects in Nigeria; prompt interventions such as accurate diagnosis, mass chemotherapy, periodic health education and improved living conditions will effectively reduce the menace of geohelminths.
Effect of Post Emergence Herbicides on Weed Management in Transplanted Kharif Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Their Residuality on Soil Microorganisms
Authors: Dey Ranjan Kumar , Sana Megha , Pal Subhajit , Mondal Ramyajit , Pal Sukanta
Published: September 2020

The field experiments were conducted at Regional Research Sub-Station (new alluvial zone) of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Chakdaha, Nadia, West Bengal during kharif of 2015 & 2016 to study different post emergence herbicides against weed management in transplanted kharif rice. Ten (10) treatments were used following Randomize Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Among four different chemical herbicides Almix 20 WP @ 4 g ha-1 applied at 15 DAT as EPOE( early post emergence) effectively controlled all categories of weeds (mostly sedges and broad leaves) resulted minimum weed population, biomass production and higher weed control efficiency (WCE) at 30 and 45 DAT which ultimately produced higher grain yield (3.23 t ha-1) compare to other treatments. In case of efficacy of phytotoxicity effects on experimental crop, toxicity effects on soil microflora and BC ratio, Almix 20 WP @ 4 g/ha reflects the satisfied result.
Sensory Evaluation of Ugali Prepared from Blends of Cereal Flours and High Quality Cassava Flour in Mwanza Region, Tanzania
Authors: Kitunda E. M. , Kasankala M. L. , Cyprian C. M. , Towo E. E. , Mushumbusi D. G. , Meghji P. W.
Published: September 2020

Objective: Ugali is an important meal in many parts of Eastern and Southern Africa and is typically prepared from a single staple food like maize, cassava, millet and sorghum or their composite. The objective of this study was to understand the perception of sensory parameters when varying ratios of maize (refined and unrefined) and sorghum flour when substituted with high quality cassava flour (HQCF) 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% in the preparation of ugali.

Methodology: The samples of ugali prepared were randomly subjected to panelists to evaluate sensory attributes preferred most by panelists. Thirty semi trained panelists who were females and males aged above 18 years participated and gave information on sensory signals. The panelists evaluated the samples independently and recorded the rating of the samples in the sensory evaluation questionnaire. The sensory parameters of ugali assessed were color, cookerbility, taste, texture, aroma and general acceptability using a five point hedonic scale.

Results: Ugali made from the blends of unrefined maize flour (Dona) and HQCF as well as sorghum flour and HQCF at the ratio of 20:80 and 20:80 respectively were highly acceptable by panelists (mean score < 3). Ugali made from refined maize flour (Sembe) blended with HQCF at ratio of 80:20 was also preferred by panelists (mean score < 3) as compared to ugali made from other ratios. The highly acceptability (mean score < 3) of the ugali was influenced by color, cookerbility, taste, texture, aroma. At these flour ratios the blends of flours resulted in increment of protein, fats and slightly decrease in starch content.

Conclusion: Blending HQCF and cereals (sorghum and maize) flours improved the organoleptic and nutritional properties of ugali.
Effect of Health Education on Malaria Control Practices among Mothers of Under-Five Children in a Rural Nigerian Community
Authors: J. Ilo Ijeoma , I. Uchenwoke Chigozie , H. Madukaife Chinwe , U. Umeh Anthony , I. Okolie Stella , E. Obasieke Patrick , O. Ehiemere Ijeoma
Published: September 2020

Background/Purpose: Malaria is an established health challenge and a major cause of mortality and morbidity among under-five children in Nigeria. This community-based study was designed to assess the effect of health education packages on the malaria control practices of mothers of under-five children in Ibeagwa Nike Enugu State.

Methods: The study utilized a quasi-experimental study design with a sample size of 124 mothers that attended the infant welfare clinic at the community health center and those that received treatment of minor childhood illnesses for six months. A multistage random sampling technique was used in choosing the required samples. The instrument for the collection of data was a self-adapted and validated questionnaire. Reliability was assessed and yielded a Cronbach’s correlation coefficient of 0.823. Data generated were summarized using simple descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages and analyzed using Fishers’ exact test and Chi-square.

Results: Findings of the study showed that: the practice of malaria control practices was very low below 40% before health education intervention; malaria control practices increased significantly above 40% after the health education intervention; hindrances to the practice of malaria control measures reduced after the health education intervention; there is poor awareness of environmental hygiene as a method of malaria control measure before health education.

Conclusion: Periodic health education on the importance of malaria control practices should be conducted in the community regularly, to promote control of malaria.
Tracheostomy Timing in Adult Patients with Head Injury at King Abdulaziz Medical City Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Cross Sectional- Retrospective Study)
Authors: Alenazi Farhan , Tambur Prachi Dilip , Mumenah Noora Nabeel , Alqahtani Haya Hendi , Alenazi Rawan Abdulrazaq , Almutiri Ruba Naif , Philip Winnie
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Tracheostomy is one of the most common procedures that done to critical patients such as head injury ones to improve their situation. It is done by creating an anterior stoma in the neck and inserting a short tube to maintain stoma open.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if there were benefits of early tracheostomy and the following components: ICU stay, hospital stay, ventilation- associated-pneumonia, weaning from Mechanical Ventilator, Glasgow Coma Scale, and decannulation.

