bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An observational study of balance and proprioception function in patients with spinocerebellar ataxias type 3
Authors: Liu Xia-Hua , Li Ying , Xu Hao-Ling , Sikandar Arif , Lin Wei-Hong , Wang Ning , Ni Jun , Chen Wan-Jin , Gan Shi-Rui , Wang Zhi-Yong
Published: August 2020

BackgroundPostural instability is one of the most disabling features of spinocerebellar ataxias type 3 (SCA3) and often leads to falls that reduce mobility and functional capacity. This study aimed to quantitatively analyse static and dynamic balance and proprioception function on postural control in patients with SCA3 using the Pro-kin system and optimise rehabilitation programmes for them.MethodsEight-one clinically diagnosed SCA3 patients (38 women, 43 men; aged 39.00 ± 9.66) and 62 healthy controls were studied and evaluated using the Pro-kin system (PK254P, Tecnobody S.r.l, Dalmine, Italy). The measurements included (1) a static balance test in two visual feedback conditions: eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC); (2) a dynamic balance test measuring limits of stability (LOS); and (3) a proprioception function test to obtain proprioceptive measurements on a multiaxial balance evaluator for both right and left lower limbs.ResultsCompared to controls, SCA3 patients showed significantly higher values of all static balance outcome variables with eyes open and eyes closed, implying postural instability. SCA3 patients showed significantly higher values in the standard deviation of body sway along the medio-lateral (ML) axis and in the velocity of body sway along the anterior-posterior (AP) axis. The overall scores and the scores for all eight LOS components were significantly lower in the SCA3 patients than in the controls. The mean values of AP index (API), ML index (MLI), Stability index (SI) and average trace error (ATE) were significantly greater in SCA3 patients compared to HC subjects, while API showed a trend toward higher values.ConclusionsSCA3 patients have a significant postural control disorder, and are likely to fall on the AP plane and prefer performing postural adjustments in the ML direction; a decreased proprioception function in the knee and ankle is also evident. Visual cues and proprioception should be emphasized in balance rehabilitation training. Attention should also be paid to improve muscle strength and range of motion.Trial registrationThe Chinese clinical test registration center. ChiCTR1800020133. Registered 15 december 2018 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=33950
Prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases and Associated Medication Use Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: An Analysis of Country-Wide Data from the Sijilli Electronic Health Records Database
Authors: Saleh Shadi , Abdouni Lina , Dimassi Hani , Nabulsi Dana , Harb Ranime , Jammoul Zeinab , Hachach Noha , Arnaout Nour El
Published: August 2020

Background

Globally, the number of forcibly displaced individuals has reached 70.8 million. Lebanon, a middle income country, hosts the highest number of refugees per capita worldwide. The majority of refugees are Syrians who have fled the Syrian war that started in 2011. The migration journey exposes refugees to increased susceptibility to a wide range of medical issues including non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aims to determine the prevalence of NCDs among adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon, with a focus on hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer. The study also aims to explore factors potentially related to the prevalence figures and understand the medication use associated with these morbidities.
Methods

This study is a secondary analysis of de-identified data from the “Sijilli Electronic Health Records for Refugees” Database comprising data on 10,082 Syrian refugees from across informal tented settlements located all over Lebanon. A total of 3,255 records of Syrian refugees aged above 18 years old and reporting having at least one condition of the following were included in the analysis: hypertension, diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases or cancer. Pearson’s Chi-square, independent t-test, and multivariate logistic regressions were used for data analysis.
Results

Hypertension was the most prevalent (10.0%) NCD among refugees, and a higher age was associated with higher NCDs prevalence. A strong linkage has been reported between smoking status and alcohol intake, and increased risk for NCDs. Study findings also revealed that the highest prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and CVDs was observed among refugees originating from Idlib, Aleppo and Homs. An association between adherence to medication and location of diagnosis was noted, with females who were diagnosed before moving to Lebanon being more likely to take corresponding medications compared to those diagnosed in Lebanon, with no difference reported among males.
Conclusions

Our findings suggest that efforts should be directed towards the employment of innovative low-cost approaches for NCD detection and control among refugees, with a focus on the importance of adherence to medication. Such efforts remain imperative to control the increasing burden of NCDs amongst refugee populations and improve equitable access to NCD services.
Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibits the migration, invasion, and enhances apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells by sponging miR-31
Authors: Jin Ye , Yu Lingli , Zhang Bin , Chen Yun , Liu Changfeng , Chen Zhi , Zhan Xiaobo , Wu Qi
Published: August 2020

