bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19’s Impact on Eating Disorder and Mental Health Concerns in Patients with Eating Disorders
Authors: Vitagliano Julia A. , Jhe Grace , Milliren Carly , Lin Jessica A. , Spigel Rebecca , Freizinger Melissa , Woods Elizabeth R. , Forman Sara F. , Richmond Tracy K.
Published: March 2021

Background

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically transformed daily life for adolescents and young adults, altering social and physical environments. Previous research has shown such shifts in daily life to be especially challenging for people living with eating disorders (ED). However, the extent of this environmental change on ED symptoms and mental health (MH) has been relatively unexplored in patients with EDs. This study examines the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED and MH symptoms and motivation for ED recovery in adolescents/young adults.
Methods

Participants were enrollees in the Registry of Eating Disorders and their Co-morbidities OVER time in Youth (RECOVERY) who responded to an additional survey (n = 89) in July 2020 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants reported concerns of their ED worsening due to living in a “triggering environment” due to the pandemic as well as COVID-related changes in intrusive ED thoughts, depression, anxiety, isolation, and motivation to recover. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age and ED diagnosis, examined the association of triggering environment with MH and ED symptoms.
Results

The majority of respondents reported concern for “triggering environment” (63%), as well as increased ED thoughts (74%) and feelings of anxiety (77%), depression (73%), and isolation (80%) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one-third reported decrease in motivation to recover (29%). After adjusting for age and ED diagnosis, participants who reported triggering environment had nearly 18 times the odds of decreased motivation to recover (OR 18.1; 95% CI 3.37–97.4, p = 0.003) and nearly 24 times the odds of increased ED thoughts (OR 23.8; 95% CI 4.31–131.6, p < 0.001) compared to those who did not report a triggering environment.
Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the self-reported MH and ED symptoms in patients with EDs, particularly in those who report concern for a negative environmental change. These results underscore the need for heightened monitoring of patients with EDs during the pandemic.
Ameliorations in the Biomarker Indices of Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerotic Plaque by the Inhibition of HMG – CoA Reductase and Antioxidant Potential of Phytoconstituents of an Aqueous Seed Extract of Acacia Senegal (L.) Willd in Rabbits
Authors: Charan Jaykaran , Riyad Priyanka , Ram Heera , Purohit Ashok , Ambwani Sneha , Kashyap Priya , Kumar Suresh , Singh Garima , Alqarawi Abdulaziz A , Hashem Abeer , Al-Arjani Al-Bandari Fahad , Alsayed Mashail Fahd S. , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Kumar Ashok , Panwar Anil
Published: March 2021

Background: The HMG-CoA inhibitor are used to control adverse cardiovascular event caused by Hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidaemia. The current study was aimed to evaluate the ability of phytoconstituents of an aqueous seed extract of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and regress the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Methods: The chemical fingerprinting of the test extract was assessed by LC-MS. Consequently, the assessments of in-vitro, in-vivo, and in-silico were performed by following the standard methods.Results: The in-vitro assessment of the test extract revealed 74.1 % inhibition potential of HMG-CoA reductase. In-vivo evaluations of the test extract indicated that treated hypercholesterolemic rabbits exhibited a significant (𝑃 ≤ 0.001) ameliorations in the biomarker indices of the dyslipidaemia, such as the atherogenic index, Castelli risk index (I&II), atherogenic coefficient along with lipid profile. Concomitantly, significant reductions were observed in the atherosclerotic plaque area and antioxidants. The in-silico study of molecular docking shown interactions capabilities of key phytoconstituents of the test extract with target protein of HMG-CoA reductase which further validated by the molecular dynamics through potentail energy, NPT, NVT, RSMD and others. Subsequently, the ADMET analysis shown ideal druggability. Conclusion: The results indicate that phytoconstituents of an aqueous seed extract of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. could inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and improve the levels of antioxidants activity that may reduce symptoms associated with hypercholesterolemia.
Long non-coding RNA RMRP promotes human glioma tumor progression via miR-466/CXCR4 pathway
Authors: Zhang Jie , He Ling , Xia Xun , Zhang Lie , Wang Enren
Published: March 2021

