bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Physical Activity in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Hurley Nicola , Moyna Niall , Kehoe Bróna , McCaffrey Noel , Redmond Karen , Hardcastle Sarah
Published: December 2020

Background: Despite the well-established physical and psychological benefits of physical activity (PA) for cystic fibrosis (CF) populations, adherence to PA programmes within this population remains low. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence engagement in physical activity, and to explore exercise preferences, among adults with cystic fibrosis. Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were twenty-one adults (mean age 35 years, SD ± 8) with an established diagnosis of CF, living in Ireland. Interview scripts were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Four main themes emerged: barriers, motives, value of exercise-related outcomes, and exercise preferences. The main barriers included: fatigue, low energy levels, time, the weather, and exercise-related confidence. Motives for regular physical activity participation included: enjoyment and perceived competence. Participants who were regularly active valued personally identified exercise-related outcomes such as, accomplishment and affect regulation. Participants indicated a preference for home-based physical activity programs compared to gym- or facility-based programs.Conclusion: Interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among adults with CF should involve home-based programs that foster autonomous motivation confidence, enjoyable activities, personally identified outcomes and competence. Clinical Implications: To increase physical activity participation among adults with CF, home-based interventions that pay attention to the patients’ personally-valued exercise outcomes may be required. Wearable technology that provides real-time feedback may enhance feelings of competence and accomplishment, found to underpin autonomous motivation.
Association Between Heavy Metals and Colon Cancer: An Ecological Study Based on Geographical Information Systems in Northeastern Iran
Authors: Kiani Behzad , Amin Fatemeh Hashemi , Bagheri Nasser , Mohammadi Ali Akbar , yousefi Mahmmod , Faraji Hossein , Roshandel Gholamreza , Beirami Somayeh , Rahimzadeh Hadi , Hoseini Benyamin
Published: December 2020

Background: Exposure to environmental pollutants such as heavy metals has been introduced as a possible contributor to increasing the risk of colon cancer. We aim to explore the associations between heavy metals and the age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) colon cancer in Northeastern Iran.Methods: Cancer data were drawn from the population-based cancer registry of Golestan province, Northeastern Iran. The heavy metals’ samples were collected from 69 rice milling plants in the study area. Then, the concentration level of seven heavy metals, including Cadmium, Nickel, Cobalt, Copper, Selenium, Lead, and Zink was measured. The Kriging algorithm was used to interpolate the heavy metals' concentration on the surface of the study area. The exploratory regression analysis was conducted to build the ordinary least squares (OLS) models on every possible combination of the candidate explanatory variables. Finally, the best OLS models were chosen to show the effect of heavy metals on colon cancer.Results: Generally, heavy metals were higher in the central part of the province. The analyses showed that the high concentration of Cobalt was associated with the high ASR of colon cancer in men. In contrast, the Selenium concentration was higher in areas with lower ASR of colon cancer in men. A significant regression equation for men colon cancer was found (F(4,137)=38.304, P<.000) with an adjusted R2 of 0.77. The predicted ASR of men colon cancer was -58.3581 with the coefficients for Cobalt= 120.329780; Cadmium= 80.603505; Selenium= -6.069037; Nickel= -3.086802; and Zink= -0.405843. The effect of Copper and Lead on men colon cancer was not significant. We did not find a significant model for women colon cancer.Conclusion: There may be a possible negative correlation between selenium concentration and a lower risk of colon cancer in men. Furthermore, the higher cobalt concentration may be related to an increased risk of men colon cancer.
HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence Test Using Reverse Transcription Isothermal Amplification Inhibition Assay
Authors: Zhang Jane , Zhang Yu , Sullivan Benjamin , Olanrewaju Ayokunle , Bender Andrew , Lillis Lorraine , Boyle David , Drain Paul , Posner Jonathan
Published: December 2020

Current HIV antiretroviral (ART) or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) therapy adherence monitoring relies on either patient self-reported adherence or monitoring drug dispensing, which are not reliable. We propose an objective adherence monitoring assay which directly measures nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) concentration using a reverse transcription isothermal amplification inhibition assay. We measure the concentration of Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP), a deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) analog and an active NRTI compound and long-term adherence marker for PrEP, by measuring the inhibition of the reverse transcription of an RNA template. The completion or inhibition of reverse transcription is evaluated by Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA), an isothermal nucleic acid amplification assay. We present and validate a model that predicts the amplification probability as function of dATP and TFV-DP concentrations, nucleotide binding sites on the RNA template, and the RNA template concentration. The model helps to rationally design and optimize the assay to operate at clinically relevant TFV-DP concentrations. We provide statistical analysis that demonstrates how the assay can be used as a qualitative or semi-quantitative tool for measuring adherence to NRTI drugs and used to support patient compliance.
Reference Intervals for 26 Common Biochemical Analytes in Term Neonates in Jilin Province, China
Authors: Wang Kaijin , Zhu Xuetong , Zhou Qi , Xu Jiancheng
Published: December 2020