Background: Circ_0026344 was reported to be associated with the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the expression of circ_0026344 in CRC and the effect mechanisms of circ_0026344 on CRC.Methods: The expressions of circ_0026344 and miR-31 in clinical CRC tissues or CRC cell lines were analyzed by qPCR. The target of circ_0026344 was predicted and verified by CircInteractome and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The correlation between circ_0026344 and miR-31 expression was analyzed using Pearson analysis. After the CRC cells were overexpressed circ_0026344 or miR-31 or silenced circ_0026344, the viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of CRC cells were evaluated by CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell. Also, the expressions of miR-31, Bcl-2, Bax, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in the cells were detected by qPCR or Western blot. Results: Circ_0026344 was low-expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0026344 sponged miR-31 which was high-expressed in CRC tissues. The expression of circ_0026344 was negatively correlated to the expression of miR-31. The miR-31 expression could be down-regulated by circ_0026344 overexpression. Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibited the cell viability, migration, and invasion; and enhanced the apoptosis of CRC cells. Circ_0026344 overexpression decreased the expressions of Bcl-2 and N-cadherin and increased the expressions of Bax and E-cadherin in CRC cells. Circ_0026344 silencing and miR-31 overexpression had an opposite effect on CRC cells as circ_0026344 overexpression. Furthermore, miR-31 overexpression counteracted the effect of circ_0026344 overexpression.Conclusion: Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibited the migration, invasion, and enhanced apoptosis of CRC cells by sponging miR-31.
IL-33 / ST2 Signaling Promotes TF Expression by Regulating NF-κB Activation in Coronary Artery Endothelial Microparticles of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Yuan Yujuan , Cheng Hui , Tao Jing , Muyesai Nijiati
Published: August 2020

Background: Interleukin (IL)-33 was previously shown to induce angiogenesis and inflammatory activation of endothelial cells derived Microparticles（EMPs）. Tissue factor (TF) plays a central role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of IL-33 on TF release of EMPs, which may be a new link between inflammation and coagulation. Methods: The study analyzed the coronary blood of level of CD31+EMPs, TF protein and IL-33 protein in acute myocardial infarction(AMI) and stable coronary artery disease(SCAD) patients. Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) were treated with IL-33 to obtain MPs. The TF activity of EMPs was tested by thermo fisher by adding the TF antibody. Furthermore, TF and TFPI protein were tested by ELISA. Finally, NF-κB inhibitor dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and soluble extracellular domain of ST2 coupled to the Fc fragment of human IgG1 (sST2) were added HCAECs, which were treated with IL-33, then the TF protein level also was tested by ELISA. Results: The AMI patients have higher level of CD31+EMPs, TF protein and IL-33 protein than the SCAD patients in coronary blood. In AMI patients (N=27) , the IL-33 protein positively correlated with CD31+EMPs (r = 0.794, p < 0.01). According to the ROC curve analysis, the areas under the curve (AUC) of CD31+EMPs, TF protein and IL-33 protein were 0.888, 0.962 and 0.778. In the cell culture, the TF activity and TF protein in ECs-derived MPs increased gradually with time of intervention by the treatment of IL-33. IL-33 binding to the ST2 receptor promoted TF expression by regulating NF-κB activation in ECs-derived MPs of HCAECs. Conclusion: Activated endothelial cells and their released MPs simultaneously express TF, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Health-related quality of life of pharmacists in the pre-COVID-19 era
Authors: Kurnik-Łucka Magdalena , Pasieka Paweł , Górecka-Mazur Agnieszka , Rząsa-Duran Elżbieta , Pękala Jakub , Gil Krzysztof
Published: August 2020

Background

pharmacists remain on the frontline of public health around the globe and their performance directly impacts patients’ safety. So far, to our knowledge, no European study has been dedicated to their heath-related quality of life (HQoL). Therefore, the primarily aim of our study was to evaluate HQoL of Polish pharmacists utilizing the SF-36 health survey with regard to anthropometric and lifestyle-related variables.
Methods

a total sample screened consisted of 1412 respondents, yet 765 pharmacists (mean age 40, 86.3% females) finally participated in the study. HQoL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).
Results

the lowest median scores were noted for general health (GH, 50.0) and vitality (V, 60.0) domains. No gender differences regarding physical and mental summary scores were found. Significant difference of HQoL was found among the assessed age groups in several domains, especially physical functioning (PF) and GH (p < 0.001) scores, and especially in the group of 51-60-year-old-respondents. Correlations were found between PF (r=-0.29,p < 0.001), GH (r=-0.25,p < 0.001) and age as well PF (r=-0.27,p < 0.001), GH (r=-0.21,p < 0.001) and BMI. Self-assessed dietary habits were correlated with PF (r = 0.22,p < 0.001), mental health (r = 0.25,p < 0.001), GH (r = 0.27,p < 0.001) and V (r = 0.30, p < 0.001) scores.
Conclusions

our analysis indicates that pharmacists tend to have similar mental and physical burden according to SF-36, with age, BMI and dietary habits as predominant factors influencing their HQoL. The study presents unique values for future comparative analyses related, for instance, to the influence of the ongoing pandemic on HQoL of health-care providers.
Establishment of the Screening Scale on the Aspiration Risk of Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition
Authors: Shao Xiaoping , Yan Yiling , Wu PeiWen , Li Yangyang , Qi Qian , Ye Xianghong , Gao Lan , Huang Haiyan , HU Sanlian
Published: August 2020

Purpose

To establish a set of screening scale on the aspiration risk applicable to patients receiving enteral nutrition, determine the threshold of the scale and evaluate the scale’s reliability-validity.
Methods