Purpose: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RMRP has been confirmed to be associated with multiple tumor progression. However, the molecular regulatory mechanism of RMRP in human glioma was rarely elucidated.Methods: The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure the expression levels of RMRP, microRNA-466 (miR-466) and CXCR4 in glioma tissues and cells. The ELISA-BrdU assay and flow cytometry analysis was used to perform the cell proliferation, apoptotic rate, cell cycle assay in human glioma cell lines A172 and U251 cells. The starBase v2.0 or TargetScan was used to predict the potential interactions among RMRP, miR-466 and CXCR4, and the luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the relationship among these molecules. The western blot was used to determine the expression levels of protein associated with cell cycle and CXCR4.Results: The levels of RMRP, CXCR4 were highly expressed, but miR-466 was decreased in glioma tissues and cells. And miR-466 was verified as a direct target of RMRP and directly regulated CXCR4. RMRP expression or miR-466 inhibitor promote cell proliferation and G1/S cell cycle transition but reduced apoptotic rate in A172 and U251 cells, while RMRP promote G1/S cell cycle transition through regulating CDK4 pathway, not CDK2 pathway. And that, the introduction of CXCR4 partly counteracted these impacts. In addition, RMRP silencing and miR-466 mimic impeded xenograft tumor growth in vivo.Conclusion: RMRP enhanced glioma progression, partially through miR-466/CXCR4 pathway. The molecular regulation mechanism based on RMRP/miR-466/CXCR4 might contribute to the diagnosis of glioma and provide the effective therapeutic targets for its treatment.
The Longer the Antithyroid Drug Is Used, the Lower the Relapse Rate in Graves' Disease: a Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Korea
Authors: Park So Young , Kim Bo Hyun , Kim Mijin , Hong A Ram , Park Jun , Park Hyunju , Choi Min Sun , Kim Tae Hyuk , Kim Sun Wook , Kang Ho-Cheol , Chung Jae Hoon
Published: March 2021

Purpose: Current literature suggests 12 to 18 months of antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment for patients with Graves’ disease, but the risk of relapse is high. Although some studies reported better outcomes of long-term ATD treatment, recent data that suggest the optimal treatment duration are limited.Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 908 patients newly diagnosed with Graves’ disease between 2006 and 2013. The relapse rate according to ATD treatment duration was analyzed.Results: After initial ATD treatment, 338 patients (37.2%) had relapsed. The relapse rate according to ATD treatment duration was 42.4% at one year, 38.5% at two years, 33.8% at three years, 31.7% at four years, 30.2% at five years, 27.8% at six years, and 19.1% at more than six years, respectively, demonstrating a significant decreasing trend (P = 0.003). In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, ATD treatment duration was an independent risk factor for relapse (P = 0.043).Conclusions: The longer that ATD therapy is used, the lower the relapse rate is in patients with Graves' disease. Long-term ATD treatment may be considered in Graves’ patients who do not show complications or an economic burden from hyperthyroidism.
Testing more and earlier = better control of the epidemic and lower social costs.
Authors: Rossello Nicolas Bono , Pezzutto Matthias , Castagliuolo Ignazio , Schenato Luca , Garone Emanuele
Published: March 2021

In this note we explore the effect of the number of daily tests on an epidemics control policy purely based on testing and selective quarantine, and the impact of these actions depending on the time their application starts. Surprisingly, the results not only confirm that increasing the number of tests lowers the number of infected individuals, but also that it has a very beneficial effect limiting the number of quarantined individuals, and thus the socio-economical costs of the epidemics. The results also show that the timing in the application of the measures is as important as the measures themselves. The results suggest that fast decision making and investments to increase testing capabilities are highly rewarded not only from the public health viewpoint, but also from the socio-economical one. The study is carried out in simulation using stochastic cellular automata representing a community of 50'000 individuals. The selection of the tested individuals is carried out based on a contact tracing strategy focused on the closer contacts.
Trends in Malaria Epidemiological Factors Following the Implementation of Current Control Strategies in Dangassa, Mali
Authors: Toure Mahamoudou , Keita Moussa , Kane Fousseyni , Sanogo Daouda , Kante Salim , Konate Drissa , Diarra Ayouba , Sogoba Nafomon , Coulibaly Mamadou B , Traore Sekou F , Diakite Mahamadou , Shaffer Jeffrey G. , Krogstad Donald J , Doumbia Seydou O.
Published: March 2021