Background: Biochemical analytes provide information for neonatal disease management and therapy, and population-based reference intervals (RIs) are essential to accurately interpret laboratory test results. This study aimed to establish local RIs for biochemical assays in term neonates.Methods: A total of 195 healthy term neonates from birth to 3rd day were recruited as reference individuals prospectively. Analytes of 26 common biochemistries were measured using the VITROS 5600 Integrated System. The 3-level nested ANOVA was performed to assess the need for partitioning RIs of each analytes, and RIs were derived by a nonparametric method or robust method. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate specific correlations between the analytes and individual characteristics including age, gender, gestational age, birthweight and delivery mode.Results: There were no between-sex differences in all analytes, whereas there were significant between-day-age differences in 6 analytes. Small between-delivery-mode differences were observed in the results for potassium, phosphate, and urea. The major related factor of most analytes was postnatal age. During the first 3 days, values of iron, lipids and lipoproteins increased; creatinine, urea, uric acid, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase decreased; other analytes showed slight changes or relatively stable trends. Reference limits of some analytes, particularly lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, were significant different from adult and pediatric groups.Conclusions: RIs of 26 common biochemical analytes are established for term neonates aged 0 to 3 days in northeast China. Additionally, it is suggested that age-related changes should be valued in the clinical decision-making process for newborns.
Effects of Intra-Articular D-Amino Acids Combined With Systemic Vancomycin on an Experimental Staphylococcus Aureus-Induced Periprosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Li Yicheng , Wuermanbieke Shalitanati , Ren Jiangdong , Mu Wenbo , Ma Hairong , Qi Fei , Sun Xiaoyue , Liu Yang , Amat Abdusami , Zhang Xiaogang , Cao Li
Published: December 2020

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after joint arthroplasty remains a devastating complication in which the formation of a bacterial biofilm is the major cause of treatment failure. The D-isoforms of amino acids (D-AAs) exhibit anti-biofilm potential against a diverse range of bacterial species in vitro, while its role in vivo remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a combination of D-AAs and vancomycin on a PJI rat model. Eight-week-old male SD rats were randomized to the control group, sham group, vancomycin group, D-AAs-vancomycin group. After treatment for 6 weeks, the group treated with a D-AAs-vancomycin combination sustained normal weight gain and exhibited reduced the serum levels of α2M, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and PGE2. Moreover, treated with D-AAs in combination with vancomycin improved the weight-bearing activity performance, increased the sizes and widths of distal femurs, and improved Rissing scale scoring. In particular, treatment using D-AAs enhanced the ability of vancomycin to eradicate Staphylococcus aureus, as demonstrated by the dispersion of existing biofilms and the inhibition of biofilm formation that occurred in a concentration-dependent manner. This treatment combination also resulted in a reduction in bacterial burden with in the soft tissues, bones, and implants. Furthermore, D-AAs-vancomycin combination treatment attenuated abnormal bone remodelling around the implant, as evidenced by an observed increase in MBD, BV/TV, and Tb.Th and the presence of reduced Trap+ osteoclasts and elevated osterix+ osteo-progenitors. In conclusion, combining D-AAs with vancomycin provides an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PJI by promoting biofilm dispersion to enhance antimicrobial activity.
Magnetic Particle Imaging Using Moving Halbach Cuboid and Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection
Authors: Jeong Jaechan , Kim Jinsun , Seo Beomsu , Krause Hans , Hong Hyobong
Published: December 2020