Firstly, the screening scale on the aspiration risk of patients receiving enteral nutrition was mainly formed through literature search, expert brainstorming and consultation. And then a retrospective analysis was undertaken by investigating 484 patients in the intensive care unit of 19 tertiary hospitals around China from May 2019 to June 2019. Reliability-validity test on the screening scale concerning the potential aspiration risk among the vulnerable patients was performed. The items in the scale were assigned with scores through expert evaluation method. At last ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnosis threshold of such scale.
Results

A screening scale on the aspiration risk of patients receiving enteral nutrition was established, including general conditions of patients, primary disease and the accompanying symptoms, treatment strategies, and et al. The Cronbach's a coefficient, interrater reliability, content validity index interval, and the content validity index of such scale were 0.922, 0.920, 0.812-1.000 and 0.944 respectively. All the items in the scale were presented in the form of scores with a total of 12 points. The ultimate diagnosis threshold, sensitivity and specificity were 8 points, 0.800 and 0.627 respectively.
Conclusion

The screening scale on the aspiration risk of patients receiving enteral nutrition was shown to provided precise evaluation of the potential aspiration risk of such patients with compelling sensitivity and specificity, which deserved more clinical studies to confirm its value in other patient populations in the future.
Job Satisfaction and Associated Factors Among Midwives Working in Health Centers of Central Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Meselu Belsity Temesgen , Wondie Asmare Talie , Shedie Tigist Adeb , Tibebu Melaku Admas
Published: August 2020

Background: Job satisfaction depends on the interactions of employee’s personal characteristics, values and expectations with the work environment and the organization. Low job satisfaction among midwives is supposed to be a problem to achieve organizational goals. Due to this reason, it is a must to determine their level of satisfaction and the contributing factors. The objective is to assess job satisfaction and associated factors among midwives working in Health Centers of Central Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019Method: - An institution-based cross sectional study was conducted on March 2019 at Central Zone of Tigray among 140 midwives selected using simple random sampling. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to job satisfaction. Variables which have p-value less than or equal to 0.05 with corresponding AOR at 95 confidence interval was considered to declare the significance association.Result: This study revealed that job satisfaction of health professional working Central Zone of Tigray was 43.57%. Of which respondents’ 92 (65.7%) were females and 128(91.4%) were Orthodox region followers. Majority of the respondents 85(60.7%) were under the age of 30 and almost half 69(49.3%) of the respondents were married. Motivation, management system, and work were identified as significant factors associated with midwives’ job satisfaction level. Regarding motivation, the probability of being satisfied among midwives not motivated to do their job, were 76% times less likely compared to their counterpart, whereas the management system, the probability of not satisfied with the management system were 79.2% times less likely satisfied than who were satisfied with the management system. Work satisfaction, the probability of not satisfied with their work was 91.6% times less likely satisfied than those who were satisfied with their work. Conclusion: Job satisfaction of midwives in central zone health centers was found to be low. Motivation, management system, and work were identified as significant factors associated with midwives’ job satisfaction level.
Pandemics and Oil Shocks
Authors: Mohammed Mikidadu , Barrales-Ruiz Jose A.
Published: August 2020

At the onset of coronavirus in January 2020, crude oil price was around $51.63 per barrel. But the subsequent spread of the virus across countries all over the world adversely impacted the day-to-day functioning of major industries, corporations, and economies. This adverse impact was amplified by the lockdown measures by governments who were justifiably concerned about the potential devastating effect of the pandemic. As the outbreak intensified, so did oil prices plunge into historic lows (at some point, negative). Is the precipitous drop in oil prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic or are there potentially other factors at play? In this paper, we investigate this question using a pentavariate structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model. Specifically, we identify an exogenous oil price shock arising from the pandemic together with the traditional underlying supply, demand, and financial market shocks to global crude oil markets. We find that a pandemic shock causes a delayed adverse effect on oil prices. In addition, our findings lend support to the view that changes in financial market conditions that affect financial investment decisions also play a significant role in oil price movements. There is however no evidence of a strong impact emanating from the brief Russia-Saudi price war. We also compute the forecast error variance decomposition and find that the impact of a pandemic shock together with aggregate demand and financial market shocks are not trivial in the short run. Taken together, the findings underscore the fruitfulness of research aimed at better understanding the effects of a pandemic shock on oil price movements and highlight the need for policymakers and market stakeholders to explicitly consider global health conditions when analyzing the causes and consequences of oil price shocks.
Parental History of Trauma and Resilience during COVID-19
Authors: LaBrenz Catherine , Baiden Philip , Findley Erin , Tennant Patrick S. , Chakravarty Sreyashi
Published: August 2020