Background: Over the past decade, three strategies have reduced severe malaria cases and deaths in endemic regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, specifically: 1] artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), 2] insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) , and 3] intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in pregnancy (IPTp. The rationale for this study was to examine communities in Dangassa, Mali where in 2015 two additional control strategies were implemented: ITN universal coverage and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) among children less than five years. Methods: This was a prospective study based on a rolling longitudinal cohort of 1,401 subjects participating in biannual smear surveys for the prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection and continuous surveillance for the incidence of human disease (uncomplicated malaria). Entomologic collections were performed to examine the intensity of transmission based on pyrethroid spray catches, human landing catches, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing for circumsporozoite antigen. Results: A total of 1,401 participants of all ages were enrolled in the study in 2012 after random sampling of households from the community census list. Prevalence of infection was extremely high in Dangassa varying from 9.5% to 62.8% at the start of the rainy season and from 15.1% to 66.7% at the end of the rainy season. Likewise, the number of vectors per house, biting rates, sporozoïtes rates and entomologic inoculation rates (EIR) were substantially greater in Dangassa. Discussion: The findings for this study are consistent with the progressive implementation of effective malaria control strategies in Dangassa. At baseline (2012-2014), prevalence of P. falciparum was above 60% followed by a significant year-to-year decease starting in 2015. Incidence of uncomplicated infected was greater among children < five years while asymptomatic infection was more frequent among the five to fourteen years old. A significant decrease in entomological inoculation rate was also observed from 2015 to 2020. Likewise, vectors’ density, sporozoïtes rates, and entomologic inoculation rates decrease substantially during the study period. Conclusion: Efficient Implementation of two main malaria prevention strategies in Dangassa substantially contribute to a reduction of both asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria in Dangassa from 2015 to 2020
Three SARS-CoV-2 reinfection cases by the new Variant of Concern (VOC) P.1/501Y.V3
Authors: Naveca Felipe , Costa Cristiano da , Nascimento Valdinete , Souza Victor , Corado André , Nascimento Fernanda , Costa Ágatha , Duarte Débora , Silva George , Mejía Matilde , Pessoa Karina , Gonçalves Luciana , Brandão Maria Júlia , Jesus Michele , Silva Marineide , Mattos Tirza , Abdalla Lígia , Santos João Hugo , Costa-Filho Rubens , Sekizuka Tsuyoshi , Itokawa Kentaro , Hashino Masanori , Kuroda Makoto , Siqueira Marilda Mendonça , Wallau Gabriel Luz , Delatorre Edson , Gräf Tiago , Bello Gonzalo , Resende Paola Cristina
Published: March 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.28 has been evolving in Brazil since February 2020 giving origin to multiple local clades including the new Variant of Concern (VOC) designated P.1 or 501Y.V3. The recent emergence of sub-lineages with convergent mutations in the spike (S) protein raises concern about the potential impact on viral infectivity and immune escape. We describe here the first three confirmed SARS-CoV-2 reinfections cases with the new VOC P.1 in residents of the Amazonas state, Brazil. Three female patients, 29, 40, and 50-year-old, were RT-PCR confirmed for SARS-CoV-2 on two occasions, with at least 92 days apart. Next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted to precisely access the SARS-CoV-2 lineages of each infection event. SARS-CoV-2 genomic analysis confirmed three cases of reinfections caused by the VOC P.1 in patients that were primo-infected by distinct viral lineages 3–9 months earlier. Case 1 (29-year-old) was positive on March 24, 2020 (lineage B.1.195) and then on December 30, 2020 (lineage P.1); case 2 (50-year-old) was positive on October 19, 2020 (lineage B.1.1.33) and on January 19, 2021 (lineage P.1); case 3 (40-year-old) was positive on April 22, 2020 (lineage B.1.195) and on January 29, 2021 (lineage P.1). The three patients displayed low mean Ct values (< 22) at nasopharyngeal samples and reported less severe illness during reinfection. The present study provides the first evidence of the new VOC P.1 causing multiple reinfections during the second epidemic peak in the Amazonas state. Our findings suggest that reinfected individuals may have been infectious. Although immune responses induced by natural infections do not necessarily prevent subsequent infections by the VOC P.1, they may still protect from severe disease.
Development of an engineered probiotic for the treatment of branched chain amino acid related metabolic diseases
Authors: Li Ning , Tucker Alex , Gao Jian-Rong , Renaud Lauren , James Michael , Castillo Mary , Galvan Silvia , Jain Rishi , Putman Ryan , Marr Scott , Carlin Dylan , Zimmerman Kolea , Stone Laura , Bergeron Christopher , Perreault Mylene , Boyle Patrick , Kurtz Caroline
Published: March 2021

Metabolic dysfunction arising from missing or impaired enzymes comprising the branched chain amino acid (BCAA) degradation pathway, especially those involving leucine, can result in the accumulation of toxic metabolic intermediates and cause severe metabolic disease. Removal of dietary BCAAs via their degradation by engineered microbes could be a viable approach to prevent BCAA-mediated disease sequelae. In this article, we describe the design and construction of an engineered leucine degrading strain of E. coli Nissle, the improvement of the degradation pathway through high throughput screening, and the demonstration of strain activity in animal models monitored by disease and strain-specific biomarkers. This work provides a path for the development of engineered probiotic bacterial strains as a treatment for BCAA-related metabolic disorders in humans.
The pathological features of leukemic cells infiltrating the renal interstitium in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma from a large single Chinese center
Authors: Wang Hui , Yu Xiaojuan , Zhang Xu , Wang Suxia , Zhao Minghui
Published: March 2021

Background

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is rare in Asians, and patients with CLL/SLL seldomly undergo kidney biopsy. The histopathological features and clinical relevance of tubulointerstitial injury in CLL/SLL have not been extensively charaterized. Hence, we attempted to describe the clinical characteristics, renal pathology and clinical outcome of a well-characterized population of CLL/SLL patients with CLL cell infiltration in the renal interstitium from a large single center in China.
Methods

Between January 1st, 2010 and September 31st, 2020, 31946 renal biopsy pathologies were performed at Peking University First Hospital, and 10 CLL/SLL patients with CLL cell infiltration in the renal interstitium were included. Complete clinical data were collected from these 10 patients, and renal specimens were examined by routine light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy.
Results