We present a magnetic particle imaging (MPI) device using a Halbach cuboid magnet and frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) technology. A Field Free Line was formed in the center of a two-piece Halbach cuboid. Then, the cuboid was moved in the sample volume in a T-shaped and circular shape. The sample was exposed to a magnetic excitation field of two different frequencies. Due to the nonlinearity of the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), harmonic frequencies and intermodulation products of the excitation frequencies are generated. This characteristic response signal from the particles was acquired by a coil system and demodulated by a FMMD electronics. Images were created by a backprojection method based on Radon and inverse Radon transformation. Using the Halbach cuboid, we were able to generate a stronger magnetic field compared to the previously reported equipment using large permanent magnets.. The results of the experiment showed that the combination of the Halbach cuboid and FMMD can acquire images similar to those of other existing MPI systems, suggesting that it is a method that has advantages in manufacturing and operation of MPI.
Effects of Different Thermal Insulation Methods on Nasopharyngeal Temperature in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yang Guanyu , Zhu Zefei , Zheng Hongyu , He Shifeng , Zhang Wanyue , Sun Zhentao
Published: December 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the thermal insulation effect of incubator and infusion thermometer in laparoscopic hysterectomy.Methods: 75 patients were enrolled and were assigned randomly to three groups: group A used warming blanket, group B used warming blanket and infusion thermometer, group C used warming blanket and incubator. The primary outcome was nasopharyngeal temperature at different time points during the operation.Results: The nasopharyngeal temperature of the infusion heating group was significantly higher than that of the incubator group 60min at the beginning of surgery(T3):36.10±0.20 vs 35.81±0.20(P＜0.001)；90min at the beginning of surgery(T4):36.35±0.20 vs 35.85±0.17(P＜0.001),and the incubator group was significantly higher than that of the control group 60min at the beginning of surgery(T3):35.81±0.20 vs 35.62±0.18(P＜0.001);90min at the beginning of surgery(T4):35.85±0.17 vs 35.60±0.17(P＜0.001).The wake-up time of the control group was significantly higher than that of the infusion heating group: 23.88±3.86 vs 20.56±3.80(P=0.004), and the incubator group:23.88±3.86 vs 21.52±4.02(P=0.035).Conclusion: Warming blanket (38°C) combined infusion thermometer (37°C) provides better perioperative thermal insulation, and in hospitals without infusion thermometer, an incubator can be used as a substitute.Trial registration: This trial was registered with http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx,ChiCTR2000039162,20 October 2020.
Investigation on Dietary Behavior Changes in 658 Pregnant Women Before and During Pregnancy in China
Authors: Wang QingWen , Cao XiaoQI , Tian Miao , Li ZhiHong , Guo CaiXia , Cao XinYu , Zhang YiChuan , Bai WenLin , Wang Li
Published: December 2020

Background The extra dietary care women receive after pregnancy, coupled with the effect of their own physiological response during pregnancy, can cause some changes in their dietary habits compared with those before pregnancy. Current studies have mostly focused on detailed foods and specific dietary patterns; less attention has been given to changes in food flavor, cooking methods, and meal frequency before and after pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate these changes in pregnant women in TaiYuan City, China and analyze some possible related factors.Methods A total of 658 pregnant women were asked about their frequency of daily meals, choice of eating at home or out, personal preference for different tastes (salty, spicy, and sweet), cooking methods (frying, braising, sautéing, steaming, and stewing), specific food choices, and other changes in dietary habits before and after pregnancy through a questionnaire. SPSS 24.0 was used for all data statistical analyses. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results The choice of salty, spicy, and sweet tastes changed, and the proportion of women who chose lighter flavors after pregnancy increased (P < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between the choice of lighter salty taste and parity (r = 0.142, P = 0.035), that is, pregnant women with more parity were likely to choose a lighter salty taste after pregnancy. By contrast, a negative correlation was found between the choice of lighter spicy taste and age (r = -0.115, P = 0.048), implying that younger pregnant women were likely to choose a lighter spicy taste after pregnancy. In the traditional Chinese cooking methods, compared with pre-pregnancy, the number of pregnant women who chose frying, braising, and sautéing decreased, whereas that of steaming and stewing increased (P < 0.001).Compared with pre-pregnancy, the number of meals every day of pregnant women increased (from 2.85 to 3.09) (P < 0.001), and the frequency of eating at home every week increased (from 4.82 to 5.52) (P < 0.001).Conclusion Overall differences were found in the eating habits of 658 pregnant women before and after pregnancy. Pregnant women with more parity were likely to choose a lighter salty taste, and younger pregnant women were likely to choose a lighter spicy taste.
A model of tension-induced fiber growth predicts white matter organization during brain folding
Authors: Garcia Kara , Wang Xiaojie , Kroenke Christopher
Published: December 2020

The past decade has experienced renewed interest in the physical processes that fold the developing cerebral cortex. Biomechanical models and experiments suggest that growth of the cortex, outpacing growth of underlying subcortical tissue (prospective white matter), is sufficient to induce folding. However, current models do not explain the well-established links between white matter organization and fold morphology, nor do they consider dramatic subcortical remodeling that occurs during the period of folding. This study proposes a novel paradigm in which cortical folding induces subcortical fiber growth and organization. Simulations incorporating stress-induced fiber growth indicate that subcortical stresses resulting from folding are sufficient to induce stereotyped fiber organization beneath gyri and sulci. Model predictions are supported by high-resolution ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging of the developing rhesus macaque brain. Results provide support for the theory of cortical growth-induced folding and indicate that mechanical feedback plays a significant role in brain connectivity.
Distinct local and brain-wide networks are activated by layer-specific optogenetic stimulations of motor cortex
Authors: Chan Russell , Asaad Mazen , Edelman Bradley , Lee Hyun Joo , Adesnik Hillel , Feinberg David , Lee Jin Hyung
Published: December 2020