Methods: This study was done retrospectively, and non-random sampling involved 56 head injury patients with a tracheostomy who were admitted to ICU in King Abdulaziz medical city (KAMC). Out of 56 head injury patients who underwent an early tracheostomy (≤12 days) were 25 patients and late tracheotomy (>12 days) were 31 patients. Using data collection form which contains demographic data, intubation duration, tracheostomy, decannulation, MV, Glasgow coma scale, VAP, ICU, and hospital stay.

Results: Total of 56 head injury patients with tracheostomy; their age ranges from 18-80 years with the mean 41.77years, height 168.95cm, and weighs 69.07kg. Head injury patient in this paper was classified according to the day that was done the procedure on after the injury occurred. Which result in 25 patients had early tracheostomy ≤12 days with a mean of (9.8 days) and median (10), whereas 31 patients had late tracheostomy >12 with mean of (17.677 days) and median (16).Patients with early tracheostomy showed significant (P-value <0.05) less length stay in ICU (22.68 days), MV duration (15.16 days), decannulation (27.80 days) compared with late trach ICU stay (33.10 days), MV duration (28.10 days), decannulation (47.03 days). VAP incidence among patients with a late trach was 12.90% and there were no VAP with an early trach. The median in early tracheostomy patients did not show any improvement in GCS (6 before trach,7 after trach) while in the late trach (7 before thrach,8 after trach). The hospital stays showed an insignificant p-value which means there were no differences between the early and late tracheostomy. 

Conclusion: Early tracheostomy for head injury patients associated with less MV time, less VAP, shorter ICU stay, and faster decannulation. However, there was no significant effect on hospital stays period and no improvements on GCS.
Dating Violence Experienced by Students at the University of Zambia
Authors: Chinyama Dora , Thankian Kusanthan , Menon Gaurav B. , Mwaba Sidney O. C. , Menon J. Anitha
Published: September 2020

Dating violence is a complex problem determined by multiple factors. Poverty, cultural and social environmental factors are a major contributor to the gender based violence. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of dating violence experienced by students at the University of Zambia. Eighteen students (nine males and nine females) aged fifteen to thirty years were recruited from the University of Zambia hostels. In-depth interviews with semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. This study has found that various forms of dating violence exists at the University of Zambia. The study further found risk factors that were associated with dating violence such as consumption of alcohol and/or use of entertaining substances, as well as being involved in aggressive activities such as fighting or insulting; other factors included; poverty, experiencing of inter-parental violence and prior experience with violence. The psychological and emotional implications were that some students became depressed and stressed, insecure, ideated suicide, feared sex, distrusted people and were worried and uneasy. Under physiological and health outcomes, some students contracted STDs and HIV, body injuries, became pregnant, and others lost or terminated their pregnancy. Furthermore, social implications were that some students became aggressive, went into self-isolation, and began living recklessly. Physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse and psychological or emotional abuse where the most common types of dating abuse found at the University of Zambia. Conclusively, In addition to awareness against gender based violence, youth friendly corners should be considered during the treatment of gender based violence in universities.
Regulation of Lamellar Structure of Vanadium Oxide via Polyaniline Intercalation for High‐Performance Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Battery
Authors: Chen Song , Li Kang , Hui Kwan San , Zhang Jintao
Published: September 2020

According to the intercalation mechanism, an ordered modulation of channel structures of metal oxides is crucial to reversibly accumulate large zinc ions with high surface charge density for improving zinc‐ion battery performance. However, the irreversible structure‐transition commonly results in serious performance decay. Herein, polyanilines are in situ intercalated into the layered vanadium oxide in order to enlarge the lamellar spacing for enhancing the battery performance. With enlarged lattice spacing, the polyaniline intercalated vanadium oxide (PIVO) coupled with a Zn electrode exhibit a large specific capacity of 372 mAh g−1 and good cycling stability. More importantly, in situ characterization results reveal that PIVO allows the accumulation of additional zinc ions without obvious phase transformation and the conjugated polymeric chains enable the structure flexibility in the confined layer space to relieve the intercalation stress for improving cycling stability. Additionally, findings from the in situ infrared spectroscopy measurements elucidate the charge storage mechanism of the battery. Reversible doping processes of polyaniline molecules in vanadium oxide allow the involvement of multiple ions in the charge storage process, improving battery performance. Uncovering the origin of improved charge storage mechanisms is of importance in rationally designing advanced materials with unique organic–inorganic features for high‐performance zinc‐ion batteries.
Potential Applications of Advanced Nano/Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Static, Dynamic, Multi‐Stage, and Bioinspired
Authors: Ayoubi‐Joshaghani Mohammad Hosein , Seidi Khaled , Azizi Mehdi , Jaymand Mehdi , Javaheri Tahereh , Jahanban‐Esfahlan Rana , Hamblin Michael R.
Published: September 2020