The extent of the infiltrating CLL cells in patients with CLL/SLL varied among different patients and ranged from 10–90% of kidney parenchyma. Six (60%) of 10 patients presented with an extent of infiltrating CLL cells ≥ 50%. Interestingly, we found that three patients (3/10, 30%) expressed monoclonal immunoglobulins in the infiltrating CLL cells, and special cytoplasmic crystalline structures were found in two of the three patients by electron micriscopy for the first time. Severe renal insufficiency (Scr ≥ 200 µmol/L ) was associated with ≥ 50% interstitial infiltration of CLL cells in the renal interstitium.
Conclusions

The findings confirmed that CLL cells infiltrating the renal interstitium can directly secrete monoclonal immunoglobulins, indicating that the interstitial infiltrating CLL cells probably cause renal injuriy directly by secreting monoclonal immunoglobulins in situ. This finding may prove a new clue to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanism of renal injury involved with CLL/SLL .
The adhesio interthalamica as a neuroanatomical marker of structural differences in healthy adult population
Authors: Miró-Padilla Anna , Adrián-Ventura Jesús , Costumero Víctor , Palomar-García María-Ángeles , Villar-Rodríguez Esteban , Marin-Marin Lidón , Aguirre Naiara , Bueichekú Elisenda
Published: March 2021

The adhesio interthalamica (AI) is a small midline brain structure that connects the left and right thalamus. According to in vivo data, between 2.3–22.3% of the general population lack the AI, and the question of whether this absence is more prevalent in males than in females is a matter of debate. Despite the existence of these demographic figures, it remains unclear how this distinctive feature affects healthy people, or what specific anatomic profile is related to the presence or absence of the AI. The aim of this study was to investigate whole brain gray matter (GM) volumetric differences depending on the presence or absence of the AI. A total of 240 healthy adult volunteers completed one MRI scanning session. After the AI assessment, the data from 110 participants were included in the final sample, of which 12.9% of the participants (n = 31) presented complete AI absence vs. 32.9% of participants (n = 79) who presented complete AI presence. Then, whole-brain group comparison analysis revealed that the absent AI brain, compared to the present AI brain, was associated with lower GM volume in the premotor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior temporal cortex. Interestingly, neuroscience research has linked emotional and cognitive control brain processing to the latter two regions. The importance of these findings lies in providing a neuroanatomical profile for the absent AI brain in healthy human adults.
Hot and cold flashless forging in vertical split dies of a stepped shaft
Authors: Bulzak Tomasz , Tomczak Janusz , Pater Zbigniew
Published: March 2021

Flashless forging is classified as a precise metal forming technology. The main advantages of this technology are the reduction of the flash allowance and the shortening of the manufacturing time by eliminating the flash trimming operation. The article presents the process of one-step forging of a stepped shaft made of aluminum with the use of split dies. The process was carried out in cold and hot metal forming conditions. The forging process was analyzed numerically using the Simufact.Forming 15.0 software. The geometrical parameters of the obtained product were analyzed, the distribution of effective strain, temperature and the standardized cracking criterion were determined. The process force parameters were also determined. Numerical tests were verified in real conditions with the use of a specially designed device for forging in vertical split dies. Comparison of hot and cold forging in vertical split dies is presented.
Maternal and neonatal data collection systems in low- and middle-income countries for maternal vaccines active safety surveillance systems: A scoping review
Authors: Berrueta Mabel , Ciapponi Agustin , Bardach Ariel , Cairoli Federico Rodriguez , Castellano Fabricio J. , Xiong Xu , Stergachis Andy , Zaraa Sabra , Meulen Ajoke Sobanjo ter , Buekens Pierre , Group Scoping Review Collaboration
Published: March 2021

Background

Most post-licensure vaccine pharmacovigilance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are passive reporting systems. These have limited utility for maternal immunization pharmacovigilance in LMIC settings and need to be supplemented with active surveillance. Our study's main objective was to identify existing perinatal data collection systems in LMICs that collect individual information on maternal and neonatal health outcomes and could be developed to inform active safety surveillance of novel vaccines for use during pregnancy.

Methods

A scoping review was performed following the Arksey and O’Malley five-stage approach. We included studies describing electronic or mixed paper-electronic data collection systems in LMICs, including research networks, electronic medical records, and custom software platforms for health information systems. Medline PubMed, EMBASE, Global Health, Cochrane Library, LILACS, Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS), and CINAHL were searched through August 2019. We also searched grey literature including through Google and websites of existing relevant perinatal data collection systems, as well as contacted authors of key studies and experts in the field to validate the information and identify additional sources of relevant unpublished information.