Primary motor cortex consists of a stack of interconnected but distinct layers, and plays a prominent role in motor control through large-scale networks. However, differential effects of M1 layer-specific functional pathways remain elusive, especially at the macroscopic and mesoscopic scales. Here, we combined layer-specific Cre-driver mouse lines, optogenetics, and fMRI with electrophysiological recordings to identify distinct M1 layer-specific networks. Neuronal activities initiated in L2/3 were mainly confined within M1, while stimulation of L4, L5, and L6 evoked distinct responses in M1 and motor-related subcortical regions, including the striatum and motor thalamus. Although motor cortex has long been considered agranular (without L4), our results structurally, functionally, and neurovascularly confirm the presence of L4. We also find that layer-specific fMRI responses closely couple with laminar electrophysiological recordings. Overall, our results elucidate distinct brain-wide neural archetypes of M1 layer-specific cortical circuits that provide important insights in uncovering the motor system architecture.
WITHDRAWN: Prevention and Management of Compassion Fatigue (CF) in Clinical Nurses: a Qualitative Content Analysis
Authors: safa azade , Sabery Farzaneh , Sabery Mahdieh
Published: December 2020

BackgroundPrevention and management of compassion fatigue (CF) is one of the most serious issues facing the nursing profession today because CF is a complex phenomenon with many negative and destructive consequences. Given that cultural, religious, and socioeconomic differences can affect nurses’ perception about preventive strategies of CF; this study was conducted to obtain greater understanding about prevention and management strategies of CF among Iranian nurses. MethodsInductive content analysis study was conducted by the method proposed by Elo and Kyngäs. It includes three steps of open coding, creating classes and abstracting it. Purposive sampling was used to select the nurses in Tehran and Kashan (two cities in the center of Iran). Data was gathered by semi-structured interviews from June to October 2020. ResultsThe following two main themes, 5 categories and 13 subcategories were extracted. The labels of themes included "self-care strategies" and "social support strategies ". Self-care strategies consisted of 2 main categories of problem-based strategies and escape/ avoidance strategies. Social support strategies included 3 main categories of family support, organizational support and community support. ConclusionThe results showed that Iranian nurses use self-care strategies and social support strategies to prevent and manage CF; nevertheless, it seemed social support strategies outweighed self-care strategies. As a result, in addition to the importance of family and organizational support, the governmental support is also noticeable, thus, appropriate policy- making and culture-building activities to promote nursing dignity are necessary.
Risk Factors for the Development of Tubo-ovarian Abscesses in Women with Ovarian Endometriosis: A Retrospective Matched Case-control Study
Authors: Gao Yang , Qu Pengpeng , Zhou Yang , Ding Wei
Published: December 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with the development of tubo-ovarian abscesses in women with ovarian endometriosis cysts. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 176 women: 44 with tubo-ovarian abscesses associated with ovarian endometriosis and 132 age-matched (1:3) patients with ovarian endometriosis but without tubo-ovarian abscesses. Diagnoses were made via surgical exploration and pathological examination. The potential risk factors of tubo-ovarian abscesses associated with ovarian endometriosis were evaluated using univariate analysis. The results (p ≤ 0.05) of these parameters were analyzed using a multivariate model.Results: Five factors were included in the multivariate conditional logistic regression model, including in vitro fertilization, presence of an intrauterine device, lower genital tract infection, spontaneous rupture of ovarian endometriosis cysts, and diabetes mellitus. The presence of a lower genital tract infection (odds ratio 5.462, 95% confidence interval, 1.772–16.839) and spontaneous rupture of ovarian endometriosis cysts (odds ratio 2.572, 95% confidence interval, 1.071–6.174) were found to be statistically significant risk factors for tubo-ovarian abscesses associated with ovarian endometriosis.Conclusions: Of the factors investigated, the occurrence of tubo-ovarian abscesses associated with ovarian endometriosis was found to be associated with genital tract infections and spontaneous rupture of ovarian endometriosis cysts. Our findings indicate that tubo-ovarian abscesses associated with ovarian endometriosis may not be linked to in vitro fertilization as previously thought.
Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Female Health Care Professionals During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Lahore, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Shahbaz Sumbal , Ashraf Muhammad Zeshan , Zakar Rubeena , Fischer Florian
Published: December 2020