Novel advanced hydrogels can provide a versatile platform for controlled delivery and release of various cargos, with a myriad of biomedical applications. These gel‐based nanostructures possess good biocompatibility, biodegradability, flexibility, multifunctionality, can respond to internal or external stimuli, and can adapt to their surrounding environment. This new generation of hydrogels is not only capable of serving as targeted drug delivery vehicles, but they can also perform a variety of tasks within living cells and organisms. In this review, advanced hydrogels are classified as static, dynamic, multi‐stage, or bioinspired. They can be used as cell‐free gene expression platforms for gene therapy. Administration of nanogel‐based sprays can act as an immunovaccine priming macrophages toward the M1 phenotype to avoid cancer recurrence following surgery. Nanogels can also serve as a dual biosensing and capture platform for liquid biopsies, and can recognize and remove circulating cancer cells from the blood of cancer patients.
Silicon Carbide Stacking‐Order‐Induced Doping Variation in Epitaxial Graphene
Authors: Momeni Pakdehi Davood , Schädlich Philip , Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhung , Zakharov Alexei A. , Wundrack Stefan , Najafidehaghani Emad , Speck Florian , Pierz Klaus , Seyller Thomas , Tegenkamp Christoph , Schumacher Hans Werner
Published: September 2020

Generally, it is supposed that the Fermi level in epitaxial graphene is controlled by two effects: p‐type polarization doping induced by the bulk of the hexagonal silicon carbide (SiC)(0001) substrate and overcompensation by donor‐like states related to the buffer layer. The presented work is evidence that this effect is also related to the specific underlying SiC terrace. Here a periodic sequence of non‐identical SiC terraces is fabricated, which are unambiguously attributed to specific SiC surface terminations. A clear correlation between the SiC termination and the electronic graphene properties is experimentally observed and confirmed by various complementary surface‐sensitive methods. This correlation is attributed to a proximity effect of the SiC termination‐dependent polarization doping on the overlying graphene layer. These findings open a new approach for a nano‐scale doping‐engineering by the self‐patterning of epitaxial graphene and other 2D layers on dielectric polar substrates.
Intracellular Self‐Assembly of Peptide Conjugates for Tumor Imaging and Therapy
Authors: Deng Yu , Zhan Wenjun , Liang Gaolin
Published: September 2020

Intracellular self‐assembly (ISA) is a versatile and powerful strategy for in situ constructing sophisticated and functional supramolecular nanostructures, which has been widely applied in biomedicine and biomedical engineering. Among the common building blocks for ISA, peptides have attracted increasingly attention due to their intrinsic bioactivity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Particularly, by conjugating functional motifs (e.g., probes or drugs) to peptides to yield the peptide conjugates, the latter show enhanced stability and efficiency, and probably new functions. In recent years, employing ISA of peptide conjugates for tumor imaging and treatment has achieved great progresses. Therefore, the recent progress of ISA of peptide conjugates is summarized in this progress report. Moreover, several examples of ISA of peptide conjugates for other important imaging or therapeutic applications are also introduced. Finally, a brief perspective on remaining challenges and potential directions for future research in this area is presented.
Flexible Monolayer Molecular Crystal‐Field Effect Transistors for Ultrasensitive and Selective Detection of Dimethoate
Authors: Qiu Fei , Liu Jie , Zhang Hantang , Li Haiyang , Liu Jianghong , Shi Xiaosong , Li Chunlei , Shi Yanjun , Hu Yuanyuan , Guo Yunlong , Gao Xike , Ai Shiyun , Jiang Lang
Published: September 2020

Monolayer molecular crystals (MMC) of NDI3HU‐DTYM2 are grown on flexible substrates for constructing organic field effect transistors (OFET) as sensors to detect dimethoate. Benefitting from the ultra‐thin thickness of monolayer and highly crystalline nature, the MMC‐OFET based dimethoate sensors exhibit an ultrahigh detection limit of 0.60 ppb. The devices also show excellent conformal ability on various curved surfaces with negligible performance degradation. This work offers a promising flexible candidate for the fast and efficient detection of organophosphorus pesticides.
Risk management of teratogenic medicines: A systematic review
Authors: Shroukh Wejdan A. , Steinke Douglas T. , Willis Sarah C.
Published: September 2020

Aim

To systematically identify studies of implementing risk management measures when prescribing teratogenic medicines for women of childbearing age and studies reporting risk perceptions of teratogenic medications.

Methods

MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched. Studies were included in the risk management section if they reported any of the following risk management measures: teratogenic counseling, contraceptive counseling, pregnancy testing before starting treatment, pregnancy testing during treatment, use of contraception before starting treatment, and use of contraception during treatment. Studies were included in the perceptions section if they reported perceived teratogenic risk as numerical value.

Results

Fifty‐five studies were included in the risk management section and seven studies were included in the perceptions sections. Prevalence of risk management measures varied as follows: teratogenic counseling (9.5%–99.3%), contraceptive counseling (6.1%–98%), pregnancy testing before starting treatment (0%–95.1%), pregnancy testing during treatment (12.7%–100%), contraception use before starting treatment (15.7%–94%), and contraception use during treatment (1.7%–100%). A proper estimation of the teratogenic risk was reported for thalidomide (by general practitioners and obstetric/gynecologists), for etretinate (by pregnant women), and for misoprostol (by pregnant and nonpregnant women). An under‐estimation was reported for warfarin and retinoids (by general practitioners and obstetric/gynecologists). And over‐estimation was reported for thalidomide, valproate, lithium, isotretinoin, phenytoin, warfarin and etretinate by different populations.