Results

A total of 11,817 records were identified. The full texts of 264 records describing 96 data collection systems were assessed for eligibility. Eight perinatal data collection systems met our inclusion criteria: Global Network’s Maternal Newborn Health Registry, International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health; Perinatal Informatic System; Pregnancy Exposure Registry & Birth Defects Surveillance; SmartCare; Open Medical Record System; Open Smart Register Platform and District Health Information Software 2. These selected systems were qualitatively characterized according to seven different domains: governance; system design; system management; data management; data sources, outcomes and data quality.

Conclusion

This review provides a list of active maternal and neonatal data collection systems in LMICs and their characteristics as well as their outreach, strengths, and limitations. Findings could potentially help further understand where to obtain population-based high-quality information on outcomes to inform the conduct of maternal immunization active vaccine safety surveillance activities and research in LMICs.
A Machine Learning Technique to Analyze Depressive Disorders
Authors: Mali Dixita , Kumawat Kritika , Kumawat Gaurav , Chakrabarti Prasun , Poddar Sandeep , Chakrabarti Tulika , Hussaine Jemal , Kamali Ali-Mohammad , Bolsev Vadim , Kateb Babak , Nami Mohammad
Published: March 2021

Depression is an ordinary mental health care problem and the usual cause of disability worldwide. The main purpose of this research was to determine that how depression affects the life of an individual. It is a leading cause of morbidity and death. Over the last 50–60 years, large numbers of studies published various aspects including the impact of depression. The main purpose of this research is to determine whether the person is suffering from depression or not. The dataset of Depression has been taken from the Kaggle website. Guided Machine Learning classifiers have helped in the highest accuracy of a dataset. Classifiers like XGBoost Tree, Random Trees, Neural Network, SVM, Random Forest, C5.0, and Bay Net. From the result, it is evident that the C5.0 classifier is giving the highest accuracy with 83.94 % and for each classifier, the result is derived based without pre-processing.
Using regional scaling for temperature forecasts with the Stochastic Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System (StocSIPS).
Authors: Amador Lenin Del Rio , Lovejoy Shaun
Published: March 2021

Over time scales between 10 days and 10–20 years – the macroweather regime – atmospheric fields, including the temperature, respect statistical scale symmetries, such as power-law correlations, that imply the existence of a huge memory in the system that can be exploited for long-term forecasts. The Stochastic Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System (StocSIPS) is a stochastic model that exploits these symmetries to perform long-term forecasts. It models the temperature as the high-frequency limit of the (fractional) energy balance equation (fractional Gaussian noise) which governs radiative equilibrium processes when the relevant equilibrium relaxation processes are power law, rather than exponential. They are obtained when the order of the relaxation equation is fractional rather than integer and they are solved as past value problems rather than initial value problems. StocSIPS was first developed for monthly and seasonal forecast of globally averaged temperature. In this paper, we extend it to the prediction of the spatially resolved temperature field by treating each grid point as an independent time series. Compared to traditional global circulation models (GCMs), StocSIPS has the advantage of forcing predictions to converge to the real-world climate. It extracts the internal variability (weather noise) directly from past data and does not suffer from model drift. Here we apply StocSIPS to obtain monthly and seasonal predictions of the surface temperature and show some preliminary comparison with multi-model ensemble (MME) GCM results. For one month lead time, our simple stochastic model shows similar values of the skill scores than the much more complex deterministic models.
Comparison of the general dietary habits and lifestyle between before and during COVID-19 among the Saudi adult's population in Riyadh
Authors: ALkharashi Nouf
Published: March 2021

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in several parts of the world, causing sudden lifestyle and dietary habits changed, through social distancing and isolation at home. This study aimed to compare the general dietary habits and lifestyle between before and during COVID-19 among the Saudi adult population in Riyadh. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, targeting the Riyadh population, from 16 May 2020 to 16 June 2020. The study comprised a structured questionnaire packet that inquired demographic information examples include:(age, gender, place of residence, and health status); dietary habits information (daily intake of certain foods, food frequency, number of meals/day, and number of times drinking the tea and coffee); lifestyle habits information (physical activity, sleep quality, time that spend using the internet, social media and electronic devices for fun daily and stresses) using Google form. A total of 1,193 participants have been included in the study aged over 18 years.Results: During the COVID-19 period, a significant increase in the number of meals eaten daily, the number of times of fruits and vegetable intake, the number of sweets, cakes, and biscuits, the number of hours of sleep per day, the time using the internet and social media were observed more than at in the before COVID-19 pandemic period. However, the number of running exercise or physical activity was significantly reduced. Conclusion: In this study, the dietary and lifestyle habits have changed among the Saudis during the COVID-19 period. Future large-scale similar studies should be undertaken to confirm the results of the study.
Beneficial effects of a mouthwash containing an antiviral phthalocyanine derivative on the length of hospital stay for COVID-19
Authors: Santos Paulo Sérgio da Silva , Orcina Bernardo da Fonseca , Machado Rafael Rahal Guaragna , Vilhena Fabiano Vieira , Alves Lucas Marques da Costa , Zangrando Mariana Schutzer Ragghianti , Oliveira Rodrigo Cardoso de , Soares Mariana Quirino Silveira , Simão Andréa Name Colado , Pietro Emilene Cristine Izu Nakamura , Kuroda Juliana Pescinelli Garcia , Benjamim Ivanilda Aparecida de Almeida , Araujo Danielle Bastos , Toma Sérgio Hiroshi , Flor Lourival , Araki Koiti , Durigon Edison Luiz
Published: March 2021