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is disseminating rapidly, increasing stress and challenges for health care professionals around the world. This study aims to discover the psychosocial challenges faced by female health care professionals (HCPs) treating COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.Methods: Using an empirical phenomenological methodology, semi-structured telephone-based qualitative interviews were taken from 22 female HCPs who were providing their expertise for COVID-19 patients in tertiary level hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Purposive sampling has been used for recruitment. The interviews were taken from July 20 to August 20, 2020. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: This study discovered the psychosocial challenges faced by female HCPs serving COVID-19 patients. Five themes have been observed in the interviews: psychological concerns of HCPs while treating COVID-19 patients; feelings towards COVID-19 patients; confidence in government, administration and self-reflection; challenges as female HCPs and coping strategies; and finally, future concerns and recommendations. Many of these themes have also been linked with cultural issues, making the results specific for Pakistan.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, female front-line HCPs have faced immense psychosocial pressure, starting from unsupportive family norms to unwelcoming working environment and insensitive hospital administration. Moreover, rumours among general public, lack of proper training, missing incentives and improper system surveillance had increased the anxiety and stress among HCPs. Hence, legislators are advised to take appropriate actions countrywide in order to improve the still on-going challenges and to support female HCPs in their working environment.
Public Perceptions of the COVID-19 Pandemic Management in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: Joarder Taufique , Khaled Muhammad Nahian Bin , Joarder Mohammad Ainul Islam
Published: December 2020

BackgroundSince the emergence of COVID-19 outbreak, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken various measures to restrict virus transmission and inform the people of the situation. However, success of such measures largely depends on a positive public perception of the government’s ability to act decisively and the transparency of its communication. As the public perceptions of pandemic management efforts by the Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers have never been explored, this gap was addressed in this qualitative study.MethodsAs this qualitative research was conducted during COVID-19 pandemic, data was gathered through seven online mixed-gender focus group discussions involving 50 purposively selected clinicians and non-clinicians. The discussion transcripts were subsequently subjected to conventional content analysis.ResultsThe study participants concurred that, from the outset, decision-makers failed to engage the right kind of experts, which resulted in poor pandemic management that included imposing lockdown in periphery areas without arranging patient transport to the center, declaring certain hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated without preparing the facilities or the staff, and engaging private hospitals in care without allowing them to test the patients for COVID-19 infection. Several participants also commented on ineffective actions on behalf of the GoB, such as imposing home quarantine instead of an institutional one, weak point-of-entry screening, corruption, miscommunication, and inadequate private sector regulation.Perception of the people regarding service providers is that they lacked responsiveness (i.e., addressing the social needs of the patients) in providing COVID-19 treatment, with some doctors misleading the public by sharing misinformation on social and mainstream media. They also cited involvement of some doctors in running unauthorized testing centers, and promoting unproven medicines.Service providers, on the other hand, observed that decision-makers failed to provide them with proper training, PPE and workplace security, which has resulted in a high number of deaths among medical staff.ConclusionsThe Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers should learn from their mistakes to prevent further unnecessary loss of life and long-term economic downturn. They should adopt a science-based response to COVID-19 pandemic in the short term, while striving to develop a more resilient health system in the long run.
Practical Application of Network Multimedia Courseware in College Basketball Teaching
Authors: Chen Wengang , Wang Fang
Published: December 2020

With the continuous development of my country's sports industry, many drawbacks have appeared in traditional basketball teaching. This research mainly discusses the practical application of network multimedia courseware in college basketball teaching. Multimedia courseware teaching plan Multimedia courseware teaching plan consists of at least four parts: teaching content, teacher guidance, student learning and multimedia courseware. In the example of this study, FlashMX2004 is used to complete the multimedia courseware of basketball tactics basic teaching. The whole courseware is easy to embed in the webpage and is suitable for wireless network transmission on the Internet. Use the scanner to scan the text part into the computer, recognize it with Hanwang HWOCR5.0 recognition software, and edit it in Word. Use the video processor and audio processor of Kingsoft Hasee II to convert the VCD to the .avi video file format, use Windowsmoviemaker to edit and integrate the edited film, and finally import the required materials into Flash as needed to make the courseware . In order to ensure the correctness and effectiveness of the basic actions in the courseware, the empirical validity evaluation method is adopted, and the validity of the courseware content is tested. After the teaching experiment, in order to test the basic knowledge of basketball tactics and the theoretical knowledge of the two groups of students, a test of the theoretical knowledge of basketball tactics was carried out. The experimental group had 22 people with a score of 90 or more accounted for 27.5%, and the control group had 13 people with a score of 90 or more accounted for 16.5%. The results show that multimedia computer-assisted teaching has a positive role in cultivating students' interest in learning.
Building an Indoor Air Quality Monitoring System Based on the Architecture of the Internet of Things
Authors: Sung Wen-Tsai , Hsiao Sung-Jung
Published: December 2020