Conclusion

Considerable variation in the implementation of risk management measures when prescribing teratogenic medicines to women of childbearing age is reported in the literature. A common tendency to over‐estimate the risk of teratogenic medications was evident.
RGB‐D salient object detection via deep fusion of semantics and details
Authors: Zhao Shimin , Chen Miaomiao , Wang Pengjie , Cao Ying , Zhang Pingping , Yang Xin
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we address RGB‐D salient object detection task by jointly leveraging semantics and contour details of salient objects. We propose a novel semantics‐and‐details complementary fusion network to adaptively integrate cross‐model and multilevel features. Specifically, we employ two kinds of fusion modules in our model, which are designed for fusing high‐level semantic features and integrating contour detail features of the scene components, respectively. The semantics fusion module aggregates high‐level interdependent semantic relationships by a nonlinear weighted summation of small and medium receptive fields. Meanwhile, the details module integrates multi‐level contour detail features to leverage expressive details of salient objects. We achieve new state‐of‐the‐art salient object detection results on seven RGB‐D datasets, that is, STERE, NJU2000, LFSD, NLPR, SSD, DES, and SIP2019 dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms eleven state‐of‐the‐art salient object detection methods.
Comparison of simple versus complex stenting in patients with true distal left main bifurcation lesions
Authors: Lee Cheol Hyun , Ahn Jung‐Min , Kang Do‐Yoon , Han Minkyu , Park Hanbit , Lee Pil Hyung , Lee Seung‐Whan , Park Seong‐Wook , Park Duk‐Woo , Park Seung‐Jung
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Distal left main (LM) bifurcation disease is one of the most challenging lesion subsets for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optimal stenting strategy for such complex lesions is still debated. This study aimed to compare clinical outcomes following single versus dual stenting for true distal LM bifurcation lesions.

Methods

Patients with true distal LM bifurcation lesions (type 1,1,1 or 0,1,1: both left anterior descending and circumflex artery >2.5 mm diameter) receiving PCI with drug‐eluting stents (DES) from two large clinical registries were evaluated. The primary outcome was target‐lesion failure (TLF), defined as a composite of cardiac death, target‐vessel myocardial infarction (MI), or target‐lesion revascularization (TLR). Outcomes were compared with the use of propensity scores and inverse probability‐weighting adjustment to reduce treatment selection bias.

Results

Among 1,002 patients undergoing true distal LM PCI, 440 (43.9%) and 562 (56.1%) were treated with single and dual stents, respectively. The TLF rates at 3 year was 20.3% in the single‐stent group and 24.1% in the dual‐stenting group (log‐rank p = 0.18). The adjusted risk for TLF did not differ significantly between two groups (hazard ratio [HR] with dual‐stent vs. single‐stent: 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95–1.71). The adjusted risks for death, MI, repeat revascularization, or stent thrombosis were also similar between the single‐ and dual‐stenting groups.

Conclusions

In patients undergoing PCI for true distal LM disease, single‐ and dual‐stent strategies showed a similar adjusted risk of TLF at 3 years. Our findings should be confirmed or refuted through large, randomized clinical trials.
Palladium/Stannic Oxide Interfacial Chemistry Promotes Hydrogen Oxidation Reactions in Alkaline Medium
Authors: Ipadeola Adewale K. , Mwonga Patrick V. , Ray Sekar C. , Maphanga Rapela R. , Ozoemena Kenneth I.
Published: September 2020

A nanostructured Pd/SnO2 on metal‐organic‐framework‐derived carbon (Pd/SnO2/MOFDC) electrocatalyst and its monometallic catalyst (Pd/MOFDC) have been synthesized by microwave‐assisted strategies and investigated for the alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). Physical properties of the electrocatalysts are examined using X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory. This study reveals that the Pd/SnO2/MOFDC possesses superior alkaline HOR activities (in terms of kinetic current, heterogeneous rate constant, diffusivity, exchange current density, and the mass activity) compared to those of the Pd/MOFDC and that are comparable to commercial Pt/C. The improved alkaline HOR activity on Pd/SnO2/MOFDC is attributed to the facile interfacial electrochemical processes arising from the multifunctional properties of SnO2 with the thin Sn film: i) weakening of Pd‐Hads, confirmed by DFT simulation, and ii) oxophilic (thin Sn film) and spill‐over (SnO2) effects that quickly transfer OH− ions to the desorbed Hads for facile reaction in the Volmer rate‐determining step (RDS). Tafel slope (ba=52–102 mV dec−1) and activation energy (EA) values suggest the predominance of the Heyrovsky‐Volmer process. In addition to the improved HOR activity of Pd/SnO2/MOFDC, it also exhibits better stability than Pd/MOFDC. The good performance of Pd/SnO2/MOFDC toward the alkaline HOR promises potential development of low‐cost anode materials for alkaline membrane fuel cells.
Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Morphine and Morphine‐3‐Glucuronide in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Sjöstedt Noora , Neuhoff Sibylle , Brouwer Kim L.R.
Published: September 2020