Background: The risk of contamination and dissemination by SARS-CoV-2 has a strong link with nasal, oral and pharyngeal cavities. Recently, our research group observed the promising performance of an anionic phthalocyanine derivative (APD) used in a mouthwash protocol without photoexcitation; this protocol improved the general clinical condition of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: The present two-arm study evaluated in vitro the antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of APD. Additionally, a triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 41 hospitalized patients who tested positive for COVID-19. All the included patients received World Health Organization standard care hospital treatment (non-intensive care) plus active mouthwash (experimental group AM/n=20) or nonactive mouthwash (control group NAM/n=21). The adjunct mouthwash intervention protocol used in both groups consisted one-minute gargling/rinsing / 5 times/day until hospital discharge. Groups were compared considering age, number of comorbidities, duration of symptoms prior admission and length of hospital stay (LOS). The associations between group and sex, age range, presence of comorbidities, admission to Intensive care unit (ICU) and death were also evaluated. Results: The in vitro evaluation demonstrated that APD compound was highly effective for reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the 1.0 mg/mL (99.96%) to 0.125 mg/mL (92.65%) range without causing cytotoxicity. Regarding the clinical trial, the median LOS of the AM group was significantly shortened (4 days) compared with that of the NAM group (7 days) (p=0.0314). Additionally, gargling/rinsing with APD was very helpful in reducing the severity of symptoms (no ICU care was needed) compared to not gargling/rinsing with APD (28.6% of the patients in the NAM group needed ICU care, and 50% of this ICU subgroup passed way, p=0.0207). Conclusions: This study indicated that the mechanical action of the protocol involving mouthwash containing a compound with antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 may reduce the symptoms of the patients and the spread of infection. The use of APD in a mouthwash as an adjuvant the hospital COVID-19 treatment presented no contraindication and reduced the hospital stay period. Trial Registration: The clinical study was registered at REBEC - Brazilian Clinical Trial Register (RBR-58ftdj).
Mosques in Japan Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic: Infection Prevention and Support Provision
Authors: Kotani Hitomu , Tamura Mari , Nejima Susumu
Published: March 2021

Religious activities tend to be conducted in enclosed, crowded, and close-contact settings, which have a high potential of transmitting the coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19); therefore, religious communities are expected to take appropriate infection prevention measures. Meanwhile, during past natural disasters, religious communities have provided various types of support to affected people; hence, their role in disaster risk reduction has received much attention. In this study, we aimed to identify the infection prevention measures and support provision implemented by mosques—Islamic institutions managed and operated mainly by foreign Muslims living in Japan—during the one year from January 2020. We collected qualitative information from newspaper articles (18 articles on 19 mosques) and interviews with representatives of three mosques. We found that various infection control measures were implemented in mosques—refraining from mass prayers and closing buildings from an early stage (around February 2020); canceling large-scale events during the month of Ramadan; moving some activities online; and ensuring indoor ventilation and safe physical distance even when continuing face-to-face prayer activities. We also found that various types of support were provided by mosques—donating masks to the local government; listening to problems of people affected by COVID-19 regardless of their nationality; providing financial support to them; translating and disseminating information to foreign Muslims; and providing religious meals for them. This study provides actual examples of infection prevention measures taken by mosques in a Muslim-minority society and suggests that mosques appropriately responded to the needs of religious minorities during disasters, including COVID-19.
Chlorine activated stacking fault removal mechanism in thin film CdTe solar cells: the whole story
Authors: Hatton Peter , Watts Michael , Abbas Ali , Fiducia Tom , Walls John , Smith Roger , Goddard Pooja
Published: March 2021