With rapidly changing technology, people have more and more requirements for thermal comforts regarding indoor temperature, humidity, and wind speed, and pay more attention to air quality. Indoor air quality has serious effects on the elderly, children, and those with respiratory allergies. Based on the architecture of the Internet of Things (IoT) smart home, this study constructed an indoor air quality monitoring system to explore how people can live in an environment with good air quality. Among the numerous air quality indices (AQIs), the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) index and AQI of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) are selected as the indices suitable for this study. The common points of the two indices are combined, and then, based on the data of the Environmental Protection Administration, indoor and outdoor environmental parameters are analyzed, and controllable environment variables are simulated to analyze their effects on air quality. This study designed effective load control using fuzzy control and developed a fuzzy rule base for simulation of the environment variables. Decision logic was used to replace the threshold control of indoor air quality (IAQ) in the past, and a comfortable air quality monitoring system was designed by combining the Arduino Uno development board and E ESP8266 Wi-Fi wireless transmission modules.
Enhancing the Performance of Downlink NOMA Relaying Networks by RF Energy Harvesting and Data Buffering at Relay
Authors: Thang Nguyen Nhu , Hoang Tran Manh , Nguyen Ba Cao , Tran Phuong T.
Published: December 2020

Recently, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been considered as a promising candidate for next-generation mobile communications because it can significantly improve the spectral efficiency of wireless networks. In this paper, we investigate a novel solution to enhance the reliability and the supply stability of a downlink NOMA relaying networks, in which we integrate two techniques: (i) simultaneous wireless information and power transfer, i.e. the relay node can harvest the energy from source signals and use this energy to help forward information from source node to two user nodes; and (ii) data buffer aid at relay node, i.e. the data packets received from the source can be stored in a buffer and then be re-transmitted to the destination nodes only when the channel condition is good. The performance of the proposed system is analyzed rigorously to derive the system outage probability and the average packet delay. Furthermore, a power allocation optimization problem to minimize the outage probability is formulated and solution to this problem is also provided in this paper. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to verify the analytical results, which confirms that with the data buffer at the relay, the overall outage probability (OOP) has been reduced significantly.
Research on Cluster Overlap and Non-overlap Region for 5G-IoV Networks with NOMA
Authors: Gu Jinyuan , Zhang Guoan , Lv Haibin , Duan Wei
Published: December 2020

As a multi hop self-organizing network, wireless sensor network (WSN) has the ability to cooper- atively sense, collect and process the information of the sensed objects. The applications of WCN in 5G-based Internet of V ehicles (5G-IoV), using information fusion and intelligent information processing technologies, can obtain more reliable and accurate detection parameters, which has been widely concerned. However, the massive connectivity and information exchange in 5G-IoV pose great challenges to the bandwidth efficiency. In order to overcome these issues in 5G-IoV networks, a performance enhanced scheme based on non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is proposed. In the proposed scheme, different vehicle locations are respectively discussed, i.e., whether in the overlap region of cluster head vehicles (CHVs). In particular, different to conventional works, each receiving node only decodes the desired signal to avoid performance loss provided from the poor channel quality limitation.On the other hand, all CHVs decode-and-forward (DF) new superposition coded signals with new power allocation factors, while that the maximum ratio combining (MRC) is utilized at receivers to further improve the ergodic sum-rate (SR) and probability of conflict. The closed-form expressions of ergodic SR for our proposed scheme are analyzed under the independent Rayleigh fading channels. Numerical results corroborating our theoretical analysis show that the superposition coded signal transmission scheme applied to the proposed NOMA-IoV improves the ergodic SR performance significantly compared with the existing works, especially for the high signal-to-noise (SNR) region.
Clinicopathological Features of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection, Microsatellite Instability, Tumor Mutation Burden and PD-L1 Status in Chinese Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhang Li , Wang Yinkui , Lin Dongmei , Wang Dongliang , Zhou Lixin , Wu Aiwen , Li Ziyu
Published: December 2020

Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) is the 4th most common type of cancer worldwide. Different GC subtypes have unique molecular features that may have different therapeutic methods. The aim of the present study was to investigate Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and gene mutations in GC patients. Methods: The data of 2,504 GC patients, who underwent curative gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy at Peking University Cancer Hospital between 2013 and 2018, were reviewed. We analyzed the clinicopathological factors associated with the immunohistochemistry (IHC) profiles of these patients, and genetic alterations were analyzed using next generation sequencing (NGS). Results: Mismatch repair-deficient (d-MMR) GC patients were found to have a higher probability of expressing PD-L1 (p<0.001, PD-L1 cutoff value = 1%). In addition, 4 and 6.9% of the 2,504 gastric cancer patients were EBV-positive and d-MMR, respectively. The number of MLH1/PMS2-negative cases was 126 (6%), and the number of MSH2/MSH6-negative cases was 14 (0.9%). d-MMR status was associated with a diffuse/mixed group (p<0.05), but not with tumor differentiation. Furthermore, MSI and d-MMR GC status (detected by NGS and IHC, respectively) were consistently high, and the rate of MSI was higher in patients with d-MMR GC. A number of genes associated with DNA damage repair were detected in GC patients with MSI, including POLE, ETV6, BRCA and RNF43. In patients with a high tumor mutation burden, the most significantly mutated genes were LRP1B (79.07%), ARID1A (74.42%), RNF43 (69.77%), ZFHX3 (65.12%), TP53 (58.14%), GANS (51.16%), BRCA2 (51.16%), PIK3CA (51.16%), NOTCH1 (51.16%), SMARCA4 (48.84%), ATR (46.51%), POLE (41.86%) and ATM (39.53%). Conclusions: Using IHC and NGS, MSI status, protein expression, TMB and genetic alterations were identified in patients with GC, which provides a theoretical basis for the future clinical treatment of GC.
Mixed Method Evaluation of the CEBHA+ Integrated Knowledge Translation Approach: A Protocol
Authors: Pfadenhauer Lisa , Grath Tanja , Delobelle Peter , Jessani Nasreen , Meerpohl Joerg J , Rohwer Anke , Schmidt Bey-Marrie , Toews Ingrid , Akiteng Ann R , Chapotera Gertrude , Kredo Tamara , Levitt Naomi , Ntawuyirushintege Seleman , Sell Kerstin , Rehfuess Eva A
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe Collaboration for Evidence-based Healthcare and Public Health in Africa (CEBHA+) is a research consortium concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases. CEBHA+ seeks to engage policymakers and practitioners throughout the research process in order to build lasting relationships, enhance evidence uptake, and create long-term capacity among partner institutions in Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda in collaboration with two German universities. This integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach includes the formal development, implementation and evaluation of country specific IKT strategies.MethodsWe have conceptualised the CEBHA+ IKT approach as a complex intervention in a complex system. We will employ a comparative case study (CCS) design and mixed methods to facilitate an in-depth evaluation. We will use quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, quarterly updates, and a policy document analysis to capture the process and outcomes of IKT across the African CEBHA+ partner sites. We will conduct an early stage (early 2020) and a late-stage evaluation (early 2022), triangulate the data collected with various methods at each site and subsequently compare our findings across the five sites.Discussion Evaluating a complex intervention such as the CEBHA+ IKT approach is complicated, even more so when undertaken across five diverse countries. Despite conceptual, methodological and practical challenges, our comparative case study addresses important evidence gaps: While involving decision-makers in the research process is gaining traction worldwide, we still know very little regarding (i) whether this approach really makes a difference to evidence uptake, (ii) the mechanisms that make IKT successful, and (iii) relevant differences across socio-cultural contexts. The evaluation described here is intended to provide relevant insights on all of these aspects, notably in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is expected to contribute to the science of IKT overall.
The Effect of Silica Desiccation Under Different Storage Conditions on Filter-Immobilized Environmental DNA
Authors: Allison Michael J , Round Jessica M , Bergman Lauren C , Mirabzadeh Ali , Allen Heather , Weir Aron , Helbing Caren
Published: December 2020

Objective
Silica gel beads have promise as a non-toxic, cost-effective, portable method for storing environmental DNA (eDNA) immobilized on filter membranes. Consequently, many ecological surveys are turning to silica bead filter desiccation rather than ethanol preservation. However, no systematic evaluation of silica bead storage conditions or duration past one week has been published. The present study evaluates the quality of filter-immobilized eDNA desiccated with silica gel under different storage conditions for over a year using targeted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based assays.
Results
While the detection of relatively abundant eDNA target was stable over 15 months from either ethanol- or silica gel-preserved filters at -20 and 4oC, silica gel out-performed ethanol preservation at 23oC by preventing a progressive decrease in eDNA sample quality. Silica gel filter desiccation preserved low abundance eDNA equally well up to 1 month regardless of storage temperature (18, 4, or -20oC). However only storage at -20oC prevented a noticeable decrease in detectability at 5 and 12 months. The results indicate that brief storage of eDNA filters with silica gel beads up to one month can be successfully accomplished at a range of temperatures. However, longer-term storage should be at -20oC to maximize sample integrity.
SARS-CoV-2 and the Pollution Exposure of the Population Near to an Industrial area on the Metropolitan Region in São Paulo State, Brazil
Authors: Zaccarelli-Marino Maria Angela , Balderi Thalles Zaccarelli , Crepaldi Felipe Mingorance , Alessi Rudá , Martins Marco
Published: December 2020