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is increasing in prevalence. NASH‐related alterations in hepatic protein expression (e.g., transporters) and in overall physiology may affect drug exposure by altering drug disposition and elimination. The aim of this study was to build a physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to predict drug exposure in NASH by incorporating NASH‐related changes in hepatic transporters. Morphine and morphine‐3‐glucuronide (M3G) were used as model compounds. A PBPK model of morphine with permeability‐limited hepatic disposition was extended to include M3G disposition and enterohepatic recycling (EHR). The model captured the area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC) of morphine and M3G after intravenous morphine administration within 0.82‐fold and 1.94‐fold of observed values from 3 independent clinical studies for healthy adult subjects (6, 10, and 14 individuals). When NASH‐related changes in multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 (MRP2) and MRP3 were incorporated into the model, the predicted M3G mean AUC in NASH was 1.34‐fold higher compared to healthy subjects, which is slightly lower than the observed value (1.63‐fold). Exploratory simulations on other physiological changes occurring in NASH (e.g., moderate decreases in glomerular filtration rate and portal vein blood flow) revealed that the effect of transporter changes was most prominent. Additionally, NASH‐related transporter changes resulted in decreased morphine EHR, which could be important for drugs with extensive EHR. This study is an important first step to predict drug disposition in complex diseases such as NASH using PBPK modeling.
Impact of the CYP2C19*17 Allele on Outcomes in Patients Receiving Genotype‐Guided Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Lee Craig R. , Thomas Cameron D. , Beitelshees Amber L. , Tuteja Sony , Empey Philip E. , Lee James C. , Limdi Nita A. , Duarte Julio D. , Skaar Todd C. , Chen Yiqing , Cook Kelsey J. , Coons James C. , Dillon Chrisly , Franchi Francesco , Giri Jay , Gong Yan , Kreutz Rolf P. , McDonough Caitrin W. , Stevenson James M. , Weck Karen E. , Angiolillo Dominick J. , Johnson Julie A. , Stouffer George A. , Cavallari Larisa H. ,   the IGNITE Network Pharmacogenetics Working Group
Published: September 2020

Genotyping for CYP2C19 no function alleles to guide antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves clinical outcomes. Although results for the increased function CYP2C19*17 allele are also reported, its clinical relevance in this setting remains unclear. A collaboration across nine sites examined antiplatelet therapy prescribing and clinical outcomes in 3,342 patients after implementation of CYP2C19‐guided antiplatelet therapy. Risk of major atherothrombotic and bleeding events over 12 months after PCI were compared across cytochrome P450 2C19 isozyme (CYP2C19) metabolizer phenotype and antiplatelet therapy groups by proportional hazards regression. Clopidogrel was prescribed to a similar proportion of CYP2C19 normal (84.5%), rapid (82.9%), and ultrarapid metabolizers (80.6%) (P = 0.360). Clopidogrel‐treated normal metabolizers (20.4 events/100 patient‐years; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75–1.33, P = 0.993) and clopidogrel‐treated rapid or ultrarapid metabolizers (19.1 events/100 patient‐years; adjusted HR 0.95, 95% CI, 0.69–1.30, P = 0.734) exhibited no difference in major atherothrombotic events compared with patients treated with prasugrel or ticagrelor (17.6 events/100 patient‐years). In contrast, clopidogrel‐treated intermediate and poor metabolizers exhibited significantly higher atherothrombotic event risk compared with prasugrel/ticagrelor‐treated patients (adjusted HR 1.56, 95% CI, 1.12–2.16, P = 0.008). When comparing clopidogrel‐treated rapid or ultrarapid metabolizers to normal metabolizers, no difference in atherothrombotic (adjusted HR 0.97, 95% CI, 0.73–1.29, P = 0.808) or bleeding events (adjusted HR 1.34, 95% CI, 0.83–2.17, P = 0.224) were observed. In a real‐world setting of genotype‐guided antiplatelet therapy, the CYP2C19*17 allele did not significantly impact post‐PCI prescribing decisions or clinical outcomes. These results suggest the CYP2C19 *1/*17 and *17/*17 genotypes have limited clinical utility to guide antiplatelet therapy after PCI.
Effect of light wavelength on soybean growth and development in a context of speed breeding
Authors: Harrison Derrick , Da Silva Marcos , Wu Chengjun , De Oliveira Maria , Ravelombola Francia , Florez‐Palacios Liliana , Acuña Andrea , Mozzoni Leandro
Published: September 2020