Since March 2020, families across the U.S. have faced challenges due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its subsequent restrictions. Prior literature has linked family stress to negative outcomes, such as parent and child mental health, increased risk of child maltreatment, and overall well-being, as well as protective factors that may help families navigate and respond to stressors. Furthermore, parental history of trauma, such as exposure to adversity in one’s own childhood, has been linked to stress and resilience. Although some experts have voiced concern over the impact of COVID-19 on family well-being, few studies have been conducted thus far. This study utilized N = 523 responses from an online survey that was administered between May and June 2020 to gauge family stress and resilience among parents of children ages zero-to-five during the pandemic. There was a negative relationship between ACE score and parental resilience among this sample. Furthermore, frequency of childcare was positively linked to protective factors and resilience, while childcare barriers were negatively linked to resilience. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed, with a particular focus on the role of childcare and school openings during the pandemic.
Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to Evaluate the Role of Air Purification in Reducing Fallow Time in Dentistry 
Authors: Raghava Neha , Vidovic Bojan
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn dentistry, fallow time is a period which allows for airborne pathogens to settle out of the air and mitigate the risk of airborne infection transmission to dental professionals and staff. The current recommendation is a one hour period.Aims and Objectives We aim to show that air purification devices are an undervalued adjunctive measure to mitigate the risk of airborne transmission of pathogens, and so reduce fallow time.Methods Using a computational fluid dynamics software, we created a virtual dental surgery, and simulated a ten-minute aerosol generating procedure. We then modelled air flow in the room with no ventilation, and then the same room with an air purifier at a throughput of 430m3 h-1, and subsequently the room with one open window providing 6 ACH and no purifier. The particles released were monitored and their behaviour and airborne time measured and collated.Results and conclusions The room with no ventilation had a total particle number at 600s of 4.5million, which required 8400s to reduce by 99%. With an open window providing 6 ACH, we obtained a value of 2500s for a 99% reduction in airborne particles, and a similar peak particle volume. Conversely, when using an air purifier throughout the procedure, the peak particle number was ten times lower than the peak number without ventilation, or with an open window, and after the particle injection 99% airborne particle reduction was achieved 60s. Our findings suggest that the use of an air purifier greatly reduces the total particle volume in the air during the aerosol generating procedure, and the fallow period needed. The values found with 6 ACH and an open window are corroborated in other literature. The use of air purification could greatly reduce the risk of infection transmission in a dental surgery.
Nephroprotective Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Therapy of Kidney Disease Induced by Toxicant
Authors: Lin Shujun , Lin Wenshan , Liao Chunling , Zhou Tianbiao
Published: August 2020

Background: Renal damage caused by drug toxicity is becoming more and more common in clinic. How to avoid and treat kidney damage caused by drug toxicity is essential to maintain patient health and reduce social economic burden. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the nephroprotective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in therapy of kidney disease induced by toxicant. Methods: Cochrane Library, Embase, ISI Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched up to Dec 31, 2019 to identify the studies and extract the data to assess the efficacy of MSCs for kidney disease induced by toxicant using Cochrane Review Manager Version 5.3. 27 studies were eligible and recruited for this meta-analysis. Results: The results showed that the difference of Scr between MSCs treatment group and control group was notable for 2 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6-8 days, 10-15 days, ≥42 days (2 days: WMD =-0.88, 95%CI: -1.34, -0.42, P=0.0002; 4 days: WMD=-0.69, 95%CI: -0.99, -0.39, P<0.00001; 5 days: WMD=-0.46, 95%CI: -0.67, -0.25, P<0.0001; 6-8 days: WMD=-0.51, 95%CI: -0.79, -0.22, P=0.0005; 10-15 days: WMD =-0.38, 95%CI: -0.56, -0.20, P<0.0001; ≥42 days: WMD =-0.22, 95%CI: -0.39, -0.06, P=0.007). Furthermore, the difference of BUN between MSCs treatment group and control group was notable for 2-3 days, 4-5 days, 6-8 days, ≥28 days. The results also indicated that MSCs treatment can alleviate the inflammatory cells, necrotic tubule, regenerative tubules, renal interstitial fibrosis in kidney disease induced by toxicant. Conclusion: MSCs might be a promising therapeutic agent for kidney disease induced by toxicant.
Molecular Biomarkers of Anti-TNF Response in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Yoosuf Niyaz , Maciejewski Mateusz , Ziemek Daniel , Jelinsky Scott , Folkersen Lasse , Müller Malin , Sahlström Peter , Vivar Nancy , Catrina Anca , Berg Louise , Klareskog Lars , Padyukov Leonid , Brynedal Boel
Published: August 2020

BackgroundAdvances in immunotherapy by blocking TNF have remarkably improved treatment outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Although treatment specifically targets TNF-α, the downstream mechanisms of immune suppression are not completely understood, and the reason for the reduced efficacy in a significant fraction of patients remains unclear. Hence this study was designed to detect biomarkers and expression signatures of response to TNF inhibition.MethodsIn this study, we included 39 female patients diagnosed with RA who were non-responders to methotrexate treatment. The blood samples were collected before anti-TNF treatment initiation, and three months into treatment. The clinical evaluations were performed based on European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and classified 23 patients as responders and 16 as non-responders after three months following the initiation of anti-TNF treatment. We investigated differences in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), the proportion of cell types and cell phenotypes in peripheral blood using flow cytometry, the level of proteins in serum, as well as clinical and demographic factors.ResultsWe performed analyses to identify differences between responders and non-responders at both time points (before and after treatment initiation) as well as to detect the changes induced during the treatment using transcriptomics, flow cytometry and proteomics data. The gene expression analysis before treatment revealed notably a higher expression of EPPK1 and BCL6-AS1 in future responders. We further detected suppression of genes and proteins during treatment, most notably a suppression of expression of the gene, T-cell inhibitor CHI3L1 and its protein YKL-40 measured from flow cytometry. We identified an increase in the proportion of T- and B cells, whereas the proportion of granulocytes was suppressed during treatment in responders. Finally, our machine learning models mainly based on transcriptomics data showed high predictive utility (ROC AUC ± SEM: 0.81 ± 0.17) in classifying response before anti-TNF treatment initiation.ConclusionsOur comprehensive analyses resulted in several useful insights regarding the transcriptional and translational regulations of anti-TNF treatment in RA patients. The study reports first transcriptomics analysis using RNA sequencing of isolated PBMCs from anti-TNF naïve and anti-TNF treated RA patients to study biomarkers and predict anti-TNF response.
Dynamic characteristics of Influenza A epidemic in children during the early stage of COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Wang Xia , Liu Pin , Feng Shuwen , Zhen Junwen , Wu Yan , Pan Zhenyu , Zhao Dongchi
Published: August 2020