The efficiency of as-deposited CdTe solar cells is typically <5 %. An activation process involving the post-treatment of the CdTe surface with cadmium chloride at approximately 400 deg C improves the absorber microstructure by removing stacking faults, fills the grain boundaries with chlorine and leads to efficiencies of up to ~22 %. Stacking fault removal and improvement in device efficiency are thus correlated but the question of whether this correlation is direct or indirect has to date not been established. Although some types of stacking fault could be hole traps, those most commonly observed are tetrahedral in nature which recent work has shown to be electrically benign. For the first time, in this paper, we not only explain the passivation responsible for this efficiency increase but crucially elucidate the associated stacking fault removal mechanism. Experimental work shows that as chlorine is added to the system, the stacking faults gradually disappear from the absorber layer upwards to the surface with some grains being fault-free in the intermediate state before full saturation. At saturation chlorine decorates all the grain boundaries and so the effect of chlorine on a model system of a tetrahedral stacking fault bounded by two grain boundaries is investigated using density functional theory (DFT). We find that if the stacking faults between the grain boundaries were to be removed without Cl, this would result in an energy increase for the system. Increasing the chlorine concentration in the grain boundaries decreases the energy difference between the faulted and unfaulted system until a cross-over occurs close to the point at which chlorine saturates the grain boundaries. The atomic mechanisms and energy profile for the stacking fault removal is presented. The removal process is via a cascade effect whereby the system energy gradually increases as the fault is sequentially removed until the layers snap into place. The energy barrier for this to occur is easily overcome with the 400 deg C temperature treatment. Density of States (DOS) plots of the chlorine saturated structures show that defect passivation occurs in the highly reconstructed grain boundaries due to both interstitial and substitutional chorine. Chlorine saturation is shown to disconnect the two sides of the grain boundary avoiding electronic defects which arise from the interaction of dangling bonds across this region. It is thus concluded that the cell efficiency increase observed is due to the electronic effects of chlorine in the grain boundaries and that the observed stacking fault removal is a bi-product of the chlorine grain boundary saturation.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical procedures in Brazil: a descriptive study
Authors: Luizeti Bárbara Okabaiasse , Perli Victor Augusto Santos , Costa Gabriel Gonçalves da , Eckert Igor da Conceição , Roma Aluisio Marino , Costa Karina Miura da
Published: March 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected medical practice, and changes in healthcare activities were needed to minimize the overload and avoid healthcare systems collapse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on surgical procedures in Brazil. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive study of the number of hospitalizations for surgical procedures in Brazil from 2016 to 2020. Data were collected from the Brazilian Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Analyzes were performed according to the type of procedure, geographical region, subgroups of surgical procedures, and the number of surgeries from 2020 were compared with the average from 2016 to 2019. Results: There were 4,009,116 hospitalizations for surgical procedures in the Brazilian Public Health System in 2020. When comparing it to the average of hospitalizations from 2016-2019, there was a decrease of 14.88% [95%IC (14.82-14.93)]. Decrease rates were 34.82% [95%IC (34.73-34.90)] for elective procedures and 1.11% [95%IC (1.07-1.13)] for urgent procedures. Decrease rates were similar in all the five regions of the country (average 14.17%). Surgical procedure subgroups with the highest decrease rates were endocrine gland surgery (48.03%), breast surgery (40.68%), oral and maxillofacial surgery (37.03%), surgery of the upper airways, face, head and neck (36.06%), and minor surgeries and surgeries of skin, subcutaneous tissue and mucosa (33.16%). Conclusion: The overload of healthcare facilities has demanded a reduction of non-urgent activities to prevent a collapse of healthcare systems, resulting in a decrease in elective surgeries. Recommendations about the performance of surgical procedures were made, and continuous refinements of these recommendations are encouraged.
Prevalence of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain among Adult Diabetic Patients (T2DM) with Peripheral Neuropathy and Quality of Life of the Patients with Peripheral Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Abu-Shennar Jawad Ahmad , Bayraktar Nurhan , Bebis Hatice
Published: March 2021

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) among adult patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as well as to determine the quality of life of patients with DPNP.Materials and method: The study designed in cross-sectional research model was conducted at the Jordanian Ministry of Health in Jordan, Amman during the period from 15 June 2019 to 5 October 2019. A total of 400 adult T2DM patients with DNP were recruited for the study. Data were collected by way of an assessment tool package, including descriptive data (demographics, anthropometric measurements, laboratory measurements, and clinical data), the Douleur Neuropathique4 (DN4) questionnaire, physical exam, Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D), and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS). To analyze study data descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: Results of the current study showed that the prevalence of DPNP among adult T2DM patients with DPN was high (47.8%). About half of the participants had mild or moderate pain with the most frequently reported symptoms of tingling and burning. Uncontrolled diabetes was found to be the main predictor of DPNP among patients with DPN. Participants who had DPNP reported having problems in connection with mobility, self-care, routine activities, discomfort, and anxiety or/and depression, and they had a significantly lower quality of life with poorer self-rated health status than those without DPNP. Besides, the effect of pain on their quality of life was found to be significant. Conclusion: The study recommends, in accordance with the results, that strategies should be developed for an effective management of painful DPN with an integrated and interdisciplinary approach. Current clinical guideline recommendations should be followed to improve patient care and reduce the burden of the disease.
Student's perception towards challenges and difficulties to established E-learning Medical Education in a high burden developing country 
Authors: Gismalla Mohamed D. A. , Mohamed Mohamed Soud , Ibrahim Omaima Salah O , Elhassan Moawia Mohamed Ali , Mohammed Mohammed Naser Eldeen
Published: March 2021