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeding involves crossing and inbreeding for multiple generations to develop genetically stable lines. The long generation times cause early generations to be the major bottleneck in soybean breeding. Here we tested the effect of red and blue light (RB) and full‐spectrum white light (FS), coupled with 12‐h light (29 °C) vs. 12‐h darkness (27 °C) photothermal conditions, on the growth and development of soybean lines and breeding materials of diverse maturity groups (MGs) in a context of speed breeding. We observed that RB light vs. FS light reduced plant height but did not affect vegetative biomass, pods and seeds per plants, nor the ability to meet a minimum of one seed per plant. Overall, the RB treatment reduced the interval planting to physiological maturity by 1.5 d vs. the FS treatment. The period between planting and harvest of mid‐ and late‐maturity soybean ranged from 63 to 81 d, vs. ∼120 d observed in field conditions. Also, days after planting (DAP) to R7 was dependent on soybean MG. The use of RB light, coupled with photothermal conditions herein reported, would allow to advance up to five generations of U.S.‐adapted soybean under a controlled environment instead of the one to three generations currently possible. This methodology is simple and easily scalable, for it maintains stable growing conditions throughout the crop cycle and it allows for simultaneous planting and harvesting within the same growth room. This could have a significant impact in genetic gain of U.S. soybean breeding programs.
Joint energy efficient power and subchannel allocation for uplink MC‐NOMA networks
Authors: Rashid Bushra , Ahmad Ayaz , Saleem Sajid , Khan Aimal
Published: September 2020

Due to the exponential rise in the number of subscribers in existing wireless networks, energy‐efficient distribution and utilization of network resources have become the preliminary objective of researchers nowadays. Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has attained widespread significance in this regard and has become a strong candidate for enhancing energy efficiency (EE) performance of existing networks. Multicarrier NOMA (MC‐NOMA) technique is an extension of NOMA that breaks the available resource block into various subchannels and allocates them efficiently to NOMA users (NUs). MC‐NOMA networks have the ability to further enhance system performance by efficiently exploiting channel diversity for addressing the problems of spectral inefficiency and power limitations. Therefore, in this paper, we have considered MC‐NOMA technology for an uplink scenario to investigate its performance for enhancing system EE by performing energy‐efficient power and subchannel allocation. To this end, we have formulated a joint user clustering, subchannel allocation, and power allocation problem for EE maximization (JSPEE) of uplink MC‐NOMA scenario. Due to the nonconvex, combinatorial nature of the problem, we propose a two‐step solution: that is, for each subchannel, first, subchannel allocation and user clustering are attained through low‐complexity suboptimal algorithm, which is followed by energy‐efficient power allocation of NUs. For subchannel allocation and user clustering, we exploit the channel diversity in the form of difference in channel gain values of various users. For power allocation, the nonconvex nature of the formulated problem is tackled by employing Dinkelbach and successive convex approximation (SCA) techniques to attain an energy‐efficient solution. Our simulation results portray that the JSPEE algorithm clearly outperforms the current NOMA as well as OMA works and enhances the system EE by efficient user clustering and exploiting channel diversity.
Distinct clinical phenotypes of congestion in acute heart failure: characteristics, treatment response, and outcomes
Authors: Sokolska Justyna Maria , Sokolski Mateusz , Zymliński Robert , Biegus Jan , Siwołowski Paweł , Nawrocka‐Millward Sylwia , Swoboda Katarzyna , Gajewski Piotr , Jankowska Ewa Anita , Banasiak Waldemar , Ponikowski Piotr
Published: September 2020

Aims

Patients with acute heart failure (AHF) are included into clinical trials regardless of differences in baseline clinical characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess patients with AHF according to the presence of central and/or peripheral congestion at hospital admission and evaluate treatment response and outcomes in studied phenotypes.

Methods and results

We investigated retrospectively 352 patients (mean age: 68 ± 13 years, 77% men) hospitalized due to AHF with the signs of congestion on admission. Patients were divided according to the type of signs of congestion into three groups: A, isolated pulmonary congestion (n = 52, 15%); B, isolated peripheral congestion (n = 31, 9%); and C, signs of mixed (peripheral and central) congestion (n = 269, 76%). Patients from Group A had lower concentration of urea, bilirubin, and gamma‐glutamyl transferase whereas higher level of haematocrit, albumin, and leukocytes on admission. The highest baseline N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide level (median: 4113 vs. 3634 vs. 6093 pg/mL) and percentage of patients with chronic heart failure (56 vs. 58 vs. 74%; A vs. B. vs. C, respectively, all P < 0.01) were observed in Group C. There were no differences in terms of demographics, co‐morbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, and applied treatment between studied groups. Patients from Group A had the highest systolic blood pressure on admission (145 ± 37 vs. 122 ± 20 vs. 130 ± 29 mmHg) and the biggest decrease in systolic blood pressure [−22 (−45 to −4) vs. −2 (−13 to 2) vs. −10 (−25 to 0) mmHg] and heart rate [−16 (−35 to −1.5) vs. −1 (−10 to 5) vs. −7 (−20 to 0) b.p.m.] with the lowest weight change [−1.0 (−1.0 to 0) vs. −2.9 (−3.8 to −0.9) vs. −2.0 (−3.0 to −1.0) kg; all P < 0.01] after 48 h of hospitalization. There were differences in short‐term and long‐term outcomes with favourable results in Group A. Group A experienced less frequent in‐hospital heart failure worsening during the first 48 h (4 vs. 23 vs. 7%), had shorter length of hospital stay [6 (5–8) vs. 7 (5–11) vs. 7 (6–11) days], and had lower 1 year all‐cause mortality (12 vs. 28 vs. 29%; all P < 0.05). Presence of peripheral congestion on admission was independent predictor for all‐cause mortality within 1 year [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.68 (1.06–6.79); P = 0.04].