Background: At the beginning of the outbreak of coronavirus infected disease 2019 (COVID-19), children in Wuhan were experiencing an extremely strong influenza A epidemic. This study is aimed to explore the epidemic dynamics characteristics of children with influenza A and its correlation with the early stage spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan.Methods: This is a retrospective single-center clinical study.From November 28, 2019 to January 23, 2020, a total of 7904 outpatient children with signs of respiratory tract infection were admitted, and a total of 10102 throat swabs were collected. All the detection were performed to the throat swabs of patients, which include the epidemic statues, detection rate, duration of Flu A and B persistence in airway, and the positive rate of COVID-19 nucleic acid.Results: A total of 10102 throat swabs were obtained from children with respiratory symptoms, including 5450 (53.9%) male and 4652 (46.1%) female. 2899 (28.7%) cases were positive for Influenza A. There were 617 (6.1% ) cases of Influenza B . In group of Influenza A , the lowest positive rate was in the infants less than 1 year old (18.4%), and the highest in the group 12 year old (32.1%). During the period of high prevalence of influenza A, there was a low level of infection of influenza B. The detection rate of each age group fluctuated from 3% to 10%. 73.7% of children's influenza A and B virus turned negative within 7 days, and very few children's respiratory influenza virus can last even more than 1 month. Among 35 throat swabs detected with qRT-PCR, 11 (31.4%) were positive for Flu A, and all children were negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Conclusions: In the early stage of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, children in Wuhan were experiencing a high intensity of influenza A pandemic, and there was no the mixed infection of SARS-CoV-2 with influenza A. COVID-19 spread caught up the tail of influenza A pandemic.
Sociodemographic Determinants of Adolescent Childbirths in Ghana: Results from a nationwide survey
Authors: Dankwah Emmanuel
Published: August 2020

Objective: To investigate the sociodemographic determinants of adolescent childbearing in Ghana.Methods: This research studied reproductive-aged women who were systematically sampled in Ghana. Kaplan Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression with shared frailty were fitted on a nationwide population-based data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) to predict adolescent childbirth.Results: The analysis revealed that approximately 49% initiated childbirth during adolescence. This study found higher adolescent childbirth rates among women who were not working (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) =1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07 to 1.29) and resided in rural areas (AHR =1.22; 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.37). In addition, poor women (AHR= 1.71; 95% CI = 1.49 to 1.95) and middle-class women (AHR=1.67; 95% CI = 1.48 to 1.88) had a higher likelihood of having adolescent birth compared to the rich. Lastly, secondary and higher educated women were 0.74 (95% CI= 0.67 to 0.82) and 0.10 (95% CI= 0.06 to 0.16) times less likely to have adolescent birth, respectively.Conclusions: This research revealed that adolescent childbearing was greatly influenced by socioeconomically disadvantaged background within the contexts of the women and the community in which they reside. This finding suggests the need to initiate and improve interventions that seek to reduce poverty among women and to promote and encourage adolescent girls to pursue secondary and higher education to help reduce unintended adolescent childbirths. Finally, adolescent girls should be empowered through counseling and education on reproductive and sexual health options and rights to ensure more informed decision-making about contraception.
Efecto de la Suspensión en el Seguimiento de Trayectorias en Robots Moviéndose Sobre Terrenos duros con Diferente Rugosidad
Authors: García Jesús Marcey , Bohórquez Aldemar , Valero Alex Antonio
Published: August 2020

Los robots móviles terrestres han sido desarrollados para realizar múltiples tareas donde es necesario el seguimiento de trayectorias. Si estos robots están dotados con sistemas de suspensión, deben ser analizados exhaustivamente puesto que la suspensión puede incidir en la capacidad para seguir caminos cuando el robot se desplaza sobre terrenos altamente rugosos. En este trabajo, se muestra un estudio correlacional donde se estima el efecto de cada parámetro del sistema de suspensión de un robot móvil Skid Steer (Lázaro) sobre la exactitud en el seguimiento de trayectorias cuando este se mueve sobre superficies horizontales duras con rugosidad variable. Utilizando herramientas de simulación y cuantificando algunos parámetros normalizados para estudiar el deslizamiento del robot, se consigue determinar las magnitudes apropiadas de cada parámetro de suspensión para disminuir el error en el seguimiento de trayectorias de este robot móvil, y a su vez, estimar la magnitud de estos parámetros de suspensión en otros casos de manera general.
Análisis de viabilidad y diseño de un sistema electrónico para el seguimiento de la dinámica poblacional en la ciudad de Cúcuta
Authors: Niño Rondón Carlos Vicente
Published: August 2020