Background: In High-income countries, many academic institutions are using E-learning during COVID 19 Pandemic. However, in limited-resource countries, like Sudan, shifting towards E-learning requires many adjustments to be made in order to make sure the E-learning is held in a proper manner, as best as possible. This study was undertaken to assess medical students’ perception towards implementing E-learning during COVID 19 Pandemic and to highlight difficulties of E-learning implementation in Sudan as an example of a limited-resource setting. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 10 and 25 of May 2020 among the undergraduate medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira, Sudan. A predesigned online-based questionnaire was used for data collection and snowball sampling methodology was used. Results: The total numbers of 358 undergraduate medical students responded to the online survey questionnaire. The majority (87.7%) of students agreed that the closure of the university is an essential decision to control the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Approximately two-thirds (64%) of students perceived that E-learning is the best solution during COVID 19 lockdown. The level of students in the university and residence has a strong relation to students’ opinion the level of medical students (Pre-clerkship and Clerkship) and place of residence have significant correlation (p-value < 0.05) with medical students opinion regards starting the E-learning online education. Internet bandwidth and connectivity limitation, unfamiliarity with E-learning system, technical support limitation and time flexibility in case of technical problems during online exams, and Lack of face-to-face interaction were the factors considered by medical students to be against the E-learning implementation.Conclusion: Most medical students had a positive perception of E-learning. However, there are many challenges considered as an inhibitory factor for utilizing electronic technologies for medical education. We recommend that challenges of E-learning in our limited resource setting should be systematically evaluated and that effective strategies should be developed to overcome their inhibitory effects.
Dietary intakes of total polyphenol and its subclasses in relation to incidence of chronic kidney disease: a prospective population-based cohort study
Authors: Mirmiran Parvin , Yuzbashian Emad , Rahbarinejad Pegah , Asghari Golaleh , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: March 2021

Objective
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is nowadays a public health challenge worldwide. Accordingly, this study is aiming to evaluate the association between long-term intake of total polyphenol and its subclasses, and the incidence of CKD.
Methods
A sample of 3021 Iranian Adults (47% men) were selected from the the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study population. The participants aged 20–79 years and had no diagnosis of CKD at baseline. Total polyphenol intake and its major subclasses including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans, was assessed by a validated and reliable Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The of the were broadly categorized as flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation was used to calculate the Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), and, CKD was defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals of CKD by total polyphenols quartiles were assessed by Cox-regression analysis.
Results
In this study, we documented 355 cases of diagnosed CKD over 11,058.464 person-years. The mean ± SD age of participants was 37.3 ± 12.6 years at baseline. After adjustment of the potential confounders, it was revealed that a moderate intake of lignans (≤ 6.8 mg) was negatively associated with the incidence of CKD, whereas there was no significant association between the higher amounts of lignan intake and CKD. No significant associations were observed between the consumption of total polyphenols and the incidence of CKD (HR: 0.97, 95% CI 0.67–1.40).
Conclusions
Data of the current study suggest that in the case of lignan with protective properties, a moderate amount of lignan favorably reduced the incidence of CKD by approximately 32%, whereas higher amounts possessed a null effect.
Action Observation Treatment-Based Exoskeleton (AOT-EXO) for Upper Extremity After Stroke: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Chen Zejian , Xia Nan , He Chang , Gu Minghui , Xu Jiang , Han Xiaohua , Huang Xiaolin
Published: March 2021

Background
Stroke produces multiple symptoms, including sensory, motor, cognitive and psychological dysfunctions, among which motor deficit is the most common and is widely recognized as a major contributor to long-term functional disability. Robot-assisted training is effective in promoting upper extremity muscle strength and motor impairment recovery after stroke. Additionally, action observation treatment can enhance the effects of physical and occupational therapy by increasing neural activation. The AOT-EXO trial aims to investigate whether action observation treatment coupled with robot-assisted training could enhance motor circuit activation and improve upper extremity motor outcomes.
Methods
The AOT-EXO trial is a multicentre, prospective, three-group randomized controlled trial (RCT). We will screen and enrol 132 eligible patients in the trial implemented in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Tongji Hospital, Optical Valley Branch of Tongji Hospital and Hubei Province Hospital of Integrated Chinese & Western Medicine in Wuhan, China.
Prior to study participation, written
informed consent will be obtained from eligible patients in
accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
The enrolled stroke patients will be randomised to three groups: the CT group (conventional therapy); EXO group (exoskeleton therapy) and AOT-EXO group (action observation treatment-based exoskeleton therapy). The patients will undergo blinded assessments at baseline, post-intervention (after 4 weeks) and follow-up (after 12 weeks). The primary outcome will be the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Secondary outcomes will include the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), modified Barthel Index (MBI), kinematic metrics assessed by inertial measurement unit (IMU), resting motor threshold (rMT), motor evoked potentials (MEP), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and safety outcomes.
Discussion
This trial will provide evidence regarding the feasibility and efficacy of the action observation treatment-based exoskeleton (AOT-EXO) for post-stroke upper extremity rehabilitation and elucidate the potential underlying kinematic and neurological mechanisms.
Trial Registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier: ChiCTR1900026656. Registered on 17 October 2019.