Conclusions

Patterns of congestion in AHF are associated with differences in clinical characteristics, treatment response, and outcomes. It needs to be considered once planning clinical trials in AHF.
The determinants of capital structure: Evidence from SAARC countries
Authors: Shahzad Aamer , Azeem Muhammad , Nazir Mian Sajid , Vo Xuan Vinh , Linh Nguyen T. M.
Published: September 2020

Capital structure is considered one of the most debatable and controversial subjects in corporate finance. However, little is known about capital structure determinants of firms in the South Asian region. This study attempts to address the gap by not only investigate the impact of firm and country‐specific factors on firms' capital structure across the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region but also offer a cross‐country comparison. Results reveal significant relationships between tangibility, profitability, liquidity, firm size, stock market development, economic growth and firm leverage, suggesting that firms in the region are more likely to make their capital structure decisions following pecking order theory. We also find significant differences across countries and debt maturities.
Sloths (Bradypus variegatus) as a polygastric mammal
Authors: Mesquita Ellen Y. E. , Soares Paola C. , Mello Luise R. , Freire Elisa C. B. , Lima Ana R. , Giese Elane G. , Branco Érika
Published: September 2020

Fermentative herbivorous animals have peculiar conformations of the digestive system. It is known that B. variegatus obtained the capacity for evolutionary adaptation, due to their ecology and eating habits. However, despite the literature on feeding management for this species, there is a lack of published information regarding its gastric morphology, and such information would support a better understanding on the diet and digestion of these individuals. We found seven gastric compartments, which histologically revealed three distinct patterns: an aglandular keratinized fraction (mechanical stomach) and two glandular fractions, one a mucus secretor and the other one composed of acid secreting cells (chemical stomach). With these evidences we understand that these individuals have gastric resemblance to ruminants, with some inherent peculiarities of this species, including the transit of the bolus.
From untargeted metabolomics to the multiple reaction monitoring‐based quantification of polyphenols in chocolates from different geographical areas
Authors: Pinto Gabriella , Aurilia Michela , Illiano Anna , Fontanarosa Carolina , Sannia Giovanni , Trifuoggi Marco , Lettera Vincenzo , Sperandeo Raffaele , Pucci Piero , Amoresano Angela
Published: September 2020

Plants, including cocoa bean, are the main source of metabolites with multiple biological functions. Polyphenol extracts are widely used as a nutraceutical supplement for their well‐known health‐promoting role. In this paper, a preliminary untargeted metabolic screening was carried out by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)‐time of flight (TOF)/TOF on a pool of chocolate samples made by cocoa beans of different geographical areas. Then, a targeted approach was developed for polyphenol quantification by an optimized Liquid chromatography (LC)–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) ion mode. Detection limit of polyphenol standard ranged between 1 and 25 pg/μl with variation coefficient lower than 15%. External calibration curves were used for quantification of polyphenols in 18 samples. Fifty polyphenols were detected in a single LC–MRM/MS run and quantified by monitoring almost 90 transitions in a 5‐minute run. The polyphenols content of different cocoa beans from several countries was finally compared by principal component analysis (PCA) statistical analysis suggesting that the chocolate made by Ecuador cocoa beans showed the highest level of polyphenols.
Antecedents of blockchain adoption: An integrative framework
Authors: Clohessy Trevor , Treiblmaier Horst , Acton Thomas , Rogers Nichola
Published: September 2020

Important technological, organizational, environmental, individual, and task‐related blockchain considerations are identified and discussed. The framework combines five salient adoption considerations and presents cases of the most important antecedents of organizational blockchain adoption. Further, it provides the theoretical foundation of blockchain adoption by integrating existing frameworks and applying them to a novel technology.
Recycled polyethylene bottle caps as sandwich panel circular honeycomb: Experimental and numerical approach
Authors: de Jesus Murilo Monteiro , Gato Lucas Braga Lopes , Oliveira Pablo Resende , Filho Sergio Luiz Moni Ribeiro , Tonatto Maikson Luiz Passaia , Panzera Tulio Hallak , Scarpa Fabrizio
Published: September 2020

This work describes aluminium skin sandwich panels made of recycled polyethylene (PE) bottle caps as a sustainable honeycomb core. A full factorial design is carried out to identify the effects of the orientation of the caps (single and alternated caps), skin roughness (smooth and rough substrate) and the type of adhesive (epoxy or polyester polymer) on the mechanical properties of the panels. Numerical analysis is performed to better assess the failure mechanisms involved. Sandwich panels made with epoxy adhesive, smooth aluminium skin and single oriented caps obtain greater mechanical properties at failure compared to the alternative levels of the factorial design. Increased results are observed for core shear stress (0.38 MPa), facing stress (56.75 MPa), core shear modulus (16.70 MPa), and flexural modulus (1437.47 MPa). This performance reveals an alternative recycling route for used PE bottle caps in structural and sustainable applications.
Comparative study of the influence of graphene nanoplatelets filler on the mechanical and tribological behavior of glass fabric‐reinforced epoxy composites
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Singh Kalyan K , Ramkumar Janakarajan
Published: September 2020