En este documento se muestran los resultados obtenidos al realizar un análisis de viabilidad y el diseño de un sistema electrónico para el seguimiento de la dinámica poblacional en la ciudad de Cúcuta. El análisis de viabilidad se realizó al indagar respecto a la posición de la ciudadanía en lo que compete al comportamiento de la dinámica poblacional, su impacto en la región y la preferencia por el uso de la tecnología como solución de problemas sociales. Asimismo, el diseño del sistema electrónico de procesamiento de señales se realizó seleccionando las herramientas de hardware y software por medio de una matriz de priorización, comparando once factores de interés, que permitieron elaborar los algoritmos de detección de personas basado en las técnicas de Histograma de Gradientes Orientados y de Sustracción de Fondo con Extracción de Blobs, posteriormente probados con imágenes propias de los autores.
Humedales artificiales subsuperficiales: comparación de metodologías de diseño para el cálculo del area superficial basado en la remoción de la materia organica
Authors: Ramírez Johan Sebastian , Rodriguez Loaiza Diana Catalina , Asprilla Wilson J.
Published: August 2020

Los humedales artificiales vislumbran una buena alternativa en el campo de las aguas residuales, siendo soluciones integrales, con altas eficiencias y bajos costos de remoción. De esta manera se recopilan selectivamente 4 metodologías propuestas por diferentes autores para estimar el área superficial de humedales subsuperficiales tanto horizontales como verticales y así comparar los parámetros de diseño utilizados por cada autor o referencia. Se concluye que tanto Kadlec como Reed – RAS 2017 son las referencias más recomendadas para el diseño de humedales artificiales debido a la similitud de resultados y aplicabilidad en casos prácticos, además porque emplean variables tales como las constantes biocinéticas de primer orden, la porosidad del medio granular o soporte del material vegetal, concentración de fondo, el caudal de entrada al sistema y las concentraciones de entrada y salida en términos de DBO5, dichas variables son importantes desde el punto de vista hidráulico y de costos de constructivos, ya que estas influyen en la viabilidad económica de los humedales artificiales para la implementación de estos como alternativa de tratamiento de las aguas residuales.
Search for Highly Divergent SINE repeats in the Rice Genome
Authors: Kamionskaya A.M. , Korotkov E.V.
Published: August 2020

In this article, we present a new method for searching for highly divergent copies of SINE elements in a genome. The method is based on the correlation of neighboring symbols both in constructing a positional weight matrix for a sequence of interest and in the genome scanning procedure. This makes possible to increase the alphabet size and, accordingly, the resolution capacity of the method. Using it, we found new copies of SINE repeats in the rice genome that have not been annotated before. The method was tested and compared with the RepeatMasker program; false positives were evaluated.

SINE elements, retrotransposons, alignment-based methods, sequence similarity

The work was partly supported by the RFBR Grant no. 20-016-00057.
Bacterial Protease Enzyme Preparations for the Production of Non-Bitter Protein Hydrolysates
Authors: Sereda A.S. , Velikoretskaya I.A. , Mineeva D.T. , Tsurikova N.V. , Rubtsova E.A.
Published: August 2020

Casein hydrolysates were obtained using enzyme preparations (EPs) of bacterial proteases, Alcalase, Protamex, Neutrase, and Protosubtilin. The dependence of the hydrolysate bitterness on the decrease of the EP proteolytic activity in the presence of PMSF, an inhibitor of serine proteases, was observed. It was found that the use of Neutrase provided non-bitter hydrolysates, while the proteolytic activity of Neutrase decreased by 44% in the presence of PMSF. A domestic EP of Protosubtilin lost 59% activity in the presence of PMSF and formed bitter hydrolysates. Casein hydrolysates obtained using Alcalase were characterized by the most severe bitterness, probably due to the fact that almost all proteolytic activity in this preparation is represented by a serine protease. The Bacillus subtilis 359 strain with a ratio of neutral and serine protease activities of 52 to 48% was selected from the VNIIPBT Collection of Bacterial Producers of Proteases. The concentrated preparation was obtained from the culture liquid of B. subtilis 359 strain by spray-drying. The preparation obtained hydrolyzed casein similarly to Neutrase and ensured the absence of bitterness in hydrolysates.

neutral protease, serine protease, bitterness of hydrolysates, Bacillus subtilis

This work was financially supported by a Grant of the Basic Research Program of the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2019-2021 (Project no. 0529-2019-0066).
Creation of a Novel Nanostructured Bioplastic Material for Combustiology
Authors: Kostromina E.Yu. , Yakupova R.D. , Eremin P.S.
Published: August 2020