Background: The epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) yielded intense respiratory illness clusters and has progressed rapidly into a pandemic. Objective: Evaluating the pre-existing conditions (rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, obstructive pulmonary diseases (OPD), conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and primary hypothyroidism (PH)) in residents exposed to long-term air pollutants and their higher risk of complications in case of infection with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: 2004 residents of both sexes, aged 8-72 years old, had responded to a home-based questionnaire. SARS-CoV-2 cases were collected from the Greater ABC Region, an industrial region of the São Paulo State, Brazil, part of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. With a focus on the Capuava Petrochemical Complex influence area, using the combination of the AERMOD dispersion model with the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) meteorological model (2016), we evaluated the Greater ABC region. Atmospheric pollutant concentrations were analyzed in 2017 using meteorological data from 2005 to 2009, correlating this data with the research done from 2003 to 2005. Results: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations presented the highest correlations between the rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, OPD, conjunctivitis, dermatitis and PH odds and pollutant concentrations. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the closer the individuals live from the Petrochemical complex, the higher their risk of death from SARS-CoV-2. Given the asymptomatic characteristic of the disease in its initial development individuals and the risk of its complications, we suggest that the employees of chemical plants and residents living around industrial areas must be continuously evaluated for SARS-CoV-2.
Genetic Diversity of Staphylococcus Saprophyticus Strains Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Lagos Metropolis
Authors: Alao Felix Oluwasegun , Smith Stella Ifeanyi , Omonigbehin Emmanuel Adedayo , Adeleye Isaac Adeyemi
Published: December 2020

Background: Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a Gram-positive bacterium implicated in urinary tract infections in sexually active women along with other bacteria. There is a special need to accurately isolate and identify this organism in clinical specimens in order to prevent misidentification in the laboratory. The present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic diversity of one hundred different Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains isolated from women presenting with urinary tract infections reporting in four government hospitals in Lagos Metropolis using 16SrRNA gene sequence analysis. Results: The PCR-amplified and sequenced 16SrRNA gene of 100 isolates and confirmed 88 strains of S. saprophyticus to subspecies level, while 8 belong to other genera and 4 could not be ascertained due to low significant similarity. Phylogenetic analysis showed the interrelationship between the isolates from different hospitals. The results showed the distribution of the isolates into two broad clusters and twenty-two sub-clusters. Conclusion: The results revealed the genetic diversity of Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from women with urinary tract infections in Lagos Metropolis using 16SrRNA gene sequence.
A Case of Choriocarcinoma with Lung Metastasis as the First Symptom
Authors: Tian Jin , Xiao YaNan , Zhang TengLong , Wang Jie , Jin CaiLong , Guo ChengYe
Published: December 2020

Background: Pure testicular choriocarcinoma is very rare in clinic and the patient's age is 20-39 years (median age 29 years). Because of its polymorphic manifestations, it is not always suspected and patients are sometimes misdiagnosed. The case should be reported due to the rarity of the disease ,the onset age and the rapid progression of the disease. This case with primary lung cancer as the first diagnosis is a misdiagnosis. We hope we can provide some experience for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Case presentation: We report the case of a 46-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with bloodshot sputum. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination revealed pure choriocarcinoma. The patient had received radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, Over the next 5 months, the patient developed symptoms of multiple system metastases and died soon. Conclusions: Testicular choriocarcinoma is progressing rapidly. The clinical feature of choriocarcinoma is hemorrhaging at the metastatic site. Early diagnosis and timely treatment should be combined with the clinical manifestations and medical history of patients to strive for a longer survival time. We hope this case can provide guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Evaluation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance indicators in Sokoto State, Nigeria, 2012-2019: A secondary data analysis
Authors: Raji Ismail Abdullateef , Usman Auwal Abubakar , Ahmad Abdulrahman , Gidado Saheed , Olorukooba Abdulhakeem Abayomi , Lawal Bola Biliaminu , Umeokonkwo Chukwuma David , Balogun Muhammad
Published: December 2020

Background: Nigeria and indeed, entire Africa has been certified free of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in 2020. However, the continent is still at risk of importation of WPV, especially in states like Sokoto in Nigeria, which has an international border. Furthermore, due to low immunity in some communities in Sokoto, outbreaks of the circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDPV) occur. Therefore, this paper evaluates the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance indicators in Sokoto state, Nigeria. Methods: This retrospective study was an analysis of routinely collected AFP surveillance data between 2012 and 2019 by the Sokoto state surveillance network. We assessed the Sokoto state AFP surveillance system using the AFP surveillance performance indicators. We performed all analyses using Microsoft Excel 2019.Results: Cumulatively, 3001 Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases were reported over the evaluation period, out of which 1692 (56.4%) were males, and 2478 (82.4%) were below five years. More than half, 1773 (59.1%) had a fever at the beginning of the disease, and 1911 (63.7%) had asymmetric paralysis. The non-polio AFP rate (9.1 to 23.5%) and stool adequacy rate (92.5 to 100%) indicate high sensitivity. The proportion of cases that had stool samples collected early, timely transported to the laboratory and arrived at the laboratory in optimal condition were all above the World Health Organization (WHO) minimum standard of 80%. There was inadequate profile documentation of some suspected cases.Conclusions: Sokoto State has exceeded the WHO minimum standards in most of the AFP surveillance indicators. The performance of the system is sufficient enough to detect any reintroduction of WPV into the state. However, there is a need for improvement in data quality.