The objective of this article is to examine the influence of different weight percentages (wt%) of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the behavior of mechanical and abrasive wear. Furthermore, the influence of operating parameters, such as, different degrees of applied loads and abrading distance (5‐20 N and 100‐250 m, respectively) at a rotational speed of 200 rpm (1.047 m/s) against SiC paper of 400 grit size was studied. From the present study, it was possible to establish that performance of the glass fabric‐reinforced epoxy composite materials can be improved with incorporation of GNPs. Moreover, incorporation of a large amount (1 wt%) of GNPs was found to noticeably enhance the tribo‐performance, ILSS, and hardness of the composite materials. However, the tensile strength was noted to increase negligibly with incorporation of 1 wt% of GNPs as compared to 0.5 wt% of GNPs. To get an insight into the wear mechanisms, the abraded surface of the tribological samples was examined by scanning electronic microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray. Their morphology was correlated with wear volume and specific wear rate data trends. Worn surface features analysis indicated that incorporation of GNPs mainly improved the fiber‐matrix interface, which resists easy pullout of fibers from matrix/fillers and enables higher wear resistance.
Crámer‐Raocomplexity of the confined two‐dimensional hydrogen
Authors: Estañón Carlos R. , Aquino Norberto , Puertas‐Centeno David , Dehesa Jesus S.
Published: September 2020

The internal disorder of the confined two‐dimensional hydrogenic atom is numerically studied in terms of the confinement radius for the 1s, 2s, 2p, and 3dquantum states by means of the statistical Crámer‐Rao complexity measure. First, the confinement dependence of the variance and the Fisher information of the position and momentum spreading of its electron distribution are computed and discussed. Then, the Crámer‐Rao complexity measure (which quantifies the combined balance of the charge concentration around the mean value and the gradient content of the electron distribution) is investigated in position and momentum spaces. We found that confinement does distinguish complexity of the system for all quantum states by means of these two component measures.
Local and geographical factors jointly drive elevational patterns of phytoplankton in the source region of the Yangtze River, China
Authors: Han Xu , Pan Baozhu , Zhao Gengnan , Li Dianbao , Sun He , Zhu Penghui , Lu Yan
Published: September 2020

Little information about biodiversity patterns in high‐elevation aquatic systems has been gathered, even though these patterns are important for understanding the impacts of human activities. The source region of the Yangtze River, a typical alpine zone with vulnerable and sensitive ecosystems, was selected. Phytoplankton, which play a critical functional role as freshwater primary producers, serve as an important ecological indicator of aquatic systems. Here, systematic surveys on the water environment and phytoplankton were carried out to examine how the phytoplankton community varies with elevation based on hypothesized structural equation models (SEMs) in 10 typical rivers of the Yangtze River source region in March and October 2018. In total, 58 species of phytoplankton belonging to 28 genera were identified. The relationship between species abundance and elevation for phytoplankton showed unimodal elevational patterns. The results of the SEMs showed that all studied aspects affecting the phytoplankton community were directly or indirectly associated with elevation. The synergistic effects of human activities and basic environmental factors (terrestrial productivity and slope gradient) were the drivers affecting the phytoplankton community in the Yangtze River source region. Climate, topography, human activities and other factors are significantly different with changes in elevation, resulting in significant differences in the structure of aquatic communities at different elevations. Human activities were the major drivers affecting the phytoplankton community along the elevational gradient. As the elevation decreased, the disturbances to aquatic ecosystems caused by human activities intensified in the study area.
Introduction
Authors: Bos Jaap
Published: September 2020

Let’s start with you. The audience for this work is you, a student in the social sciences. Many of the problems discussed in this book will probably be new to you, perhaps not entirely, but still. Yet, right from the beginning of your studies, you have been confronted with certain demands, regulations, and procedures, all driven by certain ethical considerations that you’re supposed to be aware of and adopt. You’re supposed to be trustworthy, reliable, honest, impartial, and objective if you want to call yourself a researcher. Ah yes, but how? It seems you’ve got some catching up to do.
Science
Authors: Bos Jaap
Published: September 2020

After Reading This Chapter, You Will:

Develop an awareness of what social science is about

Better understand the role of students within universities

Recognize the function of reflexivity in the process of knowledge acquisition

Acknowledge science’s institutional imperatives
Conflicts of Interest
Authors: Bos Jaap
Published: September 2020

After Reading This Chapter, You Will:

Have an understanding of how modern scientific research is influenced by economic interests

Be able to identify conflicts of interest and conflicts of values

Be capable of recognizing competing interests

Understand conflicts of ownership

Know how various conflicts are resolved
Science and University Politics
Authors: Bos Jaap
Published: September 2020

After Reading This Chapter, You Will:

Understand how political factors impact modern science

Appreciate in what ways the replication crisis endangers the values of science

Know how publication pressure and perverse incentives challenge scientific practices

See why teaching ethics requires reactive, proactive, and reflexive education