The technique of obtainment of a new bioplastic material based on collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid is described. The results of a study of the biomaterial structure and properties to assess the prospects for its further use in clinical practice are also presented. To prepare the material samples, collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid were mixed in predetermined proportions with distilled water, and the resulting biofilm was crosslinked by UV irradiation. A commercial human skin fibroblast cell culture (HDF) was used to assess the biomaterial cytotoxicity and biocompatibility; as a result, it was shown that cytotoxicity is absent in it. The visualization and studies of the biomaterial structure were carried out using light microscopy. The new material was shown to be highly elastic and resilient; it also had a high porosity with a pore diameter of 100-200 um. It was shown that the biomaterial samples were able to maintain physical properties in the culture medium for more than 10 days, while the complete destruction of the matrix was observed 3-4 weeks after the beginning of incubation. Due to its physical properties and structure, and also the capacity of providing effective conditions for good cell proliferation, the created biomaterial can be used as a wound cover in the damaged skin areas. This allows us to consider the new biomaterial promising for clinical practice.

cell technologies, tissue-engineered constructs, bioplastic material, collagen, human fibroblasts.
Effect of Cerium Compounds on Post-Burn Scar Studied in vivo by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Legonkova O.A. , Korotaeva A.I. , Paklina O.V. , Ukhin S.A. , Sarygin P.V. , Tinkova I.O.
Published: August 2020

The effect of nanosized cerium dioxide and a solution of cerium (III) chloride on the state of a post-burn scar was studied in an in vivo experiment via transmission electron microscopy. The intracellular accumulation of cerium compounds with their agglomeration with cytoplasmic and/ or lysosomal localization was observed after 4 injections of nanodispersed cerium dioxide or cerium (III) chloride solution at concentrations of 0.5% and 0.05% in the formed scar area. The application of the cerium preparations both in nanodisperse form (sol) and in solution did not cause inflammatory reactions or cell destruction and had a positive effect on a regenerative process; it contributed to the full-fledged tissue regeneration in a shorter time and changed the scar characteristics for the better.

sol, nanodispersed cerium dioxide, cerium (III) chloride solution, electron microscopy, post-burn scar, functional activity of cells
Exploration of coliform diversity in drinking water resources by culture-independent approaches
Authors: Shanker A. Shiva , Vootla Praveen Kumar , Pindi Pavan Kumar
Published: August 2020

The coliform group has been widely used as an indicator of water quality and has historically led to a public health protection concept. Presence of pathogens in drinking water may raise several health problems in humans from mild illnesses to serious waterborne diseases. In spite of several measures taken, water quality is always a pertinent issue prevailing in diverse water systems. So far, coliform contamination and diversity could not be adequately explored as traditionally used culture-dependent methods have a limited capacity to characterize microbiota from their respective sources. The study was designed for assessment of microbial diversity by culture-independent approaches placing emphasis on exploring the total coliform diversity in two drinking water reservoirs, Raman Pahad and Koilsagar of Mahabubnagar district, Telangana, India. Principal analysis based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries revealed that Raman Pahad library clones belonged to genus Enterobacter (41.5%), followed by Citrobacter (25.03%), Klebsiella (17.86%), Escherichia (12.20%), and the least being Hafnia (3.39%). The clones in Koilsagar belonged to genus Enterobacter (46.42%) as the most predominant, followed by Citrobacter (32.14%) and Escherichia (21.42%). Comparatively, Enterobacter was observed to be the most predominant (representing 50%) of the total clones in both reservoirs.
Research on treatment and mechanism of salicylhydroxamic acid flotation wastewater by O3-BAF process
Authors: Zhang Liping , Wu Shengnian , Xiang Jun , Jiao Xiaofei , Wang Jing
Published: August 2020

Salicylhydroxamic acid is an effective and selective collector for tungsten and molybdenum ores. However, the salicylhydroxamic acid flotation wastewater discharge may cause damage to the water environment for the residual processing reagents with poor biodegradability. Combined O3 and biological aerated filter (BAF) has a well-known potential for removing refractory or toxic organic pollutants. Combined process of O3 and BAF (O3-BAF) was applied to treat the simulated wastewater from W-Mo mineral processing in this study. Compared single ozonation to O3-BAF, various influencing factors were discussed like O3 dosage, reaction time, initial pH value, gas–water ratio and organic loading. Meanwhile, degradation mechanism of salicylhydroxamic acid was reduced. Under the optimal experiment conditions as pH value 8, O3 dosage 1.3 mg·L−1, reaction time 15 min, the five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5)/chemical oxygen demand of potassium dichromate (CODCr) value increased to from 0.19 to 0.35. The effluent was pumped to the following BAF process, when the optimal experiment conditions was organic load = 0.82 kgCODCr (m−3·d−1), gas-water ratio = 6:1, CODCr concentration of effluent was 28.92 mg·L−1 and the removal ratio was 86.26%, while the removal ratio could higher to 91.12% for the O3-BAF combined process. The effluent could meet the discharge and reuse emission standards requirements in China. UV-vis absorption spectra and high performance liquid chromatography showed the degradation pathway of salicylhydroxamic acid by ozone oxidation was salicylhydroxamic acid → salicylic acid + hydroxylamine → catechol → maleic → small molecular organic acid → carbon dioxide + water.
Highly effective removal of antibiotics from aqueous solution by magnetic ZnFe2O4/activated carbon composite
Authors: Li Yun-Xia , Wang Lei , Chai Fang-Fang , Jing Hong-Fei , Gao Zhu-Qing , Zhang Qing-Hua , Zhao Xu-Dong
Published: August 2020

Water pollution from antibiotics has attracted a lot of attention for its serious threat to human health. In this study, a magnetic adsorbent (zinc ferrite/activated carbon (ZnFe2O4/AC) was synthesized via microwave method to effectively remove gemifioxacin mesylate (GEM) and moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOX). Based on the porosity of AC and the magnetism of ZnFe2O4, the resulting ZnFe2O4/AC has high adsorption capacities and can be easily separated from the solid–liquid system via a magnetic field. The largest adsorption capacities for GEM and MOX can reach up to 433.4 mg g−1 and 388.8 mg g−1, respectively, higher than those of reported adsorbents such as MIL-101 and MOF-808. Fastest adsorptions of GEM and MOX were found at 5 min, and solution pH and coexisting salts do not have a significant influence on the adsorption process. The adsorption mechanism analysis indicates that electrostatic interaction and H-bond interaction contribute to the effective adsorption.
Effect of modified graphene oxide on Cu and phosphorus in eutrophic river sediments
Authors: Lin Zhipeng , Song Lei , Han Baohong , Li Hao , Wang Qian
Published: August 2020

Ulansuhai nur is located in the cold and dry area of China, and the management of heavy metals in the sediments is related to water safety in the lower places of the Yellow River. Graphene oxide (GO) is modified to obtain magnetic graphene oxide (G-F) and chitosan grafted graphene oxide (G-N-C) materials, which are used to immobilize Cu in the sediments. The modified materials are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). G-F respectively reduces the concentration of Cu in the overlying and interstitial water by 61.5–66.3% and 22.4–47.1%, which is more effective than GO and G-N-C. Experiments are designed to determine the effect of phosphates concentration on immobilizing Cu in the sediments by modified materials. The results show that a low concentration of phosphates solution is beneficial to the immobilization of Cu in the sediments, and the capability of G-F to immobilize Cu is higher than that of GO and G-N-C. G-F presents a lower increase in organic phosphorus in the sediments than GO and G-N-C. In summary, the modified materials can immobilize Cu in the sediments, potentially reduce the water body eutrophication, and improve the lake ecological environment.
Making urban water smart: the SMART-WATER solution
Authors: Antzoulatos Gerasimos , Mourtzios Christos , Stournara Panagiota , Kouloglou Ioannis-Omiros , Papadimitriou Nikolaos , Spyrou Dimitrios , Mentes Alexandros , Nikolaidis Efstathios , Karakostas Anastasios , Kourtesis Dimitrios , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: August 2020

The rise of Internet of Things (IoT), coupled with the advances in Artificial Intelligence technologies and cloud-based applications, have caused fundamental changes in the way societies behave. Enhanced connectivity and interactions between physical and cyber worlds create ‘smart’ solutions and applications to serve society's needs. Water is a vital resource and its management is a critical issue. ICT achievements gradually deployed within the water industry provide an alternative, smart and novel way to improve water management efficiently. Contributing to this direction, we propose a unified framework for urban water management, exploiting state-of-the-art IoT solutions for remote telemetry and control of water consumption in combination with machine learning-based processes. The SMART-WATER platform aims to foster water utility companies by enhancing water management and decision-making processes, providing innovative solutions to consumers for smart water utilisation.
Simultaneous adsorption and reduction of hexavalent chromium on biochar-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) in aqueous solution
Authors: Ma Fengfeng , Philippe Bakunzibake , Zhao Baowei , Diao Jingru , Li Jian
Published: August 2020

Flax straw biochar (FSBC)-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) composite (nZVI-FSBC) combining the advantages of nZVI and biochar was synthesized and tested for Cr(VI) removal efficiency from aqueous solution. Surface morphology and structure of FSBC and nZVI-FSBC were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller techniques, which help to clarify the mechanism of Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution. The adsorption of Cr(VI) onto FSBC and nZVI-FSBC was best described by the pseudo-second-order and the Sips model. Compared with FSBC, nZVI-FSBC remarkably improved the performance in removing Cr(VI) under identical experimental conditions. Due to the collaborative effect of adsorption and reduction of nZVI-FSBC, the adsorption capacity of nZVI-FSBC for Cr(VI) is up to 186.99 mg/g. The results obtained by XPS, XRD, and FTIR confirmed that adsorption and reduction dominated the processes of Cr(VI) removal by nZVI-FSBC. As a supporter, FSBC not only improved the dispersion of nZVI, but also undertook the adsorption task of Cr(VI) removal. The surface oxygen-containing functional groups of nZVI-FSBC mainly participated in the adsorption part, and the nZVI promoted the Cr(VI) removal through the redox reactions. These observations indicated that the nZVI-FSBC can be considered as potential adsorbents to remove Cr(VI) for environment remediation.